2016 Trip Reports

Shogun 9 Day Long Range Fishing Report October 6 – 15, 2016 On Thursday October 6th nine members of the Dana Wharf Rod and Reel Club joined seventeen other anglers on the Bob Sands 9 Day Charter on the Shogun. The nine were: Bill Parks, Hayden Claisse, Mike Trunk, Carl McKinley, Andy Woodfill, Cody Kelly, Chris Ramsey Jr, Tom Hill and Luke Burson. Five of this group (Bill, Mike, Andy, Tom and Luke) were on the Shogun trip last December that was called the best big tuna trip ever to Guadalupe Island. This trip had 4 more days so the expectations were more time at Guadalupe plus Wahoo fishing at either the area called the “Ridge” or Alijos Rocks. As the trip prepared to depart there was plenty of excitement for YFT and Wahoo. The Shogun had just returned from Guadalupe where they caught quality YFT and other long range boats had been successful catching Wahoo at both the “Ridge” and the “Rocks.” The Bob Sands charter was made up of some season veterans and a few first timers to long range fishing. Many had never been to Guadalupe. If you added Mike’s and Luke’s trips to Guadalupe together it might have equaled the rest of the anglers combined. Even though both had been to the “Lupe” many times in the past their excitement was the same as the rest of the anglers. The thoughts of fishing for 3 or 4 days for quality YFT, then big YT at night plus Wahoo someplace made for an electric atmosphere! We left Fisherman’s Landing just before 11 AM and the first stop was for bait. The crew put on over 300 scopes of small but health sardines. We all looked at the bait and wished it was bigger. As it turned out it worked fine but bigger would have been better. Next stop would be at Ensenada for official check-in to fish Guadalupe Island. It was uneventful except for trying to find a spot for the 92’ by 30’ Shogun to dock in the harbor. Finally they found a place at the back of the harbor where they load and unload container ships. Around 9 pm we were off for Guadalupe. On the way to Ensenada many anglers started to rig-up for fishing both YFT and YT at Guadalupe. This continued the next day (which was Friday) along with a seminar put on by Captain Russell Brazwell. Russell emphasized fishing with 60# and 80# with short top shots. He also favored Trokar circle hooks in 4/0 and 5/0 sizes. He was very matter of fact about fishing the heavier line. Many found out why once we started fishing. We got to the island around 3 PM and started looking for YFT. We found a small bunch that wanted to bite. By dark we caught 16 YFT that averaged about 75#s. Later that night we added a couple of YT. For the first day it was scratch fishing and some did not have a bite. The next day was not much better as we continued to look for YFT that wanted to bite. We ended up with 22 YFT and 3 YT. For the day and half of fishing we had a total 38 YFT and 5 YT. Bill Parks was hot with 4 fish. So was Tom Hill with 3 fish. Luke got bit fine but had trouble keep hooks in the fish, he was 2 for 6 hook-ups with 4 pulled hooks. The DWRRC contingent was clearly setting the bar for the charter. We probably had close to 70% of the tuna. Wahoo fishing was a constant topic of discussion during the first few days. The co-charter master was working hard to convince the group that Wahoo fishing was in our future. It was a little complicated as explained by Russell during the seminar on Friday. The Wahoo on the Ridge had shut off but there were reports of good fishing at the Rocks. The problem with the Rocks is that it can fish one or two boats at a time. The long range fleet works together to rotate in and out so everyone gets a shot at the Rocks. It seems this working together had recently been compromised with ill-feeling toward the three boats with Guadalupe permits. The Shogun is one of those boats. The three boats (other are the Royal Polaris and Royal Star) were no longer part of the “work together” part which put our Wahoo fishing in jeopardy. Our best shot would be to leave Guadalupe on Saturday night, travel all day Sunday to the Rocks, fish all day Monday, leave at dark and travel all day Tuesday back to Guadalupe. Once back at the Lupe we would have Wednesday and Thursday to fish for YFT and YT. For that to work we needed a very tight window to open up so we could slide into the Rocks after someone else left and before someone else was scheduled to arrive. Magically it worked out, the Excel left the Rocks on Saturday after having very good fishing and the Vagabond was not schedule to be there until Monday PM. All the other long range boats were fishing the Ridge. Russell worked with the Vagabond and we had a slot. Russell announced this to the group and the Wahoo speculation was over. Sunday was our travel day. Russell put on a Wahoo seminar in the morning and we spent the rest of the day rigging for the skinny speedsters. Some made wire leaders for bombs and bait. Others re-rigged bait outfits, jigs outfits, bomb outfits and heavy trolling outfits. We found one kelp that produced one Dorado. The day went by quickly. The Ramseys slept. We arrive around 4 AM at Alijos Rocks and started to fish for YT. They were there and wanted to bite. Mike Trunk brought 6 boxes of frozen giant squid for the YT. The DWRRC group shared the cost. The squid was working for the YT. Big gear was best, 135# or 100# outfit with heavy 2 speeds with very tight drags. The hot sticks were Andy and Cody. Chris and Tom were pretty hot as well. We ended up with 24 YT for the few hours of fishing, the biggest was close to 50#s. An Amberjack was also caught on a jig. As the sun came up Andy decided to shift to fishing Wahoo and was bit immediately. Tom Hill was not far behind. They were the first to put Wahoo on the deck. Shortly after that Hayden was bit but it looked to be a Marlin. Hayden fooled everyone and landed a nice Wahoo. The Wahoo fishing was exciting but also frustrating. For some it was like spring training where you were learning to hit a curve ball. Some were definitely better at this than others. At one time the Wahoo would bite a bait almost immediately. Some of us used a wire called Not2Kinky Titanium Wire that we crimped. It was amazing, some guys got 3 fish on the same wire leader. The hot sticks were Andy and Chris, both had 10 Wahoo. Chris knew what he was doing because he fished them before, Andy was a first timer but quickly got dialed in with success. Andy also had a Marlin that took a Wahoo Bomb, he let it swim away. The total for the day was 103 Wahoo and only one or two were on the troll. It was very good fishing. During the travel day back to Guadalupe Luke decided to rethink his rigging. He was frustrated with pulling hooks and thought some changes were needed. He consulted with Bill and they concluded that the small sardines needed every advantage possible to pull the heavy line. Luke had been fishing 20’ of FC leaders with loop to loop connections