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Fish To The Nine Mile Bank It was always the inside joke between me and Sam when we owned the Pacific Queen when we ran local trips. We would never give in and always fish to the last possible minute, thus came the term "fish to the nine mile bank". Last night we went the distance and looked for something different. We started at 120 miles with the Searcher. They had a school of bft for 14 fish and a kelp for 30 nice yellows and a few albacore. In that same zone we could only manage a dozen yellows and one bluefin and that was it. After a long morning, we reevaluated the game plan and started traveling up in order to give us a shot at albacore hopefully during the evening bite time. We ran several hours and didn't catch a fish for 5 or 6 hours and morale was getting low. At 6 O'Clock by sheer luck we ended up at the right place at the right time. We got on a little postage stamp of fish and our guys took full advantage. We caught 56 albacore between 6 and dark and morale flew off the scale. Liam Lowe is not letting his first-ever yellowtail go,literally. Sam Kell caught the first albacore of the day assisted by tarpon gaffer Cuppy Cribben. Reynaldo Guerrero is the proud owner of our first locally caught dorado of the year.
Bottom Of The Ninth, The Guys |
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Up And Down After the local fleet's tough weekend, we were encouraged when we left the dock by a few decent reports. Although it wasn't for everyone a couple of boats managed a few decent scores on albacore which seemed to mean that things were on the upswing. We were on the grounds at daylight and got an immediate jigstrike. There were several short stops for most of the fleet but right about the time we were getting a few, things changed. Where there were once scattered meter marks within minutes the fish were down and there was no sign. The fleet split up in search of and unfortunately the only thing found was increasing wind. We covered quite a bit of ground for not very much but on the other hand, we saw scattered sign over a big area which leads us to believe that there is more around. We ended the day with a stop for 8 albacore - such as the one caught by Brianna Lees - which sure helped the cause. Our total of 15 albacore and 7 bluefin was not from lack of effort by crew or passengers but hopefully can by written off as a down day. The tough day for the fleet should not discourage interest in any way for many reasons. The old saying of "you should have been here yesterday" does not apply for tomorrow and the chance to be here when things bust open is very realistic.
Looking Forward To The Up Days, The Guys |
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Ray's Maiden Voyage Capt. Ray Lopez backed the boat in after a successful 5 day trip to Cedros - a great yellowtail catch - and they scratched a few albacore/bluefin in touch conditions on the backside of the trip. A huge thanks to all the Shaker Tour passengers - and lots of love and gratitude to cruise director, BG. Also want to thank Steve Paterson, Rooster Rods, for wrapping the beautiful raffle rod. Thanks everyone and look forward to seeing you next year! Trip Notes From the Chartermaster: I personally consider it a great honor to be on the first trip run by Captain Ray Lopez and the crew, Taro, Jordan, Cameron, Travis, and our world-class chefs, Greg and Nate. They all performed absolutely flawlessly in every aspect, and I thank them for a wonderful trip. It was very apparent—how the training, nurturing, and direction Brian and Sam have given these young men to perform like the seasoned, well oiled machine they are—paid off in a big way on our trip: "you guy's rock". I would also like to thank all of the passengers on the trip, you were among the most fun groups I've had the privilege to fish with. We had two father and son teams onboard (Jack & Andrew, Rick & Evan), and two couples aboard (Skip & Melanie, Steve & Monique). The ladies, the young men, the newbies, and the old salts all listened to the crew and caught lots of fish: job well done. We always give away a sportsmanship award, which this year was won by Monique: our new shaker girl knows right when to make a fresh batch of delicious margaritas. We would also like to thank our awesome Fish Junkie girl Melanie for her wonderful sense of humor, and the fun she added to the trip. The passengers make the trip, thank you all for the great time!! Finally, I would like to thank our great sponsors on the trip who provided a beautifully wrapped Super Seeker SD8 fishing rod , Daiwa Saltist 4/0 reel & 50 lb spectra that we raffled off. A considerable amount of money was raised and the proceeds went to the crew. World class rod wrapper Steve Paterson from Rooster Custom Rods for the perfect rod for the trip, a Super Seeker SD8. Joey and John, owners of Squido on Barnett in San Diego, for the Daiwa Saltist 4/0 reel. Mark from Charkbait for the 50 lb spectra for the reel, and shirts for the crew. Max, who works at Charkbait, fished with us, delivered the goods, and is a welcome new member of the AA family. Mario owner of Sportsmans Seafoods for 2 fish processing certificates. We also would like to wish him a speedy recovery from an incident that happened in the landing parking lot. It’s all good. Tight lines. BG First place: Bill Randall 38.8 lbs Yellowtail Second place: Jack Purtell 37.0 lbs Yellowtail (he had 2 @ 37lbs!) Third place: Paul Pangburn 34.8 lbs Yellowtail Honorable mention: Brad Arnold 41.4 lbs BFT Jackpot photo by BG
Capt. Ray with our two Shaker Tour Gals, Fish Junkie Melanie and Rooster Rod Monique, Mystery Presenter & Capt. Ray, and one of the father/son teams that were on board, Jack and Andrew Purtell (Andrew had a 30.8lbr!)
Check back tomorrow night for report on the 1.5 day that departs tonight at 6pm.... American Angler Spots on our Aug 1 five day trip - come fishing with the American Angler crew!! |
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It's bound to happen... With the tuna having their noses in the mud for the last couple days, we envisioned our last day offshore would be a float day. Starting our morning below the fleet, we covered some new water in hopes of saving the fleet. But by lunch we were in the area where some of the better scores have been had. As the day went on and the sun started to lower, we all kind of got the feeling that today wasn't going to be that day. But with 4th of july being only a week away - which in the many years past is generally the kickoff for albacore, we are all looking foward to it, knowing it's bound to happen soon. Ending up the day with a handful of albacore, we still couldn't forget the great time we enjoyed at the island. The Boys |
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quality vs quantity With reports of slow fishing on the tuna grounds, we opted to stay the night at the island and enjoy the good weather. We woke up in the morning and never had to pull the anchor as we kept steady on these nice big yellows. From lined baits to surface irons every bite was a thrill. With having only half a day to fish, we picked it up around lunch and started heading up the line to put us in position for the tuna grounds. Today's picture stars our wonderful fish junkie girl, Melanie Kito, showing off one of her beauties.
moving up, The Boys |
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Change of Pace After driving around yesterday and not seeing much, everyone kept their heads high and put it behind them. Today we arrived at the island at first light and were immediately rewarded with great yellowtail fishing. All morning we stayed steady on beautiful 12-18lb yellows. Having enough for everyone to take home a few, we moved up the island in search of some better ones and it didn't take long before we had steady fishing on premium 25-40lbers. Putting on an awesome show, we able to enjoy these beautiful fish all the way til dark. Today's picture is of Brad Arnold displaying his rare lost bluefin and Steve Paterson showing one of his nice yellows. Still in search of tuna, we are going to spend the night at the island and move up the line tomorrow afternoon.
Looking for big ones, The Boys (Spots available on July 27th and Aug 1st 5 day trips.....call the office for details) |
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Rolling Down En route to cedros today we broke up the ride down and spent the majority of the day looking in an area of water where there had been some good tuna sign. Rolling into the zone we had high expectations but after a few hours of not seeing much life we continued on course, hitting various kelps. After all was said and done, we ended up with a handful of yellowtail for our efforts. With good reports from the island, we're looking forward to stopping the boat and having some fun in the sun. Positive mind set, The Boys |
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Moving We left the dock yesterday evening with the intentions of going right back down the line and finding the albacore where we left them. The weather was drastically better as someone was really looking out for us. We started out with the Vagabond so we would have a better chance of finding the correct water structure. After several hours of looking we had to abandon the plan because the water was gone. We were lucky that we had great weather because we started fishing yellows. We had great action with several good stops and madness, mayhem and fun was the name of the game. There was just enough decent 12-20lb yellows to make it interesting as most were the smaller grade kelp paddy fish. Late some of the local guys got into some fish and we made the run up for just a sample before dark. Ryan Leitner shows everybody how to have a good time and Bob Kofmehl, one of our regulars, shows off good karma as he handed off lots of yellows throughout the day and was rewarded in the end with one of the Bluefin.
