Royal Star Long Range fishing report 10 day trip 11-28
11/27/10
Posted: 11:36:00
We begin the annual Let's Talk Hookup, post Thanksgiving ten day voyage appropriately grateful for our good fortune. This group of anglers is a perfect example of what to expect when embarking on a Royal Star long range voyage. The core group of individuals greeting one another as old friends, the anglers new to this voyage making introductions and joining the many lively conversations, everyone fired up and pleased beyond words that this day has finally arrived and we are making way towards the famed big fish grounds so productive during the previous three weeks - this is it. Departure day has arrived and we are going fishing.
We are loaded for bear in every respect. With a couple of days at the dock to prepare accordingly we got an early jump departing just after the Saturday morning radio show featuring Pete Grey and "Rock Cod" Rick Maxa. With Rick on board by 0930, we were underway south enjoying a picturesque morning featuring flat calm seas and crystal clear skies. It was a ideal opportunity for this group of veteran anglers to settle in, fiddle with some gear, and most importantly relax and unwind.
Tomorrow the real rigging and preparation will begin. Prospects are as good as ever down below with plenty of sign in several different zones. The big question is whether the devils will be in a biting mood or not. Combined with this round of voyages is an upcoming new moon that we hope will be catalyst for another round of consistent big fish action. Sometimes it makes a difference, sometimes it doesn't. For now we will go with it content to be heading toward the grounds regardless.
Now that I am back at the helm daily reports will commence and continue with consistency. Needless to say we are ready to get back at it and establish another positive trend.
Posted: 07:55:00
We took the express route down the inside enjoying spectacular afternoon scenery while appreciating a flat calm ride. Not that it would have been calm heading in the opposite direction. Breezy, sloppy conditions were directly astern providing an added push on our heading while doing little to affect our comfort. As such we passed the day in rigging and preparation mode aside from a few morning rain intervals that sent everyone scrambling inside for cover. With most of the day's chores accomplished by mid afternoon angler's easily transitioned into leisure mode passing the time by taking in the sights, yarning amongst one another, or glued to the Sunday football marathon in the galley. It was all good.
Tomorrow will again be passed in travel mode as we make way toward big fish country in continuing sloppy conditions. There may be a stop or two as we cross over a few shallows tomorrow but the main thrust will begin the following day on the trophy tuna grounds. I have to admit that sea conditions being what they are there is little motivation to stop and target small ridge variety at this stage of the trip. We'll keep it on the back burner for later.
Look for reports to continue and enjoy the day to come.
Tim Ekstrom
11/29/10
Posted: 07:22:00
Dawn broke to reveal exactly what the weather man predicted. If nothing else we were mighty pleased to be traveling with the wind and seas. There was nothing about the scenery that prompted one to do anything other than settle in, hunker down, and enjoy the ride. We took advantage of the last travel day to make final preparations and talk shop lining up for an early morning arrival on the grounds tomorrow.
Normally one would have at least an hour or two to stop and sling on a few fish along the ridge. The weather being what it was took all the fun out of that idea. The good news, and we began to see and feel the change just before sundown, is that the forecast is calling for the break we are hoping for over the next couple of days. It's not promising flat calm, but what we see is workable and improving over the next three days.
First and foremost are the fish however. Conditions and details add up to zero less those. Reports from our colleagues arriving on the ground today are encouraging with sign of bigger fish confirmed by several over the coveted two hundred mark landed. Needless to say we are hoping plenty more of their friends are ready and willing. For us the game begins tomorrow. Stay tuned for details.
Posted: 05:30:00
We went followed an adventurous notion out of the gates only to be shunned by the majority of the paltry amount of fish we did encounter. There was good enough potential to charge my optimism, but the thrill was gone by mid day with the writing clearly on the wall. If we were going to get it done another round of prospecting was the call.
The call went unanswered however as the present set up is not offering much. Call it the down side of the cycle or blame it on the sloppy weather. Either way there is presently very little to find in the lower zone. The good news is that we are well familiar with the peaks and valleys of fishing recalling countless times when an ominous setting turns on a dime and kicks out stellar fishing. That is what we are hoping for. There is enough sign around, especially of big cows, to maintain optimism.
