Now that the Nets have closed, fishing has been spotty and the action sporadic. There has been a very good bite early in the a.m., but these fish are mostly small slot sized fish. Persistence is the key to hooking a large fish right now. The big fish tend to be solitary, and often times when you have gone an hour or so without a strike is when a marauding pig will show up.

Before the Nets closed, I went out there to do a little fishing one afternoon after work. That day, the beach was packed with big cutthroat. About 20 minutes after I arrived, I hooked and landed a nice buck of about 6-7Lbs. Not long after that, perhaps 20 minutes, I hooked into a much nicer fish. I could tell immediately by the big headshakes that it was a good one. Unlike most cutthroat, it made a long sustained drag pulling run. I probably could count a good 4 Mississippi while it pulled line. I forgot my net that evening, and I had to pull that hog into the shallows where I could tail it. It was hauled to Crosby's in a 120 quart cooler, weighed, and released healthy and unharmed.

I was out there again yesterday. The fishing was very slow overall, but yet another pig came to the table. My friend, Brad, hooked into a nice one right at his feet as he was bringing the jig to his ladder. I looked over and saw his rod pumping hard as the fish shook its head. Then the fish rolled on the surface, and I knew immediately it was way over 10Lbs. I told him I would be over immediately with the net. He was finally going to get his pin fish... and about that time it came off. It is very difficult to land the ones that are hooked so close to the ladder.

Fishing is uncharacteristicly slow right now, and overall big fish over ten pounds are far less numerous than last season, but the ones being caught are true hogs. The last two derbies have been won by a 13 and 15Lber.

Best of luck, Mike