2019: Trip #4 Fortune (1.5 Day)
Trip #4 The Fortune out of 22nd Street Landing, July 5 – 7, 2019
“ It was the best of times, it was the worst of times.” -- Charles Dickens, A Tale of Two Cities,
All DWRRC members were survivors of the latest earthquakes in the southland AND were filled with optimism for the hunting of tuna—YFT and BFT . . . and a few YT would be a good thing as well.
However, the squid gods were not smiling on those searching for bait that night!! Further, the hunting grounds were the infamous “Depression Reef” areas – possibly not a good omen of where our minds were headed!
Hayden set the pace with his usual arrival at the landing at 9:25am which was rewarded with two open spaces in the close-in parking lot!! He caught up on his reading of periodicals and listening to an audible book : “Mr Trump’s Wild Ride” by Major Garrett -- being semi-retired offers such flexibility. Others started arriving after Hayden enjoyed his lunch on the landing at about 1:30pm.
When Axel was aboard the Fortune, some of us, including Bill Parks, Paul Casillas, Gary Thompson & myself were able to get our tackle boxes, rods’n’reels aboard along with duffle & tackle bags. Then Axel/Jordan took the Fortune for fuel, as other members arrived just as the boat was leaving.
All were boarding by 6pm -- getting tackle and stuff stored away in the bunkroom and setting up tackle for the next morning. This included: Mike Z., Chris L., Stewart F., Steve S., Andy S., Steve L., John L., Roy P., Gary T., Bill P., Hayden, Ron H., Dan H., Nick H., Paul C., Oscar O., Geoff D’Sena, and, last on the list, but certainly not least, Joe Stassi, the Club’s Senior Alumni Emeritus!!
As we pulled away from the dock and headed to the bait barge, Steve provided “Lite Snacks” with emphasis on Lite. This was a bit of a surprise given the pleasant memories of the chilidogs with cheese and onions on the first Fortune Trip. But certainly no one was going hungry and no one would be struggling to survive to breakfast in the morning – I guess Steve wanted us lean and hungry – well at least hungry for breakfast!!
“Let him think that I am “more man than I am and I will be so.”
― Ernest Hemingway, The Old Man and the Sea
So the gin, bourbon, and vino began flowing . . . as much was exchanged about the possibilities for hunting tuna on the next morning. The impact of the recent earth shaking on the targeted species seemed to be overlooked, or possibly ignored in hopes that such beliefs were without merit.
“Now is no time to think of what you do not have.
Think of what you can do with that there is”
― Ernest Hemingway, The Old Man and the Sea
Later in the nite there were only 40 pieces of live squid to be had, so the cold fresh dead were brought up from the chiller.
“Why do old men wake so early? Is it to have one longer day?”
― Ernest Hemingway, The Old Man and the Sea
At Pyramid Cove at 4am the next morning some excited fishermen were out on deck with dropper loops and egg drop sinkers providing squid -- live and dead – to those bottom feeders. About a dozen other boats of various types & sizes were also in pursuit of YT. Gary’s dropper loop creatively hooked a bonito, and someone brought in a white fish. But NO yellowtail were hungry and willing.
“My big fish must be somewhere.”
― Ernest Hemingway, The Old Man and the Sea
So off we went to the Depression Reef area. During the move all enjoyed Steve’s breakfast of eggs-to-order, bacon, and biscuits’n’bourbon gravy with plenty of coffee on the flat seas of the Lake Pacific. Then humorous and not-so-humorous jokes by Mike Z and Stewart entertained all as many thoughts of YFT and BFT were contemplated.
“If the others heard me talking out loud they would think that I am crazy.
But since I am not, I do not care.”
― Ernest Hemingway, The Old Man and the Sea
At 9am we started trolling rotation with four boat rods and lures in the first and second waves in the Fortune’s wake. We spotted dolphins with a few YFT tagging along and brought the Fortune to rest. So bait fish, lures, jigs of all sorts were cast out, but the tuna retired to the calm waters below what was now a glassy surface with little wind. So trolling resumes.