to 60#, 80# and 100# solid spectra. The re-rigging was back to the way Russell recommended everyone fish, 5’ of FC tied directly to the spectra. Luke spent part of the day re-rigging and the next day it would pay off. We arrived at Guadalupe at 2 AM on Wednesday morning and immediately started fishing for YT. It was pretty good with all the fish 30#s or more and the DWRRC contingent catching far more than their share. We ended with about 20 YT in the dark. Cody was again the hot stick on YT. Then the YFT fishing started and this was by far our best day. We had great current and the fish wanted to bite. For the day we ended with 53 YFT including our biggest fish for the trip. It was 125# and caught on the kite. Luke had one that was 109# and Bill had one at 107#s. Some anglers were more successful than others. Some dropped down in line size to get a bite but that usually did not end very well. We had a few GWS around the boat and the longer fights on lighter line put the odds in their favor. Mike was hooked up all day long on the lighter gear but paid the price to the GWSs. Luke was happy with his re-rigging and had a good day putting 8 fish on the deck including what turned out to be 2nd place JP. Our last day again started in the dark fishing for YT but the YT did not want to cooperate, we caught zero. The YFT were not as eager either primarily due to lack of current. At the end of the day we found a bunch that bite right into the dark which made the day respectable with 24 fish in the morning / early afternoon and another 14 fish that bit into the dark. Carl hooked two during the evening bite that worked him pretty good. This was our last day of fishing, when the night bite ended we were pointed toward Ensenada with about 22 hours of travel in front of us. The totals for the trip were: 128 YFT up to 125#s, 48 YT up to 50#s and 103 Wahoo up to about 60#s. Most everyone was happy with their results but a few were frustrated. Fishing Guadalupe Island requires strong fly-lining skills that start with bait selection, casting and bait placement, keeping in touch with the bait to avoid spectra tangles, knowing when to change baits, knowing when to butt hook, shoulder hook or nose hook……………then having your tackle in “perfect” working order so you can pull as hard as possible to shorten the battle because the tax-man is waiting. Our group was good at this and it showed, others on the trip were at times very frustrated. They simply did not fish enough or had not master the fly-lining skills required for Guadalupe YFT fishing. You all would have been proud of the DWRRC contingent, we fished well. Here is how we did: Anglers: DWRRC 9 or 35% of the anglers Yellowfin Tuna: DWRRC 58 or 45% of the fish Yellowtail: DWRRC 38 or 79% of the fish Wahoo: DWRRC 48 or 47% of the fish One of the last pictures shows the daily fish count. By the way the pictures are in chronological order. And yes, 6 of us have signed up to go again next year. Some have a few scores to settle with the YFT and others want to leverage what was learned in this year’s Wahoo Spring Training. YFT, YT and Wahoo beware, we are coming back!

9/29/16 - 10/1/16 Download the PDF here. Trip #7 Report By Tom Anderson The usual gathering at Fisherman's Landing started a little after 3 PM. Final trip of the year for DWRRC on the Fortune Included 2 father and sons combo, Roy and Jeremy Patterson, Bill and Murphy Parks along with George Miller, Chris Lund, Bob Wheeler, Paul Casillas, Jeff Hinrichs, Ron Shrout, Mike Allen, Ron Henry, Brian Wynne with guests Steve and Mike, Ron Rudrud with guest Tim, and yours truly Tom Anderson as scribe. We were treated by Ron Shrout and Bill Parks yellowtail sashimi with a killer sauce made by Murphy. Usual dinner 6 PM ish with a delay boarding between 8:30 . Capt. Bruce arrived at the dock when the Fortune came in so was fresh and rested for our trip. After a routine boarding we were off for bait. Bruce had 2 options for us. 1 we can head 120 + miles to kelp patties with smaller 8 -10 lb yellowfin or head up the coast where larger yellowfin were but where already hammered but were still biting if you found the right school with the lighter line. Due to the fact we could fish Clemente on day 2 with the yellowtail and calico bass trophies possible. Option 2 was unanamous. We loaded healthy 5 to 6 inch sardines and off we went north. Somewhere between 4 and 5 AM the engines would be killed and their we floated. Some early morning risers ventured out.. It wasn't till just before sunrise Jeremy Patterson hooked up and did a wonder job landing about a 23 lb YF showing his Dad how it was done. They pretty much got the rest of gang out of their bunks and throwing baits. Once the sun was fully up I could count at least 42 boats in around that area. About 7 AM with no more bites Bruce fired up the engines and started looking around. We headed out and south from the rest of the fleet looking for tuna. About a 1/2 hour later Bruce was metering something and began a figure 8 pattern with the deckhand James throwing full scoops on bait, somewhere in the second pattern boils erupted and game was on. Not sure who hooked up fish but we had 3 -4 going all on the lighter 20lb with 20lb flouro. I know Mike Allen was on , Brian. Roy and Jeremy again. We had 2 to 4 fish going for the first hour and these were quality yellowfin 15 to 30 lbs. On the lighter line some of the guys were getting worked big time. I have to say how well all the members worked together and we had minimal casualties. A little after a hour and half the rest of the fleet had notice we were hooked up and by 9 AM I counted 24 boats around us, with the smaller private boats as usual running through our chum line, pulling up off our starboard. There was 1 boat that was in direst line of our long drifts. Choice words by Capt. Bruce and Ron Shrout where to no avail. Needless to say the bite began to die off. Last hooked and 1st fish was Murphy Parks at 9:30 AM. After once around the boat Roy put him on the clock. After a second time around about 45 minutes the fish was gaffed. When you fly all the way from Boston to come fishing with the club you DON'T want to lose your first fish with dad watching. After that Bruce had had it with the private boaters and again fired up the engines and off we went. 16 quality yellow fin had been landed with Jeremy, Mike Allen, Jeff Hinrichs, Ron Shrout and Brian had 2 with myself, Bob Wheeler, Roy ,Paul and several other had singles. Sorry if I missed you catching a fish it hard to fish and scribe sometimes. As we all know that late morning early afternoon can begin not fishing but a boat ride. That was pretty much it all afternoon until a little after 4 when Bruce again began metering fish. Bait was thrown and it took awhile to boil but it was keeping its fair distance. Brian's friend MIke was hooked up and several others but not like the morning. More like 1 maybe 2 going at best after long soaks. It was getting tougher to get the baits to swim out to where the tuna were boiling. Bruce I think hooked 2 handing them off. Again after an hour or so 10 to 12 boats were flocking around us. By 5:30 ish the bite died and that was really the only 2 schools we found. Brian Wynne had landed a larger yellow fin on 15lb that looked like a JP contender. 