Posted: 09:59:00
Another big day of fun on the waterfront as multiple big long rangers made the turn and quickly diffused the carnival like atmosphere alive with energy. Fired up by the sight of so many successful catches being unloaded fishermen embarking on their vessels of choice mingled with those returning extracting tales and tips from afar to fine tune their upcoming approach with real time information. Between that and the opportunity to interact with so many other departing anglers the morning had a distinctly positive tone that was welcome to my eye.
So effective was the run down that anglers received while we tended to the task of completing a two and a half hour turn around that when we had our opening meeting and safety seminar a few hours later they were nearly as informed as I about the overall picture and our many different options. It made for a lively discussion as we steamed south opting for a wealth of fishing time on this annual seven day North County Fire fighters run.
We'll see how it shakes out in the end. For now we are pleased with the idea of six fishing days targeting everything from yellowfin, bluefin, and dorado offshore to coastal yellowtail and of course the coveted Guadalupe yellowfin. Good working weather for at least a couple of days promises a pleasant time of it as we apply our effort to the offshore pursuit of tuna and dorado for the opening round. Between a primo load of bait, an epic group of positive, like minded anglers, and a present set of options almost too good to be true we are ready to set the ball in motion.
Of late though this offshore tuna has been a little slippery to say the least. Keeping this in mind we head forth with measured enthusiasm considering day one a prospecting mission with encouraging odds. Either way reports with details will continue throughout the week.
Posted: 09:59:00
Overall a good day of offshore fishing with school size yellowfin making a strong showing for a few hours in the morning for just about everyone on the grounds. Different today was the reluctance of numerous spots to bite that added a bit of frustration to the effort as it required more than just finding a school to get the job done; one had to find the right school of which there were only a few. Otherwise it was short stop or quick hit type fishing where we would hit a spot, get ten to twenty fish, then get rolling again in short order to find another.
In the end, whether finding one good spot that was suicidal, or accumulating them ten to twenty at a time, they added up the same. Satisfied by day's end, but far from sated with this size fish and this type fishing, we maintained our southerly momentum setting up for a change of pace in coastal yellowtail fishing tomorrow. Consistent stability in the offshore conditions suggests that we may find more opportunity at these school size yellowfin and bluefin on the back end of the voyage. While we would never bank on it, or count our chickens so to speak, it's at least a thought we are harboring.
Still in an ideal position with a wealth of time, bait, and good working weather our foundation for success appears sound. As long as the fish hold up their end we are good to go. Time will tell.
Tim Ekstrom
09/19/11
Posted: 15:16:00
There were many highlights from today's fishing exploits. From my vantage point the best by far was when charter master Tim Marshall was winding his surface jig through an intense swarm of yellowtail that was so charged up that none could manage to get the iron down. To begin with one twenty pound yellow, that was completely over the edge, jumped clear from the water in an attempt to best his numerous competitors. Those who fish for yellowtail regularly know how rare this is, and what the indication of such behavior is.
About 99.9 percent of the time yellowtail, even when biting furiously, crash on the surface and create a phenomenal show by carving out big wedges as they slash and turn while chasing panicked bait fish. But for a rare occasion the are not a surface feeding fish that jumps. When that rare occasion does occur it is almost certainly a result of yellows frenzied to the point of complete abandon. And as it does not happen often it really stands out to one who spends a tremendous amount of time observing.
Back to the original story Tim Marshall was winding his jig through this churning morass of yellowtail when one jumped about a foot clear of the water knocking his jig sideways in the process. Before he could even take a quick couple of winds to straighten out the slack another one jumped on it managing to foul the line in the hooks on the back end. After that Tim continued the retrieve that was rendered useless as the fouled jig grabbed and skipped the remaining way in. Almost unbelievably the frantic yellows continued to pursue and smash the screwed up jig right to the boat. And I have to say that although the whole episode did not result in a fish hooked or landed the show was far better as a result; and he hooked one on the next cast anyway, as did everyone else.
It was a good morning of steady yellowtail action punctuated by a long mid day lull that led well into the early evening. Then from a collective looking effort organized with our colleague, we got on to another area in the evening that led to the above detailed scenario. It was a perfect ending to a full day of good fishing, beautiful weather, and epic scenery.
Regulating production to stretch this paradise into at least one more morning we also accomplished the goal of topping off on "soft bait" preparing for our final westerly leg of the voyage. First things first however we will dedicate a little more effort toward the coastal yellowtail before heading offshore in the afternoon in search of "flats" and tuna. For certain the door for anything to occur is open. At this time of the year, with a wealth of good conditions to choose from, everywhere holds the potential for surprise. Bigeye is what I am thinking. It's a stretch, but still well within reason.
