This is a late report of our Spirit Of Adventure eight day trip leaving August 31 and returning on September 8 We gathered on the 31st with high hopes for another spectacular trip on the Spirit. Last year‘s trip provided epic fishing for our targeted species of yellowtail wahoo and bluefin tuna despite the tropical storms that cut our trip a day and a half short. With the recent tropical storm, we had high hopes that warm water would push to our targeted destinations of the Ridge, and Alijos rocks. As we gathered on the boat, the excitement was palpable as we rekindled friendships with fishermen we see once a year. My good friend, Gil Rowe, and I reminisced our first trip on the Spirit together approximately 1986. We had the additional blessing of having both of our sons on the trip. My son Justin has become a veteran on the trip, and I can honestly say he is one of the best sticks I have ever seen.
The first two days had very smooth sailing with excellent sea condition as we headed towards a place to stop for yellowtail. We arrived at 3 AM at San Pablo. As the boat slowed down, I thought I’d stay in bed for a few minutes as my experience previously of jumping up and fishing in the dark for yellowtail has usually not been especially rewarding. After sitting for a few moments, I said to myself I would give it a couple of drops and then go back to bed. When I came upstairs, I found 3/4 of our anglers up and getting gear ready to fish. My son was already up using a dropper loop and almost as soon as I arrived on deck, he was hooked up. I grabbed my dropper loop and no sooner did I hit the bottom I was hooked up with a nice size yellowtail. For the next three hours almost every drop to the bottom was rewarded with a 15–20 pound yellowtail. As we tried to sift through the smaller ones, and only tag larger species, it became clear that this grade of yellowtail could quickly consume our 15 tags for yellowtail. As the sun came up, Evan made the decision to leave that area and look for some larger species offshore. We did hook a few larger species this time on yo-yo jigs and a monster 43 lb landed on a dropper loop by a veteran of our trip Frank Crucet but we did not find the abundance or overall size we were looking for. Having whet did our appetite with everyone having pulled on quite a few fish we headed south towards the ridge.
When we arrived at the 13 spot, the prevailing theme for the trip became apparent, we were surrounded by schools of ravenous yellowfin Tuna! These yellowfin were between 15 and 40 pounds and readily bit any method you wish to use. Many of us started out, fly lining 30 -40 pound fluorocarbon with # two circle hooks. This worked especially well but I soon found out that I could switch to surface iron with a hammered chrome working the best for me but other anglers had equal success on mint . Other fisherman also successfully used poppers
We did troll for wahoo with the usual nomads and marauders, but it became apparent that the yellow fin would hit any lure in the water
We did stop at a shallow spot, and tried for grouper. One magnificent, 98 pounder was hooked and landed by Brian Renwick who has become one of the regulars on our trip. He used a small live yellow tail and with the coaching of long time deck hand JP landed the trophy sized gulf grouper. Two others were hooked and lost. A word to the wise use your heavy gear. when fishing for these fish and have your reel buttoned down in low gear. These fish are not line shy, and you need heavy line and a stout rod to pry them from the rocks when they are hooked. As we finished, our second day on the ridge, many of us were lulled into complacency by the lack of wahoo, and when we had a jig, strike most assumed it was another round of tuna. Brian our luck angler for the trip , on the troll landed the largest wahoo of our trip. My son ever persistent to fish the slide landed a skinny on a Captain Jimmy’s chartreuse bomb . No other wahoo were hooked despite trolling in the same area for several additional hours. By this time it became apparent that the weather had turned and the winds had kicked up to over 30 knots This made a trip to Alijos rocks ill-advised. and we chose to work our way north, and attempt to fill out our yellowtail tags. We stopped south of Benito’s and found absolutely no current for much of the day. In the late afternoon, a school popped up near the boat and several lucky anglers landed 25–30 pounders. I in my excitement backlashed my surface, iron jig and spend that entire bite trying to clear the line. After 40 years of long range fishing it is still impossible for me to quell my excitement when I see boiling fish!
Since we had an eight day trip, we did have time to head north to look for blue fin. We agreed we would look for whatever school would be the most promising whether it be the giants over 100 pounds or the school size bluefin. As it turned out our day looking for bluefin, turned out to be a down day for the fleet. Captain Evan as seems to be the case, made the right decision and we fished an area away from the fleet. We picked away at school size blue fin, most of the morning and early afternoon. Most of the fish were hooked on flylined 30 or 40 pound fluorocarbon with # 2 Owner Mutu hooks. Several other fish were hooked on sinker rigs. As the late afternoon approach, we found a biting school. This school was located by trolling a mad mac 100 ft behind the boat I credit John Rowe and Scott Harmon for never giving up on trolling as their jig strikes brought the school to the boat. We then enjoyed bluefin fishing at its finest. A well cast sardine was rewarded with a 30 pound class bluefin almost each time. Most anglers filled out there 30 limit of tags with bluefin As the charter master, it was gratifying to look around the boat and see anglers with smiling faces and bent rods. As the end of our trip approached I realized I had not used my new Phenix 868 MH with a Talica 10 and 25 lb Flourocarbon. As I cast out my last sardine I was met with immediate hook up. Fortunately, I was able to land my largest bluefin of the trip a 35 pounder.