“Why did they make birds so delicate and fine as those sea swallows
when the ocean can be so cruel?”
― Ernest Hemingway, The Old Man and the Sea
At 10am the engines surged as we rushed in hot pursuit of tuna chasing baitfish on the surface. Again, as we approached and offered snacks (chum) and other tempting treats, the tuna retreated to the lower depths without submitting to such temptations.
“It's silly not to hope. It's a sin he thought.”
― Ernest Hemingway, The Old Man and the Sea
Trolling resumed and then stopped again at 10:45am with no wind and glassy ocean surfaces . . . no bites, and no hook-ups.
Then Steve announced “Hot Rail Delivery” of chocolate chip cookies still warm from the oven -- needless to say the sweet flavors were a pleasant diversion from the bitter taste of no bites!!
At about this time another stop led to two hook ups on baitfish about 15 minutes apart. The first was by Bill Parks which with 30 lb leader on a Talica 10II reel, the fish was the right species and apparently of good size as it dove down in its attempt to escape. Fifteen minutes later, the second hookup was by Nick Henry on 40 lb leader and a similar diving occurred and the fight was on.
“Luck is a thing that comes in many forms and who can recognize her?”
― Ernest Hemingway, The Old Man and the Sea
The rest of us just worked to keep out of their way as they went round the boat and back and forth at the rail several times for about 40 – 50 minutes.
“Fish," he said, "I love you and respect you very much.
But I will kill you dead before this day ends.”
― Ernest Hemingway, The Old Man and the Sea
Words of constructive criticism and coaching were offered by those who watched the two fishermen stress and strain against the pressure by both fish.
“I may not be as stong as I think, but I know many tricks and I have resolution.”
― Ernest Hemingway, The Old Man and the Sea
Bill and Nick worked hard to out wit their opponents and avoid the traps and tangles posed by the rest of us around the rail.
“Fish," he said softly, aloud, "I'll stay with you until I am dead.”
― Ernest Hemingway, The Old Man and the Sea
At about Noon, first Bill got his tuna to the boat and two gaffs pulled the fat BFT over the rail. The measurements suggested about a 87.5 lb fish, but the formula was thought to be understating weight so 90+ lbs seemed to be a better estimate. About 15 minutes later, Nick brought his BFT to the boat and again two gaffs pulled it over the rail. This was a slightly slimmer model estimated to be about 70 lbs. Small, really small hooks, strong baits well-selected and relatively lite leaders by Bill and Nick seem to be the secret to their hook up successes.
“It is good that we do not have to try to kill the sun or the moon or the stars.
It is enough to live on the sea and kill our true brothers.”
― Ernest Hemingway, The Old Man and the Sea
So now we are off again in search for more tuna surface activity as Steve served an excellent lunch of cheeseburgers with all the fixins and potato salad. The continued flat ocean made for a pleasant meal and break from repeated frustration of chasing tuna on the surface that only wanted to tease us as they dove down when we approached.
“You did not kill the fish only to keep alive and to sell for food, he thought.
You killed him for pride and because you are a fisherman. ― Ernest Hemingway, The Old Man and the Sea
We made similar frustrating “stops with no, nada tamales” at 1pm, 1:10pm, 1:45pm, 2pm, 3pm (2 stops). UGH!! WHY HAVE THE TUNA GODS FORSAKEN US??? Misery loves company!!
“No one should be alone in their old age, he thought.”
― Ernest Hemingway, The Old Man and the Sea
At 3:10pm Steve put out two trays of snacks – one with a variety of thin sliced meats (salami, ham, etc) and one with several types of cheese and a bowl of crackers. The fishermen basically inhaled these treats hoping to model such behavior so that the tuna would imitate us all – no such luck !!!
At 3:40pm we stopped and heard Bob’s warning that this looked like heavier tuna on the sonar screen. But these apparently bigger models were not hungry – so down they dove and left us hanging baits and dragging jigs.
