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2014: Trip #6 on the Amigo (2 Day)
9/12/13-9/13/14
With our hoods and masks, ropes, crops and whips, harnesses, gags and plugs neatly packed. All the leather oiled and stainless steel polished, we all anticipated our pleasure of peril evening…. oh wait, dang! Wrong club…
With our hooks, plugs, leaders and poppers; and our glistening rods standing proudly in the breeze for all to see, fourteen mostly middle aged men sat on a bench on the boardwalk of Balboa with content smiles as the pretty girls walked by in deep anticipation of hooking up. There that’s better, this is the DWRR club trip #6 Offshore Gazette, sorry ‘bout that.
The men on the bench, middle aged or not, consisted of Andy Sienkiewich, his guest Bill Giser, Roy Patterson, his son Jeremy, Stewart Finley, Bryan Upcraft, Gary “Huey” Thompson, Gary’s guest Tony Peall, Brian Wynne, Jeff “Jeffy” Hinrichs, Bill Parks, and Paul Casillas, with Joe Stassi and myself, Mike Zinniker, taking last minute openings.
Mr. Thompson, who was busy lobbing for the interest of us oft forgotten sportsmen of the deep, left us in the ever dependable hands of skipper Tom “Shano” ( I think I got that right), second ticket Bob, Chef Ichero, and Conner, making an admirable crew.
Our targeted departure time was bumped up from 9:00 PM to 7:00 PM, due to poor bait at Newport, which meant a trip up north to San Pedro. Although the ‘covies at Pedro were no bigger than the ones in the Newport receiver, they had been cured for five days and were not as “slimy”, as it was described to me. I must say, I have never in my entire life been so disappointed by 3 ½ inches, as I was when I looked in the bait tank and saw those anchovies. That being said, the trip up to Pedro was definitely the right call, although, I thought having the crew make an early run to Pedro get the bait, and then pick us up would have been awful accommodating. The sub-four inch anchovies were an improvement from prior tanks of even smaller fin bait, which Ichero had explained to me, had been the norm lately and required pinning multiple baits to a hook in order to allow the anchovies to lug those heavy #4 and #6 hooks through the water.
The plan was to head to San Clemente Island and fish the Mackerel Bank southward along with the rest of the So Cal fleet. The ride, although a little stuffy at times in the lower bunk room, was mild and uneventful; with a little chop building the farther along we went.
Friday, we started out pre-dawn fishing a few meter marks under the boat to no avail, as we found ourselves with the rest of the fleet “above and outside the mackerel bank and about two miles off the island “quoting Shano. Once the sun broke the horizon and about 7:15, standard operating procedure was followed as the news was broke to the first four members on the jackpot/galley list that they must now serve their sentences at the trolling rods, off we went.
As would be the norm for the two days, the majority of our stops were prompted by meter marks or visual surface action, rather than by jig strikes. As a matter of fact, the jig stops we did have most were small Yellow tails, you know, a little bigger than the kind Hayden likes stuffing his sack with. I believe only one or two stops were from a Yellow fin over the two days.
It was on one of these meter mark stops around 10:15 that Mr. Upcraft continued his blazing hot streak from trip five and got us going with two Yellow Fins on a popper. That popper, at this point, could have probably been sold for at least five times its face value. I also happen to know, Bryan, you brought this popper along in hopes of catching a Wahoo, not Yellow fin! As if in wasn’t enough that he had landed the first and only two Tunas during a slow starting morning which the rest of us unsuccessfully soaked baits:. Bryan, then quietly put the popper away, tossed a ‘chove, and landed the first bait fish of the day. Probably the most insulting part of this, to me at least, was that when asked why he wasn’t using the popper (which had produced a fish in two of its six cast), he said… yes, wait for it….” I dunno, I wasn’t doing it right”. How I kept from depositing my entire arsenal of tackle into the Pacific Ocean at that point still remains a small miracle to me. If he keeps this up there may be some scheduling changes at Millennium Electric regarding Fridays off. Regardless, he did break the doldrums and get the party rolling, so because of that I am grateful. Not to be outdone Roy added a fish on his popper (that looked like something he stole from Hayden’s tackle box. Jeff chimed in by adding a bait induced fish, to bring the first productive stop total to five modestly sized, 10 -15 lb, Yellow fin.
