JapanRon
05-04-2007, 08:02 AM
Lots of Rockfish Off Palo Verde
Hi there guys,
Went on another ¾-day-trip to fish local waters (Palo Verde and Rocky Point areas) with a little over 2 dozen anglers for Rockfish and Bass….. earlier this week with. Yet again …..as the season advances, more and more boats I haven’t ridden in a while are …… getting out on the weekdays on a regular basis. More Pbers out too! Yeah Baby!!
Note: Countdown 1: Should beonly a couple of weeks or so, nowmid-May according to past years, till the Summer season starts….. if it hasn’t for your landing already. Don’t Forget!! That’s when the ¾-day boats usually start leaving at 6am and the ½-day boats leave at between 6am and 7am!! You will find that the all-day and or island free-lance moo-moos will commonly leave a little earlier …. typically 5am. Twilight’s will probably start a little later although …. some are offering trips now.
Countdown 2: The new bait barge/receiver should be operable in just about37days as tentatively that’s the estimate made onApril 6th, by someone with the San Pedro Bait Company. Details (probably late!) in my report to follow when known.
Target Fish: Bass and Rockfish
Short Report- Wednesday 05/02
15 to 20 guys caught a couple of Sand Bass, some Scuplin, a handful of Whitefish and Perch as well as limits of Bocaccio (Salmon Grouper) and a good number of the much-prized Vermillion Rockfish (Reds). We got a whole bunch of Treefish in the PV shallows as well as a Johnny Bass and one fishy that had a marbled pattern (not baby BSB). I wasn’t sure of the ID. So what else is new! ha ha Picture in the gallery. I did a lot of photo editing on the single fishys …… check it out[/color])
(Please widen your view to fit monitor if word-wrap looks off)
05/02 Jackpot
Last Call ………………....Winner!
http://i67.photobucket.com/albums/h313/tsurikichi/FROM1229/0502lastcall.jpghttp://i67.photobucket.com/albums/h313/tsurikichi/FROM1229/0502richgroup.jpg
Bocaccio Wins It
Way to go Rich! A Bocaccio was the winner today. The 7-lb fish was caught in a little more than 200 feet of water (according to my FISH n MAP® topo), using ….. 5~6 inch Sardines on a dropper rig fished at anchor. There were no legit contenders for the jackpot as the Lingcod caught (5~6) were all just a tad short.
Dang ….. not sure of the name of the deck working this boat ………….. sorry ‘bout that! The last 6 trips I’ve made …… I’ve met a different deckhand every time …….. some I’ve met on a number of different boats!!
Long Report
Heading out through LA Light
http://i67.photobucket.com/albums/h313/tsurikichi/FROM1229/0502wideoutgate.jpg
Sea Life or What!
http://i67.photobucket.com/albums/h313/tsurikichi/FROM1229/0502outgate.jpg
Vibrant Sea Life
It was amazing to see all the stuff that was going on around the harbor entrance. Seagull, Pelicans, Terns, Cormorants, Sealions, Seals ?? and that’s not counting what was thrashing around the surface of the kelp and water. Looked like Sardines were being pushed then Mackerel being pushed up against the wall by something bigger. Great show for those that saw and realized what was going on both on the inside and outside of the Wall.
The Days Fishing
Fished Rocky Point……………………………............ ...... Easy Fishing!
http://i67.photobucket.com/albums/h313/tsurikichi/FROM1229/0502Fmapjp.jpghttp://i67.photobucket.com/albums/h313/tsurikichi/FROM1229/0502PVtopo.jpg
Skinny Water!
http://i67.photobucket.com/albums/h313/tsurikichi/FROM1229/0502shallow.jpg
Finding Fish
Today, we headed out the door and scooted past Point Fermin then heading up towards Rocky Point. Hopefully there would be enough action all along the coastal shallows to keep us busy with the usual Bass, Sheephead, and other shallow-water, rock-loving species.
Shallows
Depending on what you consider shallow, the maps above shows 1) three depths (0~60, 90, and 120 feet) and approximate areas where they exist in the LB/SP bay area and 2) 120~220 feet depth areas further up thecoast. Naturally the 120-foot depths constitute a nice band of water from Point Fermin, around the corner, continuing past Redondo, Hermosa, and Manhatten Beach to Malibu. As is obvious to Pbers that constantly watch their FFers, there’s a lot of water out there less than 120 feet deep.
