Aug 5 – Day 11 – I like “old, dead stuff”

 

I had an extra day since my Catalina Island trip was pushed forward a day. There was a place I had wanted to visit for a while. This was La Brea Tar Pits and the Page Museum. What a great way to spend the day looking at “old, dead stuff”!

 

My aunt and I took it easy in the morning and didn’t get to the museum until 10am. When we arrived, we saw one of the tar lakes that were formed from the mining of asphalt.

 

 

However, natural seepage of oil continues to occur within Hancock Park encompassing the excavations sites and the Page Museum. It is this pooling of oil and asphalt that had trapped Ice Age animals in the past resulting in many well preserved fossils.

 

My aunt and I at the entrance.

 

 

Statue of American Lion at the entrance.

 

 

Once inside, I was like a kid in a dinosaur museum LOL.

 

Harlan’s Ground Sloth (Paramylodon harlani)

 

 

Ancient Bison (Bison antiquus)

 

 

Yesterday’s Camel (Camelops hesternus)

 

 

American Mastodon (Mammut americanum)

 

 

Columbian Mammoth (Mammuthus columbi)

 

 

California Condor (Gymnogyps amplus)

 

 

Dire Wolf (Canis dirus)

 

 

Saber-toothed Cat (Smilodon fatalis)

 

 

American Lion (Panthera atrox)

 

 

Western Horse (Equus occidentalis)

 

 

Short Faced Bear (Arctodus simus)

 

 

Turkey Vulture and Coyote

 

 

I was so glad to have a few hours to explore such a cool place!!!

 

 

That was mostly it for the day. I went to my cousin’s apartment and used the internet to catch up on work emails and had dinner with my aunt at night. I went to bed early to catch up on some much needed sleep.

 

Aug 6 – Day 11 – Wiggle, wiggle!

 

We didn’t rush Monday morning since the only plan was to pick up the rental car. I was originally planning to pick up the car at noon, but my aunt forgot a letter at my cousin’s apartment and we needed to go back to get it. It was an hour drive away so I called the rental company to delay my pick-up until 4pm. After picking up the letter and having lunch, we arrived at the rental company at 3:45pm. They had a couple of hatchbacks available but both are missing a cover for the hatchback such that anyone can peer into the back compartment of the car. Since I would have lots of fishing gear in the back, I was hesitant to use those cars. Not many cars were rolling into the lot late in the day and it took us about an hour before a newly washed and cleaned hatchback with an intact rear compartment covering. There were others waiting for a car but I ran over to take it. I’ve been there for an hour…I have first pick!

 

Finally, I could be on the road again. Earlier in the day, I had waited for Jason and Jonathan’s replies to see if they could fish today. Unfortunately, Jason was not feeling well and Jonathan had to work. At the end, it was just Jeremy and I fishing the surf at Santa Monica.

 

The drive to Santa Monica from LAX car rental was not as busy as I had anticipated. However, there was a cop that decided to stop someone in the middle lane and to write a ticket in the middle lane that he created a huge traffic jam. What an idiot! I was to meet Jeremy at 6pm but didn’t get there until closer to 6:20pm. When I arrived, we decided to leave the long rods in the car and explore the beach for a good spot to soak some bait.

 

Jeremy worked ahead while I collected some sand crabs. There were a good number of thumb sized sand crabs and it was easy picking for a couple dozen of good bait. Keeping the live sand crabs in my pocket still creeps me out sometimes as they crawled around. Once I had enough bait, I realized my #10 hook was a bit too small for the thumb-sized sand crab. I retied my rig with 8lb fluorocarbon leader and a #4 octopus hook. I pinned a sand crab on the hook and stopped to fish one end of a hole that Jeremy was working.

 

I cast into the hole and noticed a left to right current. With a 3/4oz egg sinker for the Carolina rig, I was able to let the rig slowly rolled in the current. Maybe 15 minutes after I started fishing, I felt a heavy weight on the other end with line slowly pulling out. I thought it was kelp so I tried to reel in to clear the clutter. However, something on the other end responded and started to run! There were a few short but quick runs. I didn’t know what it could be, but I guessed it may be a large Yellowfin Croaker. Soon, I realized it had to be a pretty big croaker to pull so much and for so long. I start to suspect that perhaps this was a Shovelnose Guitarfish. Finally, I had the fish in the skinny surf and saw the telltale signs of the dorsal fins and caudal fin of a Shovelnose. It took 4 attempts to surf the fish onto the beach. Jeremy was already at my side and quickly ran to grab the tail of the fish for me to bring it higher up onto dry sand. It was a nice 30”+ class Shovelnose Guitarfish (Rhinobatos_productus) – new species #29.