Gary figured out that still fishing on marks was probably the hot ticket for the Tuna, so around 10:40 he figured he’d stop the boat with a Rat Yellow tail with a jig strike just long enough for him to pick up his first bait fish. The rest of us stood there trying to figure out if there was a popper stocked tackle shop on SCI. One fish stop and back on the troll.
11:30 Shano stopped on more marks and a full on, briefly lasting, “Mack Attack” except instead of mackerel they were firecracker yellow tail. Most of us couldn’t resist putting a few in our sacks before tossing the surplus tails back to grow. Having already put one on these on the grill, I would not be ashamed to do the same thing again. The three-ish pound fish yielded two fillets per fish with the absence of the dark blood laden meat around the lateral line. Although that meat darkened up on the grill the fish was delightful and mildly flavorable.
To me, though, the highlight of the morning was watching Tony defiantly battle a sea lion for what seemed like an eternity over a respectable yellow fin. Supplementing my enjoyment of watching this futile battle was listening to Gary instruct an already rubber-armed Tony to “Reel faster” every time the sea lion dropped the tuna for a quick second. Kudos to Tony, as it needs to be mentioned, the battle was only terminated by a straightened hook. Tony you were relentless, and remember to save that dose of Gary’s sarcasm in your memory banks for future retribution.
About 12:00 PM, Shano, who had earlier proudly avowed his Robert Frost like passion for taking the road less travelled out the starboard window of the wheelhouse, headed back towards the fleet. As we head south things kept slowly improving. Starting about 4:00 PM the bite kept growing steadily and sustaining until about 7:30 PM.
As the bite steadily improved as the day went on, and proved to be strongest in the afternoon, so did the wind and chop. By the time we had worked our way about five miles south of Pyramid Head we felt full effect of a decent wind and chop. Enough so to send me to fetch another dose of Bonine and hide out in the bunk room until the medicine worked its magic, missing what was probably the acme of the bite.
We fished until we couldn’t see our lines anymore and then, we fished a little bit more. The bite did not disappoint as fish were still being hooked in darkness. With the exception of a couple of moves we had stayed in the same general area all afternoon, and the stops were usually initiated with a good dose of racing stripe chaos which would change color as the desired species surfaced and took over.
As darkness set we headed back to Clemente ,which had now snuck ten miles to our north, for what would be a later than normal dinner. Chiro, as usual, out did himself, as my steak was perfect and just as ordered. It is also clear to me, and needs to be addressed at the next sign- up meeting, that Mike Thompson is hereby banned from buying the steaks and that job is the exclusive responsibility of Ichero.
Day one hot sticks belonged to Brian Upcraft and Bill Parks quietly landing 8 and 6 YF respectively, Stewart, Roy, Tony, Paul and Gary, not so quietly put 5 fish each on the deck. Brian Wynn contributed 4 and Joe Stassi put 3 in his sack in a way only Joe can, way to go Joe. The rest of us contributed, including Jeremy despite his father’ guidance and advice, bringing the days total to 54 Yellow fin and 23 Yellow tails. Jackpot and a chevron went to Gary Thompson with a Yellow fin taping out at 26 lbs and 4 oz.
Day two started pretty much like day one, with the exception of starting at the location we had left off the day before. The wind was not there, and although not yet 9:00 AM it was getting downright sultry. A few of us were actually hoping for at least part of the wind to return.
As was the case with day one, Tom metered fish deep and kept us informed as they rose to Conner’s steady delivery of chum; the bite once again built up momentum. Although still pestered by Skippies grabbing our bait right off the cast and heading immediately parallel to the rail, the ratio of Yellow fin to Skip jack was much more favorable than the morning before. Paul got us going this time with the first Yellow fin of the day. To me the day two fish seemed to be a bit larger than those of day one. Notable moments of the morning for me was witnessing Bryan Wynn and Jeremy pull off a simultaneous saw off and Conner actually finding a couple of sardines. Once again smaller hooks were necessary and many fish were lost to pull outs.