Thus far the weather man has been dead on with the promised, coveted flat calm conditions beginning to show signs of occurring tomorrow and beyond. While there was no such indication this morning, and plenty of frustration with the breezy conditions, the mid and late afternoon featured a completely different ocean. It was a relief in every respect; not the least of which is that we were able to effectively cover the ocean while searching for signs of fish.
Day's end found us in perfect position to target big fish tomorrow as we set up proper on the "Angus" bank along with our colleagues. While there hasn't been a lot of action, there have been a few shots at genuine trophy class fish. We'll see if such fortune is in our cards tomorrow. We are committed to the trophy zone for at least a day, perhaps two, before taking a shot at variety and/or quantity elsewhere.
Posted: 11:47:00
It was like deja vu around here today; fish crashing all around the boat, grease calm weather, struggling to hook one when anyone would believe from what they were seeing that they should be biting well. We have seen this so many times in the lower banks area, particularly during the past couple of years, that it felt like groundhog day.This was again an exercise in patience and dedication. It simply confounds reason to see all those fish delighting in our offerings while refusing our best efforts to welcome them onboard. Amazing. What was really amazing though were the real anglers at the rail all day putting forth every effort possible to hook the dream fish they came for. I saw genuine effort, perseverance, and fishing going on out there from before daylight through dark. A few anglers were rewarded. More were not. Great fishing; very tough catching.
It was one of those days. And, it is one of those junctures when the present set up does not offer plentiful options. In fact, for a trophy yellowfin tuna this is the only game in this town. It is a rare occasion in the world of long range fishing that were are boxed in by the available options. But, fishing is fishing. We are harboring sufficient optimism and drive to make it happen. If it is not in the cards, we will move on, up, our out as necessary. Whatever the outcome, it will not be from lack of big fish sign. Rest assured they are still here. We see them.
Nothing like a slice of humble pie to put things in perspective. Our photo today features one of our fortunate anglers who wasn't among those sharing the distasteful pastry. Willie Pennington, with a heart of gold, and positive attitude and optimism enough for the entire boat, landed his mid afternoon 179 in short order on the "big" gear. Using the 130# to quickly conquer his trophy, Willie is all smiles that he both won the contest, and had the right gear in hand when opportunity knocked. Congratulations to Willie who earned this catch all the way.
Posted: 10:58:00
I can't get too wordy about the fishing today. About the sign of fish, about the most gorgeous, flat calm weather imaginable, about Chef Drew Rivera's stellar creations in the galley, or any number of other positive features of the day I could. But I won't. The masquerade would be too obvious. The straight up, zero spin delivery is hard to swallow, but necessary to provide contrast at the very least.
We landed nothing today. Zero. Hooked a couple, saw plenty, worked our tails off, and caught absolutely nothing. We even threw the towel in, took off prospecting, and found good sign of 50 - 100# yellowfin on one of the other banks in the late afternoon. Mid grade class fish were jumping everywhere scattered all around the bank in perfect sport fishing concentrations. Salvation was at our door. Within one minute of arrival we had a good spot under us, offered plenty of incentive, had twenty two anglers revved up with hot baits in the mix immediately, had fish crashing all around, and still caught zero. I do recall on that first round that one angler had a skinned up bait from a half hearted bite. That is about as much humor as I can add to the narrative today. This is a tough go.
And while I recognize and empathize with our anglers' colossal sense of disappointment there is no one suffering more than yours truly. This does not happen very often. In fact, this is one of two or three times in my twenty two years of running ten day voyages that we are in this position at this stage of the trip. The big difference between this case and the others is the sign of fish we are seeing. I recall the other tough times were the result of there simply being no fish to catch. This time it is loads of fish that absolutely will not bite; or at least not bite with the kind of abandon we require to satisfy our expectations.