On the moo-moos ……….. one has to depend on who is in the wheelhouse and or who had access to view the sonar before it was time to drop the anchor. A skipper on his or her game, will announce to their anglers about what depth they’re going to fish. Usually the deck also knows and is happy to share the info ….. if asked. (for the novice: see asides)
Grazing in the Pasture
PBer’s ………………........................... In A Hurry
http://i67.photobucket.com/albums/h313/tsurikichi/FROM1229/0502PB1.jpghttp://i67.photobucket.com/albums/h313/tsurikichi/FROM1229/0502pb2hm.jpg
Round-Up
Nearby Boiler
http://i67.photobucket.com/albums/h313/tsurikichi/FROM1229/0502widboiler.jpg
3 Rounds
Round 1 Dropped the anchor sometime before 9am. Most anglers fished the usual dropper-loop setups and frozen Squid with about 3ozs of weight for the shallow 60~80 feet of water. We started fishing an area that had lots of structure for a wide range of species alas …… mostly smaller models. Caught all kinds of Treefish! Water was clean. Hit a number of spots but the bite was scratchy at best. Moved a couple of times to reset and or fish another section of a stretch. The bites we got were mostly on Squid although some tried to the dines As this was a ¾ -day boat, we figured we would have some time to see what the water temp and bite was going to become. Although we plowed thru some larger swells getting to our first spot, things calmed down for a lull of relative calm. Quite a few hang-ups as is to be expected in rocky areas like the Palo Verde coastline.
Rocky Point
http://i67.photobucket.com/albums/h313/tsurikichi/FROM1229/0502widesecstop.jpg
Round 2 With few fish in the sacks for the efforts made, we pulled the anchor and headed up a little bit to stop once more before actually getting up and off Rocky Point in a little deeper water (200~220 feet). Hoping to find a few spots holding some nice Reds and Salmon Grouper, the first thing we did was try a few drifts. A few nice fish were picked up and I had hoped that we would do that a few more times than we actually did as I caught a couple of fish simply using 3oz leadheads. Many times, if one simply uses a leadhead/swimbait tied directly to the line, deeper depths can be more effectively fished than when anchored if current conditions allow. Again, most used the dropper loop rig whether fishing Squid strips or live Sardines. Water still remained clean with a couple of rod lengths of visibility. Caught mostly Reds and assorted other Rockfish including Lingcod before we decided to head yet further out and go for Salmon Grouper Left this area about 12:20.
Had To Be A High-spot!!
http://i67.photobucket.com/albums/h313/tsurikichi/FROM1229/0502PVSMB.jpg
Round 3 Moved further out to locate and anchor on the first of the two or three stops we mde in the general area. The conditions weren’t bad (for both anglers, fishing, and catching) with the expected wind starting to blow more strongly, against the current and swell, and chop increasing. Yada, yada! Still had some clean water! It didn’t seem like we were actually anchored in water much deeper than 200~240 feet. With mostly Salmon Grouper being caught, it didn’t take more than an hour and a half or so to catch boat limits!! As we well know, when the boat has near-limits of Bocaccio, we the patrons must either switch gears and fish for another species or the boat must move to ‘get away from’ Salmon Grouper. I was using plastics and fishing for Reds which was cool (Salmon Grouper don’t bite plastic well much preferring the sardines in my moo-moo experience) and had no problem. As Bocaccio continued to brought up, the skipper decided to move …… like ……. move all the way back to the breakwater with a longgggg stopover for fuel and longgggg return to the landing. Seems like everybody was well satisfied with the fishing and the fish caught. Good trip.
Conditions: Check out the graphics for the water conditions.
Skies were clear and sunny. Air temp stayed in the 50º~60ºs during the fishing day. Constant wind made things feel cool. Jackets felt good most of the day.
Gallery
Beauty of the Trip
http://i67.photobucket.com/albums/h313/tsurikichi/FROM1229/0502salgroup.jpg
Fish
Barberpole …………………….......................... ...........................................Rubberl ip
http://i67.photobucket.com/albums/h313/tsurikichi/FROM1229/0502barber.jpghttp://i67.photobucket.com/albums/h313/tsurikichi/FROM1229/0502rubber.jpg
Another!
