JapanRon
08-16-2007, 08:02 PM
Local Waters Cooled for Tougher Catching!
Hi there guys,
Tuesday 08/14
Went on the ½-day PM trip out of Pierpoint Landing. Fished the Southern Cal. Collin was the skipper, with Stan on deck, and Ed in the galley. Fished our southern local waters i.e. ‘The Flats’ for Sand Bass and Barracuda. Had around 35 anglers on the boat but there was plenty of fishin’ room as the boat fishes 74.
Note: Countdown 1:Nothing fishing-related that I noticed this week.
Target Fish:Bass and Barracuda
Short Report-Tuesday 08/14
No published numbers from the landing so that’s my job. I got eyes. Our 35 anglers caught around 30 Calico, 50 Sand Bass, 1 very nice Sheephead, and 1 Hallibut! No Barracuda!!!! Grade of fish was nothing to brag about on either the Sandies or Calicos. 3~4-pounder Sandbass was tops.
Being the PM run, we did the usual pattern of most moo-moo at present and fished first ….. looking for Barracuda around the usual Bass haunts. Kind of a two-for-one deal. Finbait consisted of average pinhead Anchovies (1-1/2~2-inches), some Greenies and a few little larger chovies … that’s the usual fare of what has been available for the last three weeks.
It took just a little more than an hour for the first stop……… Being a PM trip and leaving the dock at about 12:30, we can expect to be fishing, assuming we have enough or the right kind of bait for the trip, in 30~45 minutes. If we’re heading up the line to Palo Verde or down to the ‘Flats’ we can expect the trip to take from 1 to 1-1/2 hours or …….. an extreme of 2 hours …. with prevailing water conditions and going down to the further end.
(Please widen your view to fit monitor if word-wrap looks off)
08/14Jackpot
Last Call …………………...The Winner!
http://i67.photobucket.com/albums/h313/tsurikichi/FROM1229/FROM0422/0814weighoff.jpghttp://i67.photobucket.com/albums/h313/tsurikichi/FROM1229/FROM0422/0814winner.jpg
Jimmy Again
Way to go on catching the jackpot fish! A nice Sand Bass, caught by a Southern Cal regular Jimmy, was the winner today. The near 5-lb fish was caught on …. Yech ! … pinhead anchovies on a 1/2oz sliding egg sinker rigged Texas style. This dude can fish!
Long Report
Headin’ Out
http://i67.photobucket.com/albums/h313/tsurikichi/FROM1229/FROM0422/0814fishpier.jpg
The Days Fishing
Out and Back …………………………………………†¦â€¦â€¦.........Currents!
http://i67.photobucket.com/albums/h313/tsurikichi/FROM1229/FROM0422/0814FMapj.jpghttp://i67.photobucket.com/albums/h313/tsurikichi/FROM1229/FROM0422/0814curr.jpg
Grazing in the Pasture
Moo-moo This Trip ................. PBers This Trip
One Moo ............................................ Nice Rig!!
http://i67.photobucket.com/albums/h313/tsurikichi/FROM1229/FROM0422/0814moo1.jpghttp://i67.photobucket.com/albums/h313/tsurikichi/FROM1229/FROM0422/0814pb1.jpg
Round-Up
2 Rounds
First Round
http://i67.photobucket.com/albums/h313/tsurikichi/FROM1229/FROM0422/0814widsflats.jpg
Round 1 Today our first stop was around the Stacks where most did the ol’ dropper-loop deal with a few others of us throwing iron or plastic. Anchovies used mostly for the ‘loop’ rigs weighted with a 4oz torpedo sinkers. Nobody live-lined as there were no dines or chovies big enough to do the job. Interesting … just realized the difference one has to make between live-lining and fly-lining. (This will be in a future aside)
Moved 2 or 3 times during the first round looking for both cuda but more a good bass bite. Caught mostly Sandies. To tell the truth, catching was tough. First round ended around 3:30.