“Perhaps I should not have been a fisherman, he thought.
But that was the thing that I was born for.”
― Ernest Hemingway, The Old Man and the Sea
At 5:15pm Hayden turned on the Drinking Light to officially signal time to relax, although a few sneaked in early. As Hayden sat sipping his Makers Mark on the rocks, Mother Nature suddenly sent a wave under the Fortune and tipped over his glass!! Such misfortune was embarrassing in the face of fully satisfied tuna all around but none interested in our offerings nor challenging us for sport!!
At 6pm we came upon a kelp patty with a few Dorado seen around, but our past experience was repeated – many baits were cast forth, but none were chosen !! EXCEPT ONE – but it was lost back in the kelp so some suspected this to be a yellowtail with this typical behavior!!
So we headed for Catalina, enjoyed a variety of spirits as we anticipated dinner. At 7 pm Steve began serving an excellent bill of fare _- TriTip Roast slices, mashed potatoes with bourbon seasoned gravy, and asparagus wrapped in bacon – and cheese cake for dessert. At this point some took a nap anticipating fishing for WSB at Catalina.
“Now is no time to think of what you do not have.
Think of what you can do with what there is.”
― Ernest Hemingway, The Old Man and the Sea
We arrived at Catalina at about 11:30pm with just under half of the fishermen on deck. Yours truly gave this night fishing – which I do not enjoy – a one hour trial – then went back to my bunk – others continued.
I returned on deck at 5am and heard that all types of bottom feeders had been hooked and released along with one lonely 12” WSB. So all broke down their gear, stored tackle, and sat down for Steve’s breakfast of pancakes and sausage served at 6am as we headed for San Pedro.
Bill Parks kept his BFT whole for the weigh-in (actually 87.0 lbs – just ½ lb below the formula.) at the dock for the contest . Nick’s BFT was filleted on the way back.
We arrived at the 22nd Street landing at 7am. Only Bill and Nick had to deal with their fish, the rest of us were free of that burden.
“But man is not made for defeat," he said. "A man can be destroyed but not defeated.”
― Ernest Hemingway, The Old Man and the Sea
All were looking forward to our next adventure at sea together !!
“Only I have no luck any more. But who knows? Maybe today.
Every day is a new day. It is better to be lucky.
But I would rather be exact. Then when luck comes you are ready.”
― Ernest Hemingway, The Old Man and the Sea
Sounds like something our fearless leader, El Presidente Luke, has said in the past as well!!
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Trip #5: Boat: Thunderbird 2.5 day Departs: Tuesday August 19th Fishing: August 20th, 21th Returns: August 22th am Thunderbird Crew: Jeff Markland- Captain Steve Raby- 2nd Captain Jose, Jared & Nate on deck Goofy in his usual form in the Galley The usual suspects, newer club members and a slew of guests began gathering for the upcoming 2.5-day venture on board the Thunderbird on Tuesday afternoon/evening, a lot of discussion occurred around where will we fish, what is our bait, are we going to fish for tuna, and more importantly, the weather. Forecast was for pretty breezy on the outer banks and tuna grounds with somewhat better at the island. Thursday weather looked much improved everywhere. As it turned out, the weather turned out nice the first day, and even nicer the second day. Also the good news was we would have sardines for bait. When the boat returned from the fuel dock around 7:30, I wandered down to the boat and sat with Jeff and discussed our “options”. There was about 2 scoops of live squid on the boat and the squid at San Clemente Island was available but by jigging. Also, the yellowtail fishing was hit or miss at best early in the cove, and then really nothing to catch the rest of the day unless the bass decided to bite. The tuna grounds were in range to do some night fishing between the days, and daytime fishing was producing smaller fish. The Tanner Bank had the 10-15 lb variety which was spotty, and inside toward SCI were bigger 30-35lb variety with some larger mixed in. Getting bites though would be hard. The Cortez Bank coughed up 100 yellowtail for Jeff a few days before. There was also some white sea bass caught at San Nicholas Island so that was an option. Soooo, one more time, what to do. Jeff decided he will decide when we leave the bait receiver as I said give it your best shot. The final decision, with the weather forecast