 

 

These fish will thrash a lot when you handle them, thus earning the nickname “Wiggles”. I could be quite difficult doing a tail hold like this on a frisky fish.

 

 

After checking off the Shovelnose, I was on a mission for Yellowfin Croaker. These fish are usually very plentiful along the Santa Monica coast. However, it was just my luck that few had been caught the days before my visit. I tried at it regardless but it was Jeremy that found one which soaking a piece of squid in the surf.

 

 

I decided to get the long rod and start soaking some squid too. The sun has set and dusk could be the start for long rod action with targets including Bat Ray, Shovelnose Guitarfish and Leopard Shark.

 

 

It took a long while before we had a serious bite. Jeremy’s rod went off and soon was not a decent fish. He knew immediately that it was a Shovelnose. When the fish was finally on the sand, I ran down to grab it. The fish of course wiggled and sent a pile of sand into my T-shirt.

 

Yet, I managed to hang on and landed this nice Shovelnose for Jeremy.

 

 

We thought the bite would be red hot, but it took another long while before Jeremy’s rod went off. This fish was just slightly smaller than the last one, but this one came in much easier. It still managed to send a pile of sand toward my face.

 

 

We set out the bait again and I noticed some little twitched on my rod tip. I thought it was either kelp or a crab was picking at my bait. I left it alone and something was still picking at the bait. About 15 minutes later, the twitches stopped so I thought the crabs had picked my hook clean. I start reeling in the line and felt a tiny bit of weight and struggle at the other end. I thought maybe it was a piece of kelp with a bit of resistance in the surf. However, when I finally got the rig onto sand, I noticed that something fell off my hook. I immediately went to grab the mystery object and it was a baby Leopard Shark (Triakis semifasciata) – new species #30! They are so cute at that size.

 

 

It appeared that the little shark had just hung onto the bait the entire time and up onto the sand. I didn’t see a hook puncture wound on the shark so that’s my assumption. Hey, it did bite and I got it on a hook and line system…so I’m counting it!

 

Jeremy and I fished until 9pm but that was all the action for the day. I think he and I both had one more short run on the long rod but the fish was not serious enough to hold on too long for us to set the hook. It was a great night spent fishing and chatting with another person who is interested in species hunting. We decided that if I don’t have other evening plans tomorrow that we would fish at Santa Monica again.

 

Aug 7 – Day 12 – Only needed one fish…

 

I got some information from Randy where to spend a few hours in the morning. I was on the hot trail for a California Kingcroaker (aka Corbina), a Spotfin Croaker, a Yellowfin Croaker or a Walleye Surfperch. Randy gave me a couple of options. One end of the north Orange County beach would yield a better chance at Corbina and Spotfin but less Yellowfin or Walleye. The other end would be the reverse.

 

I started the morning trying to find the right lifeguard tower to search for Walleye Surfperch at the early incoming tide. The low water helps to concentrate fish into holes and troughs. However, I couldn’t find the right area and decided instead to try for Corbina and Spotfin. I started fishing near one of the three lifeguard towers that Randy pointed out. There were some nice troughs but a strong left to right current. I had to use a 3/4oz egg sinker on the Carolina rig and shorten my leader to 12” since it kept washing in the surge and tangling with the sinker. The waves were not too bad in the early morning but it got worse and worse as the tide fills in.

 

I was glad to have kept a dozen thumb-sized sand crabs from the evening before. The sand crabs at this beach were higher up the beach and they were more difficult to find during low tide.  I pinned on a sand crab and started working down current. I cast far out to work in the 2nd trough as Spotfin Croakers are often found in deeper water. There was also a chance I could run into a Yellowfin Croaker. I also spent some time working the 1st trough for Corbina or any Surfperch feeding close to shore. Unfortunately, after 2 hours of fishing, I had covered the distance of 4 lifeguard towers.

