Dana Point Mystery 12-22

[steveooo]

Anyone feeling playful?

:D

Sorry for just the teaser but ive got a fish to clean and eat.
Ill put up full report with pics tonite...
For now though ill play Brad's game,
Any guesses?
Species?
Size?
http://i35.photobucket.com/albums/d154/bigsteveorr/P1010097.jpg
Steve

[Lit-up1]

WSB 28#'s

Dave

[twinfin]

30#---nice work steve!

[hubz]

White human male. About 180 pounds. Nervous. :wink:

[Iceman]

If that is your big toe, that WSB was a monster :D :D :D

[megustafish5]

wsb 29.8 pounds 8)

[Aaron&Julie]

If that's a thumb-40lb WSB. If it's a toe (you must be limber :wink: ) our guess is a 55lb WSB.

[Dean Machine]

All I want to know is where and when because Dana point is my backyard and I want a piece of the luck!!! I promise to post all post worthy posts after today from now on for the point!! I was wondering how the launch might be (even out of the harbor). I was watching the waves today out of Del Mar Beach on Camp Pen. Seemed pretty wicked and I wondered about the point and fishing the inside of the jetti for some Butts. or whatever. Tomorrow I've got the whole day. Let me know if you plan on paddling Dana and want some reinforcements.

[steveooo]

Good guesses ladies
http://i35.photobucket.com/albums/d154/bigsteveorr/P1010095.jpg
Post is comin soon, soak in the hot tub first...
before u get your hopes up, no records were broken today :lol:
That is an index finger for the record.

[Iceman]

Nice Fantailed Corvina..........I am gonna say 40.2 pounds :D............damn that is like 60 points :D

[Walter]

OKAY so stop JERKIN off what was it? SO you have big fingers?

[steveooo]

Bunch of comedians out there eh?
Ok, heres the picture
http://i35.photobucket.com/albums/d154/bigsteveorr/P1010071.jpg

Heres the short story.
Weight- 50 lbs on shimano spring scale
Length- 53 in
Girth- 30 in
Depth- 70ft
Bait- Fishtrap
Line- 20 lb
Time- 1 hr+
Profanity- so much

and here is the long story

After trying my hand at surfing yesterday and being unsuccessful in every way imaginable, I decided to go fishing. You guys had done a pretty good job scaring me out of the surf launch, so I decided to skip the yellowtail action and go try my hand at dana point for some c+r calico action. It seriously has been killing me to read your reports the past few weeks, WFO YT action, although Im a school teacher and only work 180 days a year, it seems that those are the only 180 days a yr that YT bite!!!
Got a late start on the day, hit the water at about 8:00am
Started out the harbor, it was a little unnerving to see the waves crashing over the breakwater, while I was still in the harbor.
Got out and the swell is pretty bad, every once in a while a rogue wave would crash out in open water that would scare the piss out of me.
I have had pretty good luck trolling swim baits over kelp for calicos in the past so that is the plan today. Of course I only have the light rods and line to make it fun.
Got to the spot and was surprised to find no kelp… Is kelp seasonal?
Tons of eel grass floatin around though. I keep my 2 swim baits in the water while searching for some kelp, noticed that one had gotten clogged with eel grass. As I stop in about 70ft or water to reel it in the other bait sinks and gets NAILED!!!! I thought it was a sealion, because I had seen a bunch earlier. I only have 20lb test so I get Immediately spooled. Button down the drag and start the sleigh ride. I was lucky the fish was swimming mostly straight out and not straight down. Get towed in circles for half and hour and then start the up down pumping game. Meter the fish at 50 feet, get spooled. Meter the fish at 25 ft, get spooled. Im tired now, fortunantly so was the fish. Finally get it to color, realize that I didn’t even think to pack my gaff for the calicos. Let her tire out and finally when she is close enough, do the patented tail grab maneuver. As soon as I do that, my swim bait pops loose. Reach for the boga and get a good lip grab berofe she goes ballistic. Didn’t want to take any chances so I pulled her up on deck and gave her a bear hug for 2 minutes as she went ballistic. She is also purring like chewbaca the whole while. After she calms down I start the hooting and hollering, my first WSB!!!
She was too big to put on the deck so I make the SLOW paddle back while dragging my fish.
Was seriously wishing for a professional photo BIATCH, but settled for some guy in a canoe.
I seriously do not think that any part of me landing this fish was skill, things just went in my favor, or maybe God was repaying me for the anguish I experience from reading all of your WFO YT reports. Today was my lucky day, sucks because Im going to vegas next wk! Either way I was/am sooooooo stoked!!!
http://i35.photobucket.com/albums/d154/bigsteveorr/P1010049.jpg
http://i35.photobucket.com/albums/d154/bigsteveorr/P1010057fl.jpg

[k2rick]

but what was that thing on the first post?

[steveooo]

That was my ugly finger...
Oh, you mean the stones?!?
Im not sure, I think they are called swim stones and I found them in the noggin of the fish with a little help from a hatchet.

