Jackpot Jimmy
12-31-2012, 09:03 PM
As December began, I asked my friend “Salty” Joe Sarmiento to keep me in the loop if he was planning any overnight trips up north on the Pacific Islander, the boat that the SoCal Salty crew has been riding for over a year. A giveaway trip opened up for Saturday night the 29th, so Joe, our friend LeRoy, and I made our reservations quickly for that trip and waited as patiently as we could as the trip approached. The weather forecast was not looking too favorable, but we still planned to give it a go.
http://imageshack.us/a/img694/9387/pi121230.jpg
The three of us got to the landing early enough to be second in line and shoot the breeze for a couple hours till we boarded the boat. Around a quarter to ten o’clock, all 26 of us gluttons for punishment gathered at the back of the boat for a safety speech and game plan from Capt. Steve Virtue. He said that it would be bumpy in the crossing during the night, and that some wind was forecasted for the next day. But we would get as far west as we could. The standard recommendation was the double dropper loop with two shrimp flies or circle hooks, but I was sure to also rig up some jigs. And with that, we were on our way, and I hit the bunk.
We arrived at the fishing grounds at 5:30 just as galley chef extraordinaire Amie Currie got breakfast going. I put my burrito order in just as Steve came on the P.A. and said we could drop our lines and that we were in 90 feet of water. Joe was still asleep, but LeRoy and I headed out to the rail. While LeRoy started with a double dropper loop, I started out with a six-ounce diamond jig. LeRoy was quick to catch the first fish of the day – a nice johnny bass. I bounced my jig until I felt something heavy – it wasn’t the bottom – no, this fish was alive! It ended up being the first ling of the day. Cool, nice way to get on the board!
http://imageshack.us/a/img12/466/jimmylingcod.jpg
Photo by Joe Sarmiento of SoCalSalty
After the sun came up, Steve made a move out to a little deeper water. Some nice reds started coming up toward the stern. I stubbornly, as always, continued to fish the jig for nothing but a few smaller gophers and chucks. It was painfully obvious that the cod just weren’t too eager to jump the jig, so I switched to bait on my double dropper loop. I immediately found some bigger fish – a nice female sheephead about four pounds, and a couple nicer chucks. Meanwhile, Joe gave the jig a go but also found that it wasn’t working. He went back to bait on the stern and tied into a big goat – a nice male about 12-1/2 pounds or so. He had been trying to catch a nice big black and pink sheephead all year and he even brought shrimp on this trip, but he ended up catching the big goat on squid. Go figure. Nice one Joe!
http://imageshack.us/a/img818/1111/saltysheephead.jpg
Photo by Joe Sarmiento of SoCalSalty
Meanwhile, back at the bow, LeRoy tied into something BIG that was pouring line off his reel. He couldn’t stop it and it busted off soon after. I was thinking a big soupfin or something. But then 30 seconds later, a guy is fighting a big fish that has come up to the bow. Again, I’m thinking soupfin. I look down and I can’t believe what I’m seeing – it’s a BIG HOMEGUARD YELLOWTAIL – but in December? I’ve read in books about commercial guys seeing them out in deep water in the winter months, but I’ve never seen one caught this time of year in person. But it was true, and deck boss Bryan Duncan quickly gaffed the fish and lifted it aboard.
Capt. Steve lends a hand to this really lucky angler with a 30# homeguard yellowtail.
http://imageshack.us/a/img839/3744/img0072cuv.jpg
Photo by Amie Currie
After the excitement of that big yellow, we continued to drift around in the area. The bow was getting a little crowded, so I decided to go back to the stern. Usually I avoid fishing back there as there can be more tangles, but I relented when I remembered I had a 24 ounce sinker in my tackle box. The big reds and chucks were being pulled up consistently near the back, and soon I tied into my own. In addition to some decent 2-3 pound chucks, I caught a five pound red, a nearly six pound chucklehead, and another nice goat. Joe was back on the stern and was pulling up nice red after nice red, and had a sizeable bag by mid-morning. LeRoy also had a decent bag of reds and other rockfish along with two lings. By noon everyone had worked hard in the wind and swell, but we finally had our rockfish limits. Steve then elected to make a run toward the eastern part of the island to try for some more lings.
