L.A. Harbor, How they get High Fish Counts

[UncleSurf]

Went out on the SK wed and all I can say is, man I wanna be DECKHAND! I can't believe how some people can stay in business. Never ever again on SK. DECKHANDS caught most of the ?200? cuda. Crap, my eyes are bad and I was not wearing my glasses but I swear, I did not see 200 cuda! Deckhands were getting all the right spots on the rail and were dumping what they caught in random bags! I should go undercover and film this ****! Jeraldo style! I've seen the other posts about the counts and disregarded them. Yep, I'm a dumbshit for that!

I know all the cliche's out there about fishing and lying but my g*d, These counts are up cause the deckies fidh more than the customers!

I've been on charters and the moo moo's. I've caught lots of fish on my set ups, i have all the iron in all the colors, I always step off the rail and open it up if I have a problem with my gear.

I look at it this way,
If you guys do all the catching, and stuff fish in my bag that I did not catch, because YOU were on the sweet spots with rod in hand, or because I had to spend MY time untangling crossed lines (I've seen a lot of good deck hands run their asses off doing this for customers, and I've always, always tipped them, and on light loads when I've hit the JP, I'd turn it over to the crew for a tee shirt or hat) But if I'm paying you so I get a shot at catching some fish, you'd better not spend all your time with a rod in your hand and the "I can fish whatever spot I want to cause I'm a DECKIE" attitude. And if you stuff my bag with fish I did not catch, then I will never be back on your boat and I will never recomend you to anyone who ask's.

AND, I will voice my opinion.

Oh, btw, when I get on the boat at 6am and the first words out of the skippers mouth is "I'm in no hurry today" and we leave the bait dock at 8am, WTF!

What a waste of time and $50!

Oh! The Jackpot! Almost forgot to mention this. The deckies switched the big cuda they caught to a "regulars" bag. Could not believe the SH*T these guys pulled.

And lastly, due to all these factors I was still able to catch one, thats right, I caught 1 frickin cuda! Got to spend most of my time doing the deckies job with the line snarls.

Alpha-
Mike-
Foxtrot.
to the skipper and "crew" of the SportKing. Never Again.

And b4 you try and nail my a** as a whiner, I know that fishing is not catching and we all pay our dues.

But seeing a skipper run a boat this way is kinda like going to bar and watching the bartender get drunker than you.

I don't tip either one of em!
And I don't go back.

Bent Rods,
SeFi
UncleSurf

[fishnfool]

This is a Prime example of why I bought my own Boat... :lol:

ask around ..im sure there are some good boats still around.....

The Victory or Southern Cal have always been decent boats to go on....

[Rich and Noah]

I experienced the same stuff. On a recent trip up north (South of SB and north of Malibu- you figure it out), the young and dumb deckhands did not give the jackpot to the winner. The JP total was never disclosed and they offered the guy a free trip. Since when do these guys get to decide. Maybe I'm old school but the winner gets to choose, right. I know it's customary to tip 50% and higher but it's still the customer's choice.

Also, the squid cleaning is a scam as well. After we caught our fill, the deckhands cleaned them (wasting a lot by the way) and bagged the catch. At then end of the trip, they decided that each person gets 3 bags, didn't matter if you caught 10 or 0. And then, we had to pay $5 per bag for the cleaning.

In the end, most guys said, "no, I don't want any," so the crew kept the rest. I spent more cash on my last trip then I remember!

I should have approached the skipper but did not have the chance. I know that most passengers were in the parking lot reflecting on this scam. Next time, I'll insist on not having the deckhands toch my fish. :evil:

[DKCbassman]

OKAY,
JUST TO VERIFY..... LOCALLY VICTORY, SPITFIRE ARE VERY GOOD BOATS WITH A PROFESSIONAL CREW. I HAD THE SAME PROBLEM ON THE NATIVE SUN. NOW ANY BOAT THAT HAS A CREW THAT FISHES IS OFTEN,(NOT ALWAYS) GOING TO BE A PROBLEM. EVEN THE 1/2 DAY OUT OF NEWPORT WON'T LET THE DECKHANDS FISH. IT HURTS THE BOAT WHEN THE COUNT IS LOW, BUT INSTEAD OF FISHING, DECKHANDS SHOULD BE HELPING THE PEOPLE WHO PAY TO BE ON THE BOAT. NOW IF THE CAPTAIN OR THE COOK WANT TO FISH, THAT'S A DIFFERENT STORY.

[kanco]

UncleSurf;

A similar experience on the same Sports King boat years ago, is what prompted me to get my own boat as well.

The Jackpot deal is a total SCAM! it's just another way for the crew to make extra money from the already ski high boarding prices. Never disclosing the total that is on the jackpot once the money is collected is suck bullshit. They should announce it so that people will know what they "could" if they are lucky enough to land a nice fish. All fish caught by deckhands should be marked to avoid some of the bait and switch scam that they often pull.