http://i67.photobucket.com/albums/h313/tsurikichi/FROM1229/0502fish3.jpg
Anglers
Nice One ………………………........... Another ………………………….......Groupie ...................Groupo
http://i67.photobucket.com/albums/h313/tsurikichi/FROM1229/0502myfishy1.jpghttp://i67.photobucket.com/albums/h313/tsurikichi/FROM1229/0502myfishy2.jpghttp://i67.photobucket.com/albums/h313/tsurikichi/FROM1229/0502sabergroup.jpghttp://i67.photobucket.com/albums/h313/tsurikichi/FROM1229/0502jerrgroup.jpg
Groupener ..........................G. Grouper .............Last Call/Deck ............. Sandie
http://i67.photobucket.com/albums/h313/tsurikichi/FROM1229/0502anogroup.jpghttp://i67.photobucket.com/albums/h313/tsurikichi/FROM1229/0502edgroup.jpghttp://i67.photobucket.com/albums/h313/tsurikichi/FROM1229/0502lastcall.jpghttp://i67.photobucket.com/albums/h313/tsurikichi/FROM1229/0502jerrybett.jpg
Other
Starfish .............................................Britt le Starfish
http://i67.photobucket.com/albums/h313/tsurikichi/FROM1229/0502starfish.jpghttp://i67.photobucket.com/albums/h313/tsurikichi/FROM1229/0502britstar.jpg
Let Them Know
The photos above are just a sample of the fish and things of interest, at least to me, on this trip.Note: If you see a friend in the pictures, let them know they can copy the photo off the report.Directions: Click the right button with the ‘cursor’ on the picture, then click on ‘save picture as’, next choose where they wish to copy the picture, and lastly click ‘save’. Later, they can edit and print the picture at their leisure with a simple photo-editing program.
Tweeking Plastics #28
Tweek in Progress
Plastics
Fishing approaches #2 ………………………....................... . This Worked
http://i67.photobucket.com/albums/h313/tsurikichi/FROM1229/0502plastrig.jpghttp://i67.photobucket.com/albums/h313/tsurikichi/FROM1229/0502killerbait.jpg
Another ………………………………………….. .........Nice One
http://i67.photobucket.com/albums/h313/tsurikichi/FROM1229/0502fish2.jpghttp://i67.photobucket.com/albums/h313/tsurikichi/FROM1229/0502fish1.jpg
No Skunk Yet Again
Had fairly decent luck today. Caught enough fish to make me feel like I have learned a little something fishing plastics. All that’s needed now is to replicate the success another day in the same conditions.
Fished NONE of the three methods above! Fished all the plastics via main line and a 5-foot length of fluorocarbon. Well ….. actually I used a setup with the leadhead/swimbait plus a Carolina rigged with a 1 1/2oz sliding egg sinker for about 20 minutes. Even though I had 4 different sizes, 9 different colors and 7 types of baits, I pretty much stuck with the oversize swimbaits for the deeper water and 1/4oz leadhead/3-inch swimbaits, fake-Octopus, and weird grub-like plastics for the shallower water.
I fished all baits without scent or a Squid strip. As per last week, I fished three cycles then switched baits and tried 3 more cycles …. over and over. Varied reactions from fish. Again the fishys were often small and mostly just grabbed the tail and hang on until I pulled the bait out of their little mouths! No real hits …. just ………. the rod loaded up and the cranking started.
Plastics colors: O Chartreuse, O Red, O Purple, O Orange, O Silver, O Yellow, O Pearl. Leadhead colors: O Chartreuse, O Red, O Purple, O Orange, O Silver, O Leadhead weights ranged from 2 to 3oz for deeper water and 1/4oz for shallower water.
Wednesday Out There
Lunar …………………………………………†¦..... Wind Direction and Speed!
http://i67.photobucket.com/albums/h313/tsurikichi/FROM1229/0502Moon.jpghttp://i67.photobucket.com/albums/h313/tsurikichi/FROM1229/0502Windmapjp.jpg
Tides …………………………………………†¦â€¦................................ Water Temps!
http://i67.photobucket.com/albums/h313/tsurikichi/FROM1229/0502tide.jpghttp://i67.photobucket.com/albums/h313/tsurikichi/FROM1229/0502WatMapjp.jpg
Currents!
http://i67.photobucket.com/albums/h313/tsurikichi/FROM1229/0502currentjg.jpg
Conditions
Fishing Grounds: Sunny, warm, calm water …. clarity maybe 10 feet!!
Wild Creatures: Saw some Sealions. Cormorants, Pelicans and Seagulls pretty much visited us all day …… awaiting the floaters and dines ….. no doubt. There was a California Grey Whale traveling up the coast with us for a while.
Asides:
Aside: For the Novice: Many times a skipper will indicate about what depth of water will be initially fished in the mornings’ P.A. announcement. Pay attention to the depth as it will dictate, to a certain degree, the outfit, setup, and weight with which you’ll want to begin your days’ fishing. A good rule of thumb is …… lighter setups are viable in the morning and heavier terminal tackle will become necessary as the day wears on with an oft wind, current, and wave or swell increase.
