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2020: Trip 7 Thunderbird 2 day

Trip #7 Report – 8/20 - 8/22/2020


Every fishing trip starts out with grand hopes. Whether those hopes are for a particular fish, new experience, a chance to clear your mind, the opportunity to be among friends and family, or any other hope. The experience of being on the water is unique and only really understood by the individual. These hopes are all that really matter as they are what is important and should never be taken for granted as we are fortunate enough in this life to be fishermen. (go ahead… read that again and take it in.)


D.W.R.R.C Cast of Characters

Luke, Ryan, & Nick Burson, Steve Sturm, Stewart Finley, Brian Upcraft, Mike Zinniker, BJ & Riley Dyer, Mike Castillo, Ed & Jake Chutney, Taylor Rodriguez, Brandon Lockwood, Mike Higa, Bill Parks, Jeffy Hinrichs, John Lenker, Hayden Claisse, Jim Bertella, Bing Metzger, and your scribe Mike Allen.


T-Bird Crew

Capt. Jeff, 2nd Capt. Brian, Goofy on the grill, Cole and Rico on the deck, and helping out on the deck for the first time on the T-Bird was Leo.


In true D.W.R.R.C fashion and in accordance with his Cal Ripken Jr.-esk streak (for the young guys of the club, Cal Ripken Jr. was a famous baseball player who started 2,130 games in a row), Hayden was the first of the group to arrive at the landing and secure the premier spot in line. According to our conversation he arrived around 9am complete with his strategically thought out cart of gear and a big smile on his face. It’s funny how the club members who are retired or semi-retired always seem to have an easy going s*#t eating grin on their face… One day we all should be so lucky. As Hayden waited for others to arrive, it was apparent that one thing was going to be with us for the whole trip, and that was the heat. It was muggy and somewhat nasty at the landing with many of the members taking shelter in the little shade that the landing had to offer. The good thing about the warm conditions was that it made the beverages go down pretty easily which many were actively partaking in while the occasional piece of eye candy strolled past. Gotta love Newport! Don’t get much of that at 22nd St. (just saying)


In advance of the trip, it had been announced that the club was going to be treated to a BBQ dinner prior to departure by two of the finest grill men we have, Mike C. and B.J. Everybody was told that the food would be there at 6pm and that was not a lie as the boys showed up almost spot on at 6. Who knew that BJ and Mike took punctuality so seriously? The boys started very early to smoke a couple of pork butts which their efforts paid off as the food was truly something special. Accompanying the main dish was salad, potato salad, corn bread, fresh onions, Famous Dave’s Signature Spicy Pickles, and your choice of Sweet Baby Ray’s BBQ or Sweet Golden Mustard BBQ sauce, and cookies! The group enjoyed the grub while jealous onlookers observed and inquired about the spread. The meal was truly delicious and a special THANK YOU goes out to BJ and Mike C. for their efforts and skills!


With bellies full and the boat arriving at the dock it was time to hurry up and wait as the crew changed over the boat for our group and ran to get gas while after dinner drinking continued. The group boarded in an orderly fashion as rod holders, tackle boxes, coolers, and bunks all got situated and we made our way to the bait receiver. As typical with every trip that I have been on with the T-Bird this season, the bait was great! Sure some beat-up and bloodied Sardines could be found but that was certainly not the norm. Most of the baits looked like mini footballs and athletes as we untied from the receiver and listened to Goofy’s motivation safety speech as we made our way out of the harbor and set a course for the Tanner Bank.


Fishing Day 1

As we made our way to the Tanner Bank the group started to get out of the rack around 6:30am, which was a much welcomed sleep-in for most of the group who are still working and accustomed to getting up much earlier. The seas were pretty lumpy as the boat rolled with the swell and we got ready to make our 1st stop. A couple members decided that some early chum was needed to spark the bite, one was due to the always dreadful sea sickness, and the other was due to self-inflicted over serving of IPAs (yours truly!). With that behind us we made our first stop all by ourselves as Ricardo heckled us from the bait tank. First to hook up was Stewart on a Flatfall, which Ricardo had mentioned the BFT were prone to bite at this location of the bank. Stewart must have felt bad for that particular BFT and allowed it to saw him off under the boat taking with it some jewelry as a keep sake. Jim was quick to follow with our first BFT to hit the deck. Jim was using a “jig” and others landed some assorted Whitefish and Sheepshead. Steward re-tied another Flatfall on in a different color and managed to wrap that up in the prop and bust it off. It was looking like Stewart was going to have one of those trips until he was later able to redeem himself and land a BFT. Luke, being the helpful guy that he is, managed to later retrieve Stewart’s Flatfall while fishing a sinker rig, so Stewart’s luck certainly changed although his challenges are now documented forever. At this point the bite had slowed down and six BFT had hit the deck compliments of Bill, Ryan, Nick, Stewart, Mike Z, and myself. The BFT that Mike Z. caught was his first fish of the past two seasons aside from a short Calico in 2019. It is nice to see that catching BFT is a lot like riding a bike for some. As Jeff kicked on the motor, Luke did what Luke does and proceeded to hook up. I have seen this story play out several times this season. Luke is well known for soaking a bait as the boat is motoring away from a spot and has had great success utilizing this technique. I have been on three trips this season with him and I have seen him hook up when the motor gets kicked on during every trip. (not to give away any secrets) With now seven BFT in the RSW it was time to continue on and join the rest of the fleet on a high spot at the Tanner.