You're probably going to have to use a bit of imagination to interpret today's photos that unfortunately barely capture the action of scooping live day time squid. The balls get chased up by marauding yellowtail and sometimes remain on the surface long enough for us to load up. I can not sufficiently express the joy of such occasions. Everyone on board gets fired up at the sight and prospects a booming load of primo squid represents. It's no guarantee of fish, but it is as close as one can get - if we find 'em. In today's photo Captain Gregg Tanji and Chief Sean Bickel are getting the job well done.
Posted: 10:36:00
Yesterday's coastal yellowtail action carried right through today beginning early and continuing until anglers threw in the towel thoroughly spent from pulling on seemingly endless 20 - 25# yellowtail. And I do mean seemingly endless as the sheer quantity of fish around is difficult to imagine. At times when the fish were up and trashing their favorite treat it was a spectacle of proportions most sport fishermen could not believe unless living in the first person. And the good news in this case, and in the case of these fish throughout this season, is their enthusiasm for biting. It is one thing to see them. It's another to see them in full feeding mode then receive the expected reaction.
Surface irons, live baits, and just about anything one wished to use was effective leading to a final couple of drifts that focused on fishing for the pure fun of it. With production goals fully met a handful or two of anglers broke out the bass tackle and ultra light outfits to try their hand at taming a few of these yellows in a more sporting fashion. It made for good fun as the guys tested the limits of their lighter gear while presenting a variety of unconventional yellowtail offerings that, given the willingness of the fish to bite, worked to perfection.
Now we shift modes geared up for the pursuit of trophies to the west. All quantity goals have been met, the weather is fine, and time is still in our favor. Between this group of highly motivated anglers and the load of bait we are presently carrying we are positioned as well as one can be. Photo today features veteran long range angler Cliff Joralmon with a thirty pound class yellowtail landed on the bass gear during one of our many successful morning drifts.
Tim Ekstrom
09/21/11
Posted: 13:12:00
No surprise at the big island today as scant sign and lack of conditions made for great fishing but poor catching. But from numerous previous outings this season we have learned and adapted. Key to this day of success, yes - success, is the position we are still in, and the conditions we have to fish in. I'll spare the verbose driftings about the breathtaking beauty of the atmosphere today. It is an inherent fact when fishing this island. Of course there are times when conditions break down, and the fierce beauty of this massive haven becomes frightful, but, as I have offered many times before, such is the nature of this ocean; and our beloved opposite gender. That's a tangent I'll leave at that.
Back to fishing though we find ourselves in the uniquely satisfying position of being fish rich and quality hungry. The fish rich part of the equation dictates that we focus our effort toward the best and biggest, regardless of the pace, for as long as possible; and we are fully content to do so. After three days of solid steady action on offshore tuna and coastal yellowtail the change of pace was understood and embraced by all. It is a pure quality pursuit now; time at the rail; perfectly prepared gear, and perhaps a touch of good fortune is the recipe for success. And between bites, which represented the entire day for the majority of these anglers, it was impossible to miss the surrounding contrast. The flat calm seas, stark vistas, and behemoth Mesozoic outcrops of Isla Guadalupe have a way of shrinking even the staunchest self importance. A full day at the rail without a bite does a good job of it too.
We went four for eight today from a variety of anchor positions that offered a taste in the form of a few fish crashing around, but little in the way of action. There is reason for encouragement though as we saw the similar sign of a little fish in a lot of places. If conditions here align, and the fish stack up in one place, there will be a day of reckoning. Suffice to say we are hoping that day is in our near future, like tomorrow. Even if not however we are content to scratch every last one we can stretching our time on the outside through tomorrow evening. At the very least, after battling conditions in the form of zero current this morning, I feel that even a little flow stands to elicit a significant change in production. We'll see if tomorrow is the day.
Photos today feature Charter master Tim Marshall, who had the hot hand today landing fifty percent of our catch with two seventy pound class Guadalupe Yellowfin, and Royal Star veteran Art Holcomb, who does a good job of demonstrating the contrast I was mentioning, pulling on a good one with Outer Rock looming overhead.
Tim Ekstrom
9/22/11
Posted: 09:56:00
Ecstasy and agony is how I would describe it - in about equal proportions. And the best part about it was that the ecstasy followed the agony, for most. Translated ecstasy took the form of good fishing for trophy yellowfin tuna; far better than anything we have experienced since July. Agony took the familiar grey, elongate, corpulent form of the Great White Shark, or sharks in today's case, that did their best to rain on our parade.
