JapanRon
09-28-2007, 01:50 PM
Yea …. For the Reds, Whitefish, and Blue or was it Brown Rockfish!
Hi there guys,
Wednesday 09/26
Went on a 3/4-day moo-moo out of Pierpoint Landing. Fished the Victory. Mike was the skipper, George (deckhand) was on deck and Ron ran the galley. Had a mere 15 anglers on board a vessel certified for 92!! Pretty obvious ……..the average angler-numbers on weekdays is really leveling. Only 10 rode on Tuesday!! Presently, a good number of Lings and Reds are in the counts and you really ought to come out for some decent fishing without the crowds.
Note: Countdown:Lobster Season Opener Get ready for a zillion threads on the bugs!! (See aside) California Spiny Lobster season starts Saturday the 29 of September ……is that Midnight??. That’s 2 days away. Limit is 7 of the creatures ……… you’ve measured with your handy-dandy, correct, double checked scale! No you can’t use just any measure ….. in a pinch …. heh heh heh !!
Target Fish: Rockfish, Whitefish, Lings
Short Report- Wednesday 09/26
15 anglers (8 K of C anglers) caught 3 Lingcod (1 released), 40 Rockfish (15 Bocaccio) ….. (Rockfish included Reds, Chuckleheads, etc.), and 45 Whitefish. Also a few Sanddabs and Starries were caught but not included in the count. Two Sharks were caught one kept the other released. The usual pesky Mackerel were home today as well as the Sealions chomping on bait. Grade of keeper-fish, with a minimum size-limit, for the boat was above average …. translation ……. good margin past minimum length.
The AM Left the dock pretty much on time although …….. there’s really usually no rush to get to the grounds when rockfishing IMNSHO ! Salmon Grouper limits being the norm we then were off to search for more desirable species. Reds for the table and Lings for the fight …. and table.
The PM Did quite a few drops and slowly worked our way West and further inside till the end of the trip. Got back to the dock past 5pm.
(Please widen your view to fit monitor if word-wrap looks off)
09/26 Jackpot
John & George ………………Winner!
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Lingasaurus
Way to go on the jackpot John! A Lingcod was the winner last week, the week before, as well as this week. The 10-lb fish was caught on a Sardine.
Long Report
Bait
Scoopin’ Chovies ………………………...... In the Tank!
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On bait, Sardines were already in the tanks and looked like they were in good shape. We also picked up so Anchovies that were both in good shape and it was obvious that they are getting bigger. Not yet perfect hook bait but better than what we’ve seen in the last month. With wildly fluctuating conditions the last few days’ and counts pretty much down …. we decided to stay local and hit the Bocaccio for sure limits and then go for Reds, Lingcod, Whitefish, etc.
The Days Fishing
The morning started out with very few anglers but nearing time to leave, we got a good rush of anglers. I didn’t bother to ask if they had come from other landings’ cancelled trips. That will be more common as the season progresses.
Fishing Area …………………………………………………….....Current!!
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Grazing in the Pasture
Moo-moos This Trip
Southern Cal!
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PBers This Trip
PB1 …………………….......................PB2 ……………………..........................PB Stranded!
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Round-Up
3 Rounds
1st Round
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Round 1 This was a typical Rockfish trip. Most used a two-hook dropper or reverse dropper-loop w/4~6oz torpedo sinker, fishing either a live Sardine, Anchovie, or cut Squid. We fished mostly hard bottom as well as some structure in less that 200 feet of water ….. at anchor. Tried to drift a couple of times but we just zoomed past the spots too quickly. Got our boat limit of Salmon Grouper. No not me!!
2nd Round
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Round 2 For our second round (pm) we moved West and a little outside in pretty much the same type of water/structure (a little rougher structure as there were lots of hang-ups) to target Reds and other Rockfish. Victory does pretty well on Sheephead and Whitefish. Those are a common target for Mike. He’s 2007 Champ for Whitefish in the Sportfishing Boat category.
3rd Round
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Round 3 For our last round we moved yet a little further West and closer in for a mixed bag of bottom species. Fish average per angler was pretty good with my buddies getting 6 or 7 fish by the end of the day.
Conditions: Cool and overcast later becoming bright and sunny. Needed a jacket with the wind strengthening and the air temp staying between 70º~75º until the wind factor entered the picture. Late afternoon breeze made it feel colder and a jacket felt good. Water visibility at maybe 12~15 feet. Beautiful !!! Check out the graphics for additional weather and water conditions.
Gallery
Beauty of the Day
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Fish & Anglers
Saber ………………..................Shark !!! ………….............. Nice Red
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Art's Fish ....................Jose ……………...................Fight 1!