Second Round
http://i67.photobucket.com/albums/h313/tsurikichi/FROM1229/FROM0422/0814widflats.jpg
Round 2 Everybody pretty much fished like they did in the 1st round. Basically we did better on the keepers in the last round than the first. Had more action too … in the second round while the wide-open fishing never developed. Fished both the soft-bottom and structure at less than 100 feet depth. Second round ended around 5:30 when we pulled the hook.I caught all my fish on the plastic as described in the Plastic section.
Conditions: Warm and sunny with a slight breeze! Water visibility was around 10 feet. Air temp stayed in the 70º~75º range during the afternoon. Haven’t even needed a jacket when heading back home. Please check out the graphics for additional weather and water conditions.
Gallery
Fish & Anglers
Anglers Hali ……....Good Fish ……………..Sandy …………......Buddies!
http://i67.photobucket.com/albums/h313/tsurikichi/FROM1229/FROM0422/0814halibut.jpghttp://i67.photobucket.com/albums/h313/tsurikichi/FROM1229/FROM0422/0814kid.jpghttp://i67.photobucket.com/albums/h313/tsurikichi/FROM1229/FROM0422/0814buddbass.jpghttp://i67.photobucket.com/albums/h313/tsurikichi/FROM1229/FROM0422/0814buddsfish.jpg
Good Fish …………….......Halibut ……………………Nice Fish!
http://i67.photobucket.com/albums/h313/tsurikichi/FROM1229/FROM0422/0814dadkid.jpghttp://i67.photobucket.com/albums/h313/tsurikichi/FROM1229/FROM0422/0814shphali.jpghttp://i67.photobucket.com/albums/h313/tsurikichi/FROM1229/FROM0422/0814nicebass.jpg
Other
My Neighbors!!!
http://i67.photobucket.com/albums/h313/tsurikichi/FROM1229/FROM0422/0814rentrods.jpg
Let Them Know
The photos above are just a sample of the fish and things of interest, at least to me, on this trip. Note: If you see a friend in the pictures, let them know they can copy the photo off the report. Directions: Click the right button with the ‘cursor’ on the picture, then click on ‘save picture as’, next choose where they wish to copy the picture, and lastly click ‘save’. Later, they can edit and print the picture at their leisure with a simple photo-editing program that comes with Microsoft Windows.
Tweeking Plastics #40
Color Tweek
This is a really dumb one but I finally got one of my creations to consistently work. Brown large-scale swimbait tinted a light green! Although plastics are getting better about not bleeding ….. there are still some models of and or manufacturers whos colors that bleed. Period!! I don’t want to hear denials in any form or fashion!! It’s either the specific plastic bleeds a color (sometimes only a specific color) or it will suck up a color from another plastic making contact OR both. Not complaining …. I can live with it!
Making lemonade from lemons, I decided to turn the tables and intentionally alter the original color of a softbait. Although an old idea, I got my inspiration from a manufacturer that had their product at the Fred Hall show a couple of years back. They sold a kit that included both the swimbaits and a set of magic-markers that would allow you to design our own color schemes and patterns.
There are so many variables that really all I can say on methodology is to do a trial and error on putting two baits together, in the way you want the color to be altered for a couple of days to see if the tinting occurs. Oh ya … one other thing …. if the tinting occurs ….. It’s permanent … don’t expect the color to ever completely wash out!! Weird!!
Another interesting thing you can do is use your ink jet printer and print a pattern. Some swimbaits will pick up the color and pattern if you lay them on the printout. I discovered this when I left a swimbait on a newspaper page and two lines of print was transferred to the swimbait!
Have fun with this!!
Plastics
My Fishys
Best!
http://i67.photobucket.com/albums/h313/tsurikichi/FROM1229/FROM0422/0814mynicefish.jpg
Usual Suspects!
http://i67.photobucket.com/albums/h313/tsurikichi/FROM1229/FROM0422/0711barriplas.jpghttp://i67.photobucket.com/albums/h313/tsurikichi/FROM1229/FROM0422/07172brown.jpg
Plastics Only Fishin’
Sand Bass & Calicos
Early Afternoon - My first efforts to see if there were any bite-off artists in the neighborhood, had me chunking my trusty red leadhead/red Blams but happily no takers! With no gar biting (saw a few that didn’t seem too aggressive), I threw the kitchen sink for the Sand Bass with little success. Throwing non-scented, no-strip-bait plastics is setting the bar pretty high but I took my lumps ok. Happy to say I didn’t get skunked. For colors, I pretty much stuck with the brown … as in brown-bait, color combination, larger, BH (Big Hammer) and FT (Fish Trap) plastics. Fished 8lb-test Seaguar fluorocarbon. Lots of light-biters and or dinks.
