Colonello Memorial 10/24 – 11/3/2021: “we just might have been there yesterday”… or “here comes the son”…

[Montaukmaniac]

Colonello Memorial 10/24 – 11/3/2021: “we might have been there yesterday”… or “here comes the son”…

But let's start with a few diversions…

When my son was 12 years old he used to love to watch the weekend fishing shows. At the time, he begged me to watch a show about long-range fishing in San Diego. Being logical & parental, I asked him, "why would we go coast-to-coast, when we have world-class fishing three hours away"? We watched it anyway and then got some Bill Roecker LR videos. Yeah… Hook, line and sinker!

As a birthday present the following year we went on a four-day, then a seven-day the next year with his best friend Robert and then the following year a nine-day. And so it goes… We all know how SDLR can be habit forming and so it was, until he went off to college… Now dad is sailing solo and decided to try another vessel. For eight solid years, through graduation, first job, second job, establishing a career and getting his own place, a return to SDLR would have to wait. Finally in 2021, after having resisted the siren song of SDLR, he's good to go from the man who signs the paychecks.

Second diversion: Table 5…

I'd always heard about other "big" boats but never had an opportunity to fish another boat while I was fishing with my son. I had heard from several other long-range anglers about the XL and it being a very “fishy” boat. With my son heading off to college I was free to chart a new course. I booked into the Colonello 10 day and arrived not knowing a soul. After stowing gear, I started to chat with some guys who had prior finished on the Qualifier 105. We traded some fish tails, spoke about equipment and expectations for the trip. I'd gone below deck to my cabin and had quickly fallen asleep. Startled, I woke to pandemonium, a pounding on the cabin door. It was Mr. Len Damerow, one of the Q-105 guys. He explained that I had missed the dinner announcement and I was going to “spend the night hungry” if I didn't come on up to the galley ASAP. All that is they say, was "the beginning of a wonderful friendship" with the anglers at table 5. Some folks say that Table 5 is filled with curmudgeons who always have something to grumble about, others find the repartee, quick retorts and feisty comments to be hilarious. Over the course of nine years, I have never looked back and continue to relish participating in the Colonello 10 day with Table 5.

​

Pregame 2021: The hunger for information increased as the weeks progressed showing great sign of good verifiable reports, rumors, verified fish counts, speculation and thousands scoops of conjecture. Fish of a good grade had been reported at Guadalupe for boats with active permits. Tuna of 40-155 were being caught and yet the dreaded taxman was ruthlessly impacting what actually got into the RSW. Reports cited the taxman's take as 50-85%… But wait, there were some experienced anglers who had paid the permit fees and been to Guadalupe recently, they confirmed the good grade as well as, the shocking odds. Some were adamantly opposed to paying for permits and on top of that, understanding they might be viciously taxed. Since the XL retained an active permit, calls to the office yielded a familiar confirmation that the captain would determine our destination, based on conditions at the time and reports from other members of the fleet, prior to our departure. Added to the chum line was a report of a big storm brewing up north heading towards us, rumored to have high winds and very large wave heights. The office confirmed that pending our target destination, weather conditions might or might not impact our logistics.

Day 1, 10/24: At 5:30 AM, I woke my son and went to grab a cart at the landing. Check out the off loads on the dock from two trips, which looks to be some nice grade fish. By 6:30 AM, lots of arrivals with the usual suspects. Table 5 contingent arrived, Len D., Paul W., Cheryl and Tom H., Dale M. the “technology master” and “Hoo’s your daddy” David L! Charter master Carlson, Wayne S. Shannon (legendary angler) and John N., Ron H., Eric T., Ed S., Renier, JVR. a semiannual participant, the always amazing Mike V., Larry L., Bill H., Richard O. & the very talented Rich K. on the spinner, as well as a whole batch of other individuals who are either not mentioned due to my aging brain or are unmentionable! We loaded up, paid our fees, documented our vaccination status, presented our passports and the redshirts got us aboard. This year our Capt would be Justin Fleck, with deckhands Vance, Tim, Nick, as well as our amazing photographer and deckhand René, with Richard the chef assisted by Chase. (Richard and Chase did not disappoint and created superb efforts throughout!)