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Fight 2 ……………………...................Fight3 .........................................Mixed Fish
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Nice Bunch
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Other
Tiny …………………………..........Short Lingcod ………………………….Deck at Work!
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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.
Plastics Tweek #44
Tools ………………………………Cutting Edges …………………Critters
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Catching the Bocaccio and Reds with the smaller plastics and lighter leadheads confirmed my suspicion that plastic with more of a fluttering action … as opposed to a swimming or jerking motion …… might be the ticket.
The ‘stealth critter’ emerges. I thought I might make a special effort for a Sheephead and catch it on a shrimp or critter imitation. For this trial, I will put away the leadhead/swimbait combo and switch to a Carolina rig with a weighted plastic critter. I’ve got a selection of 10 different critters awaiting trial.
How I Did It
Having sharpened my radio antenna punch and pounded out a plug-cutting tool for a length of coat-hanger, it was a pretty simple matter cut a plug out of the various plastics and replace them with a ‘Mojo’ elongated weight. With the right diameter segment of the punch, the weight fits tightly. Incidentally, the Mojos come in various weights.
A wire (along with a length of line) pushed through the center hole of the weight and out the back of the plastic critter is what I used to make a pilot hole to connect the two-prong hook (at the rear) to the swivel (at the front). I’ve wired the hook so that the plastic lays between the two prongs.
Plastics
New Sinker Approach
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Again …. Avoided Mr. Skunk
Setups As usual, I once again loaded up my plastics stuff and was all set for a shot at the Reds …… Tried some of my smaller stuff but the current was so strong that I hardly hit bottom and ……. then it being only about 180 feet. Wind/direction + swells + waves x current = awesome boat swing. Tried both the Carolina (5 foot leader) and Texas rigs. Only thing different from before was that I upped the weight of the sliding-egg sinker to 4ozs on the Carolina and reduced the leadhead weight to 3/4oz. Used 3oz sliding-egg sinker on the Texas rig. Pretty much stayed with the red/orange and greens on plastics. Whatever the case …. I just got dinks !!
I’ve started to paint both my leadheads (since forever) and sinkers now. I paint them with nail polish I get cheap at the swapmeet and coat them with nail protector….. which is working out great (clear nail enamel doesn’t always work) as there is no deterioration or reaction of the enamel to saltwater.
Water Covered ……….. I was pretty much either hugging the bottom for Lings or searching the section of the water column 5~10 cranks up from the bottom, hoping to hook a Red (Vermilion Rockfish), Johnny Bass …. anything!! Others caught them on BAIT!
Incredible Shrinking Gulp
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To my buddy ……. who mentioned that you have to be really careful about closing up packs of Gulp products …… here’s the last Gulp Shad I have and since abandoned for the plastic only approach.
Weather Statictics
Lunar ……………………………………………...Tides!
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Wind Speed and Direction …………………………………....Water Temperature!
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UV Alert!
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Wednesday’s Conditions
Fishing Grounds: Conditions were overcast in the morning, only slightly windy earlier, water a little choppy, with lots of current and cold water. That seems to spell Rockfishing.
Wild Creatures: Saw lots of Sealions. Seagulls, Terns, Pelicans were around diving for the Sardines ……. especially then when it was time to clean fish.
From The Deck
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Leave it to the Crew
I have to admit this is kinda one of my pet peeves as well as a concern of George and most other professional deckhands. What’s the issue. …..?
Use of the boats’ nets and most importantly the gaffs. In-my-not-so-humble-opinion, patrons should not be allowed to use the boat’s nets or gaffs. Of course, crews frown on anyone trying to use equipment specifically the boats. Exceptions to gaff use: Only when the entire crew is involved and not available ….. that’s …. wouldn’t be available in a reasonable time (relative to the fish already being brought to the boat) to get a fish …. and there is a seasoned and experienced angler to do the job.
Gaffing order: Decks job ….even if the decks are involved with other patrons fish, the skipper will do the honors if alerted…. if otherwise unoccupied. Next ….. there are (senior) pinheads that will fill in for the decks when present and absolutely needed. Lastly …. truth is …. there is no lastly yet …. in the end …. The gaff has to be requested and the gaffer must take full responsibility!
If and when a patron takes it upon themselves to net or gaff a fish, be it their own, a buddies’, or fellow anglers’, the ugly head of liability raises its ugly head. Who’s responsible when …
1) a patron is injured thru the use of a net or gaff by a fellow patron?
2) a fellow-patrons’ fish is lost (always the jackpot fish)?
3) a clueless patron gaffs a short, out of season, or no-take species?
4) the angler or by-standers fishing equipment is damaged in the process of gaffing or landing a fish?