Trying To Stay On Them, The Guys Today the guys had decent fishing 90 miles from home. Tomorrow is Ray's departure on his maiden voyage and we all wish him luck. |
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The boat returned this morning after an open 3 day trip with some of our favorite regulars and folks new to the American Angler - and a good time was had by all despite the tough weather conditions on Sunday. Capt. Brian came home with 80 albacore, 11 bluefin and a few handfuls of yellowtail. Thanks to everyone for joining us - hope to see you again soon! First place: Oscar Pardinas 26.0 lbs Bluefin Second place: Murph 24.0 lbs Bluefin Third place: Josh Hess 23.0 lbs Bluefin Jackpot photo on board courtesy of Oscar Pardinas
Here are a couple of great shots from the Zuker/G Loomis trip - dockside...Brian and Dennis showing their true colors and two good fishing buddies - Joe and Sol
Check back tomorrow night for report on the 1.5 day that departed tonight at 6pm.... American Angler |
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Visions Of Glory We were looking forward to the forecasted 5 kts in the morning. When we got up we already had a few whitecaps and fired up the weather and it was upgraded from the previous night. We saw groups of bluefin under birds and on meter marks but could not get them to go. Throughout the day we saw very little sign of albacore. The weather really came up about lunch time and we started to roll around. We then started to work towards the temp break we were on and had a albacore meter mark for a quick seven. We then started tacking around and there it was, we saw a good sized sonar school of albacore and chased it around. We got over a piece of it and it boiled up for only a few seconds and we hooked a handful of fish. From watching the machines for innumerable hours, schools like this are the ones that 100 fish stops are made from. We want to see that batch on a bite day. The moral is that it sure seems that these fish are weather sensitive and go down when the wind comes up. We are currently looking out the window at buffalo backs and 20 kts as the ride home is wet and sloppy. We ended up with a successful trip for what was going on and we are looking forward to the weather laying down. Back On The Grounds Tuesday, The Guys |
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Scratching We started out the trip yesterday with a couple handfuls of bluefin within 1 day range . There was decent sign of fish but previous local experience put the equation together. Close to home, good weather, Saturday, and the first good sign of tuna fish in local waters meant that we would not be there on a 3 day. We idled down during the night and in the morning with the help of a few other boats we were able to get on some fish. We saw pretty good sign of jumpers throughout the morning but a lot of the spots wanted nothing to do with us. We scratched a few here and a few there and ended up with a respectable 66 albacore and a couple of bluefin. Today's picture shows the Japanese American/bluefin connection. Pictured is Takeuchi{gaffer], Takeshige[angler], Imai{angler] and Kiso{mast man} with our two bluefin of the day.
Looking For More, The Guys Today's fish were caught in 1 1/2 range and we leave for one Monday evening call Lori |
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Zuker/GLoomis The boat backed in and had a nice catch of Albacore, Bluefin, Yellowfin and Yellowtail - great variety! They toughed out the weather at the rocks and were rewarded with beautiful conditions offshore. A huge thanks to Zuker for his feathers and all he does behind the scenes and don't forget about those out-of-this-world chocolate cheesecakes - who knew he could cook too! And representing G Loomis was Bob Hornschu - we appreciate the nice prizes, thank you! It's great seeing all the passengers - Roy's wife Heidi had a baby, Dennis had knee surgery, the guys welcomed "Jimal", Chappy combed his hair and Tony lost an all black Seeker rod with black guides if you guys could check to see if it mistakenly got mixed with your gear, thanks.... Lots of sign ups for next year - if you have seven days next June, you should consider this trip, it's a great adventure.. Tie Jackpot winners (picture courtesy of Bill Roecker) First place tie : George Kaneko 40.8 lbs Bluefin First place tie : Bob Chapman 40.8 lbs Bluefin Third place: Tim Ebner 39.2 lbs Yellowtail Honorable mention: Roy Afusia 38.2 lbs Yellowtail
The boat departed on a 3 dayer - check back Sat. night to see how they're doing, (there are still 6 spots on Monday night's 1.5 day trip) American Angler To Mrs. Samarin - thank you so much for the delicious turnovers that you made last night for the boat, they were beautiful - those pastries will be devoured |
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Prospecting We went looking up the line in some of the historical areas offshore in zones that have not yet been covered. Like panning for gold you can strike it rich or miss out. Today we helped the overall cause by figuring out where not to go. We saw the best looking water before daylight but unfortunately when it counted after daylight we were in "off"water for the rest of the day. The trip was an interesting one where weather variables definitely had its place. We covered alot of ground from Alijos Rocks to local waters and we made the best of it. There are fishless zones for sure and the ocean can be stingy but on the same token timing can be right and fishing can be wide open. The group was great as once again all shapes and sizes meshed to become one group. Zuke, as always, led the daily entertainment from up top with his playful banter and dialog. We hope times change for the better as there were several regulars that were truly missed and we hope to see them soon.
We Will Keep Trying And Never Take No For An Answer, The Guys Todays picture is of Leonard Nadler who would like to wish his beloved wife a happy birthday! (we don't know why Jordan is in every picture - we do have other crew members) |
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The First Of Many We got out to the tuna grounds at daylight. We had a weird morning as visibility was very poor and the moisture was so thick it was hard to determine if it was heavy mist or light rain. We saw a few scattered marks but nothing very good. We had the good fortune of having three of our other guys fishing in the same general area. There were a few decent stops in the morning but we were not the recipient of any. We wandered off to the west for nothing and the morning flew by. We had 1 albacore and three yellowfin tuna at one o'clock and it was high anxiety. Then we got in the zone and picked off a stop that was reminiscent of the bluefin drift years of the early and mid nineties. We kept 1-6 going all the time as they were showing down swell,on the corner and in the bow in classic bluefin style. We remember now why we love bluefin fishing so much. When it petered out and we started moving, the albacore were up, floating and eager. We had on the corner type fishing with everyone having one on several stops in a row. In one afternoon we experienced the "classic" bluefin drift on 25-40lb fish and good on-the-corner albacore fishing. We compiled the first hundred fish day on albacore of the year and it certainly looks like there is a good chance that there will be more. In 6 hours of fishing we caught 114 albacore and 40 bluefin... we were very busy. If you have any ambiguity about the offshore fishing outlook we hope that we have answered the questions as the possibilities of a big day are here. John Lloyd of Zuker lures {they chewed the feathers off of them} shows off one of many that he caught today on the iron.
Keep Them Coming, The Guys We have openings on this weekend's 3 day, a 1.5 on the 22nd and then a 5 day on the 24th - call the office for details 619 223 5414 |
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Float Day There are some days on the ocean where everything floats and it usually revolves around flat calm weather. The difference a day makes is one of the many reasons we all wake up in the morning. We had a tough last couple of days weather-wise so grease calm and very little wind was well deserved. We got to the yellowtail grounds shortly after daylight but it took about an hour to get on the fish. We had decent shots at them but overall it would be considered a steady pick. We then made an anchor job and fishing turned into as good as it gets. We had lots of visuals of fish in the water when at times it was almost aquarium status. We smashed the 15-22lb fish as morale is as high as it gets. Today was definitely a float day. The guys that arrived at the rocks had steady fishing on tuna, the yellows bit wide open and the Excel had the best offshore day of the year. Justin had a jigstrike turn into a long drift for 55 albacore and 60 bluefin which has set the standard so far this year. We are en route as we speak hopefully to experience a little of the same.
