Tomales Bay 7/17/09 - Heartbreak and Redemption

Conditions looked excellent so I played hooky today and went fishing.  Got on the water at around 7:AM.  Flat calm and overcast... clear water... nice!  Tomales Bay is extremely alive right now!

I worked my way near hog island looking for some bait and scored some jumbo jack smelt only to let them go again once I found the main bait schools... sardines were busting all over the place south of the island all day long.  Enormous schools and some mackeral thrown in.  So I loaded up on very lively jumbo sardines and one mack and got on with fishing.

Several boats were working various spots with most congregated south of the island off the sandy point.  There was no wind for most the early morning so instead of basically sitting still I trooched and trolled and covered a lot of water.  Caught a nice Leppie mid morning and saw several butts landed by boaters.

About 11:00 I finally hooked up on a nice butt... 30-inch range... got it to color... drew my gaff... stuck it and layed it in my lap to give it the wood shampoo... just then it gave me the mad-halibut lap dance and things quickly went sideways.  It danced right off my lap and into the drink and my hooks caught on my rudder cable, thus causing my long sought after legal halibut to go bye bye.  Two guys were in a boat nearby watching every move... when they saw the lap dance, they didn't say a word.  All I could say was "that sucked".  That sucked.  I know... the never-ending debate... net vs. gaff... BTDT.  I prefer the gaff... I've lost them from the net before too.  I just didn't have my game together and paid for it. 

I kept fishing.  About 30 minutes later in nearly the same spot I hooked and landed a 26 incher.  Got the routine dialed on that one... stick it, lift it, freespool, game clip, wood shampoo... game over.  At that point I was stoked.  I haven't brought a halibut home for a long long time and that one felt great...I"m sure it'll taste great too.

Off the water at about 1:00.   That place is alive right now and with the mild tides this weekend, I'd go again if I had the time.  Saw a big sturgon jump in there too.         

My fish were caught in the flats south of the island in about 14 feet of water and during the mid day outgo.   Boats scattered all over the bay were landing fish occasionally... they're in there.

Kunz out.

Congrat on the catches!  Too bad about the "lap dance" one but sometimes you win and other times the fish wins    You still go home with a nice Hali so it ain't bad    Thank you for the report and picture Erik.

Hey, if landing halibut was easy everyone would be doing it

WTG Erik. I caught my first in quite a while recently as well. Enjoy it!

Way to go Erik, that story sounds oh so familiar. I had a good feeling about Tomales, wish I could have joined you! 

Congrats on the great catches.I'm still working on my hali this season.
The gaff you made me back in '06 has claimed many victims.

Great Report KZ!!!

Good to see ya getting out...

going to be out there everyday towards the end of August.........

Nice Erik,
I was going to go out there with you, then though about rockfish and alas stayed home, maybe tomorrow......

Congrats Erik, nice hali.  Glad you could take advantage of the great tides and weather today.

 

Way to go Erik, sorry to hear about the other one though!



Kiel

Good job on that second Halibut. I prefer a gaff as well. Lost a nice Ling the same way last year. I failed to put it on the game clip before I put the wood to him. Flopped right off the yak.

Good job Eric. I am very happy for you to get the 2nd chance at doing it right. Not that you did anything wrong the first time. Stuff like that is just a heartbreaker. Especially when you have waited a long time for the specie. Congrats again. Only one thing now. Where to fish. A lot of opportunites are arising for the weekend and all are hot.

nice job... my two losses in two years via net lead me to your beautiful gaffs (my xmas present to myself)...now i almost always carry both for hallies

right-on eric !!   some say, it is better to have loved and lost than to have never loved.....at least she gave you a lap dance before she left.

Eric!

Great to hear from you especially with the MAD story/lapdance/ejection.

so glad you hooked up #2!  thanks also for the details on Hog Island.  I really like the looks of that spot, might try to hit it next week when the family is away.  Care toshare the best launch spot?

WTG. Go our and do it again!

Allen