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A group of men are standing next to each other under an umbrella.
February 12, 2025
Two men are standing next to each other holding large fish.
October 9, 2024
Trip #8: Boat: Thunderbird 2 day Departs: Thursday October 3rd Fishing: October 4th, 5th Returns: October 5th pm Arriving at the dock a little later than I usually like to, the typical group as one would expect was all there. At this point I am starting to think that Hayden secretly lives at the landing, and only comes out of the shadows every couple weeks to fish with the club. It was overcast and on the cool side at the dock and I was beginning to regret only bringing shorts on the trip but figured with enough beer and maybe some stronger beverages I would find a way to stay warm throughout the trip. The fishing had either been wonderful or complete garbage the days prior, but everyone was hoping the optimistic that we would locate some hungry fish. After the standard, organized, boarding of the vessel we would call home for the next 2 days, we loaded up some great looking bait and off we went into the calm night. The plan was to head to Cherry Bank to hunt for the elusive bluefin. Our crew consisted of Carmello, Steve, and Jarid with Captains Jeff and Chris. It was my first trip without Goofy, and there was a calmness in the galley that felt very unfamiliar but also a feeling that something was missing. The forecast was absolutely wonderful with very little wind and a swell that was almost non-existent. After the guys all set their gear up, they disappeared one by one into their bunks. Day 1 - Friday Fishing began around 4am for some, with 2 bluefin being landed by Jim (81 lbs) and Ryan (87 lbs) just after 5am. Excitement was high with a couple of great grade fish coming over the rail, but we would soon lose that excitement. We continued to look for hungry schools, and look, and look…. We found several good schools swimming deep, but they would either disappear or avoid our bait like I avoid my mother-in-law. At about 1130 Captain Jeff decided it was time to take a break and drop deep for some taco meat. The rockfish grade was great with Luke pulling in the largest Salmon Grouper he had ever seen. It weighed in at 11 lbs, but I swear it looked bigger. We continued our taco quest until around 245 before resuming the look for the bluefin. We looked, and looked, and looked some more with zero success until dinner time. At this point, I figured if I wasn’t going to catch any fish I might as well catch a buzz. With a great dinner from Carmello consisting of chicken, rice, salad, the cocktails and conversations flowed into the evening until it was time to look yet again for these stupid fish. We looked, and looked, and looked some more. At some point only 4 were still standing. Jim, Cory, Ryan, and I were hanging out hoping to come across something to catch. We did our best to stay well hydrated, and that was about the only thing we were successful with late into the night. Of the 4, Ryan was the first to throw in the towel sometime around 2 or 230, I think... The remaining soldiers finally surrendered at about 315 and made our way to our bunks. Final count for the day was 2 bluefin and 52 rockfish. Day 2 – Saturday With a disappointing day 1 behind us, day 2 did not bring a change. We drove hundreds of miles looking, and looking, and looking. I think Captain Jeff was more disappointed than any of us. We sat around and ate what we could of the endless amounts of chips, which seemed to be the only snack option when people were shopping prior to the trip. On the upside, we had a great group of guys and some of the calmest seas that I have ever seen. Final count for day 2 was a big fat zero but I guess that’s the way fishing goes sometimes. We returned to a quiet dock, and disembarked with our snack size bags of rockfish, and headed home. Till next time, James Harris
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WHO WE ARE

Dana Wharf Rod and Reel Club is an exclusive 50-member southern California fishing club that was established in 1982. We are an ultra-limited load club that specializes in multiple day charters in the waters of southern California and northern Baja. We fish hard, responsibly and ethically. We especially pride ourselves on promoting the catch and release of calico bass. We measure, tape and release calico bass and award the club’s most coveted trophy at the end of the year for the largest calico. We also aggressively fish for tuna, yellowtail, white sea bass and halibut and award trophies for each species at the end of the year. 100% of DWRRC members are also CCA members. 

2024 TROPHY WINNERS

2024 Angler of the Year

Saif Liswi


Largest Tuna: 146.8 LBS

Saif Liswi


Largest Yellowtail: 32.3 Lbs

Nick Burson


Largest Calico Bass: 3.9 LBS

Tom HIll


Largest White Sea Bass: 33.1 Lbs

Gary Thompson

2024 PATCH WINNERS

 

  • Trip 1 day 1: Nick Burson Yellowtail
  • Trip 2 day 1:  James Harris Bluefin Tuna
  • Trip 2 day 2:  Bill Parks Yellowtail
  • Trip 3 day 1: Saif Liswi Bluefin Tuna
  • Trip 3 day 2:  Saif Liswi Yellowtail
  • Trip 4 day 1: Roy Patterson Bluefin Tuna
  • Trip 4 day 2: Bruce Grance Yellowtail
  • Trip 5 day 1: Bill Parks Bluefin Tuna
  • Trip 5 day 2: Paul Morgan Yellowtail
  • Trip 6 day 1: Kevin Kom Bluefin Tuna
  • Trip 7 day 1:Steve Sturm Bluefin Tuna
  • Trip 8 day 1: Ryan Burson Bluefin Tuna
  • Trip 8 day 2: None
  • Trip 9 day 1:
  • Trip 9 day 2:
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