A trip to the bait receivers finishes up about 12:45 PM and then a meeting with the captain revealed we were going to chart a course for Encinitas to check in for our Guadalupe permits. Reports confirmed a good grade tuna and minimal taxation. Strong advisement was for rigging with 60 and 80 pound outfits, utilizing fluorocarbon connections and 1.0 and 2.0 circle hooks of appropriate strength.

Let the rigging begin… And so we did. I'd be sharing my tackle bag with my son Evin and a quick review of the territory gave way to FG & San Diego knot tying, I’m always getting a lot of flack about my 13 outfits and Evin had a quiver of nine. Between us we should be ready for whatever was ahead. We make it into Encinitas for a quick check in with the Mexican authorities and a delicious dinner of spaghetti and meatballs as we motor South.

 

[Jmetz]

Oh dear lord I'm loving this story. Please tell me there is more

 

[the doctor]

Encinitas/Ensanadas Potato/Patatos

 

[Montaukmaniac]

Day 2, 10/25: According to the Dale, the technology master’s handheld GPS, it seemed that we would arrive at Guadalupe at about 3 PM. The rigging continues along with some consulting with the crew. Vance gave the classic XL tackle seminar with his dry and quiet humor, again emphasizing 60 LBS and 80 LBS outfits with fluoro connections and small 1.0 and 2.0 circle hooks. He covered bait selection, nose hooked, shoulder, back and butt hooked. Recommendation for dropper loop and Yoyo setups were covered. Capt. lets us know via the PA that there are two boats currently on spots at the island who report a slow pick of good grade, with wind definitely picking up. We arrived @ 2:25ish and started looking for productive waters. We see one boat closer in to the island and we cruise in to a spot a couple miles to his portside, Capt. has the deckhand start throwing chum "in twos and threes" at around 3:30. First might've been Ron or Rick K on his spinner, but within 10 min. we had biters. Off the stern on starboard side, Evin gets picked up and smiles with a bendo and off he goes. I'm fishing one of my oldest SDLR rods, my trustee Calstar GF 800 40 – 80 XH that was rewrapped by Jim Trelikes a few years back. I'm using a Avet JX Raptor rigged with 80 pound JB hollow core FG tied to some 80 pound Yo-zuri pink fluorocarbon, San Diego jammed to a ringed circle Owner Gorilla 2.0. On my fifth sardine, with Evin hooked up somewhere on the portside, I did get bit and it's game on. It's a spunky one. He takes me on up the portside and I am heading forward with Tim urging me on. Eventually, I end up having to go around the anchor line and Tim expertly assists. It turns out that the Calstar did not have a gimbal, only a cap and my rod butt kept popping out of the fighting belt. It was a frustrating & humorous situation! You can be certain that my error will be remedied and swapped before my next trip. In about 20 min. of back & forth line taking & winding we're at deep color and Nick head gaffed my feisty Guadalupe YFT. Welcome to Guadalupe!

After some quick pics of that 89.2 pounder and hydration, I learned that Evin is still hooked up. I find him on the port side of the bow, grinding away on a nice Guadalupe YFT. He's also using one of his first SDLR rods a Seeker SS 6465 and a gold Okuma Makira 15 SEA II, spooled with 60 pound JB hollow and an FG to Segar 60 clear flouro San Diego jammed to that same 2.0 Owner circle hook. Seems he's on a much better fish than I had and he also has to get around the anchor line. Evin’s making good progress but every time he gets that YFT close to the boat it spooks and goes on another run. Finally, he's got it up and down. The fish decides to head beneath the hull. Evin is an experienced angler, as well as young and determined. The fish is down below the hull somewhere and they battle to a fluctuating stalemate. Eventually, about an hour into the fight, that JB hollow core frayed by the hull, parts. Evin is now understandably pissed off to the max, he walks away steamed, not stopping to talk, shaking his head and heads for galley. After some quick hydration he's back at it again. The kids got tenacity & grit… Welcome to Guadalupe!

We slept well that night on the anchor protected from the strong winds in the lee of the island.

