WHAT HAPPENED TO ALL THE BAILERS?!?!?!

[SharkJP]

I can count the mahi we have caught this year on one hand. Now, dont get me wrong, fishing has been spectacular this season and its tough to complain...in fact, this post isnt complaining at all, more just curiosity.


I have had this talk with a few people and opinions certainly vary, but what do yall think is the reason for the lack of "trip savers" out there?? We have yet to pick one off a pot all year and have run across some very appealing floating debris out there and have yet to find one holding mahi.


I also dont remember a year with this much bait around and such pretty water so close to the beach. It seems like we have blue water 10 miles off. Maybe there just hasnt been such a need for them to school up like in years past, but I have no real idea.

Any thoughts?

[jtocean]

4 nice gaffers and missed a white marlin.

[Sailfishy]

I know what you mean. I have had a around 20 nice dolphin this year and nothing was under 10 lbs. Last year this time ball hopping in the canyons was a sure fire way to get fish in the box. I know that the second week in june we found a weedline in 60fathoms of the balitmore and it was loaded with mahi but no bailers. Water temps were alot cooler too.

[RWW]

All of mine this year have been 10 pounds or more as well. Smallest was from the Jackspot first of July. All of mine have been pretty random in that there were no pots or anything floating around out there where I have caught them. Got a very nice one Saturday, 49 inches and two smaller ones between the Hambone and hotdog. Sunday got one on the second sausage and a 53 inch Wahoo on the third sausage. Wahoo was a first for me....well my 9 year old caught it
Nice fish JT

[mikehalseyjr]

I think there are a lot of blue marlin eating them.

I worked some high flyers a few weeks ago just to add some variety in the box, no one home.

Mike

[frankypettolina]

I have had ok bailer fishing in July's past, but really I think the better numbers are in Aug and Sept. Also there has been more pressure in the canyons this year than the past couple with the good yellowfin action that has had many boats out every weekend and most week days. The balls get hit hard every day and the fish are not given a chance to stack up. Thats my 2 cents.

And I promise you if I get within a hundred yards of a ball any of my 3 days next week there will be 100s of 2 pounders coming out to butt rape my dredges and dink baits.....

[Bonehead]

Also there has been more pressure in the canyons this year than the past couple with the good yellowfin action that has had many boats out every weekend and most week days......

Agreed. So much for a rough economy. A good tuna bite and people would pay $10 per gallon. This has to be one of the best charter years in a long time. That's a good thing, unless you want bailers. I haven't caught a single mahi all year.

[SharkJP]

I wish I could say I was part of the group capitalizing on the larger gaffers, but I have to say the ones I have seen on the dock have been a nice class of fish. Still, it is hard to complain about the fishing this season, but I can be curious.


I would say that guys have seen more blue marlin this year (especially early in the season) than in years past. There has to be something to the theory that they are feeding on the smaller mahi...

[frankypettolina]

I have had more charters this year than the past 2, but it still far from a good year. The private boats are fishing a little more, and I have had a lot of calls from people looking for me to discount my rate, which i won't do, but i know for a fact there are several cut rate half assed charter boats out there that do. So they are probably sailing more.

I still say it is early to make a call on the mahi- if they don't show by mid august it is time to sound the alarm.

[SharkJP]

And I promise you if I get within a hundred yards of a ball any of my 3 days next week there will be 100s of 2 pounders coming out to butt rape my dredges and dink baits.....

I magically retract that lil hex. Instead there will be a 96lb white there

Tear em up next week Franky!