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E.A.R.G.
07-20-2011, 10:31 PM
My friend Johnathan has been seeing all my sea bass pictures on my facebook and has been wanting to head out with me for a while.

He wanted to jump on one of the cattle boats up a little north, but I told him I had something better for us... The boat Webmaster Jeff's been working on is complete and ready to go!

24ft skipjack! A big step up from the 18ft cuddy cabin we used to be taking out to Catalina!


My buddy Johnathan is fairly new to fishing. Hasn't caught any exotics yet, but he has caught a few bass and bonito.
I gave him the run down. We're going to head out to Catalina at night and try to make some bait. We'll have some lines out at night cause sometimes they come during the night. In the morning we'll make our stops along the backside until we find them. He was pumped! He asked me what I expected from the trip. I told him, "I have no expectations. I'm just out to fish. Actually catching is just a bonus" =) But in the back of my mind I had my hopes on some sea bass! I hadn't been out in a while, and the last 3 trips, COUNT EM! THREE! I had taken home 2 sea bass per trip!

Monday at work, I can only think about the fishing to come. Finally its close shop time and I race down to Jeff's. By race, I mean 5mph down the 10 and 5 freeway. Took me about an hour and a half to get to ol Jefe's. Jonathan showed up a little after us and we loaded up and went on our way!

Launched the boat right around 7:30 pm. Avoided the bait barges since we had full intentions of catching our own.
The seas started off calm, but man it got snotty! Windy and swelly! Half way there we had to really back off on the engine, and by the time we were close to the island we were only doing 10 knots and we were still getting beat up!

We anchored up at around 100 feet under a school of squid, and shortly after Jeff and Jonathan knocked out due to feeling a little queezy. Can't blame em, the water was rough! I stayed up trying to make bait and waiting for mr. sea bass to come play.

GEEZZZ what a quiet nite!
No hook up at all! No bass, no calico! No bat ray. NOTHING.
Add to that, I worked all night for 25 pieces of bait. 25 pieces!!!

I woke up Jeff at around 4:30 A.M so that we could move to the fishing grounds.
He asked how I did on the bait. I said 25.
"Tough float?"
"impossible float"


Oh well. We figured we'd fish the morning bite and then find a squid boat later on.
We anchored up on our first stop and it was quiet except for a couple calicos.

We made a move over to deeper water.

quiet. Very quiet.


Made another move. Anchored up.


Jonathan yells out. "I'm on!"
And sure enough he's bendo!


We're coaching him on the short pump! The constant pressure! He's fighting him like a pro! Jeff gets the gaff ready!

Then zzZZZ!!! Jeff's line starts ripping! He runs for his pole.

Jonathan brings the fish to color. RIGHT KIND!!!

I pick up the gaff and THWUMP! Sea bass hits the deck!!!


wh00000!! Get er done!!! Jonathan slays his first sea bass ever!!!
Gave him a nice high five! Jonathan gets his line back out


Jeff's fish comes to the surface! I'm ready with the gaff. errrr. barracuda?
haha


ZzzzzzzzzzzzZ!! My rod goes off. set the hook! Its heavy!! I make short work of this fish. I bring it to color.
ERrrr.. Calico bass. BIG ole Calico! Not the kind I'm looking for!


After that it gets a little bit quiet. I tell Jeff, I think we came off the spot. He agrees. I run up and pull the anchor and we move up a couple hundred yards and drop again. As I'm coming back to the stern of the boat Jeff yells HOOK UP!!!!

I start running over as fast as I can.
Right kind?
Feels like it


Brings it to color. SEA BASSS.
gaff goes down, gaff comes up. Sea bass #2 hits the deck!!

I get back over to my pole on the bow.
I cast out. As I'm casting my line starts peeling. I set it in gear and before I could even set the hook my pole is buckled over! HOOK UP ON THE BOW!!!!
Fish starts running down the stern. I try to make it over and I almost go for a swim in the process! I make it over and I'm in the corner of the stern.

I think this is the point where all hell breaks loose.

As I'm fighting my fish, Jonathan hooks up too! DOUBLE!!!
We're going under over all over the place!

My fish starts to tire out, I start making ground.
Please be a sea bass please be a sea bass. Bring it to color. SEAAAA BASSSS! Fish sees the boat and takes another run but He's going nowhere! Gaff goes down. Gaff comes up. THUMP! Sea bass # 3 hits the boat!!!


Now we're all on fish! I'm trying to gaff Jonathan's number 2 fish, as he's fighting it. Jeff hooks up! We're doubled again!!!
Jonathan's comes to color. I gaff it. #3! Run over to Jeff's. Gaff his. #4!

I'm playing gaff man here!
After I gaff their fishes, I throw mine out again. and It's instant. I mean, instant hook up!!!! ZZZZZ RIGHT KIND AGAIN!!!

As I'm fighting my fish, Jonathan manages to hook up... AGAINNN!!!! DOUBLE GOING!!! but wait.
Jeff says, "I'm picked up too."
he winds up and swings
ZZZZZ!!!


