Launched solo into one footers just before grey light. No bait under the pier light, but tons of it the rest of the morning. I had a smorgasbord of sardine, greenback, spanish and smelt in the tank and bait was everywhere, on the surface and the meter. I started out in 20 feet and got picked up early on the sardine, a very fat sandbass. No skunk anyway. I made my way up to TP reef and set up my first drift on the outside edge of the flotilla of buoys. Got picked up on the sardine again and felt like a heavy fish before it wrapped me up in a buoy line. It may have just been a big bass, but it was able to break off 20# on its own. Tried a repeat drift for nothing. Went to the inside of the reef and set up. This time the greenback is picked up. Just as I am swinging on that one, the sardine goes off. I am big bendo and line peeling, with the light drag I have set for halibut. I started to button it down and was getting pulled pretty good, then the fish just started sulking on the bottom. There was a little redtide up north and at first color I thought I had the mother of all WSB, until it came into view. I was trying to pull it up a little more for a picture when it finally broke off. The biggest smoothhound I have ever seen. Dissapointing, but I enjoyed the excitement and having miles of ocean all to myself all morning. Surf had diminished to legitimate ankle slappers for the landing. Hope to try north again Thursday.
10-11-2005, 04:23 PM
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