Bryan holds up my Big Chucklehead
http://imageshack.us/a/img546/7995/jimmychucklehead.jpg
Photo by Joe Sarmiento of SoCalSalty
Some pictures on the move…all courtesy of Amie Currie.
http://imageshack.us/a/img338/950/img0069o.jpg
http://imageshack.us/a/img547/1232/img0070wc.jpg
http://imageshack.us/a/img15/5681/img0071qp.jpg
By this point, I had my one ling, Joe had one ling, and LeRoy managed to get his lingcod limit. Steve drifted over some rockpiles and the lings gave an immediate response…too bad most of them were short. But LeRoy had the hot stick and managed to catch three more lings, along with a kicker five pound cabezon! I caught one ling that might have been legal in five minutes, but since he was that close, he got a pass. I did manage to catch a nice four to five pound whitefish, which was my “Poor Man’s Yellowtail” for the day! Joe and I tried hard to catch another legal ling, but it just wasn’t in the cards. Lucky for us, LeRoy culled a couple of his keepers to us, so all three of us went home with lingcod limits. Thanks LeRoy!
My Ling, Whitefish, and Two Goats
http://imageshack.us/a/img40/559/img0059eu.jpg
Five Pound Red and Nice Whitefish
http://imageshack.us/a/img37/3710/img0066ba.jpg
LeRoy with a Nice Ling and Cabezon
http://imageshack.us/a/img221/1820/img0060r.jpg
Close-up on LeRoy’s Cabbie
http://imageshack.us/a/img688/373/img0068ta.jpg
Photo by Amie Currie
Salty Crew with LeRoy’s Nice Row of Lings
http://imageshack.us/a/img9/2581/img0067ccu.jpg
Photo by Amie Currie
This trip sure sent 2012 out with a bang. It was another awesome trip on the PI – quality limits all around. Big thanks to the great crew on the PI and the Salty crew for making this trip a blast. Can’t wait to see the fishing 2013 will hold!
http://imageshack.us/a/img694/9387/pi121230.jpg
The three of us got to the landing early enough to be second in line and shoot the breeze for a couple hours till we boarded the boat. Around a quarter to ten o’clock, all 26 of us gluttons for punishment gathered at the back of the boat for a safety speech and game plan from Capt. Steve Virtue. He said that it would be bumpy in the crossing during the night, and that some wind was forecasted for the next day. But we would get as far west as we could. The standard recommendation was the double dropper loop with two shrimp flies or circle hooks, but I was sure to also rig up some jigs. And with that, we were on our way, and I hit the bunk.
We arrived at the fishing grounds at 5:30 just as galley chef extraordinaire Amie Currie got breakfast going. I put my burrito order in just as Steve came on the P.A. and said we could drop our lines and that we were in 90 feet of water. Joe was still asleep, but LeRoy and I headed out to the rail. While LeRoy started with a double dropper loop, I started out with a six-ounce diamond jig. LeRoy was quick to catch the first fish of the day – a nice johnny bass. I bounced my jig until I felt something heavy – it wasn’t the bottom – no, this fish was alive! It ended up being the first ling of the day. Cool, nice way to get on the board!
http://imageshack.us/a/img12/466/jimmylingcod.jpg
Photo by Joe Sarmiento of SoCalSalty
After the sun came up, Steve made a move out to a little deeper water. Some nice reds started coming up toward the stern. I stubbornly, as always, continued to fish the jig for nothing but a few smaller gophers and chucks. It was painfully obvious that the cod just weren’t too eager to jump the jig, so I switched to bait on my double dropper loop. I immediately found some bigger fish – a nice female sheephead about four pounds, and a couple nicer chucks. Meanwhile, Joe gave the jig a go but also found that it wasn’t working. He went back to bait on the stern and tied into a big goat – a nice male about 12-1/2 pounds or so. He had been trying to catch a nice big black and pink sheephead all year and he even brought shrimp on this trip, but he ended up catching the big goat on squid. Go figure. Nice one Joe!