The bite kept building, to the point that the stern of the boat was total M &M, mayhem and macramé. Bill Parks, Stewart and a few others had the wherewithal to fish the bow with equal if not better production than those at the stern. I, on the other hand, proceeded to involve myself with more lines than Marion Barry, found countless ways to lose fish, and finally took a seat and observed alongside Gary who was resting after stuffing all the Tuna he desired into his sack. At this time I would like to apologize, to Joe, Jeffy, Brian W, Roy, Bill G., Gary, Paul, Tony, Andy, Brian W. ( I know, I said Brian W twice, there’s reason) . It was at this time that I meandered to the bow and sheepishly watch Bryan U, Stew and Bill Parks peacefully and calmly land one fish after another. I think I did the right thing by resisting my urge to toss in next to them and disrupt their gleeful tranquility.
Anyway, now that Bryan Upcraft had figured out what was wrong with the mechanics of his retrieve, and had developed a ballet type synchronicity and beauty to the jete and splash of his “Wahoo Killer” popper; yep, you guessed it… skunked on the popper! With the exception, that is, of one “looker” (those of you on the trip get the pun already) who got too close of a look. Bryan set the hook and proceeded to reel in the solitary eyeball of a tuna who is now sporting 20/0 vision.
Roy, by the way, you forgot to tape the eyeball. Consider that if you brought in a fish missing an inch of his tail; I’m sure that it would still qualify for the jackpot. If it was missing, say, a pectoral fin; I’m sure that would count, wouldn’t it? So why not an eyeball that was missing only the rest of its body? I guess we would need to verify it wasn’t the eye of an oar fish, halibut (no wait I think those count now),bat ray, or other non jackpot qualifying species, so I guess an eyeball doesn’t count, sorry Bryan, I tried.
Well, with morning coming to an end, and stuffed sacks hindering access to the bait tanks, Shano decided to help his friend out on the Oceanside 95 by transferring our bite by dumping the balance of our bait and gently slipping off a boiling surface of feeding yellow fin who were reluctant to eat bait from Oceanside. As we all watched the transfer (except for Tony, who wasn’t done killing) I don’t know what overcame us more; the satisfaction of the benevolent gesture of passing the bite to a boat that appeared to have only one fish hanging before we passed the bite off, or that boastful better-than- you satisfaction of passing our hot bite to a boat that appeared have still only one fish on as we pulled away. Hard to say, kinda.
It was 11:30 AM and time to head north, the 6:30 ETA to the dock was appreciated by all, as everyone had contributed to a respectable fish count. We had a split decision regarding the day’s trophy, as nonmember Jeremy Patterson edged out Jeff Hinrichs’ tuna, therefore taking the jackpot. Jeff took home the day two chevron. Congratulations to all three winners. Jeremy you’re only allowed to do that one more time before membership becomes mandatory no matter where you live.
Day two added 61 Yellow fins for a trip total of 115 Yellow fin and 23 Yellow “Hayden” tails. Our trip ended after a pleasant trip in hitting the dock about 6:30PM with all members, guests and non-terminal tackle accounted for. For me the last minute decision to jump aboard the this trip was a winner, and after being lucky enough to be on the previous epic trip, I hope the boy’s on the next trip can continue with similar results. Chas if your reading this, Best of luck to you and Colette.
