Topics

76

Saltwater Boat Fishing Reports / From Arizona to La Jolla

« on: September 18, 2022, 11:35:53 AM »

 It wasn't Bat Fight season but Will, AKA, ''Cheez'' came out from Arizona to take a trip on The Cyclops. Conditions were not the best in the forecast but they were doable. We launched out of South Shores and made our way to La Jolla. All was quiet at the ramp.


Beautiful morning heading out



Conditions turned out to be ok, we still had a few rollers but all in all it was good.



I think we followed Quint on the way out


Found bait balls on the Fish Finder, couldn't get the Macks in the boat fast enough, they were big and feisty Sabiki was on fire as well as lures too. Filled the live wells with over a dozen each



I think Cheez was the first to hook up, Bonito 


Whitefish and Barber Pole was my next few fish



Got a few others in the mix too but they were dinks



I think we headed back in around 1:30 or so, came into Mission Bay to see the chaos of the boat races. This was on Friday so I can imagine the Chit Show on Saturday


Nothing like fresh Fish Tacos




We ate good on the Patio Saturday night, even had Peach Cobbler

 
I am sure this funny looking plate will be back soon enough


Thanks for the Visit, Cheez, we will do it again real soon 

77

General Board / Windy

« on: September 09, 2022, 07:19:21 PM »

 Thought I would try to keep the boat dust free since I live on a dirt road and am surrounded by dirt so we put the cover on and hoped it would survive the 50+ MPH winds, it held up like a champ




I see Tom didn't have as much luck in the wind, I hate wind !!! Hope everyone made it thru safe and sound.

78

Fishing Talk / Yamaha Gauge

« on: August 29, 2022, 07:44:04 PM »

 Last weekend I took a pic of my Trip Info. on the Yamaha Display, thought it might be handy to keep a log of trips for future reference. Not really sure it stores the info. or if it's an option but it can be reset each trip. Time to read the Manual It is a computer, like everything else, my kids show me how to use it

79

Saltwater Boat Fishing Reports / Cyclops is Progressing

« on: August 29, 2022, 09:15:32 AM »

 I wanted to fish on Sunday since Janie had plans but wasn't sure about launching cause my kids don't drive yet and it's a chore by myself. As I was thinking, my buddy calls me out of the blue and so I asked him if he wanted to tag along, he was thrilled to be asked since he just rolled his Yak in La Jolla a few days prior We met up at South Shores at 6:30 am and off we went

My buddy Richard got a few Macks on the Sabiki and sent one down, instantly got slammed


As I was taking the pic I noticed it was barely hooked, before I could say anything it shook off and escaped Not sure it was legal anyway

Myles and I got some Dinks in the mix and then he gets a nice Red (first for him)




We got some nice grade White fish and a few other varieties including a Sculpin




Richard was impressed with the comfort of the boat and the Trolling Motor with Spot Lock was impressive too. It kept us on the Waypoint , no problem



All in all it was a fun day. Actually got some '' Real'' blood on the deck and the new Kill Bag got put to the test as well  Taco Tuesday is near
 

80

General Board / Expensive Lesson

« on: August 24, 2022, 03:03:33 PM »

 So, last Sunday The Cyclops went out to LJ From MB, I prepped the boat Saturday night and got things ready as usual. Rods were placed in the rod holders on each side of the boat, 6 total but I had a brand new Sabiki rod and a brand new Okuma Komodo reel on a Graphtech rod that I didn't feel comfortable putting in the rod holders behind the helm seat so I wrapped them nicely together in a thin Hospital blanket and tucked them on the floor under the other rods in their holders. (Almost put some tape or a strap around them but figured they were heavy enough) Stopped a few miles down the road to get fuel at 5:30 am and then we hauled ass to South Shores. Upon arrival I noticed my rods that were neatly wrapped were gone Instantly I thought someone at the gas station JACKED them while I was getting fuel because they were on the opposite side of the boat from the pump. I contacted the owner (I know the guy) and asked him to review the camera footage from Sunday morning and he did and confirmed I was the only one at that pump island So apparently my rods and reels worth about $500 did a Mary Poppins out of my boat on the freeway   Lesson learned, never again ! I guess I am so bummed about it because they were brand new and Sunday was the day to put them to use, oh well, I will chalk it up to experience  and pay more attention to detail in the future. Some lucky bastard got a good deal on new gear if they didn't get too dinged up  Of course prices have gone up since my original purchase so I guess it's time to water the Money Tree again  

81

Saltwater Boat Fishing Reports / Virginity Lost

« on: August 21, 2022, 09:55:38 PM »

 The Cyclops lost it's Virginity today   Tom should be proud, It took a while but I made sure her first time was gentle I saw a good forecast and made the call to go for it. Hit South Shores at 6:30 am and headed out to the Big Pond. Took a right and headed for The Jewel and found some players but they were all pretty small........Didn't matter cause the whole experience was a great learning curve The weather was overcast but very calm water and no wind to speak of. Learned more about my boat and got a confidence boost Myles and I had a blast, Max contributed to the Chum Duties I will let the pics tell the story, next trip hopefully has a better quality fish count but for now I am glad to have had a nice first open water trip

