Tunaslam
07-06-2010, 10:55 PM
Fishing on a three day trip with Ron Bowers, on his 60’ Yacht, “Salt Fever”, with his wife Toni, and crew of Don, Todd and OJ. I arrived at Ron’s slip in Harbor Island, San Diego at a little after 5pm Saturday evening. We left the slip at 6pm, stopped at E-Bros for six healthy scoops of Sardines and set a course for about 106 miles from the point, just south west of the Dumper.
An hour out, Toni heated up some Tortilla soup for a light dinner, yum yum. I took first watch at 9pm to 11pm. The seas were calm, some larger swells, creating a bit of a rock, but certainly very tolerable.
July 4th.
I woke up to the sweet smell of brewing hot coffee at 5:30 am. Ron slowed down to trolling speed, right at 100 miles. The last forty miles consisted of 58 degree water, rising to 59 in the last one mile and now reaching 59.9. The area was fishy, plenty of bait schools and some good marks at 80 to 100 feet. It wasn’t long before the exciting sound of zzzzzzzzzzz, as the first trolling rod went off, then a double, a triple, and a Quad! Wow what a start? Two of the fish slipped off the hooks, while I hollered for a gaff, and we were on the boards, an eight pound Albacore. OJ brought the second Albie to the boat, a bit bigger at ten pounds. Unfortunately no bait fish, surprising with so many jig fish?
About twenty minutes later a double on the jig fish, again no bait fish. Another double on the jig fish, and I hooked the first bait fish. My first Albacore of 2010 caught on bait, shortly after reeling in a jig fish. I love that combo, a jig fish and a bait fish on one stop.
http://www.allcoast.com/photos/data/2/103504100_100010305.jpg
The Albacore were gradually increasing in size to 15 pounds.
That was it for the morning fishing, with a long lull before the next jig strike at 1pm. Ron headed a little more south east of our position, out to 112 miles from Point Loma. The water temps improved from 59.9 to 61.8. There were quite a few sport boats in the area too.
This time we get a single jig strike. Toss a few baits for chum, boils! Every bait in the water is bit!
Todd is on the board.
http://www.allcoast.com/photos/data/2/103504100_100110306.jpg
Don and OJ with Albacore.
http://www.allcoast.com/photos/data/2/103504100_100210307-med.jpg
OJ with a bigger model Albacore.
http://www.allcoast.com/photos/data/2/103504100_100510309-med.jpg
Myself and Toni with Albacore.
http://www.allcoast.com/photos/data/2/103504100_101210314-med.jpg
This was our best bait fish stop, landing eight fish and with a lot of casualties. We continued to get a Jig Strike about every 20 minutes, with a few bait fish mixed in.
The fish hold looking good!
http://www.allcoast.com/photos/data/2/103504100_101910318.jpg
OJ with another nice Albacore.
http://www.allcoast.com/photos/data/2/103504100_100410308-med.jpg
The hot jigs for the day; B/P Magnum Rapala, ten fish, my X-Rap Rapala six fish, Green/Red/Yellow/feather two fish, none in the PM? B/P cedar plug and natural Cedar plug ten fish.
At 6:30 pm it was time to clean up, ice the fish down, scrub the boat. With 43 fish on ice, Toni chopped up a nice salad, steamed up some rice, while Ron barbecued up a few slabs of Albacore. Wow was that ever tasty.
It was time to set out the sea anchor. The seas remained calm all night. We all collapsed for the evening, with each of us pulling a 2 hour watch. I drew the 2am to 4am shift, yikes, however, all was well, with no bogies on the radar my whole shift.
July 5th.
I awoke again Monday morning to the smell of fresh hot coffee. This time though it was 7:30 am. Half the crew was still asleep. We began trolling up hill, as our night drift only amounted to 2.75 miles. It was about 25 minutes before we began the day with a bang, a double jig strike, both nicer sized fish, while Captain Ron hooked the big’n of the day on bait.
