clouserhead
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![[*]](./images/greyalliance2/default_icon.gif) posted on 9/7/10 at 07:00 |
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Exploratory offshore run
Kim Z and I ran out toward the Hidden bank Yesterday looking for kelps and YT. We found only a few kelps that were noy holding fish. In spots there
was a lot of life with huge schools of porpoise on bait but no tuna in the mix out there. The weather was projected to be nice with a small south
swell and the usual 2-3 ft NW swell. The wind was suppose to be under 8 knts. This was the case for the first part of the day then the wind picked up
and soon there whitecaps and a wind slop to contend with. We scooted back to south island to fish for YT cuda and Calicos. We ran into a panga fleet
of lobster divers harvesting the south kelp section. The San Diego 3/4 day fleet soon met us at the spot and we began to pick off some nice calicos
and a few cuda. The cuda were easy using a megabait but we only caught a couple on flies if I remember correctly. We saw a few spots of YT but they
were up and down quickly. There was a lot less action than previous trips mostly due to the weather change and generally poor conditions. The
highlight of the trip was an encounter with a huge bluefin Tuna. We were fishing the outside of South Kelp Ridge where it transitions into the flats
and we spotted a bird school that was goind carzy. The 3/4 boat San Diego also spotted it as the same time we did and ran on it along side of us. They
cut us off from the boils running over them and putting the fish down. Then on the other side of our boat the boils erupt again. At this point we are
not sure what they are, I'm thinking YT. Then right in front of Kim and I a huge Bluefin comes out of the water chasing bait. A perfect broadside
view. It looked like a Trident missile being launched from a submarine. The beast was 40-50 whatever pounds and was going mach speed. I was able to
get one long cast with a megabait on my conventional rod close to the action but it was over just that quick and there was no love. We were completely
stoked. What a sight. You know how certain fishing experiences are burned in your memory and they become sort of a persoanl favorites slide show in
your head at times? Well this puppy just moved up toward the top of my list. This experince is why I fish and was completly worth the entire day. One
day i hope to catch one of these amazing beasts on a fly (Pacific Bluefin) before they are extinct. Great day with Kim Z who is very easy to fish with
and enjoyable company. It's always interesting to find the the bond found in the love of the sport and the outdoors almost always assures that your
fishing partners are compatible. I think this especially applies to fly fishing where this bond is tested by the steep learning curve and committment
to understanding the environment. It looks like another week or so before the tuna are in range. It's going to blow for the next 5-6 days then the
fish should be at a fishable range. Needless to say, I'm ready for this thing to kick off.
Randy
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okiplug
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| posted on 9/7/10 at 07:18 |
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Thanks for posting your report, Randy. Good to hear there are a few bluefin circling the islands. They sure are beautiful whether attached to your
line or freeswimming.
Glenn
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Dave
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| posted on 9/7/10 at 09:27 |
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| Quote: | Originally posted by clouserhead
We were completely stoked. What a sight. You know how certain fishing experiences are burned in your memory and they become sort of a persoanl
favorites slide show in your head at times? ...
...It's always interesting to find the the bond found in the love of the sport and the outdoors almost always assures that your fishing partners are
compatible. I think this especially applies to fly fishing where this bond is tested by the steep learning curve and committment to understanding the
environment.
Randy |
Randy,
Sooo true. So true. When I was in my early 20's I had a fishing buddy... we were different in many ways, but shared the passion/obsession of fishing.
That bond was tight and we shared many days on the water including runs south of the boarder on the pacific and sea of cortez. At the time he had a
'rink-e-dink' 20ft. center console that always seemed one trip away from the boneyard. We kept our fingers crossed everytime we launched. We were
towed in once by the coast guard, never made it out twice and wrenched on it on the water more than once (young and dumb, but always ready to
fish...). One afternoon, just below the Nads, on our way back to Shelter Island after scoring several yft down below; my buddy sound asleep and curled
up on the bow...me at the helm fading in and out and pretty much on auto pilot from lack of sleep... I spotted some jumpers and instantly we were on
red alert. We slid up and threw bait for an instant double hook up on more tuna. As we were hooting each other on, rods doubled over, a marlin blew up
on some bait not more than 50 ft. from the boat. 'Eye to eye' an awesome sight that made it on my personal slide show and was replayed many times.
Randy, thanks for the reminder... I hadn't hit replay on that in years. As for my ol' fishing buddy, our paths in life have gone different
directions and I haven't seen or fished with him in about 7 years, but I feel the bond is still there. When my Dad and I fished together a couple of
weeks age, he asked about him... My Dad said he had seen him in a 'Pelagic' ad hoisting up a big wsb... I guess he's still fishing too.
Dave
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Z-Finman
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| posted on 9/7/10 at 11:21 |
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Randy,
Thanks for a great trip yesterday, not so much for the fish that found their way to the boat, but for sharing a completely unique day. It definitely
felt like we were explorers in our own right; on the leading edge of new discovery, as we searched through the foggy, drizzly seas south of the
Coronados! There was a sense that we'd be on to tuna any minute, with nobody else around to even notice or share in the fun. You could definitely
feel their presence (the tuna) though, and the monster bluefin flying across the bow later on a sure indication that it won't be long before our rods
are bent and reels screaming!
Sorry this shot didn't come out any better; it was a tough one ,taken upside down and sideways from across the boat - a hefty calico from the depths
below:
Z-Finman has attached this image:
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Z-Finman
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| posted on 9/7/10 at 11:23 |
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There were lots of rockfish below at the Coronados too, but getting to them in 100' + depths with the speed of our drifts all but impossible.
Here's a handsome guy that did make it up from about 134' - Liberace scores again!
Z-Finman has attached this image:
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Z-Finman
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| posted on 9/7/10 at 11:26 |
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If you go down to these waters, make sure you take a drift chute, or trolling motor to keep your groundspeed down - there are plenty of 3-5 pound bass
just waiting to wreck your flies. Weedless ones too; the kelp is huge!
Kim Z.
p.s. - Don't forget the foul weather gear; think we had ours on all day - cool, windy, and misty one it was! When do we go again! :)
Z-Finman has attached this image:
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