Day 3, 10/26: Dawn came up a little orange and the wind settled down some. Word from the captain was that the pattern of the bite had generally turned on for the other boats in the PM. We started fishing on the anchor right after breakfast and found our fish starting at around 8:30 AM to 9:30 AM. Same grade as yesterday, with the captain emphasizing the need for a "hot bait" and insisting that if you weren't bit in 10-15 min. get a new sardine in the water. No need for the long soak. They tried putting up the kite with a double trouble rig but that proved to be a fruitless endeavor. Fly lining was still the way to go. The deckhands insisted that we "wind, wind, wind" as the taxman was still lurking. Tax rates were not egregious but certainly kept you on the wind. The action picked up nicely with Rainier, Shannon, Ron, Eric T. and several others I’ve forgotten, mentionable and unmentionables. Lots of other fish were picked up all of the same grade. Perhaps the jackpot fisk at 125lbs, was brought in by Steve D, I believe. Richard K was one of those who landed a nice YT that day. As for me, there was “no joy in Mudville” that day! Evin alternatively moved on to a Calstar GF 800 40 – 80 XH along with a Okuma Makaira 20 SEA 2 rigged with100 pound JB hollow core, FG’ed to some 80 Segar clear fluorocarbon, San Diego jammed to his ringed circle Owner 2.0. He gets bit sometime shortly after 9 AM and is much better equipped to keep that fish from abrading his line on the hull. About 23 min. later he lands his first YFT of the trip, an 86.4.

Nothing is as sweet vindication, after a brutal loss! In the early afternoon, Evin would again fight and ultimately land another 85 LBS plus YFT, with Capt Fleck consulting, putting an exclamation mark on his redemptive arc at the island! One of the husband-and-wife teams lands a 112 pounder and his wife donates hers to the galley. Another passenger lands a staggering, 52 LB mossback YT. Captain alerted us that we would likely fish for mackerel under the lights tonight to augment our bait tanks. He noted that while not mandatory, it would definitely be useful to help the crew’s Sabiki rig fishing.

Day 4, 10/27: It’s our third day on the anchor at Guadalupe. Paul W picked up a nice 40-53 pound YT while Len D. landed a good YFT in the 80- 90 range! .

Some who had a good tuna catch, or those who did not, decided to fish dropper loop to go for YT once they saw the grade that was available. Mike V. was a machine on the dropper loop and ended up with four or five YT in the 40 to 52 pound range. In past years on the Colonello 10 day, a 30 pound YT would be worth kudos. These fish were the kind of PB anglers could expect to spend years trying to catch. The grade was superb. Evin had hooked up on the dropper loop but the fish got off. That night the captain let us know that we had at least 50 YFT’s from 80 to 125 in the RSW over the last 72 HRS. Three days of “steady pick” fishing had yielded quality Guadalupe grade, fish counts this year! The Captain alerted us that we would be fish for mackerel under the lights tonight to augment our bait tanks. He noted that tonight it was mandatory& we would be expected to rise about 4 AM when the mackerel had been noticed to gather under the boat.. We were advised to rig our Sabiki’s now, in preparation for the predawn festivities… at 4:25 a "great time was had by all".

Day 5, 10/28: The fourth day at Guadalupe arrived and it was time to vacate our anchorage and move on. We moved off to an island variously termed the "battleship or aircraft carrier". It seemed to be part of a blown out volcanic crater. There were great expectations that we would continue with strong YFT, as various trips had been successful there. Though the captain tried three spots, we decided to move on. There were several places to the north where productive YT fishing had been found. Moving north we tried another three spots, with little in return for our efforts. Eventually, we continued our way northward and the scuttlebutt turned to ruminations about leaving our anchorage.

Well north now, we put down the anchor to try a spot that was relatively shallow. We were warned to tighten our drags & use 80 to 100 pound test on the dropper loop, or yo-yos with the same 80-100 leaders. I think it was Ron H. who got hit first or the amazing Mike V. Mike V. brought in a hog YT of at least 50-55 LBS. He eventual proceeded to put another three or four in the boat, at just about that size. David L, Dale M and several others were also successful with these beasts, on the dropper.

