[svendawg]

LAS ENCANTADAS trip April 11^th to April 19, 2014
I just finished watching FulRac's videos of the trip. I have to say the videos really bring these trips to life, much more so than pictures. But pictures are all I have.
I won’t go into the first days of the trip because the video summed up that portion of the tip pretty well.
I arrived Friday afternoon and didn’t get to fish until Monday afternoon due to the winds. On Monday morning the winds blew and it wasn’t until around 3:30 before the conditions were fish-able, so we decided to give it a shot.
I launched by Point Buffeo and peddled out to the point. When I rounded the corner of the point the conditions weren’t the best. The current was strong and the swell was higher than it has been in the past, and the wind was blowing a little, so I peddle on and started fishing an area just around the point that appeared to be a little protected and had calmer water. Finally, I was fishing and loving it.
I was in tight to the rocky coastline so I decided to throw a 2 oz. knock-off crocodile into the rocky shoreline figuring to target bass and maybe a Cabrillo. After a few minutes of casting I got a small hit on the crock so I set the hook and it felt like a small fish as I cranked it in. I wound it in a few yards and then the fish turned and my reel started screaming.
My line started peeling off like I have never seen before so I started peddling towards the fish a little to slow the run but that didn’t work. My line was still peeling off, so now I was in panic mode and started peddling like an Olympic cyclists towards the fish to try to recover some line.
This is where reality kicked in. The reel I was using was a Shimino Corsair CS 300A that I recently bought and a fishing tackle swap meet for $30.00. I intended to use it for my sibiki pole, but I liked the way it felt and started using it for bay bass fishing. My pole was a medium action ugly stick bass pole I normally use for flipping for large-mouth bass and I had 30# power pro braid. The eye on the tip of the pole had the plastic or glass insert broken out so it was just the metal ring. So now I thinking “you cheap bastard, your gonna lose this fish because your so cheap” and, “ why the *#*! weren’t you fishing with your heavy rig in the rod holder behind you?”
So now panic turns into stress as this fish, whatever it is, pulls me all over the place, first out to sea then back to shore, close to the rocks and back out into deeper water. The fish never surfaces so I don’t know what I have. Now I’m thinking “at least come up so I can see what you are before you break me off, so when I tell this story I will be able to say what I lost”
I’m into this fight about 30 minutes, and still don’t know what I have but have managed to get most of my line back, then finally “color” and then I see the fish and I nearly s#** myself.
Now I’m in panic mode again, this fish is huge but I’m not sure if it’s a Totoaba or White Sea Bass so I can’t use my Kage or gaff to secure it. Now I have to try to slip the game clip into the gills on a fish that isn’t secured with a gaff. “Well there’s always a first time for everything”
The fish was pretty tired so it lay nicely next to my PA and I got the game clip in and secured without any issues. At this point I don’t know if I can keep this fish so get my tape measure out and I try to pull this beast up on to my lap. As I pull up on the game clip the game clip pulls apart and nearly straightens out. Now I’m thinking “you cheap bastard why didn’t you spend the extra money and get the good game clip”
The fish was too tried to take advantage of her opportunity to escape and I got the game clip secured again. I got her up on my lap and took a measurement with my 36” inch tape measure, “crap it’s not long enough so I had to measures it twice to get the length. Ok’ I’m thinking, you need to get a picture in case you have to release it”. This is where I remember that I left my camera in my car because I was just going out for a couple of hours so I properly won’t need it.
I start looking around for the other guys that were out fishing so I can get this fish identified and maybe get a picture. I see now that I had been pulled about a half mile away from the point where the other guys were so I put the fish back in the water and start the peddle to the nearest kayak. I meet up with Walrus and show him my fish and ask if it was a Totoaba or White Sea Bass.
Walrus confirmed it was a White Sea Bass, so I pulled her on the back of my PA and headed in. Boy was I flying high on the trip in, I finally got my Avatar photo.
The rest of the trip was uneventful, mostly catching big trigger fish, spotted bay bass, barracuda etc. No Cabrillo or Yellow tail. The fishing was good as far as numbers, I had days with 50+ bass 20+ trigger fish, mostly all released except for the big one that I kept for dinners or to give to the neighbor.
I know this was a long post but I thought it would be fun to share my thought process on those rare moments when I’m hooked up to a big fish. Maybe some of you can relate.
Lessons learned: Don’t be cheap with your gear. I beat the odds/murphy’s law, but it could have just as easily been different and it would have been because of low budget, cheap ass gear.
No matter how long you are going out for, bring your camera, you just never know. Remember if you don’t have a picture it didn’t happen.
I know it was frustrating on some of those days with the wind, but it was a blessing in disguise. Because we weren’t able to fish we sat around camp and got to know each other. It made for good comradery.

Too often I have fished with guys and never had a chance to get to know them. It’s usually meet, launch, fish, land, go home, with little words spoken
I want to thank Makobob and Robmoney for the opportunity to fish these waters and their hospitality.
I included photos of the crocodile I used. Check out the bent hook and stretched split ring. The fish gods were truly with me that day