If new to the moo-moos, the best advice is to listen to the skipper and deckhand. It’s in their interests to have everyone on the same page and fishing with a minimum of tangles. Less tangles means more boated fish! Make an effort to look at the gear others around you are using and match that ….. IF ….. it falls within the crews suggestions. Later on, you’ll learn how to compensate for others mismatched fishing gear or methodology.
Don’t be surprised if a few veteran-looking guys are fishing somewhat differently from others. If it appears they are able to avoid causing problems to other anglers, they might be worth keeping an eye on if what they are doing is successful.
Another Aside: Crew fishing- I’m not sure what is considered old-school on this subject as moo-moo operations are based, on a day to day basis anyway, on the skippers say so from my experience. I did notice that some boats, both in the past and presently, include the blurb ‘No Crew Fishing’ in their advertisement.
On local moo-moos, fishing for Bass and Rockfish, don’t be surprised if the skipper and the crew are both fishing …….. especially if things are slow. You find this most often when the boat is anchored. You will also find this on boats that have more than one deckhand. One fishing another working. Sometimes ….. as skippers buddies or deadheads are helping with this and that on the boat, they might be confused with crew ……… which is not the case …….. so don’t be too quick to judge if you find this practice objectionable.
A. Crew-fishing has it’s positive points:
1) Most importantly …… as the skippers and decks have the most, current, day to day experience, they can often dial-in on what works and advise anglers on the ‘sure-fire method’ of catching the fish and or even the desired species. (Listen to them!)
2) The observant angler can learn lots of pointers on tackle, setups, and such from the guys that are out there every day. Just watching them will teach you a lot but don’t be afraid to ask the ‘how and why’. (Most will be happy to answer your questions.)
3) Crew-caught fish adds to the fish-count. What I mean by fish-count is the legal-sized fish that were boated. That is …….. you’re given an idea as to what numbers and species of fish is potentially possible on a trip. (I consider that ‘it ups the boat’s fish-count’ is of less importance.)
4) Crew-caught fish can add to the anglers fishing experience by providing a prized fish to an unlucky angler who otherwise would have gone home fish-less …… and nothing to lie about! ha ha (Most people want to take fish home so …….)
5) When the crew fishes, human-nature ……. or should I say anglers-nature dictates that if the bite is hot, it might take a little further to get to a spot, a certain species of fish is preferred, or more time taken to wait for the bite to develop, they are more likely to spend the extra effort, time, or fuel. (Don’t get me wrong …… they’re looking out for the passengers too!)
B. Certain ‘issues’ some may find relevant:
1) Some feel that the skipper should be ‘visible’ overseeing and monitoring the boat and the deckhand should be ‘available’ with empty hands to assist with gaff or net, untangle lines, preparing bait or just ‘hangin’ with the anglers’. (myself …. I love BSing with most skippers and decks)
2) Most anglers justifiably resent when some of the ‘crew’ sorta slip into and or occupies a spot (sometimes open and sometimes only temporarily open) at the rail that mysteriously (not) seems to produce the most consistent bite at anchor. (irrelative of the skill-level of the individual or anglers) (Something about privileged information ……. was mentioned.)
3) With the well-known saying that 95% of the fish are caught by 5% of anglers it also goes that 5% of the anglers catch 95% of the bigger and or jackpot fish. (Not an issue with me as I give away my fish and don’t get in the jackpot)
4) Not a few anglers dislike having to alter their fishing method or area of water covered because some crew-member wants to fish the same area in a way that limits the patrons … you know … the guys that pay to get on the boat! ha ha (It’s enough to have to deal with fellow-anglers that are letting their lines drift from the bow back under the stern !) ha ha
5) Although not always obvious, whether it be SWRFing or surface-fishing, when the crew fishes …… they are effectively competing with patrons for ‘the catching of the fish’. For rockfishing …. that with would be for the limited number of keeper-fish around a given structure. For surface-fishing …. that would be for the fish breezing by the boat or the preferred species.
No matter which side of the fence-post one is on ….. the fact is that ‘crew-fishing’ is here to stay and indeed there are enough positives to belay the ‘issues’ …… most of the time. (Just like everything in life ……. moderation ……. moderation is the ideal to which almost everyone is most comfortable)
Yet Another Aside: Is There A Uni-Butter Shortage? I called 9 tackle shops in my general area and not a single place had the stuff. 1/3 of the people ‘that answered the phone’ didn’t even know what it was! Is it me or just the product is not well known north of the San Diego county line!? Live around the junction of the 605 and 91 freeways. Anybody selling it within a 10 mile radius of me?
