Islands I Love ChiChi 5-27

[sharkythesailor]

Get to Avalon at 10:30pm and go straight to ChiChi with the ladies. Come back at 1 (or 2?). Buddy stays up all night playing catch and release with like 30 Calico. He wakes me up at 5 and we run to our spot on the front side. We try trolling sardine through some boils and bird action but nothing. I manage to somehow get my dive gear on and heave myself over the side. See a cool jellyfish and a biggg mola mola in pretty close to the island.

Swim around for a little more and lo and behold a single 15?lb yellowtail is cruising shallow between me and the structure. He's a curious guy and comes in when my eyes are away but backs off when I look. Every time my eyes leave him he gets a tiny bit closer. I play the game with him for like 10 seconds but I am just. too. horny. for this fish. I fire the long shot and miss See another similar size or maybe the same fish cruise by like 10-15 min later but it doesn't want to play.

I get back to the boat, baby burp a $3 Chi Chi shot and some pad Thai out on the swim step, jump in for a quick dip, and then head to a sandy spot to drift for Halibut. We get a bunch of sardine tails all scratched up on small bites and two big bites but can't get a hook set on anything. Are people running a tail hook when they're drifting live bait? If so, circle, J, or treble?

Anyways, we run home at like 2pm in windy but decent conditions and we see a big pod of whales. Maybe like 5-10? of these huge animals. One of em surfaces an underhand toss away from the boat and I just about shit myself with how big it is. Could definitely heave me over the side again if it hit...

Fun day with lots of life and I can't wait to go back and get em.

 

[splashy77]

So you're diving and shooting all f&%ked up?
I especially liked the part about regurgitating pad Tai and 3 buck shots on the swimstep.
Careful out there ey?

 

[sharkythesailor]

So you're diving and shooting all f&%ked up?
I especially liked the part about regurgitating pad Tai and 3 buck shots on the swimstep.
Careful out there ey?

Not fucked up... Just morning/sea sick. Wouldn't dive, shoot, or drive drunk.

 

[Rick's Lucky13]

Nice report and question for halibut - I and others tie a trap rig with a J or Octopus hook in front with a smaller treble hook as the "trap". We use this for live sardines and live or dead squid. The treble is size 4-6 for mackerel and 6-8 for dines or squid.

Just another opinion and what's worked for me, tight lines!

 

[sharkythesailor]

Nice report and question for halibut - I and others tie a trap rig with a J or Octopus hook in front with a smaller treble hook as the "trap". We use this for live sardines and live or dead squid. The treble is size 4-6 for mackerel and 6-8 for dines or squid.

Just another opinion and what's worked for me, tight lines!

Thank you, I appreciate it!

 

[Danthefishman]

Baby burp up pad Thai . Classic. Sounds like a fun overnighter.

 

[sealskinner]

Where's the Chi-Chi's?
You can pm me.
Send the man tits to Jason

 

[Mr. DRE]

You had me at Chi-Chis but lost me real quick.

 

[7emptsT]

Morning sickness? Pregnant?

 

[mhanson59hb]

The Chi Chi club is for the younger crowd, the Marlin club for "get off my lawn" types...

 

[Cactus Chris]

Good size halibut will swallow a sardine no problem you just have to be patient because they'll fuck with it for a few minutes first. I've had my best results leaving the rod in the holder with the reel in gear so they hook themselves. Every time I try to set the hook I get back a raked up sardine. Some people like to use stingers but I think it's harder on the bait and it doesn't present as naturally

 

[Invictus]

Plenty of mornings fishing there thinking "I have to stop doing this to myself" pp

 

[Long Beach Bob]

If you haven't tried it, next time, wear white cotton gloves, hold out your arm and wiggle the fingers in your best imitation of a horny squid...They are reluctant to pass on a potential free meal. I also dive down 10' and just hang when yellows are coming in. They seem to be more curious when using this technique...

 

[pelagicloco]

Raked baits are typically shorts as a legal halibut will inhale any sardine regardless of size.Short halibut will not be in an area where larger halibut are so I would suggest moving to a different area if you are getting raked.I never bother with trap hooks as they are not needed for legal halibut.

 

[Capt Devo]

Good eye on the whales as it always amazes me to watch in amazement the totally inexperienced captain wannabees in the early morning and evening at full throttle crossing the channel. Such fools to believe that the whales, seabirds, tree stumps and Mola Mola will simply stay clear while they plow right through them at 30-40 knots...kooks you know who you are...lol.! Thanks for the report brother.