Tomales gives it up again

Went out to Tomales again today and met Patrick out there. It wa another beautiful day on the bay. The winds came up a few times in both directions, but everytime it looked like it might start getting nasty, it layed down. You never know out there..... Started with a thin fog that pulled back to the coast. There were several PBs hitting it today also. Made bait in short order and then got down to business. My first takedown was peeling line off, set up and gone. Bait and all. Swing and a miss.  Send down another volunteer, and nothing quite some time, then before the high tide I get a light tap and it gets real light. I reel in slowly and begin to feel the weight. Swing and a hit. Bring home a nice 30ish incher. (no official measure) Then Patrick calls me on the radio and says to listen to CH16. A boat capsized at the mouth. Five guys in the water. The sherriff that just checked me makes a be-line for the mouth. Apperently another boat rescued em before they got there. Sounded like another classic out going tide with incoming swells underestimated. Happens every year out there. At least they made it out this time. Back to fishin' I get another good pulldown and set up. It's big, pulling drag, good head shakes, comes to color............. lots of brown, wide,..........damn one of those angel sharks........bout 4' long and thrashing all over the place. After the third attempt I mange to get the pliers on the hook and turn it loose without touching it. Hate those things, first one I've gotten in a long time. I thought I had the huge hali I've been looking for. And it took my best bait I had. Now I'm down to one half dead beat one, so I throw it on and start to try for some more bait. can't catch a bait to save my life!! All the way through the turn of the tide I can't get one. Blew the best part of the tide trying to make bait......... finally I get one and send it down pronto, but now the tides racing out pretty good. I'm still trying to make some more bait, and one time I pulled up the sabiki and I see a huge brown tail turn right below it. It looked like a huge hali tail only vertical. Well I dropped down and pumped it again and brought it up and sure enough I see it again. It came up 4 times but I never saw the whole fish. I've only seen pics of sea bass, but I think it was one. It was HUGE. Definetly not a shark tail. If I was more on the ball I would have brought up my hali rig fast to see if it would take a swipe at it. That's what I love about that place, you never know what's going to show up. So far this year I haven't been skunked out there. Probably just jinxed myself huh?....

great read jonesz, now im real curious about that tail, hopefuly you will find out next time, and congrats on another halibut, cameron

Thanks for the great report! That's some great action - good read.

Got r done...WTG went out and made it happen...nice

I wonder if they lost their boat? crazy stuff...

Great report...thx...

Congrat on yet another Hali!  Thank you for the report Glyn.

that tail'l keep you coming back for years! 

great reading report, thx.

Jonesz; your report is tempting me greatly. I desire so much, to take my 'killer sabiki' to Tomales. Just can't though, my home projects can no longer be put off. The story wouldn't be improved by  you catching the mystery fish. For you though the tease had to have been heart wrenching. Your writeup makes every one guess what was it and want that same elusive but potential opportunity for themselves. Thank you, for the thrilling read.

I think your guess at a wsb is probably right. They love to feed in current and they've been up north in good numbers this year. Pretty awesome if it was one. Great report!

Gotta love the mystery and excitement.  Thanks for sharing a great day.   

I haven't fished with you yet jonesz but if I ever do, trust me on this. I will follow
you around like a hawk watching every move you make.  You make fishing look
easy. Duuuude you're awesome.

Jedmo

Nice catch with the hali, and angel shark. how hard do those things fight? Also, whats up with the sabiki rigs drawing in all types of fish. sounds interesting. thanx for the report.

It was certainly an interesting day. I'm 99% sure that mystery fish was a WSB. Yes the sharks do fight pretty hard. (I was so sure I had a big a$$ hali on)
It was great training for my upcoming yellowtail trip. Now I know they pull harder, but the battle at the boat was a great drill for coping with a biggun...

I'm gonna toss in another speculation vote on the tail being a WSB. Which pretty much makes me want to belign to Tomales. The WSB recently showed up in the SF Bay. IMHO Tomales Bay is even more hospitable to them, and whatever's driving them into the SF bay would most likely affect Tomales too since the two bays are in such close proximity. At the Lawson's Landing store, the one in the camp next to the pier with all the fishing tackle, there's a good number of photos with dudes next to White Sea Bass. I always assumed they where taken outside the mouth but the update of the legends as I'm told states that this inshore appearance happens ever so often. Too bad they're just pictures on the wall & not stories written next to them.

WTG on your cool experience there. I'd freak if I saw one of those things - don't even have to catch it to appreciate how amazing they are.