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2015: Trip #4 on the Thunderbird (2 Day)
7-30/15 - 8/1/15
Download the PDF here.
Dana Wharf Rod and Reel Club
Trip Report
Thunderbird - July 31st and August 1st
Anglers:
Ron Shrout
Ryan Burson
Luke Burson
Brian Wynne
Dave Moritz
Hayden Claisse
Roy Patterson
Jeff Hinrichs
Tom Hill
Ron Rudrud
John Wilson
Gary Thompson
Bill Parks
Ron Henry
Bob Wheeler
Christopher Castillo (guest)
Captain and Crew:
Captain Jeff Markland
Captain Mike Thompson
Captain Bob Melville
Goofy, Cook
Ricardo, Deckhand
Brian, Deckhand
As everyone started to assemble in the Davey’s Locker side parking area the anticipation for the trip was high. Some members just returned from a 2 ½ dayer in San Diego where they had excellent YFT fishing. That was on Monday and Tuesday. Since then, some boats got into the bigger BFT and those going were prepared, most had 50# outfits, some also had 60# and 80# bait outfits as well. To add to the pre-board excitement Bill, Luke and Roy brought raw YT and YFT sashimi for all to enjoy with a concealed bottle or many of beer. Moving to Davey’s has some benefits.
The Thunderbird returned at 6:30 PM from their overnight trip but need to fuel, wash and load galley supplies. When they were done we all boarded. First stop was just outside the harbor to fish for mackerel. The bait fishing was easy, and we quickly loaded a few hundred prime size greenback and some smaller Spanish macks. Anticipation was again high as those baits looked perfect for the larger BFT. A few of us also dreamed of pitching the big macks and Spanish into skinny water to try and unseat Ryan from the leaderboard spot for calicos. Alas, that was not to be.
Next stop was to meet the Pamela Rose off Huntington Beach for our supply of sardines. The bait in the receiver was poor so we went to get fresh bait right out of the nets. Little did we know that the bait was already stressed and would not fare so well the next day. Finding one with scales was a challenge.
All went to bed with thoughts of big fish. Some went to bed with a buzz on from those concealed bottles of beer!
We did not travel far as the plan was to start in the close area and then work our way south to the area the SD boats had been fishing. When we got up and started fishing, Bob said he ran into colder water and he turned around – we started in the vicinity of the 209 spot about 25 NM off the east end of Catalina. We fished that area most of the day, working our way northwest toward Catalina. Part of the day we were in sight of Avalon off the slide (the big quarry near the east end of the island).
Now is as good as time as any to share that this trip did not have a scribe. A volunteer was requested but no one stepped forward. What follows are only the highlights because your President, Vice-President, Treasurer and Secretary were all busy fishing and no one took notes. The details before the fishing started are easy to remember but once it was game-on the focus was on picking a good bait, casting it to the right spot, helping the bait to swim, getting a bite, fighting the fish to gaff and then doing it all over again. We collectively only remember some of the trip highlights:
Day 1
- First fish boated about 7:30 AM.
- Big fish for the morning was a ~50# tuna by Ron Shrout, no one knows for sure if it was a BF or YF (you would think we would know by now)
- One good stop for a good number of tuna, then many stops for just a few fish.
- Mid-morning three bigger models were hooked by Roy Patterson, Brian Wynne and Luke Burson
- Roy’s fish
- Roy fought his fish for an hour plus, many trips around the boat – Goofy said 7 laps; Roy lost count at 4, or was it 5?
