NCKA on Humboldt Bay - Day 3 - 7/12/09

Spedrcr, Domenic and I hit the bay this morning.  We got live bait which was another learning experience for me.  There were tons of boats and very little action.  We saw two small halis boated for dozens of boats over several hours.  I got a double bullhead hookup for the third trip in a row!     I did get to fight one of the strongest aquatic animals I've ever hooked.  Had a very large ray on for around 15 minutes and to the surface for a limited amount of video.  That thing was like a sheet of leaden plywood!  I barely got it to the surface and then it snapped me off.  I had been pulling on that thing as hard as I could and there was nothing to do but break it off.  It was a rush and a great arm workout!  Good Times of a sort anyway, and it was wonderful validation for my knot-tying!     Thanks for hooking up, Bros.   

 

Quickee video: 

Ok the way I see it now is Eric you only have to try 3 more times and then your dues are paid. Thats how it happened for Redyak today. 0 for 6 until today. Almost hail mary at the end of the day with the last live bait in the well.

You will get them. Have Juan kiss your bait? No, wait check that one.

way to get at it bullhead king, i mean abking , and what no clam shells today? glad you got out and had a good sunday, cameron

That bat ray fight sounds very fun to me. A lot of people I've talked to say they hate rays and sharks and don't want to hook them up, but not me. From what I've seen they give excellent sleigh rides. The only bad part was getting snapped off. Sounds like it was worth it to me. I would have been stoked too.    jim

Thanks for the report Eric. I am sure that was a lot of fun fighting the ray for a
while. They actually give a pretty good fight IMO. Just to let you know I am
still 1 for 8 on the halibut hunt. We all know that the fish are around. It is just the
matter of time like having a number in your hand just waiting to be called. Be
ready though and try not to make the same mistake I did. I tried to show boat
my catch and it got away. 

Jedmo

I didn't know bullheads get that big. How do they taste What kind of ray was on the end of your line?

Thaks for the report.

Alex

Sculpin SMACKDOWN!!!

That last one is the biggest bullhead I've ever seen,

new AOTY category for sure.

Did it fight well,

voracious little things aren't they?

Domenic and I had an evil plot to doctor up those bullhead photos using perspective.  Look closer - they're like 5" max!   

Good Times include more pranks when you don't catch what you're targeting!   

Damn, those rays fight hard.

Just saw a show where they were catching river stingrays in the Mekong in order to tag them. They were over 2 meters across and weighed between 800 and 1000 pounds. Took a few guys around 6 hours to haul in the biggest one using 500 pound test and tuna gear!

I love the "Mud Marlin" sleight rides!  Thanks for the vedio and pictures Eric.  BTW, you was filming something that looks like a man statue, what was it?

something that looks like a man statue, what was it?

That's a memorial to lost fishermen, Sonny, and it's at Woodley Island Marina in Eureka.  It's very near Swellrider's business, "Humboats".

Domenic and I had an evil plot to doctor up those bullhead photos using perspective.  Look closer - they're like 5" max!   

Good Times include more pranks when you don't catch what you're targeting!   

Yeah, I wondered about the straight wire stringer, but still didn't notice that your fingers are behind it and not really holding it.  Got me,

Still those bullheads are regularly caught trying to swallow bait bigger than they are,,,,

A day on the water is better than a day not.

Nice video  sorry u didn't get the illuSive Hali