Captain Ron with the Jackpot for the day. A solid 25 pound Albacore.
http://www.allcoast.com/photos/data/2/103504100_100710310-med.jpg
Todd with a nice Albie.
http://www.allcoast.com/photos/data/2/103504100_101610317-med.jpg
Don and OJ again Hamming it up with good size Albacore.
http://www.allcoast.com/photos/data/2/103504100_101510316-med.jpg
An early look at the fish hold. Bigger fish on Monday.
http://www.allcoast.com/photos/data/2/103504100_101010312.jpg
Myself with a 20 pound Albacore.
http://www.allcoast.com/photos/data/2/103504100_100810311.jpg
Don with his biggest Albie of the day.
http://www.allcoast.com/photos/data/2/103504100_101310315-med.jpg
The whole gang showing off their Albacore!
http://www.allcoast.com/photos/data/2/103504100_102010319-med.jpg
Fishing was quite a bit slower today, as we made our way north west, where the fleet was working. The previous days spots were no longer holding fish, so Ron moved us about 10 miles Northwest. Our goal today was to finish off our two day Mexican Limit of Albacore of sixty fish, even though we were in US waters with 10 fish limits per day for the six of us, we all felt 60 fish enough to keep. We met our goal by 4pm. The fish were put on ice, the boat was cleaned, we broke down our tackle, while Toni whipped up some home made Enchiladas.
Most of today’s jig fish were caught on the cedar plugs. The X-Rap caught two, and the B/P Rapala two. B/P feather one. With bigger fish, there were many bait fish lost on the lighter lines.
Ron set a course for home, some 112 miles from the point. Arrived in San Diego at 9am.
Captain Ron and a happy crew with their bounty.
http://www.allcoast.com/photos/data/2/103504100_102610323.jpg
Toni replaces Ron.
http://www.allcoast.com/photos/data/2/103504100_102510322.jpg
The luxury Chariot, Salt Fever!
http://www.allcoast.com/photos/data/2/103504100_102310321-med.jpg
http://www.allcoast.com/photos/data/2/103504100_102210320-med.jpg
Had a blast Ron and Toni. Thanks for the invite. Great to meet you Don and Todd, glad to share a rail with you again OJ. Let’s all do it again soon.
Hook up!
Cory
An hour out, Toni heated up some Tortilla soup for a light dinner, yum yum. I took first watch at 9pm to 11pm. The seas were calm, some larger swells, creating a bit of a rock, but certainly very tolerable.
July 4th.
I woke up to the sweet smell of brewing hot coffee at 5:30 am. Ron slowed down to trolling speed, right at 100 miles. The last forty miles consisted of 58 degree water, rising to 59 in the last one mile and now reaching 59.9. The area was fishy, plenty of bait schools and some good marks at 80 to 100 feet. It wasn’t long before the exciting sound of zzzzzzzzzzz, as the first trolling rod went off, then a double, a triple, and a Quad! Wow what a start? Two of the fish slipped off the hooks, while I hollered for a gaff, and we were on the boards, an eight pound Albacore. OJ brought the second Albie to the boat, a bit bigger at ten pounds. Unfortunately no bait fish, surprising with so many jig fish?
About twenty minutes later a double on the jig fish, again no bait fish. Another double on the jig fish, and I hooked the first bait fish. My first Albacore of 2010 caught on bait, shortly after reeling in a jig fish. I love that combo, a jig fish and a bait fish on one stop.
http://www.allcoast.com/photos/data/2/103504100_100010305.jpg
The Albacore were gradually increasing in size to 15 pounds.
That was it for the morning fishing, with a long lull before the next jig strike at 1pm. Ron headed a little more south east of our position, out to 112 miles from Point Loma. The water temps improved from 59.9 to 61.8. There were quite a few sport boats in the area too.
This time we get a single jig strike. Toss a few baits for chum, boils! Every bait in the water is bit!