This is not a sob story however. My intention is to report accurately and provide everyone reading a realistic perspective. Slow fishing does happen. It is not the rule in long range fishing. In fact the exact opposite is true. Ninety five percent of the time, perhaps more, we get on the fish and build fantastic catches through the knowledge we have gained and incredible resources we have developed. But nowhere is insulated from the fact that it is fishing. My dearest mentor Steve Loomis used to comment regularly about the fact that we can only maintain and control the professional effort and service we offer. The fishing, and to some extent the weather, are not ours to command.
Needless to say we are all desperate for a change of venue and pace. Enough is enough. So we will see how tomorrow unfolds as we scoot up the line in search of some yankin' and crankin' to restore spirits and enthusiasm for the effort this voyage. Beyond that we will see. We still have time and options available. Other than the fact that we are presently in a tight spot nothing is set in stone. With any luck we'll be singing a different tune tomorrow with a few fish in the hatch and confidence lifted by some good fishing action and fun.
Photo today features the familiar "derby" of living long range legend Frank Matsuhara who had an epic battle on his hands fighting this devil fish of a yellowfin tuna. Every once in a while we experience a yellowfin with mutant strength that defies all reason. There have been a handful prominent in my memory as possessed demons that absolutely ruined both anglers and crew. The fish in this photo, at a mere 170 pounds, made the list. After Frank gave it his all, and crewman Steve Gregonis got his ass handed to him, it was time for me to step in and demonstrate how it is done. Right. Twenty minutes later, with the fish at color the entire time, I was huffing and puffing, sweating buckets, still pulling for all I was worth, and gaining little ground. Every time I pulled this fish would pull back harder with jack hammer tail beats punishing the rod. Under the boat, in the wheels, up the side, around the anchor line, back under the boat - all the while pulling like a tractor trailer on the end of the line. I'm happy to report that I did prevail. I also report that I had some choice, unsympathetic words for this rotten S.O.B. when he hit the deck. What a warrior. The battle continues.
Posted: 16:37:00
I have to say that I'm not quite certain how to correctly frame this day in totality. This is one of those occasions when it is better to focus on the immediate, embrace the positive, and go with it. No use crying over spilled milk; or un manifested opportunity.
The action we were seeking did occur. Swarms of small yellowfin tuna attacked virtually anything following a nail biting first half of the morning that produced nothing. We ran on solid reports of good sign and fishing for school size yellowfin tuna and yellowtail. Very good water conditions, perfect current, loads of fish - the whole picture sounded great and fit the bill to perfection. We set our strategy in motion prepared to slide in at the crack of dawn and get down to business. One can imagine my dismay as the water temperature plummeted two degrees, the current was screaming in the exact opposite direction than was relayed, the water color was green, and the culmination of our two hour effort was two small white fish; one of which didn't even bite a baited hook. It was snagged in the rear. Long range fishing at it's finest.
It was one of those occasions when the threatening sentiment was defeatism. To see that kind of change overnight in advance of our arrival definitely had the flavor of injustice; especially after the beating endured for three consecutive days prior. It was almost laughable. But not a joyous laugh. A sardonic laugh of contempt and disgust. Rather than succumb to the temptation to pout however we hit the road looking. I would classify the overall atmosphere at the time as grave; border line shell shock on deck.
A few hours into the hunt we came upon the happy hunting grounds. The fact that it was small tuna at that point really didn't matter. The fact that we were amidst hoards of voracious fish that wanted to die definitely did. Wave after wave mounted their assaults, and wave after wave were cut down by anglers starved for action, and production, over the past three days. We didn't get carried away or anything, but we definitely slapped plenty of tags on tuna that would have otherwise been released on most occasions. So be it. The therapeutic exercise of tearing those tags off, depositing a few in the hatch, and catching fish after fish to our heart's content went a long way toward restoring confidence and enthusiasm for the effort. The long rods came out, surface poppers were smashed nearly every cast, every bait was mercilessly chased and hammered for the guys fishing up the side - it was the exact pace necessary to engage even the staunchest trophy hunter's interest.
