Lucky Craft on Fire 2/6

If you’ve used Lucky Craft lures in the surf before, you may have had success, or you may have had an absolutely terrible experience. If you’ve never used one, or you had a disappointing experience, by the end of this fishing report, I’ll likely have convinced you to give it a shot.

This past Thursday, we set out for yet another early morning session. If you’ve read my reviews on the best surf fishing spots in San Diego (link found on my home page), the destination should be VERY clear. Given our last couple of fishing trips, we were prepared to abbreviate our session if the action were to die down again. I’ll tell you right now, that was NOT the case.

Surf Fishing Conditions

It was Thursday morning (2/6) and the conditions were nice. Winds were minimal and the tides were as follows: (6.4 feet at 6:38 am) and (-0.9 feet at 1: 51 pm). Note: During a summer day in which seaweed has been rampantly growing, the large tidal swing illustrated here could make me hesitant. But, during the winter, the seaweed doesn’t tend to be as much of an issue. For this reason, and since the water’s been clean lately, a large tidal swing could potentially help for fish activity. The swells were listed at 1-2 feet and that was a true 1-2 feet. Finally, the water temperature was 61 degrees Fahrenheit and the air temp ranged between 49 and 64 degrees Fahrenheit.

On the Sand

We arrive on the sand at 5:45 am and begin fishing right around 5:50 am. I look out at the water and it’s absolutely gorgeous. Rather than waves crashing, they seemingly roll towards the shore and trickle onto the sand. For the first 40 minutes or so, the beach was comparable to a large lake with swells from the morning boaters.

Kyle decides to use frozen mussel meat from a local Asian market and I, recognizing the conditions, decide to use my Lucky Craft. This time, I throw the Metallic Sardine color hoping it’s more natural coloring will attract a monster.

First Cast

First cast, I toss her out, begin to reel, wham! Fish on! I look back at Kyle (still rigging up for his mussel) and he hurries to finish rigging. I reel her in and it’s a nice 12″ Barred Surfprch. Nothing special, but hooking up on your first cast using a Lucky Craft… that’s a good sign. I continue fishing and about 15 casts later… got another one! About the same span later, I hook up again and this one feels different. I reel her in and we’ve got a Jack Smelt! At about 18″ long, this is the biggest Smelt I’ve ever caught… but still, nothing crazy special.

Sweet Surprise

About 30 minutes go by with no action. I look across the way at Kyle, and he’s fighting what appears to be a monster! What was on the other end of the line surprised us both. It was a 16″ Corbina (on anchovy) and it put up a heck of a fight for the size.

At this point, I decide to switch up the bait choice and use anchovy for a while. Immediately, I get back-to-back Jack Smelts. One about 17 inches and the other maybe 15. As quickly as the bite turns on, it turns off. It’s about 10:20 am and I switch back to the Lucky Craft. We wander around the beach looking and hoping for a spot that will produce, yet, we find nothing. Just before we decide called it a day, I give our previous spot one more try.

Lucky Craft at its Finest

First cast back, we’re on! It’s another monster Perch (about 14″). From that point on, for about 45 minutes, we get strikes every 3 or 4 casts. Some pop off, others stick, but for those 45 minutes, we experienced some of the best Lucky Craft fishing imaginable. Between the two of us we reeled in another 20+ fish comprising of Perch and Halibut!

Session Overview

It’s tough to recollect just one of those fish-fights as they were all tanks! But regardless, we each landed a big Halibut. Mine registered at just over 23 inches and Kyle’s was slightly shy of the legal mark at 20.5 inches. To make matters even more interesting, a couple Perch fought harder than the 23.5″ Halibut did. It’s an absolute thrill, feeling the power and aggression of these fish when they strike your lure upon retrieval. About half of the fish I caught on Lucky Craft took out drag and some did it for quite some time! This goes to show that when you fish with Lucky Craft, the quality of catch rises dramatically. In this case, quantity clearly wasn’t a problem either.

So again, if you’re looking to experience the exciting possibilities of using a Lucky Craft, or you’re looking to give it another shot, I absolutely support your decision! Here’s the link for the Lucky Craft Flash Minnow 110 (Metallic Sardine). Give it a go! I wasn’t a believer for the longest time, but once you take the time to figure it out, you’ll realize that this lure is a must have! If you’re not convinced… leave a comment and tell me what would convince you.

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