Hi All,
I never post anymore. Been years, actually. But I have some time and for some reason, I am willing to share some pics and findings.
I have been taking multiple professional licensing exams so I have not been able to fish offshore this year. So, my buddy Josh and I tried to get good at fishing the surf in some spots we grew up on. I've been surf fishing for many years and never really focused on it, exclusively, until this season. I was a bit archaic in that I assumed that I needed my 4lb flouro and or 6 lb flouro and straight mono to the connection to get bit. More on that below ... but I was totally wrong. Everything rests on good bait, presentation, learning to sight fish, and making ONE cast count (not pounding out 20 in one spot).
We started off fishing Torrey, a few spots in North County, PB/Mission and South Bay. As the season progressed we made a ton of progress reading water, conditions, tides, etc. Maybe one of the biggest lessons was that almost every spot is holding big fish. There is absolutely no need to crowd a spot or crowd other fisherman. Walk the beach and spread out. The fish do. Sounds easy, right? I was amazed at how many fisherman, waders and surfers were convinced that they owned the water or just did not care about sharing the beach. I had long rod guys following me and casting over me at times. Sometimes you gotta just laugh and move on.
Anyhow, in getting back into it I read a ton and watched some youtube videos. I'm no expert per se, but there are quite a few myths out there that we largely disproved. Hopefully this can help shorten your learning curve. These are our findings, not anyone else's, so just assume we've heard or read all the traditional logic. A few lessons we learned:
1. Big Corbina are NOT line shy. They are VERY spooky and will jam out of there if you push them. After losing several tankers I upped my leader to 10 LB flouro and actually increased my hook and land ratio. Additionally, the floatsam in the water is far less an issue with more line strength, and you can turn the fish easier when beaching. So, dont get hung up on 4LB or 6 LB.
2. Bait - Sand Crabs - All sizes can work IF you are matching what is available. I alway heard that the big ones don't work, which is only partially true. If that is all the beach has, they will eat it. Also, if you present the bait in their retreat path and let them eat it without tension, they will eat it. I watched big Corbina and spotties do exactly that. Having said that, the best overall bait IS the medium size baits or doubled smaller baits. Soft shells are great, but the perch give them hell and they are harder to find. Point being, dont get too hung up on having the exact right bait. A great cast and some patience can be effective.
3. Hooks - Best for us were #8 mosquitos. But, I straightened a few. The 6's or an octopus circle were great, too, if you could match them to the bait. The really big fish are tough to handle on the smaller hooks though.
4. Main Line - I started out with mono. Then, I changed to 20 lb power pro to the swivel and connection. No shock leader. The feel that the power pro gives you is huge. I watched the fish eat baits and would barely feel a tap. They are masters at a quick slurp, and if they are mingling or coming to you, you wont feel it like a traditional bite. Once they slurp, you can set it quick and the power pro is great at giving you a good initial hook set. Also, you can really put pressure on them and keep them from getting outside.
5. Beaching - The heavier connection makes it a ton easier to control the fish with the tourists out. Especially if you are on your own. Drop the rod tip, give them pressure and angle their heads to the shore when they are whipped. Then you can circle behind and grab em. But, the power pro to the heavier leader really helps here.
6. Release/Keep - I kept some for eating. I released a TON more than I kept. If they were gut hooked and bleeding or could not be revived, I would keep them. If not, they all got released. Some of the ones in the pics were kept. For pics we figured out a way to hold the exterior of the gill without intruding as they can be tough to hang on to and you want to try to not choke them by squeezing too hard. Here, also, the heavier line helps as you can get them revived. The tankers really expend all their energy, so they take some time. No judgement here, but if you want to release fish, might be best to try to not tire em out too much. This is not true for fish under 20" as they seem to revive easy.
6. Spotties - I caught a ton of spotties this summer. Everywhere. The fishery is great. Often they are outside the Corbina in the mid section of the surf doing a long shore patrol. So, longer casts were best for them. They would eat any size crab if presented right, but preferred medium/larger.
7. Gear - I ended up with a 7' medium/fast action rod and a Penn Clash II 2000. I say "ended up with" as I broke or ruined (2) other set ups. I am vigilant about rinsing, cleaning and relubing reels. But, some are just not capable of taking the pounding. The Penn Clash II 2000 absolutely is the finest reel I've ever used inshore. Highly recommended. For rods, I am 6'5" and I thought 7' was too short for me. Just not enough reach sometimes, and keeping the line above the waves is far easier with a little more length. So, I am looking for a 7'6-8'6 medium fast rod at the moment. Happy to accept recommendations if any of you have had good experience with something moderately priced in that realm.
Pics: As I said, we kept some, so no whining. Some were released. I have a hard time getting my camera out in the water when we are releasing fish, so lots of bigger models got no pic love. Also -- if you want to learn how to catch these, my buddy Josh Hartsough is who I learned from. He is pictured here.
