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8071

Saltwater Boat Fishing Reports / Big Swells On an Offshore Run

« on: August 28, 2014, 06:59:56 PM »

They called for some huge swells today, but we were making the run offshore anyway looking for pelagics.  Don had his cousin from Florida on the boat and wanted to get him some tuna. I should have known what type of day it was going to be when we got to the ramp and seen it full of surfers and their make shift boats clogging the ramp.

There was a lot of cool stuff to see offshore, including some monster swells. The Navy was doing a lot of live fire drills out there and were constantly calling people to leave certain areas as live fire was being shelled in the area.  There were more than a dozen pissed off calls from a Navy operator at some surfers fishing a live fire cove in Clemente.  I almost got on the radio to respond "Target clear for live ammunition, fire at will Captain"... I so wanted to.   



There were literally tens of thousand of Sailor's by the Wind out there.  I grabbed one for a closer look.




if you couldn't tell, the fishing was slow for us.  There were a few guys radioing in that they had 30 tuna and were tossing ones back, while we mostly saw trolling sport boats.  We didn't see many people stopped, but we did find some areas with fish that we soaked for with no luck.

it was unbelievable bait also.  They were the best sardines I've seen at the barge all year if not the past few years.  We literall only had a few roll on us all day and none of them even lost their scales.  Crazy good baits, with little to show for it. 

Trolling, paddies and soaking didn't produce for us so we found something else to try... chase dolphin.  We saw some killer fast moving pods of dolphin that just moved faster than I've ever seen. 


We did finally catch up and got on the board...


We hooked two and one pulled the hook.  We got one more shot at them, but didn't get any takers.


We started to head in and fished any paddy's we found along the way.  Don hooked up again with something nice, but the hook pulled on this one also.  We also came across a few makos with one being a really big one!  Don and I tried to catch it, but it sank out and wanted no part in our game.

We did spot something else and went to pull it on board...


Until we read the words "If found, leave in WATER!!!" 
It was some type of research probe and was pretty damn big and heavy.  We left it be and headed in with our tails between our legs.  I mean, we didn't get skunked and had a few more opportunities, but hearing those radio calls of limits of YFT on those paddy's gave me a sour taste in my mouth.

Oh well, you can't catch them sitting on your couch, so we will be back! 

Thanks for reading and until next tide!

8072

Fishing Talk / Re: Triple tail in SD?

« on: August 28, 2014, 06:11:32 PM »

Mike, you literally just blew my mind with that Pacific tripletail!  WTF!?!?  Time to hit the bay I guess! 

8073

Saltwater Boat Fishing Reports / Re: Mission Bay With the Family

« on: August 25, 2014, 07:05:26 PM »

That's bad ass Tim!  Great day on the water in the Ass Tracker for sure.  That spot where you were fishing is notoriously epic at times.  I've even caught little firecracker 2-3 pound yellowtail there about 10 years ago.

Once again, thanks for posting and I'm glad to see you taking the boat out in the salt.  Time to get it out on the big pond soon though.   

8074

Saltwater Boat Fishing Reports / Re: MAW tuna challenge 8/23

« on: August 25, 2014, 12:39:20 PM »

Excellent Don!  Now if we can just do that in the GEII, we'll be happy anglers!  LOL 

8075

Saltwater Personal Craft Fishing Reports / Re: Seeing spots in Mission Bay 082314

« on: August 25, 2014, 12:38:23 PM »

Not a bad day at all.  That front part of the bay has been getting hit hard by fishermen all summer long.
Hell, that $10 offering you gave to Neptune should do the trick for the next outing though. 

8076

Salt Water Shore Fishing Reports / Re: The Ebb and Flows of Cabo - Mid August, 2014

« on: August 25, 2014, 12:32:27 PM »

Fantastic report and congrats on all those new spp!

Thanks Boss. I have to check again, but I think I'm at 230 species right now on rod-n-reel.

8077

Saltwater Boat Fishing Reports / A Bait-Making Mission (8/23)

« on: August 24, 2014, 08:18:23 AM »

I had 4 generations of girl Drama happening and NEEDED to get out on the boat for a little R&R.... that and get some bait for shark fishing.  Steve was going to stay up north and try the pier and I was planning on being back by noon.  The MAW was happening this weekend, so I wasn't going to dare venture too far especially with the south swell rolling in.

I trolled a little through the no wake zone heading out to the inlet.  I dumped a bay bass before getting a little 9"er immediately after.  I started to troll again and got a surprise!  This croaker had to be hungry to pop up off the bottom to attack!


I stopped to make a few casts and had a great hit.  It was a scrappy 20" corvina.


I ran outside the inlet and started to catch a bunch of mack.  I didn't use the sabiki so much, but opted for a little more fun on the small irons.  I lost two bonito trying to swing them over the rail before finally getting two for the cooler.


I then hear a text message ring on my phone and see Steve quit Oceanside pier due to slow fishing and was down in the bay.  I picked him up at the courtesy dock and we went back out looking to get more bait.  We actually ran to some structure looking for maybe a better bite, but instead Steve caught a nice Sandy on the 4#.


We ran back outside the inlet and got some more mack but it was s lowing down a lot.  It was definitely a morning bite.


7 species today which was a nice assortment and best of all I filled 4 sacks for some sharking.  The macks varied in size from one-baiters to three-baiters.  The bonito are just bordering too big, but they are definitely nice ones for sharking.


~Tight Lines!

8078

Saltwater Personal Craft Fishing Reports / Re: Kayak produced...

« on: August 21, 2014, 09:20:52 PM »

That's what I'm looking for Boss....  Nice bass and pics and I can't wait to see the doormat on your next journey!