8 yellowfin where landed in the afternoon for a first day total of 24 yellow fin. Paul the chef prepared a awesome steak on mashed potatos with a gravy and green beans. The food on the Fortune this trip was as good as any long range with chef Paul on board. Capt. Bruce came down and told us day 2 game plan. Some blue fin had been caught again at Desperation reef and he was going to try and make squid at Clemente. After a little bumpy ride and several attempts at squid we anchored up on the south edge of the reef around 5 AM. From the 20lb light stuff now we had 40 to 50 lb most fishing the flat falls. Nothing was happening until 7 AM when Chris Lund hooked something decent. He did a great job and no more than 15 to 20 minutes had a nice 45lb ish blue fin on board. (Congrats Chris, it was his first fish of the trip) It was now 8 ish and nothing else had happened when Bruce had got a call from Andrew on the T-Bird that the sound end of the reef yellowtail where biting. A short 1/2 hour move we motored and anchored a fair distance from the Thunderbird. Bruce had not even have the anchor tight and Jeff "E" HInrichs was on along with Mike Allen. Bruce came on and anounced try yo yo irons about 160 feet down. The bite was at first ten to 20 feet off the bottom and these were quality fish and did not want to come up. The crew and club did a great job trying to minimize casualties. Jeff H, (Mr. Hot Stick went 6 for 6 ) I believe everyone had at least 1 to 2 with many members 3 to 4. Seemed like MIke Allen, Roy , Bill , and Ron were hooked constantly. Ron Rudrud had a bigger on that a hand scale had at 30 lb. (Sorry Ryan Burson) The scrambled egg yo yo seemed to be the hottest but many others that swam well were getting bit. Seemed like we had 3 to 4 constantly going. Bob Wheeler had 3 along with Brian Wynne and others. It was a good bite until the sea lions moved in and began to make it tough. By 11 AM ish we had 46 and time was running out and the club wanted a shot at the calico bass title so Bruce pulled anchor and headed for Clemente. The first couple spots on the windward side produce smaller bass and Bruce finally found a area with larger size. Ron Henry, Bill Parks and Mike Allen all measured bass that were getting close to the length but just didn't have the girth. It was getting close to 2 PM and Bruce said guys we got to head back as ETA at San Diego was 9 PM. Brian Upcraft survived barely his club calico. Heading south was comfortable and many naps were taken. Fish were pulled out of the RSW and both JP winners were announced. Day 1 had Brian Wynne just getting it with a taped 28 + yellow fin. Day 2 had Chris Lund getting it with his 45 + lb blue fin and Ron Rudrud got club largest yellowtail taped at 26.4 lbs. (Congrats to all) Total counts 24 yellow fin, 46 yellow tail, near limits of calicos released, and assorted bottom grabbers. Thanks to Roy Patterson with his constant e-mails and making sure we had the right gear for all situations and Capt. Bruce Smith, 2nd ticket Bob, James, Tom and especially chef Paul would constantly had quality meals all day. It was a great trip to end our season and all on board got along exceptionally. Proud of the DWRRC gang! We Fish and we Fish Hard. See you at the picnic, TA

9/8/16 - 9/10/16 Download the PDF here. Trip #6 Report Thunderbird Sep 8th fishing Sep 9th and 10th, 2016 Recounted by Sapphire Scribe Full disclosure – Any resemblance to persons or events is strictly coincidental. Despite taking copious written notes (as I know mental notes are not practical with nothing to write them on) my notes went walkabout from my office. I can only hope those illegible scrawlings were not confused with a patient’s prescription or other order. The silver lining is that with time, fish always get bigger and with no written attestation, and factoring in tape conversions…well, read on. Oh, and of course fully apologies up front for any and all offensive material. Pre-trip our President prodigiously pontificated to potential passengers of pertinent proper preparations. Fortunately for at least 11 members, they paid attention regarding bringing the heavy artillery (more on that later). Not so much regarding Luke’s admonishment to not get to the landing early as a late departure was anticipated. It appeared, Ryan Burson, Roy Patterson, Luke Burson (yes, he even skips over his emails), Ron Shrout, Carl Mckinley,Tom Hill, Randy Beebe, Stewart Finley, Steve Lenker, Brian Wynne, Andy Woodfill, Mike Trunk, Andy Sienkiewich and Charlie Sanchez didn’t get the memo, only Mike Zinniker & Bryan Upcraft apparently did. That notwithstanding, the assembled mob forwent the usual migration for south of the board cuisine and congregated at the Newport Landing Restaurant to test their happy hour offerings. The first decision of the trip was a success. Elsewise members engaged in a variant of a fantasy sport involving passengers boarding and disembarking from the whale watch trips, kibitzing with crew members and generally representing the club, carrying on. Departure was as expected. Nicely cured ‘diens were added to the few scoops of remaining squirts. The boat was then point south for the tuna grounds. The ride south was reasonably smooth with the bumps leveled by the effects of various libations. Sunrise brought us to within 3 to 4 miles of the border (read permit) about 20 miles offshore with a light breeze and an armada of boats, sport to fiber flies working the area like a flock of seagulls ravaging a dump. With all quiet on the trolling front (technically back / stern) Capt. Jeff (aka Shirley) diligently searched for just the right grade of fish, teasing up some here and there before stopping on a spot of tuna. We were able boat 10 nice grade, 12 to 24 # YFT before the boat traffic drove the school down. I was fortunate to go 2 for 2 casts on a jig (no wasted time at the bait tank), Mike Z & Bryan each got one. Missing my notes, I think the crew accounted for 3 (2nd ticket Andrew, Brian, & Kevin) with maybe Tommy, Brian, Andy S or Charlie accounting for the remaining 3. Conspicuously missing were the usual suspects. Capt. Jeff puttered around the area trying to work away from the heard to no avail. In between stops we enjoyed Goofy’s “whatever is left over from dinner” breakfast burritos. He finally announced we were going to cut our losses and go for the gold, well blue i.e. Bluefin. It was really surprising the tasty temptation offer up on the kite didn’t evoke even a sniff. The breeze steadily stiffen as we motored towards