First post - La Jolla action from May

Hey everyone,

I'm a Bay Area native but have been living in San Diego for the past 9 years.  My family and I are looking to move back sometime next year and I wanted to get active on a NorCal board.  I figured I share some recent fishing action from what we refer to as 'the jewel'.  Of all the things I'll miss from San Diego, this fishing mecca will be on the top of the list.

May was a good month for me after a fairly slow winter.  I blanked in March and most of April so it was nice to get my mojo back.  I nabbed a nice 42 lb. WSB sight-fishing at night in the kelp.  I know it sounds crazy but with the luminescence in the water it was like watching a laser light show.  You could even see the WSB flare their gills.  Every spooked bait fish would cause a brilliant flash of blue light.  At one point I accidentally bumped yaks with my buddy and the moment our boats touched we saw 4 enormous flashes erupt.  Those 4 ghosts underneath us decided to leave town for awhile.



I was able to follow it up with my personal best WSB.  This piggy went 55 lbs.  She had me kelped for 45 minutes as I tried everything short of diving in to free her.  I made one last charge with my hobie mirage drive and my thumb on the spool and 'pop' the sweet sound of dinner.  I'm very lucky a sevengill shark didn't steal my fish.



I got back on the yellowtail train with this 19 lber.  We've had alot of transient YT from Mexico in recently and these suckers are truly the strongest YT pound for pound.  I've caught 30 lb. winter homeguards that didn't fight as much as these 20 lbers.  I was able to locate a major surface eruption just off the edge of the kelp in 75' of water.  Of course every skiff in the area saw the same thing and was able to beat me to the punch.  I finally get there and secure a lane to throw the iron and on my first cast I get bumped good but it doesn't stick.  About half-way through that retrieve my flylined mac gets nailed and the clicker is going nuts.  My greedy side said I could keep reeling the iron and go for a double but I decided to abandon the iron and focus on the hooked fish.  Since this guy was on freespool for some time I had to go chase him down.  He went straight into the kelp after I put the lever in gear.  A little bit of tug of war and spectra sawing and he was up and gaffed.  I still had time to throw the iron a few more times after the fish was secure but no love on the metal for me that day before the party was over.



I had a nice double on a 18 lb. and 20 lb. YT.  Both fish came on flylined macs in 155'  and 125' of water respectively.  After making bait, I started heading out west into deeper water.  There were some very small groups of diving turns and as I got closer I could see the splashing of tails under the birds.  My pedaling cadence picked up quite a bit.  I couldn't get close enough to throw the iron effectively but within 10 minutes of locating these breezers, my flylined mac goes off.  Unbelievable open water fight.  Headshake after headshake and major tug of war.  On my way back towards shallow water my mac gets slammed.  After engaging the reel this brute takes line like I'm still in freespool.  This goes on for 10+ seconds.  Finally get him vertical and its a real dogfight.  I really expected him to be more than 20 lbs.  I considered doing a C&R as I already had one on the deck but he swallowed the hook deep.  Of course the first one was a perfect corner hookset and would have been a very easy C&R.  But, who in their right mind releases their 1st?



All in all a great month of fishing for me.  I can't wait to check out some of the local spots in NorCal.  I may be heading up in a month or so and would love some company on the water if anyone is willing.  I'm also happy to show anyone La Jolla if you're down in the San Diego area.

Tight lines,

Eric

Wow! Awesome first post.....and your leaving all that?  
 Welcome to NCKA and see you soon OTW.  jim

Awesome pics and reports Eric!

You might be a bit spoiled coming from such great fishing down there... it would be awesome to fish with you, whether up here or even down there sometime. See you on the water!

Roger

Please stay in SD for a while.  I need to get schooled on catching those THINGS your hooking up.   maybe you can show us the rope?
allan

Outstanding!  A nice yellowtail is tops on my list for what I'd like to catch...someday!

Those are some beaytiful fish

See...we just don't see that stuff as much up here...

That's one heck of a firsty post!

Nice post.  Why the heck move back up here?

as long as you are not a dodgers fan, i say welcome. if you are a dodgers fan i say don't come round here.

as long as you are not a dodgers fan, i say welcome. if you are a dodgers fan i say don't come round here.

Don't worry, bay area teams all the way, minus the raiders.  I love wearing my niners gear at the chargers games.  My wife is hassling me to go back up north.  I don't really mind, people are cooler.  I will miss the weather and the fishing.

Hi Eric,

Interesting screen name.  Do you dive as well?

Nate
Also in SD...also from the Bay Area...also been here for about nine years...also thinking of moving back to the Bay...

Hi Eric,

Interesting screen name.  Do you dive as well?

Nate
Also in SD...also from the Bay Area...also been here for about nine years...also thinking of moving back to the Bay...

Haven't been diving, just trying to stay on top of the water these days.  That is pretty strange about the our similar paths.  Where are you in SD?  Just spearo or are you yak fishing as well?

WTG, and thx for the wet May report!  When I thirst for YT fish porn, I check out Bigwatersedge.com, so thx for bringing the report to us!
I went to UCSD and lived there for a few years, but that was before I started yak fishing.  As my screen name suggests, I love hamachi!

I'll be heading down there sometime in July (the only objective being to yakfish for YT and WSB), so I'll be sending you a PM for some local intel. thx again for the report and hope to see you OTW!

hamachijohn

Hey John,

Definitely hit me up before you head down.  I usually have a good idea whats going on as I get out once a week or so.  YT should be in full swing when you come down.

E

Welcome to the madness up here. It seems you should be getting up here just when things are going to take off. It seems too me that fishing has been a little behind this year so it should open up pretty soon. See you on the water.
Jimbo