Hello anglers, We departed today on our annual Braid Products 16 day trip. These guys are ready to head down and pull on some big tuna for a few days. The bait looks good and the weather forecast looks great. Wish us luck..... Justin
Reported by:Justin Fleck
Saturday, November 26
Seminars and sushi
We started off the day right with a couple of troll fish that went directly to the galley in preparation for a nice sushi spread later in the trip. The gang also took part in our first seminar where we covered wahoo fishing, bait tank etiquette, and general safety on deck. After the seminar, the anglers finally started putting reels on rods and fresh wind-ons on their reels. Everything seems to be on schedule and for the most part everyone is just taking it easy, and that is a good thing..... Justin
Reported by:Justin Fleck
Sunday, November 27
Ready for battle
Hello Anglers, This morning we had our second seminar where we covered big tuna, making leaders, kite fishing, and the importance of a harness and pad that fits your style. The rest of the day will be used to make leaders, put line on reels, and make final preparation. Justin
Report from the Excel in the Lower Zone, December 3, 2011
Justin Fleck checked in from the Excel, "We are still down here in the lower zone, fishing is very, very, good for those big Yellowfin tuna. There are a few Wahoo around but we're not target those yet. The Yellowfin are biting the fly-line sardines, the chunk has been good, and we've also been getting them on the kites with flying fish, squid or sardines. They are pretty much biting everything we throw at them and we're putting together a good score. No fish over 200 lbs. but there are a lot of fish in the 175 to 197 lb. range. The bulk of the catch is right around 130 to 150. The guys are still doing good, we'll try and get some pictures out as soon as we get our internet working."
Reported by:Justin Fleck
Sunday, December 4
Repot from the Excel at the Lower Zone, December 4, 2011
Justin Fleck checked from the Excel, "It is Sunday morning and we are still doen here in the lower zone. Yesterday we had a huge day. It started out slow in the morning a couple of handfuls of fish that ranged from 150 to 238 lbs. A couple of guys had cows yesterday in the morning, and something switched in the afternoon and these tuna went crazy biting everything we threw at them. At one point in the afternoon we had over 50 of them, 100 to 200 pounders. We had to shut people down to rearrange some fish. But we are all good, fishing is excellent down here, weather is nice. The guys are still doing good,
"We are going to give it one more day, Sunday will be our last day down here. We are going to fill up today and move up the line to do a litlle bit of fishing on the way home. We are on schedule, we will check in again tomorrow."
"We had good fishing again," reported Justin Fleck. We finished up on large tuna yesterday morning. The last few that we put on board, Todd Jergenson, first time long ranger got his first cow at 205 on the chunk, Kenny Cirks, Andy Markham, and Matt Kimmel all got their Cows of the trip. We ended up with outstanding good fishing we filled up on tuna we have a few cracks left for a few Wahoo maybe some Yellowtail up the line. We are currently heading up, good weather and the guys are having fun. We'll check in again tomorrow."
Reported by:Justin Fleck
Wednesday, December 7
Report from the Excel on the way up the line to return home, December 7, 2011
Justin Fleck checked in from the Excel, "We are currently traveling up, we had a nice day yesterday. We filled in a few cracks that left in the fish holds with some Wahoo. Now everybody is enjoying the morning breaking down their gear waiting for the ride home. We left ourselves a little bit of time to stop by the islands on the way home. We'll goof around, see if we can get some Calico Bass, maybe some Yellowtail. We hopped around yesterday and things are looking good. We'll give another report tomorrow."
Reported by:Justin Fleck
Friday, December 9
Report from the Excel at the Islands, December 9, 2011
Justin Fleck called in with this report, "It's Friday morning and the ride up the line has been very nice, flat calm seas with no wind - a very enjoyable ride towards San Diego. Today we are fishing around the islands. We've had good Yellowtail fishing so far this morning. They are biting the yo-yo iron full speed! There are good conditions around the island still. It's encouraging to see this much Yellowtail around this late in the year.
"Tomorrow we are going to be traveling up. It's the time to take it easy, we'll be breaking down our gear. We'll get into San Diego Sunday morning at 7 AM. We'll see you there."