Fishing Is All Timing, The Guys We have openings on this weekend's 3 day, a 1.5 on the 22nd and then a 5 day on the 24th - call the office for details 619 223 5414 |
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Writing On The Wall Yesterday in the afternoon with the lack of sign, we were hoping that the morning would be better. We had decent conditions but compared to what we have been used to, productivity was low. We had a very slow pick on yellows and saw a little bit of tuna. By midmorning it made better sense for the overall trip to leave and make our way up the line. At dinner we all looked defeated as the 48 hours of sloppy wet weather has taken its toll. The great John Wooden's famous quote "When the going gets tough the tough get going" applies as we accept the challenge that stands before us. Along with our 3 or 4 handfuls of yellows, Paul Hokeness got a nice tuna.
Snorkeling Up The Line, The Guys |
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Touchy We arrived at the stones just before lunchtime. All the life was in the same place where we left from just 5 days previous. Conditions were a little different with the current barely a trickle and the fish did not really want to bite. We saw fish showing but we had to soak our baits in order to induce a strike. We still ended up with a respectable 58 yellows and a couple handfuls of decent tuna. There presently is a large south swell from New Zealand rolling through coupled with 18kts of nnw wind and the sea condition to go with it, so it is making our stay very uncomfortable. Luckily we have a tough bunch and the baby back ribs were devoured without a hitch. We're hoping for better fishing conditions tomorrow and we will keep our fingers crossed. Six year old Koa Afusia let his dad Roy borrow his fishing rod and Koa would be proud to know that it caught the day's largest yellowtail.
Rolling Around, The Guys |
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GOT TO GO FISHING TO GET THE BIG ONES! One would always like to report that every trip is phenomenal, but what really gives it that status? The fishing for one in the eyes of most fisherman - but not so true always. Going on a Long range trip, there are many things that make a great trip - The Anglers, The crew, The weather, and but of course, the fishing. As far as The fishing was concerned this go around, it was off the hook with the opportunity to catch some of the Biggest Yellowtail in the History of Long range fishing. These early June 7 and 8 day trips are the best trips we have to offer...they are affordable and this time of the year is the time when things start to happen and Let the Games Begin. They arrived this morning with just about all species you could catch - Yellowfin, Albacore, Bluefin, Yellowtail (Big ones)and not to forget a few Halibut to top it off...one can only imagine what is in store for us in the upcoming months. From what we see right now it is time to go - give us a call for upcoming trips. Check out the amazing jackpot fish and winners below 1st place: Armando Castro 104.6 lbs Yellowfin Tuna 2nd place: Bob Brozavic 79.2 lbs Yellowtail 3rd place: Paul Yarnold 77.6 lbs Yellowtail Honorable Mention: Rick Sikes 65.8 lbs Yellowtail
The boat departed with the annual Zuker G Loomis 7 day trip - tune back in for reports |
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A Success We thought it would be nice to end the trip adding a little color to the catch, however giant squid and ripping current made it real tough to get it done. We ended up going into the island to break down our gear and we caught a few halibut. This trip started with many new faces as the majority of the folks have never fished with one another and it ended up a success not only because we got a bunch of fish, but more importantly how the group ended up meshing. During our last dinner one would never know that a week ago many of the people downstairs were foreign to one another. Despite Geographical, occupational, gender or age difference it absolutely does not make a difference as it is now one. Many thanks to John and Wayne from Catchy tackle for providing a great and comfortable atmosphere. Papa Dave Ohalloran and Karen Castro show off a couple of today's fish. We would also like to let everyone know that our Barry Gambarana is doing great and without a doubt on the right road to recovery. We all are blessed to have him as our cruise director/ambassador as during the day he dedicates much of his time rigging tackle and helping anyone whom might ask.
See You Dockside, The Guys |
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Potential We were running west in the morning with no known destination when we had a double jigstrike on an up and down meter mark. After boxing the area we found that we were in close proximity to a half degree edge. We found fish right in the transition and stayed busy most of the morning. We seldom went 20 minutes without seeing some sort of sonar or fathometer mark. We had one stop in particular where the albacore were right on the corner biting every bait for about a minute as we hung the majority of the boat. It seemed like business as usual - the action was hot and heavy and the adreneline and excitement pumped through everyone's veins. We ended up with 19 albacore and 3 bluefin out of that stop as the meter depicted the real deal. At around 11 in the morning the ocean changed right before our eyes in a matter of minutes as the edge melted and dissapated along with the fish. We ended up the day with 48 12-19lb albacore and 3 18-22lb bluefin and we were encouraged with the potential that we saw. What it comes down to is that the ocean is very big. It's one thing to look at a temp chart or a topographical chart and formulate a game plan, but it is totally different actually doing it. Without coverage it is a question of what ifs. Are the fish down or did they move? What is 10miles to the north, south, east or west? It is next to impossible for one boat to figure it out. For Example, Mark on the Pacific Voyager had 23 fish scattered over a 22 mile area today we both think that the offshore potential is here already waiting to be exploited. His fish were all caught in premium day and a half range. One great note for our long range fleet is that today's sign at 210 miles from home is at the perfect spot for our multi day trips. The perfect distance from San Diego for a full first day's of fishing and an easy overnight run to our favorite island destinations. If we sound like a salesman you are right. First and foremost we are fishermen because of our passion but because of the aforementioned reason of coverage - we need you to go fishing. John Grindley and Dave Zeman are pictured with the AA's first albacore of the year. Mike Nichols with the help of Cameron displays the years first bluefin.
Let's Go Fishing, The Guys We have availability on an upcoming 3 day trip (departing the 19th), followed by a day and a half trip (departing the 22nd) for a short getaway and then we have a 5 day trip at the very end of June (departing the 24th)... come fishing with us! |
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Captain Excuse List We got up to the islands midmorning, ready for the shallow water surface yellowtail show. We ended up striking out the entire day. The list included the fish being too small, water temp dropped, dirty water, streaky water, no current, too much current and many others. What it comes down to is that we didn't connect and couldn't find any life to work with. We covered lots of water and two different islands for the same result. John Grindley and Wayne Martin from Catchy tackle are taking full advantage of the observation deck.
Going Looking, The Guys |
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A Different Speed We woke up in the morning to the nicest weather that we have had since we got to the stones. The current was a little different direction but still plenty good. We started picking at the fish right away and it stayed like that until we took off after lunch. Instead of the hectic wide open fishing, we had 1-4 hookups at a time. We kept waiting for the big attack but it never happened. We caught some nice grade tuna and a few nicer grade yellows but it was a little touchier then the day before. With great appreciation for the conditions provided to us the last three days, we are starting our adventure northbound. Planet's impressive fish from yesterday deserves a little more print.
Moving Up, The Guys |
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Excellent Today's conditions in the morning were just about as good as it gets. One could pat himself on the back and say he found them but when it comes down to the rocks - you are only as good as the conditions provided. We took advantage of the perfect current conditions right from the get go. We stayed busy all morning with the fish biting so well at times it seemed like we could hook them "at will". We had a pretty even mix on yellows and tuna with both species going 15-50lbs on the average. Several of our regulars said that this was about as good as they have ever seen. It seems in our fishing careers we see the standout fish caught in only the premium fishing condition. I once saw Taka's group on the New Hustler get 4 calicos over 10 lbs at the first boiler at Clemente in perfect uphill conditions. Everything such as water temp, clarity, current, wind, bait and I'm sure many other unforeseen variables came into play to make that epic day of bass fishing happen. We had the same today because in the mix of fish were some unbelievable catches. Planet landed a 78lb yellow, Bob Brozovic caught a 75lber and good karma nice guy Rick Sykes got one in the high 60's. These fish were truly special and every time we see these - we are simply awestruck. We had many other 30-45lbers and had some nice grade tuna such as the one caught by Armando Castro.
