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2015: Trip #2 on the Fortune (2 Days)
6/11/15 - 6/13/15
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Trip # 2 – Fortune Two Day – June 12th & 13th, 2015
Crew:
Captain Bruce Smith
Deckhand Cory Woods
2nd Captain Mathew Fisher
Deckhand Mike (last name unknown)
Chef “BBQ” Bill Armstrong
DWRRC Representation: (in no particular order)
Roy Patterson
Ryan Burson
Luke Burson
Gary Thompson
Ron Henry
Stewart Finley
Mike Zinniker
Rich Dyer
Ron Rudrud
Bryan Upcraft
Andy Woodfill
Mike Allen
Tom Hill
Jeff Henrichs
Bill Parks
Mike Trunk
Hayden Claisse
Jeremy Patterson
The trip began in typical fashion with the DWRRC representation arriving early to claim their rod racks, tackle storage, and maybe beat the Thursday traffic into San Pedro. The Fortune had recently completed a day-and-a-half trip and was tied up and waiting in its slip while the crew was tending to all the last minute details prior to our 7pm departure. Captain Bruce mentioned the opportunity to take a look around the local Yellowtail grounds if everybody was on-board. That sent Luke into action, working over the contacts in his cell phone to see what the status was for those anglers still making their way up to the landing. When the smoke cleared and the final angler had arrived, we motored off to the Bait Barge for some very thick and large Sardines.
While the Crew was hard at work filling the tanks, the birdlife was alive and well over-head. While engaged in a conversation with Andy, one of the birds targeted the bill of his hat and with one direct hit managed to create a little deflection that caught me in the mouth mid-sentence… While still laughing and somewhat bewildered by what had just happened, Andy took yet another hit from the birdlife above. This time the end results only affected Andy’s hat as we decided that we were probably standing in a bad place and opted to move. While still laughing off what had happened I mentioned to Andy that it was going to bring him good luck for the trip.
Once plugged with enough Dines, and still leaving space for more Squid, we proceeded to the Yellowtail grounds near the outside Oil Rigs to have a look around and see if we could make this two day trip become a three day trip by sacking a few. While in-route to the grounds, BBQ Bill put out an amazing Ham Sandwich spread to ease over the guys and establish the first of many truly delicious and above expectation snacks and meals that we would be enjoying throughout the trip. We motored around the Rigs for a little bit and Bruce saw nothing worth stopping for so the call was made to head to Catalina to make some squid. From there Hayden’s light was flicked on and happy hour was officially kicked off while Game 4 of the NBA Finals was being shown in the Galley.
Once at Catalina, the crew was successful in getting the Squid to float and the tanks were filled up and ready to continue the trek to San Clemente Island (SCI). We began fishing our first stop at SCI around 5am in an area that Bruce referred to as Windmill. While there we tugged on assorted Calicos and Whitefish while the local Seal population was out in full force and ripped into a few easy meals. Mike Trunk hooked up on a mystery fish that smoked some drag, but no visual confirmation was ever made but it showed characteristics of a YT. After about an hour the call was made to seek our entertainment elsewhere and the hook was pulled to continue the pursuit for exotics. Huevos Rancheros were being served in the galley and, believe it or not, Mike T., Andy, and Jeremy began the morning with breakfast beers. (always a culinary delight!)
The Captain did a little looking around and found a meter mark that was worth further investigation so we throttled back and began a drift. The drift yielded two “younger” YT for both Mike T. and Bryan U. A couple others fell victim to our good friend the Sea Lion. Hayden attempted to enact revenge on one of the Sea Lions by hooking it and proceeded to put the wood to it. In the end the Juvenile Seal Lion earned its freedom and returned to pester the next fisherman who came through. Beyond the YT, we were greeted with an assortment of Calicos, Whitefish, and the occasional Cuda. After no additional YT made their presence, Bruce decided it was time to make a move to China Point to try for some Calicos in tight to the rocks. BBQ Bill put out a plate of fresh made Coffee Cake and the anglers began to prep their gear for DWRRC-Style Calico fishing!
We passed the Islander on the way to China Point. The Islander was doing a Kayak Mother-Ship Trip so a bunch of Yaks were working over the area pretty well. We arrived at Boiler # 2, the hook was dropped, and it was Showtime! The bite started out easy enough, as the DWRRC representation began chucking a mixture of Dine and Squid. It quickly became apparent that the Calicos wanted the Dine, which were really big. As the saying goes big bait, big fish, and it started getting really serious and quite on the deck as a couple of 20”+ sized Calicos began to come over the rail. Tom Hill was sitting atop the leaderboard from Trip # 1 with a 22” X 16” Calico and wore a vest containing a bulls-eye while the bite began to materialize greater and greater.