Last Aside: Might want to check out the overnighters for the WSB if you’re game to fish on a larger over-nighter moo-moo or smaller boats on the other end of the scale. Yellow count growing by the day too! A number of landings have some of the bigger boats set for open-party trips to either Catalina or San Clemente from Redondo to Newport. Fare should be between $100 and $150. Might check if there are any 2 for 1’s or lug-a-buddy deals although I think it’s not the time for those. Not ignoring the Channel Islands mind you. If ya want stealth ….. you’ll need to find a 6 or 8-pack boat running charters with openings or snag one of their open-party trips. Full moon and all that ya know!!
Cabrillo!
http://i67.photobucket.com/albums/h313/tsurikichi/FROM1229/0502widecabri.jpg
Trips End
LA Light ………………………………………Dolph ins!
http://i67.photobucket.com/albums/h313/tsurikichi/FROM1229/0502lalight.jpghttp://i67.photobucket.com/albums/h313/tsurikichi/FROM1229/0502hightailingit.jpg
End of the Day
Had a fun day on the water playing with my plastics. Caught a decent number of fish for not using ANY scents or bait ….. dead, alive, or whatever. Every angler that wanted them got off the boat with a nice bag of filets. The boat docked around 5:45 after spending an hour and a half involved in getting fuel and I was home before the sun went down.
JapanRon
Hi there guys,
Went on another ¾-day-trip to fish local waters (Palo Verde and Rocky Point areas) with a little over 2 dozen anglers for Rockfish and Bass….. earlier this week with. Yet again …..as the season advances, more and more boats I haven’t ridden in a while are …… getting out on the weekdays on a regular basis. More Pbers out too! Yeah Baby!!
Note: Countdown 1: Should beonly a couple of weeks or so, nowmid-May according to past years, till the Summer season starts….. if it hasn’t for your landing already. Don’t Forget!! That’s when the ¾-day boats usually start leaving at 6am and the ½-day boats leave at between 6am and 7am!! You will find that the all-day and or island free-lance moo-moos will commonly leave a little earlier …. typically 5am. Twilight’s will probably start a little later although …. some are offering trips now.
Countdown 2: The new bait barge/receiver should be operable in just about37days as tentatively that’s the estimate made onApril 6th, by someone with the San Pedro Bait Company. Details (probably late!) in my report to follow when known.
Target Fish: Bass and Rockfish
Short Report- Wednesday 05/02
15 to 20 guys caught a couple of Sand Bass, some Scuplin, a handful of Whitefish and Perch as well as limits of Bocaccio (Salmon Grouper) and a good number of the much-prized Vermillion Rockfish (Reds). We got a whole bunch of Treefish in the PV shallows as well as a Johnny Bass and one fishy that had a marbled pattern (not baby BSB). I wasn’t sure of the ID. So what else is new! ha ha Picture in the gallery. I did a lot of photo editing on the single fishys …… check it out[/color])
(Please widen your view to fit monitor if word-wrap looks off)
05/02 Jackpot
Last Call ………………....Winner!
http://i67.photobucket.com/albums/h313/tsurikichi/FROM1229/0502lastcall.jpghttp://i67.photobucket.com/albums/h313/tsurikichi/FROM1229/0502richgroup.jpg
Bocaccio Wins It
Way to go Rich! A Bocaccio was the winner today. The 7-lb fish was caught in a little more than 200 feet of water (according to my FISH n MAP® topo), using ….. 5~6 inch Sardines on a dropper rig fished at anchor. There were no legit contenders for the jackpot as the Lingcod caught (5~6) were all just a tad short.
Dang ….. not sure of the name of the deck working this boat ………….. sorry ‘bout that! The last 6 trips I’ve made …… I’ve met a different deckhand every time …….. some I’ve met on a number of different boats!!
Long Report
Heading out through LA Light
http://i67.photobucket.com/albums/h313/tsurikichi/FROM1229/0502wideoutgate.jpg
Sea Life or What!
http://i67.photobucket.com/albums/h313/tsurikichi/FROM1229/0502outgate.jpg
Vibrant Sea Life
It was amazing to see all the stuff that was going on around the harbor entrance. Seagull, Pelicans, Terns, Cormorants, Sealions, Seals ?? and that’s not counting what was thrashing around the surface of the kelp and water. Looked like Sardines were being pushed then Mackerel being pushed up against the wall by something bigger. Great show for those that saw and realized what was going on both on the inside and outside of the Wall.