improving, we would head to the Cortez Bank since there had been some yellowtail there a few days before. And off we went. Travel out was not too bad. Day 1- Arrived at the Cortez Bank around 7:45 am, fished a couple areas for nothing except some of the jumbo bonito, large mackerel and a few bottom dwellers. There was no sign of yellowtail. Where the F**k did they go? Around 10:00am, Jeff pulled the plug and we headed back inside to the tuna grounds, about 30 miles away. Weather was getting much nicer, We ended up picking at the BFT not long after we arrived in the area around 2:00pm and joined “the fleet”. We had one decent plunker drift for 16 BFT, and scratched up 9 more at sundown. As dark fell, we headed into the island to try for the early morning yellowtail fishing at the Lost Point area. Day 1 fish count- 25 BFT, 4 Bonito kept, a few misc bottom dwellers kept JP winner- Bronson Noggle (Cory Steinwand Guest)- 30 plus lb BFT, Patch winner Cory Steinwand- 30 plus lb BFT (it was very close) Day 2- had a few yellowtail bites in the dark and grey light at Lost Point, all nice fish. Headed out after grey light for yesterday’s tuna grounds. Flat calm weather. Worked the area with “the fleet” for a couple of hours and covering a lot of water. Jeff finally pulled the plug and decided to take a gamble and head to the Tanner Bank since there were tuna there a few days before. And the gamble certainly paid off. We were greeted with boiling fish in the chum circle when we arrived, boiling fish on the anchor and steady fishing on the 10-15 lb BFT the rest of the afternoon. We fished a couple deep spots for decent reds and other stuff, one nice ling cod and headed back to the area west of SCI toward San Nicholas Island for some night fishing. We had several stops on spots of fish, and got a few anywhere from 30 plus lbs up to 100lbs. Around midnight, we headed home. We were able to fish that long because by chance, the boat was not scheduled to run a ¾ day trip when we got in, so we got to fish longer. Arrived at the dock around 7:20am, unloaded and that was it. Day 2 fish count- 6 Yellowtail, 40 BFT, 1 Halibut, 2 Barracuda, 100 plus mixed Reds and Rockfish, 1 Ling Cod JP & Patch winner- Cory Steinwand- 102 lb BFT Trip total- 65 BFT, 6 Yellowtail, 1 Halibut, 4 Bonito, 100 plus mixed Reds/Rockfish, 1 Ling Cod The weather for the entire trip was good. Temperature cool both days but very nice. Very little wind to flat calm the entire 2 days. One thing that was troubling was the amount of casualties on these smaller tuna. Seems like most everyone liberated one or two, or more. (We won’t mention my luck!). Small hooks and light line with too much pressure and these little guys were hot! All in all a good time had by all and a very good group of guests on this trip as well. That’s it! Your Scribe- Gary Thompson
Trip #4: Boat: Thunderbird 2 day Departs: Thursday August 7th Fishing: August 8th, 9th Returns: August 9th pm Trip 4 started as usual with people arriving at Newport Landing at all hours of the day with anticipation of fishing. The preliminary reports from Gary Thompson were all too familiar to what we’ve seen this year. Bait was going to be an issue. And last but not least, was the fish seemed to pop up one day and then disappear the next. Nevertheless, everyone was ready to go. Friday morning saw us anchored at the usual cove off SCI. Weather was OK; fishable, but not a lot of fish. But the ones we caught were quality yellowtail and white sea bass. The sea lions provided ample entertainment …err I mean frustration. We hopped around to a few spots picking up the occasional calico but not much. Day 1 jackpot went to Alex Arthur (Justin Becker’s Guest) with the patch going to Nick Burson for some chunky YT’s Day 2 started much as it did Day 1 but the weather was worse than Day 1. We looked here and there with only 3 yellowtail to show for our efforts. Eventually, the Thunderbird turned towards offshore waters to try our luck at some bluefin. Unfortunately, the fish didn’t get the memo and we saw neither sign or had any bites. Mr, “Hey that’s my fish” Tom Hill was the lucky jackpot and patch winner for Day 2 with a 15# YT. So, there you have it, not a, “Hey you missed a great trip” kind ‘a trip but per usual, the members of our club all seemed to enjoy doing what we do. It’s not always about the fish; it’s about the people and the experience. LOL! Who am I kidding…we all want more fish. Until next time, step to the right/left and take up your slack.