Several Calicos came over the rail that would press the limit of Tom’s fish, but it wasn’t until Ron Henry had his beautiful 23” X 16.5” Brute get taped-out that the leaderboard would bare a new occupant. The prideful vest was turned over to Ron, who wore it with a huge smile on his face while the rest of the guys on deck fished hard in envy. Ron’s fish was not without challengers as Jeff H. managed a Calico that would be only a few ounces short to wearing the vest.
At some point during the furious bite, Jeremy Patterson landed a 25” X 17” Checkerboard on a Wax Wing. The fish did not take over the vest, as Jeremy is a long-time guest of the club, but the catch quickly opened everybody’s eyes as to the special opportunity we were all being allowed to participate in. A couple hours into the bite and we began to run very low on the Dines. With the low supply the bite also began to fizzle out as BBQ Bill announced that lunch was ready in the Galley. Linguini in Clam Sauce with Garlic Bread was being served and you could not help but wonder if you had accidently stumbled onto a Long Range boat.
We remained on the hook at China Point while some enjoyed lunch, and others continued at the rail. The Calicos were still biting as the Squid became the sole option to throw at them. With a little more time of working the squid at them, the Calicos began to increase in size. Multiple 20”+ fish starting being landed and it became apparent that the bite and quest for the vest were back on. Roy landed a 22.75” X 15.75” specimen that nearly put him in the top spot, but the leaderboard was about to see a new occupant as Andy Woodfill connected with a 22” X 17” Calico that charted out to 7.95lbs, barely edging out Ron Henry’s 7.83lbs. Andy’s time at the top would ultimately be short lived as he had enough time to give high fives, sign a few autographs, take a couple pictures with some kids, kiss a few babies, and put the vest over his shoulders.
While the taping out process was being executed on Andy’s fish, Ryan Burson was hooked up to the next contender. Patiently and methodically working the fish through the gauntlet of kelp and rocks, Ryan anxiously called for the net. The net was deployed and the Bass that barely occupied it immediately showed promise of taking over the top spot. A quick review of the fish and it bore a very similar resemblance to the original leaderboard Bass that Tom Hill had secured on trip # 1. Tom of course stated that the fish was his as it was being toted over to the board for official measurement. When the measurements were all said and done, we had a new top Calico to shoot for, and Ryan had a new Personal Best with his 25” X 18” – 10.13lbs. Calico! That’s right, the double- digit mark had been broken!
The Club continued to put the wood to the biting Calico’s but no other fish would be able to contend with the DD Beautiful Brown Beast that was CPR’d to be caught another day. In the mix of the five hour – forty-seven minute bite, a younger YT also managed to hit the deck. And lastly one of the Kayaker’s from the Islander thought that it would be a good idea to kick about 20 yards off the stern and right over the area that we had been feverishly pounding with baits.
The bite that we were fortunate enough to experience was truly amazing, but I will let the numbers do the talking from here:
- Ron Henry – 23” X 16.5” – 7.83#
- Jeff Hinrichs – 23.5” X 16” – 7.44#
- Andy Woodfill – 22” X 17” – 7.95”
- Roy Patterson – 22.75” X 15.75” – 7.05#
- Jeremy Patterson – 25” X 17” – 9.03#
- Ryan Burson – 25” X 18” – 10.13#
Many other notable fish came over the rail, these fish were the one’s that were documented on the official board. When the smoke cleared we had 7 different Personal Best’s fall:
Jeff Hinrichs
Andy Woodfill
Ryan Burson
Ron Henry
Hayden Claisse
Mike Trunk
Jeremy Patterson
In a quick interview with the Club Bass Historian, Bill Parks, I asked how he would compare that particular bite against the others that he had participated in. I was no more than half way through asking the question when Bill replied with the simple two word answer of “Best Ever!” He further justified his answer in terms of “Quantity, Quality, and Duration” he had never been in a better bite. On a personal note, I can say that “The Bite” will forever be etched in my mind and I am sure the other’s who got to live it out.