While this trip did not produce the giant bluefin we have grown accustomed to hooking I must say that fighting 30 pounders on light gear is extremely enjoyable and no anglers on the trip were disappointed. My thanks as always to the able crew on the Spirit and Captain Evan
The first two days had very smooth sailing with excellent sea condition as we headed towards a place to stop for yellowtail. We arrived at 3 AM at San Pablo. As the boat slowed down, I thought I’d stay in bed for a few minutes as my experience previously of jumping up and fishing in the dark for yellowtail has usually not been especially rewarding. After sitting for a few moments, I said to myself I would give it a couple of drops and then go back to bed. When I came upstairs, I found 3/4 of our anglers up and getting gear ready to fish. My son was already up using a dropper loop and almost as soon as I arrived on deck, he was hooked up. I grabbed my dropper loop and no sooner did I hit the bottom I was hooked up with a nice size yellowtail. For the next three hours almost every drop to the bottom was rewarded with a 15–20 pound yellowtail. As we tried to sift through the smaller ones, and only tag larger species, it became clear that this grade of yellowtail could quickly consume our 15 tags for yellowtail. As the sun came up, Evan made the decision to leave that area and look for some larger species offshore. We did hook a few larger species this time on yo-yo jigs and a monster 43 lb landed on a dropper loop by a veteran of our trip Frank Crucet but we did not find the abundance or overall size we were looking for. Having whet did our appetite with everyone having pulled on quite a few fish we headed south towards the ridge.
When we arrived at the 13 spot, the prevailing theme for the trip became apparent, we were surrounded by schools of ravenous yellowfin Tuna! These yellowfin were between 15 and 40 pounds and readily bit any method you wish to use. Many of us started out, fly lining 30 -40 pound fluorocarbon with # two circle hooks. This worked especially well but I soon found out that I could switch to surface iron with a hammered chrome working the best for me but other anglers had equal success on mint . Other fisherman also successfully used poppers
We did troll for wahoo with the usual nomads and marauders, but it became apparent that the yellow fin would hit any lure in the water
We did stop at a shallow spot, and tried for grouper. One magnificent, 98 pounder was hooked and landed by Brian Renwick who has become one of the regulars on our trip. He used a small live yellow tail and with the coaching of long time deck hand JP landed the trophy sized gulf grouper. Two others were hooked and lost. A word to the wise use your heavy gear. when fishing for these fish and have your reel buttoned down in low gear. These fish are not line shy, and you need heavy line and a stout rod to pry them from the rocks when they are hooked. As we finished, our second day on the ridge, many of us were lulled into complacency by the lack of wahoo, and when we had a jig, strike most assumed it was another round of tuna. Brian our luck angler for the trip , on the troll landed the largest wahoo of our trip. My son ever persistent to fish the slide landed a skinny on a Captain Jimmy’s chartreuse bomb . No other wahoo were hooked despite trolling in the same area for several additional hours. By this time it became apparent that the weather had turned and the winds had kicked up to over 30 knots This made a trip to Alijos rocks ill-advised. and we chose to work our way north, and attempt to fill out our yellowtail tags. We stopped south of Benito’s and found absolutely no current for much of the day. In the late afternoon, a school popped up near the boat and several lucky anglers landed 25–30 pounders. I in my excitement backlashed my surface, iron jig and spend that entire bite trying to clear the line. After 40 years of long range fishing it is still impossible for me to quell my excitement when I see boiling fish!
Since we had an eight day trip, we did have time to head north to look for blue fin. We agreed we would look for whatever school would be the most promising whether it be the giants over 100 pounds or the school size bluefin. As it turned out our day looking for bluefin, turned out to be a down day for the fleet. Captain Evan as seems to be the case, made the right decision and we fished an area away from the fleet. We picked away at school size blue fin, most of the morning and early afternoon. Most of the fish were hooked on flylined 30 or 40 pound fluorocarbon with # 2 Owner Mutu hooks. Several other fish were hooked on sinker rigs. As the late afternoon approach, we found a biting school. This school was located by trolling a mad mac 100 ft behind the boat I credit John Rowe and Scott Harmon for never giving up on trolling as their jig strikes brought the school to the boat. We then enjoyed bluefin fishing at its finest. A well cast sardine was rewarded with a 30 pound class bluefin almost each time. Most anglers filled out there 30 limit of tags with bluefin As the charter master, it was gratifying to look around the boat and see anglers with smiling faces and bent rods. As the end of our trip approached I realized I had not used my new Phenix 868 MH with a Talica 10 and 25 lb Flourocarbon. As I cast out my last sardine I was met with immediate hook up. Fortunately, I was able to land my largest bluefin of the trip a 35 pounder.
While this trip did not produce the giant bluefin we have grown accustomed to hooking I must say that fighting 30 pounders on light gear is extremely enjoyable and no anglers on the trip were disappointed. My thanks as always to the able crew on the Spirit and Captain Evan
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