Saturday I met up with Yotasan and his buddy for my first go at Dana Point.
Show up around 6am to gusty winds, scattered rain and waves breaking over the wall. Got sardines in my new bait tank from OEX, but the ripping current and 5-6 ft swells and wind made the headlands not a great choice.
Instead we went to doheny and I started drifting the sand hoping for a halibut. After a bit I get bit and get tugged around a bit and I pull up a mass of kelp. Joe starts laughing but then we see the tail slapping on the surface, leopard shark!!
Joe goes to untangle some of the kelp but the shark bites through the 30 lb flouro leader I have on. Bummer, but boy was that exciting.
I toss my cookies a few times from being thrown around a few times and after a bit the guys decide toyed back in. I stayed out, I was on a mission. After a while I get a hit, I pull up to find a raked bait and I back paddle a bit and drop back down, hopeful and ready. The reel goes off and I pull up this guy!
My first WSB and first exotic. Even though he was a little guy I was still pumped. Took the pic and was released 18"
By this time the wind and swell had flattened out and the sun popped through. It was around noon and I wanted to head out to the kelp, but puking and 4 hours of sleep was wearing on me. And I was down to only a few dines who hadn't gone belly up on me.
I suppose I was just doing glorified surf fishing, both fish were caught in 10ft of water. But I didn't get skunked and that's a victory in my book!