the Desperation reef area. The ride over was the most part uneventful. In route, we were treated to an up close and personal visit with a Blue whale while many members enjoyed Goofy’s bacon chicken cheese sandwiches. We anchored up in the reef area along the 100 fathom line in the late morning / early afternoon. Steve was the only one to score and when we pulled anchor to head for shelter and finish the day calico bass fishing, his 60# class BFT was assured the day 1 patch. Fishing the front side was a challenge as the wind was making anchoring a sketchy proposition on the favorite spots. We found a honey hole well above, but downwind of Roy’s crack. So whereas it was out of site, one could catch the occasional whiff (which was fortunate as many of us would require therapy from what was already seen on this trip). Fishing on the front was wide open with some quality fish coming over the rail. Bryan lost and regained his top Calico ranking. Luke & Bryan added a couple of yellowtails, 9# & 6.4# respectively. Everyone basically caught (and released) all the bass they wanted. (@GT – I landed the lone Blue perch). As darkness fell, we were treated to dinner and a show. Dinner was excellent, Tri tip with steamed veggies, baked potatoes, and salad, followed by Goofy’s own Brownie cake (which was like putting hot dogs on a burger), but somehow worked. The show was a bit disturbing, as to be expected when Andy W & Mike T conspire. What started out as a relaxing evening sipping wine and after dinner beverages, swapping tails of what might have been and what tomorrow will bring while watching the crew filet the day’s catch, degraded into hideous dancing blowup dolls doing unnatural acts with the fish, and each other. Being well versed in hospital hygiene and infectious disease protocol, I was tempted to slide my catch overboard. The rail was to be a hazardous location with incoming flying fish preferring the deck over the dogs. Recap of day one carnage: 10 YFT, 1 BFT, 2YT, Calico – Limit fishing with a new club leader (well the same one with a bigger fish), a couple goats, 1 Blue Perch Day two was announced with the engines firing up and the sound of the anchor being retired. We motored from relative shelter to the reef adjacent area along the 100 fathom line in the predawn darkness of a blustery morning. The anchor was redeployed. However, few ventured out on deck as the previous day on the spot had been slow. This day, it was the anglers who were to be slow as many remained in their bunks. That respite was short-lived as Tommy, then Ryan were on fish, serious fish, mean nasty, get the women and children out of the street, gonna hurt you and find your family and hurt too mean. As I emerged from the rack to check out the pandemonium, Mike Z got hooked while Tommy and Ryan were putting the finishing touches on their game. In no particular order (remember my notes are history), Bryan, Carl, Ron, Charlie, Brian & I hooked up, and yeah, Ryan was on his 2nd one. There were several more hooked, but lost. I was not in a position to take notes as I was otherwise occupied. Short personal story on my date with a Bluefin (skip this if you’re bored); It started with me lamenting that I had a daytime color flatfall and the majority of hookups were on the glow in the dark models. Mike Z handed me his rod with the right stuff ready to rock (I’m not sure what % was friendship vs. recovery from his bout with a bruiser). I dropped down, it was instant bendo! The first part of the battle was routine as the fish came to the boat in fairly short order. It was at that point things started to unwind, literally. The fish must have realized this wasn’t going to end well and made another 4 long runs and 7 trips around the boat (7 trips playing with the anchor). I made lots of friends along the way. The crew did an outstanding job managing multiple massive bodies in the water and on the deck converging on each other, it was poetry in motion. At one point, Bryan’s fish and mine conspired to escape and proceed to macramé our lines. The crew made a decision Bryan’s was more manageable and cut and retied his line while the fish continued on its quest to escape. Bryan subsequently landed that fish. To me, that was the most amazing catch of the trip. When my fish finally came to gaff, it was determined the drags were a bit loose despite being scaled the day before. That turned out to be fortunate as there were several nicks in the last 20’ of the spectra. Though it wasn’t the biggest (2nd I’m told, Ryan assured me the picture of the two of us was with his “little” one), it was a total experience to remember which would not have happened without excellent friends, fishermen and crew. Meanwhile back on the rail…………… Capt. Jeff continued to call out individual fish location and depth as the dawn gave way to morning. Things slowed down, then ground to a halt as the sun got higher in the sky. Capt. Jeff confirmed that whereas the total numbers may not have been of the charts, we were the high count on the tunas both days. Total carnage on the Bluefin -10 ranging from 60# - 90# class fish. Ryan’s tapped out at 87#’s and with tape conversion to actual weight was assessed to be a 92# - 93# fish and with no written record at the time of the catch, these become 100# class fish. (87#’s to be used for club tuna contention). As with the day prior, when we headed for the front side of the Island, Ryan’s BFT would stand up for the day 2 patch and leaderboard for the Club Tuna competition. In route we had more of Goofy’s whatever is left over from dinner breakfast combo, the Tri tip worked well. Though it was technically still morning, adult beverages started to work their way onto the deck. Once nestled up to the island on the front side, calico fishing went into full swing. Though the fish were a bit smaller than the previous day on average, it was literally a fish / cast wide open catching. Bryan having reached his fill of calico’s tried the open water for YT, but only managed a few Boneheads. Goofy came up with yet another creation with his sliders. This was excellent grab and go cuisine, it was very tasty and one could still participate in a hot bite. About 1:00 the anchor was pulled for the last time and the boat pointed towards the Landing. It was a sloppy crossing riding the trough from a SW swell. All in all a fantastic trip. Everything went as planned / advertised. Many caught a fish of a lifetime, the improved amenities on the boat, perfect bait, excellent cuisine, beverages, members, crew, and preparation consultation from our President all made for an excellent experience. With no disrespect to our other Boats, in my humble opinion, we had the best crew experience one can legally have on the water; a couple of members however may have crossed that line…………… Did I write enough to get excluded from the scribe list? We only have so much memory allocated for the site.