The hook was ultimately pulled and we were going to be heading to San Nic Island to fish the “Alpha Spot” amongst others for day 2 with the plan of targeting YT. While leaving, the trolling gear was sent out for those anglers who still had a little left in the tank, and the Bonito were tough to keep off the Jigs. Many multi-strike “HOOK-Ups” ensued as the Crew and DWRRC representation would have races to see who could skip their Bonito in the fastest as Bruce keep the throttle down still looking for one last bite to tug on.
The light went on, the bottles of wine and other drinks of choice began flowing, and a truly delicious spread of BBQ Ribs and Brisket was being served up for dinner. The travel from SCI to San Nic was rather uneventful as we were greeted with pretty calm ocean conditions. Liquid sleep aid and tired bodies made the sleeping easy!
Arrived at San Nic at o’dark thirty and anchored up on the Alpha spot while the crew tried to coerce up some more squid. The squid was there and willing, but so to were our friends the Sea Lions so no additional Squid could be made. The Sea Lion population was alive and well around the island, but so to were some of the biggest Red Crabs that I have ever seen. Some looked to measure around 4” in size! Some anglers were up and at it around 4am looking to soak a dropper-looped Squid in the hopes of waking those still sleeping to the gentle thud of a WSB or YT. While on the hook and in the dark, Andy hooked into something that ultimately got devoured by a Sea Lion. It was pretty dark outside still so no visual confirmation could be made as to what it may have been.
As grey light came upon us, three other YT were hooked. (Mike Z., Stewart, and myself) None of which would make the deck as they were hijacked by Sea Lions who were nice enough to at least show us the fish prior to eating them. The agony of defeat reminded me of one of my personal favorite quotes about fishing… “It has always been my private conviction that any man who pits his intelligence against a fish and loses has it coming.” (John Steinbeck) Enough geeky literature reflection and back to my “Scriberly” duties… In the midst of Mike Z’s fight with the first hooked YT, and while fishing right next to Tom Hill, Andy hooked something and began to crank feverishly to avoid another Sea Lion intervention. Andy’s technique would pay-off as he would later boat a nice Halibut that weighed out at 29lbs. on Roy’s Boga Grip. I assume you could all guess what Tom Hill had to say about that ‘Butt…
Recognizing that we were probably fighting an uphill battle with the Sea Lions, the call was made to continue the search. BBQ Bill prepared a Corn Beef Hash and Eggs breakfast that, like all other meals, was truly delicious. After making a few drifts and looking around, we settled up on a spot close to the island to try our hand at some San Nic grade Sheepshead. The Goats really wanted to bite as multiple huge specimens were being sacked up. We managed to put one of Hayden’s Goats on the Boga Grip to get an understanding of size and it tipped the grip at 16#! Amongst the Goat bite, Ron Rudrud pulled up a very nice grade Cabezon. The Cabezon was by far the largest that I had ever seen, but no weight was ever determined.
After getting our fill of Goats, Bruce opted to take us out to do some Ling drifting. The Lings also wanted to play and had a developed a taste for Iron. Hook up after hook up occurred as the sacks began filling up more and more. Chuckleheads and Reds continued to come up from the depths along with the Lings. Luke managed to set the hook on a biting rock that would later live out its days in the bait tank. The rock was home to all kinds of cool stuff that one could spend hours and get lost staring at. Adding to the odd catch list was Rick Dyer, who managed to nab a Wolf Eel from the depths of Lingsville. I have only seen one other Wolf Eel in my life and Rick’s was just as nasty and mean looking as I had recalled. Nobody was really eager to try and figure out how to release it, as it wrapped itself around anything it could, and bit down on anything that dared come near it’s ominous set of teeth. It was at that time that I was glad to be a paying patron and not working the deck.
That was essentially the end of our trip. We sailed in on a flat calm ocean with another incredible lunch being served up of Calico Bass, Rice, and Corn. When it was all said and done the patches were awarded to Ryan Burson for his Day 1 PB Calico that weighed in at 10.13lbs, and on day 2, Andy Woodfill popped his cherry with his Butt weighing in at a solid 29lbs. Having felt like I have said enough with this write-up, I opt to leave with yet another favorite fishing quote that may help to shed some light on why we love fishing the way that we do. “The charm of fishing is that it is the pursuit of something that is elusive but attainable, a perpetual series of occasions for hope.” (John Buchan)
Thank you for taking the time to read my account of the trip! And I apologize not for the length!
-Mike Allen
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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