What A Great Day Of Angling, The Guys Next Friday's 7 day has availability - call the office |
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Timing We rolled into the stones around lunch and current conditions had the fish stacked in one zone. It was a no brainer as they were showing in the circle before we dropped it. We had great action for about 2 hours before conditions started to change but that was all that was necessary to take the edge off the ride down. We did really well on the yellows from 15-40lbs and ended up with 35 tuna 12-50lbs. This group had a good time mingling with one another on the way down and it sure made it easy when the fish were biting. Controlled pandemonium to say the least, as over and under was the name of this afternoon's game. Bob and Lora Brozavic came all the way from Ohio and the result on their face is very evident.
Looking For A Little Downhill Current, The Guys Mark O. on the Pacific Voyager got into an area late and had 4 stops for a total of 10 albacore at around 125miles.Bring them on. |
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Season Opener The boat returned today from the first 8 day trip of the year with a great catch of fish, Big Yellows, Yellowfin Tuna and not to forget some token Halibut. These early season 7 to 8 day trips are the Best Bang for your Buck, and with no surprise the fishing was good as stated above. The conditions look beautiful for the offshore scene, all it is going to take is for the troops to show up in force. The boat departed again today on another 8 day trip and a lot can change in just a week, we have seen it happen before!. We still have some spots available on our upcoming 7 day trip, so if you want to be the first to get on the main vein for the 2009 season, give us a call. Check out winner and honorable mentions below Winner takes all: Fermin Diaz 56.4 lbs Yellowfin Tuna Honorable Mention: Bill Kuehl 52.6 lbs Yellowtail Honorable Mention: Jim Bostian 50.6 lbs Yellowtail
The boat departed with the annual Catchy Tackle 8 day trip - tune back in for reports American Angler |
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Coming Home There were 15kt bars on the weather maps so we decided to stay on the beach. We had a halfway decent ride up throughout the night and tried a different location for halibut that we have never fished. It is hard to have the patience for this type fishing and as soon as we stop the boat - we already want to move, but we overcame this anxiety and just fished, ending up catching 7 halibut for the morning. It was a great change of pace and a fun way to end it. Brad Lemoine from Sport Chalet once again organized a great trip. For one reason or another, some of our regulars could not make the trip - we missed them, and hopefully we'll see you on next year's fish extravaganza. We had a great trip with a mix of tuna and yellowtail fishing with a calm, nonchalant group that took full advantage. The only missing ingredient was the offshore action that remains an unknown because there has literally been zero coverage. We leave tomorrow and will be in prime country the next day and will definitely have our eyes open. For the folks on the next trip, a "castable" 40lb outfit will be an important one to have if tuna fishing remains touchy.
See You Dockside, The Guys There are spots on our 7 day trip departing Friday June 12th - call the office for details |
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The Show We stayed on the yellowtail grounds another day because who doesn't enjoy flat calm weather and good fishing on quality fish. The show consists of aggressive fish throwing water all around the rig free swimming through the corner as they were chasing plugs with a vengeance. The whole crew has seem this a bunch of times but cannot conceal the excitement and probably never will. Richard Clark is today's cover boy with just another yellowtail.
We Will Never Tire Of It, The Guys There are spots on our 7 day trip departing Friday June 12th - call the office for details |
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Worth The Ride We got it handed to us coming up the line - we had 15-18kts of wind as we endured wet windows and a bouncy ride most of the night. We got up to the yellowtail grounds and saw pretty good sign of fish. Being that we are in a "shi shi" type position, we bypassed the school sized 15-22lb fish. We had incredible shows in some of our honey holes in the afternoon. We had seal sized boils all around the boat as we caught a half a dozen fish from 35-52lbs. Uncle Bill got the biggest, but the others were also shallow water surface iron beauties. We also experienced everyone having one on sonar school fishing on 25-35lb fish that was also a show to remember. The father-son team of Jordan and Mario Souza show off the benefits of the mint swirl Salas 7x and the group shows part of the results of a hectic bite.
Hoping For Reruns, The Guys |
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No Sign We started out fishing another night bite honey hole and got a handful of yellows at daylight. Right away we could tell that most everyone had plenty of yellows to take home and utilize. Even though we are well within our limits - we are not the type to keep killling them if you don't need them. We had good conditions everywhere we went, but could not get away from the yellows(what a great problem to have). By not being able to sit in one of the alpha current spots, it made it tough to wait out the tuna. Overall there was less sign of tuna but we all know how that changes day to day. We started traveling up in the afternoon planning out the backside of our trip. Alijos Rocks was very generous to us and we are thankful for the weather and the opportunity. Our Uncle Bill Kuehl proudly displays a nice yellow that made the mistake of eating a properly presented metal fish fooling device.
Moving Up, The Guys |
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Everyday Is Different We had a couple of guys start the the day off early getting a handful of yellows beginning about four thirty in the morning. After daylight we adjusted for the current and had beautiful fishing conditions. We saw sign of tuna right away but didn't hook many in the morning because of the yellows. The yellows from 18-30lbs were biting full speed. It was almost hook at will whether it was fly lining, plugging or yo yoing. The tuna fishing was tougher today as there was less sign. We didn't really start hooking them until we repositioned in the afternoon. We had wind against current which made it real tough to fish. It was frustrating as baits would head back under the boat - but worth it if you hooked one. We ended up with 43 tuna and lots of yellows as everyone was beat tired by the end of the day.
Spending The Night, The Guys |
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Got It Good We arrived at the stones around lunch and saw pretty good sign coming in. We were excited when we had instantanious action in the circle before we got the anchor down. Current conditions were kind of backwards, but we made it work because of very little wind and good weather. We kept one to five going as it turned out to be steady touch fishing for 30-50lb tuna and decent yellows. Forty pound and a "castable rod and reel outfit" was the ticket as it was cast your bait out, change it, get a good bait that swims and whamo type fishing. By dark we put a bunch of fish on the rig, morale was good as we had only a couple of people fishing because everyone was content. Posing with the average grade tuna are crewmembers Cameron Cribben and Travis Potter with Brad Lemoine. Steady tuna fishing, great weather and a great group of guys... how could it get any better?
Wishing You Were Here, The Guys |
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The Social Gathering Of The Year Bob Hara who works for Curtis-Rosenthal,Inc. has been planning this trip all year. He has put together a great blend of Friends on this trip and as it just so happens, some of them are business associates. Right from the get go it seems like the social event of the year and it lasted throughout the whole trip. There was constant conversation and laughter to be found at all times during the day. We spent the morning fishing reds and lings and were not disappointed as they cooperated well. We then went offshore and tasted the local offshore scene. We found a kelp and caught 29 yellows as action was fast and furious. Jessica Hara shows off a nice double on reds she caught with a shrimp fly and a Salas 7x heavy.
Next Years Must Do, The Guys |
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Are You Crazy? As we are rolling down on our last springtime day and a half trip, we are gathering reports from our compadres down below. One guy has choppy weather 175 miles from home but is getting random jig strikes on albacore and has 11 fish straight lining for the yellowtail islands. Jeff on the Independence on an 8 day trip had another interesting report. He had absolutely wide open fishing on 35-50lb tuna and nice grade yellows. He was so excited that I quote "if a person had some money and had some time he or she would absolutely be crazy out of your mind not to get down here". It almost seems hard to imagine that kind of fishing is going on as we are the only boat that left the dock tonight. It just so happens that we have 2 eights and a seven day trip leaving the dock soon that still has available spots. We're Going, Are You? The Guys |
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Busy Work We spent the day on the beach fishing for rockfish. We enjoyed beautiful weather and conditions and because of this the lings and reds bit very well. For those people who "poo poo" bottom fishing, not enough can be said about getting lots of bites and catching great-eating tablefare. By midmorning we had enough to share with friends and family, so we headed offshore for only a handful of yellows. With the weather window that we enjoyed what a great way it has been to take full advantage of the Memorial Day weekend. Today on the way down, the Independence had a jigstrike on a 25lb albacore at 175 miles. This shows us that they are showing up over a pretty wide area. Hopefully these are a few scouts and soon the major forces will arrive. Looking Forward, The Guys |
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Making The Most There's always something exciting about early season prospecting offshore. Envisioning jumping albacore and bluefin must go through everyone's mind before any such trip. We started out in the morning in beautiful albacore-looking water, only to find conditions great but no fish. Unfortunately for us all, the kelps in the tuna water were also empty. After driving around all morning, we had to pick a direction and by sheer luck we drove to the right place. We were able to string together some kelps in the afternoon and ended up with over a hundred of them. These fish weren't the best grade but for what is available they sure provided a great time. Nikki Peterson is proof that a good time was had by all. There was a handful of albacore caught by the fleet today and it sure seems like the table is set for a good year.
