'Buts at Mini Bay....

[Flyjunkie]

Met up with Paul C....and Tim P. at the Mini Cove I caught the Clam at last week.. Paul & i had talked about this over the Phone and agreed that hitting it early would give us time before the Crowds arrived... A little Quality time at the Beach.. Tim found out from Paul and was there suiting up as i arrived.. That was an Added Bonus.
It was windy& Cool and I was Very glad I brought along my Simms Surf Pull over..it made a difference, I was wet wading... :wink:

Tim was the First to get Bend-O action...
http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c346/Flyjunkie/TimHalibut1.jpg
A small Halibut, but it beats watching paint dry...

We continued to work around the Little Cove, trying to find areas where we'd not risk the Chance of Whacking ourselves with the Fly, due to the Wind..... Paul caught a jack/Top Smelt... Tim got a Small walleye Perch.. i didn't get a take.. The water in the Cove was dirty due to the Wind and if you didn't put that fly Right in their face you would Scratch..

We then decided to let Paul & Tim give a shot at being "Jetty Jockeys" so we climbed up on the Jetty.. Tim got a Top/Jack Smelt as his first Jetty fish. We All Sacrificed Flies to the Jetty Gods.... :wink:

Back onto the Cove and Paul gets this Fine Halibut..
http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c346/Flyjunkie/PaulHalibut1.jpg
He got it on a Merkin crab pattern and it really gave Paul a Sweet fight on his 6wt...(Tim & Myself where fishing our 7wts because of the Wind...)

The "End of Day" bell rang as the Flies where getting too close to our heads, the wind had picked back up.. Besides, More & more folks where showing up and we were spending alot of time waiting for Beach Combers to walk past us so we could cast again...

On the way home, I went down PCH and the Beaches were Packed with Holiday crowds... Glad we got out Early for Our bit of Labor Day fun ...

It was a Fun session out there with Paul & Tim... We'll have to do it again ASAP.... :) :wink:

DEAN ~~ 8) 8)

[Darian]

Hey Dean,.... No surf there. Ya can't hang ten in between casts. :lol: :lol: :lol: If you guys are wading wet, the water must be quite warm.... Any red tide down there this year :?: :?: :?:

Judging from the smile on Pauls face, it Looks like a good trip was had by all. 8) 8) 8) As soon as I can make some progress on painting around the house, I'm gonna have to get down there. 8) 8) 8)

[PaulC]

Hey Darian,
That spot is one of those odd ball spots that the surf doesn't really play a role. Harbor jetty on your left, and a long breakwall in front of you. Its basically lake fishing for saltwater fish.
Not much red tide this year despite the abnormally warm temps.
It is still really warm, although the windchill that morning made it colder out of the water than in.
Still don't know whats up with the bigger buts hitting shrimp and crab patterns there. Have yet to get a good one on a bait fish pattern in that spot which boggles the mind.
-Paul

[Flyjunkie]

DARIAN,

Let Paul & I know when you wanna head south.. we'll drag your Arse around to all the "Cool" surf spots.... :wink:

As Paul stated, the Little cove is fairly protected from any Swells.. in the Picture of Paul with his Hali, if you look at the Sand point to his left, if you were to head to the Right of that point, you'd hit Open Surf and there you'd find the Swells you desire.. (plus at times there are some really Cool troughs and deep holes that form there...).

The Little Cove is Really cool, because the predominate Current is down hill from Ventura..so the Currents drive Baitfish into the Little Cove, thus the Halibut there most of the time... As Paul stated it's weird that we're hitting the halibut on Shrimp & Crab looking flies... I was strippin' Bendbacks and Clousers Monday, but no Love in Halibut Town.. :? (I'm currently tying up some Crazy Charlies for the Top /Jack Smelt in and around the cove...perhaps the halibut will want to eat those..???)

Might hit the Cove again on the way to the family Picnic up in Summerland on Saturday.... :wink:

DEAN ~~ 8) 8)

[SullyTM]

Paul/Flyjunkie...How far out were you casting? 20'...30'...40'?

Paul, a pair of flip-flops? :D

Looks like Tim has a spey rod in hand?

Nice report. Thanks. Thom

[PaulC]

Hey Sully,
I was casting as far out as possible given the wind. At most maybe 60-70ft or so fishing the end of the cove with the wind to my back.
More time in that pond the more likely a fish will grab it.
I'm usually either in flip flops or barefoot during the summer as I'm wet wading.
Tim's rod isn't a spey but a Winston Boron 7wt. A spey would have been alot of fun out there.
-Paul

[SullyTM]

Thanks, Paul...One last item for my edification. What was the rigging on your rod. Floating or sinking line? Leader type/length etc...

tight lines...

[PaulC]

Hey Sully,
Still with a light summer rig....175 grain integrated line. Leader around 10 ft or so, straight 8lb fluoro. Size 2 Merkin with big dumbells. Doesn't look like anything we have out here...go figure. The beans seem to like Merkin's also.

Alot of guys that target halibut specifically are using some form of intermediate or floating line and a real long leader. They'll come up off the bottom to grab something. Occasionaly you'll see them crashing bait on the surface. Pretty cool stuff....
-Paul

[jbird]

This has been a most interesting thread. I am enjoying it! Thanks for sharing. It goes to show how diverse this sport is. No matter where you are. you arent too far from a flyfishing adventure.

Great stuff ! :) :)

Jay

[SullyTM]

Thanks, Paul...Notes have been logged. I just now have to "buy the ticket!"

Have fun in the surf.

Thom

[Flyjunkie]

SULLY,

That day, with the Wind, I opted for my 9' 7wt. with a 250 grain Head on it... thought for most of the Summer I'm casting about like Paul..9' 6wt. rod with a 200 grain Head on it.. My leaders will be about 7-9 feet. the tippet being 8lb. Flouro... I use Tapered leaders personally.. a #4 Razzler has been my "But" fly at the Little Cove...but things change, curious as to what pattern they'll grab Saturday morning...

Most of the Halibut I've caught in the Surf zone have been on Clousers or bendbacks.. anything that looks like a baitfish and has a good deal of Flash in it seems to be the Norm... thought as Paul and I have mentioned, we're taggin' them Halibut on Shrimp & Crab looking flies.... another aspect on the Always enjoyable Surf Zone... :)

JAY,
You are Soo Right... an observant and Open minded Flyfisher will often find Great Fishing adventure close at Hand... :wink:


DEAN ~~ 8) 8)

[jbird]

Dean

Have you ever tried a zonker for those halibut? A silver mylar chord body with a white rabbit strip and oversized eyes covers a good range of baitfish. I like them with generous lead wraps on the front 1/3 of the hook to give them the 'injured baitfish twitch'. tied on a #6 2X long hook. Sometimes I'll go bigger to discourage smaller fish.
Nothing has more real life action than rabbit, especially on the sink between strips.

Jay

[PaulC]

Hey Jay,
I have a buddy that has done well with rabbit strip clousers on halibut up north. Haven't tried them myself but have a bunch of rabbit strip burning a hole in my material box.
Not quite a zonker, but the epoxy body really helps hold things together against a good chewing.
I think alot of the halibut fishing is finding the fish. Sometimes they're so close to shore you spook them wading. Plus you never know what you'll end up with until you see it.
Had a thornback earlier in the day that busted me off burrowing down in the sand. Couldn't beach him/her.
-Paul