No one was under any illusions about the overall setting. A bunch of small tuna does not a long range catch make. But, today's action was a chance to cast the purist trophy objective aside and relish the essence fishing. Fishing for the pure fun of it. We all love to catch fish. The kid comes out in us whether fishing for giant tuna or bluegill in a pond when they are biting. That is really why we are crazy enough to come out here and drive around the ocean for days at a time. To capture that moment, preferably those moments, when we can let it all go and connect with a primal pleasure unfound in our daily chores. This was a taste of it albeit a miniscule hint of the world class flavor we had our sights on.
There you have it. It wasn't a trip saver, or a crowning moment of pride for Royal Star and our anglers on board. But would we have been better without it? No. I'm not going to venture that this is exactly what we needed; but we needed something. Something we got. The effect on morale was palpable. So the journey continues as we head for another day of something or better. Yellowfin tuna and yellowtail are still on the menu as we ply the southern waters for a final full day before working our way up the line. First things first however. We are not done, down, or out yet; not by a long shot.
12/04/10
Posted: 15:39:00
Finally a day of fishing and catching on respectable grade tuna and yellowtail in continuing flat calm conditions. If there is one thing to really tout over the past five days I have to credit the weather and seas that have been nothing short of amazing. It is and has been like a mill pond. It is one of those periods when it is difficult to determine that we are even on the ocean. Without looking outside, one would suppose we were sitting in the bay or a protected anchorage. While the fact may not seem worth a paragraph of description I can assure everyone it is. Suffering through slow fishing is difficult and challenging. Suffering through the combination of slow fishing and poor weather is miserable and demoralizing.
Thankfully though there is no misery to report from today's effort. We made a final jump across the pond to find steady fishing and good signs of 20 - 77# yellowfin tuna and 20 - 30# class yellowtail. It wasn't knock it out of the park, barn burner type action, but the majority of the day was spent with anglers at the rail fishing with a high degree of confidence. There were a few times when the action heated up and bites were easy to come by. But the majority of the day was scratch fishing rewarding those at the rail with the right gear, good baits, and good touch with a quality tuna or yellowtail. Even my toughest critic, yours truly, deemed the day a success. It is much more fun on days like this.
Taking all things into account we made the call to remain on the lower grounds for a final morning before throwing in the towel and heading for the barn. The potential for a good morning hit on quality tuna and yellowtail here far outweighs any other available option. We are somewhat hanging it out in the process, but that point is moot in this situation. Whatever it takes. However we can make it happen is how we go about it. Every time.
Photo today features angler Jim Trosper enjoying a classic sundown moment pulling on what became our biggest fish of the day. Flying the "Let's Talk Hookup" flag in cap form Jim landed his 77# yellowfin tuna after a couple of laps around the boat and at least one hundred revolutions around the anchor line. Fortunately the anchor line phase simply added dramatic flair to a successful outcome. It was a great ending to Jim's day of fishing that was productive and successful in every respect.
Tim Ekstrom
12/05/10
Posted: 13:55:00
A happy ending in every respect. Similar fishing to the previous day but a little steadier for a nice grand finale. Same grade of fish - 20 to 30 pounds with a handful of 60 - 70 pound standouts. Every one that came over the rail was appreciated. By the end of it, we were good on fish; plenty in the hatch to satisfy the quantity expectation. The flat calm stretch continued though it appears that the honeymoon may come to an end in the morning tomorrow. No big blow, or threatening conditions, but a big change from what we have become accustomed to over the past five days. Fifteen knots of breeze will add up to nothing more than a little bumpin' and jumpin'. Compared to the present lake calm however there will be quite a contrast.
No surprises though as we have a sea worthy group of anglers on board well prepared to contend with whatever Mother Nature offers. Regarding this group of anglers I want to mention that they were real troopers maturely accepting and making the best of tough times in the beginning. By day three a few brave souls ventured inquiries as to our plan B, and the timing of it's execution. I understood, and politely explained the strategy again. It is natural and expected that everyone has a breaking point. Forthright communication and unequivocal leadership is paramount when the fishing falls off. Fortunately the vast majority of anglers see the situation for what it is and make the most of it. What else is there to do when fishing slows down; or stops as in the case of the first few days this trip?