I know that there are still some honest and hardworking deckhands and crew on "some" of our local Moo Moo's but it is getting harder and harder to locate them.

I also agree that the fish cleaning deal is bull. We were told that no whole squids were going to be allowed off the boat because of the messy drip they create....but they only announced this after you have caught the damn things. They should tell you this so that you can prepare to bring extra cash (sometimes more then what you paid to get on the darn boat) or huge double ply trash bags to avoid the mess and be able to carry them off the boat.

So let me do a public announcement here and now:

IF YOU GO SQUID FISHING, BRING LOTS OF EXTRA CASH OR HUGE TRASH BAGS AND DOLLY TO CARRY THE WHOLE SQUID HOME! OR YOU WILL BE GOUGED FOR A SLOPPY FISH CLEANING, WHICH YOU WILL HAVE TO GO HOME AND CLEAN ANYWAY! :bang:

[D-PESCADOR]

OH YEAH LA SPORT FISHING. Been there were the deckies were no help and got the most fish and posted more fish on the count than imagined, no more LA SORT FISHING for me. Went out to New port landing 6-25-07 skipper on time deck hands very help full and well manered on the AMIGO,will highley recommend the AMIGO . Will post pictures when i get camera fixed.

[lakersmn]

Yeah the Spitfire has a very professional crew, the type of crew that keeps 3/4 the jackpot money, tellng the jackpot winner that only 8 people out of 55 got into the jackpot when you were then 7 person to get in out of the 1st 9 or how they seem to pull phantom jackpot fish out of the front live well that have been dead for 2 days to take the jackpot. Very professional crew for sure.

[jaylee71]

Yeah, cattle boats do suck a major one. I find that it's much better experience to just get 6-7 friends together and get a six-pack. It can be expensive ($260+/ person) but positives out weigh paying more. plenty of room to fish, bunks to sleep in, CREW WHO KNOWS WHO PAID THE BILL THAT DAY, much much nicer experience. I just save up for 3 cattle trips and go out on 1 six-pack a month.

[npdes]

I hate to be different from the rest of the crowd, but I've been on the Sport King the last two Fridays and have had positive experiences both times. The Captain and deckhand, the past two Fridays have been light loads only about 25 fishermen have been helpful. Both times I've gotten good spots on the rail. I usually stay away from the aft of the ship because everyone goes there. I prefer one of the sides, just behind the galley. I have had bad experiences on other boats, but my experiences on the Sport King the last two Fridays have been positive ones. And I won the jackpot on one of those and doing the math, it seemed fair.

[JapanRon]

Hi UncleSurf,

Your re-accounting of your trip makes we want to jump on that boat! I was on the Victory and saw the SK amongst the fleet.

As there is little reason you should want to make a false report, I'm wondering if that's the usual crew and routine .....

I have a good buddy to rides the SK often on Wednesdays. Never stops talking. I'll ask him if he was on board too.

I'm thinking ...

1) Decks fishing during a wide-open cuda bite is insane.

2) Who was chumming ... if there was chum bait, cuda often need to be held in tight with a little chumming.

3) Some deck taking choice spots ..... were the guys 'working' actually crew members or glorified deck-scrubbers/deadheads?

4) I understand that boat has numbers, no deck .... no~body would be able to pry me out of a spot I paid to fish. Deadheads do not fish my spot as I don't tolerate an attempt at bullying and got the stuff to drive the morons away.

Sorry to hear of your unhappy experience. Appreciate you voicing your position.

JapanRon

[halo16]

UncleSurf,

Sorry for the service, there are so many moo moo's latley that have just had some bad service reported on some of the boards. But I agree there are some good ones with good service, I hope your next time out you will have a better time.

[npdes]

JapanRon is right, there are lots of guys that I consider "wanna-be" deckhands. I assume they pay but they love to help and feel like they're part of the crew. Some are pretty nice guys, others are just obnoxious and feel they own the boat. You have to mark your spot and not get bullied around. Hopefully your next cattle boat, I assume it won't be the Sportking, will be a better experience.

[UncleSurf]

Guy's,
Funny thing happened after this last trip. Now, I love my wife and always try to even things out when it comes to hobbies (read FISHING). I want to fish, she wants the den painted. I want to fish, she wants kitchen painted. I want to fish, she gets a day trip with her ditzy gal pals. Well anyway, I come back from the disaster on wed and I'm pretty pissed. And I'm thinking to myself, and this is where I usually screw myself, but I'm thinking I need an ocean runner! Now the last time I picked up a boat I made sure to keep her in mind but neglected to tell her about the purchase till after the fact. But hey, I even picked her up a couple of new rods and reels (I really like them) and a new tackle bag stuffed with all (my) favorite goodies so I couldn't understand why she was pissed. (solved that one by refinnishing ALL the wood floors in the house)

Well this evening over dinner, she looks me dead in the eye and says,

Honey, why don't you get another boat, one for the OCEAN, so you can enjoy your hobbie more? :shock:

Gawd I love this woman!