The Days Fishing
Fished Rocky Point……………………………............ ...... Easy Fishing!
http://i67.photobucket.com/albums/h313/tsurikichi/FROM1229/0502Fmapjp.jpghttp://i67.photobucket.com/albums/h313/tsurikichi/FROM1229/0502PVtopo.jpg
Skinny Water!
http://i67.photobucket.com/albums/h313/tsurikichi/FROM1229/0502shallow.jpg
Finding Fish
Today, we headed out the door and scooted past Point Fermin then heading up towards Rocky Point. Hopefully there would be enough action all along the coastal shallows to keep us busy with the usual Bass, Sheephead, and other shallow-water, rock-loving species.
Shallows
Depending on what you consider shallow, the maps above shows 1) three depths (0~60, 90, and 120 feet) and approximate areas where they exist in the LB/SP bay area and 2) 120~220 feet depth areas further up thecoast. Naturally the 120-foot depths constitute a nice band of water from Point Fermin, around the corner, continuing past Redondo, Hermosa, and Manhatten Beach to Malibu. As is obvious to Pbers that constantly watch their FFers, there’s a lot of water out there less than 120 feet deep.
On the moo-moos ……….. one has to depend on who is in the wheelhouse and or who had access to view the sonar before it was time to drop the anchor. A skipper on his or her game, will announce to their anglers about what depth they’re going to fish. Usually the deck also knows and is happy to share the info ….. if asked. (for the novice: see asides)
Grazing in the Pasture
PBer’s ………………........................... In A Hurry
http://i67.photobucket.com/albums/h313/tsurikichi/FROM1229/0502PB1.jpghttp://i67.photobucket.com/albums/h313/tsurikichi/FROM1229/0502pb2hm.jpg
Round-Up
Nearby Boiler
http://i67.photobucket.com/albums/h313/tsurikichi/FROM1229/0502widboiler.jpg
3 Rounds
Round 1 Dropped the anchor sometime before 9am. Most anglers fished the usual dropper-loop setups and frozen Squid with about 3ozs of weight for the shallow 60~80 feet of water. We started fishing an area that had lots of structure for a wide range of species alas …… mostly smaller models. Caught all kinds of Treefish! Water was clean. Hit a number of spots but the bite was scratchy at best. Moved a couple of times to reset and or fish another section of a stretch. The bites we got were mostly on Squid although some tried to the dines As this was a ¾ -day boat, we figured we would have some time to see what the water temp and bite was going to become. Although we plowed thru some larger swells getting to our first spot, things calmed down for a lull of relative calm. Quite a few hang-ups as is to be expected in rocky areas like the Palo Verde coastline.
Rocky Point
http://i67.photobucket.com/albums/h313/tsurikichi/FROM1229/0502widesecstop.jpg
Round 2 With few fish in the sacks for the efforts made, we pulled the anchor and headed up a little bit to stop once more before actually getting up and off Rocky Point in a little deeper water (200~220 feet). Hoping to find a few spots holding some nice Reds and Salmon Grouper, the first thing we did was try a few drifts. A few nice fish were picked up and I had hoped that we would do that a few more times than we actually did as I caught a couple of fish simply using 3oz leadheads. Many times, if one simply uses a leadhead/swimbait tied directly to the line, deeper depths can be more effectively fished than when anchored if current conditions allow. Again, most used the dropper loop rig whether fishing Squid strips or live Sardines. Water still remained clean with a couple of rod lengths of visibility. Caught mostly Reds and assorted other Rockfish including Lingcod before we decided to head yet further out and go for Salmon Grouper Left this area about 12:20.
Had To Be A High-spot!!
http://i67.photobucket.com/albums/h313/tsurikichi/FROM1229/0502PVSMB.jpg
Round 3 Moved further out to locate and anchor on the first of the two or three stops we mde in the general area. The conditions weren’t bad (for both anglers, fishing, and catching) with the expected wind starting to blow more strongly, against the current and swell, and chop increasing. Yada, yada! Still had some clean water! It didn’t seem like we were actually anchored in water much deeper than 200~240 feet. With mostly Salmon Grouper being caught, it didn’t take more than an hour and a half or so to catch boat limits!! As we well know, when the boat has near-limits of Bocaccio, we the patrons must either switch gears and fish for another species or the boat must move to ‘get away from’ Salmon Grouper. I was using plastics and fishing for Reds which was cool (Salmon Grouper don’t bite plastic well much preferring the sardines in my moo-moo experience) and had no problem. As Bocaccio continued to brought up, the skipper decided to move …… like ……. move all the way back to the breakwater with a longgggg stopover for fuel and longgggg return to the landing. Seems like everybody was well satisfied with the fishing and the fish caught. Good trip.
