LOCATION
Sorry the above pic is foggy but I guess my camera had some condensation on it.
VENTURA HARBOR
DATE/TIME JUNE 15TH 2005 FISHED 7 TILL 1
BAITS MIXED FIN BAIT AND MISC BIG HAMMERS
SETUPS 8 FOOT LOOMIS W/ A CALCUTTA 400 (12 LB PINK ANDE) 7'6" CLARUS W/ A STRADIC 4000 (8 LB GREEN MAXIMA)
BOAT ON MY COBRA KAYAK (NO NAME SORRY)
CATCH 5 CALICO BASS 1 SKATE 1 HALIBUT (33 INCH 11.2 LBS)
Well I left the house around 6 am and headed for Ventura Harbor. Arrived around 7 am and stuggled as usual to unlad the yak
. Paddled over for bait and paid for a 1/2 scoop, loaded up and headed for the outer wall. I took a peek around the outer side first and saw about 10 Dogs and figured the bass bite would suck if those guys were around so I headed back to the inside. I threw bait and it was slow at first but it did pick up. I hooked a little guy first that was a fighter and finally pulled him from the kelp and then released him. After that it was still slow so I figured it would be my usual day a calico or to and a long paddle back to the ramp. LOL Well kept throwing bait and actally found a spot that was producing. I was bit in this spot on every cast and fished it until the bait ran out. I think I ended up with five but I did loose a few fish and threw a ton of my 1/2 scoop at the rocks. If I had a little more bait I think I would have caught a few more, since the bite was only getting better as I was running out of bait. I turned out more than happy and out of bait so the paddle back started and so did a halibut quest. I was done fishing (well at least in my head) I noticed the red tide on the inside of the harbor was getting kinda ugly and my bait taik water looked a little weird like it had some blood in it. But I was tired of paddling so I decided to drift back in and trow some hammers(since the wind was blowing the correct direction) .
I turn the corner and figure I have 1 or to more casts before its time to start paddling again. All of a sudden whammmmmmo! I get get hit super hard (on the 8 lb rig) peeling drag and some thumps. In the past when I have foul hooked a batray ray with this rig I have fet similar thumps but it always turned out to be the wings flapping against the line well I guess I ll never know what this one was cause I broke him off
He got the line to go around a rock and snappppo! Well thats the way it goes. I decided to head back to the bait dock and get a few more fins. I really wanted to see if I could get this fish I was on a quest. Well I baited up and headed back to the lucky (wait maybe unlucky) well any way back to the spot.
Made about 5 or 6 drifts and had 0 bites not even a kelp bomb...LOL. So I set up for one last drift and I casted right into the spot( about 5 feet of water ) the water boils and its on like donkey kong. Line peeling off and it feels like the same fish but who knows??? I think it was. Anyways the fight was on and it was winning as the previous memory is running through my head telling me (YOUR GOING TO LOOSE IT AGAIN STUPID!) I fought this fish for about a full minute even though it was only 20 yards away from me. He had my yak all turned around and I started gaining some ground. It came to deep color and I grabbed the gaff, lifted the tip and them stuck it! It was w/o a question legal. I did measure and weight the fish at the bait dock (they even took a pic, New owner, Very nice) 33 inches and 11.2 oz. I think the biggest calico would have weighed it over 6 lbs. It was 22 inches but did release him after a nice pic. All fish released other than the flatty.
here is a few pics
Forever!)
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