So I'm at the computer tonight thinking this all over and then it hits me like an RPG! Right here under a couple of docs, flyers for new kitchen appliances, stove, fridge D/W, microwave, pots and pans,

AND THE FRICKING SALES SLIP !! :roll:

Well it's late and I better go and start working out the payment plan with her.

I'm thinking a nice Shamrock ought to do the job.

Bent Rods
SeFi
UncleSurf

[npdes]

Hilarious! But paying for a new kitchen is a small price to pay for your own boat! Congrats and good luck on finding your new rig, sounds like no more Cattle Boats for you.

[SanDimasLMB]

Guy's,
Funny thing happened after this last trip. Now, I love my wife and always try to even things out when it comes to hobbies (read FISHING). I want to fish, she wants the den painted. I want to fish, she wants kitchen painted. I want to fish, she gets a day trip with her ditzy gal pals. Well anyway, I come back from the disaster on wed and I'm pretty pissed. And I'm thinking to myself, and this is where I usually screw myself, but I'm thinking I need an ocean runner! Now the last time I picked up a boat I made sure to keep her in mind but neglected to tell her about the purchase till after the fact. But hey, I even picked her up a couple of new rods and reels (I really like them) and a new tackle bag stuffed with all (my) favorite goodies so I couldn't understand why she was pissed. (solved that one by refinnishing ALL the wood floors in the house)

Well this evening over dinner, she looks me dead in the eye and says,

Honey, why don't you get another boat, one for the OCEAN, so you can enjoy your hobbie more? :shock:

Gawd I love this woman!

So I'm at the computer tonight thinking this all over and then it hits me like an RPG! Right here under a couple of docs, flyers for new kitchen appliances, stove, fridge D/W, microwave, pots and pans,

AND THE FRICKING SALES SLIP !! :roll:

Well it's late and I better go and start working out the payment plan with her.

I'm thinking a nice Shamrock ought to do the job.

Bent Rods
SeFi
UncleSurf

Shamrock Mackinaw OWNS!!! My dad's friend has one :lol: and we're on the process of finishing the car payment to get one. Make sure to give me a free ride :lol:

[FishingOC]

And that is why we need this....

http://fishingnetwork.net/forum1/viewto ... ght=#26947 (http://fishingnetwork.net/forum1/viewtopic.php?p=26947&highlight=#26947)

[xahx]

sorry to hear about ur horrible experience with the sportking, i see that boat often.

Thanks for the advice to stay away, scamming anglers, changing the JP fish in regulars bags.....?? now that is low...

[DavidE]

Well this evening over dinner, she looks me dead in the eye and says,

Honey, why don't you get another boat, one for the OCEAN, so you can enjoy your hobbie more? :shock:

Gawd I love this woman!

So I'm at the computer tonight thinking this all over and then it hits me like an RPG! Right here under a couple of docs, flyers for new kitchen appliances, stove, fridge D/W, microwave, pots and pans,

AND THE FRICKING SALES SLIP !! :roll:


Womanese is a strange language isn't it?? I'm recently married, as soon as we said "I do" I swear her womanese vocabulary tripled!!

Enjoy the kitchen - enjoy the water from your own boat more!!!

Peace

[fishfinder]

But seeing a skipper run a boat this way is kinda like going to bar and watching the bartender get drunker than you.



:rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :food: :food: :food:

[fishnbuddy]

Just do what I do...hit the kelp bed next to the cattle boat! They don't mind as long as you don't interfer with the paying customer! I have no problem with that either...I'll get hooked up off their chumming and they're happy I didn't interfer with their next pay check!! They are some really cool people crewing them boats too!!

[UncleSurf]

No more MooMoo's

Just did the DP on a nice Shamrock 20ft Pilot House with a diesel! Comes home in three weeks!

US


2nd Chance
20ft Shamrock P/H

[smokehound]

I totally know what you mean bro.. Im sorry they pulled this crap on you too... :(


Truth is, just like people in everyday life, youre gonna run into some real punk-*** deckhands. Ive seen deckhands rig the jackpot by putting sinkers inside fish. Totally uncool >:(


When i want to go on a charter, they better be leaving by 5 am!

Of course you could always just ruin it for EVERYONE, when ish hits the fan like that. :lol: Fish dont like rubbing alcohol ;) Sure its dirty, but when they screw you like that, youve got to fight back :)