I never post anymore. Been years, actually. But I have some time and for some reason, I am willing to share some pics and findings.
I have been taking multiple professional licensing exams so I have not been able to fish offshore this year. So, my buddy Josh and I tried to get good at fishing the surf in some spots we grew up on. I've been surf fishing for many years and never really focused on it, exclusively, until this season. I was a bit archaic in that I assumed that I needed my 4lb flouro and or 6 lb flouro and straight mono to the connection to get bit. More on that below ... but I was totally wrong. Everything rests on good bait, presentation, learning to sight fish, and making ONE cast count (not pounding out 20 in one spot).
We started off fishing Torrey, a few spots in North County, PB/Mission and South Bay. As the season progressed we made a ton of progress reading water, conditions, tides, etc. Maybe one of the biggest lessons was that almost every spot is holding big fish. There is absolutely no need to crowd a spot or crowd other fisherman. Walk the beach and spread out. The fish do. Sounds easy, right? I was amazed at how many fisherman, waders and surfers were convinced that they owned the water or just did not care about sharing the beach. I had long rod guys following me and casting over me at times. Sometimes you gotta just laugh and move on.
Anyhow, in getting back into it I read a ton and watched some youtube videos. I'm no expert per se, but there are quite a few myths out there that we largely disproved. Hopefully this can help shorten your learning curve. These are our findings, not anyone else's, so just assume we've heard or read all the traditional logic. A few lessons we learned:
1. Big Corbina are NOT line shy. They are VERY spooky and will jam out of there if you push them. After losing several tankers I upped my leader to 10 LB flouro and actually increased my hook and land ratio. Additionally, the floatsam in the water is far less an issue with more line strength, and you can turn the fish easier when beaching. So, dont get hung up on 4LB or 6 LB.
2. Bait - Sand Crabs - All sizes can work IF you are matching what is available. I alway heard that the big ones don't work, which is only partially true. If that is all the beach has, they will eat it. Also, if you present the bait in their retreat path and let them eat it without tension, they will eat it. I watched big Corbina and spotties do exactly that. Having said that, the best overall bait IS the medium size baits or doubled smaller baits. Soft shells are great, but the perch give them hell and they are harder to find. Point being, dont get too hung up on having the exact right bait. A great cast and some patience can be effective.
3. Hooks - Best for us were #8 mosquitos. But, I straightened a few. The 6's or an octopus circle were great, too, if you could match them to the bait. The really big fish are tough to handle on the smaller hooks though.
4. Main Line - I started out with mono. Then, I changed to 20 lb power pro to the swivel and connection. No shock leader. The feel that the power pro gives you is huge. I watched the fish eat baits and would barely feel a tap. They are masters at a quick slurp, and if they are mingling or coming to you, you wont feel it like a traditional bite. Once they slurp, you can set it quick and the power pro is great at giving you a good initial hook set. Also, you can really put pressure on them and keep them from getting outside.
5. Beaching - The heavier connection makes it a ton easier to control the fish with the tourists out. Especially if you are on your own. Drop the rod tip, give them pressure and angle their heads to the shore when they are whipped. Then you can circle behind and grab em. But, the power pro to the heavier leader really helps here.
6. Release/Keep - I kept some for eating. I released a TON more than I kept. If they were gut hooked and bleeding or could not be revived, I would keep them. If not, they all got released. Some of the ones in the pics were kept. For pics we figured out a way to hold the exterior of the gill without intruding as they can be tough to hang on to and you want to try to not choke them by squeezing too hard. Here, also, the heavier line helps as you can get them revived. The tankers really expend all their energy, so they take some time. No judgement here, but if you want to release fish, might be best to try to not tire em out too much. This is not true for fish under 20" as they seem to revive easy.
6. Spotties - I caught a ton of spotties this summer. Everywhere. The fishery is great. Often they are outside the Corbina in the mid section of the surf doing a long shore patrol. So, longer casts were best for them. They would eat any size crab if presented right, but preferred medium/larger.
7. Gear - I ended up with a 7' medium/fast action rod and a Penn Clash II 2000. I say "ended up with" as I broke or ruined (2) other set ups. I am vigilant about rinsing, cleaning and relubing reels. But, some are just not capable of taking the pounding. The Penn Clash II 2000 absolutely is the finest reel I've ever used inshore. Highly recommended. For rods, I am 6'5" and I thought 7' was too short for me. Just not enough reach sometimes, and keeping the line above the waves is far easier with a little more length. So, I am looking for a 7'6-8'6 medium fast rod at the moment. Happy to accept recommendations if any of you have had good experience with something moderately priced in that realm.
Pics: As I said, we kept some, so no whining. Some were released. I have a hard time getting my camera out in the water when we are releasing fish, so lots of bigger models got no pic love. Also -- if you want to learn how to catch these, my buddy Josh Hartsough is who I learned from. He is pictured here.
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