Two YT’s were boated by this angler. The first was a real nice one. I was using a new UC Zeus 4 5’6” / PE-6-8 wrapped by Jim Trilikes, paired with a Okuma Makaira 10 SEA II. The rod performed, as intended, magnificently. I was using JB 80 LBS JB hollow to an 80 pound Segar flouro, to a 125 LB tactical angler clip, attached to a classic JRI 6, “bubblegum flavored”. The red, white & blue had proved very effective, in past. (…Except that it at times was irresistible to skip-jacks. Since they were none in evidence at the time, it seemed like the right thing to do.) I dropped to the bottom and retrieved promptly 2X. On the third retrieve, I got hit with a freight train. Quickly striking back & retrieving several cranks, I moved that drag up to full & then reeled like my life depended on it! Lucky enough, that mossback came along for the ride. By the time it was gaffed on deck, it looked to be about 45-50. Clearly a PB for me that would likely extend far into the future!

We proceeded to put a nice quantity of this grade fish in RSW over about 3.5hrs. Dropper loop and yo-yo did the trick, (with many using those greenback macks)! It did not seem to matter if one was using a single sardine, chandelier rig or mack, those mossback's seemed to be hungry. We were urged again & again to button down our drags, to avoid getting rocked by these epic, prehistoric, Guadalupe greenbacks! They were a force to be reckoned with. Late in the afternoon, Evin loaded for action was using a Salty Dog wrapped Calstar 770 XXH with his Okuma Makaira 30 SEA II, spooled with 130 pounds JB hollow and FG to a 100 pound mono leader, with the 9.0 circle hook. He got bit on the starboard side and fought an incredible mossback out of those rocks, again in the 45 - 50 LB grade.

Our deckhand Vance got into the action and hooked up with one of these prehistoric monstrosities. The grade of these fish was nothing short of amazing and it is highly unlikely that any of us will see another bite of this grade YT in our lifetimes! Vance who is very strong and quite experienced, got rocked on 100 pound test! Reports are later that evening Vance went one for three, getting rocked 2 more times by those green dinosaurs, while we were recovering in the galley! That afternoon will not be soon forgotten by the Colonello Memorial anglers. We learned from the Captain that evening we’d put 26 of that grade YT in the RSW. He said the XL would be traveling for a day and a half to Alijos. Reports were that there were Hoo at the rocks, (but not in impressive numbers & those reports were yesterday's news)…

 

[Warlord]

Great read! Congratulations on a memorable father/son experience. I’ve known Tim over 20 years as one of the fleets finest engineer/deckhands. He will be missed!

 

[Montaukmaniac]

Day 6, 10/29: It was a nice Friday for a boat ride. We'd be arriving at Alejo's in the a.m., tomorrow morning. The deckhands made the boat shipshape while the anglers relaxed and pontificated about conditions at the rocks. The requisite tackle seminar on fishing Wahoo, bait, wire leaders, jigs, bombs and protocols for jig slinging were covered. "No fishing on the slide" was reaffirmed and "cast away from the troll fish", when the captain announced it. Up in the bow, being the best place for jig slinging and prohibited anywhere “south” of the bait tanks! Everyone was stoked to have a shot at the Hoo and favorite trolling lures, bombs and jigs were discussed ad-nauseam. A friend pointed out a little piece of the bottom in the hand well that Shannon N. had brought up from our YT behemoth fishing.

Chef Richard and Chase provided a tasty sushi spread for our midday snack with a wonderful unique side of sesame/peanut butter poke! It proved to be quite tasty.

Day 6, 10/30: We caught first sight of the rocks while the sun was not yet above the horizon and there was still some color in the sky. We noticed a military vessel as we were approaching AlIjo's. About 7:30 AM we started cruising around and the unmistakable sound of a helicopter in the distance could be heard.

