Tunaslam
02-24-2011, 11:26 AM
http://www.allcoast.com/photos/data/2/103504100_129911428-med.jpg
Bill’s personal best eight pound Red, one of thirteen we caught today at the Finger Bank, three released, launching out of Las Salinas.
Fishing Wednesday 2-23-11, with Bill Fisher, on his 18’ Trophy, “Toad Haul”. I left my home in Diamond Bar at 5:30 pm Tuesday afternoon, and called Bill just before I crossed the border, at 7:30 pm., which let him know I would be arriving in about 40 minutes. It took only three minutes to cross into Mexico, like the good ole days!
I arrived at Bill’s quaint Trailer residence on a cliff overlooking the water, some 10 miles south of Rosarito at 8:15pm. When I arrived, Bill handed me a cold Bud, and being very hungry, and arriving later than normal, so Bill had already eaten, he had purchased me some delicious fish tacos from one of his favorite restaurants down the road from his trailer home, Splash, Yum, Yum! We shot the breeze for awhile, as we watched the Laker game.
Bill had fished in the afternoon today, Tuesday, for not much; however, he didn’t go very far offshore. The afternoon winds were very calm, certainly a good thing. The Laker game was a blow out, 80-56 at the end of the third quarter, so we both crashed for the evening.
I awoke from a sound sleep, as the alarm went off, at 5:00 am, then Bill shouted “time to go fishing”! We stopped for coffee at Oxxo’s, and I bought a Bomb (Beef, Potatoes, and Sour Cream Burrito) from the local Breakfast Burrito maker, very delicious. As we headed south to the boat launch in Las Salinas, patches of high stratus clouds appeared in the distance, then grey light began its approach over the hills. The winds, which were heading offshore, were between 4 and 8 knots as forecasted.
We exited the harbor around 6:00am, into one foot choppy seas, as the winds were against the current? The course was set for the closest deep water reef, a few miles offshore, in the direction of the Finger Bank, our ultimate destination.
We made a couple of drifts for only a few small Starries, bait? Then continued our trek out to the Finger Bank, some 7.5 miles further west. We noticed the Indian working about a mile west of our position. Upon arriving at our first spot, the meter only recorded a few marks, a bit higher in the water column, generally indicating Reds up chasing whatever they can find to eat. Sure enough Bill gets hammered on his first drop, near the bottom, on the fall. Bill was using a larger Dark Red Lucanus lure.
Bill caught the first Red of the day, a big’n, over five pounds!
http://www.allcoast.com/photos/data/2/103504100_128911423.jpg
My Mojo was a little off for most of the morning. I believe Bill landed four Reds before I was on the board with my first Big Red of the day! Bill continued to get bit on the Lucanus lures, while my Jax jig remained virgin the entire morning, although I caught a few Starries and Santa Marias on the shrimp fly above it. So I switched to an Orange and White Ed’s jig, still no bites? They simply just didn’t want a jig today. So if you can’t beat them, join them, I put on a knock off Lucanus lure, and I received a very aggressive bite on my first drop and as I wound the fish up, there was a feisty thrashing, and a few head shakes, that almost always belongs to a good size Vermillion Rockfish! Yep, my first Big Red of the day!
http://www.allcoast.com/photos/data/2/103504100_129311426-med.jpg
I caught several more reds within the next half hour, and Bill finished off his five fish limit. Here I am holding a couple of nice Reds.
http://www.allcoast.com/photos/data/2/103504100_130011429-med.jpg
Bill with another nice Red.
http://www.allcoast.com/photos/data/2/103504100_129111424.jpg
With one short of limits on the Reds, and near limits of larger Starries and Santa Marias, Bill made a move into the bay to fish the shallower water, a little less than 150’. Stopped on a good ridge, with scattered marks on the meter, both on the bottom and higher in the water column. I switched to a five inch MC plastic lure, Red Flake with orange bottom, with a 2.5 oz lead head. When I hit bottom, I slowly reeled up the slack, and got slammed. Took a little bit of drag and fought all the way to the surface. Another nice Red, which filled out our limit of Reds, ten, five each.
http://www.allcoast.com/photos/data/2/103504100_129211425-med.jpg
Moving back up the line towards Las Salinas, we stopped on a number of reefs and small stones. We caught a half dozen Chocolate Rockfish, some near two pounds, a Copper Rockfish, several Bank Perch, a few Green Stripes, etc. In the shallower water we were able to release most of these fish, including three more Reds.
The weather was real nice all day, except for the ride out to the Finger, down to T-shirts in the late morning! The sun was in and out of the clouds most of the day, and the wind backed off to under five knots by 9am. The fishing was a steady pick, and the quality of Reds was fantastic. Called it a day at 3:30 pm. As we pulled the fish out of the bait tank, I took this picture!
A big pile of Reds.
http://www.allcoast.com/photos/data/2/103504100_129511427-med.jpg
I left Bill’s place at 5:15 pm, with the news that the border line at 4pm was under 40 minutes. Crossed the border in San Yasidro, in 28 minutes, loved that, as my last trip was well over an hour to cross.
Bill, what a sweet day on the water, good fishing and good weather, what a blast, thanks so much for the invite, can’t wait until the next trip.