Conditions: Check out the graphics for the water conditions.
Skies were clear and sunny. Air temp stayed in the 50º~60ºs during the fishing day. Constant wind made things feel cool. Jackets felt good most of the day.
Gallery
Beauty of the Trip
http://i67.photobucket.com/albums/h313/tsurikichi/FROM1229/0502salgroup.jpg
Fish
Barberpole …………………….......................... ...........................................Rubberl ip
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Another!
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Anglers
Nice One ………………………........... Another ………………………….......Groupie ...................Groupo
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Groupener ..........................G. Grouper .............Last Call/Deck ............. Sandie
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Other
Starfish .............................................Britt le Starfish
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Let Them Know
The photos above are just a sample of the fish and things of interest, at least to me, on this trip.Note: If you see a friend in the pictures, let them know they can copy the photo off the report.Directions: Click the right button with the ‘cursor’ on the picture, then click on ‘save picture as’, next choose where they wish to copy the picture, and lastly click ‘save’. Later, they can edit and print the picture at their leisure with a simple photo-editing program.
Tweeking Plastics #28
Tweek in Progress
Plastics
Fishing approaches #2 ………………………....................... . This Worked
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Another ………………………………………….. .........Nice One
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No Skunk Yet Again
Had fairly decent luck today. Caught enough fish to make me feel like I have learned a little something fishing plastics. All that’s needed now is to replicate the success another day in the same conditions.
Fished NONE of the three methods above! Fished all the plastics via main line and a 5-foot length of fluorocarbon. Well ….. actually I used a setup with the leadhead/swimbait plus a Carolina rigged with a 1 1/2oz sliding egg sinker for about 20 minutes. Even though I had 4 different sizes, 9 different colors and 7 types of baits, I pretty much stuck with the oversize swimbaits for the deeper water and 1/4oz leadhead/3-inch swimbaits, fake-Octopus, and weird grub-like plastics for the shallower water.
I fished all baits without scent or a Squid strip. As per last week, I fished three cycles then switched baits and tried 3 more cycles …. over and over. Varied reactions from fish. Again the fishys were often small and mostly just grabbed the tail and hang on until I pulled the bait out of their little mouths! No real hits …. just ………. the rod loaded up and the cranking started.
Plastics colors: O Chartreuse, O Red, O Purple, O Orange, O Silver, O Yellow, O Pearl. Leadhead colors: O Chartreuse, O Red, O Purple, O Orange, O Silver, O Leadhead weights ranged from 2 to 3oz for deeper water and 1/4oz for shallower water.
Wednesday Out There
Lunar …………………………………………†¦..... Wind Direction and Speed!
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Tides …………………………………………†¦â€¦................................ Water Temps!
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Currents!
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Conditions
Fishing Grounds: Sunny, warm, calm water …. clarity maybe 10 feet!!
Wild Creatures: Saw some Sealions. Cormorants, Pelicans and Seagulls pretty much visited us all day …… awaiting the floaters and dines ….. no doubt. There was a California Grey Whale traveling up the coast with us for a while.
Asides:
Aside: For the Novice: Many times a skipper will indicate about what depth of water will be initially fished in the mornings’ P.A. announcement. Pay attention to the depth as it will dictate, to a certain degree, the outfit, setup, and weight with which you’ll want to begin your days’ fishing. A good rule of thumb is …… lighter setups are viable in the morning and heavier terminal tackle will become necessary as the day wears on with an oft wind, current, and wave or swell increase.
If new to the moo-moos, the best advice is to listen to the skipper and deckhand. It’s in their interests to have everyone on the same page and fishing with a minimum of tangles. Less tangles means more boated fish! Make an effort to look at the gear others around you are using and match that ….. IF ….. it falls within the crews suggestions. Later on, you’ll learn how to compensate for others mismatched fishing gear or methodology.
Don’t be surprised if a few veteran-looking guys are fishing somewhat differently from others. If it appears they are able to avoid causing problems to other anglers, they might be worth keeping an eye on if what they are doing is successful.
Another Aside: Crew fishing- I’m not sure what is considered old-school on this subject as moo-moo operations are based, on a day to day basis anyway, on the skippers say so from my experience. I did notice that some boats, both in the past and presently, include the blurb ‘No Crew Fishing’ in their advertisement.
On local moo-moos, fishing for Bass and Rockfish, don’t be surprised if the skipper and the crew are both fishing …….. especially if things are slow. You find this most often when the boat is anchored. You will also find this on boats that have more than one deckhand. One fishing another working. Sometimes ….. as skippers buddies or deadheads are helping with this and that on the boat, they might be confused with crew ……… which is not the case …….. so don’t be too quick to judge if you find this practice objectionable.
