La Jolla 6/1 report
 

Went out about an hour before low tide. Pier was covered in lizard fish jumping all over the sabikis. Sonar was empty until the incoming started cranking and we found macs. Trolled them around for nada for a few hours and eventually hit on some cudas and calicos chasing bait to the surface. Only sign of a yellowtail was with my last bait out, at like 2pm I had a blistering run off on a 16 inch mac. When I engaged the drag I lost it and got my mack back with a crushed head and no other wounds. With it dead and no more baits, I turned my attention to topwater calicos and got a few on the spook before heading in. There was a seal in the area but I've had yellows crush the heads of macs in the past so I think it was the right kind. Thoughts? Maybe I should have given it more than the 5 mississipis cause of the size of the mac?

Bummer on the missed strike. :reel: A 16 inch mack is a toadacious bait. It would have been awesome to have landed whatever struck.:yt: Do you ever have any luck with the lizardfish as bait? I have taken a number of critters on them when the regular baits are non-corporative in Florida. Cool that you found some action with the Calicos.:jig: Keep the reports coming.......

I've heard they're great hali bait but i hate bottom fishing. I'm a shallow water striper guy originally from boston which makes me quick to grab a topwater of fly rod when I can.

You have to give it time to fully get the bait in it's mouth. I usually wait about a minute or until I'm almost out of line before I set the hook. When I get them to gaff, I just pull the hook out of his ass and cut the knot.

I usually give it a solid 5 missisippis but should have gone to 10 for a bait that size. It was my last and by a few inches largest mac.