July 8, 2026
Trip #1: Boat: Thunderbird 1.5 day Departs: Thursday, June 25th Fishing: Friday, June 26th Returns: Saturday, June 27th AM Leading up to the trip, the forecast had us a little concerned. Wind was expected to limit our options and potentially make for a challenging day. Fortunately, as often happens in fishing, the stars aligned. We departed around 9:00 PM after receiving reports of a hot bite near Catalina, which became the game plan for the morning and allowed for a shorter run. The destination proved to be Silver Canyon on Catalina's backside west end. Around 4:00 AM, I wandered up on deck to find a good number of anglers already fishing. Luke was bent on a fish that eventually hit the deck as a white seabass (WSB), and I was told Gary had already landed a yellowtail (YT) while Jeffy had put a huge halibut on the deck. I joined the action shortly thereafter. The bite was a bit slow initially, but then things started to happen. Three of us were hooked up simultaneously, resulting in two WSB hitting the deck, including a beautiful 44-pound fish landed by Waleed, Saif's son. Mine unfortunately wasn't one of them. After several minutes of fighting what felt like a quality fish, it made its way to the stern, wrapped three or four other lines—including another angler who was actively fighting a WSB—and eventually threw the hook. Disappointing, but that's fishing. Shortly after first light, the bite erupted for many. Captain Jeff began calling out fish moving under the boat, and chaos—in the best possible way—ensued. Everyone was fishing squid on dropper loops, and fish seemed to be intermittently everywhere. I apologize for not being able to accurately credit every catch because I spent much of the next several hours either hooked up or preparing to get bit again. By 10:00 AM, the scorecard was remarkable: 39 Yellowtail 3 White Seabass 2 Halibut 26 Lost Fish A special mention goes to Jeffy, who landed a beautiful 31-pound halibut. These were not school-sized fish. Most of the yellowtail ranged from roughly 25 to 40 pounds, and fighting multiple fish of that caliber before breakfast was both exhausting and unforgettable. For many of us, it was one of those dream mornings that keeps you coming back. Most anglers had opportunities. A few did everything right and simply never got the bite—a reminder that fishing can be humbling even when the boat is surrounded by fish. Several anglers had outstanding days. Luke was among the high hooks with five fish: four yellowtail and one white seabass. I finished with four yellowtail, three during the morning frenzy and another 12–15 pound fish later on a fly-lined sardine. Bill also brought in some big yellowtail and hooked a fish on the fly line that unfortunately came unbuttoned. Jim B. also had an excellent trip with multiple fish, and several anglers finished with more than one yellowtail. After the yellowtail bite slowed, we made several additional stops looking for fly-line fish before shifting our focus to calico bass. We headed to the kelp beds around San Clemente Island, where the calico fishing was excellent. Several quality fish came aboard, including at least a couple stretching beyond the 20-inch mark. The weather was pleasant, the ocean was cooperative, and it was simply a beautiful afternoon to be on the water. Later, while casting a spinner for calicos, I hooked something considerably larger. It nearly spooled me before finally breaking off. We'll never know what it was, but it definitely got my attention. To finish the day, we returned to the same Catalina area where the morning action had occurred, hoping for a classic sundowner bite. Unfortunately, it never really materialized. We released a juvenile black sea bass of perhaps 30 pounds, caught a few calicos, and I heard reports of a leopard shark and a few sand sharks. While the evening lacked the excitement of the morning, there are certainly worse ways to spend a sunset than drifting off Catalina with friends. One of the highlights of the trip was watching our junior anglers. Gary's grandson successfully landed a yellowtail after Captain Jeff handed him the rod during a hookup. Leedo, Saif's son, not only landed a yellowtail but also the trip's jackpot-winning 44-pound white seabass and finished with an impressive catch that included two yellowtail. He fished with tremendous enthusiasm from start to finish. James Harris had another young guest angler aboard who joined in on the action and boated at least one YT. It's always encouraging to see the next generation discovering what makes this sport so special. The crew deserves tremendous credit. At times there were three or four large yellowtail hanging simultaneously, creating the kind of organized chaos that tests even experienced deckhands. They worked hard, stayed positive, and kept things moving smoothly throughout the day. The snacks were outstanding as always. A special thank-you to Jim B. for the smoked salmon and tartar sauce appetizer and to Sharif for the chilled crab dip, both of which were excellent. Perhaps the biggest factor in our success was having live squid available. Without it, I honestly believe the trip could have been a completely different story. A special thank-you goes to John "Halfday" Fisher, a close friend and longtime mentor of Captain Jeff, whose squid nest provided the bait and whose report the day before helped point us toward the Catalina bite. The sardines worked as well for calicos, although they were absolutely enormous—some of the largest I've seen. When all was said and done, we enjoyed one of those special days that reminds us why we make these trips. Big fish, good friends, beautiful weather, enthusiastic junior anglers, great appetizers, and memories that will last far longer than the fillets in the freezer. The final tally was an impressive 40 yellowtail, 3 white seabass, 2 halibut, and 27 lost fish. Interestingly, the scorecard barely changed after 10:00 AM, which illustrates just how extraordinary the morning bite really was. What the numbers don't reflect is the excellent calico bass fishing we enjoyed throughout the afternoon. On a personal note, I finished with yellowtail weighing approximately 40, 35, and 31 pounds, along with a smaller fly-line fish in the 12–15 pound range. The catch was enough to earn my first club patch, barely surpassing Bill's monster. Congratulations to Waleed, Saif's son, who took the jackpot with his outstanding 44-pound white seabass, the largest fish of the trip. A sincere thank you to Captain Jeff, the crew, and everyone aboard for helping make it such a successful and enjoyable outing. Hopefully Trip #2 is just as memorable.
