Freak Fish

I was fishing plastics in the river mouth at Seal Beach, and found 3 fish washed up on the sand, each semi-alive.


This is a lizardfish. It is super slimy and prehistoric looking. Some people where trying to convince me that it was a catfish, but I knew better. Catfish (even the saltwater variety) have a fu manchu like this:
The other fish, below, is one that used to annoy me at Newport Dunes. It is a needlefish, although I have never seen one as big as the one washed up on the beach.

The fish probably could not handle the bathwater type temperatures that the powerplant creates as it cools its generators. I put them out of their misery and used them for bait, fishing for sharks or bat rays.

Fishing not Catching

I went out fishing last night on Summer Salt II and the night before on the south breakwater at Seal Beach. I always have fun getting ready, picking what kind of fish to go after, which gear to bring, what bait to use, etc. I run into the tackle shop to get bait and a quick pep talk from the guy at the counter,

"...You know a buddy of mine just caught a 20lb. halibut there with the exact setup your using."

Despite friends of the tackle guy catching fish, I did not catch any. Getting skunked 2 night in a row is not fun. I got some got nibbles and some molested bait, but no fish. Fishing is fun, but it can be frustrating.

I might go out to the grunion run next week and check out all the fish making babies on the sand.
If I am really feeling down on my luck, I may just grabs hands full of grunion and yell to the heavens "I CAN CATCH FISH!"