8/18/16 - 8/19/16

7/28/16 - 7/30/16 Download the PDF here. Trip #4 with the DWRRC gang The guys were in classic fashion, most of them on a good one before your scribe showed up at around 5. Don't worry, I caught up quick. We ended up untying around 730-8, time was a bit lost on my end by departure. When we arrived to the bait barge the guys informed us that the bait was essentially crap and there was only one good holding, which we were told we were not allowed to have. You can imagine how well that held up with Jeff & Mr. Thompson on board. Spoiler, it didn't. Jeff told the guys "give us the damn bait and I'll deal with the reprocussions"...we got the bait. South out of the harbor on to Meh-he-co we went. We arrived a about 10 miles off Ensenada little before the grey just after Andy & Mikes second or third soda pop, who's counting anyway? There was plenty of action in the sky & water but nothing wanted to commit so we chased boilers for a bit and on our second stop Eric picked up our first YFT of the trip. School size, 15-20 is what we would be pulling on for the trip. Once Erics fish hit the deck the crew took the hose and flushed the stomach, to which we found close to 100 if not more red crab. Once we saw that the fact they didn't want anything to do with our bait made a little more sense. We were served French toast and bacon for breakfast...it was no Dennys, but with enough maple syrup it did the job. While en route to stop #3 the sun took cover behind the clouds, a nice change from the heat we've been having. Jeff stopped us on some markings and we picked at 17 school sized YFT. While a good amount of us were sittin on a goose egg, Mike Trunk helped us all out and let us know they were all just "right there!". The majority of these fish were flushed as well and same story, loaded with red crabs. Once the bite died down Goofy prepared some Pulled pork sandwiches for us which were pretty good, served with a side of macaroni (or was it potato?) salad and a crisp dill pickle. I should note the boat had a Pickle Predator on the loose, no names were given. By this time the sun came back out and made it another gorgeous day. We traveled around chasing markings and bird activity, made a few stops, tossed a few baits and shared a few laughs... no luck. Ryan provided a very generous amount of smoked YT during this afternoon travel period which was absolutely delicious, as is tradition. Thank you Ryan!! Now the sun was starting to set, I along with several others were starting to get a little ansy waiting for our turn to get bit. With full bellys like our pelagic friends, Jeff put us on some markings which finally wanted to play ball. Luke was first in the water and first bit, followed by 16 more school size YFT. Your scribe went 2/3 on this stop, Andy finally pulled on something other than the cooler top and Mike Thompson decided to get bent and add to our count as well...or was that Trunk? This stop was by far the most action we had seen all day, putting fish in bags for many of us who sat on 0 for the day. Eventually the bite died out with the sun but Jeff found one more spot for us before we hit the dinner table. We put 19 more on board!! I went 2/3 again, Mike Trunk added 2 more to his count and hot stick Tommy Hill slayed them with 3 on this stop. I believe the whole club pulled on something at this stop, with several fish on at one point. After a full day of fishing it was time to drink...and have something to eat since it was provided. Goofy prepared the classic Tri tip served with salad, baked potato and chopped veggies, always hits the spot! You know how the rest of this night went. Empty bottles, full bellies, great stories and some of the best sleep you can ask for. Day 2, morning. We (not this guy, still catchin z's) made bait around 4am and boy was it pathetic. I believe the end count was 4 squid and 4 or 5 macks...which really sucked because all of our healthy bait from yesterday was either used or on it's last fins. Fast forward to about 730 and we were kicked out of SCI by the Navy, yay. Trunk and Eric both had some respectable size Sheepshead that were top contenders for Jackpot! Bill parks was hooked up on a 10lb YT that was stolen by a damn dog. Other reports suggest it was a small bonito...! I'd like to thank Ryan for filling me in on this lovely day 2 morning, I was out like a lightbulb for the majority of it. Ears perked for woo's and hookup's but it was pretty silent in the bunk. Now we're approaching mid day and since SCI was out of the question it was ROCKFISH TIME!!! This of course put some of us on casual/drink mode...then the dicks came out. I'm not joking, two of the biggest ones I've ever seen picked up a rod in one hand and a coors light in the other. I know, crazy, they had arms. I don't think I need to give any hints as to who this couple was...we have pictures if you need help. Surprisingly this was NOT the highlight of the stop! Our very own club President, Luke Burson pulled up a glorious whitefish which was the biggest the majority of us had seen. Our club President, Luke Burson took the jackpot over the large sheepheads from earlier that morning. Luke Burson, DWRRC President, earned his 700th patch by way of whitefish. After the shenanigans of the rockfish stop we set sail for home around 1pm. Mike had donated one of his YFT for us to all enjoy some sashimi, thank you again for what we all look forward to on each trip Mike. We had perfect weather on the ride home accompanied by bird and boils everywhere we looked. A few of us took shade in the galley towards the end and left Goofy some love notes, which I guarantee he is still stumbling across to this day. For as rough as the fishing was we actually ended up the high-boat for the days at sea with 56 tuna. I'm sure we would all have loved to pull on a few more but we can all agree on the much needed water therapy. As always, a wonderful time spent with a bunch of great guys aboard the Thunderbird.