[gabe]

Steveooo,
waht a sweet fish. What an awesome catch, what an awesome fish. That is sweet. What a frst WSB. Congrats

I can share your exictement cuz I got my first legal there as well. I know exactly t=what your going through

Congrats again. I only found one stone in my fish though. The other one probably slipped by me.

How much of the kelp was gone?

gabe

[fishinhb]

Nice fish and shirt, should say "I'm a Croaker Man!"

Congrats on an awesome catch! Good luck in Vegas too.

TL,
fishinHB
Ron Pascual

[potto]

Nice fish. Congrats!! :D :D :D :D

With the swell being so high lately, I am not surprised with your findings on the kelp.

[Walter]

NICE :D

[JimPat]

Someone who knows more can chime in here, but Seaworld does a study on WSB I think and they ask for the stones from the heads of all WSB. As a matter of fact I think that I saw that some of the proceeds from the WCW program from this website go to that research.

Jim

PS... Nice fish :lol:

[Dennis]

First of all... Damn, Steve! Congrats on you first legal WSB. I caught mine oh so long ago, out in LJ. Instead of the tail grab, I had to hand gaff it or it would have swam away. The gill rakers cut up my hand nicely. Luckily for me, Nelz was there to help me string up my fish. Anyways... DAMN!!! Nice one.

Yeah, Seaworld's Research Institute (HUBS) actually takes the entire head...

Oh, and Steve... DAMN! That's a nice fish!

[Holy Mackerel]

Nice freaking Croaker!!! :D

Chris

[swinginFish]

Congratulations on a great catch!

Appreciate your referencing "luck over skill," but landing a fish of that size in any way requires that you keep your wits. Very nice, entertaining write up. Thanks.

As for the head stones, they're interesting, but not relevant to the referenced Hubbs/Seaworld research/replenishment project. For those interested, see the following website (http://www.hswri.org/research/researchProgram.cfm?reaID=27). Better yet, call and arrange a tour.

In short, the raised and released WSB's have small ID tags inserted in their cheeks, and by bringing in the head of a caught WSB, the researchers can determine if there's a tag and, if so, gather all kinds of important data (e.g., Info. on age and migration patterns). If you look at their site, there's a link to another that notes WSB head drop off locations.

BTW: This WSB project is funded in part by the DFG, and will receive some of the funds raised by next year's WCW tournament.

Now go catch another!

Avery

[Ed]

FYI -

The ear stones are called otoliths and can be used to age fish.

[tattuna]

Great story and awesome catch!!! Congrats on pulling it off without a gaff!

[lamb]

Great catch, congrats!

I hear one of those could steer the things up in WCW top 3 – big time! :D

On WSB Scripps research program – yes, they are collecting heads hoping to find the tags. Very nice bunch of cool scientist guys, Brad’s cousins.

When I was there the last time, it didn’t come across to me they don’t care about the stones from the head. They actually gently indicated they are very interested in analyzing the stones, as they get a ton of valuable information from them. They just know that fishermen like to keep WSB stones as a trophy, so they don’t advertise it fearing people would not be turning in the heads, that possibly have the tags if fish came from the program. Very, very few fish turned in actually have the tag.

If I ever catch my next WSB, they’ll be getting the stones too.

[Dean Machine]

:shock: SWEET fish!!! Congratulations, I am still waiting for my first legal wsb. Great story! :D

[steveooo]

:oops: Doh!
I didnt know about the head hunter program so I hacked my head with a hatchet to get the stones.
But I called Tim Conerty from the program and he was pretty cool and said he still wants it so Im going dumpster diving right now. 8)
Basically the program finds out how many hatchery fish are caught through a cheek implant, plus it can track migration ect.

Gabe, the guy at the sportfishing shop said 2 things. 1) "you were lucky there is no kelp right now" I metered only two 15ft strands the whole time I was out. My question still stands; is kelp seasonal? 2) "...when Gabe caught his fish..." came out in about every other sentence!!! You are a friggen celebrity man!!!
:D :D :D
Thanks for the comments everyone
-steve

[twinfin]

Not bad for a Canook :wink: What an amazing catch! Great job

[PEMEX]

The heads can be turned in at some tackle shops and landings also. They will be frozen and turned in for research purposes. I don't know which ones off the top of my head, but if you get one drop by your local tackle shop and ask if they participate. Just don't tell themexactly where, and how you cought the fish because they will repeat it to everyone and their mother!

[JimPat]

Good to know that they wnat the whole head vice the stones. Of course we will have to wait until I catch one for any of that to matter for me, but I am thinking that I will try and arrange one of those tours that was mentioned.

For those that celebrate, Merry Christmas!!

[k2rick]

the reason i was asking was that i found one on my hook about 2 weeks ago while fishing the west bouy by the harbour mouth in dp. i had no idea what it was, as a matter of fact it kind of freaked me out, i thought it was some kind of fish tongue.

btw how deep were u fishing and what area was it?