Loaded up and ready to roll



Found a rock Pile and they began to nibble



Meanwhile, Grand Master Chum was hard at work



Found another rock pile, Myles goes Bendo



I tried to keep up



It's been a while since I've seen La Jolla from this angle


Put about 30 miles on the motor today, it was beautiful


Hope to have more success next trip

82

Saltwater Boat Fishing Reports / Warm Day at The Bay

« on: August 15, 2022, 02:15:40 PM »

 Since the trolling motor was just installed, it was time to give it a test so we headed to SD Bay last Friday. My dad wanted to go so I didn't opt for La Jolla this trip because of his declining health, I am sure the open water would take a toll on him   We launched and I figured Myles would get the first fish as usual, and he did and lost it at the boat So I had to show him how it was done
The Spotties were on the chew for a while and then they must have gotten sleepy   Them and my dad He pooped out and took a few breaks and actually fell asleep on the back seat Typical Spottie pics (you know the drill) but they are so fun to catch on bass gear

First fish


The competition was on



Max finally hooked up


Dad joined in with no luck and then decided to rest 




I scratched a few more here and there



Dad took another nap while we scouted


The twins had fun and the trolling motor was a great addition to The Cyclops. I made a makeshift stand for it to minimize the flex while under way, it worked perfect



Warm and beautiful on The Bay


Had a great day until we got home, then my Kidney Stones decided to play Rugby and F*CKED me up   I went to bed and Saturday morning I couldn't stand the pain and puking so Janie Took me to The ER, only made it a couple miles to the Fire Station, I was fading fast Long story short, Timmy got a ride in an Ambulance to Palomar Hospital After some IV Meds for the Pain (I CANT DESCRIBE THE INTENSITY !!!) They released me to follow up with my Doc, these puppies ain't coming out on their own   For now I eat these pills and hope to get these stones removed ASAP !  Next trip better be open water with bigger fish

 Keep slaying the fish, Tom, I will eventually get a Quality report

83

General Board / Cyclops Complete

« on: August 10, 2022, 02:38:15 PM »

 Well, The Cyclops is completed for now and ready to fish Had the trolling motor (36 volt) installed along with 3 batteries and an on board charger. I went with the Garmin VHF radio and had an antenna installed as well. All the warranty work that was on my list got taken care of while she was in the shop along with the first 20 hour service Hopefully the throwing money theme dies down and catching fish theme picks up from here on out I took a few pics, I like to take pics   Here is The Cyclops resting in the shade here at home, waiting to get wet I know she needs a bath again, I noticed while taking the pics but it has been at the shop for almost a month





Quick release plate for easy removal



I left some real estate open for future use





Folding antenna and the puck for the trolling motor .....  Looks at that dust




The batteries and charger  ( I know, the wire is next to the bolt, it will be moved )




Trial run with the trolling motor in a few days, hope the weather cooperates Oh yeah, a support arm for the trolling motor shaft is on order 

84

Freshwater Shore Fishing Reports / Bact to Bishop

« on: August 04, 2022, 09:25:56 PM »

 The Twins will be going back to school soon and it was our Anniversary (33 years ) so I planned another trip up the hill to Bishop. We loaded the Hearse like last time and stayed at the same Hotel since it was so nice. We were able to park right outside our room to load and unload, very convenient


The place is nice to just walk around the grounds and enjoy the peace and quiet




Enough of the Hotel, time to chase trout We headed up towards South Lake area and fished Bishop Creek again since it was recently stocked. Once again, Myles lands the first one


The mosquitoes fell in love with my legs despite putting repellent on them, so we moved to another spot where they stocked as well. Only 1 player there
ftp://



Gotta keep searching and there are unlimited areas to fish, streams everywhere so you just pull over and scout the area Rods are always at the ready






Thunder Showers were in the forecast so it was time to head down the hill before it got nasty. Still hot in town, anywhere from 97 to 100 compared to 70 up on the hill. Lets go for a walk and check out the local Tackle Shop, it's not going to rain down here 




Next it was time to check out Pleasant Valley Reservoir, just outside of Bishop about 10 minutes or so. You can park close to it and then walk up the hill about a quarter mile to access the Dam. As we arrived the wind was howling and the water was really low, not fishing friendly so we walked back down and fished the river below, no love there either




The next day, I forget what day it is by now, 2 or 3, we get some Intel about some ponds out some dirt road that are good fishing spots. Not really what I want to do in the Escalade, and these spots always seem to be a wild goose chase Not to mention these dirt roads have no signage either After 1 1/2 hours on some washboarded road, I had enough and the rest of the family was getting Pissy, especially Janie cause I ran out of patience    I remembered my buddy telling me the Canal behind the Vons grocery store was a hot spot, so we went there and found some players 