It headed straight for the rocks, deploying equipment and personnel that could be seen rappelling down onto the South rock. It made several trips ferrying back and forth, appearing to supply a work crew, and exchanging /retrieving equipment. Capt. soon deployed our own trolling teams and got the party started. Less than 15 min. later we hooked up our first Hoo on the troll. The delightful chaos that is Wahoo fishing ensued with the chosen bait, bomb or jig. Our first stop put 10 Hoo on the boat. "Hoo's your daddy" David L. of course, was productive on the wired sardine, as always. At one stop, 3 of the table 5 guys Paul W, David L and Len D. all got bit on the troll. I was alternately throwing JRI Hooacide bombs in purple, green, and lime, for all I was worth. Using a Phoenix PhD 809XH that was wrapped by Jim Trelikes about six years ago, matched with an Avet JX Raptor, again with 80 pound JB hollow FG’ed to a 130 fluorocarbon leader, San Diego jammed to a 125 tactical angler clip. Switching between my JRI Hooacide bombs, chrome jigs and brass jigs. Rinse and repeat until my arms gave out and I would switch to my bait set up. I was using a UC CP - 70HF and my Okuma Makaira 15 SEA II, 60 JB HC FG’ed to 80 LBS Seagar Clear fluro, to a San Diego jam on the small back ring of my 3 pass crimped not-to-kinky wire, to a 2.0 Mustad J hook. Eventually, I was up in the bow throwing just before 11 AM and got hit by a nice one, which was not happy and headed for the rocks. “Wind, wind, wind!!!” It arrived lit up & was instantly gaffed by René.

Eric T. Charter-master Carlson, David L. John N. Wayne S. Richard K and several others were successful with the toothy speedsters. Around 2:30 PM, the copter returned from its helipad onboard and retrieved the last of personnel from the South rock. The bite continued to sunset with Evin getting bit and running up the port side fighting with his Avet JX Raptor & a very nice bend in his Calstar GF 800 XH FG’ed to 80 Seagar fluro to a green JRI Hooacide 1.5 bomb . He battled it amidships with Tim at his side. Eventually he had the fish at color, when it swam under the boat. He fought it hard, trying to pull it out and Tim head gaffed the HOO…Unfortunately, that was all there was, because that hefty Hoo had been sharked! A little around six PM Evin was hooked up again and this time got the

Wahoo on the boat just about at sunset! (His cat-o-nine- tails lashing & keel-hauling completed, the footwear f-up was acknowledged by young perpetrator, who still owns all toes... ) Thanks to the awesome deckhand for maximum spiking of the Hoo... It certainly was not the 5 Hoo day (he had when he was in high school, on prior trip to the rocks), but he was super pleased to put one in the RSW. All told, the Captain said we had put 47 Wahoo on the boat from dawn to dusk. Not too shabby!

After dinner the captain announced that we would make a run to the Ridge where school size tuna were reported. He also noted that they were 3 (!) Haul Seiners in the area. This gave way to the great debate between the curmudgeon component; concerning whether there would be any tuna left for us at all, or the more optimistic who asserted that if the commercial guys were there, certainly the fish would be, as well.

Day 7, 10/31: Halloween … Trick… or treat…

All the joys of being an East Coast angler who wakes daily at 5 AM at home and always relishes the wonder of SDLR fishing! Forcing myself to stay in the bunk I eventually succumb and find my way on deck in the predawn light. Everything is beautiful as we motor into the Ridge. The seas are calm, the winds are fair. I snapped a few pictures as color starts to come into the sky. 6:30 AM and a few people were up and about, having coffee, breakfast and checking gear.

The great debate continued between the curmudgeon's and the optimists. I was reminded about the bromide that although the pessimists were usually more accurate, the optimist, ultimately enjoy their lives much more… Even the skeptical get swept up in the energy, re-rigging & planning for any opportunity that may present itself. The scuttlebutt was for a good grade of school size tuna that were reported to have been in the area.

Two hours later almost everyone was on deck double checking their gear and discussing each of their available options and rigging strategies.

Continued....

 

[Montaukmaniac]