Trip #3: Boat: Thunderbird 2 day Departs: Thursday July 24 Fishing: July 25 and 26 Returns: July 26 pm Trip 3 started as usual with people arriving at Newport Landing at all hours of the day and anticipation for fishing high. The preliminary reports from Gary Thompson were not great. Bait was going to be an issue. Anchovies were sick, too hot for squid, and no sardines. Nevertheless, everyone was ready to go. Due to some late cancellations (bummer), there were 21 passengers on the trip. Gary gave the pre-trip update before boarding with the news that we would make the ride down to Dana Wharf, where there were good sardines for bait. That was the good news. The bad news was that it was going to be a bumpy ride out and wind was going to be an issue, and we probably wouldn’t make it to San Clemente Island. Our initial destination would be Catalina. So, at 9pm off we went. Friday morning saw us anchored at China cove at Catalina. I haven’t been with the club long, but my understanding from some of the older members is that the club hasn’t fished Catalina in many years. I was up at 3:30ish and there were a few hearty souls trying to make squid bait. 2-3 at a time on squid jigs, and eventually we had a decent amount of squid to go along with the sardines. Possibly a good sign. Gradually all the fisherman got lines in the water, with most people dropping down by 5am, waiting for the fish to bite. Well, the yellowtail and white seabass were a no show. We did have a pretty incredible black seabass bite. A total of 6 were hooked, 3 broke off, and 3 were landed (all by Jim Bertella) and released. At 7:30 Captain Chris decided to make the move over to San Clemente Island. We looked for kelp patties and bluefin on the way. Again, fish were a no show (there’s a theme happening here). Made it to Clemente about 11:30. We spent the rest of the day fighting winds at Clemente. Most of the fishing was close to the island with catch and release calico fishing, although a few nice ones were kept. A few small yellowtail were caught on bait, and one on a surface iron. On any other trip these probably would have been released, but beggars can’t be choosers. Final count for day 1 was 9 yellowtail. Gary Thompson won jackpot. We anchored at Clemente for Friday night. Overnight the squid came up and we woke to plenty of squid in the bait tanks. We started fishing early Saturday morning by dropping down for yellowtail. Once again, the fish were a no show. It wasn’t for lack of trying. All the passengers dropped lines and were giving it the best effort. Enthusiasm remained high. A small halibut was caught, along with a few barracuda. At 7:30 we pulled anchor and started looking for bluefin. At 8, a small bluefin was caught on the troll by one of our guests. No other fish were willing to bite and we kept looking. No luck. At mid-morning, Chris set us up for some rockfishing drifts. Most of the fish caught were salmon grouper, but people at least had a shot to fill their bags. After the rockfishing, we were back on the troll. We covered a wide area of ground. I believe at one point we may have entered into Mexican waters. We saw no bluefin during the troll. Finally, we had to start heading back to the landing. As we were heading north, we saw one our first and last kelp patty. It would be our last stop for the trip. On the stop, one yellowtail was caught using a colt sniper. Like the yellowtail on day 1, it wasn’t big (generous to call it 8 pounds), but it was a keeper and the jackpot fish (sad but true). Final count for day 2 was 1 yellowtail, 1 bluefin on the troll, 1 halibut, and a couple of barracuda. Brian Drazba won jackpot. Despite the rough weather and challenging fishing conditions. Captain and crew were great as always. Never gave up. And I believe all club members and guests had a good time. We can’t always have great days and it just gets us ready for the next trip. Submitted respectfully, Brian Drazba
