Tunaslam
01-31-2013, 09:56 PM
I went fishing Thursday 01-31-12, with Bill Fisher, on his 18’ Trophy, “Toad Hall”. I spent Wednesday evening at Bill’s place south of Rosarito, and we awoke at 5:45 am and were quickly off to Las Salinas where Bill slips his boat. We arrived in Las Salinas, at 6:30am, and exited the harbor into fairly calm seas, with some small swells.
I twisted Bill’s arm, although not too much, to run the 20 miles south to San Miguel Reef for the possible target of finding Yellowtail on the chew. That possibility sparked his interest. We arrived inside the Northern end of Todos Santos Island at 7:45am. There were large schools of Porpoise in all directions, which all seemed to draw diving birds, making things a bit difficult to sort out a school of Yellowtail.
We chased the birds around for about an hour and finally stopped on some meter marks close to the bottom on a sandy bottom. Captain Louie of Its 4 Reels was also in the area and I remembered what he said about the futility of chasing the fast moving bird schools and simply setting up on some marks and throwing out the iron. So this was our first opportunity to set up on some meter marks, as other than the Porpoise there did not seem to be any bait in the area?
Sure enough a couple of minutes later I was slammed on my Dolphin colored CP105, about 5-7 cranks off the bottom in about 130 feet. I fought the fish for several minutes and the feel of the heavy shakes on line were of an obvious Yellowtail pumping its powerful tail. Then the line goes slack, darn unbuttoned. Dropped back down and was again almost instantly hammered on a fast crank of the reel, a Trinidad 30 filled with 40 pound test line. The fish acted squirrely, and didn’t take much line, a much smaller fish. Bill was ready with the gaff as soon as I hollered deep color. Bill sticks it and we are on the board, about a ten pound Yellowtail.
The meter is devoid of life and we are about to continue to search for more marks when Bill says just one more cast. I’ll be darn if he doesn’t get hammered a few feet off the bottom. Bill has a huge bend in the rod and the fish is taking some serious drag. Bill was using a Mackerel colored Mega Bait. I drop back down and also get slammed a couple of cranks off the bottom. We have a double going! My fish is much larger than the last one or even the first one that unbuttoned. I get my Yellowtail to color first and I sink the gaff just behind the head. Bill hollers he’s ready and I stick Bills right in the throat. High fives all around. Both Yellowtail are well over 20 pounds, most likely 25+?
Bill with his large Yellowtail:
http://i1091.photobucket.com/albums/i394/tunaslam/Bill-Las%20Salinas-11-14-12/100_2411680x510_zps40053688.jpg
http://i1091.photobucket.com/albums/i394/tunaslam/Bill-Las%20Salinas-11-14-12/100_2410510x680_zpsfa31241e.jpg
My big Yellowtail:
http://i1091.photobucket.com/albums/i394/tunaslam/Bill-Las%20Salinas-11-14-12/100_2417680x510_zpsa5b5405b.jpg
http://i1091.photobucket.com/albums/i394/tunaslam/Bill-Las%20Salinas-11-14-12/100_2416680x510_zpse5d0c584.jpg
Love the big Tails sticking out of the bait tank:
http://i1091.photobucket.com/albums/i394/tunaslam/Bill-Las%20Salinas-11-14-12/100_2414680x510_zpsf62f56f0.jpg
About 15 minutes goes by and once again we believe it is time to move on. Just one more cast says Bill and I’ll be darn if he doesn’t get bit again. I quickly drop down and also get slammed, another double. Bill brings his fish to color quickly, as it is about a 12 pound Yellowtail. He then gaffs his own Tail, so much fun? Meanwhile my fish has taken out about 75 yards of my Spectra backing and is far from being subdued. Five minutes later the Yellowtail is at deep color, and was not interested in getting any closer to the boat. I gained some line and down he went. The death circle began and I slowly worked the fish to the surface. The big Yellowtail was about to dive again when Bill reached out and stuck him in the belly. Oh well better to get him before he shakes the lure out of his mouth, which is exactly what it did when it hit the deck.
