My First Bug!
 

I finally got a chance to go buggin! Between adopting a girl, full time job, 3 kids and an awesome wife, it's been hard to find time to go yaking let alone bug hunting! But after researching and strategizing, I finally got an opening to go! Both boys were going to a sleep over and grandma(my wife's mom) was here to spend time with the girls!
I quickly went to the store and did some last minute shopping to make it work and I just went for it! No clue really on where to go but I was familar with the Redondo marina so that was an easy decision.

Loaded everything up on my tarpon 140 and was on the water by 6:30pm last Friday(10/12).
I only took 2 promar ambush nets with me since I didn't want to have too much gear for my first time.

I knew I couldn't just drop my gear anywhere so I looked around for other hoop net buoys and dropped my gear near them(but being careful not to overlap). But even after a 30 minute soak, i had nothing! I'm thinking "here we go!" I felt like a total noob! going to get skunked! steep learning curve! etc...I repositioned them and met another kayaker in the marina. He was killing time in the marina and after a 20 minute conversation we both realized that we should check the nets. He took off outside of the marina and I never saw him again but I knew that's where I had to set them. I pulled my nets and to my surpise there was about 6 shorts! I was stoked but I also was bummed that I had to throw them back! The other net had another 4 or 5! All shorts!!! I knew then that I had to get out of the marina to find the keepers.

So I pulled my empty nets and paddled out into the darkness. It was pretty intimidating at first but I noticed a lot of blinking lights in the distance. I also started to see a bunch of kayakers and I knew I was in the right place now. I dropped my nets down and after soaking them for 15-20 minutes I pulled about 10 more bugs with 1 keeper!!!!

By this time, I was stoked but getting a bit seasick(forgot about the dramamine) and headed back! I'm looking forward to going out again hopefully this friday night!

Conditions:
Low going to High tide
Slight breeze maybe 3-4 knots
Small S/SW swell but water conditions were really choppy.
Time: 6:30pm - 9:30pm
Bait: Salmon heads and left over perch.
Depth: 30-40'




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Very cool. Congrats. Usually if my nets are loaded with shorts, I'll stick around. The big ones won't be too far away. But, apparently this one was!

:you_rock: :lobster:

Congrats on your first bugs!! i am still waiting for my first bugging trip..

Good Job! :luxhello: there's more out there for ya! not going to be easy though...

Congrats!! Still waiting for my first trip.

Again...:confused:...what are they starin' at...:D...congrats on din din....pass the garlic butter...:biggrinjester:

sometimes the big-uns are deeper when a cold front moves in... Look at it this way, all those short bugs will molt soon and mature into keepers in the near future...

Nothing like spiny lobster sashimi!

Not always safe to go out alone, a buddy and I go out from time to time in LBC, hit me up.

Sent you a PM!

Good job on the catch HH...your wife must me AWESOME. Bugs walking on the travertine? Are you kidding me? How does one find this kind of stuff out before they get married?

"Ummm, excuse me. Are you going to be the kind of wife who will allow my live bugs to tred on our travertine? Just kind of planning something out for future reference..."

Congrats on your first bug.

The first one is always the best one!!!

Congrats!! Its all down hill from here.

bug!!!!!

LOL!!!
She could care less!
I found a keeper and I am super lucky!:cheers1:

Ed