06 / 27 Cuda and Sandbass Local 3/4-Day Trip to the Flats

[JapanRon]

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[Ifishtoolittle]

Cool report JapanRon. Those guys sound like a bunch of pricks no respect for life.

[Newfishsmell]

Cool report JapanRon. Those guys sound like a bunch of pricks no respect for life.

Well said , i second that !
And 75 is waaayyyyy tooooo mannnnyyyy !

Thanks for the report Ron

[JapanRon]

Hi Ifishtolittle,

Yes, the poor deck must handle drunks and such people with a professional stand i.e. refusing to gaff and land the fish and just get the guys lure back. Ya, the bird thing was a real low-light to an otherwise great fishing and good catching day.

JapanRon

[JapanRon]

Hi Newfishsmell,

One of these days ...... younger, more savvy consumers are going to revolt on this packing the boat business and simply ... en masse not get on a boat (maybe jump to another landing)..... any size boat ... that has over 40 or 50 people on it and yet more in line. A cattle boat or moo-moo doesn't have to mean you have suffer 60 or 70 people on a 75 foot boat !! Nor consider the ride a video game where it's game-on for combat fishing!! Whatever, I personally revolt by turning around and going home ..... even when I'm first in line ..... to the shock of folks in line. ha ha ha

Most of the landings that habitually do this actually HAVE more boats 'on line' ..... that sit at the dock because for one example they can't get as much as the going price for a charter so they don't go period !! If you don't believe me, try to charter a 60~70 foot boat for 25 on a Catalina full-day trip for 2.25 to 2.5K + the usual $$ with a boat that advertises daily island trips, then to get turned down on the offer, knowing all the while the boat hasn't even gone out in the last month or two !!

In addition, the business of having a twofer or buddy fishes free deal is sometimes self-defeating. It has now come to pass that really all that is accomplished with many of these trips that are maxed out .... folks get less service, newbies get turned off, experience crowding to a point of the experience being 'not worth even the half-price, and less fish caught (per person) simply from too many tangles and such...... and oh, almost forgot ...... and the landing/boat might get a big(ger) infusion of cash in the short term but loses a few customers and future customers in the long run. I hear it from experienced guys all the time. 'Against my better judgement ..... a buddy and I tried it ....... never again'. Surffice to say ..... not all landings/boats have the ability to habitually max out a given boat and or have additional boats on line.

One of these days ..... the landings' position that 'the customer is the one that decided to get on the boat' is going to turn around and bite them on the ........ as it is actually doing now but to a lesser degree than could be possible ........

The only positive thing about seeing the 2 or 3 boats that look like porcupines on the water is to warn folks on other boats in their view to stay the heck off that boat and ....... provide lots of humor and great laughs among my buddies and I at the folks willing to participate in such an insult to the customer.

JapanRon

[flytyingreloader]

Ron--

That photo of the fly angler says volumes about why I bought a boat. Barries and bones on fly tackle is a total blast, but it is NOT a thing for party boats or six-packs. I live for the day I hit a yellowtail on the fly.

[JapanRon]

Hi flytyingreloader,

Yes, I look longingly (only in a sense as...... I don't want a boat and will NOT go the boat-ho route) at those guys who ..... have put out the $$$ and time to learn the ropes of boat handling, navigation, FF operation, boat launching, meterology and oh ya ..... open-water flyfishing techniques.

Kudos to them as they work hard and they've earned every fish they catch. One thing I like about FFing is it's not about numbers caught but the process !! On the YT .........you'll get that 'tail on the fly for sure !!

Every time I spot one of these guys .... noticed at least 4 different rigs flailing the fly-swatter recently, I do a quick inventory of my 9wts loaded with FS rocket tapers w/ front end of 350 g and a couple boxes of streamers I use tubin and plan to start fishin' more distant spots on my pontoon boat.

As always, I'll be on the look-out for fellow fly-flickers !!

JapanRon

[Liteweight]

Hey JR,
Very nice layout for your post.
I assume you weren't around in the '80's when that pic of the cattle boat was the norm (out of SD when the albacore would run)? While in Redondo (way back then) I brought up the subject of "limited loads" much along the line of the SD Overnight/Tuna trips. Was shot down rather quickly, not even any discussion about the merits of the idea. There is a definative line between max load and customer service. It's all about max load & fish counts, customer experience is an intangeble factor that not many understand or want to.
Max loads like that are not much fun for the deckhands either! Oohh and those pricks are also almost a weekly occurance on most boats.
It is loads like that, that prompted me to buy a Kayak.
No annual Coast Guard inspections and insurance. Or gas to worry about no maintenance (boat/trailer) or launch fees and no second vehicle to worry about for the primary tow vehicle (in case I didn't want to pay monthly slip/rental fees.)
Yeah, I realize Kayaking is a lot more work to get out to some fishing grounds but some of the best spots are sometimes only a few hundred yards offshore (ie Playa, Huntington flats, La Jolla Kelp). AND it's GREAT exercise!!!!
With the exception of the SD Tuna trips, I've all but done away with local 1/2, 3/4 & Overnight boats (and saved myself a whole lot of $$$).
LW

[JapanRon]

Hi Lightweight,

Cool comments. Let's face it .... a feast or famine type of business like, but not limited to commercial or public sport fishing makes those involved ignore common sense treatment of patrons !! Remember Disneyland closing the gates occasionally due to both..... did I say both........ comfort of and safety factors regarding visitors.

Had a yak .... they're cool. Got a float-tube and motorized pontoon boat now although neither have the range of the yak ..... but still lots of fish and area open to fishing.

JapanRon

[CastMan]

Ya see Ron that is the kind of conduct I fear seeing going on n open party boat as I have little tolerance for acts of stupidity like that from (and I use the term very loosely) fellow anglers! Glad I wasn't there or I would have wanted to hit one of them back at the dock! Gotta learn to respect that which we all hold so dear!