My third Yellowtail:
http://i1091.photobucket.com/albums/i394/tunaslam/Bill-Las%20Salinas-11-14-12/100_2413680x510_zps960b888b.jpg
http://i1091.photobucket.com/albums/i394/tunaslam/Bill-Las%20Salinas-11-14-12/100_2412680x510_zpsb3e30081.jpg
The bait tank getting full:
http://i1091.photobucket.com/albums/i394/tunaslam/Bill-Las%20Salinas-11-14-12/100_2418680x510_zps1c347b78.jpg
I got one more bite on the iron, however, after several pumps and a decent run, the fish unbuttoned. Bill tried the old one more cast routine after about 15 minutes of no action. No luck this time. Looked around for a while, birds were still diving on porpoise, but nothing else. No more marks either. Louie came close by and we ran over and thanked him for providing the dope on the Winter Yellowtail bite and the technique for catching them. He and his three guests had put two Tails on their boat so far.
It was 10:35 am and no bites for nearly an hour. We could see the winds building off in the distance, and it looked like a wise move to head north before they reached us. Ten minutes later it was capping everywhere. The one foot wind chop quickly turned to three, then four with some deep troughs of five and six feet. As most everyone that have left Ensenada to head north to San Diego can verify, that uphill run can get darn right nasty and today it was especially so. We both got soaked as the spray continuously came over the bow and the windshield. It was a long two hour drive back to the harbor in Las Salinas.
We cleaned the fish at the dock; given the harbor entrance was way too rough to drift in. Bill was about to drop the carcasses back outside, when the security folks stopped by and asked if they could take them with them. Considering there is lots of meat on the heads, bellies and collars. Good for them and it saved us a trip out.
The day’s catch:
http://i1091.photobucket.com/albums/i394/tunaslam/Bill-Las%20Salinas-11-14-12/100_2421680x510_zps97eb2c53.jpg
Bill had a scale that only went to 20 lbs. We placed the smallest of the three bigger Tails on the scales and it bottomed out easily. So all three Tails were over 20 pounds.
I relaxed and took a short nap before heading off on my long drive home to Diamond Bar. Otay Mesa was said to be a about a 10 minute wait at the border. It took me 20 minutes to cross and I pulled into my driveway at 7:25 pm, quite tired from the 3.5 hour long trip home and a feel good sore from today’s battle.
Bill, you are so very fishy, fine job again! Can’t wait until our next adventure!
Hook up!
Cory
I twisted Bill’s arm, although not too much, to run the 20 miles south to San Miguel Reef for the possible target of finding Yellowtail on the chew. That possibility sparked his interest. We arrived inside the Northern end of Todos Santos Island at 7:45am. There were large schools of Porpoise in all directions, which all seemed to draw diving birds, making things a bit difficult to sort out a school of Yellowtail.
We chased the birds around for about an hour and finally stopped on some meter marks close to the bottom on a sandy bottom. Captain Louie of Its 4 Reels was also in the area and I remembered what he said about the futility of chasing the fast moving bird schools and simply setting up on some marks and throwing out the iron. So this was our first opportunity to set up on some meter marks, as other than the Porpoise there did not seem to be any bait in the area?
Sure enough a couple of minutes later I was slammed on my Dolphin colored CP105, about 5-7 cranks off the bottom in about 130 feet. I fought the fish for several minutes and the feel of the heavy shakes on line were of an obvious Yellowtail pumping its powerful tail. Then the line goes slack, darn unbuttoned. Dropped back down and was again almost instantly hammered on a fast crank of the reel, a Trinidad 30 filled with 40 pound test line. The fish acted squirrely, and didn’t take much line, a much smaller fish. Bill was ready with the gaff as soon as I hollered deep color. Bill sticks it and we are on the board, about a ten pound Yellowtail.
The meter is devoid of life and we are about to continue to search for more marks when Bill says just one more cast. I’ll be darn if he doesn’t get hammered a few feet off the bottom. Bill has a huge bend in the rod and the fish is taking some serious drag. Bill was using a Mackerel colored Mega Bait. I drop back down and also get slammed a couple of cranks off the bottom. We have a double going! My fish is much larger than the last one or even the first one that unbuttoned. I get my Yellowtail to color first and I sink the gaff just behind the head. Bill hollers he’s ready and I stick Bills right in the throat. High fives all around. Both Yellowtail are well over 20 pounds, most likely 25+?