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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
Trip #7: Boat: Thunderbird 2.5 day Departs: Tuesday September 17th Fishing: September 18th, 19th Returns: September 20th am It all started on a pleasant Tuesday afternoon, Tuesday September 17th in fact. Tuesday is a fantastic day to get to the docks, because this Tuesday happened to be Taco Tuesday. Taco Tuesday is a great way to start anything of any importance, especially a fishing trip, two-dollar tacos and five-dollar margs to get things rocking while you’re still on land. This has been unscientifically proven to allow one’s sea legs to become accustomed to an imbalance of equilibrium, making for a smooth transition to the boat. We departed the dock around 8 pm with words of Tanner and Cortez slipping through the breeze and dancing upon our ears. Day 1 we arrived at Cortez bank around 5:30 am. After a night of getting rocked by large swells we awoke to a sea that was not all that happy to have us and not very willing to give up the fish. It was on the tougher side of things, but we still managed to scrape out a pretty good haul of fish. With a tally of 47 fish caught from good sized yellow tail to smaller blue fin from 20 lbs to the largest being 55 lbs caught by our Junior Angler Lucas Harris. Now, I believe, young Lucas learned a valuable life lesson on this trip, if you don’t gamble you can’t win. The next biggest fish, patch recipient, and pot was caught by Steve Sturm! Day 1 ended with a trip back to the bait barge because the bait was not great. Day 2 we arrived at Cortez bank around 5:50 am. As we were now a well-rested contingent of hardened sea slappers, everyone was extremely eager to get a line out. With rods in our hands and lines in the water, Bonita and small yellowtail began to come over the rail. After 3 hours of Bonita, El Capitan, Jeffe, decided it was time to make a move to Tanner. And this was well received. We arrived to Tanner and it began to sprinkle which was nice. At Tanner we caught yellowtail and smaller bluefin. The night bite wasn’t very bitey, El Capitan made a great effort moving multiple times to try and get us on the fish to no avail. Mr. one cast one fish, Mike Castillo caught the biggest blue fin of the day receiving the patch and pot. Light lines, small hooks and bait that was less than willing to be sacrificed in the belly of monsters make for tough fishing but it’s always great to be out on the water. Adios Brandon Lockwood
Trip #6: Boat: Thunderbird 1.5 day Departs: Thursday September 5th Fishing: September 6th Returns: September 7th am Trip 6 kicked off as it routinely does the usual suspects being at the dock, possibly before sunrise for all I know. My dad and I arrived at the dock around 2pm on Thursday with almost no traffic on the peninsula due to school being back in session. The weather at the dock was beautiful but we knew there was some wind ahead on the Tanner and Cortez Banks but that was really the only option as that’s where the fish have been basically all summer. Captain Jeff told us he wasn’t sure where we were going to start but it was going to be a bumpy ride out. After getting bait we were headed west. When we woke up, I was informed that Jeff took us to the Tanner Bank and was looking for fish. We stopped on a couple spots of fish and eventually got the anchor down and tried to get a bite going with no luck. Around 9:00 AM, we made the hour and 20-minute run to the Cortez Bank. The fishing improved once we got there but it was still a grind and we were soon anchored up in about 150 feet of water. The next 3 and a half hours were classic plunker bite fishing. Light line, small hooks and a hot bait would be rewarded with bites. There was a good mix of bluefin and yellowtail biting and the weather really improved from the ride out and was better than forecasted, but still a bit breezy. The final count for the morning was 14 Bluefin (8-15lbs), 14 Yellowtail and 4 bonito. At 1:30PM, with the bite really slowing down Jeff decided it was time to make another move towards the northwest end of Clemente; that would not only put us closer to home but get us in position for an afternoon/night bite on some better grade bluefin. With that being said most of the boat went down to get some rest. After the nap it was time to enjoy some beers in the sun on the top deck of the boat. Things got interesting when Bruce spotted bigger tuna splashing nearby. The crew jumped into action, setting up the kite and sending out flyers, while others used fly lines and sinker rigs. There were some standout moments: Hung, Bruce’s guest, landed his first bluefin on a dropshot rig with 40lb test after a tough fight and Kevin Kom quickly pulled in a solid bluefin on a 50lb fly line. Last but certainly not least, Rico worked the flyer like a pro, and at one point, we had two bait fish and two kite fish going at the same time. We had a close call when two kite fish got tangled and broke one of the fish off but when the first fish was gaffed the braid of the broken off fish was wrapped around it. Jeff and Scuba Steve jumped into action to try