Late Afternoon - Preferring to fish Calicos anyways …. with the wind, swell and wave conditions …….. and Stan’s constant chumming (Stan is one guy you can depend upon taking care of business in my experience), I figured I had a decent shot at picking up some fish higher up and further out from the boat fly-lining a swimbait on a 1/4oz leadhead. Figured I’d done better if I had used a spinning rod to throw the lighter stuff further. My casting ability with a level-wind bait caster with a 3/16 leadhead and 2-inch swimbait combo on 15lb-test line ain’t that great! Lots of dinks sucking on swimbait tails!!
Tuesday Out There
Lunar……………………………………… ...........Wind Direction and Speed!
http://i67.photobucket.com/albums/h313/tsurikichi/FROM1229/FROM0422/0814Moon.jpghttp://i67.photobucket.com/albums/h313/tsurikichi/FROM1229/FROM0422/0814Windj.jpg
Tides …………………………………………†¦â€¦â€¦â€¦â€¦â€¦â€¦â€¦.............. Water Temps!
http://i67.photobucket.com/albums/h313/tsurikichi/FROM1229/FROM0422/0814Tidereal.jpghttp://i67.photobucket.com/albums/h313/tsurikichi/FROM1229/FROM0422/0814WatMapj.jpg
UV Alert!
http://i67.photobucket.com/albums/h313/tsurikichi/FROM1229/FROM0422/0814PNGUVj.jpg
Tuesday’s Conditions
Fishing Grounds: Had little boat traffic today but all in all water and weather were pretty much what was expected for an afternoon run!!
Wild Creatures: Saw a few Sealions. A few Cormorants, Pelicans, Terns, and Seagulls were around sporadically …. especially when it was time to clean fish.
Asides
Aside:
DFG Topics
http://i67.photobucket.com/albums/h313/tsurikichi/FROM1229/FROM0422/DFGTophalf.jpgTsurikichi©2007
California Finfish and Shellfish Identification Book
Along with your fishing passport … another publication is available …. the California Finfish and Shellfish Identification Book and has over 150 full-color illustrations of Finfish and Shellfish that inhabit California waters. Find more information on this great little book at http://www.fishingpassport.org. Check it out!!
Another Aside:
Handi-Fishing
http://i67.photobucket.com/albums/h313/tsurikichi/FROM1229/FROM0422/NwHndihalf.jpgTsurikichi©2007
Closing this Series
With this entry, I am suspending this series for the handicapped and or disabled angler. Hope this effort has helped get a few extra anglers out on the water! I will add installments as I gather further information myself or when readers send me info to share.
Yet Another Aside[/u]: Moo-moos
Mooooooo!
http://i67.photobucket.com/albums/h313/tsurikichi/FROM1229/FROM0422/NewBotTable.jpg
Santa Monica Bay Landing
http://i67.photobucket.com/albums/h313/tsurikichi/FROM1229/FROM0422/BoatLod0814.jpg
Moo-moo Load Averages
Guys are often asking me what days are lighter during the week. I’m in the process of making a chart to reference the weekly load % averages for our sportfishing landings’ ½-day (am/pm), ¾-day, and twilight boat runs. Charts will not have the name of the landing shown but simply indicate which of the 3 areas main geographical areas locally were chosen for the survey. (SMB/L.B.-S.P./South Coast)
I’ll first choose one landing from each area for the first 3 weeks then rotate the areas ….eventually having done all the landings. I figure this will be a good representation of the Summer season.
