Got down to the coin lot at 9pm, as planned, drove out on the short Jetty to get a feel for the surf, and what to expect launching and landing. Surf was pretty small, and the one reef that beaks about 50 yards out was easy to see and keep away from.

My buddy Yanni showed up with his float tube as I was rigging the FnD, so we went down to the waters edge and set out craft down and went hunting for bait...and Butts...

We walked up and down with buckets, and we both had some heavier "surf cast artillery" with us after my fiasco with being spooled the night before. Yanni in fact bought a brand new rod/reel combo that day...bad luck? I had walked and casted crocs before yanni showed up, for nada, and we walked around looking for grunion, again for zip.

So...no grunion. We knew we were a little early, so we decided to launch and fish the plastic and fresh-dead grunion from yesterday and see what happened. We figured we would come in after an hour or so and see if the grunion were there, and hopefully get live bait.

I launched and paddled the couple hundred yards south to the best spots I know off the creek mouth, trolling grunion (#48) Big hammers.

Nothing. Tossed my deadly 4" power-pulse. Nothing. Tried fly-lining and split-shotting dead grunion. Nothing.

Then I got the tail bit off my grunion BH. Got the tail bit off my dead grunion. That was it. Yanni did no better flogging the water from his shark donut.

I had my FF on and cruised in as shallow as 4 feet, and as deep as 15 feet, a ways out at Doheny, up and down the beach. Metered next to nothing, an occasional solitary fish would beep on the screen.

Total caught: one skunk each.

About 11:30pm or so I decided to paddle back in, and did so uneventfully.

Grabbed the light and a bucket and wandered the surf up and down and around for another hour or so, till about 12:30, for nothing. No grunion tonight.

Met BobH and mmmmmfish who were also wandering around with a bucket and pole each hoping for some action. None to be had.

Had a nice chat with them, nice to meet mmmmfish, I hadn't figured out that his handle was from homer simpson D'oh!

Later I hung out in the parking lot with BobH ...and the cops, four sheriff's cruisers came whipping in, I like jumped outa my skin!

They were *totally* cool, just saw my yak and our tackle and wanted the skinny on fishing. They all were fishermen. I ended up trading business cards and secret fishing info, as I figured it was a good plan, and they really were genuinely interested in fishing.

The park sez it closes at 8, the lots close at midnight, the cops said if you look like a fisherman just taking care of business, there will be no hassles. Pretty fair!

So sorry for the long SKUNK report, but that's the way it was...

May or may not go back tonight...Quietman




mmmmfish, Grunion Hunter...


http://www.calfishing.com/dc/user_files/848.jpg