Report from the Excel on the way up the line to return home, December 7, 2011
Justin Fleck checked in from the Excel, "We are currently traveling up, we had a nice day yesterday. We filled in a few cracks that left in the fish holds with some Wahoo. Now everybody is enjoying the morning breaking down their gear waiting for the ride home. We left ourselves a little bit of time to stop by the islands on the way home. We'll goof around, see if we can get some Calico Bass, maybe some Yellowtail. We hopped around yesterday and things are looking good. We'll give another report tomorrow."
Reported by:Justin Fleck
Friday, December 9
Report from the Excel at the Islands, December 9, 2011
Justin Fleck called in with this report, "It's Friday morning and the ride up the line has been very nice, flat calm seas with no wind - a very enjoyable ride towards San Diego. Today we are fishing around the islands. We've had good Yellowtail fishing so far this morning. They are biting the yo-yo iron full speed! There are good conditions around the island still. It's encouraging to see this much Yellowtail around this late in the year.
"Tomorrow we are going to be traveling up. It's the time to take it easy, we'll be breaking down our gear. We'll get into San Diego Sunday morning at 7 AM. We'll see you there."
Reported by:Justin Fleck
Sunday, December 11
BRAID 16 DAY
Jugged: Braid 16-Day Justin Fleck brought Excel home from the annual Braid trip with a dozen cows for his 23 anglers. The holds were full of fish, about a dozen per fisherman, mostly tuna of 100 to 200 pounds. Justin said fishing was excellent whenever he could get the boat positioned to take advantage of the current. Matt Kimmell of Arlington, TX won the jackpot on his first trip, for a 238-pound tuna. He also had another of 210 pounds. He fished the double sardine rig under the kite with a boat set up, an Accurate Atd 50w filled with 130 pound Jerry Brown spectra and a short top shot of 130 pound Berkley Big game. The rod was a Super Seeker.He said the fish came in after an hour-long fight. “My best fish before was a 44-pound tuna,” he noted. Long-time Excel rider Kenny Cirks of Orange won second place for his 223-pounder. He also had a 205-pound tuna. Cirks said he baited sardines under a balloon, on Mustad 6/0 Demon hooks tied to 100-pound Big Game line and 130-pound Line One spectra, on an Accurate ATD 30 topless reel and a Calstar X46XH rod. The big one thwarted him for an hour and a half before it came to gaff. Alex McKeever of Long Beach won third place for a 220.8-pound tuna. He said it ate a chunk on a 7/0 Mustad Demon hook on 130-pound Seaguar Premier, 130-pound Izorline spectra, a Penn 50 SW reel by Cal Sheets and a Calstar X46XH rod. Robert Sansom of El Cajon got two cows of 239 and 205 pounds. The big one died and had to be retrieved by the crew off the bottom, and so wasn’t eligible. Robert said he baited chunks on 7/0 Mustad Demon hooks tied to a Basil topshot of 130-pound Seaguar Premier and Line One 130-pound spectra. He fished with an Avet 4/0 and a Calstar 770 XXH rod, and fought that big one for two hours before it expired. “This is the first trip when I got big ones with every method,” remarked Andy Marcum of Oceanside, a long-time regular. “I got ‘em with the sinker method, on the chunk and the flyline.” Andy got two cows of 220 and 215 pounds. He baited sardines on 8/0 ringed Mustad Demon 4X hooks and 130-pound Seaguar Premier fluorocarbon. He used 130-pound Line One spectra, a Penn 50 VSW reel and brought the biggest one in after a 45-minute fight. Jerry Thergesen of Orange bagged a 208-pounder with a chunk on an 8/0 Eagle Claw hook tied to a 100-pound Basil wind-on leader on 130-pound Line One spectra, with a Penn 50 reel and a Calstar 6455 XXH rod. Don Burnside of San Diego brought home a 206-pound tuna that bit on the double trouble sardine rig under the kite. He used an 8/0 Mustad Demon hook on 130-pound Momoi fluorocarbon and 130-pound Line One spectra on a Penn 70 reel by Larry Coffeen and a Calstar 760 XH rod to do the job in 45 minutes. Todd Thergesen of Orange caught a 204-pound yellowfin tuna with a chunk on an 8/0 Mustad Demon hook on 130-pound Seaguar Premier fluorocarbon, 130-pound Big Game line and 80-pound Line One spectra on a Penn 50 reel and a Calstar 6455 XXH rod. Dennis Braid sponsored and won the release contest aboard the Excel. He released 640 pounds of tuna. Runner-up Basil Pappas (the wind-on leader builder BHP Tackle) of New York had 350 pounds of released Hurricane Bank yellowfin tuna.