8079

Salt Water Shore Fishing Reports / Re: MB morning

« on: August 21, 2014, 09:19:31 PM »

Man, that looks like awesome shark bait.  Thanks for posting up Boss. 
We are overdue for a trip out in the Boma anyway.  Once I figure out what my immediate plans are, we'll get out and catch a freezer full of meat!

8080

General Board / Re: whats up!

« on: August 21, 2014, 02:22:50 PM »

Welcome Ramon!  Glad you could join us and I'll be looking forward to your posts.  Now that the summer is winding down, the shark and ray reports should just keep getting better and better. 

8081

Salt Water Shore Fishing Reports / Time to Roll Up My Sleeves (8/19)

« on: August 20, 2014, 04:53:47 PM »

This past month has been brutal with all of the nice fish I've been farming.  Some were for no good reason and I couldn't have done anything differently, and some have just proven a match for my tackle...
Just on Sunday I lost a nice leopard shark and a screamer bat ray for no other reason than the hook pulled, even after a nice fight. 

Last night Steve and I headed out to see if we could find some grinners to take our mackerel offerings.  We got a late start due to people on the beach, but conditions were fishable.  It was borderline with all of the weeds around.

I Had a killer hit that Steve saw, and when I grabbed my rod, there was literally nothing there.  I have no idea what happened, but the line was a clean cut.  Rig #1 gone...

Not too long after Steve gets ripped!  This was looking like a big Seven. It bit like one and fought like one.  I reeled in and prepared to drag him up to the sand when I heard Steve yell... "He's Off!  Damn IT!"  The hook crimp failed maybe 20 yards from the sand. Not a good sign to have your crimp slip, but at least he got his sinker back.

I then catch the evil Eel.  I really do hate these things....


I get bit again, but knew it was a bass.  I actually kept this guy for some tacos tonight as he was a healthy 17.5" and a perfect eating size.


I get a really good bite again, but it winds up finding something to clip me off.  This was $20 down the tube at this point with two rigs down.  Steve had a few bites and was getting his baits torn up, but didn't get anything to stick.

I miss a few bass before catching a smaller model one.


I get hit again and knew instantaneously it was another eel. Some wasted kid watched me pull it in and freaked out like he just saw the Loch Ness Monster.  He was losing his mind over that stupid eel.  lol


Steve finally packed it in and I stayed since I had a few more baits and wanted revenge.  I had something on, but tried to muscle it up to realize Mr. Lobster is one leg down now.


I had one half a mackerel left with the tail and gave it the last cast.  I was cleaning my cutting board and packing it in when I heard a clicker quietly screaming before I realized "Oh sh!t, I'm ON!"... and how I was on!

I could feel a bunch of fast tail swipes on the line followed by slower and more erratic ones.  It never broke the surface, but I literally tightened the star drag as far down as it could go and even started thumbing the spool.  This thing did not slow down for even a second.  I thought maybe sea lion because it pulled so hard, but there was no barking.  I immediately thought maybe great white since it felt a lot different than anything I hooked off the beach before.  My third thought was a big ass Black Sea Bass!  I watched 240 yards of mono disappear off the reel and now the braid was screaming out.  My thumbs couldn't hold it and I just tried straight rodding it to see if I could get it to stop.  I had probably 340 yards of line out when I heard a super loud "POP"!! 

Just like that, gone.  I reeled up all of my braid and about 100 yards of line, but he has about 140 yards of line sticking out his face now, whatever it was. 


I was fairly certain in my own head it must have been a Great White, but I relived that damn scenario in my dreams 100x last night and realized it was most likely a Black.  My reasoning for this is it never broke water.  Almost every shark I have ever caught at least has come to the surface to try and shake the hook, from Leopards, Seven's, Soupie's, Makos, Threshers... but not this one.  Not to say it wasn't the Tax Man, but my gut is telling me it was more likely a big old bass.

Oh well, c'est la vie... but this is not over.  I'm changing my mind set and going over all of my gear again.  I have some payback to dish out.

Thanks for reading and Tight Lines!

8082

Salt Water Shore Fishing Reports / Re: The Ebb and Flows of Cabo - Mid August, 2014

« on: August 19, 2014, 10:06:28 AM »

Beautiful pictures for a beautiful place. Thanks for the report!

I keep telling myself before I venture into Mexico I need to learn some Spanish first. Did you run into any circumstances that you found it necessary to speak the language?

Thanks Boss.

Down there (touristy areas), most people speak English.  It's always helpful to know some common words and phrases in Spanish, but not entirely necessary. 

8083

Fishing Talk / Re: Northeastern Pacific White Shark Status Evaluation

« on: August 19, 2014, 08:14:13 AM »

That will take a while to read and absorb what is written.  I'll get back to you on this when I have time to sit back and do so.  In a quick look-over though, it looks like it has some really interesting data to check out.

8084

Outdoor Activities / Re: Tonto Natural Bridge with the boy (short hike)

« on: August 19, 2014, 08:10:26 AM »

Tim, that is killer!  Funny you said Payson.  I was out there about 5 years ago looking for Placoderm fish fossils!  They are some of the oldest fish species known in the US.  Only a couple of people know their exact location as it is a heavily guarded secret to those who do, but we gave it a shot and surveyed a lot of land but couldn't find them.  We did manage to find fossil corals and brachiopods, but it wasn't what we were after.

Great pics and I will let you know if I get out that way for any reason. 

8085

Salt Water Shore Fishing Reports / Re: The Ebb and Flows of Cabo - Mid August, 2014

« on: August 19, 2014, 06:40:20 AM »

Good going. Catching up, huh? 

I think I'm only at 230 species now Ken.  I'm not sure If I'll ever catch up to you unless I start fishing abroad or small and that's not my thing.   
Welcome aboard!