 

The tide was starting to fill in and it started washing and exposing the sand crab beds. I decided to work upcurrent seeing the change in opportunity. I thought that this would be perfect time when Crobina would crash the beach to root for sand crabs on the incoming wave and then retreat on the outgoing wave. I read that you can place the sand crab-baited hook on the crab beds and wait for an incoming wave to wash in. A Corbina could move in with the wave to take the sand crab. So I tried that for a while soaking the sand crab at each beds for a few minutes. I would then cast into the trough and see if there were any Corbina sitting back in the trough.

 

At about 9am, I was back in the area that Randy had suggested. As I was watching a wave recede, I thought I saw a fish turned around in the wave. I didn’t get a good look, and it would just be something I had imagined, but I decided to spend a little more time fishing this one particular spot. There was just a slightly deeper hole within the trough. I cast my sand crab into the trough and let it tumble in the current downcurrent. On the fourth drift, I felt a bit of weight so I pulled the rod tip up. All of a sudden, the fish came alive and took a strong and lengthy run. I immediately knew this was a nice fish. I didn’t know whether it was a large Yellowfin Croaker, a smaller Corbina or a smaller Spotfin Croaker. All I knew was that I needed to keep tension on the line since the fish was running everywhere in that trough. At times, the fish was running so fast that my line would part water and roostertails would form! As the fish tired and coming toward the beach, I had to keep the line tight when the waves wash toward the beach, and let out line as the waves wash out. This is the only way to keep a fish hooked in the surf. If a larger wave washes up the beach, you may even need to run up the beach to keep the line tight! I did this dance at least a half dozen times trying to surf the fish up the beach. The fish had a very good idea as to when to swim back out to deep water on the outgoing wave. It was rather difficult trying to beach it. But alas, the fish was tired enough that it could not longer run out on the outgoing wave. I watched for a larger wave to surf the fish much further up the beach. Until this time, I saw a glimpse of the fish and knew it was a Corbina. However, I thought it was only a small juvenile. When I finally had the fish up the beach, I was astonished by the fish sitting on the wet sand. I quickly ran down to grab the fish and brought it toward the dry sand area. It was a nice grade Corbina…my first California Kingcroaker (Menticirrhus undulates) – new species #31…one very close to breaking the 20” barrier!

 

 

 

 

That was all I needed to feel great for the morning of fishing. I did continued to fish but the tide was really coming in and the shore break got rough. This lady thought she would challenge the waves, but after this picture, she was knocked down by the next wave on her butt. Silly people…she got up alright thought but she was done with entering the water LOL.

 

 

I ended my morning at 10am completely satisfied. I got back to Monterey Park just in time to have lunch with my aunt.

 

With a short afternoon nap, I was up and ready to fish again at 4pm.

 

Jeremy and I were meeting again to fish at Santa Monica. I’m now intent on putting all focus on Yellowfin Croaker. Jeremy was a little delayed since he forgot his cell phone, so I started fishing first in the same area we fished the evening previous. After making a few sand crabs, I made a cast into the hole and soon felt some weight and the drag pulling. I set the hook but the “fish” did not respond. I started reeling in and found a string of kelp. I cast out again and the next cast was kelp, and so on and so forth. When Jeremy arrived, he found out quickly as well and we decided to fish on the other side of the jetty where Jeremy said there should be less kelp. It wasn’t the case on this day. I would say 4 of my 5 casts were fouled. The only blessing of this evening was getting the chance to meet Milton, Robert and Bobbie, all legendary anglers of BIG Barred Surfperch. Since the conditions were poor, I decided to spend the time to make some big sand crabs since I would be fishing with Randy, Saburo and Brian on the next day.  It is no wonder that Robert and Bobbie consistently catch both quantity and quality. Robert’s perseverance earned him a Barred Surfperch. I was just happy enough to chat with them with they fished. When it finally got dark, We all decided it was time to leave. Milton, Robert and Bobbie gave me all their sand crabs. I had bait of various sizes, but there were some very nice large crabs that could pay off tomorrow. Thanks guys!

 

Aug 8 – Day 13 – Third time’s the charm.

 

This was my third continuous day surf fishing. I’m meeting Randy, Saburo and Brian in the morning and learning from some of North Orange County’s best surf anglers. These guys had recently caught Spotfin Croakers in the area and I was hoping they could help me add a few more surf species.

