WFO Perch!! And a very interesting day.

Anotherbite · 04-23-2006, 09:44 PM

Date:Sunday, 4/23/06

Time: 1:00PM till 3:45 PM

Location: 5th Street Beach. Oxnard,CA

Conditions:Clear skies, moderate surf, moderate current, water clear

Set Up: 10' Maverick Perch Rod with Shimano Quantum Light Spinning Reel. 6'test. Gulp Camo Sand Worms.

Catch: (14) barred surf perch. Ranging in size from very tiny to... Gotta read more to find out!

Comments:

After a very long week and weekend, I decided I needed to get out and fish before I cracked up. (Those of you who've seen me do this will tell you it's not a pretty sight.)

I was not very optimistic about the weather as it was very cloudy and breezy as I left my house in Santa Clarita but I was determined to give it a go anyway. Much to my amazement and surprise, the skies and temp were almost picture perfect in Oxnard. Maybe my luck is going to be good today!

However, I got a huge bummer as soon as I got there. I was preparing to rig up and I take out my rod and about the last foot of the tip is broken off! No idea how this happened. It was in one piece when I left my house! So I ask myself, turn around and go home or try to improvise with a rod that looks like I picked it out of the trash? Well, I'm writing this report so I guess you know what I decided.

I bait up and cast out. About half an hour goes by and nothing, a few nibbles but nothing to stick. Just enough action to keep me interested but that's about it. Then I get one. I've seen bigger but not bad.

Then I get two more in a row on consecutive casts. Wow, this is heating up. Then comes something I truly wish I had a witness for. I made my cast, let the weight settle and turned the handle maybe twice when WHAM!!!

Something nails me hard. I was wondering what the heck it could be. Way too big to be a perch. Small leopard shark maybe? I fought this thing a good 15 minutes. I actually had to loosen my drag for fear of being broken off. Finally, I gain the upper hand and get it into the shallows for a look. I can't believe what is on the end of my line.

MY FIRST FLATTIE FROM THE SURF! NOT QUITE A LEGAL ONE BUT STILL, A MONUMENTAL MOMENT. I CAN'T WAIT TO TE...

Wait a minute, that's not a flattie. I do a double take...

Hooked on the end of my line and laying over on it's side is the biggest barred surf perch I have ever seen. In the pictures to follow, the biggest one I am posing with, a good 1.5 pounder I honestly believe could have been swallowed whole by this one!

I rush up to get it and wouldn't you know it, it comes unbuttoned. It's still in shallow water though, so I bat at the water like a mad fool trying to scoop it up on shore, but Murphy's law kicked in and a wave came through right at that time and just like that it was gone.

I am shaking in excitement over what just happened. Strangely, I am not as disappointed as I thought I would have been. Still, I press on. I land plenty more, finishing with 14 on the day with the biggest ones going in the pound to 1.5 pound range.

All in all, a pretty good way to spend a few hours on a Sunday afternoon. For those of you unfamiliar with perch fishing, those things are an absolute blast to catch on light tackle. I will definitely be doing so again in the near future.

Pics to follow!

ODOGFISH · 04-23-2006, 09:50 PM

WTG,
bummer about the rod, but good for you for making a bad thing turn in to a great day of fishing, nice numbers of BSP's

**Joey805** · 04-23-2006, 11:16 PM

Great report Mark! Way to make due with even a broken rod. It still turned to sound like a great day on the water. I guess a 5th street outing should be planned for the perch assult from Get Bent

YakSailor · 04-24-2006, 08:21 AM

Excellent report and story, Mark! I am glad to hear that you came up with a work-around for your problem. Your 25lb rod just turned into a 30lb rod!

**Carnivore** · 04-24-2006, 08:33 AM

OH MAN you did better from the surf then I did in a boat!!!!! that is great mark congrats.

FishersDad · 04-24-2006, 08:49 AM

Glad to hear someone got bit!..cant wait for the pics.......congrats!

**ODH33** · 04-25-2006, 06:56 PM

way to go mark!!!!! looking good buddy

SteveO · 04-25-2006, 07:30 PM

WTG!!! Great report and pics.!! Guess I'm gonna have to try that place out next!

spectre · 04-26-2006, 06:11 AM

Keep it up, Man

BlackLion · 04-26-2006, 07:42 AM

Mark,

AWESOME REPORT!! You really had me going there with the "FLATTIE" description! If that perch looked that much like a halibut on it's side, it was definitely huge! They really are a blast on light tackle. Hope you get another chance at it again and glad you were able to get out there and have some fun.