http://imageshack.us/a/img818/1111/saltysheephead.jpg
Photo by Joe Sarmiento of SoCalSalty
Meanwhile, back at the bow, LeRoy tied into something BIG that was pouring line off his reel. He couldn’t stop it and it busted off soon after. I was thinking a big soupfin or something. But then 30 seconds later, a guy is fighting a big fish that has come up to the bow. Again, I’m thinking soupfin. I look down and I can’t believe what I’m seeing – it’s a BIG HOMEGUARD YELLOWTAIL – but in December? I’ve read in books about commercial guys seeing them out in deep water in the winter months, but I’ve never seen one caught this time of year in person. But it was true, and deck boss Bryan Duncan quickly gaffed the fish and lifted it aboard.
Capt. Steve lends a hand to this really lucky angler with a 30# homeguard yellowtail.
http://imageshack.us/a/img839/3744/img0072cuv.jpg
Photo by Amie Currie
After the excitement of that big yellow, we continued to drift around in the area. The bow was getting a little crowded, so I decided to go back to the stern. Usually I avoid fishing back there as there can be more tangles, but I relented when I remembered I had a 24 ounce sinker in my tackle box. The big reds and chucks were being pulled up consistently near the back, and soon I tied into my own. In addition to some decent 2-3 pound chucks, I caught a five pound red, a nearly six pound chucklehead, and another nice goat. Joe was back on the stern and was pulling up nice red after nice red, and had a sizeable bag by mid-morning. LeRoy also had a decent bag of reds and other rockfish along with two lings. By noon everyone had worked hard in the wind and swell, but we finally had our rockfish limits. Steve then elected to make a run toward the eastern part of the island to try for some more lings.
Bryan holds up my Big Chucklehead
http://imageshack.us/a/img546/7995/jimmychucklehead.jpg
Photo by Joe Sarmiento of SoCalSalty
Some pictures on the move…all courtesy of Amie Currie.
http://imageshack.us/a/img338/950/img0069o.jpg
http://imageshack.us/a/img547/1232/img0070wc.jpg
http://imageshack.us/a/img15/5681/img0071qp.jpg
By this point, I had my one ling, Joe had one ling, and LeRoy managed to get his lingcod limit. Steve drifted over some rockpiles and the lings gave an immediate response…too bad most of them were short. But LeRoy had the hot stick and managed to catch three more lings, along with a kicker five pound cabezon! I caught one ling that might have been legal in five minutes, but since he was that close, he got a pass. I did manage to catch a nice four to five pound whitefish, which was my “Poor Man’s Yellowtail” for the day! Joe and I tried hard to catch another legal ling, but it just wasn’t in the cards. Lucky for us, LeRoy culled a couple of his keepers to us, so all three of us went home with lingcod limits. Thanks LeRoy!
My Ling, Whitefish, and Two Goats
http://imageshack.us/a/img40/559/img0059eu.jpg
Five Pound Red and Nice Whitefish
http://imageshack.us/a/img37/3710/img0066ba.jpg
LeRoy with a Nice Ling and Cabezon
http://imageshack.us/a/img221/1820/img0060r.jpg
Close-up on LeRoy’s Cabbie
http://imageshack.us/a/img688/373/img0068ta.jpg
Photo by Amie Currie
Salty Crew with LeRoy’s Nice Row of Lings
http://imageshack.us/a/img9/2581/img0067ccu.jpg
Photo by Amie Currie
This trip sure sent 2012 out with a bang. It was another awesome trip on the PI – quality limits all around. Big thanks to the great crew on the PI and the Salty crew for making this trip a blast. Can’t wait to see the fishing 2013 will hold!