Apple Sauce From Apples, The Guys |
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The Maiden Voyage After spending the last several months involved with a very busy maintenance period, it was nice to leave the dock and go fishing. With no real legwork done, it was tough to decide where to go. With the weather outlook predicting very little wind it was an easy choice to spend the day offshore. We scratched at kelp paddy yellows and ended up with 17 fish along with several bonito stops. Sam helps Charlie Pace with our first American Angler gamefish of the year. Today's great weather contributed in making May 16 a memorable date in the 2009 fishing season. Mike Lackey on the Vagabond was up to his old tricks as he produced the year's first albacore news. He got into a nice area of water 120 miles from home and saw a batch of puddlers. He promptly drove over there and hooked jig and a bait. Both fish were boated and they weighed 18-22lbs. A bluefin tuna of the same grade was also caught in the same area. Closer to home, Buzz on the Prowler landed 4 bft seen at our local short banks. During our travels today we came across lots of good looking water with all the signs - as if the door is open for the fish to move in.
Looking Forward To A Good Year, The Guys |
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BOAT WORK 2009 B.O.A.T., BRING ON ANOTHER THOUSAND IT SEEMS LIKE EVERY YEAR, Y'ALL ASK THE QUESTION, "WHAT ARE YOU GUYS DOING TO THE BOAT THIS YEAR?" Well, this year it was beyond anybody's comprehension. As you can see from the photos, we had an unexpected surprise, the exhaust system and that was just a warm up! Brian and I don't do anything to the boat half fast. I heard a saying a long time ago, "if you don't have time to do it right, make time to do it twice." The exhaust system was just one of the projects we took on. I'll make a short list for you without getting into detail. EXHAUST SYSTEM (we covered that in the photos) PAINT JOB REFINISH THE RAIL'S NEW DECK PAINT NEW LIGHTS ATOP OF BAIT TANK (Hopefully BG proof, BG 2, lights 0) ALL NEW REBUILT BAIT PUMPS AND FIRE PUMP NEW GEN SETS 4 CYLINDER JOHN DEER, TIER 2 COMPLIANT (go green!) COMPLETE OVERHAUL OF MAIN ENGINES (fun stuff) REBUILD THE WATER MAKER PUMPS WITH A NEW SPARE REBUILD ANCHOR WINCH Here are some photos of the crew at work
Doesn't sound like a big list of things - believe me, that was just part of the work your crew did to keep the boat the way you expect it. We are on the downhill slide of this huge task and we are seeing the light at the end of the tunnel. The crew is ready to go fishing soon which won't seem like a big deal of work after our little maintenance party which was 80+ days. In a nut shell, the American Angler got a make over in a big way. Now let's talk about some fishing stuff. The 2008 fishing season reminded me of, Yes I'll say it...of 1998. That year we had very good Yellowfin tuna fishing in the local waters after a slight El Nino, warmer than normal. The following year we had a La Nina event and I am sure everybody knows what happened next...okay, I'll remind you. Some of the best Albacore fishing this generation had seen in a long time. Getting back to the present - the 2007 season was a warm water year and since then the water has slowly got back to normal with great local fishing in 2008. Guess what. This year we have another La Nina event happening and there is a lot of colder than normal water around and that is just what we want to have a banner year on Albacore again. I know times are a little tough this year, but maybe a fishing trip is just what the doctor ordered. We have trips in May and June with spots on them and the boat is going fishing...now is the time to go. Light loads, great crew, complete overhaul - lets go fishing! Call Lori and lets do this; 619 223 5414...book now! This is your passsion, so make it happen!! Sea ya this spring!! Thank you all!! Capt Sam Patella |
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ALMOST READY Well, even though the boat wasn't in her slip for day at the docks - we still had a lot of our regular passengers drop by to say hi to the crew. It was great just getting to have a day of low-key visiting with everyone. Thanks to all for dropping by! Check out the pictures below of some of our American Angler family that came by to say hi that day. Apologies for the pictures that didn't make it up - it was the photographer....
Next report - pictures/description of boatwork done. She is almost finally ready to go fishing - with the first trip departing next Friday night, May 15th, at 6pm for a 1.5 day trip. You should check it out - get out on the water for the weekend; the boat will pass the white glove test and it will be a nice, light load with plenty of rail room - a great experience for the first timer and the experts alike - call the office! AMERICAN ANGLER |
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DAY AT THE DOCKS Tomorrow is the 30th annual Day at the Docks in Pt. Loma which promises to be a funfilled day (from 9 - 5) for all ages. The American Angler is still high and dry (pictures will be posted of ongoing progress on the boat and all the upgrades happening for you in a few days), but we'll have a booth in the long range section (behind Fishermans Landing) with our crewmembers on hand all afternoon to answer any questions you might have or if you just want to stop by and say hi. We've also added a few new trips to our schedule for those of you that want to go fishing this season, but can only get away for a couple of days. Come on down tomorrow and bring the whole family! The American Angler |
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THE OFF SEASON Well we're back from the Long Beach Boat Show - it was a wonderful opportunity to see everyone - and it was especially fun this year because we had Ray, Taro and Cameron in the booth with us this year shaking hands, answering questions and just saying hi. It was with great pride that Brian, Sam and myself watched them enjoying the connection with their passengers! Check out the pictures below of just a few of the folks that came by to say hi during the week. The American Angler is out of the water right now with a big project list to complete before the season opener on May 15th. At some point in the next few weeks, the guys will sit down and post photos and a description of what is keeping them so busy right now!
AMERICAN ANGLER |
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FRED HALL SHOW IN LONG BEACH If you haven't already heard - the Fred Hall fishing show begins this Wed. and runs through Sunday in Long Beach. Any questions about times or directions - check out www.fredhall.com for more info. Brian, Sam, Lori and a few crewmembers (Ray and Cameron so far) will be in the American Angler booth to answer any questions about trips & tackle or just come by to say hey! The show runs through Sunday March 8th and then the American Angler hauls out. Check back then to see what the guys have planned for this maintenance season. Thanks and hope to see you in Long Beach later this week! The American Angler |
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Ken's Custom Reels...is Home The group returned to a cold, wet morning (at least not raining hard for unloading) and took home a few nice 100 - 300lb tuna and the boat brought home newlyweds!! Congratulations Bev and Cam - it couldn't happen to two nicer people. Again and as always, a huge thanks to Ken for organizing the trip and a shout out to his following sponsors; thanks to Burns Saltwater Outfitters, Accurate, Tady, Blackwater, WFO, Tiburon and Fishworks for their contributions to the trip - it's very much appreciated! 1st place: Drew Hoffos 246.0 lbs Yellowfin Tuna 2nd place: Zeke Harloff 232.0 lbs Yellowfin Tuna 3rd place: Bruce Marcotte 225.0 lbs Yellowfin Tuna Honorable Mention: Jamie Lyons 302.0 lbs Yellowfin Tuna
Well folks- that's it for a couple of months. We'll update you on the upcoming maintenance projects this off season. And of course, we'll be at the Long Beach boat show from Wed. March 4 - Sun. March 8. Hoping to see lots of you there! And our season resumes on Friday May 15th with an American Angler intro 1.5 day trip - get your feet wet and ready for the 2009 fishing season! Thanks everyone for a memorable 2008 and we'll see you soon, if not at the show then back on the water in a few months... |
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WE WILL MAKE IT HOME IN TIME FOR THE RAIN We have been traveling up the line the last couple of days in so-so conditions, but late yesterday the weather got nicer and we had a little Wedding cerimony in the Galley with Bev May and Cam Robertson taking their wedding vows. Just one of the other duties we are more than happy to perform for our customers. It was also a great reminder on Valentine's Day to cherish those out there that we love. We would like to Take this time to Thank everybody on the boat for coming on Ken's Custom Reel trip and of course a huge thank you to our fearless leader Ken Corwin for being with us and all the great stuff he handed out for everyone to enjoy!