Close to Last Aside:
Defensive fishing for Barracuda?? Yep …. I don’t like being ambushed by a Barracuda and having my swimbait bitten off because I was targeting Bass with 8 or 12lb-test leaders. I keep one of my setups (first thing in the morning) specifically for Barracuda and will make a few tentative casts once the boat backs down on the anchor to make sure the coast is clear. I call my cuda killer setup …. Ol’ Faithful! Ol’ Faithful is my beat-up, clear w/red sparkle, 4� Blam matched to a red, long-shanked, 3/4oz leadhead (altered with top corner lopped off to about 5/8oz), rectangular split-ring, 5-foot 30lb-test Seaguar fluorocarbon leader and 50lb-test swivel.
Why 5 feet of leader? The &$%*# cuda keep chewing up the first 4~5 inches of leader next to the swimbait and must be cut out every-other fish or so!!
Of course, if we’re targeting cuda from the get-go or the skipper says there’s Barracuda in the water column, I’ll try to catch a couple to see if they are at any particular depth …. then try to get past them with another setup. Darn things!!
Last Aside:
Rainchecks on ½ and ¾-Day Moo-moosInfo mostly for the newer anglers. After seeing that 100 anglers were packed on a single run of a ½-day boat and a mere 30 fish caught, I wondered how many of the guys on the boat were thinking …….. I said thinking ‘Raincheck’. As the boat didn’t break down and anglers were able to fish ….. I see no-harm/no-foul ….. that’s NO Raincheck in the form of full-fare, ½-Off, $10 or even $5 discount on a next trip in my book. Thought this might be a good time to cover this for those new to the moo-moo scene.
As I fish 55~56 weeks a year, I encounter more than my share of fishing days on the moo-moos that are a wash catching-wise ……… if not for me …. for others. Myself ….. I DON’T normally expect … a rain-check or discount when this occurs. Yet, I have found that most of the moo-moos I ride on are what I consider more than generous with their rain-checks. They have NO duty to do so in many cases but mainly distribute them in the spirit of customer service.
The only times when a patron might expect (in my opinion …. as some skippers will disagree due to extenuating or compound circumstances) some form of rain-check or discount would include:
1) The boat has broken down and towed back to the dock!
2) A boat patron has experienced a medical emergency that requires the boat to return to port with little or no time spent fishing.
3) Live-bait becomes un-attainable (but was advertised as the key) or rolls-over on a trip that specifically requires ….. and it is critical to have(that flavor) live bait! Yes … a little harsh.
4) When the skipper goes way off the usual game (unannounced change after departure) on their own. (example: Boat supposed to do a local bass run and then the skipper goes prima donna and heads off paddy-hopping for glory!) This relates to last Sum ….er ….L.A. landings rather than down south.
5) Weather turns sour to a point (safety-wise not critical) where although some still want to fish ………… the skipper, crew, and some patrons want to throw in the towel.
Situations not warranting a rain-check, in my not-so-humble-opinion include singly or in combination: (I’ve heard the following voiced by disgruntled patrons ….. didn’t say anglers!)
1) Simply not catching fish.
2) Traveling relatively long (for the type of trip) distances to fish for the target species.
3) Crowding to a point where … although near or at the certified load limit .. 90, 95, 100 patrons .. not everyone can physically be at the rail, have enough space to safely stow their gear, or utilize the galley in a timely fashion. (only patrons themselves to blame)
4) Fishing in difficult and or uncomfortable from rough water or weather conditions.
5) Not getting bait that is normally provided.
6) Not having (what a patron thinks) enough deckhands or deckhands are fishing.
I’m sure that when it comes to giving out rainchecks on ‘leaners’ ….. you’re more likely to get one on a ¾ or full-day trip than a ½-day trip. The End
Charter Boats
Tradition
http://i67.photobucket.com/albums/h313/tsurikichi/FROM1229/FROM0422/0724Tradition.jpg
My good buddy Jimmy has been busy with lots of charters locally this week. Been hitting the Barracuda and Bass pretty good. Tuesday his 20 patrons got 80 Barracuda, 40 Bass, and a few Rockfish for a quick jaunt out and down the coast.