After several discussions with table 5 anglers, other friends and deckhands, I decided to place four of my lighter setups close at hand in the Rod holders above my tackle bag. Everyone gets two places in the rod holders above tackle rack. My Open Water tackle bag will also hold 2 rods. My lightest set up was a rewrapped Shimano Convergence CVC-F70H 15-30 HF Muskie rod paired with a Tranx 400AHG 400, spooled with 40 pound JB solid FG’ed to Yo-Zuri pink 30 pound fluro , San Diego jammed to a 1.0 ringed Owner circle fly liner. The second set up was a classic Calstar GF 800 M 20-40 matched with a Avet SX Raptor spooled with 40 pound solid Izor FG’ed to Yo-Zuri pink 30 pound fluro , San Diego jammed to a 1.0 ringed circle fly liner. Third set up was a custom Jim Trelikes Webspinner special UC 7.5 Tilefish Junior 76 M 25 – 40, paired with an a Avet MXL MC, to Diawa 40 pound clear fluro, San Diego jammed to a 2.0 ringed fly liner. My last setup was an another oldie but goodie, Calstar GF 700 ML 20 – 50, matched with a Okuma Makaira 8 SEA II, spooled with 40 pound solid JB FG’ed to Diawa 40 pound clear with a “carolina keepers” above and below a 1 ounce barrel sinker 18 inches from a, San Diego jammed 2.0 ringed fly liner.

The captain put out the troll team as we cruise to our destination. Eventually, on the horizon we can make out the shapes of other vessels. We could see the Haul Seiners dispersed over a wide area and Capt. eventually called for the trollers to be retrieved. As the XL slowed, the deckhands followed his instructions for throwing sardines in "ones and twos" and then "twos and threes". He lets us know we can get our baits into the water and anglers who had lined up at the hand wells begin to form a line along the stern & up the port side.

Way before that last angler left the hand wells, someone gets picked up & shouts “biter!” Very quickly a second & a third angler is bent! It’s organized chaos shortly thereafter. We then had been fishing together for about a week and, "coming through, under, over, hot rail, over, under" was well-established and worked really well up until sometime later, when it became totally WFO. My first fish was on the Shimano and the Tranx 4000AHG setup, which cast beautifully. There was some bobbing and weaving as the fish took off but the light setup handled it nicely. Vance was there to gaff the fish and a nice YFT in the 30 pound range was a real pleasure to see. A quick shout of "number 10 blue" and it was tagged. I headed back to the bait tank, I could see that Ron H, Paul W, Evin B., Wayne T, and Shannon and were hooked up. Quickly, I grab a bait and make my way back to the rail and discover my sardine is no longer attached to my 1.0. About 45 min. later, things started to change and we were inundated by skipjack and a slightly smaller grade of fish. My second fish seemed to be about 25 LBS. It was quickly tagged with the" number 10 blue". Things were so busy that one of my tuna was quickly gaffed and disappointingly it was a much smaller grade. I "bounced" several skippies and a couple of smaller grade tuna seeking to avoid taking the smaller grade. John N., Ed S., Rainier, Steven S. & Richard K were all hooked up. Amidst the wonderful havoc the inevitable "knitting project" brought our deckhands to "reverse weave" anglers out of trouble. They were overwhelmingly successful and yet the inevitable cutoffs occurred to free anglers who were hooked up and had brought in plenty of other lines in the process. Naturally, after being miraculously freed from a couple of weaving projects by Tim and Renée, the inevitable occurred and my line was clipped to free from the mass. The “angles & tangles” advice was uttered again & again by our fantastic deckhands, Renée, Nick, Vance, Tim & Chase. I racked my rod and moved on to my UC 7.5 Tilefish Junior & MXL MC setup. Just about this time, waves of smaller tuna and skipjack started coming through. I had to bounce several skippies in a row and soon was cutoff, so I grab my next setup off the rack. Capt. let us know to stay aware and be "selective" with our tags, as we had our better grade Guadalupe tuna already in the RSW.

Continued soon ....

(Getting a message from BD: "the upload is too large for the server to process") ???

"I'll be back" ... with the rest of this tail.

SDLR COMMUNITY: IS ANY ONE AWARE OF HOW TO RESOLVE THIS & POST THE CONCLUSION OF THIS REPORT??? ( APPROXIMATELY 6 MORE PICS + 2- 3 PAGES OF NARRATIVE )

 

[Tunahead]

JUST WOW...what a great Father/Son report.
Great read, and a book of memories forever.
Well done. Nice fish guys on the Big-X.

 

[nicodemus]

How cool to see the guys on top of the rock! Oh, the report kind of rocks, too...

 

[Warlord]

The seiners on the ridge prefer to wrap skippies! They’re easier and the price per ton I s nearly that of YFT.