Thank you all, Your Crew, Sam, Taro, Travis, Bobby, Cameron, Greg and Paul ETA 6:15 RAIN OR SHINE |
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ANOTHER DIFFERENT DAY I would have to say every day has been different for us this trip, and sometimes that's the way it goes. We just caught a few smaller fish today for our efforts and with that we are going to make a run tonight down the coast and try a Different area on a Different day...might as well stick with the Theme. Thanks to Jay for the Photo of the day.
GOOD NIGHT, The Gang |
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THINGS LOOK LIKE THEY COULD GO OUR WAY Well we have been dealing with some not-so-nice weather here the last few days and it doesn't look like it's going to back off any time soon, so be it. We were lucky enough to stay put all day with life around the boat and pick at some nice fish. We ended up landing 9 fish which doesn't sound like much - but after 2 days of Blanks, the Gang was pretty happy. They ranged from in the 100 lbs to the biggest at 220 lbs and it feels like we've got a shot at a comeback. We are going to hang out for a couple more days before we have to make the trip up the line.
GOOD NIGHT AND HOPING FOR A BIG DAY TO FINISH IT UP, Ken and the Guys |
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WHEN IS THE WIND GOING TO STOP? We started on the inside with a very breezy night and morning and green water - with no fish in it. This afternoon we went fishing, as we always do, and really didn't find much but did make back out to the lower Banks here right before dark and the water conditions look way better than they have the past few days. We got our fingers crossed that the party will get started again soon.
GOOD NIGHT, The Boyz |
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A TOUGH DAY ON THE BANKS Well what started out a few days ago as what one could call "Off The Hook fishing" pretty much just vanished. We fished the lower banks today and saw really no sign of fish at all so it's time to make a move. We are going to fish the beach in hopes of finding what we are looking for. I'm sure something will turn up in our travels soon. GOOD NIGHT, The Boyz |
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THINGS WERE BETTER TODAY It seems like the zone where the fish have been caught, the conditions are not the same anymore... wow never seen that happen. So we went back to square one and spent part of day where we did see the best life and were able to catch some fish today. We ended the day with 18 fish total, most of them being over the 100lb mark but to be honest we didn't give it much time because we spent most of the day looking for those Jumbos. Tomorrow we are just going to do what we do. fish. and just see what happens.
GOOD NIGHT, The Boyz |
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HERO TO ZERO Yesterday the fish were biting and the weather was nice, well today it all went the other way. On a positive note, we didn't get skunked - Jay Love did catch the one and only fish for the day. The forecast looks better for tomorrow so we hope the weather and fishing is as well. GOOD NIGHT AND WE GOT A LOT OF TIME LEFT, The Boyz |
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LUCKY, LUCKY, US!!! For whatever reason we were the Chosen One this morning and at the crack of dawn found the right school out of the gate. We drifted just about all day with these beautiful fish and stayed steady most of morning and into the early afternoon. We finished our day with 23 fish over the 100lb mark, 5 of which were over 200lbs and Jamie's token 300 plus for the day. I would like to comment on the caption of this report because granted all of these Long Range Skippers are pretty much seasoned Veterans but it sure is nice when you have Luck on your side, which indeed we did today. We have the whole place to ourselves for the next few days so we hope luck is with us again tomorrow, we will keep our fingers crossed for now.
GOOD NIGHT, Ken and the Boyz |
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CATCH ME IF YOU CAN Wow, you want to talk about time of day. We arrived down here on the Lower banks right after daylight and started to see jumping fish, sonar schools, you name it - but getting one to bite was a whole other subject. We finally had 2 fish on the boat around lunchtime, and I wasn't really feeling very good about that, but we kept at it. Finally @ 2:45pm the the light switch came on, and we started to catch fish. We ended up with 14 fish 80 - 180 lbs, not a bad day. The photos of the day: a shot of the meter of the schools that we were stopping on that didn't bite most of the day and when it was bitetime, a sample of the guys with their sucess.
GOOD NIGHT, The Gang |
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The guys are back The boat backed in at 7:45am with a beautiful catch and a boatful of new friends. There were twelve tuna over 200lbs - Galen Steward 241, Ralph Mikkelsen 235, Scott Olsen 231, Mike Goldsmith 230, Sam Cornell with a pair @ 220 and 201.5, Jake Waardenburg 213, Matt Bruce 213, Steve Leonhart 212, Richard Clark 210, Robin Lemaster 209, and Charlie Iwashita 202.... And thats not to take away from all the fish caught over 100lbs. A huge thanks to everyone that came fishing on this trip, we appreciate you making the trip and also a special thanks to Ben Frazier who spent much of his trip making wind ons! Check out jackpot winners below and congratulations gentlemen 1st place: Galen Steward 241.0 lbs Yellowfin Tuna 2nd place: Mike Goldsmith 230.0 lbs Yellowfin Tuna 3rd place: Jake Waardenburg 213.0 lbs Yellowfin Tuna Honorable Mention: Ralph Mikkelsen 235.0 lbs Yellowfin Tuna
Our last trip of the season departs tomorrow - a 14.5 dayer sponsored by Kens Custom Reels - they'll be traveling for the Superbowl, but seems like everyone is more interested in going fishing..check back in a few days for the first fish report! |
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In Our Blood We are cruising up the line wrapping up another trip up in the bridge contemplating life and enjoying "shop talk". Why we spend time away from our loved families, put up with a sometimes hostile work environment, finding it hard to always please everyone and relying upon the ever changing ocean conditions trying to make a catch is easily answered. We would not change our fishing experiences,the people we have met or the individuals that we have worked for or with for anything because it is in our blood. We have been lucky enough to have Shawn Steward [wingnut] work for us on deck this trip giving our customers that even extra special treat[he's possibly working the same trip next year]. We love all kinds of fishing and it seems like what he has to offer aboard his limited load open party and charter boat would be appealing to all our loyal clientele. Depending upon the time of year depicts whether or not it's shallow water rockfish, deepwater rockfish, calico bass, seabass or halibut as his centrally located Channel Islands Harbor offers close proximity to the Islands and the Coast. It's hard to recommend different sportfishing operations not really knowing what the operation is all about, but Shawn's go getter attitude and pleasant personality would be hard to beat...Get all the details from our daily picture.
Love To Fish, The Guys |
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Grand Finale We spent a rolly night on the anchor and we were relieved when the wind backed off in the morning. We had beautiful current conditions and the fish got on us right after daylight. Being on the backside of our trip, we pulled the anchor when all we saw were 100-180lb fish. At this point of the trip, we were interested with cows to finish the trip. We ended up finding an area of cows blowing out on 40lb squid and when we got on the right show we were rewarded with biting fish. We ended up with 6 over two and several more in the 150-190lb class. Ralph Mikkelsen is pictured with the rest of the group with his 235lb tuna. Scott Olsen 231, Mike Goldsmith 230, Jake Waardenburg 213, Steve Leonhart 212, and Mr. Richard Clark with his 210 rounded off the day's big fish bandwagon. This trip is just one of those lucky ones where all the moves corresponded with good timing weather and fishing wise. Our trip is completed with a nice catch of 100-190lb fish, decent wahoo action,and a dozen cows which we owe strictly to the great conditions that were provided. Regardless of the fishing, once again the best thing about the experience was the way this diverse group united into one.