TER RIPLLEEE HOOK UP!!!!
Fish going everywhere!
We're all over the place! Tripping over sea bass! Screaming and yelling at each other!!
Jonathan, as he's fighting his fish, asks, "is this my limit then?"
I quickly reprimanded him, "Don't ever say stupid things like that! Not until you get him on the boat!" (But I shoulda took my own advice. as you will soon read)


My fish comes to color first! What to do???
Jeff throws his pole in the holder and gaffs my fish and drops it on the deck and gets back to his fish!

I quickly take up the gaff. "Who's coming to color first?!"
I'm waiting for someone to yell out color so I can hop in with the gaff.

But right at the same time, They both yell COLOR! I run over and sure enough two fish to color! I run over.
GAFF! THWUMP! GAFF TWHUMP! #7 and #8!!!

Now I say just about the stupidest thing.
"MANN I don't wanna clean 9 sea bass!"

I knew, right as these words were leaving my mouth... that I totally FU**** it up!

And yes siree I did.


Not another bite.

We waited.
Waited.

Calm.

We all threw our lines back out for #9.
Nope.


Not to be.

calico after calico. BIG HUGE TROPHY calicos were coming over the rail. Must have caught and released over a dozen calico over 15inches.

But nope. Wasn't meant to be.

Some more cuda came over.

Some more bass.

And even a cabezon.

But the sea bass weren't meant to be.

Anchored up and headed home. 8 sea bass. Ain't too shabby in my books!

Hey, at least I'm consistent right? 2 per trip haha


Kudos to Jefe for getting the boat together.

Jonathan, your pants should not be clean after a WFO day like this! next time you should be all bloody like the rest of us!


lol I guess I DID make enough bait haha







http://i422.photobucket.com/albums/pp304/ericchungw/P1010062.jpg
A sea bass slayer is bornn!!!



http://i422.photobucket.com/albums/pp304/ericchungw/P1010065.jpg
Can't let a newbie outdo him!



http://i422.photobucket.com/albums/pp304/ericchungw/P1010064.jpg
Jefe!



http://i422.photobucket.com/albums/pp304/ericchungw/P1010068-1.jpg
me too!




http://i422.photobucket.com/albums/pp304/ericchungw/P1010063.jpg
happy camper





http://i422.photobucket.com/albums/pp304/ericchungw/P1010061.jpg
nice looking deck!



http://i422.photobucket.com/albums/pp304/ericchungw/P1010067.jpg

Get er done!







http://i422.photobucket.com/albums/pp304/ericchungw/P1010070-1.jpg
The side action.
I was totally amazed by the size of these checkers!




blackened sea bass!!!
YUMMMMMM
http://i422.photobucket.com/albums/pp304/ericchungw/IMG_0479.jpg


Tight lines!
EARG

Cadillyak
07-20-2011, 11:05 PM
An outstading job. Way to go on the ghosts and one nice write up. Felt like I was there

DockRat
07-21-2011, 06:27 AM
Congrats on the Skippy Jeff. Thats what we had as a co boat in KH in the 90's.
We hit SBI on it and it worked great. 20 + dive trips on it.


24ft skipjack! A big step up from the 18ft cuddy cabin we used to be taking out to Catalina!

Now I say just about the stupidest thing.
"MANN I don't wanna clean 9 sea bass!"

I knew, right as these words were leaving my mouth... that I totally FU**** it up!

But nope. Wasn't meant to be.

But the sea bass weren't meant to be.

Anchored up and headed home. 8 sea bass. EARG

But the sea bass weren't meant to be. WTF

OMG you have 8 WSB and 'it wasn't meant to be'. Poor Eric, that really sucks !

The rest of us Saps dreaming to be on a WFO WSB bite and get one.
I even jumped on the 1/2 day boat Sun pm to hit Rocky Pt at the hopes of getting a Ghost a couple days after the moon. All the boat got was some 12" Calicos.
I stuck it out on the bottom for 5 hours with squid for 1 calico. Loser ! :Embarrassed:

Congrats on the epic bite and sorry to hear you only got 8 WSB and not 9 :Rolls Eyes:
DR

kgselect
07-21-2011, 02:17 PM
That's just too awesome. Double & triple hook-ups on the WSBs. Great trip. Great report. Thanks.

russ88
07-21-2011, 02:26 PM
Very nice!!! You guys went on a killing spree.....Thanks for the exciting report.

murrieta angler
07-21-2011, 06:09 PM
Dang Eric,
You guys did great!
I only hope the tuna get up here soon, as a 2 1/2 day is waitiung in the near future.
Thanks for the nice report,
Robert
<><

P.S. Congrats on the upgrade Jeff!

marzocchi
07-21-2011, 08:15 PM
Looks like you guys had a terrible time. I feel sorry for you guys :D

Native Gal
07-21-2011, 09:27 PM
E.A.R.G.,
Awesome hookups,, Congrats! Xciting read thanks for sharing.

NG

DockRat
07-22-2011, 06:03 AM
Had to take another peek at those pics. Holy Pollo Mole.
DR

gletemfeelsteelgary
07-28-2011, 11:53 AM
Theres WAS bloooooood !

way ta go guys.....

What a sweet job.........remember NEVER talk smack about cleaning a catch.....OR talk smack about the wind...the two No No's : )

great work out there...nice to see the boat getting broke in....


sorry for the late reply : )


Murder death Keel...


Gary