Janie and the Twins got quite a few as well, all pan sized but great fun on 4 and 6 Lb. gear




Almost forgot, we did venture up to The Owens River above Crowley Lake, Max wanted to Fly Fish again. It looked promising but it was practice only 




Myles scored again with this Beauty



We finally found a Honey Hole in between raindrops and we got about 5 hours of nonstop action ! A few Dinks in the mix but most were keepers, it was great to see the boys enjoy the outdoors and have a blast  Max got a few on the Fly Rod and a ton on the spinning gear so he was happy 








Myles and I were on them too






The scenery was epic and we had the meadow all to ourselves 








Family pic


We came home 2 days early cause the forecast was ugly, more Thunder Showers with Flash Flood warnings   Lightning too   Can't fish in that mess so we hit the road and Somehow ended up at Bass Pro After Janie got her fill of shopping we had a nice lunch and made it home safe and sound, Our dog, Mongo was glad to see us


Hope I didn't bore you too much. I plan on picking up the boat from the shop ASAP so my next report should be in the Saltwater category

85

General Board / The Sierras are calling

« on: July 29, 2022, 09:17:10 PM »

  Heading back to Bishop tomorrow for another week of chasing trout. Hotel life will be nice but I would prefer to be camping up there. Oh well, I hope to have a good report next weekend when we return.

86

Salt Water Shore Fishing Reports / Bat Cave Skunk

« on: July 23, 2022, 07:51:32 AM »

 Well, the Twins wanted to try The Bat Cave while they are still out of school. I called my Dad to see if he wanted to go as well (his health has been declining the last couple of years) He was up for the challenge so we set up shop at the usual spot. Low tide when we arrived at 10am and high tide was at 6pm. We soaked Mac heads, Squid and tossed around some swim baits on the bass gear too. Not even a nibble Nothing picked at our bait and no love on the swimmies either, oh well, it was a relaxing Friday anyway



Left the back window open on The Hearse, it was warm




Dad got around pretty well in the sand with his bad knees




The Twins fished the Swim Baits non stop for 6 hours



After all the casting practice, I finally called it a day. My shoulders were already sore from Physical Therapy and now they were toast It was good to chill with my Dad on a mellow day, I only had to scream and go off on one lady on a Jet Ski   You know how they are, and she was wearing a mask that explains it right there  Hope everyone has a great weekend

87

General Board / More Money

« on: July 19, 2022, 06:50:49 AM »

 The boat is still in the shop and I have been looking to upgrade from a hand held VHF radio to a fixed mount/flush mount. Lots of options out there but since all my electronics are Garmin, I probably will go with a Garmin radio as well They seem to be back ordered online but the shop has them in stock A little bit pricey but I ain't waiting anymore for back order items these days To save another trip to Vista, I will have them install the radio, antenna mount and an 8' antenna while it is already there This will add another $1000 to the bill but hopefully I am done hemorrhaging cash so I can finally get this vessel out on the big pond and land a fish other than a Spotted Bay Bass     Stay tuned, The Cyclops is almost ready

88

General Board / They Are Back

« on: July 17, 2022, 08:24:36 PM »

 They have returned   The owls came back to their house I put up for them and after hearing all the screeching the other night we found the evidence Owl pellets with skeletal remains, they even left me a good luck feather

15' up is their Condo


Directly below was all the pellets

 
Bones too




Found this feather too


Hope they stick around for a while and keep the gopher population out of my lawn

89

Salt Water Shore Fishing Reports / No Activity

« on: July 16, 2022, 05:44:30 AM »

 Hit C-Bad again in hopes of finding some fish, that wasn't the case    We gave it our best shot by offering sand crabs, crack and even squid No activity at all, so after 4 hours of casting the long rods and lighter rods, we called it a day   It was cool to just sit back and watch these two in action and see how far they have progressed over the years

P-Soul sticker still attatched


Cool shot of Myles in action



Max showed some patience 



I tossed some crack around for a bit


Teamwork is key 




No luck here so I think we will be heading back to Bishop in a couple weeks for round 2 of trout chasing, another 5 days of that should ease the pain of getting skunked locally

On a side note.... one the way home from C-Bad, I stopped by the boat shop to see if any work has been started on my boat since dropping it off last Saturday. Still parked, covered and untouched They told me it will hopefully get moved to the work bay and begin the trolling motor installation and the other list of things later that day and be ready for pick up next week or so

90

Food & Recipe / Smoked Tuna

« on: July 13, 2022, 06:48:40 PM »

 My cousin gave me a cooler full of BFT and YFT so I gave it my best shot on the smoker As soon as I get my boat back I hope to be catching my own very soon Teriyaki, brown sugar and pepper over night in a bowl in the fridge then onto the smoker with Cherry wood.  225 for 1 1/2 hours, I think it's pretty tasty 



Cut into smaller pieces


Let it rest and drip dry




Turned out good