We arrived at the high-dollar real estate portion of the Tanner Bank and joined up with about twenty boats including several from San Diego’s Long Range fleet. We saddled up alongside the Freedom, dropped the hook and started to work baits while Ricardo tossed a steady diet of Sardines. To be honest, I do not really recall who hooked up next or how long it took to start getting the Bluefin to play, but they certainly got with it. FUN is the only real word that I can use to describe the next couple of hours! For some members it was easy hookups with basically any bait that would swim. Others had to go through some soul searching and take on heavy casualties (B.J) but in the end all managed to get the experience of pulling on the 25-35# grade Bluefin. The fight of this grade of Bluefin is really fun and challenging as they were on a strict diet of 25# and 30# fluorocarbon (more on that later). It was also pretty muggy on the deck that morning so once the Bluefin was gaffed and flopped onto the deck of the T-Bird, the happy angler was left usually dripping in sweat with arm pump. I can still hear that special thump sound in my head that a Bluefin makes after being gaffed and brought over the rail on the T-Bird and dropped on the deck… I am pretty sure they teach that skill at deckhand school and the T-Bird crew are some of the best at getting that thump just right!


As the bite forged on and many of the D.W.R.R.C fellowship were becoming content with their taking, the crew of the T-Bird took full advantage and began to wet lines. Hook and Hands became a real thing among the club members and crew. Goofy seemed to take a liking to Mike C’s Super Seeker set up and proceeded to grab for it every time that Mike would put it down to hydrate or use the facilities. Even Luke got in the act and started to grab several rods from his arsenal and send out a bait, get a bite, and pass it along. I am not sure how many times he did this but it was certainly appreciated by those members who were the recipient. At one point Mike C. got tired of reeling in Goofy’s Bluefin and refused to take his rod. Goofy was forced to reel that particular Bluefin in on his own which was met with plenty of kind words for Mike. Mike would later grab the gaff and finish off Goofy’s fish with a perfect gaff shot. Speaking of club members and gaff shots, many members (Ryan and John that I can recall, but I am sure more) got involved in gaffing a Bluefin in a nice change of pace from being on the other end of the practice. The crew continued to fish and enjoy the great bite and Cole hooked up on the port side of the boat and tried to put the wood to a Bluefin like he was a stud while cast and crew from the Freedom cheered him on and club member trash talked him to hurry up. The fish ended up being really mean and in the end Cole was left tired and exhausted as the Bluefin finally hit the deck.


As mentioned earlier, using fluorocarbon was on a small scale proven to be statistically significant. Luke performed a study during the bite in which he got bit on five consecutive baits when fishing 30# flouro. On one of his hook and hands, he took the rod that the handed off angler was fishing which had 20# mono only and proceeded to not get a bite in four consecutive baits. I’ll admit this is a small sampling and the data lacks the replicates needed to draw a strong statistical conclusion to fully reject the null hypothesis, but as a fisherman I deliver this information for you to do with it what you wish.


When the smoke cleared and many were finally able to eat a Goofy breakfast burrito, it was DOUBLE LIMITS for the entire group before noon and time to make our way for the Cortez Bank in search of Yellowtail! The high spot on the Cortez that we were heading for was about 15 miles away from our location on the Tanner, so plenty of time for some food (Goofy made really good steak sandwiches), a nap, and a beverage. While in route to the Cortez high spot (about 8 miles away) we came upon another high spot that Jeff stopped the boat on. This spot immediately produced some nice Bonito (8-10# range), smaller grade Bluefin, some assorted rock and whitefish, and a Yellowtail. From there we continued on the high spot on the Cortez that we were originally motoring towards.


