I stopped at the church of Sandy feet this morning to celebrate this double holiday.  I actually got a parking spot on the free beachfront parking and was a little amazed. 



I armed myself with a slightly heavier spinning set up armed with the bigger YoZuri jerk bait.

I actually brought a silver one I caught mahi and yellows on and this beautiful yellow one.  I really wanted a big halibut or WSB from the surf. (I did bring a small C-Rig with some crack just in case to quickly change it out)



It wasn't the best of tides as it was dropping but there was plenty of clean water. I didn't see a ton of people out there yet, but it was wide open shoreline for casting.  This stick bait casts a mile!

I got a few bumps but I wasn't sure what was happening... then I get a hook up and know it's small, but a fish none the less. 

Hey, My first corbina of the year and not much bigger than my bait!  lol



There were a ton of crab out there, but it was the swarming hayseed type.  The entire beach was just crawling!



I then tied up the C-Rig just because my arm was starting to hurt from all the casting.  I made a few casts and thought I had a really good bump but missed it.

Next cast and I'm on!  HOLY Smokes! What a great fight!

My first Zebra Perch!  I've seen you guys showing them off before, but this one has eluded me for almost 30 years!  It was a stud too!





I rebait and cast out again... This time to get snagged.  No way of getting it out but wasn't sure what I was snagged on and busted off my only C-Rig.  I tied the silver YoZuri back on and made a few casts really fast.  Last cast and f@ck!  Snagged on something again!  I tried my heart out to get it loose and float up but whatever it was stuck on was giving nothing back.  King Neptune gets his due.

Now I tie that yellow one on, but I walk about 50 yards down as to keep the hell away of the rig eating reef or whatever it was. 

As I was casting and walking I had a good slam, but it missed it!    I kept casting and got slammed with a blistering run.  I for sure at firt from the heavy thud of the hit that it was going to be my halibut.  Then it was dogging me and not giving me any ground, so my mind went to BSB...  I really couldn't tell what it was since it was putting on a huge fight. 

Then I get it into the skinny...  and see exactly why it was fight so hard.  Foul hooked right in the NADS!



Sucker really took the air out of my sail, so I kept moving north.  Then I was in crazy packs of big guitarfish!  They were almost beaching themselves and I could almost hand grab them.

Then another hit, but I saw this one early and it was another snagged wiggles and probably 8" smaller than my first one so I moved another 50 yards down the beach.... 

I then get a bite, but it was more like my lure just stopped.  I started cranking faster and I had a fish on!  There wasn't much of a fight, but an occasional big head shake and I see a halibut at the end of my line!  16" or so and not very big but very bright and colorful!  I started reaching for my phone before I slid him on the beach and a quick shake of the head and it was a sportsmen's release.  Only bummed I jined myself, but almost near some reef and pretty sure i could get one there.

I cast my way to the reef but felt something in my pant leg sinking down and realized I missed the pocket with my phone and it was sliding down my waders into my boot!  WTF!  As I was reaching down to try and grab it I kept feeling my rod tug so I thought I had snagged some of the kelp and grass that was getting thicker up here, but nope!  It was a fish!

I got him in hand and it was a 13-14" sand bass!  Now I'm in a predicament... Phone in my wader boot I can't reach, rod under my arm that is injured, and a bass trying to throw some big sharp ass hooks in me.  It was a cluster, but I got away with any major injury except for a little blood from the hook.

That was it...  Sun was booming and my shoulder was a mess, so I made the long walk to the truck.  I needed to get home and cook the ham anyway...

On the walk back I passed a few live chovie that beached themselves from something!  I made some more casts, but nothing and the surfers were really starting to group up in the no wave zones.



In any case, it was a great morning and just felt great getting out into the surf again!



I'll be back Torrey Pines!



Happy 4/20 and Easter!  Or both if like!

These go in the trash. Only problem is my trash pickup is on Fridays. First two got pretty ripe.
The last one I packed in an ice chest with ice. The ice lasted long enough.
Big Bear Lake has a disposal site which uses them to make fertilizer. Lake Elsinore doesn't.
I've tried burying one once, the coyotes found it and dug it up.

-Keith

Nicely done Keith! Those are some really nice goldfish, boss. 

Do you use them for bait? Fertilizer? Eat? Trash?

Quote from: Tim524 on April 19, 2025, 08:25:29 AMI think a Pontoon would look good in your driveway

I'd only get one if I lived on a lake. Lol

That used to be a good beach for batrays. Caught my PB there. Even fished there with a group for SNBF on year. Haven't been there for years but never met Karen there. Times change.
Not always for the better.

- Keith

Heard you say Carp, Jarad's pond, and sticking fish. Music to my ears.
Need some help getting rid of the carp? I've got a bow.

-Keith

Water temps in Lake Elsinore been going up with the last hot streak.  Had to go down to see how close we were to the carp spawn.
Yes, those disgusting fish which muddy up the lake and eat just about anything in sight.
I took up bowfishing last year, yes something different,  and I've been scoping out Lake Elsinore since it's closer than Big Bear Lake and they allow bowfishing. 

Went there three weeks ago, 3/29, when the water just broke 60 for the first time. Went early morning and the water was murky making it impossible to see anything under water. Saw a few fish swirl the surface as they swam away and a few that sank away as I approached.  Nothing to shoot at.
Went two weeks ago, 4/6, and went at noon for better visibility.  Started seeing them right away but only the dorsal fin thru the murk. Got the first one after only a few shots.
28" and 6.5 lbs. Bigger than any I've gotten before.

A few shots later, hit a 31" which was 11 lbs!

The first one barely fit in my Home Depot bucket. This one was nearly half hanging out. The bucket was now about 20lbs and I figured I'd have room for one more. Took a while to get the next one. Hit, swam hard and pulled off. Wasn't too worried since it meant I could keep going for a while. I covered about a mile of shoreline and got quite a few more shots on fish but didn't have my heart in it since the 20 lb bucket was getting pretty heavy. That was it for that day.
Last weekend, 4/13, was right after the hot week in the upper 80s. Water temp was up to 65. Went again around noon. This time there was a strong breeze which was making waves lap against the shore making the water even more murky by shore.
I could see only shadows of fish at this point and the ripples on the surface didn't help. There were more fish this time and they were jumping too. Took quite a few shots on fish but I couldn't judge the depth unless they were breaking the surface. Well one did long enough to get a good shot at it. It was only 26" and 7 lbs.

Easter being this weekend put a stop to another trip. Next weekend will be Big Bear Lake. The water is just reaching 60 there so it should be waking up. Until then, I'll be practicing on plastic bottles in my pool.

- Keith

P.S. Here's a glory shot. I couldn't even wrap my hand around the tail. It was definitely a two hander.

I think a Pontoon would look good in your driveway

SNBF attire for Tim!! That should be the next tradition going fwd!! Joe can be your 1st mate.

Quote from: KogaHead on April 16, 2025, 08:45:45 PMGive that woman what she wants and needs. You can park cars on the street.

THIS ^^^^