Jackpot Jimmy
07-26-2009, 09:23 AM
Dad and I once again decided to fish the Tradition yesterday for a 3/4 day run to Catalina. We left the dock with 15 anglers, picked up some sardines, and headed across the pond. Our crew today would consist of Captain Steven Konrady, Derrick in the galley, and Morgon and John on deck. Everyone ordered breakfast, some talked on the way over, and some took a nap.
Carlos has the right idea...
http://i391.photobucket.com/albums/oo358/Jackpot-Jimmy/010-11.jpg
We soon stopped, where the calicos were not eager to bite, but we got some quality bottom grabbers such as sheephead, treefish, sugar bass, and starry-eyed rockfish. Then, we tried a spot that was not turning on, so Steven decided to head on down the island. We set up on the spot, and the calicos really started to chew. Almost all the calicos we get on sardines are legal, so these were quality fish. We reset on this spot after swinging away from the kelp, and again, starting catching some quality bass. This was when a private boater decided when we were catching fish to make a set just inside of us within casting distance, and our bite shut off. Fed up with all the boaters, we headed north, but the conditions were getting worse and worse. With time running out, Steven decided to try and fill the sacks with some rockfish.
We started catching some nice salmon grouper on the sardines, while others were catching some reds on the cut squid. We also got some nice belindas, starry-eyes, square spots, barber poles, and many other species of rockfish. We then turned for home, and jackpot was weighed up. The winning fish was a nice calico bass, beating out a barracuda and a salmon grouper. However, the day was only going to get better...
After clearing the island and getting out in the channel a little bit, Steven spotted a huge mako shark. The thing had to be 600+ easy. Derrick got the trolling rod filled with 80#, pinned on a mackerel to the double-pronged hook, and attempted to bait it. It wasn't interested right away, so we spun back around on it, and the shark took the bait, and it was game on! It immediately took Derrick down to the corner. It jumped once close to the boat before going back down, but it eventually bit through the mono. It happened so fast, that we didn't get any pictures, unfortunately. Closer to the coast, we also saw a couple of blue whales, that popped up close to the boat. Anyways, fishing wasn't stellar, but we got a few nice ones. Great times, great fishing!!
Nice Reds
http://i391.photobucket.com/albums/oo358/Jackpot-Jimmy/001-15.jpg
Barracuda
http://i391.photobucket.com/albums/oo358/Jackpot-Jimmy/002-18.jpg
Nice Calicos
http://i391.photobucket.com/albums/oo358/Jackpot-Jimmy/005-21.jpg
Quality Boccacio
http://i391.photobucket.com/albums/oo358/Jackpot-Jimmy/008-10.jpg
Nice Stringer o' Cod
http://i391.photobucket.com/albums/oo358/Jackpot-Jimmy/009-8.jpg
Blue Whale
http://i391.photobucket.com/albums/oo358/Jackpot-Jimmy/011-6.jpg
Carlos has the right idea...
http://i391.photobucket.com/albums/oo358/Jackpot-Jimmy/010-11.jpg
We soon stopped, where the calicos were not eager to bite, but we got some quality bottom grabbers such as sheephead, treefish, sugar bass, and starry-eyed rockfish. Then, we tried a spot that was not turning on, so Steven decided to head on down the island. We set up on the spot, and the calicos really started to chew. Almost all the calicos we get on sardines are legal, so these were quality fish. We reset on this spot after swinging away from the kelp, and again, starting catching some quality bass. This was when a private boater decided when we were catching fish to make a set just inside of us within casting distance, and our bite shut off. Fed up with all the boaters, we headed north, but the conditions were getting worse and worse. With time running out, Steven decided to try and fill the sacks with some rockfish.
We started catching some nice salmon grouper on the sardines, while others were catching some reds on the cut squid. We also got some nice belindas, starry-eyes, square spots, barber poles, and many other species of rockfish. We then turned for home, and jackpot was weighed up. The winning fish was a nice calico bass, beating out a barracuda and a salmon grouper. However, the day was only going to get better...
After clearing the island and getting out in the channel a little bit, Steven spotted a huge mako shark. The thing had to be 600+ easy. Derrick got the trolling rod filled with 80#, pinned on a mackerel to the double-pronged hook, and attempted to bait it. It wasn't interested right away, so we spun back around on it, and the shark took the bait, and it was game on! It immediately took Derrick down to the corner. It jumped once close to the boat before going back down, but it eventually bit through the mono. It happened so fast, that we didn't get any pictures, unfortunately. Closer to the coast, we also saw a couple of blue whales, that popped up close to the boat. Anyways, fishing wasn't stellar, but we got a few nice ones. Great times, great fishing!!
Nice Reds
http://i391.photobucket.com/albums/oo358/Jackpot-Jimmy/001-15.jpg
Barracuda
http://i391.photobucket.com/albums/oo358/Jackpot-Jimmy/002-18.jpg
Nice Calicos
http://i391.photobucket.com/albums/oo358/Jackpot-Jimmy/005-21.jpg
Quality Boccacio
http://i391.photobucket.com/albums/oo358/Jackpot-Jimmy/008-10.jpg
Nice Stringer o' Cod
http://i391.photobucket.com/albums/oo358/Jackpot-Jimmy/009-8.jpg
Blue Whale
http://i391.photobucket.com/albums/oo358/Jackpot-Jimmy/011-6.jpg