Started getting sick yesterday, hoped it would be a mirage of a cold but alas! Gonna start the 7 hour drive to Puerto Penasco with a bit of a sore throat, headache and fever. No canceling now!

I got a new combo from work, a Tiralejo 10'6" 1-3oz spinning rod and a Spheros 6000. Loaded it with metered 30# 8 strand braid.

Went to the surf to find its sweet spot. I tied on some kind of a fish finder rig. Double dropper with a 5" white Kalin's grub down low and a 1.5" morf grub up high, with a 3oz weight. What ever bites. Just wanted to cast.

1st cast I lobbed it pretty good. 2nd cast I put a little more oomph to it with a pendulum cast and bombed it. Then hooked up! Felt small. Thought maybe a lost little perch or small croaker. Get it in and it's...technically my first WSB from the surf!



Laughed about it and sent it back without laying a finger on it. Not particularly impressive but very good to see.

Might have gotten a few perch bumps here and there but kind of difficult with a big composite rod like this. Also a lot of kelp on the inside.

I've never had a particularly accurate idea of how far I cast in the surf, or really anywhere, but with the colored braid I was able to do the math. 36' per color. 9 colors out on the best casts...about 324'. Over 100 yards! Pretty fun rod. I'd like to tie into a leopard or bat on it soon, feels like a fun bend for the job. 

Solid trip. Maybe not the fireworks of a PB hali and chonk reds of last weekend but looks fun.

Never really heard about San Miguel as a spot even remotely adjacent to a BFT fishery. Got me wonderin'. That's the one island up there I never hit though. Generally that whole zone is blown out.

I have heard of unusual things happening up there, because the northern and southern currents often meet somewhere around there to Pt. Conception. So, land of possibilities.

Awesome trip! Really made it on the last day. Congrats on the PB halibut, that's a friggand nice one.

Makes me ponder an overnighter on the New Hustler up there, for old time's sake.

Reminds me of that book The Hatchet. Really stuck with me how you have to adjust for the refraction, but once you do it's game on. Cool report.

I've heard great things about Jurassic Park but have never been. Epic cod bite! Did you keep the sole? Not that you needed any more meat, all things considered.

More work than I did this weekend, good on ya.

Been about 4 years since I last looped Santa Cruz Island in a friend's tinny. Definitely a different experience for an SD guy! In some ways those islands feel more remote and rugged than the more southerly ones, maybe it's the cooler water and more consistent winds.

Can't wait for more!

Oh wow, that would be a sick trip. Can't wait to hear the story. Late May is a pretty darn good time to be there...

I took a walk today in the local wetland reserve, highly illegal to fish in. Kept my eye out looking for something cool, maybe some little white seabass in the shallows.

Got to a spot where I saw a striped bass about 24" casually roll up to the edge of the shore. I flipped out and said to Alicia "do you know how rare those damn things are?!?" She just called me a nerd.

Then I saw at least 3 more about the same size, then about four white seabass cruised through the same spot, all around 32". I was just laughing and shaking my head, they're swimming by us like it's a f@cking petting zoo. They know I can't fish for them.

Water was just off color enough that I couldn't get any good pics. They did countless laps for 5 minutes before I got too close and they got shy.

This may be common knowledge at this point that these quality fish are in there but I never believed any rumor that I heard until I seent it with my own eyes.

Get the boys for the last piece. Just make sure they lift with their legs.

I've been into sea shanties for a while. Jared as well. He just discovered Stan Rogers and showed him to me. I love when an artist just instantly clicks with your ears. A legend gone too soon, died in a plane caught fire, he tried saving other people and died at 33 years old in 1983. Amazing voice, even better story teller, and a great fingerpicking guitarist. Almost like a burly John Denver of Northern Canada.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s0CvSIhF_tA

So far I love his albums Fogarty's Cove and Between The Breaks Live.

Nice session! Spooks are one of my favorite baits, I wish the corvina came up this far. Nothing more than fables of them round here...

I did see the wind for the weekend. That wicked SE wind. Warmer days ahead but tomorrow looks like nothing but trouble. Maybe I'll shore pound Sunday morning with Jared but we will see.

Sounds like a fun session, at least the fishing part.

Good luck with the bluefin! I'm kinda hiding my head in the sand with pelagic news for now so I don't rush into another sled.

I could make it down Fri/Sat nights if you guys ever make it out then, but my 0500 alarm on weekdays is gonna keep me from driving down there for week day grinner nights.