Greg Madrigal
05-28-2008, 08:25 AM
Took the Strippin’ Striper out Sunday for my inaugural Catalina run. Its former owner, Jeff (That’s how we met) brought along his son Andrew(8y/o). We met at 3am at HH.
Awwww S&*$. TWO dead batteries!!! WTF. I must have left a pump on or something cuz they were DEAD. So we brainstormed for a few contemplating our doom. We settled on launching the boat, parking the truck/trailer then removing the truck battery to start the boat. Worked like a charm! We ended up taking the battery with us just in case!
Head outta the harbor to a very dark and unsettled sea. Mind u were in an 18’ cc! We were hitting wave after wave and could barely see them! I was like HUH?! WTF am I doing?! Then it stars RAINING on us. Rained for about 25 minutes. I stopped and made everyone put on life vests JIC. As we cleared the oil tankers gray light allowed us to see some of the swells coming but I never went over 14 mph due to conditions.
View of Clemente as we approached Catalina.
http://i96.photobucket.com/albums/l191/gregmadrigal/P5252587.jpg
To top things off, the wind was getting us wet! Mostly Jeff tho. He was wet and frozen by the time we reached the Island. His son was shivering too! I gave him a heat packet to help warm him. I, fortunately, have learned my lesson to OVER dress when it comes to the sea. I wore my heavy ski jacket, which came in real handy. Just when we got to the island, I remembered I had 3 sets of rain gear in the hold! LOL! Jeff wasn’t too happy ‘bout that! LOL!
We picked up 20 worth of squid at Avalon, then rounded the corner to join the fleet of PB’s already there. There was a hundred boats at the V’s.
We settled on a spot where Jeff killed them earlier in the week on a MooMoo. Anchored and threw in a live squid on a ringed #2/0 hook with a ¼ oz. barrel sinker directly above it.
Within 20 minutes, Jeff says, “I’m bit!” He let it run 4 a few, then WHAM, sets on a toad. He fought it around the boat for about 10 minutes until I set the gaff in its head.
We hauled it aboard extremely happy!
http://i96.photobucket.com/albums/l191/gregmadrigal/P5252588.jpg
http://i96.photobucket.com/albums/l191/gregmadrigal/P5252589.jpg
http://i96.photobucket.com/albums/l191/gregmadrigal/P5252591.jpg
http://i96.photobucket.com/albums/l191/gregmadrigal/P5252592.jpg
About 30 minutes later I got bit. I let it run till about 5, the wham! Nothing. I was pissed! That was my one shot.
I saw at least 5 other pb's bend-O'd. Some boated WSB, one, a Y/T, and others lost there fish.
By 9:30, the swells were getting bad, and the wind was kicking up. We called it a short day. Headed back to HH at 25-30 mph the whole way.
Thanks for schooling me once again Jeff!
The fillets were awesome and so was dinner last night! I have a new favorite fish!
http://i96.photobucket.com/albums/l191/gregmadrigal/P5262593.jpg
Tight lines,
GM<><
Awwww S&*$. TWO dead batteries!!! WTF. I must have left a pump on or something cuz they were DEAD. So we brainstormed for a few contemplating our doom. We settled on launching the boat, parking the truck/trailer then removing the truck battery to start the boat. Worked like a charm! We ended up taking the battery with us just in case!
Head outta the harbor to a very dark and unsettled sea. Mind u were in an 18’ cc! We were hitting wave after wave and could barely see them! I was like HUH?! WTF am I doing?! Then it stars RAINING on us. Rained for about 25 minutes. I stopped and made everyone put on life vests JIC. As we cleared the oil tankers gray light allowed us to see some of the swells coming but I never went over 14 mph due to conditions.
View of Clemente as we approached Catalina.
http://i96.photobucket.com/albums/l191/gregmadrigal/P5252587.jpg
To top things off, the wind was getting us wet! Mostly Jeff tho. He was wet and frozen by the time we reached the Island. His son was shivering too! I gave him a heat packet to help warm him. I, fortunately, have learned my lesson to OVER dress when it comes to the sea. I wore my heavy ski jacket, which came in real handy. Just when we got to the island, I remembered I had 3 sets of rain gear in the hold! LOL! Jeff wasn’t too happy ‘bout that! LOL!
We picked up 20 worth of squid at Avalon, then rounded the corner to join the fleet of PB’s already there. There was a hundred boats at the V’s.
We settled on a spot where Jeff killed them earlier in the week on a MooMoo. Anchored and threw in a live squid on a ringed #2/0 hook with a ¼ oz. barrel sinker directly above it.
Within 20 minutes, Jeff says, “I’m bit!” He let it run 4 a few, then WHAM, sets on a toad. He fought it around the boat for about 10 minutes until I set the gaff in its head.
We hauled it aboard extremely happy!
http://i96.photobucket.com/albums/l191/gregmadrigal/P5252588.jpg
http://i96.photobucket.com/albums/l191/gregmadrigal/P5252589.jpg
http://i96.photobucket.com/albums/l191/gregmadrigal/P5252591.jpg
http://i96.photobucket.com/albums/l191/gregmadrigal/P5252592.jpg
About 30 minutes later I got bit. I let it run till about 5, the wham! Nothing. I was pissed! That was my one shot.
I saw at least 5 other pb's bend-O'd. Some boated WSB, one, a Y/T, and others lost there fish.
By 9:30, the swells were getting bad, and the wind was kicking up. We called it a short day. Headed back to HH at 25-30 mph the whole way.
Thanks for schooling me once again Jeff!
The fillets were awesome and so was dinner last night! I have a new favorite fish!
http://i96.photobucket.com/albums/l191/gregmadrigal/P5262593.jpg
Tight lines,
GM<><