Today’s Ride
The SoCal
http://i67.photobucket.com/albums/h313/tsurikichi/FROM1229/FROM0422/0703socal.jpg
Stern Numbers
http://i67.photobucket.com/albums/h313/tsurikichi/FROM1229/FROM0422/sternSoCal2.jpg
Collin ...................... Deck- Stan ..................... Cook- Ed
http://i67.photobucket.com/albums/h313/tsurikichi/FROM1229/0319Collin.jpghttp://i67.photobucket.com/albums/h313/tsurikichi/FROM1229/FROM0422/0626stan.jpghttp://i67.photobucket.com/albums/h313/tsurikichi/FROM1229/0314edseated.jpg
]Great Day
Had a great day. Fished with a lot of regulars and or familiar faces. This is a trip that has broken the string of trips where I was lucky enough to experience limit fishing. That’s fishing. Give it a try next week.
JapanRon
Hi there guys,
Tuesday 08/14
Went on the ½-day PM trip out of Pierpoint Landing. Fished the Southern Cal. Collin was the skipper, with Stan on deck, and Ed in the galley. Fished our southern local waters i.e. ‘The Flats’ for Sand Bass and Barracuda. Had around 35 anglers on the boat but there was plenty of fishin’ room as the boat fishes 74.
Note: Countdown 1:Nothing fishing-related that I noticed this week.
Target Fish:Bass and Barracuda
Short Report-Tuesday 08/14
No published numbers from the landing so that’s my job. I got eyes. Our 35 anglers caught around 30 Calico, 50 Sand Bass, 1 very nice Sheephead, and 1 Hallibut! No Barracuda!!!! Grade of fish was nothing to brag about on either the Sandies or Calicos. 3~4-pounder Sandbass was tops.
Being the PM run, we did the usual pattern of most moo-moo at present and fished first ….. looking for Barracuda around the usual Bass haunts. Kind of a two-for-one deal. Finbait consisted of average pinhead Anchovies (1-1/2~2-inches), some Greenies and a few little larger chovies … that’s the usual fare of what has been available for the last three weeks.
It took just a little more than an hour for the first stop……… Being a PM trip and leaving the dock at about 12:30, we can expect to be fishing, assuming we have enough or the right kind of bait for the trip, in 30~45 minutes. If we’re heading up the line to Palo Verde or down to the ‘Flats’ we can expect the trip to take from 1 to 1-1/2 hours or …….. an extreme of 2 hours …. with prevailing water conditions and going down to the further end.
(Please widen your view to fit monitor if word-wrap looks off)
08/14Jackpot
Last Call …………………...The Winner!
http://i67.photobucket.com/albums/h313/tsurikichi/FROM1229/FROM0422/0814weighoff.jpghttp://i67.photobucket.com/albums/h313/tsurikichi/FROM1229/FROM0422/0814winner.jpg
Jimmy Again
Way to go on catching the jackpot fish! A nice Sand Bass, caught by a Southern Cal regular Jimmy, was the winner today. The near 5-lb fish was caught on …. Yech ! … pinhead anchovies on a 1/2oz sliding egg sinker rigged Texas style. This dude can fish!
Long Report
Headin’ Out
http://i67.photobucket.com/albums/h313/tsurikichi/FROM1229/FROM0422/0814fishpier.jpg
The Days Fishing
Out and Back …………………………………………†¦â€¦â€¦.........Currents!
http://i67.photobucket.com/albums/h313/tsurikichi/FROM1229/FROM0422/0814FMapj.jpghttp://i67.photobucket.com/albums/h313/tsurikichi/FROM1229/FROM0422/0814curr.jpg
Grazing in the Pasture
Moo-moo This Trip ................. PBers This Trip
One Moo ............................................ Nice Rig!!
http://i67.photobucket.com/albums/h313/tsurikichi/FROM1229/FROM0422/0814moo1.jpghttp://i67.photobucket.com/albums/h313/tsurikichi/FROM1229/FROM0422/0814pb1.jpg
Round-Up
2 Rounds
First Round
http://i67.photobucket.com/albums/h313/tsurikichi/FROM1229/FROM0422/0814widsflats.jpg
Round 1 Today our first stop was around the Stacks where most did the ol’ dropper-loop deal with a few others of us throwing iron or plastic. Anchovies used mostly for the ‘loop’ rigs weighted with a 4oz torpedo sinkers. Nobody live-lined as there were no dines or chovies big enough to do the job. Interesting … just realized the difference one has to make between live-lining and fly-lining. (This will be in a future aside)
Moved 2 or 3 times during the first round looking for both cuda but more a good bass bite. Caught mostly Sandies. To tell the truth, catching was tough. First round ended around 3:30.
