#9461, "Balboa Pier: Red tide and halibut heartbreak"
I got out to fish Balboa Pier today with my friends Frank and Gerritt. We got out around 1pm and it was really slow. We managed some smelt on the sabikis and rigged up for halibut. I managed a shorty (12") and that was it for a while.
Then this one guy shows up and catches a handful of smelt in a net. He immediately hooks and lands a 26" halibut. I was jealous!! He then hooks into 2 more that runs him under the pier and breaks off. This whole time we're catching nothing (except 1 thornback ray).
I then took a smelt and threw it out in the surf zone. The bait stops so I gave it 30 seconds and set the hook. Fish on! I knew it was a halibut but I didn't know how big. I was using a trout rod equipped with my Shimano Biomaster 2000 loaded with 6lbs P-Line. After a great fight I got it to the surface. It looked close to being legal. We didn't have a net so I walked it down the pier so I can land it in the surf. There was some awsome moments where it kept trying to swim between the pylons. I finally got it to the shore and the surf proceeded to wash the fish up the sand, but it then pulled it back into the water between the pilings! I thought it was over but it miraculously stayed on. I then had Gerritt hold my rod while I ran down the pier, onto the sand, and into the water. It was a true moment of victory when I finally got my hand around the tail and pulled it out of the water.
Frank then threw down the tape measure. (drumroll here) ;) After all of that action, the fish measured at exactly 21 and 1/2"! Man!! I'm still left in search of that ever elusive legal halibut....
#9464, "RE: Balboa Pier: Red tide and halibut heartbreak" In response to Reply # 0 Tue Apr-08-03 01:56 PM by PHISHuntR
Yeaaah!..Nothing like wrestlin a fish out of the surf while your buddys sittin above ya laughin his a$$ off while your gettin soaked! :7 those last couple rides in the wash can be heart breakers with those pilons!and gettin around the gate toboot! Ive lost a couple BIG BUTTS off that pier!Smelt is key! Red tide is usually terrible for me....BUT always good to get the right kind though!even if its a hair short! Good to hear! KEEP EM BENT!!!!!!!
#9465, "RE: Balboa Pier: Red tide and halibut heartbreak" In response to Reply # 1
Landing a halibut on a pier without one of those crab nets is pretty tough! I landed a 23" halibut from Goleta pier several years ago, but didn't have a net. I was actually tossing swimbaits and hooked up, trying to keep it out of the pilings. My friend went running up and down the pier begging someone to let us borrow their crab net. Finally somebody brought a net over and helped us land it. Fortunately I was using 12lb test, so I could muscle the fish long enough for the net to arrive.
Great job on that shorty though, makes for quite a story! Let it grow another month or so and catch it again!