My Moyer tourney!

[Matt]

Well first and foremost thanks to Matt Moyer and his family and the Sammons Family for putting on a great and fun tourney!

Started off being the second guy to the pier and trying to make bait( to say making bait was hard might be the understatement of the century and usually I am a master baiter....no pun intended), Luckily my buddy Dan W. made some sweet dines and a few spanish along with Maggie also picking some bait up at the boat! We wasted way, way,way too much time around the pier trying to scratch some up to no avail.

Finally decided to head out west towards the NW corner and hope against hope that the growing wind and cloud cover would disappear and then I might have a chance at a surface iron fish. Thankfully the spanish that Dan so nicely donated actually got me 3 fish, first one was a bonito, the second one was a larger checker and the third was another bonito, so despite my lack of bait at least it was durable!! After losing my spanish to the last boney, Dan handed me a dine and almost as soon as we split apart Dan was game on!!! Looked right and sounded right with the clicker just screaming!!! Within about 5 minutes Dan had a little fireplug of a 10 lb yellow at his boat and was possibly in contention(although later it proved to be a No, it was inspirational at the moment). Soon there after my bait got hit again by another bonito and and I reluctantly sent my very battered bait back out, and soon as it was 20' behind me I got another zing...thinking it was a bonito and I was officially over bonito I just reeled it on in quick because I didn't want to mess with the stupid boney....only to find a flattened and crushed head! DAMMIT!!!


So reluctantly after the possibility of having lost a YT and with no bait left we began the long, long, long paddle in with a southernly current, swell and wind against us! So after the hour long plus slog to shore we landed happily after a very enjoyable tourney. Dan's fish was knocked out of contention pretty quick but it was his second YT from the yak ever after 11 years of trying!! (his first was on labor day a very nice 32lber) Definitely one of the more fun tourneys I have ever done! I made out like a bandit in the raffle and hell yes I bought a ton of tickets!! Next year I am bringing even more cash to dominate the raffle!!!!

Great seeing everyone out there!!

Matt

Here is a great pic of Dan W's first yt after a long time of trying

[Kiyo]

It was really good to see you out there Matt! Seriously.... everyone says I look mad, mean or pissed. LOL. But you got me when I was going thru my motions when landing a Halibut. I believe I was beating it when you said way to go! Still didn't have it on the game clip, just gaffed in the belly. When I was finished I looked for you and you were long gone.

Bait was very hard for me to get also! I only made three Greenbacks in like an hour. I wasted my 3 live sardines from the bait boat while trying to make bait hoping to get lucky for a Halibut there. My first Mack down and I got that 14 lb. Halibut! Thought it was going to be a real good day and I didn't get a bite the rest of the day. I even had to go back to the pier when I used up all my baits.

Had a real fun time out there and yes, you did clean house on the raffle! I missed that reel my one number. My last number was 4 and Gregos was 5!

I'll probably see you in Long Beach in October for the BLTF meeting.

[Matt]

Hey Kiyo,

I definitely like the HAMMER!! I use nylon mallets at work all the time, and it was rad watching someone who is known for halibuting land one and watching you go through all the steps! I actually learned alot, I just smile more!hahahaha I would have killed for that fish and any bait I could find would have been nice!

I should see you sooner than that meeting as i want to do the baytuber tourney up north with you all on the 27th!

Matt

[Dan W.]

Thanks for the write up Matt. It was definitely exciting catching my second ever kayak yellowtail in a tourney! After 11 years I nail 2 in a row. Such is life! It's been slightly frustrating over the years reading reports of first timer's yellows and seeing all my friends catch them. And at the same time, I've always had fun fishing and known that all of that is irrelevant. THE CURSE IS BROKEN! Thanks Matt F., and Matt Moyer for a great tourney!