and save it. Jeff wrapped the braid around his shoulder and hands, and Steve spliced the line back to the rod, letting us bring in the fish. Our junior angler Lucas was pumped after the catch. This description truly doesn’t do it justice and was one of the most impressive things I’ve seen done by a crew. After the heroic save, we went a perfect 5 for 5 on 70-130 lb fish. The kite fish were caught by Mike Barton, Ron Shrout and Lucas, our junior angler. With the sun starting to set and a few hours left to fish, Jeff kept the search going while guys were having Carmelo’s pork loin and mashed potatoes in the galley. He told us we were going to have to work hard at it as the fish they had been seeing in this area was in wolf packs. The first few stops were quick as the fish that were located kept on the move. Slowly but surely, Jeff started to work away from the fleet and it paid off on the first stop. At 9PM the boat stopped on a school that was from 270’- 400’ and just as my jig got to 400’ I was able to get the first bite of the night and was able to boat it, but not before it swam off the gaff at 50 miles an hour with my reel in free spool. Shortly after that fish hit the deck, my dad was engaged in battle with a bluefin of his own and was able to make quick work of it. Micheal Harris was the next to join the party and got one on a flat fall with a little flashback to 2016 nights. They do in fact still get bit. There were a few more hooked on that stop that found eventually their freedom due to various reasons. There were a few more stops, but no bites and at midnight it was time to turn the boat back towards Newport and get some much earned rest in flat calm seas. The final count for the trip was 23 Bluefin (8 from 75-130lbs), 14 Yellowtail and 4 Bonito. Jackpot went to Kevin Kom with his fly lined 80 pound bluefin. All in all, the fishing was tough but as always this group of guys always manages to put a good score of fish together. It is always a pleasure to fish with this club and create lifetime memories. It is a highlight of my summers and look forward to it for many years to come. Tight lines, Jake Chutney
Trip #5: Boat: Thunderbird 2.5 Day Departs: Tuesday August 20th Fishing: August 21st, 22nd Returns: August 23rd am
Trip #4: Boat: Thunderbird 2 day Departs: Thursday August 8th Fishing: August 9th & 10th Returns: August 10th PM “In every species of fish I’ve angled for, it is the ones that got away that thrill me the most”. — Ray Bergman: The late Ray Bergman was born in Nyack, New York in 1891 & died there in 1967. He wrote for "Outdoor Life" magazine for 26 years. I am not going to bore you with the same deck foreplay that usually starts these scribe histories. Yes, Hayden showed up before dawn. Yes, guys dropped their bags and went to their usual watering holes and dinner spots. What was unique is Paul forgot his tackle box. That, I would think, would be hard to do….but he did scurry home and get what ne needed. By the goodness of all on the deck, he was allowed to keep his place in line. Ian and I have “day jobs” so we did not show up to see the morning coffee being made at Newport Landing Restaurant. Instead we arrived at 6 PM. Getting a call from Roy asking if I’m still attending the trip was entertaining; glad he cared enough to make sure I was aboard! It was interesting that when we did arrive, all the gear was on board and bunks were taken. Now I know why you arrive early; my top bunk was not the best on board. Next time I will take conference calls while watching the Ferris Wheel! As I grabbed my bunk and dropped my tackle box, I noticed an earie tranquility on The Thunderbird. NO GOOFY! I am not an old DWRRC salty dog like the rest of this crew, but in my 3 years in the Club, Goofy has been a main-stay. Always there, always giving someone sh_t and certainly taking some too. That tranquil glow graced us the entire trip. We left at 7 PM, picked up bait and started off to Cortez Bank. There was some hints of wind, but we decided to brave the elements. We arrived at the Bank around 5:30 AM and Jeff rolled us into some deeper water. We started fishing around 6 AM to a nice bite of Blue Fin. We had at least 2 loaded up consistently on that stop, with schoolies of 25-40 pounds. We dragged in 52 BFT on that stop with a few Yellow Tail coming aboard as well. Jim (6) Brian (4), BJ (6) and Saif were pretty active with nice numbers and good quality. Andy and Ryan pulled in some nice Yellows. It was good to see that Ryan could still pull on fish. His back, for the most part, held up while fishing for Pelagics. Fly line was the set-up of choice on this stop, but Yoyos and drop shots were also successful. We moved off this part of the Bank and moved to shallow water as the bite seemed to taper off as we continued to fish that stop. There were some that thought we should stay….Captain Jeff made the right decision! At 8:30 we pulled up into more shallow waters at 120 feel and anchored. We were not alone, in looking around there were at least 10 other Sport Boats in the area sitting on the same shallow bank. We moved off that anchor around 11 AM. We had to move as the boat