 

[pacificscout]

Awesome fish, write up and best of all quality time.

 

[2Rotten]

Brilliant Report!!! Very nice read. Epic trip!

 

[hucklongfin]

Beware of table 5!

 

[PheasantHunter]

Great report, thanks for sharing!

 

[Montaukmaniac]

Continued soon .... I hope...

(Getting a message from BD: "the upload is too large for the server to process") ???

"I'll be back" ... hopefully... with the rest of this tail.

SDLR COMMUNITY: IS ANY ONE AWARE OF HOW TO RESOLVE THIS & POST THE CONCLUSION OF THIS REPORT??? ( APPROXIMATELY 6 MORE PICS + 2- 3 PAGES OF NARRATIVE )

TRIED WAITING 1 hr, 1 DAY, STILL NG.
Tried to post a second thread to finish, same message, still NG...
TRIED TO "Report", BUT SO FAR NO RESPONSE...

ANYONE KNOW WHY, OR BETTER YET HOW TO GET THE REST POSTED???

 

[Montaukmaniac]

The remaining photos have been excluded in an effort to post the rest of the report…..

The bite went on fluctuating from a very steady pick with multiple fish hanging, to a WFO and back again. The skipjack and smaller tuna would inundate our chum line, causing massive knitting projects and then gradually back off. Larger grade fish would then come through and the fish would be counted and placed in the RSW. About 2 1/2 to 3 hours later we started picking up Mahi-Mahi mixed in with the tuna and for a while it was straight dodos.

This was great fun as it gave everyone a chance to try alternate techniques. Some went up top and started taking photographs, while other anglers started to get creative switching to poppers and surface jigs. Steve H was successful using a spinner and surface poppers. I switched out to a popping outfit using a UC-7503 Atlantic custom rods popper, matched with A Penn Torque spinner using 80lb hollow, FG’ed to 80 LB Segar fluro, SD jammed to a 125lb TA clip and old sardine patterned waxwing. It proved very effective! Tuna & the Dorado were brought to gaff & RSWed. Evin, who enjoys spinner fishing as much as any east coast surf rat, decided he’d like a try.

We quickly swapped rigs & off he went laughing & with sardine scales in his hair, having a blast on the tuna, with that spinner set up! I step back from the action & glance up the starboard side. There’s Charter Master Carlson amidships. He gets into it launching an orange & black Wahoo bomb towards the horizon and 3-4 cranks later, gets hooked up with a nice Wahoo. After his hefty Hoo is gaffed, we looked each other in the eye and I give my kudos shouting “happy Halloween John!" This bite morphed from a solid pick, to a consistent WFO over & over again, for most of the day! We all participated in excellent fishing that was deliberate and coordinated, which then transitioned into the spectacular pandemonium, of those memorable WFO bites! Our fish counts as you might imagine, were fantastic. Fishing was outstanding for the consistency of the action, variety & quality, over the daylight hours, of a very memorable Halloween day!

The captain announced after dinner that we would be headed North, stating that we would try and do some rock fishing stocks on the way in to Encinitas. Monday, 11/1,would be a tear down and cleanup day for anglers to put gear in order. We were urged to keep a couple of setups suitable for Rockfish.

Day 8, 11/1: Everyone spent most of the day breaking down equipment and cleaning it up, save for the rock fish setups. The ride uphill was affected by a storm system passing through and a characteristically bumpy ride North.

Day 9, 11/2: The morning was gray after breakfast and we tried several spots for rock fish, putting a nice catch of reds together along with a ling cod, and a couple of sheep’s-head. The check-in at Encinitas was uneventful. We headed North while having the traditional and beautifully prepared prime rib dinner. The captain announced that we would be getting in at about 5 AM and would be checking in with U.S. Customs and Border Protection, first thing in the morning. We discussed logistics for fish processing, the jackpot and the offload. Lastly, we all squared away our onboard tabs with the XL and designated gratuities as we saw fit.


Final notes: Although many had come predisposed in favor of fishing certain grounds, or eliminating certain stops, or were concerned about additional fees for fishing Guadalupe Island, or the possibility of storm conditions, to fish Alijos, or to skip it, the trip turned out to be incredibly successful. For all of us who participate in the Colonello 10 day over the years, this year's trip was a truly memorable one.

