2017: Trip #4 on the Fortune (1.5 Day)

7/6/17 - 7/8/17

Download the PDF here.

Scribe: Bryan Upcraft

It all started at the docks of 22nd St. Landing aboard the Fortune for the DWRRC’s fourth trip of the season. Club Members included Roy Patterson, Alex Mesko, Ron Henry, Steve Lenker, Andy Sienkiewich, Joe Stassi, Carl McKinley, Stewart Finley, Luke Burson, Tim Schneider, Ron Rudrud, Chris Ramsey Jr., Bill Parks, Mike Allen, Mike Trunk, Steven Sturm (Stewart Guest), Cody Ramsey and myself. Bruce was our captain. It was a gorgeous evening as we prepared our gear while discussing the various possibilities to come. At about 6:30pm we left the dock and made our way towards the bait barge.

We arrived at St. Nicholas Island at around 5am. Roy was the first to get picked up by a white sea bass, then Stewart Finley and then Alex Mesko with a trophy 52# white sea bass. Steve Lenker and Luke Burson each caught a nice Halibut. For breakfast, we had eggs to order with bacon, potatoes and toast. After breakfast, we made a move to do some rock cod fishing. We brought on board some quality lingcod and nice reds, which we all enjoyed catching. About noon we settled for lunch, Chicken & andouille sausage with penne pasta & pink sauce, it was excellent! At the next stop, while fishing along the kelp bed, Mike Allen managed to get hooked up with a bruiser of a yellowtail. It was a good fight in which Mike was victorious. Later that evening Bruce decided to head back to Catalina to fish the bait grounds that evening and into the morning, so we did. For diner, we had Rahm schnitzel, red whipped potatoes, French green beans and tossed salad. For desert, we had mixed berry crisp w/ vanilla ice cream.

We got to the bait grounds at about 1am that Saturday, the squid were thick, right away Mike Trunk and Steven Sturm got bit, before you know it there were a couple more guys bit, then a couple more, then it would get quiet. After a brief pause in action, the action would pick back up. The final Tally was 48 white sea bass, 6 halibut, 1 yellowtail and various rock fish and sheepshead. Bill Parks was the hot stick with 6 white sea bass and Alex Mesko won the jackpot with an impressive 52# white sea bass. All in all, it was trip to remember.

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