5) a gaff or net is damaged or lost by a patron?
6) a patron has been asked to gaff another guys fish ….. ? Yep … the guy with the gaff in their hand!! BUT ……..
In the end ….. whatever the situation …. the blame (spoken or otherwise) is laid on the crew for whatever happens by the authorities! With this in mind, for our local moo-moo fishing, leave the netting or gaffing to the crew! We patrons … no matter how seasoned … have no business ‘Doing the Honors’. Am I tempted …. you bet ….. still ….. most of the problems will be nipped in the bud if some timely communication is given the crew. After all … it’s just a matter of letting the crew know you 1) have a ‘fish on’, 2) if your moving ‘hot rail’, 3) you have ‘color’ and, 4) need a ‘gaff’. Pretty logical huh?
Asides
An Aside:
Lean Times Definition: a) species ‘off-season’, b) extended abnormal water or weather conditions hindering the fishing/catching, c) fishing regulatory restrictions, and d) occasional or tourist anglers not going fishing. Our present lean times is reflected in the fact that many landings have gone into their Winter schedules early.
Irrelative of the annual feast and famine of ½ and ¾-day moo-moo operations, I’ve a few ideas on understanding how to make the best of our ‘lean times’ ……. not yet ‘off-season’. I see two basic takes on things ……. the short and the long view.
The short view is pretty simple: Economic necessity may require that …..
1) A boat, and often backup boats, be simply taken ‘off-line’.
2) A single boat does double duty depending on which runs’ (½ or ¾) loads justify the nod.
3) A ‘new’ boat to the landing is delayed in being brought ‘on-line’ for the next season.
4) A boat has extended …. really extended its’ refurbishing or annual maintenance.
5) A boat goes somewhere else ‘for the season’.
The long view is a bit more simple and yet ……….. more complicated. You might want to be a bit circumspect in your view of moo-moo operations during the leaner times …. and maybe not … your choice. One might expect the following:
1) Availability of a moo-moo is set in two ways. The boat will be advertised by the landing as either ‘on-line’ 7 days a week or will be ‘on-line’ only during a block of days or on a certain (historically larger loads) number of days. Typically the ‘on-line’ days will include the week-ends. Of course ….. odds are ……you’ll get that ride on the week-ends.
For me ….. and going only on the week-days ….the strategy is to …….. find a boat that not only goes out often but also has a good number of regulars that go on a certain day and patronize the boat that day…….. or …….. have your own group!! Percentages are higher the boat will sail!! Checking landings’ fish count archives will give you an idea as to what days a particular moo-moo goes out consistently ….. did I say consistently.
2) Minimum Angler Requirements vary according to the boat/landings’ booking policy. 7 to 10 regular adult fares is a common standard. Landings vary in angler number and conditions. Understand that even the minimum number of patrons usually does not cover the expenses of the boat. Personally …. as a person that has worked and been paid according to earnings, I would feel embarrassed to get on a boat with only 4 or 5 patrons.
During lean times, you might want to give the landing or boat a bit of a break on the ‘angler numbers’ business. They may wish to depart a little later or combine two boats reservations into one boat …….. so that the patrons’ fares will at least pay for expenses. Don’t be disappointed if the landing or skipper won’t accept an ante from anglers to ‘make up’ the difference of a couple of anglers fares. Why? Probably as the boats income is based on fares, galley, fishing cleaning, and tips.
3) Crew might not be as numerous working the boat as in busy times. In one way .. this makes sense as there are not as many anglers requiring help. With 8 or 10 anglers on board … an all-around, experienced deckhand can pretty much handle galley duties too if required. Make sure the guy’s hustle is recognized. That’s in addition to the fact that there’s often someone lending a hand ……. especially on the week-ends.
With the standard crew numbering 3, that is in stark contrast with the busy season ……. where there always seems to be a number of pinheads running around helping out the crew, there’s no need to feel it’s understaffed. Another difference you may observe on a boat during lean times is that the crew will sometimes be fishing. Some anglers hate the idea of crew-fishing but there is an up-side to their fishing when they are barely outnumbered by patrons. 1) Crews are excellent guides on how to catch fish ……. as they often ‘dial-in’ quickly and pass the word along. 2) Crews will often pass along fish caught to those that weren’t so fortunate in the catching department.
4) Patrons of moo-moos in lean times are varied in experience but most noticeably …. regulars outnumber the occasional angler and or tourist. As a group, the guys that fish the boats year-around, once or twice a week, are the guys that make excellent mentors. Being observant, I learn lots from them and don’t have to ask them a thing! With the lite load of anglers, one is pretty much free to fish however one wants with whatever gear chosen.
