My morning started at 1:30 am in order to make it down to San Diego in time to be one of the last 20 or so boats to launch for this grand event. '09 was the 2nd year Karl & I have fished the SD Bay Open tournament but both of us had each previously fished it one time prior with different partners. Our goal was to improve on last years 10 place finish, but being a single event in unfamiliar water we approach this event with a "swing for the fences & have fun fishing the way we want to fish" attitude.

Until a 4 pounder quickly finds his way into the livewell:

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This fish was the only re-bite all day & made the difference in our final weight, we attribute this bite to the Uni Goop. That fish had a taste & couldn't resist coming back for more, a rarity when burning large baits in cold water.

Another good fish missed, then another landed & it's game on once again!
After a lull we were about to move then get another missed solid bite, kept us there for bit but nothing else. Made a move to some nice looking water that just wasn't producing a bite, as we were about to move "last cast", we both missed bites. Spent the next couple hours picking away with a few flurries but had one smaller fish we just couldn't cull. When we finally did, maybe upgrading an ounce or 2, it started to sink in that our small fish was close to 2.5. A good sign!

At this point we know we are 1 good fish away from wrapping this event up, then it happened!
Very solid, heavy bite & the fish digs hard, I pull back even harder. That's when the headshakes started & I call for a gaff. Initially disappointed but it didn't take long to think of the upcoming Super Bowl BBQ, I hear seabass goes well with lobster?

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35"

We seem to get a few white's a year on the Hammer's but the one common trait with seabass bi-catch is it ALWAYS happens when the bait is freshly lathered with the goop!

Our day was pretty much over by 9 am but we were very happy with what we had in the tank but couldn't help thinking of some of those heavy missed bites.

The event was a huge party & a good time was had by all!
The SWBA/Uni Goop booth's seemed the place to be with a constant flow of knuckle heads coming through. Thanks again to all involved in putting together this massive event & all the sponsors that make these things possible. The food, beer, prizes, trophies & goop were all flowing.