ARW Tue 3-31

I was on Weatherchannel.com last night and the forecast for Tues said 10/15mph WNW winds. I woke up this morning walked outside wind not blowing at all. Got to the launch at 730 water was nice and no wind at all. On the water by 8am.

I had 2 pull downs down at the end of the wall by the red marker buoy. First pull down came unbuttoned and tore my shiner in half. 30mins later the second pulldown was a whole lot harder, couple headshakes then snap fish came unbuttoned. Tore off my stinger hook completely off.

Paddled around trolling for stripers worked the deep channel, back up the second wall to the mid opening. I threw swimbaits at the mid opening working what little current there was going around the point. Then trolled all along the first wall, outside Ballena Bay, and inside Ballena Bay.

I trolled near the bridge and I saw lots of bait fish boiling under the bridge. Did a couple trolls back and forth. I threw my swimbaits at the area where the boils were for nada.

Hung around for a bit pinned the half eaten shiner and sent it down. I felt something pulling on the line and pull this guy up. Decent size for rock crab especially in this water. I pulled a total of 5 crabs out of that water from under that bridge. First one was the biggest, all released.

Called it a day at 2pm.

Funny, I went in Ballena Bay on Sunday, and trolled under that bridge thinking it looked fishy...

Past that and to the left, those mud flats are full of holes.  Perhaps a good place to pump shrimp?

Way to get out there consistantly Ariel.  Hopefully the next pull-down will stick.  Keep up the great reports; perhaps I'll give the Halibuts a try this year with the right encouragement.

Sounds like you had fun. IMHO you need better looking bait. That shiner was butt ugly! No fish wants to take a whole ugly bait fish. I think you will get more hits with better looking bait lol. Hope to meet you out there soon.

Phil

Way to get out there consistantly Ariel.  Hopefully the next pull-down will stick.  Keep up the great reports; perhaps I'll give the Halibuts a try this year with the right encouragement.

Bryan
You should get out there with us this year. Give those Delta bass a break man!!!

No more working overtime obviously. Did you catch your own live bait before heading
out this morning? I am between fishing OP or ARW for this coming Friday. Another
workshare day coming up from work. By the look of the shiner, it must have been a
good sized fish that got a hold of the half part of the shiner.

Jedmo

No more working overtime obviously. Did you catch your own live bait before heading
out this morning? I am between fishing OP or ARW for this coming Friday. Another
workshare day coming up from work. By the look of the shiner, it must have been a
good sized fish that got a hold of the half part of the shiner.

Jedmo

Those shiners were from Sat that Craig bought at LL. I kept them alive and healthy in the salt tank in my garage. They were even eating up all the chopped up grass shrimp I was feeding them.

Way to get out on it, animal!  I like the vanity shot too.   

So I call this guy at around noon to see if he wants to fish for hslibut on Sunday. I ask him whats going on? He says I am fishing right now. This is too cool. Those shiners have been alive since saturday am at 6:30 amazing. How in hell can a halibut rip the shiner in half and miss both hooks. Shorten up the leader some maybe. Were you using that carolina rig? I saw that set-up on Jim Sammons La Jolla fishing site. You definetley get your time on the water my friend. See you Sunday.

Ariel-
You picked a great day. Got a break from the wind and everything. Might want to up the poundage on your leaders out there. Sounds like there are some big ones out there.

Freddie

Thank you for the report and great pictures of the crab

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Those shiners were from Sat that Craig bought at LL. I kept them alive and healthy in the salt tank in my garage. They were even eating up all the chopped up grass shrimp I was feeding them.
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You are the real deal Ariel.  Sorry to say, but we decided to go for an ab dive this morning and hit Opening Day after all. Conditions will not be great but the tide will be low at least.  We'll get our shot.  When I get back down to the Bay Area I want to go hali fishing with you.  I think its funny that you have been living in NorCal only a few years and here you are showing us how its done on the halis.