7/7/16 - 7/9/16 Download the PDF here. DWRRC Trip Number 3 As I looked around I kept thinking, how much better could this get? Here I was experiencing something I had never seen before. Pulling into the Fisherman’s Landing parking lot, there were so many open parking spots, I could not make up my mind where to park. Trip 3 is the club’s first trip in 2016 out from Fisherman’s Landing on the Fortune. As the early birds started to arrive at the landing, you could feel the anticipation in the air. Or…maybe it was just a nice day with easy parking and a pleasant breeze and the simple fact we were going fishing. Early arrivals included; Gary T., Mike T. Luke, Roy and this scribe Brian W. Trip 3 Club members on the trip were: Ron S., Andy S., George M., Steve L., Randy B., Roy P., Luke, Mike T., Brian W., Mike Z., Jeffey H., Bryan U., Bill P., Gary T. and Chris R. Trip 3 Guests: My guest Jeff R., Mike Z’s guest Jim C. and Roy’s guest Dave. For this scribe it was my first trip of the season, and was about two months later than normal. I felt somewhat anxious related to - do I remember how to fish for something other than fly-fishing for trout. Prior to our arrival our president did his best to read the tea leaves to figure out the; what and where, so we could bring the appropriate equipment, and according to the charter plan, everyone was in line and ready to go by 6pm. We even had time for a group photo, before we boarded. This is something we seem to overlook on our trips more often than not. Good idea and kudos to whoever initiated it. We boarded at ~6:10 and many were prepping reels and tweaking fluorocarbon top shots. The buzz for our trip itinerary had everyone thinking a Colinet trip and a possible move offshore for kelp paddy searching mid-day. This was consistent with Luke’s prior understanding from Bruce’s trip perspective. With everyone ready – we were going fishing. At the bait barge at 7:20 - it was nice size sardines and even some macks mixed in for good measure. Good looking baits. Getting out of the harbor and making the southerly turn we all enjoyed some nice calm weather. Cool light wind and no significant swell. How much better can it get? The pleasant conditions just added to a positive sign that improved the morale and anticipation for the trip. As we made our way south, Bruce had his mandatory and valuable safety moment on emergency procedures. (Even though we all have heard it many times before – refreshers are always good.) Bill P. elaborated on the clubs’ defibulator unit where it was sitting and who was qualified to do what. Once done with the administration items, we were ready for the discussion everyone was waiting to hear ….where were we going. As Bruce explained it, Colinet was not the best move from his perspective based on the latest intel from his group network. Current information strongly suggested an offshore kelp paddy play with a mix of porpoise searching might produce tuna and an overall better play. This scribe did not see anyone with an objection so offshore it was to be. With that decision made, we were ready to fish with good bait and open minds. Even the attitude for trolling rotation was well received, and we all know what the last few years have been like trolling. Oh yeah – don’t want to forget the discussion that occurred in the 7:30 Galley meeting. It was about the starboard verses port side seating in the galley. There were some comments made about the starboard side of the galley being for larger members and port side of the galley for skinny folks. Luke proceeded to elaborate that we already had a “shit head” in the club, and now we have a “fat f….”. I will not name names, but if you were there, you enjoyed the laughter at the sake of our brothers - one who was on board, and one who was not present. Which by the way and for the record – that person being on board or not - would not have made any difference. After a late night snack - an easy down swell ride proved to be too much and we were lulled to sleep with a gentle rocking. You blinked and were sleeping soundly. Only problem, if you were like me, you woke up 5 or 6 times during the night to check the time. Before you knew it, it was time to fish and make last minute adjustments to rigging. The early risers in the predawn hours were the normal attendees. Gary, Luke, guest Jeff R. and this scribe followed by a new member every 5 minutes. At 5:45 AM trolling rigs were out and we were under way. With a nice sea state, overcast conditions and a light breeze on the water - it was “game on”. The “game on” did not take long to produce. At 6AM we found our first paddy. Turned out to be a 9 fish stop with Bill, Jim, Luke Chris, Gary, Mike, George and Roy (2) getting in the “landing” action. Not to be confused with “hooking and loosing” action. Overall a nice kelp paddy stop! This early result only supported the good feeling in the air for what we hoped would be consistent pick for the rest of the day. Back to trolling and at 7:00 we had a jig strike on the purple and silver Halco. Mike Z’s. guest Jim C. was the lucky angler. It was also reported we lost the one bait fish at this stop, but I won’t say who. The second stop happened at 7:20 with Gary T. trolling a dark blue and silver Halco. (Based on the scratches, Mike T.’s jig is well loved by many a tuna.) This made the 2nd Yellowfin on board, both fish running about 12-15 pounds. How long has it been since the club landed two jig fish on the troll in the morning? The trolling rotation continued as we searched up and down. We kept it going thru the early morning chasing kelp paddies and hoping for kelp holding fish. A nice breakfast put on by Danny was tasty and added a different touch. By 9:00, we had 20 fish on board with kelp paddy “pick” fishing. One, two’s threes were the order of the day – and of course not all paddies held fish. Then Bruce put us on THE “Kelp Paddy”. The paddy we all hope to find and then in some way dread. It was typical open water kelp paddy yellowtail mayhem. In the simplest of terms – which does not do it justice - we ended up with 29 fish caught and “20” lost!! Some lines were sawed off, some failures, but most seem to have succumbed to the “Kelp Paddy” monster that decided it would not give up all its rewards. Hot stick summary at ~10:30 AM: Mike T at 8 fish, Gary and Roy at 6 each and Luke at 6 or 5, (can’t read my own notes). This is about the time the rumored and reportedly non-competitive fishing club (except for bass) got competitive. I won’t name names but it seemed like a number of officers were chasing the hot stick. Then it was back to the trolling rotation, which was still going strong, and looking to find a few paddies that were dry. We continued on thru the search. Bruce