It's been a minute since I last posted a fishing report. I think I did not post anything at all last year. Lots of reasons, but mostly because I fish the same way I have for many years. I adapt and adjust according to tide and climate, but it's usually a subtle change. I figured I already had enough halibut pix and reports in the Archives. Now, however, the Archives are MIA and the nearest we get are articles as much as a century old.
This season has been a challenge for me, to say the least. Actually, the last two seasons. Recovering from cancer takes longer than I thought. Also had cataracts last year and that tended to reduce driving anywhere. Tying rigs and knots was a difficult task, too. But I am cancer free as of now and my eyes work really nicely again. (Admittedly, the man in the mirror does not look the same!) Winds are pretty intolerable with white caps on the bay water by afternoon. Lately the crabs have been awful, ravaging live bait almost every ten minutes. When bait is scarce, that's a real problem. As said, a challenge.
But yesterday I fared much better. The crustaceans were still bad but I checked bait often and got the rig out there right away. It was a minus tide with sluggish water movement on the incoming. There was {yet another} small craft warning report, but it did not materialize until much later in the afternoon. Got to my spot around 11 and it was calm. Sabiki'd a small shad. Just before 3pm, about midway through the rising tide, my pole twitched and I was holding it before the halibut hit again. I prefer this. Running after a thrashing pole is okay, but when you have the pole in your hand and can feel the fish biting, there is no comparison. Takes patience to wait for the fish to load up on the bait and to set the hook just as it is moving off. Good set, good fight, easy net job. That's why I fish.
28" slender female, a month away from spawning
Light rebuilt rod and 10# mono
Okuma Avenger 2500 (cheap but surprisingly effective)
Sliding bait rig
#4 Owner SSW hook
Small live shad for bait, hooked through the nose
Monday Mon 2024-04-29
Sunrise 6:15 PDT, Sunset 19:58 PDT
Moonrise 1:13 PDT, Moonset 10:18 PDT
High Tide: 3:25 PDT 5.5
Low Tide: 10:52 PDT -0.6
High Tide: 18:47 PDT 4.2
Low Tide: 22:45 PDT 3.4
This season has been a challenge for me, to say the least. Actually, the last two seasons. Recovering from cancer takes longer than I thought. Also had cataracts last year and that tended to reduce driving anywhere. Tying rigs and knots was a difficult task, too. But I am cancer free as of now and my eyes work really nicely again. (Admittedly, the man in the mirror does not look the same!) Winds are pretty intolerable with white caps on the bay water by afternoon. Lately the crabs have been awful, ravaging live bait almost every ten minutes. When bait is scarce, that's a real problem. As said, a challenge.
But yesterday I fared much better. The crustaceans were still bad but I checked bait often and got the rig out there right away. It was a minus tide with sluggish water movement on the incoming. There was {yet another} small craft warning report, but it did not materialize until much later in the afternoon. Got to my spot around 11 and it was calm. Sabiki'd a small shad. Just before 3pm, about midway through the rising tide, my pole twitched and I was holding it before the halibut hit again. I prefer this. Running after a thrashing pole is okay, but when you have the pole in your hand and can feel the fish biting, there is no comparison. Takes patience to wait for the fish to load up on the bait and to set the hook just as it is moving off. Good set, good fight, easy net job. That's why I fish.
28" slender female, a month away from spawning
Light rebuilt rod and 10# mono
Okuma Avenger 2500 (cheap but surprisingly effective)
Sliding bait rig
#4 Owner SSW hook
Small live shad for bait, hooked through the nose
Monday Mon 2024-04-29
Sunrise 6:15 PDT, Sunset 19:58 PDT
Moonrise 1:13 PDT, Moonset 10:18 PDT
High Tide: 3:25 PDT 5.5
Low Tide: 10:52 PDT -0.6
High Tide: 18:47 PDT 4.2
Low Tide: 22:45 PDT 3.4