When all was said and done though, with the exception of an unfortunate few anglers that paid the tax and received the short end of the bargain, we departed feeling like winners in several respects. Best said our results today were not by chance. We methodically executed a strategy beginning on day one that led to the opportunity we were able to make good on. Mind you I'm not taking credit for the good fishing fortune, that happens to anyone and everyone who puts in their time out here, but I'll own the fact that we were more than ready to make good on any opportunity that came our way. It just so happened that this time the stars aligned in our favor.
Now we head north on the final leg in high spirits fueled on fine fishing and superb weather. There is nothing quite like a good day at Guadalupe followed by a departure sans crash helmets and full body armor. Not even a bump or a roll accompanied the ride that felt far more like gliding across a mountain lake than the Pacific Ocean; good times, in every respect. Offshore fishing will be the final pursuit seeking to add color to the catch in the form of a few dorado, or a sparkle of blue in the form of Bluefin tuna; though it might be better to say gold when referencing the bluefin tuna; swimming gold as I call them.
Photo number one today features ecstatic angler Mike Vasile with the second of his two Guadalupe yellowfin hauled through the gauntlet. After suffering the heartless injustice of this island on a couple of past voyages by feeding the locals without reward, Mike's day of reckoning finally arrived; ecstasy defined. Photo number two is purely for contrast; agony defined; for all parties involved. Viva Guadalupe!
Posted: 11:14:00
Tough fishing and conditions here in the offshore grounds where we started our annual Baja Fish Gear seven day after clearing Ensenada last night. We did manage to scratch up 45 tuna and dorado off of various kelps but with deteriorating weather our destination is Guadalupe for tomorrow. Hopefully we can pick up where Tim left off out here while enjoying the lee of the island.
09/23/11
Posted: 14:05:00
Even prior to our final, sixth day of fishing on this seven day voyage the consistency of our success was becoming somewhat surreal. In the beginning I laid out a strategy of what, why, and how then followed through to the letter. It doesn't happen this way too often. Typically we find ourselves adjusting the original plan due to any variety of changes that throw a wrench in the works; such is the nature of fishing. Then, once in a blue moon, everything seems to fall perfectly into place doing a fantastic job of making us look like we know what we are doing. I'll let all of you decide on that one. Of late I have to admit that there have been some pretty convincing examples.
Our final morning of prospecting actually looked as if the bubble was set to burst as we took a track off the beaten path pushing our recent fortune to the limit. It didn't work at all. Finding ourselves in left field by a wide margin I figured it was time blow the carbon out of the exhaust and execute a twenty mile jump in relatively short order. The old saying "he who hesitates is lost" definitely applied. In doing so we went from a obviously fishless ocean to a stretch that somewhat mirrored a set of conditions about six weeks ago. I have made plenty of mention of late about the six fishing sense and such and again this notion applied. As we rolled into this different zone it had that distinct fishy feel I know so well. I knew we were going to find a school; without a doubt. Again I mentioned such to my right hand man Chief Engineer Sean Bickel. And again, not five minutes later, there it was.
A few picking terns were the tip off. As we approached a spread out area of flips and jumpers revealed exactly what we were looking for. When we did get on them wow did they bite. It was game on. Fifteen to twenty two pound yellowfin with a few standout twenty five's was the grade and these anglers were well prepped for action by the long morning fishless morning. Suffice to say we loaded up from the "aquarium style" opportunity that featured hundreds of fish plowing through the corner the entire time. It was a fantastic closing round to put the finishing touch on a voyage of epic proportions. Quantity, quality, in a big way, and variety fulfilled to perfection. Throw in flat calm weather for seven days, and six days of fishing time out of seven days total, and the picture is complete.
Now it is time to return anew as Captain Toussaint resumes command departing tomorrow on our annual Baja Fish Gear seven day voyage. The stage for success is definitely set as another seasoned group of anglers joins Randy and our crew in search of a repeat or better. Meanwhile I remain on the beach to join "Rock Cod" Rick Maxa on Let's Talk Hookup Sunday morning. Between this voyage and the upcoming fall season no doubt we'll have plenty to talk about.
Photo today features long time Royal Star veteran Brett Merrill and crewman Paul Caramao with Brett's first trophy Guadalupe yellowfin. I'll send a few more full resolution photos from the home front tomorrow. Have a fine weekend!
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