Bill with his large Yellowtail:
http://i1091.photobucket.com/albums/i394/tunaslam/Bill-Las%20Salinas-11-14-12/100_2411680x510_zps40053688.jpg
http://i1091.photobucket.com/albums/i394/tunaslam/Bill-Las%20Salinas-11-14-12/100_2410510x680_zpsfa31241e.jpg
My big Yellowtail:
http://i1091.photobucket.com/albums/i394/tunaslam/Bill-Las%20Salinas-11-14-12/100_2417680x510_zpsa5b5405b.jpg
http://i1091.photobucket.com/albums/i394/tunaslam/Bill-Las%20Salinas-11-14-12/100_2416680x510_zpse5d0c584.jpg
Love the big Tails sticking out of the bait tank:
http://i1091.photobucket.com/albums/i394/tunaslam/Bill-Las%20Salinas-11-14-12/100_2414680x510_zpsf62f56f0.jpg
About 15 minutes goes by and once again we believe it is time to move on. Just one more cast says Bill and I’ll be darn if he doesn’t get bit again. I quickly drop down and also get slammed, another double. Bill brings his fish to color quickly, as it is about a 12 pound Yellowtail. He then gaffs his own Tail, so much fun? Meanwhile my fish has taken out about 75 yards of my Spectra backing and is far from being subdued. Five minutes later the Yellowtail is at deep color, and was not interested in getting any closer to the boat. I gained some line and down he went. The death circle began and I slowly worked the fish to the surface. The big Yellowtail was about to dive again when Bill reached out and stuck him in the belly. Oh well better to get him before he shakes the lure out of his mouth, which is exactly what it did when it hit the deck.
My third Yellowtail:
http://i1091.photobucket.com/albums/i394/tunaslam/Bill-Las%20Salinas-11-14-12/100_2413680x510_zps960b888b.jpg
http://i1091.photobucket.com/albums/i394/tunaslam/Bill-Las%20Salinas-11-14-12/100_2412680x510_zpsb3e30081.jpg
The bait tank getting full:
http://i1091.photobucket.com/albums/i394/tunaslam/Bill-Las%20Salinas-11-14-12/100_2418680x510_zps1c347b78.jpg
I got one more bite on the iron, however, after several pumps and a decent run, the fish unbuttoned. Bill tried the old one more cast routine after about 15 minutes of no action. No luck this time. Looked around for a while, birds were still diving on porpoise, but nothing else. No more marks either. Louie came close by and we ran over and thanked him for providing the dope on the Winter Yellowtail bite and the technique for catching them. He and his three guests had put two Tails on their boat so far.
It was 10:35 am and no bites for nearly an hour. We could see the winds building off in the distance, and it looked like a wise move to head north before they reached us. Ten minutes later it was capping everywhere. The one foot wind chop quickly turned to three, then four with some deep troughs of five and six feet. As most everyone that have left Ensenada to head north to San Diego can verify, that uphill run can get darn right nasty and today it was especially so. We both got soaked as the spray continuously came over the bow and the windshield. It was a long two hour drive back to the harbor in Las Salinas.
We cleaned the fish at the dock; given the harbor entrance was way too rough to drift in. Bill was about to drop the carcasses back outside, when the security folks stopped by and asked if they could take them with them. Considering there is lots of meat on the heads, bellies and collars. Good for them and it saved us a trip out.
The day’s catch:
http://i1091.photobucket.com/albums/i394/tunaslam/Bill-Las%20Salinas-11-14-12/100_2421680x510_zps97eb2c53.jpg
Bill had a scale that only went to 20 lbs. We placed the smallest of the three bigger Tails on the scales and it bottomed out easily. So all three Tails were over 20 pounds.
I relaxed and took a short nap before heading off on my long drive home to Diamond Bar. Otay Mesa was said to be a about a 10 minute wait at the border. It took me 20 minutes to cross and I pulled into my driveway at 7:25 pm, quite tired from the 3.5 hour long trip home and a feel good sore from today’s battle.
Bill, you are so very fishy, fine job again! Can’t wait until our next adventure!
Hook up!
Cory