Going Home, The Guys |
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Reality Today was our first dose of reality. When daylight was upon us, we found ourselves in 15kts of breeze. In the following hour it picked up to 20-25kts and had tough sea condition to boot. We stopped on our first deal of fish and it was very apparent that it was a no go. It was plenty fishable, but with modern day short top shots it would be nearly impossible to land a big one. We tried several anchor jobs as in reality they became controlled drifts as we drug anchor down the bank. There was decent enough sign for us to pick off a few fish (such as Galen Steward's 241lb beauty). The weather came down a little in the afternoon and we liked the way the fish responded as we hooked several and boated a few 150-180's. Tomorrow is the big hurrah and we hope to end it with a few more big fish.
Wishing The Wind Away, The Guys |
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Working Out So far we have been lucky enough to have timing, weather and fishing working in our favor. Today the wind came down and we enjoyed beautiful weather. Today's catch was evenly spread out and everybody was on the scoreboard. We landed a couple of fish right around the 200lb mark, like Lt. Mike Goldsmith's 193lber.
Looking For Big Ones, The Guys |
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In Search Of We used today basically as a stepping stone for our next move. We spent most of the day traveling up the in unfortunately bouncy weather. When we got to our destination we found nothing but whitecaps, but we have high hopes for tomorrow. Our picture of the day is veteran angler Ralph Mikkelsen and a tuna fish he caught yesterday. Made very apparent by his bigger than life smile, he continues to enjoy himself in the sport that has been his passion for life. He has touched many including myself when I saw that he still has a pair of pliers in his back pocket that I had wrapped for him over 20 years ago on a Clipperton trip (just imagine what he has seen).
Wish Us Luck, The Guys |
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All About Conditions The overall success of our fishing day totally depends on the conditions that we are dealt with. For the better part of the day we had absolutely no current and therefore we caught no fish during that time period. Following the pattern of the two previous days, the afternoon was definitely the time to concentrate at the rail. We had beautiful conditions and we made the most of it. We had steady fishing on 80-170lb as they were showing good all afternoon. Charlie Iwashita got our token "two" for the day and we are all stoked on how good the picture turned out (nice sickles) The other shot is of our Jordan hanging out with the locals.
Good Flow, The Guys |
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Good Times We are enjoying good timing both fishing and weather wise. We are having great weather for the time being - this has been one of the best weather windows that we have ever experienced. The fishing has been steady with always a few decent tuna or wahoo making a showing around the boat to keep it interesting. The majority of the tuna have been 50-125lbs with a few standouts. We were grateful to have a couple of three handfuls of wahoo mixed in to our nice day of tuna fishing. Robin Lemaster with the help of the guys, shows off his 209lber that he caught for his beloved grand daughters Laura, Melanie, and Emily.
Looking Forward To More Good Times, The Guys |
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Good Fortune On the way down to the grounds the latest reports were not very good. Reports of backwards current and no fish just adds to the many stresses of our job. We got here last night and took care of all the necessary bait-gathering chores with relative ease. We found conditions to be great and with these great conditions we saw sign of fish. Just about everybody aboard ended up the day with something cool. Whether it was a wahoo or two or a nice sized tuna, everyone had a great time and the weather is flat calm. There were two standout personal Bests also recorded today. Sam Cornell landed a 219lb fish and Matt Bruce picked off a a 213lber.
Hoping For More Of The Same, The Guys |
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Accurate trip home The boat returned this morning with what was an absolutely beautiful weather trip, 5 fish over 200 and a few handfuls of over 100lbers....all ready for sashimi or the bbque - your choice. Thank you to Accurate for the abundant loaner gear - Gary Teraoka for his great job as on board sponsor. And to all the passengers - thank you so much for being a part of this trip. Check out jackpot winners below and congratulations gentlemen 1st place: Corey Burak 267.5 lbs Yellowfin Tuna 2nd place: Jeff Price 240.0 lbs Yellowfin Tuna 3rd place: Ted Windham 232.0 lbs Yellowfin Tuna Honorable Mention: Felix Weaver 279.0 lbs Yellowfin Tuna
Our first 14.5 day trip depart this evening - they'll be traveling for a few days, check back then for a fish report! |
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Understanding We are very fortunate to be lucky enough to carry the best passengers to be had on the American Angler. Although it was tough catching and we didn't open the hatch as often as we liked, we still heard many comments about this being a good trip and a few saying it was the best. What this means to us is that the already stated downsides were far outweighed by the pluses. This was as good a chance to catch a trophy as we have seen as we were around cows pretty much all day everyday that we were on the grounds as evidence by fish out of the water next to the boat. The weather was ridiculously great as everyday even the whole ride up has been fantastic. Most importantly as with most of our trips, the people aboard is what puts our trips over the top. Everybody was a cohesive fishing machine and every evening is like a social event. Somebody said last night that we are very lucky to do what we do because it is like we get to have all our Friends over every night and whoop it up. Gary Teraoka was this trip's Accurate representative. Not only being a good guy, he is very patient and giving with the wealth of knowledge that he possesses about these top of the line reels and rigging techniques. As with all Accurate sponsored trips, Jack Nilsen is extra generous providing tons of rod and reel combos for everyone to try. Also we would like to thank some of the other manufacturers for also contributing to the cause. Accurate Fishing Products, Izorline International, Pelagic Gear, Smitty Belts, Baja Fish Gear, Yo's Custom Rods, Fishing Videos, and our beloved Matt Salas from Salas Lures. We have to admit that sometimes our fishing perspective can sometimes be off. Six fish over two hundred pounds and many over one hundred pounds and this was tough?
Making The Most Of Every Situation, The Guys |
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Opportunities Once again we were blessed with beautiful weather on the lower banks. From being here every day, we have become accustomed to the daily behavioral pattern of the big tuna. Although every day has been different we have basically been able to stay on fish all day long. We had a handful of opportunities throughout the day to land these big tuna. We would have them showing bigtime in the circle right where our fishing lines were and after stopping they would be jumping all around the boat.... literally right next to it and it was tough to get a bite. Our fish-finding apparatus would signify sign of these big cows around us and under us as good as i have seen it. For some inexplicable fishing phenomenon, these suckers were tough to make bite. Right away you folks at home start thinking of reasons why or tricks - just imagine what goes through our minds on the boat! We landed a couple of handfuls of fish up to the mid one hundreds and lost at least one legitimate cow right next to the boat. Forever Learning, The Guys |
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Change Every day that we have been in the lower zone we were lucky enough to find sign of good sized fish. For whatever reason or excuses one might have, it has been very tough to get a bite. What makes it worthwhile is the potential grade of the tuna fish that we are landing. Today we hooked 12 of these better fish, but for one reason or another, we only landed 5. Felix Weaver landed today's biggest at 279, Joe El-Deiry traveled out from New York and landed a 227, And Dan Spiegel got one that weighed 208. Also pictured is the father and son team of Joe and Cameron Cribben with his personal best. Tomorrow is our last day on the grounds... wish us luck.
Hope They Bite, The Guys |
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Change Of Pace After several days of looking at big fish that wouldn't bite, we opted for a change of pace. We enjoyed action on 15-30lb fish with the occasional bigger fish mixed in. Most everybody caught at least a couple of fish with the "hot sticks" catching quite a few more. The biggest change was the gear as fishing with a 50lb outfit seemed feather weight compared to what we have been using. Jeff Price landed today's biggest fish that weighed 91lbs and today's picture is of Jeff Bott with a very nice grade tuna that was well deserved.
Back To The Cow Pasture, The Guys |
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Tough We started out in the morning in the right place. We were around fish all morning and could only coax a few bites from smaller grade fish. We kept trying different spots of better fish but just could not get them to cooperate. We were treated several times throughout the day to quite a show of big fish jumping out of the water. Our only two fish of the afternoon were captured by Dan Spiegel and Fred Best. Dan won the daily prize for the biggest fish of the day and is the proud owner of a new Accurate Boss reel. Everyone is still hanging in there, but we are hoping to eventually find some biting fish.
