Fishing report at Bean Hollow 7-21-2007 (Sat)

Please restrain this thread just as fishing report. Use the other two threads to talk about the more important things.

The condition at Bean Hollow was glassy today, although there was a little breezy, but better than last Saturday. We had ~17 kayakers out today. I did not see anyone had a problem with landing and launching. Fishing was good too. I had a good day. I landed a 34” Halibut (16#), 26” Vermillion(11#) and a Cab. This Halibut was the 2nd one I got at Bean Hollow. One last year was bigger (42”). I was mostly fishing next to Gary. He took some pictures on the water and wait for him to post. Thanks, Gary.

The battle was fun. I kept the tension on Hali all the time (no slack). Drag was not so tight, but not loose. It took line a few times. My net (to be upgraded) was too small to net the Halibut. After I saw the color and noticed the Halibut. I got excited. I tried to net it from tail - 1st time. It jumped out and dove down. I patiently pulled it up and net it again, failed.  It went down again. I was looking for Gary's assistance. But he was busy with landing his ling. Garr … 

I was afraid of losing it. At the 3rd  attempt, I pulled it up and netted its head first. But, One section of its body remained outside the net.  I yanked it out of the water and onto the deck. The jig just popped out. Hew … Lucky me!  Immediately put it into sleep with punisher.

It was good to meet old fellows. Also great chat with others such as Marmite and Ark.

From CafeCraig -
Bill, good to hear that others had a good day!    Do you have pics of your fish?  I will post 'em if you don't.

BTW, I am sorry for not sticking around for the BBQ...  I was done way early and didn't know when festvities would begin.    I am sure it was a good time for all - but today I just wanted to jet.

Launch wasn't too bad.. it was a bit breezy and more swelly than I expected, but not as bad as last weekend.

I indeed started by drifting for 'buts with 2 rods as planned... got a pack of frozen sardines, big ones, like 7", from 99 Ranch ($2), went though all 8, and on my last drift, after I set one rod and was getting ready to drop the 2nd, I noticed the first rod was being tugged - hookup!  Not a big hali, but 30" is big enough..   Whew, glad I got that one on board.

As I was putting it below, I had my net in front of me and it broke when I leaned forward - damn!  Caught a decent black on the remaining sardine, so i paddled off to the regular reef to try for some no-net-needed RF...  Then hooked into a blue ling, 28", which fortunately didn't put up much of a fight.  I just lifted it on deck by the line, covered it with the net, and relatively easily put it to sleep.

So, 9.45am, no net left, and a couple of good fish, so decided to call it an early day and get off the water and home in time for an afternoon iced latte in the sun.  Which is where I'll head now!

Looking forward to reports and photos from others!

My vermilion weighs at 11 LB 3 oz (26"). CA state record is bigger. See the details below, which I pulled out of CA DFG site.

CA ANGLING RECORDS (hook and line)
SPECIES WEIGHT LOCATION DATE ANGLER
------- ------- ------- ------- ------
Rockfish, Vermilion 14 lb 9 oz Morro Bay Jul. 31, 1996 Bobby Cruce
Rockfish, Yelloweye 18 lb 3 oz Piedras Blancas Apr. 15, 1994 John Cossey

eric, you got the hot hand. I thought I caught a big vermillion today. my two sons were in awe.

my 7 year old is a natural born fish killer. The 10 year old is a natural born fish eater, 

it was only 19.5",  . I guess I caught a 22.5" er one time, but it's been a while since I got one.

yours must have been just a monster. I guess KZ caught one like that at anchor bay last year.

congrats on a great stringer and not being hit by the shark in your tiny yak!

when are we hitting andrew molera? pt. sur was the site of two GWS attacks BTW, 

J

Vermillion (26", 11 lb 3oz)

Halibut (34", 16 lb)

congrats on a great stringer and not being hit by the shark in your tiny yak!
when are we hitting andrew molera? pt. sur was the site of two GWS attacks BTW, 

J

Thanks, John. I was deeply impacted by the incidence. I wanted to hit Pt Sur last week, but the condition was windy. I and others will do it in this summer.