Trip #2: Boat: Thunderbird 2 day Departs: Thursday July 10th Fishing: July 11th and 12th Returns: July 12th pm Thunderbird Crew: Jeff Markland- Captain Steve Raby- 2nd Captain “Scuba” Steve, “Melo” Carmelo and Jarred on deck Goofy in his usual form in the Galley As the usual suspects, newer club members and a slew of guests began gathering for the upcoming 2-day venture on board the Thunderbird on Thursday afternoon/evening, a lot of discussion occurred around where will we fish, what is our bait, are we going to fish for tuna? As I was the one as club president that is supposed to have all the answers, I had only one…I have no f**king clue! And as everyone sauntered off to dinner, I sat there thinking based on the way things are fishing and bait wise, we could be in for a long two days. When the boat arrived around 6:45, I sauntered down to the boat and sat with Jeff and discussed our “options”. There was about 75 pieces of live squid on the boat and the squid at San Clemente Island was starting to phase out. Also, the yellowtail fishing was hit or miss at best early in the cove, and then really nothing to catch the rest of the day unless the bass decided to bite on our other bait...the long disappeared but now returned anchovies. There was, and still remains, no sardines in range of the landing bait haulers. The tuna grounds were in range to do some night fishing between the days, but without sardines, daytime fishing would be a waste. And there has not been any gamefish on the outer banks either. Soooo, what to do. Jeff thought it might be a huge gamble but he did suggest a 113 mile trek to Santa Rosa Island for white sea bass and halibut which have been biting. He mentioned that the Oxnard/Ventura boats have been snagging squid during the day up there so we should be able to get more and have plenty to fish with. So with everything as it was, we rolled the dice and that was the plan. And it turned out to be one good call when it was all said and done. We loaded up and departed about 8:30pm, stopping at the bait receiver to top off the anchovies and cleared the harbor around 9:30 pm. Day 1- Arrived at Santa Rosa Island around 7:30 am, fished several areas, picking all day long at WSB and Halibut and a few large barracuda mixed in most everywhere, with a pretty good little hit late in the day. We caught plenty of daylight squid, but when dark fell after dinner, the squid nest we were sitting over decided to float, so we loaded up. That evening, the decision was made to move about 30 miles closer to home for Day 2, so it would be off to San Nicholas Island to see if a WSB could be had, and fish for more halibut. We took off around 10:30pm and headed that way. Day 1 fish count- 14 WSB, 16 Halibut, 10 Barracuda JP winner- Jim Bertella- 26.1 lb Halibut, Patch winner Craig Steinwand- 26.2 lb Halibut (was not in jackpot but Halibut larger than Jim’s) Day 2- Arrived at San Nicholas Island at 3:30am down at the sand spit area to a screaming current. Flylining a dropper loop with 8 oz of weight in 60 feet of water. Basically no WSB to be found trying several areas, but did pick up more halibut. Went south of the island later in the morning and fished the deeps for a good amount of nice reds, other rockfish and one nice ling cod. Left for home around 11:30am since we were 73 miles away. Arrived at the dock at 6:30, and as usual, everyone piled off the boat and went home. Day 2 fish count 6 Halibut, 2 Barracuda, 100 plus mixed Reds/Rockfish, 1 Ling Cod JP & Patch winner- Mike Higa- 30 lb Halibut Trip total- 14 WSB, 22 Halibut, 12 Barracuda, 100 plus mixed Reds/Rockfish, 1 Ling Cod Note- Largest WSB was Chris Lund- 24.8 lbs The weather for the entire trip was good. Temperature cool both days but very nice. Very little wind to flat calm the entire 2 days. All the WSB were decent fish in the 18-24 lb. range, and several halibut were over 20 lbs up to 30 lbs. All in all a good time had by all and a very good group of guests on this trip as well. Goofy was his usual self and apparently there was quite a lot of fun going on in the galley after dinner on Day 1, after I had gone to bed. Lots of beverages consumed as I understand it. And I also learned a squid attacked and bit a certain club member who shall remain nameless in the lip and he bled like a stuck pig! And I have a copy of the video! That’s all folks! Your Scribe- Gary Thompson