Once we arrived to the desired spot on the bank, we were greeted with all the Bonito (more of the 8-10# range) you could want. Luke managed to get a really nice YT on one of the larger Sardines in the tank and the group got called a bunch a “fish snobs” by Jeff as many of the Bonito were released and the attendance at the rail had been significantly reduced. Jeff and the crew making fun of and trash talking the club members is one of my favorite things about T-Bird trips! Those guys are really a special crew and make the experience that much more memorable and fun. You really can’t say enough about them and their ability at their jobs!


Next, we pulled the anchor and in the process broke the trip wire… The crew was quick to rectify that situation and we were off to go and try to replenish the bait we had gone through with some Mackerel. Sabikis were tied on in hopes of filling the front two tanks of the T-Bird. The club members worked hard at the rail to catch more bait and were rewarded with many Spanish, Greenies, and Jumbo Sardines! Before long the front two tanks were filled and we were on our way to San Clemente Island (SCI) for Day 2. Mixed in with the Macks and Dines were various rockfish and enough Perch to even make Gary (who wasn’t on the trip) jealous. Visions of what the Macks might do with the Yellowtail and Calicos at SCI danced in all of our heads as we sat down to a Lasagna and Pasta Dinner and made our way toward the island.


The top 5 fish were taped and the jackpot was settled. When it was all said and done, Luke came out with the patch after much effort and determination to ensure the process was conducted effectively.


Here are the results on the tape, congrats to all!


  • Riley Dyer – 32.42#
  • Ryan Burson – 32.47#
  • Nick Burson – 32.75#
  • Bill Parks – 32.87#
  • Luke Burson – 33.76#


Now it was time to get out of the way and let the crew process the catch and clean the boat for Day #2. I got up around 4am to re-write my notes and enjoy the morning and was greeted by Cole who was obviously running on fumes and was in Zombie Mode. He would end up working 26 hours straight before getting some much needed rest. While I was working through my notes I was greeted by some nice conversation with the 2nd Capt. Brian and Stewart as we yapped about whatever would come to our minds. It was a nice start to Day 2 already and I was looking forward to seeing what the day would bring at SCI. According to Capt. Brain, we were posted up at the Dunes, south of West Cove as we waited for grey light to form. While in the dark a school of about 6-10 Flying Fish stayed near the boat and swam in and out of the deck lights which was something that I have never seen before. Around 6:30am or so many were up and at the rail in search of a Yellowtail. Jim was the first to hook up on a surface iron. He made really impressive work of the fish as he managed to bring the fish to gaff without it taking a single inch of drag and keeping its head out of the water as the Yellowtail struggled to figure out what was going on after hitting his jig. A quick look around and only another skiff was within eyesight as it was apparent that we would have the island mostly to ourselves as the fleet was elsewhere (probably working over the Bluefin at the Tanner).


We later made a move (not sure to where) and more Yellowtail were caught. Most of the yellowtail had a craving for the various Macks that were made the evening prior at the Cortez. Full disclosure, I am not sure as to how many Yellowtail were caught and by who… but some were definitely caught.


Now on to the club doing what the club loves doing, FISHING CALICOS!!! We pulled the hook and were told by Jeff that we were going to anchor up on some kelp and try and catch a Bass. This was music to everybody’s ears as we had plenty of Macks in the tank and were looking to put a respectable grade Bass on the board. As the hook got settled, the kelp was laying down nicely, indicative of decent water movement (aka CURRENT). Several baits hit the water and were eaten up by a smaller grade of Calicos who were quick to jump on the easy meal. Some stood atop the really nice sun deck of the T-Bird enjoying the sun and a beverage or two as others zoned in on the Calico fishing that was available. Things were really starting to get good, it was instant bite on any Sardine that was thrown out and then Luke tossed a Cortez bank transferred Spanish Mack deep into the kelp and towards the SCI shore… The energy really got serious as his 7.8# Calico came over the rail! Finally, a decent bass was atop the leader board! Ryan followed up with another nice Bass and things were really looking good! BUT then two things happened. The current backed off and the Navy advised that we leave the area because they were about to perform an underwater detonation… … …


So we left and went in search for more Yellowtail and Calicos. More Yellowtail were caught, Mike C. got bit on a nice meter mark and surface action of good grade fish. He managed to be the only bite and took a fair ration of crap for it from everybody else as he nursed his Yellowtail to gaff. Soon after it was time to motor back home.