Second Round
http://i67.photobucket.com/albums/h313/tsurikichi/FROM1229/FROM0422/0814widflats.jpg
Round 2 Everybody pretty much fished like they did in the 1st round. Basically we did better on the keepers in the last round than the first. Had more action too … in the second round while the wide-open fishing never developed. Fished both the soft-bottom and structure at less than 100 feet depth. Second round ended around 5:30 when we pulled the hook.I caught all my fish on the plastic as described in the Plastic section.
Conditions: Warm and sunny with a slight breeze! Water visibility was around 10 feet. Air temp stayed in the 70º~75º range during the afternoon. Haven’t even needed a jacket when heading back home. Please check out the graphics for additional weather and water conditions.
Gallery
Fish & Anglers
Anglers Hali ……....Good Fish ……………..Sandy …………......Buddies!
http://i67.photobucket.com/albums/h313/tsurikichi/FROM1229/FROM0422/0814halibut.jpghttp://i67.photobucket.com/albums/h313/tsurikichi/FROM1229/FROM0422/0814kid.jpghttp://i67.photobucket.com/albums/h313/tsurikichi/FROM1229/FROM0422/0814buddbass.jpghttp://i67.photobucket.com/albums/h313/tsurikichi/FROM1229/FROM0422/0814buddsfish.jpg
Good Fish …………….......Halibut ……………………Nice Fish!
http://i67.photobucket.com/albums/h313/tsurikichi/FROM1229/FROM0422/0814dadkid.jpghttp://i67.photobucket.com/albums/h313/tsurikichi/FROM1229/FROM0422/0814shphali.jpghttp://i67.photobucket.com/albums/h313/tsurikichi/FROM1229/FROM0422/0814nicebass.jpg
Other
My Neighbors!!!
http://i67.photobucket.com/albums/h313/tsurikichi/FROM1229/FROM0422/0814rentrods.jpg
Let Them Know
The photos above are just a sample of the fish and things of interest, at least to me, on this trip. Note: If you see a friend in the pictures, let them know they can copy the photo off the report. Directions: Click the right button with the ‘cursor’ on the picture, then click on ‘save picture as’, next choose where they wish to copy the picture, and lastly click ‘save’. Later, they can edit and print the picture at their leisure with a simple photo-editing program that comes with Microsoft Windows.
Tweeking Plastics #40
Color Tweek
This is a really dumb one but I finally got one of my creations to consistently work. Brown large-scale swimbait tinted a light green! Although plastics are getting better about not bleeding ….. there are still some models of and or manufacturers whos colors that bleed. Period!! I don’t want to hear denials in any form or fashion!! It’s either the specific plastic bleeds a color (sometimes only a specific color) or it will suck up a color from another plastic making contact OR both. Not complaining …. I can live with it!
Making lemonade from lemons, I decided to turn the tables and intentionally alter the original color of a softbait. Although an old idea, I got my inspiration from a manufacturer that had their product at the Fred Hall show a couple of years back. They sold a kit that included both the swimbaits and a set of magic-markers that would allow you to design our own color schemes and patterns.
There are so many variables that really all I can say on methodology is to do a trial and error on putting two baits together, in the way you want the color to be altered for a couple of days to see if the tinting occurs. Oh ya … one other thing …. if the tinting occurs ….. It’s permanent … don’t expect the color to ever completely wash out!! Weird!!
Another interesting thing you can do is use your ink jet printer and print a pattern. Some swimbaits will pick up the color and pattern if you lay them on the printout. I discovered this when I left a swimbait on a newspaper page and two lines of print was transferred to the swimbait!
Have fun with this!!
