A first for me…
Got to the launch around 445am and met Troy(zed), John(cabojohn) & Lea, got all rigged up and on the water just after 5. I’ve spent a good chunk of time fishing DP the last few springs searching for what everyone else is searching for, a springtime Seabass - but Troy & John know Dana really well and I was excited to learn a thing or five-hundred million from the seasoned vets who have fished there long before I ever did. Anticipation was high for this trip even more-so than normal when the conditions are looking good.
We all made easy greenbacks at the headlands good-sized 6-8” with a couple jumbo mixed in. John & Lea had a nasty seal try to board and raid their tank but john took care of that real quick with a swift 10 or so doinks with his paddle…..Worked the area off the kelp down to ritz point and back for nothing with a Carolina rig 2oz. Fishing was slow but there was a lot of life and bait was thick. At this point there was a decent wind building and so we made a long paddle to a new spot to set a drift in about 60’. We would drift out to about 85’ over some good structure the entire time - then paddle back to set the drift. We did this several times, but one of those times my number got called.
I was drifting in about 75’ with my bait out and in the rod holder while I was fishing a jig. I made a cast with the jig and noticed a docile bait decide to wake up out of nowhere. I quickly retrieved the jig, staring at the rod in the holder until I could put the jig away and grab it. When I picked up the rod, the bait was just cruising along normally, it was there, I felt it and was letting it swim for a few seconds but was not swimming erratically like it was. Then the line went completely slack all of a sudden, I backspooled real quick but couldn’t catch up so I clicked the reel in gear. As I did that I saw the rod start to load up on its own. As the tip hit the water I took a swing and holy shit I was on.
This thing brutalized me, I was telling Troy that I thought it was a shark. He said potentially a BSB – I didn’t care at that point, expecting a BSB but was just enjoying pulling on something. A few minutes into the fight I feel a heavy vibration in the line, definitely kelp but braid did its thing. When it finally comes to color, and I see what could potentially be my first-ever legal WSB, the only words I could muster were ‘it’s a white!’ The beauty came up still green after 3 huge runs. I gaffed it in the back half after a miss and Troy helped me out getting the fish secure on the game clip and safe on the boat with a few pesky spectators.
A great day that I’ll never forget with good people – John thank you for letting me use the fish bag so clutch… need to get me one of those! Feel fortunate to have learned a ton and catch such a beautiful fish. Sorry for the long winded/pic-heavy report, if I seem excited – it’s because I am. Long time this fish has haunted my dreams...lots of empty trips spent 'targeting' them in my hometown. I dropped the head off at my local tackle shop who sent it off - stoked to get the stones back from this 52.5" 46lb beaut.
*eaten cbass several nights in a row - different every time. Going to be eating like a king for a while.
Tight lines!