China Camp 3-24-08

I was not even going to post this, but here it goes. Bought Grass Shrimp (dead) and muddies from the LORD. Meet NCKA member Dale (nice to meet you Dale) and we were on the water about 1030. I went straight off the beach to the slot and dale went north of RAT. A couple of swings and misses for the first two hours then I move to deeper water. Right away a nice tap and a solid fish. After about five minuets I get him to the yak and it’s a big Striper (guesstimate 30 inch) and he comes off as I'm getting ready to lip him. Next cast and another nice tap. Set the hook and it does not move. The fish is immediately on the surface and it’s a Dino. The fish figures out that He's hooked and takes off towards Terra Linda. Line is screaming off the reel and I look at the spool to see if its time to release the anchor. As I’m looking at the spool, in slow motion I see the Power Pro Spectra ‘dig in “and “grab” itself causing a split second hesitation of the line and that was all it took. Snap and the fish was gone (I was using a lighter Striper type leader). This is the second time I have lost a nice fish in the exact same manner with the Spectra since changing over from mono a couple of months ago. I’m 86ing the Spectra and going back to the tried and true Mono. All my hits came on Grass Shrimp. Saw a couple of Dinos jump and what looked like Striper chasing bait on the surface. Totally down but not quit out with my 0 for 7 at CC.

Oh man you were sooo close. i mourn your loss. however, it is better to have hooked and lost than to have never hooked.  thanks for the report.

Thanks for the report Captain. I drove north through San Rafael today and was wondering if anybody was out there today. It looked decent, around 2-ish.

    Matt, spectra has to be spooled tight with a criss cross every so often. It's one of the quirks you have to deal with using super-lines. The importance of having your tackle in dead ready condition becomes painfully obvious when you only get one or two bites all day. All it takes to blow the fish of a lifetime is a dull hook, bad knot,nicked line etc.
 Good news is you are sooooo close....

Yeah it was good to meet you Matt, 

I guess I went the wrong way, directly out about 200 yds from rat rock 7 ft or water, for a decent sized bat ray, fun for a minute til I felt the wings flapping then I knew what it was and hauled it in and started over, 15 minutes later a little flounder, how do they get those hooks in their mouths?  Paddled out to deeper water only made it to 12 feet, stopped, got another bat ray, identical twin, then the wind came up faster than I have ever seen it. The white caps reached me the same time as the wind, really never seen anything quite like it. Beautiful day til the wind hit.

not too boring and no broken heart for me.

dale

Sorry for your heartbreak, Matt, but that was a great report - please always post so we can share in the moment.  EVEN with no photos!   

I know the frustration of coming close but turning up empty handed, but being out there trying is what it's all about.  Good job on that.   

Eric

Dammmmmmm Captain!!!!!!

 So sorry, that sucks, wish I could have been there for that,  Your'e close... very close...

 so you picked that puppy up on Dead grass shrimp???

 Might try to hit that Wensday afternoon on my way back from Santa Rosa....

That really sucks  !!  This has to be some kind of record for you.  Sounds like a good fish too!!

Capt. Matt,

Thanks for sharing and sorry to hear about the dino getting away.  I never knew that braided line had that issue and it would suck to learn the hard way.  Its also interesting that the dino didn't take off right away and it would fool a sturgie newbie like me that it was going to be easy pickings.  Regarding the anchor it sounds like even if you did manage to release the anchor right away the line might have snapped anyway.

About the striper, if you were going to C & R, it did you a favor.  However if that was supposed to be dinner I suspect the net will come out next time.

Keep those posts coming for those of us that can't be with you on the water.

Gary

Thanks for the info fishshim, I have followed the directions on the package of Spectra for loading but now my confidence with the product is shattered. Its back to Mono for me, I have allready pulled the Spectra off my reels. I lost a nice trout at lake Sonoma a few months ago in the same fashion with the Spectra binding on the spool.

Gary, I never use a net on fish unless I'm going to keep it. My intention today was to land lip the Striper and snap a quick picture. I'm just on a incredible streak of bad breaks. My wife kidded me and said that if I signed up for the AOTY I would stop catching fish.......... She was right.

 Yes Don, DEAD Grass Shrimp.... you just never know.

Ooohhh... Matt... soo close!  Sorry to hear that... I feel your pain!  

By the way, the grass shrimp I got at Leonard's on Saturday were top notch!  Huge and lively (lasted all day) and almost every one of them was covered with eggs.  Word is that they have been getting some kickin' ghost shrimp too.

Heard there are quite a few fish in the Petaluma river right now too... just wish I had more time to chase them.

Never had that problem with spectra... I almost always use a levelwind reel... maybe that has something to do with it?

EK

Leonards..?

 is that in the petaluma marina you can see from the freeway?

Its the marina on Highway 37 at Black Point, just east of the river bridge. Their bait shack use to be at the entrance to the marina on the river, now they are inside the marina towards the back. Nice people.

Thanks, Guess I'll pick um up on the way to santa rosa, be heading that way from sac after work,

 after a try @ port o Sac...... I guess wind might be a problem in the afternoon @ china camp

That was tough just reading it Capt.!....thought you'd GOTTIN'erDONE!
At least your getting some kind of action where you go out....that missed photo-op on the striper WE ALL FELL now.   
If your hunting Mr.D this friday,sat or sun...we need to put our 0-fer efforts together and see who can get ON BASE! 
....beforeWEgetSENTdownTOtheMINORS.  
thanks for the CC details.