Plastics
My Fishys
Best!
http://i67.photobucket.com/albums/h313/tsurikichi/FROM1229/FROM0422/0814mynicefish.jpg
Usual Suspects!
http://i67.photobucket.com/albums/h313/tsurikichi/FROM1229/FROM0422/0711barriplas.jpghttp://i67.photobucket.com/albums/h313/tsurikichi/FROM1229/FROM0422/07172brown.jpg
Plastics Only Fishin’
Sand Bass & Calicos
Early Afternoon - My first efforts to see if there were any bite-off artists in the neighborhood, had me chunking my trusty red leadhead/red Blams but happily no takers! With no gar biting (saw a few that didn’t seem too aggressive), I threw the kitchen sink for the Sand Bass with little success. Throwing non-scented, no-strip-bait plastics is setting the bar pretty high but I took my lumps ok. Happy to say I didn’t get skunked. For colors, I pretty much stuck with the brown … as in brown-bait, color combination, larger, BH (Big Hammer) and FT (Fish Trap) plastics. Fished 8lb-test Seaguar fluorocarbon. Lots of light-biters and or dinks.
Late Afternoon - Preferring to fish Calicos anyways …. with the wind, swell and wave conditions …….. and Stan’s constant chumming (Stan is one guy you can depend upon taking care of business in my experience), I figured I had a decent shot at picking up some fish higher up and further out from the boat fly-lining a swimbait on a 1/4oz leadhead. Figured I’d done better if I had used a spinning rod to throw the lighter stuff further. My casting ability with a level-wind bait caster with a 3/16 leadhead and 2-inch swimbait combo on 15lb-test line ain’t that great! Lots of dinks sucking on swimbait tails!!
Tuesday Out There
Lunar……………………………………… ...........Wind Direction and Speed!
http://i67.photobucket.com/albums/h313/tsurikichi/FROM1229/FROM0422/0814Moon.jpghttp://i67.photobucket.com/albums/h313/tsurikichi/FROM1229/FROM0422/0814Windj.jpg
Tides …………………………………………†¦â€¦â€¦â€¦â€¦â€¦â€¦â€¦.............. Water Temps!
http://i67.photobucket.com/albums/h313/tsurikichi/FROM1229/FROM0422/0814Tidereal.jpghttp://i67.photobucket.com/albums/h313/tsurikichi/FROM1229/FROM0422/0814WatMapj.jpg
UV Alert!
http://i67.photobucket.com/albums/h313/tsurikichi/FROM1229/FROM0422/0814PNGUVj.jpg
Tuesday’s Conditions
Fishing Grounds: Had little boat traffic today but all in all water and weather were pretty much what was expected for an afternoon run!!
Wild Creatures: Saw a few Sealions. A few Cormorants, Pelicans, Terns, and Seagulls were around sporadically …. especially when it was time to clean fish.
Asides
Aside:
DFG Topics
http://i67.photobucket.com/albums/h313/tsurikichi/FROM1229/FROM0422/DFGTophalf.jpgTsurikichi©2007
California Finfish and Shellfish Identification Book
Along with your fishing passport … another publication is available …. the California Finfish and Shellfish Identification Book and has over 150 full-color illustrations of Finfish and Shellfish that inhabit California waters. Find more information on this great little book at http://www.fishingpassport.org. Check it out!!
Another Aside:
Handi-Fishing
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Closing this Series
With this entry, I am suspending this series for the handicapped and or disabled angler. Hope this effort has helped get a few extra anglers out on the water! I will add installments as I gather further information myself or when readers send me info to share.
Yet Another Aside[/u]: Moo-moos
Mooooooo!
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Santa Monica Bay Landing
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Moo-moo Load Averages
Guys are often asking me what days are lighter during the week. I’m in the process of making a chart to reference the weekly load % averages for our sportfishing landings’ ½-day (am/pm), ¾-day, and twilight boat runs. Charts will not have the name of the landing shown but simply indicate which of the 3 areas main geographical areas locally were chosen for the survey. (SMB/L.B.-S.P./South Coast)
I’ll first choose one landing from each area for the first 3 weeks then rotate the areas ….eventually having done all the landings. I figure this will be a good representation of the Summer season.