What not to do is pout, feel sorry for one's self, feel that the world has turned against you, or succumb to the worst temptation of them all - become your own Captain trying to pilot the vessel from downstairs. That is a losing proposition; a zero sum game that disrupts morale and serves to make an already difficult situation that much worse. The majority of the guys driving these vessel's boast year's of experience plying these waters making consistent catches of fish. They are professionals who have accumulated thousands of days on the ocean as fishermen. If the fish are there to be caught, odds are ninety nine out of a hundred that your voyage will be on them.
While we had no examples of the above mentioned negatives on this voyage, I always consider, and watch for signs closely, during these inevitable occasions when the fishing goes south. Again this group was extraordinary keeping spirits elevated and light with laughter and a keen understanding of the fact that fishing is fishing. There might have been one or two on the brink by day three of catching almost nothing, but the anglers themselves reeled in even the slightest dissent through their confidence in our professional ability; among the many reasons why I feel such strong kinship with our Royal Star anglers. They have my back. And I have their's.
Back to the best part however. We ended on a high note. Strategically, not by accident, the voyage ended as a success. A relative success mind you, but success is success. We absolutely made the most of the opportunities presented to us during this ten day period in the upper zone. Our visions of glory were definitely adjusted. But once we accepted the reality that big fish were not to be part of the equation during this trip, after every possible moment we had to dedicate to the giant yellowfin pursuit was exhausted, we shifted gears and set about the business of making our catch elsewhere. That was plan B all along. Thank goodness it worked. The buck stops here.
Tim Ekstrom
12/06/10
Posted: 15:52:00
Mother Nature pulled a fast one on everybody marring our final act with a nautical theme featuring the darker side of the elements. Bumpy rides up the line are nothing new being generally accepted as the rule; calm weather traveling northward is definitely the exception. What made the mentionable list today was the reliability of our beloved weather forecasters who consistently call it with incredible accuracy. All the models, from all our different resources, called for flat calm. Boy were we looking forward to slipping through the door unscathed even going as far as exulting in our good timing in advance of our passage. Then came the inevitable reality check almost always associated with any type of pervasive certainty at sea. Twenty to twenty five knots of wind with a pretty fair sea state building throughout the afternoon. Nice - just in time for the lustily anticipated prime rib dinner.
Oh it wasn't horrible for a vessel of our capability, or even close, but our behind was definitely chapped as we slogged our way through it. It is actually very rare nowadays that we are blind sided with a significant, unexpected increase in the weather. The forecasters at NOAA are very adept in my experience. Today's enjoyment is just another one of many examples of who wears the pants out here. She reminds us pretty regular lest we entertain any notions otherwise. It should also serve to remind all the brave souls on private and/or smaller vessels entertaining ideas of going long and far that rapid, unforeseen changes still occur on the high seas. A lot of respect, and perhaps even a little bit of fear goes a long way toward appropriate preparedness when venturing beyond the reach of safe harbor.
Our arrival tomorrow will be followed by a short and sweet respite with one night on the home front before departure Wednesday morning. We are plenty grateful with the result of our fishing during this run in light of the fact that it could have been much worse. We were facing a pretty ominous set of conditions, and rapidly running out of time, only to pull it out the final two days with some good action on a nice grade of yellowfin tuna and yellowtail. Had it not been for the final two days whoa, I shudder to think. Regardless we are again thankful for the acknowledgement of the obvious, and support from this fantastic group of anglers throughout this adventure. They made a good time of it through thick and thin.
Also, our most gracious thanks to "Rock Cod" Rick Maxa representing the Let's Talk Hookup show on this annual ten day charter. There is no better representative of Southern California sport fishing than Pete and Ricky's program. They are the uncontested leader's in their profession. All of our support for the Let's Talk Hookup program serves this fishery well. Rick did a fantastic job as always putting his time in at the rail, encouraging fellow anglers, and contributing to the overall tenor with his incredibly positive perspective.
Look for reports to continue beginning Thursday as Captain Randy Toussaint and I throw our full weight behind the helm on our annual Bart Ryder/Accurate charter. Until then have a fine few days. Were out.
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