Todd is on the board.
http://www.allcoast.com/photos/data/2/103504100_100110306.jpg
Don and OJ with Albacore.
http://www.allcoast.com/photos/data/2/103504100_100210307-med.jpg
OJ with a bigger model Albacore.
http://www.allcoast.com/photos/data/2/103504100_100510309-med.jpg
Myself and Toni with Albacore.
http://www.allcoast.com/photos/data/2/103504100_101210314-med.jpg
This was our best bait fish stop, landing eight fish and with a lot of casualties. We continued to get a Jig Strike about every 20 minutes, with a few bait fish mixed in.
The fish hold looking good!
http://www.allcoast.com/photos/data/2/103504100_101910318.jpg
OJ with another nice Albacore.
http://www.allcoast.com/photos/data/2/103504100_100410308-med.jpg
The hot jigs for the day; B/P Magnum Rapala, ten fish, my X-Rap Rapala six fish, Green/Red/Yellow/feather two fish, none in the PM? B/P cedar plug and natural Cedar plug ten fish.
At 6:30 pm it was time to clean up, ice the fish down, scrub the boat. With 43 fish on ice, Toni chopped up a nice salad, steamed up some rice, while Ron barbecued up a few slabs of Albacore. Wow was that ever tasty.
It was time to set out the sea anchor. The seas remained calm all night. We all collapsed for the evening, with each of us pulling a 2 hour watch. I drew the 2am to 4am shift, yikes, however, all was well, with no bogies on the radar my whole shift.
July 5th.
I awoke again Monday morning to the smell of fresh hot coffee. This time though it was 7:30 am. Half the crew was still asleep. We began trolling up hill, as our night drift only amounted to 2.75 miles. It was about 25 minutes before we began the day with a bang, a double jig strike, both nicer sized fish, while Captain Ron hooked the big’n of the day on bait.
Captain Ron with the Jackpot for the day. A solid 25 pound Albacore.
http://www.allcoast.com/photos/data/2/103504100_100710310-med.jpg
Todd with a nice Albie.
http://www.allcoast.com/photos/data/2/103504100_101610317-med.jpg
Don and OJ again Hamming it up with good size Albacore.
http://www.allcoast.com/photos/data/2/103504100_101510316-med.jpg
An early look at the fish hold. Bigger fish on Monday.
http://www.allcoast.com/photos/data/2/103504100_101010312.jpg
Myself with a 20 pound Albacore.
http://www.allcoast.com/photos/data/2/103504100_100810311.jpg
Don with his biggest Albie of the day.
http://www.allcoast.com/photos/data/2/103504100_101310315-med.jpg
The whole gang showing off their Albacore!
http://www.allcoast.com/photos/data/2/103504100_102010319-med.jpg
Fishing was quite a bit slower today, as we made our way north west, where the fleet was working. The previous days spots were no longer holding fish, so Ron moved us about 10 miles Northwest. Our goal today was to finish off our two day Mexican Limit of Albacore of sixty fish, even though we were in US waters with 10 fish limits per day for the six of us, we all felt 60 fish enough to keep. We met our goal by 4pm. The fish were put on ice, the boat was cleaned, we broke down our tackle, while Toni whipped up some home made Enchiladas.
Most of today’s jig fish were caught on the cedar plugs. The X-Rap caught two, and the B/P Rapala two. B/P feather one. With bigger fish, there were many bait fish lost on the lighter lines.
Ron set a course for home, some 112 miles from the point. Arrived in San Diego at 9am.
Captain Ron and a happy crew with their bounty.
http://www.allcoast.com/photos/data/2/103504100_102610323.jpg
Toni replaces Ron.
http://www.allcoast.com/photos/data/2/103504100_102510322.jpg
The luxury Chariot, Salt Fever!
http://www.allcoast.com/photos/data/2/103504100_102310321-med.jpg
http://www.allcoast.com/photos/data/2/103504100_102210320-med.jpg
Had a blast Ron and Toni. Thanks for the invite. Great to meet you Don and Todd, glad to share a rail with you again OJ. Let’s all do it again soon.
Hook up!
Cory