All in all it was a great trip! Lots of fun was had by all. Many of the reasons why we are fishermen were satisfied as we settled up jackpot, which Bill won with a beautiful Yellowtail that he caught on a Mackerel. As we steamed toward port, I was reminded of moments over the past few days where I didn’t think about work, didn’t stress over the many chaotic things that are happening around the U.S, and even for just a few days was fortunate enough to be a part of something that we all strive to be a part of but truly struggle with achieving… Being truly in a moment, focused on what is happening around you, and caring about nothing else as you give your 100% attention to something. It is therapeutic in a way that no other will ever understand and a big reason why I pride myself in being a Fisherman. (mic drop!)



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2024: Trip 8 - Thunderbird 2 Day

October 9, 2024
Trip #8: Boat: Thunderbird 2 day Departs: Thursday October 3rd Fishing: October 4th, 5th Returns: October 5th pm Arriving at the dock a little later than I usually like to, the typical group as one would expect was all there. At this point I am starting to think that Hayden secretly lives at the landing, and only comes out of the shadows every couple weeks to fish with the club. It was overcast and on the cool side at the dock and I was beginning to regret only bringing shorts on the trip but figured with enough beer and maybe some stronger beverages I would find a way to stay warm throughout the trip. The fishing had either been wonderful or complete garbage the days prior, but everyone was hoping the optimistic that we would locate some hungry fish. After the standard, organized, boarding of the vessel we would call home for the next 2 days, we loaded up some great looking bait and off we went into the calm night. The plan was to head to Cherry Bank to hunt for the elusive bluefin. Our crew consisted of Carmello, Steve, and Jarid with Captains Jeff and Chris. It was my first trip without Goofy, and there was a calmness in the galley that felt very unfamiliar but also a feeling that something was missing. The forecast was absolutely wonderful with very little wind and a swell that was almost non-existent. After the guys all set their gear up, they disappeared one by one into their bunks. Day 1 - Friday Fishing began around 4am for some, with 2 bluefin being landed by Jim (81 lbs) and Ryan (87 lbs) just after 5am. Excitement was high with a couple of great grade fish coming over the rail, but we would soon lose that excitement. We continued to look for hungry schools, and look, and look…. We found several good schools swimming deep, but they would either disappear or avoid our bait like I avoid my mother-in-law. At about 1130 Captain Jeff decided it was time to take a break and drop deep for some taco meat. The rockfish grade was great with Luke pulling in the largest Salmon Grouper he had ever seen. It weighed in at 11 lbs, but I swear it looked bigger. We continued our taco quest until around 245 before resuming the look for the bluefin. We looked, and looked, and looked some more with zero success until dinner time. At this point, I figured if I wasn’t going to catch any fish I might as well catch a buzz. With a great dinner from Carmello consisting of chicken, rice, salad, the cocktails and conversations flowed into the evening until it was time to look yet again for these stupid fish. We looked, and looked, and looked some more. At some point only 4 were still standing. Jim, Cory, Ryan, and I were hanging out hoping to come across something to catch. We did our best to stay well hydrated, and that was about the only thing we were successful with late into the night. Of the 4, Ryan was the first to throw in the towel sometime around 2 or 230, I think... The remaining soldiers finally surrendered at about 315 and made our way to our bunks. Final count for the day was 2 bluefin and 52 rockfish. Day 2 – Saturday With a disappointing day 1 behind us, day 2 did not bring a change. We drove hundreds of miles looking, and looking, and looking. I think Captain Jeff was more disappointed than any of us. We sat around and ate what we could of the endless amounts of chips, which seemed to be the only snack option when people were shopping prior to the trip. On the upside, we had a great group of guys and some of the calmest seas that I have ever seen. Final count for day 2 was a big fat zero but I guess that’s the way fishing goes sometimes. We returned to a quiet dock, and disembarked with our snack size bags of rockfish, and headed home. Till next time, James Harris
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2024: Trip 7 - Thunderbird 2.5 Day

September 24, 2024
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 
A man with a beard is holding a large fish in his hands.

2024: Trip 6 - Thunderbird 1.5 Day

September 10, 2024
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
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2024: Trip 5 - Thunderbird 2.5 Day

August 31, 2024
Trip #5: Boat: Thunderbird 2.5 Day Departs: Tuesday August 20th Fishing: August 21st, 22nd Returns: August 23rd am 
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2024: Trip 4 - Thunderbird 2 Day

August 13, 2024
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
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