Keep Trying, The Guys |
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Soon Coming We saw sign of fish from the time it was light enough to see till about 4 in the afternoon. We sometimes have a hard time determining whether it is more frustrating to see fish and not have them bite or not to see them at all. Now that the day is done, it is safe to say that seeing them is best because there is always a chance. Corey Burak made his trip out from New York, a worthwhile one with a beautiful 269lb tuna that he caught first thing in the morning. We had three more fish in the mid to high 100's and a handful of 40-70-lbers to round out today's catch. We feel very confident as we hope that one of tomorrow's stops will cooperate as the potential is here.
Fingers Crossed, The Guys |
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Start It Up We are blessed with beautiful weather on our first fishing day of the trip. We had our work cut out for us as we had to relocate the zone. We warmed up with a couple of handfuls of school grade tuna in the morning and one bonus stop for a couple of wahoo. We spent the rest of the morning in search of bigger fish but had no luck. After lunch, our mastman reported a show of birds and breaks about three miles away and as we got closer it was what we were looking for. We were fortunate to land everything that we hooked as 5 good fish were boated in the afternoon. Jeff Price (pictured) landed today's best at 240lbs and Ted Windham landed our other cow that weighed 233. Joe Gigliotti got the kitty off the boat this morning with a wahoo and would like to wish Alex and Nicki a happy birthday as Dad is surely missing you.
Keep It Going, The Guys |
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ONE FOR THE RECORD BOOKS Today was crazy on the cement pretty much all morning long, and well into the afternoon when the last boat finished unloading. Lots of spectators - friends & strangers coming down to watch the whole scene. It was great fun to see everyone and be a part of the action and we especially enjoyed a special visit from two favorites, Jack Nilsen and Del Marsh - who always liven up the party. It was also great to see John Cameron (who couldn't make it on the trip, but came to support the homecoming) - and of course, all the gang from Ken's Custom Reels. The Angler unloaded 4 fish over 300lbs, 8 over 200lbs and 3 over 100lbs along with some supplemental school-sized tuna & Yellowtail for all - and one lone 64lb Wahoo caught by Gary Gillingham...lucky him! The props for the 300lbers belong to Jake Abbate with a 375lber, Rick Okuni with a 368, Chris Cruger had a 347 and last but not least was Ted Cramer with a 300.5lber. As a side note: These fish were weighed on our recently calibrated official scale on the boat. At the dock, the monster fish which weighed 375 on the boat, weighed 360 on both the dock scale and the boat scale. Thanks again so much to Calstar & all the wonderful passengers on this trip - it was feast or famine and all took it graciously - with or without a 300lber.....that's what really makes for a great trip, the great people. Check out jackpot winners below and congratulations on the fish of a lifetime, you guys! 1st place: Chris Cruger 347.0 lbs Yellowfin Tuna 2nd place: Ted Cramer 300.5 lbs Yellowfin Tuna 3rd place: Eytan Rosenberg 266.0 lbs Yellowfin Tuna Honorable Mention: Jake Abbate 375.0 lbs Yellowfin Tuna
The Accurate 10.5 day trip got away on schedule and the group was ready to go for most of the day. Gary Teraoka has Accurate gear for all to borrow and the guys plan on taking full advantage of that offer. Check back for reports. |
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THE LAST LEG After yesterday's pitstop so the Gang could do some Yanking and Cranking, we have had more than mostly of the 48 hour journey home being a nice ride. This was quite the trip with some people catching a fish of a lifetime and others working at it for 5 days wihout even a bite. This is the Most and Biggest fish over 300 lbs I've seen in my entire Long Range career without a doubt - but like I said before, it didn't come easy. We would like to Thank all of the Gang for putting in so much time at the rail and a Special Thanks to Calstar rods with Gary Gillingham as a great onboard sponsor. And John.... we did really miss you! THANK YOU, YOUR CREW Sam, Ray, Jordan, Bubbles, Travis, Greg and Paul ETA 0800 PS Jacqueline TOU LUV CHRIS |
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YANKIN AND CRANKIN We wet our lines one last time on the ridge today for a few fun hours of fishing 12-14lb Yellowtail and a few more school sized tuna. Everyone's packing up their gear and getting ready to head home and listen to the CHARGERS/ colts game tonight.... Looks like the ETA on Monday morning will be 8am or so. GOOD NIGHT, The AA Gang |
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YESTERDAY AND TODAY'S REPORT ALL IN ONE Not sure what happened to the computer yesterday, but we're back. We ended the day with 8 tuna total.... 6 of which were over 200 lb and up to 290 lbs, which in fish numbers was our best day. Today was our day in the Pickle Barrel and had only a few handful of 25 - 35lb school fish to show for our efforts. We are on our way home for the most part - but we are going to make a stop at the top of the Ridge in the morning for a couple of hours and then its to the barn. JUST SO YOU KNOW On Monday when this Long Range fleet hits the dock, to my knowledge, there hasn't ever been this many Yellowfin Tuna over 300 lbs caught in a basically 5 day period - the total should be around 20 give or take. We ended up with 4 for the American Angler and 2 of them should make the top 10. One would have to think that this could be a trip of the lifetime for those also in the near future!! So if you are signed up on a trip leaving soon, make sure your gear is in order because opportunities like this don't come along often.
GOOD NIGHT AND IT'S A NEW YEAR, The AA Gang |
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THE LAST FISH REPORT OF 2008 You know we haven't been catching very many fish the last few days but they have been some Big Boys. Today we hooked and landed 2 fish shown in the photos of the day, both of which are over 300 lbs and one of them will join the over 360 lb club which to my knowledge is the top 10 list. Again we see lots of fish and we have been throwing everything but the kitchen sink at them - maybe we should try that? Anyhow we are going to give the Giant Tuna fishing one more day and most likely start working up the line.
Happy New Year to everybody and best wishes from the American Angler family to yours !!! GOOD NIGHT The Cow Killers |
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PRETTY MUCH A REPEAT OF YESTERDAY Again lots of sign of fish but they just are not in the biting mode for us - but one of these days... we'll just leave it at that. However we did pick up another 300 lb fish today, and if you're not going to catch very many fish they may as well be Giants. We are going to give this another day and if things are the same tomorrow, we are going to try for some action fishing, where ever that might be. No complaints, the weather is still flat calm so tomorrow is make it or break it.
The Boyz |
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HOPE WE ARE HERE WHEN THIS STUFF GOES OFF !!!! By our score on the fish board one would not be impressed, however the 4 fish we did land were nice ones. Let's start off with the tally - Gary with a 165, Nacho with a 262, Eyton wih a 266 and last but not least Jake and Capt. Ray with fish of a lifetime, one for the record books weighing in at 375 on our boat scale which was calibrated in Aug of 08. We always Gill n' Gut the bigger fish on the American Angler, but just so there is no question about the weight we left the fish whole to weigh it back at the dock, it may lose just a couple of pounds but regardless it truly was a Giant. We are seeing a lot of fish down here, when they really decide to bite, hope we're here.
Let's Rock !! The Boyz |
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START UP KIT We spent a few hours letting the gang get out of the car and stretch their legs and do some fishing today. We arrived at the Top end of the Ridge around 11:00 in the am and had steady fishing on some Tuna and Yellows for about 3 hours, and the bonus is that we had a not-very-good ride down with Northwest wind and swell the first day and then had up to 25 knots of northeast wind starting last night which didn't make for a fun ride at all. Good things happen to good people, I'm a firm believer in that because the weather laid down and turned out to be a beautiful day. The photo of the day is of our good buddy Nacho with a shot of some of the Tuna we had today. We are on our way down the coast, bound for the Bait grounds in hopes of catching a box of Greenies just in case they come in handy tomorrow. The forecast looks great so we hope the Big ones are waiting for us!
GOOD NIGHT AND CAN'T WAIT FOR THE MORNING, The Gang |