It is not surprising that, crew who are on the water day after day, have knowledge the average angler no matter how experienced, is lacking. Overwhelmingly, the vast majority of long-range personnel will put their knowledge, experience and capabilities to work for the passengers’ best outcome. When advised to utilize 60 or 80 pound flouro at Guadalupe, circle hooks into 2.0 or 1.0 or utilizing certain knots for connections, we need to realize each small modification ultimately can inform our abilities and add up to a better catch/experience. As a captain long ago and far away had told us "using the right hook, with the right knot, with the right line, with the right connection, in the right conditions" will contribute to your advantage incrementally as an angler. This is not to say that you cannot "switch it up and be successful". I try to think of all the information as food for thought, augmented by everyday on the water experience. Ultimately, this is tied to enlightened self-interest for the crew, as passengers who have had a superb trip tend to be more generous with their gratuities. It is imperative to consider their input in decisions made, related to gear deployment and fishing conditions. Without a doubt, Capt. Fleck put all of his expertise and experience to work in a phenomenal consecutive series of decisions, with location after location, stop after stop resulting in excellent fishing of notable grade for all on board! It is interesting to note that another vessel stopped at many of the same locations, but in a different order and they did not have even close to our fish counts…. I am both thankful and grateful to; our superb chef Richard and his sous-chef / deckhand Chase, for their wonderful skills, deckhands extraordinaire Tim, Vance, Nick & Renée and Jason in the business office, who ALL made this trip a phenomenal success.

In this time of Thanksgiving, I'm enormously grateful for my accumulation of friends on the Colonello Memorial 10 day, support from the former “Q Crew” & all at Table 5, the incredible staff of the Excell and wonderful assistance from quality organizations like SquidCo, BHP Tackle, JRI, Tactical Angler and Jim Trielikes of WebSpinner custom fishing rods, just to quickly mention a few.

SDLR anglers like Wahoo Dad & Willie, Fishybuzz, Soda Pop, Jamie of Bob Sands Tackle, Rodless Jim and too many others to mention, who have inspired my own efforts through their own contributions. Their efforts are a lesson to us all, on how to become better anglers and better humans.

(If I've not mentioned you here it's either because I'm instructed not to do so, I am at best a victim of "age-related cognitive decline" (which is the best we can hope for at my age) or it simply slipped an addled mind…)

Finally fun pic… 2:57 AM: Prior to offload 11/3, I wake and find my way up on deck, in the predawn hours. In one of those unique SDLR moments I find heron on top of the bait tank, pilfering a sardine for a late-night snack.

In memoriam I'd like to acknowledge the fantastic Charter Master Dan Colonello. This is dedicated to all those who share their knowledge, their expertise and are motivated to be good stewards of our phenomenal international SDLR resource.

Tight line & screaming reels to all! Thanks for taking the time...

 

[NaplesJohn]

Awesome report...looks like your timing was spot on! Thanks for the work on putting together a solid report!

 

[vegasandre]

thank you for the awesome well written detailed report.. it takes a lot of time and effort and we appreciate it !
congrats on great memories with your son. there isn't a price tag on that..

 

[Fishe95]

Great report as usual, Dad! All time trip, thanks for the write up and making it possible.

 

[Montaukmaniac]

Remarkable (!) some of the missing photos were able to be posted...

Couple of Alijos.

Spinner shots.

(Reference from above.)

Finally fun pic… 2:57 AM: Prior to offload 11/3, I wake and find my way up on deck, in the predawn hours. In one of those unique SDLR moments I find a heron on top of the bait tank, pilfering a sardine for a late-night snack.

Enjoy!

 

[bhatch]

Fun write up Steve - makes me itchy for next year! Fun group of folks and nice variety of fishing. Excel as a whole really pulled the rabbit out of the hat compared to what we were hearing from the other boats - really great operation A to Z. Great meeting and fishing with you and Evin!

 

[King Halibut]

Steve,
You done good, great write up!
It was a pleasure to spend another trip with you and the guys, here’s to another ten.
“Whoo’s yer Daddy”