Close to Last Aside:
Defensive fishing for Barracuda?? Yep …. I don’t like being ambushed by a Barracuda and having my swimbait bitten off because I was targeting Bass with 8 or 12lb-test leaders. I keep one of my setups (first thing in the morning) specifically for Barracuda and will make a few tentative casts once the boat backs down on the anchor to make sure the coast is clear. I call my cuda killer setup …. Ol’ Faithful! Ol’ Faithful is my beat-up, clear w/red sparkle, 4� Blam matched to a red, long-shanked, 3/4oz leadhead (altered with top corner lopped off to about 5/8oz), rectangular split-ring, 5-foot 30lb-test Seaguar fluorocarbon leader and 50lb-test swivel.
Why 5 feet of leader? The &$%*# cuda keep chewing up the first 4~5 inches of leader next to the swimbait and must be cut out every-other fish or so!!
Of course, if we’re targeting cuda from the get-go or the skipper says there’s Barracuda in the water column, I’ll try to catch a couple to see if they are at any particular depth …. then try to get past them with another setup. Darn things!!
Last Aside:
Rainchecks on ½ and ¾-Day Moo-moosInfo mostly for the newer anglers. After seeing that 100 anglers were packed on a single run of a ½-day boat and a mere 30 fish caught, I wondered how many of the guys on the boat were thinking …….. I said thinking ‘Raincheck’. As the boat didn’t break down and anglers were able to fish ….. I see no-harm/no-foul ….. that’s NO Raincheck in the form of full-fare, ½-Off, $10 or even $5 discount on a next trip in my book. Thought this might be a good time to cover this for those new to the moo-moo scene.
As I fish 55~56 weeks a year, I encounter more than my share of fishing days on the moo-moos that are a wash catching-wise ……… if not for me …. for others. Myself ….. I DON’T normally expect … a rain-check or discount when this occurs. Yet, I have found that most of the moo-moos I ride on are what I consider more than generous with their rain-checks. They have NO duty to do so in many cases but mainly distribute them in the spirit of customer service.
The only times when a patron might expect (in my opinion …. as some skippers will disagree due to extenuating or compound circumstances) some form of rain-check or discount would include:
1) The boat has broken down and towed back to the dock!
2) A boat patron has experienced a medical emergency that requires the boat to return to port with little or no time spent fishing.
3) Live-bait becomes un-attainable (but was advertised as the key) or rolls-over on a trip that specifically requires ….. and it is critical to have(that flavor) live bait! Yes … a little harsh.
4) When the skipper goes way off the usual game (unannounced change after departure) on their own. (example: Boat supposed to do a local bass run and then the skipper goes prima donna and heads off paddy-hopping for glory!) This relates to last Sum ….er ….L.A. landings rather than down south.
5) Weather turns sour to a point (safety-wise not critical) where although some still want to fish ………… the skipper, crew, and some patrons want to throw in the towel.
Situations not warranting a rain-check, in my not-so-humble-opinion include singly or in combination: (I’ve heard the following voiced by disgruntled patrons ….. didn’t say anglers!)
1) Simply not catching fish.
2) Traveling relatively long (for the type of trip) distances to fish for the target species.
3) Crowding to a point where … although near or at the certified load limit .. 90, 95, 100 patrons .. not everyone can physically be at the rail, have enough space to safely stow their gear, or utilize the galley in a timely fashion. (only patrons themselves to blame)
4) Fishing in difficult and or uncomfortable from rough water or weather conditions.
5) Not getting bait that is normally provided.
6) Not having (what a patron thinks) enough deckhands or deckhands are fishing.
I’m sure that when it comes to giving out rainchecks on ‘leaners’ ….. you’re more likely to get one on a ¾ or full-day trip than a ½-day trip. The End
Charter Boats
Tradition
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My good buddy Jimmy has been busy with lots of charters locally this week. Been hitting the Barracuda and Bass pretty good. Tuesday his 20 patrons got 80 Barracuda, 40 Bass, and a few Rockfish for a quick jaunt out and down the coast.
Today’s Ride
The SoCal
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Stern Numbers
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Collin ...................... Deck- Stan ..................... Cook- Ed
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]Great Day
Had a great day. Fished with a lot of regulars and or familiar faces. This is a trip that has broken the string of trips where I was lucky enough to experience limit fishing. That’s fishing. Give it a try next week.
JapanRon