- Seriously under-gunned tackle, Trinidad 20 (6.2:1 ratio), 30# line and Calstar 700M
- Fish had Roy at a stalemate at the end, and he was whipped
- At deep color Goofy, who had been at Roy’s side throughout the fight, suggested to Roy that it mightbest if he let Jeff pull on the fish for a while (Roy was beat and landing the fish was in jeopardy)
- Roy passed the rod to Jeff, and about 10 minutes later Jeff’s young and fresh arms had the fish to gaff
- ~90 Bluefin Tuna (per the tape) and a Personal Best BFT for Roy
- Brian’s fish
- Brian fought his fish for over an hour, less trips around the boat, the fish settled in deep
- Right tackle, Talica 10 2-speed, 40# line and Calstar 700H
- A very stubborn fish, stayed deep while Brian applied maximum drag pressure
- Fish was finally almost ready to gaff, one circle away but too deep to try….and the hook pulled
- The fish looked to be the same size as Roy’s….a true heartbreaker
- Luke’s fish
- It was hooked about 45 minutes after Roy’s and Brian’s fish were hooked
- Also under-gunned tackle, Talica 8 2-speed (this was right), 30# line and Calstar 800L (this was way not right)
- The fish acted different that the two BFT, still hard to lift but no long runs
- At deep color it was determined to be a YFT
- On the last large circle Luke told the crew “this time” and they successfully gaffed the fish right next to the boat, Luke called it a “do or die” shot
- ~60# Yellowfin Tuna (per the tape)
- More tuna were caught including some nice Dorado
- Jeff Hinrich had a big day with 8 fish – what the hell happened to him; he got real good!
- Gary Thompson also had an 8 fish day
- Total for the day was 73 YF, 1 BF and 3 Dorado
- Roy’s fish was the largest but due to crew assistance the JP and Patch went to Luke
- Thunderbird was high boat for the fleet including the SD boats!!!!!
We then did something we have never done before; we went back to Newport for more bait, more ice and another cooler. We also ate dinner in the harbor tied up to the dock, which was great idea. Dinner was outstanding, catered Mexican food where we built our own soft tacos with carne asada and chicken. It was really, really good and was followed with Goofy’s brownies. Before dinner, there was fine brown and some clear adult beverages consumed and of course plenty of fine red wine was shared.
We left the harbor to again meet the bait boat but this time we took bait from their internal tanks. Luke was the only one up to witness the bait loading – the rest of the group was unconscious in their bunks. It was much better bait than the bait on day 1. We then slowly traveled to the area where we caught our fish on day 1. We arrived about 3 AM and the Captains drove for hours looking for a meter mark in the dark. None were found. At daylight we started fishing but it was obvious that this was to be as different day.
Day 2
- The bait was much better but finding the fish was tough
- No big fish but a few YFT pushing ~30#
- More Dorado, some around 15#s
- More boats in the area, some wanted to fish real close to us while we drifted
- We worked our way up towards Avalon, then west of Catalina and then to the 267 fathom spot outside Dana Point where fish had been reported but without success
- Total for the day was 14 YF and 4 Dorado
- JP and Patch again went to Luke with ~30 YFT (We’ll forgive Luke for taking the JP both days as a retirement celebration, but if he does it again, someone might just knick his line!)
- We headed to Newport a little early and docked at 6:30 PM; on the way in a few witnessed a humpback whale breach – pretty special!
Some observations:
- 16 is the right number of anglers based on what our members bring although it is tight for tackle and rod storage.
- Members are advised to take smaller tackle boxes and fewer rods.
- Jeff Markland is a hardworking, talented skipper – he communicates very effectively.
- His crew is exceptional.
- Goofy is “goofy” but adds a fun dimension to the trip….and his food is fine.
- Having Mike on the boat is a real plus. It is like an extra Captain and deckhand. He let Jeff run the trip and make the decisions but was there for advice.
- The fish cleaning regulations is a change for all, we were day 1 of the new regs. It will take some time for all of us to get it figured out.For those who don’t know, they have to package the filets, belly (including the anal vent and fin) and collar together in a single bag or tied together in multiple bags.Makes for a lot of waste.
- Fishing was great and everyone had a shot at a Bluefin Tuna of a lifetime.
- For those of you who watch the counts, there have been a couple of handfuls of bigger tuna landed since our trip with fish approaching 200#s.Go big or stay home.
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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