BTW - I am going to pick up P15 yellow tomorrow. OK Sideick has brought me a lot of mojo so far and I had hard time to let it go.  .

Nice stringer Eric... that's what I call a good day on the water.  That Vermillion just looks old... they get pretty mutant looking when they get that big.

I wish I could buy a halibut this year... you guys are making it look easy down there at Bean (well... except for the sharks with a penchant for plastic). 

Nice report... congrats on the big catch.

EK

Way to go, Craig and Eric on the hali catches and great all around days!   

You could rename that place Bean Humboldt - it sounds awesome!

Eric

A bunch of us fished south of the BH launch yesterday figuring that there were enough yaks to the north.  The drift took us over isolated reefs and some deep holes...one can look at them as snag city OR the den of a big ling.  Everytime my line would tighten up I never knew if it was yet another rock OR...

Anyway, attached are the pics of Eric's catch and my ling from Sat July 21st at the Bean.  Funny thing, when I was trying to net my 30 inch "rock" I was looking to Eric for an assist but he had his hands full fighting his 34inch hali.

Gary

Whoops, didn't add Eric's pics...

Thanks for the reports, guys! A productive day on the water is always sweet, and your pix say it all!

Janice aka "Big J"

Thanks for posting your report Eric!  Awesome haul and great job landing the hali with a small net.

I figured out a way to fix my net, just need an aluminum plug rod and a couple screws and nylon locks and it should be good for this year and next.  I really recommend those Promar LN-704 36" collapsible nets, huge and pretty cheap at charkbait.com, like $45 plus shipping and tax.  I have hauled lots of toothy RF in those and no rips or tears yet.

My hali (revised to 31" when fileting, the ling 30") was caught in about 48 FOW. I drifted from the edge of the NW reef there as the bottom starts to flatten, going southbound to right out from the cove, hooked up around there.  Used a 2-hook set-up, size 2/0, one through the nose of the baitfish, the other in the tail.  I had hooked a baitfish up the bunghole, but the tail got bit off, so I paddled back updrift, hooked new bait at nose and the edge of the tail, dropped it back and it worked.  I remember hearing that halis can be short-strikers.

It was really good seeing everyone; I feel bad about missing the picnic.  Who else caught fish at BH?  Reports and pics?

I got an 11lb ling, and a nice black that was probably 5lbs.  No pics, sorry, but one other yakker saw the black, (sorry, didn't get a name, you were halibut fishing).

Please restrain this thread just as fishing report. Use the other two threads to talk about the more important things.

The condition at Bean Hollow was glassy today, although there was a little breezy, but better than last Saturday. We had ~17 kayakers out today. I did not see anyone had a problem with landing and launching. Fishing was good too. I had a good day. I landed a 34” Halibut (16#), 26” Vermillion(11#) and a Cab. This Halibut was the 2nd one I got at Bean Hollow. One last year was bigger (42”). I was mostly fishing next to Gary. He took some pictures on the water and wait for him to post. Thanks, Gary.

The battle was fun. I kept the tension on Hali all the time (no slack). Drag was not so tight, but not loose. It took line a few times. My net (to be upgraded) was too small to net the Halibut. After I saw the color and noticed the Halibut. I got excited. I tried to net it from tail - 1st time. It jumped out and dove down. I patiently pulled it up and net it again, failed.  It went down again. I was looking for Gary's assistance. But he was busy with landing his ling. Garr … 

I was afraid of losing it. At the 3rd  attempt, I pulled it up and netted its head first. But, One section of its body remained outside the net.  I yanked it out of the water and onto the deck. The jig just popped out. Hew … Lucky me!  Immediately put it into sleep with punisher.

It was good to meet old fellows. Also great chat with others such as Marmite and Ark.

Those are quality fish indeed. It was nice to talk to you Eric. Let me know when you plan on hitting Molera.