Hook up!
Cory
Bill’s personal best eight pound Red, one of thirteen we caught today at the Finger Bank, three released, launching out of Las Salinas.
Fishing Wednesday 2-23-11, with Bill Fisher, on his 18’ Trophy, “Toad Haul”. I left my home in Diamond Bar at 5:30 pm Tuesday afternoon, and called Bill just before I crossed the border, at 7:30 pm., which let him know I would be arriving in about 40 minutes. It took only three minutes to cross into Mexico, like the good ole days!
I arrived at Bill’s quaint Trailer residence on a cliff overlooking the water, some 10 miles south of Rosarito at 8:15pm. When I arrived, Bill handed me a cold Bud, and being very hungry, and arriving later than normal, so Bill had already eaten, he had purchased me some delicious fish tacos from one of his favorite restaurants down the road from his trailer home, Splash, Yum, Yum! We shot the breeze for awhile, as we watched the Laker game.
Bill had fished in the afternoon today, Tuesday, for not much; however, he didn’t go very far offshore. The afternoon winds were very calm, certainly a good thing. The Laker game was a blow out, 80-56 at the end of the third quarter, so we both crashed for the evening.
I awoke from a sound sleep, as the alarm went off, at 5:00 am, then Bill shouted “time to go fishing”! We stopped for coffee at Oxxo’s, and I bought a Bomb (Beef, Potatoes, and Sour Cream Burrito) from the local Breakfast Burrito maker, very delicious. As we headed south to the boat launch in Las Salinas, patches of high stratus clouds appeared in the distance, then grey light began its approach over the hills. The winds, which were heading offshore, were between 4 and 8 knots as forecasted.
We exited the harbor around 6:00am, into one foot choppy seas, as the winds were against the current? The course was set for the closest deep water reef, a few miles offshore, in the direction of the Finger Bank, our ultimate destination.
We made a couple of drifts for only a few small Starries, bait? Then continued our trek out to the Finger Bank, some 7.5 miles further west. We noticed the Indian working about a mile west of our position. Upon arriving at our first spot, the meter only recorded a few marks, a bit higher in the water column, generally indicating Reds up chasing whatever they can find to eat. Sure enough Bill gets hammered on his first drop, near the bottom, on the fall. Bill was using a larger Dark Red Lucanus lure.
Bill caught the first Red of the day, a big’n, over five pounds!
http://www.allcoast.com/photos/data/2/103504100_128911423.jpg
My Mojo was a little off for most of the morning. I believe Bill landed four Reds before I was on the board with my first Big Red of the day! Bill continued to get bit on the Lucanus lures, while my Jax jig remained virgin the entire morning, although I caught a few Starries and Santa Marias on the shrimp fly above it. So I switched to an Orange and White Ed’s jig, still no bites? They simply just didn’t want a jig today. So if you can’t beat them, join them, I put on a knock off Lucanus lure, and I received a very aggressive bite on my first drop and as I wound the fish up, there was a feisty thrashing, and a few head shakes, that almost always belongs to a good size Vermillion Rockfish! Yep, my first Big Red of the day!
http://www.allcoast.com/photos/data/2/103504100_129311426-med.jpg
I caught several more reds within the next half hour, and Bill finished off his five fish limit. Here I am holding a couple of nice Reds.
http://www.allcoast.com/photos/data/2/103504100_130011429-med.jpg
Bill with another nice Red.
http://www.allcoast.com/photos/data/2/103504100_129111424.jpg
With one short of limits on the Reds, and near limits of larger Starries and Santa Marias, Bill made a move into the bay to fish the shallower water, a little less than 150’. Stopped on a good ridge, with scattered marks on the meter, both on the bottom and higher in the water column. I switched to a five inch MC plastic lure, Red Flake with orange bottom, with a 2.5 oz lead head. When I hit bottom, I slowly reeled up the slack, and got slammed. Took a little bit of drag and fought all the way to the surface. Another nice Red, which filled out our limit of Reds, ten, five each.
http://www.allcoast.com/photos/data/2/103504100_129211425-med.jpg
Moving back up the line towards Las Salinas, we stopped on a number of reefs and small stones. We caught a half dozen Chocolate Rockfish, some near two pounds, a Copper Rockfish, several Bank Perch, a few Green Stripes, etc. In the shallower water we were able to release most of these fish, including three more Reds.
The weather was real nice all day, except for the ride out to the Finger, down to T-shirts in the late morning! The sun was in and out of the clouds most of the day, and the wind backed off to under five knots by 9am. The fishing was a steady pick, and the quality of Reds was fantastic. Called it a day at 3:30 pm. As we pulled the fish out of the bait tank, I took this picture!
A big pile of Reds.
http://www.allcoast.com/photos/data/2/103504100_129511427-med.jpg
I left Bill’s place at 5:15 pm, with the news that the border line at 4pm was under 40 minutes. Crossed the border in San Yasidro, in 28 minutes, loved that, as my last trip was well over an hour to cross.
Bill, what a sweet day on the water, good fishing and good weather, what a blast, thanks so much for the invite, can’t wait until the next trip.
Hook up!
Cory