A. Crew-fishing has it’s positive points:
1) Most importantly …… as the skippers and decks have the most, current, day to day experience, they can often dial-in on what works and advise anglers on the ‘sure-fire method’ of catching the fish and or even the desired species. (Listen to them!)
2) The observant angler can learn lots of pointers on tackle, setups, and such from the guys that are out there every day. Just watching them will teach you a lot but don’t be afraid to ask the ‘how and why’. (Most will be happy to answer your questions.)
3) Crew-caught fish adds to the fish-count. What I mean by fish-count is the legal-sized fish that were boated. That is …….. you’re given an idea as to what numbers and species of fish is potentially possible on a trip. (I consider that ‘it ups the boat’s fish-count’ is of less importance.)
4) Crew-caught fish can add to the anglers fishing experience by providing a prized fish to an unlucky angler who otherwise would have gone home fish-less …… and nothing to lie about! ha ha (Most people want to take fish home so …….)
5) When the crew fishes, human-nature ……. or should I say anglers-nature dictates that if the bite is hot, it might take a little further to get to a spot, a certain species of fish is preferred, or more time taken to wait for the bite to develop, they are more likely to spend the extra effort, time, or fuel. (Don’t get me wrong …… they’re looking out for the passengers too!)
B. Certain ‘issues’ some may find relevant:
1) Some feel that the skipper should be ‘visible’ overseeing and monitoring the boat and the deckhand should be ‘available’ with empty hands to assist with gaff or net, untangle lines, preparing bait or just ‘hangin’ with the anglers’. (myself …. I love BSing with most skippers and decks)
2) Most anglers justifiably resent when some of the ‘crew’ sorta slip into and or occupies a spot (sometimes open and sometimes only temporarily open) at the rail that mysteriously (not) seems to produce the most consistent bite at anchor. (irrelative of the skill-level of the individual or anglers) (Something about privileged information ……. was mentioned.)
3) With the well-known saying that 95% of the fish are caught by 5% of anglers it also goes that 5% of the anglers catch 95% of the bigger and or jackpot fish. (Not an issue with me as I give away my fish and don’t get in the jackpot)
4) Not a few anglers dislike having to alter their fishing method or area of water covered because some crew-member wants to fish the same area in a way that limits the patrons … you know … the guys that pay to get on the boat! ha ha (It’s enough to have to deal with fellow-anglers that are letting their lines drift from the bow back under the stern !) ha ha
5) Although not always obvious, whether it be SWRFing or surface-fishing, when the crew fishes …… they are effectively competing with patrons for ‘the catching of the fish’. For rockfishing …. that with would be for the limited number of keeper-fish around a given structure. For surface-fishing …. that would be for the fish breezing by the boat or the preferred species.
No matter which side of the fence-post one is on ….. the fact is that ‘crew-fishing’ is here to stay and indeed there are enough positives to belay the ‘issues’ …… most of the time. (Just like everything in life ……. moderation ……. moderation is the ideal to which almost everyone is most comfortable)
Yet Another Aside: Is There A Uni-Butter Shortage? I called 9 tackle shops in my general area and not a single place had the stuff. 1/3 of the people ‘that answered the phone’ didn’t even know what it was! Is it me or just the product is not well known north of the San Diego county line!? Live around the junction of the 605 and 91 freeways. Anybody selling it within a 10 mile radius of me?
Last Aside: Might want to check out the overnighters for the WSB if you’re game to fish on a larger over-nighter moo-moo or smaller boats on the other end of the scale. Yellow count growing by the day too! A number of landings have some of the bigger boats set for open-party trips to either Catalina or San Clemente from Redondo to Newport. Fare should be between $100 and $150. Might check if there are any 2 for 1’s or lug-a-buddy deals although I think it’s not the time for those. Not ignoring the Channel Islands mind you. If ya want stealth ….. you’ll need to find a 6 or 8-pack boat running charters with openings or snag one of their open-party trips. Full moon and all that ya know!!
Cabrillo!
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Trips End
LA Light ………………………………………Dolph ins!
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End of the Day
Had a fun day on the water playing with my plastics. Caught a decent number of fish for not using ANY scents or bait ….. dead, alive, or whatever. Every angler that wanted them got off the boat with a nice bag of filets. The boat docked around 5:45 after spending an hour and a half involved in getting fuel and I was home before the sun went down.
JapanRon