 

We arranged to meet at 6am, but a little detour later I arrive about 10 minutes late. A quick hello later, we decided to park our car at a restaurant where we would eat after fishing, and car pool to the beach together.

 

After hearing that I caught my first Corbina the day previous, the gang decided that we should start fishing for Yellowfin Croaker, Barred Surfperch and Walleye Surfperch. We arrived to good conditon and I revealed my stash of sand crabs to them. Instantly, I became their favourite person LOL. Everyone grabbed a few sand crabs and started fishing. While Saburo, Brian and I stayed close and worked a few holes thoroughly, Randy worked down the beach much quicker. About 45 minutes later, Randy came running to grab me. He said he just found a spot where he caught 4 Barred Surfperch and most importantly a Walleye Surfperch. So I followed Randy to this area where there was a tongue of sand jutting out into the surf surrounded by deeper waters on either side. The perch were sitting in the deep trough on the left side of the tongue of sand. Randy gave me a number of 2” plastic grub and said I should cast it out as far as I could and retrieve it with a steady crank. On my first cast, I managed just two cranks when I felt weight on the other end and a fish was on! The fish was not too big but fought with good spirit. I thought it was a large Barred Surfperch. To my delight, it was a Yellowfin Croaker (Umbrina roncador) – new species #32. I owe this fish to Randy for showing me the hole. Thanks Randy!

 

 

From this hole, Randy caught a few more Barred Surfperch and I caught a couple more. However, the tide soon filled in enough that the fish moved on.

 

We slowly worked back toward Saburo and Brian. On the way upcurrent, Randy hooked up a better fish briefly but the hook came out. Total bummer!

 

Saburo and Brian caught a few surfperch but didn’t find any bigger fish. The fishing slowed to a crawl and we decided to move to another beach.

 

We checked out Dog Beach and saw many dog walkers with their best friends. The beach was really flat and there were no structures – so we moved on. We finally decided to fish the beach where I caught the Corbina yesterday. The waves were a little more fishable today even though we arrived today at the same time that I left yesterday. We immediately went with big sand crabs to search for Corbina and Spotfin Croaker. It was here that Randy recognized Alan who was one of the original members of SCSF who no longer post on the site. Alan was a great wealth of information and it was nice meeting him.

 

While fishing the big sand crabs, some of them came back half eaten. Sometimes I would feel a sharp bite and the fish disappeared after the one bite. Sometimes I don’t even feel a bite but reeled back a chewed up crab. Since the bigger fish seemed to be absent, I tied on a #10 octopus hook and put on a jellybean-sized sand crab. After a couple of casts, I felt a sharp tug and hooked a Barred Surfperch. Randy decided to fish the 2” plastic grubs again. He caught a couple of Barred Surfperch and then a Walleye Surfperch! Seeing that there might be a few Walleye Surfperch in the area, I switched to the 2” plastic grub too. I quickly caught a Barred Surfperch. A few casts later, I felt a hit out further and fought a smaller fish to shore. As soon as the fish was on the beach, I could see the telltale large eyes and the black tips on the pelvic fins. Yes! It was a Walleye Surfperch (Walleye Surfperch) – new species #33!

 

 

We continues to pick at more Barred Surfperch with the occasional Walleye Surfperch and Yellowfin Croaker. Our main targets, however, were nowhere to be found. By 1pm, we were hungry enough to call it a morning. We went for a big brunch while listening to stories and adventures from Randy, Saburo and Brian. Between the three of them, they had stories that could entertain you for days! Fishing and chatting with the three of them were very easygoing and it felt like I had known them for years. It was a great pleasure to have met all three of them. Thank guys!

 

By 3pm, we decided to split. I got back to my aunt’s apartment at 4pm and took a two hours nap. By 6pm, I packed up my gear and got ready for the drive to San Diego. My aunt came home just in time to say goodbye and I got on the road at 7pm. It was a pretty decent drive south to San Diego in the evening. At least the traffic was flowing as soon as I was outside Los Angeles. The drive was simple since all I had to do was follow Highway 5. By 10pm, I arrived at Thomas’ house. Just before reaching Thomas’ house, I had to use the washroom and stopped at a 7-Eleven where I grabbed a quick dinner too. Thomas and I chatted for a while before he went to bed. He had just fished for yellowtail that day and we would be getting out on his friend’s boat the next day. Both Thomas and I went to bed before 12am.