Trip #1: Boat: Thunderbird 1.5 day Departs: Thursday June 26 Fishing: June 26 - June 28 Returns: June 28, AM “Your life does not get better by chance; it gets better by change.” — Jim Rohn. Well, on trip #1 we saw many changes to our normal DWRRC routine. We had zero Burson’s in attendance, Hayden was not the first in line, hell, he was not even on the trip! Our fearless Captain Jeff was subbed in by Captain Chris and lastly….no sardines. Wow, that is a lot of change for us men to handle. How did we survive? Quite well actually. The trip started off as normal, with many getting in line and finding ways to work off the 4-6 hours before we actually boarded the Thinderbird. Oscar had coaching duties which stifled his ability to join us, but Junior took his spot and was well looked after. On the dock, we were told that BFT were not within reach and would not be pursued, we would fish for Yellow Tail, do some bass fishing and do a few passes for bottom fish. We had a plan. We pushed off around 8 PM to San Clement Island. Chris parked us at Pyramid Cove where we woke to night fishing. Some were up around 4 AM, with Said catching a shark and a White Sea Bass, we also landed 3 Yellows early, before sunrise. The big bite happened just before and thru dawn with good sized Yellowtail (#30-#35) being landed. We lost very few as we were fishing heavier gear with dropper loop and squid. Paul landed 2 nice Yellows and Jim, as usual, could not be stopped with 5-7 Yellows already in the hole. At 7:20 AM we pulled up anchor with 35 YT and 1 WSB. It was strange not having Sardines on the boat, as many veered away from the small anchovy. Chris started off to the front of the Island, with a few stops sprinkled in. We picked off some white fish, sheepshead and an occasional barracuda. Around 9 AM, on the East End, Chris pulled us tight into a nice spot for Calico fishing. Some whoppers were caught; Bill bringing in a very nice bass with “cheat code” bait, Said also landed a nice Calico with Anchovy. This was a change, certainly, that we had to work with the smaller baits and match hook, line and strategy to get bit. We continued around the Island heading East with some stops throughout the morning, stops produced an assortment of White Fish, Barracuda a few Bonita, and a sprinkling of YT. At 12:30 we had 30 Yellows and the 1 WSB. At one stop we had good bass and YT fishing but 6 sealions on us, that halted the fun. Chris tried to pawn the sealions off to some private boats and return to the spot, but we never got the groove back. Spent some time, mid-day, looking to bottom fish. Chris made of few attempts at floating past some nice spots, but struggled to hit the pass, so after a few swings through the grounds we aborted the bottom. Reds and other rock fish were caught, but nothing consequential. As Ron noted, we spent much time “rigging and re-rigging” as we moved from dropper loop, yoyo, to weighted line and lightly weighted fly line using squid and anchovy. The afternoon was a science experiment, with many trying different options to land fish. Chris brought us to Eel Point, where the Amigo caught a bunch of WSB in the early Friday morning bite. We assumed the meandering Sea Bass would come back in the evening and we would be ready. Unfortunately, none were landed and we spent most of the time hoping for action. The evening excitement was Paul’s bat ray that stirred the crowd, expecting a WSB bite. We had some dinner (Costco Special) and drank some wine, but pretty tame evening all in all….scribe crashed at 9:15…out! We finished with 42 YT and 1 WSB. All the Yellows were of good quality running between 30-38 pounds….Paul won the Jackpot and the only badge available with a #38 Yellow Tail. Congrats Paul! With all the changes on this trip, we still managed to land some nice Yellows and enjoy some time on the water. A good first trip for a 1.5 day’r!