Reported by:Justin Fleck
Sunday, December 11
Excel finishes the Braid 16 Day Trip with 12 Cows for 23 Anglers
Justin Fleck brought Excel home from the annual Braid trip with a dozen cows for his 23 anglers. The holds were full of fish, about a dozen per fisherman, mostly tuna of 100 to 200 pounds. Justin said fishing was excellent whenever he could get the boat positioned to take advantage of the current.
Matt Kimmell of Arlington, TX won the jackpot on his first trip, for a 238-pound tuna. He also had another of 210 pounds. He fished the double sardine rig under the kite with a boat kite outfit. He said the fish came in after an hour-long fight. “My best fish before was a 44-pound tuna,” he noted.
Long-time Excel rider Kenny Cirks of Orange won second place for his 223-pounder. He also had a 205-pound tuna. Cirks said he baited sardines under a balloon, on Mustad 6/0 Demon hooks tied to 100-pound Big Game line and 130-pound Line One spectra, on an Accurate ATD 30 topless reel and a Calstar X46XH rod. The big one thwarted him for an hour and a half before it came to gaff.
Alex McKeever of Long Beach won third place for a 220.8-pound tuna. He said it ate a chunk on a 7/0 Mustad Demon hook on 130-pound Seaguar Premier, 130-pound Izorline spectra, a Penn 50 SW reel by Cal Sheets and a Calstar X46XH rod.
Robert Sansom of El Cajon got two cows of 239 and 205 pounds. The big one died and had to be retrieved by the crew off the bottom, and so wasn't eligible. Robert said he baited chunks on 7/0 Mustad Demon hooks tied to a Basil topshot of 130-pound Seaguar Premier and Line One 130-pound spectra. He fished with an Avet 4/0 and a Calstar 770 XXH rod, and fought that big one for two hours before it expired.
"This is the first trip when I got big ones with every method,” remarked Andy Marcum of Oceanside, a long-time regular. “I got ‘em with the sinker method, on the chunk and the flyline." Andy got two cows of 220 and 215 pounds. He baited sardines on 8/0 ringed Mustad Demon 4X hooks and 130-pound Seaguar Premier fluorocarbon. He used 130-pound Line One spectra, a Penn 50 VSW reel and brought the biggest one in after a 45-minute fight.
Jerry Thergesen of Orange bagged a 208-pounder with a chunk on an 8/0 Eagle Claw hook tied to a 100-pound Basil wind-on leader on 130-pound Line One spectra, with a Penn 50 reel and a Calstar 6455 XXH rod.
Don Burnside of San Diego brought home a 206-pound tuna that bit on the double trouble sardine rig under the kite. He used an 8/0 Mustad Demon hook on 130-pound Momoi fluorocarbon and 130-pound Line One spectra on a Penn 70 reel by Larry Coffeen and a Calstar 760 XH rod to do the job in 45 minutes.
Todd Thergesen of Orange caught a 204-pound yellowfin tuna with a chunk on an 8/0 Mustad Demon hook on 130-pound Seaguar Premier fluorocarbon, 130-pound Big Game line and 80-pound Line One spectra on a Penn 50 reel and a Calstar 6455 XXH rod.
Dennis Braid sponsored and won the release contest aboard the Excel. He released 640 pounds of tuna. Runner-up Basil Pappas (the wind-on leader builder) of New York had 350 pounds of released Hurricane Bank yellowfin tuna.
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