LIMITED OUT on Blue fin with 104 boated (that includes the 52 from the earlier spot). We also bagged 35+ Yellow Tail! What was great about that stop was the quality of fish and the ability to catch YT and BFT at the same spot. If you had a Drop Shot on or you were Yoyo-ing, or fly line you were hooking up! It was an epic morning bite and one for the record books. Saif bagged 16 fish (10 BFT /6 YT) BJ- 11 (9 BFT/2 YT), Jim- 13 (11BFT/2 YT) and Steve- 10 (8 BFT/2 YT). These 4 guys caught 50 of the 145 fish caught…well done guys. (NOTE: I’m sure I missed another Big Hitter on this list, so apologies if I missed someone…I was too busy wrestling my own catch!). Since everyone had smiles on their faces and a full fish hold, Jeff moved us to bottom fishing. The Bank always shines with Big Reds and a sprinkling of other cod mixed in. Jeff let the boat know that we were headed off to bottom fish and gear up for bite. Everyone has their “ultimate” bottom set-up. I like the double dropper loop with a bunch of squid, Saif showed on deck with a large Blue Fin knife Jig. As I looked at the different rigs, I catch Mike with a dildo strapped onto his line! What the hell is that? The “tail” was long and the head would make any porn star blush. It did catch fish, but Mikey was bummed that his tail got eaten off. The knife jig stole the show as Saif brought up some huge cod monsters from the deep. I was fishing next to Paul and, on the drop, he got nailed. He was fishing a Tranx 500, so coming up was not fun; but he pulled up 2 massive, beautiful reds that put a nice smile on his face! Unfortunately, Ryan did not have a smile on his face, the heavy swells and waves did a number on his back….not fun fighting those swells with a bad back. We made 2 different drifts and brought in some beautiful fish; Reds, Bocaccio, Vermillion, and a few Sheephead. I caught a huge White Fish that I was excited to cook up when I got home. Guys who wanted to “fill their sacks” had that opportunity and we made quick time to leave the swells and white capped waves. A third drift was not warranted. We headed to San Clemente (The Island, not the beach town) around 3 PM. Night fishing for Blue Fin was off the agenda with limits on the boat, so that offered up many options for the thirsty fisherman. Some started Happy hour early while others bunked down for a few hours. I decided to nap a bit and came up to quite a happy hour crew. It did not take long to join the party, Bourbon, tequilla and many wine bottles were found throughout the galley. Carmelo, standing in for Goofy, did an awesome job on dinner. We had baked chicken with a purple rice and salad. The salad was worth noting as it was a mixed green with tomatoes and cucumber…nice alternative to the bland head lettuce we usually see on these trips. No Goofy drama with this dinner. The dessert bars got handed out and no one had to beg….I’m sure some missed the banter. Day 1 JACKPOT Winner - Roy, who edged out Saif and BJ with a nice sized Blue Fin caught during the AM bite. Congrats Roy! We woke at Pyramid Cove with lines being wet around 6. This Scribe did not see the sun till 7ish, but no harm was done…no fish landed. Jeff moved us out of the Cove to hunt Yellow Tail. He stopped at Gold Beach where Hayden and Reilly caught 2 nice YT and we picked off a few Bonito and Calico. While at Gold Beach, Alex hooked a nice Yellow on his Yoyo and brought it to the rail, it was gaffed and “controlled” but as they moved it to the stern to lift it to the deck, the fish flipped off the gaffe and the jig! Go figure! Jeff did Alex right and gave him a Boat Yellow to make up for the gaffe (get it ha, ha). We left Gold beach and searched for other spots. We stopped on some Calico, stopped to fish YT, but never found a sweet spot till 11:30. Thunderbird pulled onto “Runway” and the spot lived up to its name. We fished there for 90 minutes and brought in18 yellows and missed many more than we bagged. All of these fish were of high grade 20-30#. I was pulling on a nice Yellow when my spool went off with a huge run…quite a fish! Then I hear Mike yelling from the top deck that I was on a seal…. my Jackpot lust was lost. We left Runway at 1 PM and started to head home. Bruce won the Jackpot and Fisherman of the Day. Congrats Bruce, great looking YT! As we were heading home I was chatting with Jake intently (as you do with Jake ) on the port side of the rail. We were into a good story intent in conversation when….Crash…on my head and 50% of Jake, a cooler was emptied from above deck! Ice cold water allowed us to sober up and laugh at the “accident”…still wondering if that was an accident or prank, but fun no matter! Our Junior Angler was Rowan, Ryan B’s girlfriend’s son. Great young man who was excited to be on his first overnight! He had some issues with waves and swells, but finally got his sea legs and enjoyed pulling in a few big fish. Great work by a future DWRRC Angler! What an epic fishing trip with great quality and a crazy consistent bite throughout the 2 days. Thanks to the folks who helped me Scribe, hard to keep up on such an action-packed trip. Dutifully submitted, Justin