and crew working hard searching up down and in and out to put us on more fish. Around noon we hit another paddy and picked up a few fish (Bryan U., Luke and Bill picking up a Dodo.) Somewhere amongst the day’s back and forth Danny served a nice lunch that provided a variation of burger or chicken sandwich. It was well presented and a bit different than the typical grab and go burger. We progressed in our fish chasing day,and as is normal, some anglers get bit more and some get bit less. The kind-hearted soul Roy hooked and handed off a fish to his guest Dave S. Dave worked the fish hard and boated a very nice yellowtail. As it turned out, it was not only the fish of the day but might have been a contender for YT of the year. It bottomed out the scale, so it appears it was more than 35 pounds. It was so kind of Roy to give his jackpot fish to someone else. We should all strive to be so gracious….right…? In all seriousness, Roy was very gracious in handing off and very nice fish and even with all the ribbing, he was well pleased how things worked out for Dave. Nice host. The trolling and searching process continued to be the norm. Some produced fish some did not. As the day progressed, it seemed the kelp produced less fish and the period between each paddy longer. At 3PM we made the northerly turn and started the slug back up hill. When we made the turn, we were about 75 miles south of SDO and 20 miles offshore. We hit a couple more paddies around 4 PM and put a few more fish on the boat. With this group of fish hitting the deck the competition was gaining momentum. Back to trolling by 4:30 and a couple empty nests encountered for zip. Moving on we continued with the routine….. the game continued but under cooling weather conditions with jackets being seen on deck. Around 6PM Roy, Bill and Jeffey landed fish. With this fish, Roy noted it made 8 for him, with Luke and others in the hunt for Mike T. The problem was Mike T. put on one more which made it 9. Kind and gentle words were exchanged in friendly competition – things like Fat F…. and something about someone was “just old” and a number of endearments as the game continued…. Just before 7 PM we make a final stop – and hooked 4 fish – 4 that I saw anyway. Gary T, Mike T, and Jeffey put fish on the boat – while this scribe watched his fish swim away with a hook in his jaw...!! Kind of the way my first day back in the saddle went. With that we head for the barn and my final tally at 73 total. The make-up consisted of; 67 very nice looking yellow tail, 2 YF and 4 Dodos. Hot stick was Mike T. with 10 fish. All in all a really nice trip – a little lumpy coming home up hill, but good food, good friends and great skipper and crew. This scribe’s only negative experience was related to chasing bait in the wells. However, the reality is that if this club would have had unlimited access to the bait, we would not have made it thru the day. Until the next time ….tight lines. Oh yeah and please follow your fish.

6/23/16 - 6/25/16 Download the PDF here. Trip 2.5 Thunderbird Scribe: Andy Woodfill We gathered in anticipation at the landing early and were ready to go! Leaving the harbor at 10:24p.m., the bait was OK, but we have been warned to ration appropriately. Off to San Clemente in hopes the island is open. Jeff is optimistic but you can hear the tension in his voice as he announced the next day plan to the group. It was a long two minute debrief and the majority of the club members opted for the comfort of the pleather bed accommodations. More to follow at the island. Ron Andy Gary first sea bass blood this morning. Parks started it off with a healthy barracuda. I busted off some. Old Tommy caught a huge goat. Lots of black sea bass this morning. Let's see what the after breakfast bite does…not much. Trunk broke up the slow bite and afternoon fish filleting by appearing from below decks in a modified over the shoulder speedo G-string. It was a classy swim suit that was an instant hit with all the club members and crew alike. Well we fought the good fight at San Clemente Island and fished hard all day. Tommy Hill had a very nice bass and the club fished very well. Day 2 was spent at Catalina with some dope that we were on the spot. It starts to bite in the evening and yours truly caught white sea bass number two for the trip. Just before we had to call it and head for the barn, things started to pick up and they started to bite. I wouldn't call it WFO but Luke did catch his fabled unicorn. A beautiful white sea bass indeed!! The trip was awesome from the time we gathered at the dock to the time we loaded our fish and headed home. We ended up with 10 sea bass, a yellowtail or 2 and a vision of Mike Trunk forever burned into our brains. Sorry for the delay in reporting as it is a combo of kids, work and laziness for the duty of scribe that have left you with this less that in depth report on trip 2.5.

TRIP TWO-REPORT Scribe: Ron Henry (aka Fishhunter) What: Two day trip aboard the fishing vessel Fortune Who: Boat Crew-Bruce (the captain), Bob (the second ticket), Danny (the cook) the crew; Grant and Axel Who else: DWRRC Members and guests: Roy Patterson, Luke Burson, Ryan Burson, Ron Shrout, Tony Beall, Gary Thompson, Rick Dyer, Mike Allen, Charlie Sanchez, Bill Parks, Dave Moritz, Ron Henry, Ron Rudrud, Bryan Upcraft, Tom Hill, Mike Trunk, Mike Trunk’s Guest Noah and Chris Ramsey Jr. Where: 22nd Street Landing, San Pedro, CA When: Departure: Thursday, June 9th at approximately 7:30pm, returning Saturday, June 11th at approximately 8:00pm Destination: San Clemente Island The offseason work on the boat looked great and the extra rod holders Bruce installed did not go without notice as all were used. I think there were still members who still had to double up. Go figure that this club would bring extra set ups. The itinerary for this trip was that Bruce wanted to leave early, 6:00 pm. All DWRRC members agreed to show up to accommodate the captain’s request, some even arriving early enough (including myself and car pool buddy Rick Dyer) to jump on the boat for a quick ride to the fuel dock to top off the tank. Upon our return the rest of the members jumped onboard. We were now ready. Almost. One thing kept us from leaving on time, the cook was M.I.A. Bruce must have forgotten to tell him the departure time, or he forgot, or he got stuck in the store or possibly traffic. He was still out gathering the trip’s provisions. Six o’clock came and went as he arrived at the dock at 7:30. The plus to the extra time allowed those that wanted to rig early get their various outfits rigged, others visited with one another and all got to listen to some good music compliments of Mike Trunk and his WIFI speaker. After stowing the grub, lines