SP Dan's Maiden Voyage + Legal

My Maiden Voyage,

A few months back, my SWAT Brotha Jason offered to take me float tubing and to help me catch my first (bucket list) Spotted Bay bass.

Well after a couple of months of planning, I purchased a new float tube with all the gear, I fabricated a rod holder (design by LOLLY) and even purchased lighter fishing gear .... well .... the day finally arrived this past Saturday in NPH from 0630 hrs until 11:30 hrs!!
I was totally pumped!!

Jason gave me a map with an X on it to mark the spot and I was able to make it straight to the spot in 45 minutes.
Needless to say ... Jason was ready much faster than I was with much more practice with his gear ....
I call it my ... "breaking-in-period".
We hooked up at 0600 hrs and launched by 0630 hrs.

Saturday, 3-18-2016
`
Sun Rise: 0655 hrs, Sun Set: 1902 hrs
Air: cool to mild 57 deg - 66 deg, Water Temp: 61 deg, Sky: AM cloudy with late morn clearing, Wind: 2 - 3 MPH off shore
Predicted Surf: 1 - 2 ft , Swell: .07 ft, Sec Intervals: 16 sec's
Moon Phase: waxing Gibbous.
Conditions: Early morning slight off shore breeze with an incoming tide, the water was mostly clean and yet murky with barely any salad or grass, 98% clean retrievals ...
thank you Poseidon!
Tides: 0630 hrs 4.8 ft, 0733 hrs HT 5.1 ft, 0830 hrs 4.8 ft, 0930 hrs 4.1 ft, 1030 hrs 2.9 ft, 1130 hrs 1.8 ft.
Isolunar Forecast: Major Period: 0848 hrs till 1148 hrs.
Bait Presence: some presence. Bird Presence: scarce. Water Dogs: none
Session Duration: 0630 hrs to 1130 hrs.
Assault Tactic: 1/4oz Big-Hammer sexy smelt
AO: NPH

Once in the water .... I was in clumsy control of my tube for the first hour or so of our float ... but once I learned to relax and kick less ... it was all becoming very natural. My tube is a super comfortable tube which I really like and highly recommend! (Fish Cat 4 Deluxe).

Jason and I had our sites on Spotted Bay Bass as our targeted species for today's session.
Jason had me all lined-out with his recommended 1/4oz lead-head and a 3" Sexy Smelt Big-Hammer swimmie and a Drop-Shot stix.
The first 40 minutes was a bit slow as far as a bite but it was allowing me time to become familiar with my new St Croix Inshore stix.

Jason has been floating behind me and I noticed how dental he was being with each cast ... getting his bait way back in some very tight spots .... total skill!
Jason started to teach me how to use different casting techniques: "flipping," "pitching" and "shootin' the dock." These are techniques that I need to practice up on.
The next thing .... we are both getting thumps with no takers. Just teasers!!

At about 0800 hrs Jason's rod goes B E N D O with the first SBB of the day. Jason goes and shows the new guy a thing or two and how it's done!

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He follows it up quickly with a 2nd and a 3rd SSB ....
Hold on folks   .... are we seeing smoke emitting out from beneath Dan's float tube?????

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and then it was my turn for a lil' action and my rod goes B E N D O .... a 10" Spotted Bay Bass!!!! YAHOO!!! New Species! Baby!!!! No longer on my bucket list!!
Thank you Jason!!!

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In the next hour that followed I had landed my 3rd and last SBB of the Day. What a great day it's been!!!

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So I see this wall and I think to my self .... that looks Talbot Creek fishy ... so I cast against the wall .... doing a slow retrieve and then I feel my rod slowly start to load up ... load up ... load up and BENDO .... ZzzzZzzzZzzz goes my reel!!! IT"S ON!!!! ... my rod was pulled into the water up to the second eye on the rod as it started the first of many huge power pulls!!

I had the drag set a bit too tight for pulling the SBB out of the structure and so I loosened the drag quite a bit and once I realized I had hooked up with a Hali, I let it slowly start to tire it's self out .... it's still going strong and making power runs but after a long minute, it finally calms down and drifts up into color .... oh yeah baby!! ... a nice fat healthy legal Halibut.  
I got the lip gripper on it's lip and it just exploded .... totally pissed!!
I finally got the Hali calmed down while it was on my lap, I got a good measure on it and had immediately released it back to Poseidon.

Here's a video clip of the action!

[video=youtube;4-tMO5M72Xs][You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]

Well ... we managed to get a tape on it and it measured out 25" with a closed mouth..

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Jason's fish count: (6) SBB with (1) one being legal and a Short 12" Hali.

Dan'S fish count:   (3) SBB (no legals) and (1) one 25" legal Halibut.

Well ........ "That all folks!"  

Thanks for checking out my "Maiden Voyage" report,

SP Dan     <"))><

Semper FI

Awesome report and congrats on the bucket list spottie!!! congrats on that legal , SP Dan is hooked!!!

Tony G Fishing

Congraz SP Dan!
What a great report and good way to start tubing.

Thanks for sharing.

That is so cool Dan you can see the joy in your face buddy. I am so happy you have such a passion. I also hope that i get to fish with you one of these days. Great work and thanks for sharing.

Jaysuuun wrote:Dan, congrats on breaking in the new tube in excellent fashion! What a success! It was fun watching you spin around in circles in the beginning, but you seemed to get the hang of it by the end of the day. Kudos to you! Casting to the docks takes a lot of practice and lost lures. Ask me how I know!

I was really excited for you when you hooked into that flattie. Although we managed to complete our mission and cross a SBB off your list, I was hoping for some larger models for you.  So our next mission is to get you on a thumper sized bass!

The bass fishing should only get better in the months ahead.

Jason

Jason great job guys that was cool you got him out there well done bith of you.

Fishingdachronarch201E7 wrote:Awesome report and congrats on the bucket list spottie!!! congrats on that legal , SP Dan is hooked!!!

Tony G Fishing

Thanx Tony G,


"OCFD" You are correct .... I am seriously hooked!

Thanx for your kind response to my fishing report!

Dan

Jerdon wrote:Congraz SP Dan!
What a great report and good way to start tubing.

Thanks for sharing.

Thanx jerdon,

First of all ... thank you for all of your shared input and knowledge!
It was a fantastic session and a memorable maiden voyage.

Dan

jeffcpr wrote:That is so cool Dan you can see the joy in your face buddy.  I am so happy you have such a passion.  I also hope that i get to fish with you one of these days.  Great work and thanks for sharing.

I'm "STOKED" on Float Tube (CPR) fishing for sure!
I'll definitely be working on my skill and tackle improvements for the near future sessions.

Thanks Jeff for all of your positive responses, priceless knowledge and guidance!


Thanks for checking out my fish report,

Dan

Jaysuuun wrote:Dan, congrats on breaking in the new tube in excellent fashion! What a success! It was fun watching you spin around in circles in the beginning, but you seemed to get the hang of it by the end of the day. Kudos to you! Casting to the docks takes a lot of practice and lost lures. Ask me how I know!

I was really excited for you when you hooked into that flattie. Although we managed to complete our mission and cross a SBB off your list, I was hoping for some larger models for you.  So our next mission is to get you on a thumper sized bass!

The bass fishing should only get better in the months ahead.

Jason

I had you as my mentor!
Thanx Jason for some of my best best tube fishing ever!!!!  

Dan

Good stuff Dan! You have inspired me to try out some saltwater.

Urban Cowboy wrote:Good stuff Dan! You have inspired me to try out some saltwater.

OK ... butt don't blame me if you get hooked!!!!!!!!!

Dan