were cast off and we were off to the bait barge where we loaded the trifecta of bait: Squid, Sardines and large Mackerel. While Bob and the crew loaded bait Bruce held court on the bow giving his well-rehearsed mandatory safety speech. Once that was out of the way the discussion turned to options for this trip. After several options were discussed the plan was to head to LCI, North West Harbor at San Clemente, make squid to top off the tank and then off to Pyramid Cove. Danny made some great Pepperoni and BBQ Chicken pizza on the way out. I over heard someone say it’s the best 9:00 pizza he’d ever had. Evidence to that comment was how quickly the pizza disappeared. As it turned out the guys didn’t have to make squid as we met up with the bait boat, the Pamela Rose about 12:45 and by 1:15 we had gotten about 15 scopes. Why make it when you can get it. We were now locked, loaded and headed to Pyramid Cove for a shot at the grey bite for White Sea Bass and Yellow Tail. Friday morning came early as the anchor dropped about 3:15. As a handful of guys managed to roll out of their bunks, I believe Luke was the first to get a bait in the water. We fished the cove until about 6:20 when we pulled the anchor and headed for more productive grounds without the furry knuckle heads. No sea bass for us this morning. The count when we left was sea lions four, DWRRC zero. Danny offered breakfast for those who were ready. On the menu: bacon fried rice, eggs any style, toast and sausage or a breakfast burrito with potatoes, egg, cheese, bacon and sausage and lastly French Toast with eggs, bacon and sausage. Mid-morning snack was a bread pudding with raspberry sauce and chocolate chips. After a short run, Bruce set us up for drift where Gary quickly hooked up to a Yellow Tail only to lose it as it rubbed against the boat to avoid being eaten by the dogs. Tommy lands the first Yellow tail to hit the deck without being eaten. A few more drifts resulted in some small Calicos and Blue Perch, not much else. Now 11:30 and the count is Sea Lions seven DWRRC one. Made a run to Boiler Rock #2, the spot that resulted in the epic stop last year aboard this very boat. Lots of small Calicos on the squid, a couple on plastics, a few Sheepshead and White Fish. While the Calico bite started slow and resulted in a smaller grade, the bite started to turn. Mike Trunk was the first to bring a measureable fish to the boat, the fish was 21” x 13” and he now was a marked man. Like last year the title changed hands quickly as Bryan landed a 20 ¾” x 14 ¾” bass putting the target on his back. Ron S. tried to take the title however he came up very short with his bass measuring in at 20 ¾” x 14 ½”. Other honorable mentions were Noah and Bill Parks. Luke landed a small yellow to make the count Sea Lions seven, DWRRC two Lunch menu consisted of your choice of a Burger served your way, a Burger with Pastrami or an Italian Sausage Sandwich with peppers and onions. All came with your choice of soup or salad. Afternoon snack, chicken wings. Headed up the lee side of the island where Bruce wanted to be back to North West Harbor by dark for another chance at Sea Bass. Once there, with the hook set and waiting for dinner, Ryan managed to land a nice big Red and Charlie landed what appeared to be a nice 15# Halibut. Luke hooked into what everyone hoped was a large Yellow Tail and instead brought to the boat a large Mud Marlin. He was not the only angler to hook into the rays. No Sea Bass and no lost fish to the Sea Lions Dinner was served: Tri Tip, soup, mashed potatoes, with carrots and green beans. Dessert: Your choice of Carrot Cake or Chocolate Cake. During dinner Bruce gathered all into the galley to discuss our options for Saturday. Stay at the island and look for Sea Bass, Yellow Tail and of course, Calicos or go to San Nicholas in hopes for Yellow Tail and Sea Bass. After putting it to a vote, the decision was to stay where we were. The day’s activities were discussed and stories told while consuming the beverage of your choice, everything from water, to soda to beer or fine wine and spirits. The crew got the squid to float and topped off the tank and filled the slammer replacing what we had used during the day’s fishing. Saturday morning brought guys out on deck early to try the grey bite but there was no current. There was however several boats from the San Diego fleet in the same area. Ryan did manage to land a yellow tail without the Sea Lions getting it. Tommy landed the second. I hooked up when Luke said get it in quick or lose it the dogs. No need to tell me twice, I go full drag and start cranking only to lose mine when my line broke above the knot, must have had a knick in the line. Breakfast this morning consisted of Tri Tip hash with eggs or the traditional breakfast burrito. Mid-morning snack was Breakfast Coffee Cake with Brown Sugar Bruce made several moves throughout the morning resulting in small Calicos. The conditions were not in our favor. By 9:30 the wind is building out of the South East. Really? Where did this come from? It wasn’t on anyone’s weather report. Charlie did land a small Yellow Tail, one Luke called a “Roman Polanski Yellow Tail”. Yellow Tail count now stands at 4.1 Yellow Tail for the DWRRC and seven for the dogs After a radio report, Bruce made a move to China Ridge to try and put us on the Yellow Tail. We arrived at approximately 11:40 and found the wind had died down and the fish were biting….at least on the initial drift. The first drift resulted in three Yellow Tails. Second drift resulted in nada same for the third drift. At 1:00 Bruce makes a run out to deeper water, about 50 fathoms, to the ridge South of Desperation to put some fish in the bags. First drift resulted in some Reds and a Grouper. Second, third and fourth drift, more of the same plus four ling cods. With a sixty mile run back to the landing, Bruce called the trip at approximately 2:00. While I believe a good time was had by all, and the food was excellent, it was not what most would call a spectacular trip with lots of Yellow Tail, large Calicos or even a Sea Bass being caught. Isn’t that why they call it fishing and not catching? The boat did manage to outperform the Sea Lions for the Yellow Tails, if only by the smallest of margins; final count DWRRC 7.1, Sea Lions 7. Bryan Upcraft has the weight of the Calico target on his back while Ryan Burson has the Yellow Tail target on his. Wishing all who go on the next trip, trip 2.5, flat seas and tight lines. At the end of day one, Tommy Hill took the patch with his Yellow Tail estimated to be approximately 20#s. Day two patch winner was Ryan with his Yellow Tail which taped out at 24 ¼” making it 27.5#s. Big Yellow Tail so far for the 2016 season.