Additionally, we can pick the brains of the skipper and deckhands, have helping hands at the rail at a moments notice, have all the room in the world to fish, and hang out in the galley during travel time.
5) The fish being caught now (Bocaccio, Vermillion Rockfish, Chilipepper, and Copper Rockfish) on moo-moos, are some of the easiest to catch and the best quality table-fare we have available locally on a year-around basis (regulations withstanding). Sculpin, Whitefish, and Sheephead also get high marks the from fish lovers. On the fighting side of things …. Lingcod, Cabezon, and Calico Bass weigh in as great targets too.
With the proper tackle, catching fish has been put on a level playing field where the novice or angler alike have a good chance of hooking a lunker and or filling their bag with fish.
6) Tackle being used on the moo-moo presently to fish depths of up to 260-feet ranges from 7-foot medium saltwater spinning outfits to Stupid! Just about any reel that holds a couple hundred yards of line and a rod that will not strain with the load of an 8oz torpedo sinker and 2-hook ganion should be ok for most of the target species. Any saltwater outfit with a 20lb rating should be perfect. More and more anglers have caught on to the fact that fish as deep as 220 feet can be handily caught with heavy-duty freshwater conventional tackle. With the very lite loads, being on the proper spot on the boat, and knowing how to fish it properly, braid is a very attractive alternative to mono.
7) Bait Availability on the boat. Bait ….. they got! Depending on the type of fishing and target species, one can expect adequate but often a limited variety of bait. Again, in lean times, live bait may not be an option due to either availability or economics. On the economics side, although a lot depends on the condition of the bait, when the boat gets lice bait, there is a possibility …. that bait will be used for only that one run. If there are no other runs seen in the next day or so ……..
8) Fishing Time is often impacted by water/weather conditions and distance needed to travel to get to productive fishing areas. Lean times often means travel is needed. That’s often time to bait up and hit the outside to get to outside areas for species like Rockfish, searching for elusive school fish, or good water (warmer water or temperature breaks) conditions.
On the plus side, the boat will sometimes go where it doesn’t fish in easier times, has little competition for spots, is willing to hit spots it wouldn’t hit if there was traffic nearby, and is willing to stay out (often only one run a day for the ½ -day and no twilight) a little longer.
Although times might be considered lean, fishing-wise presently, we are not as yet into the true ‘Winter’ fishing mode. There is still a lot of time until November when we start our 4 month period of cold-water fishing. Things just may heat up between now and the end of the year. Otherwise, make the best of the lean times and get out there and fish! Lots of reasons why !!!
Another Aside[/u]:
I Had to LaughFor Newbies You meet all kinds on the boats good, bad, and neither. Some anglers are the proverbial ‘Wolves in Sheeps’ clothing’. I experienced an incident recently where a guy, whom I had fished with a couple of times, fishing besides me brought up his line tangled on mine. I was fishing a straight line with my usual plastic … rigged Texas style … no less. His line was all the way up with his two-hook, 60lb-test ganion and torpedo sinker twisted like crazy on all its’ components and on my line big-time.
Pulling in his stuff he announced convincingly …. Oh .. ‘You got cut off’! Not being an idiot (as he must have assumed I was), I looked closely and noted my taut line going both into the water and entering his mess. I said .. ‘NO it’s NOT’ …. A wave of what I was to later understand was a sign of resignation washed over this guys face. I can just read his mind now!! Damm …. that didn’t work!
The deckhand being there ‘Johnny on the Spot’ quickly took hold of the mess and deftly got HIS tangles off MY LINE and all was well. Heck, initially, I gave him the benefit that it was his innocent mistake on saying that I was cut off.
Well …… A week later this jacka$$ is fishing down the rail a bit and what do I hear …… Yep … ‘Oh …your line got cut off’. Fact is that the other guys line was not cut off and the same deckhand ….again quickly showed up and …. untangled the mess and both anglers kept their gear intact. Ah ha ha ha ha Cut off Huh???? in a loud voice is all I could manage.
If you’re totally, that’s totally convinced that someone is trying to pull this scam on you …. after calling the deckhand for help and getting things untangled …. laugh …. and make a rude comment (within earshot of the perpetrator …. but to yourself) just for fun.
Again Another Aside:
DFG Topics
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What the ……….?
Just how tough are the regs up North ???? Has everybody seen the amended regulations related to hooks (circle), sinkers (weight), and ‘rods in water’ when fishing north of Point Conception??? Looks like one can’t just go out and fish with whatever tackle one might bring from looking at the regs. Be forewarned and prepared when going after the Salmon if you’re not familiar with the territory. Check out the DFG website or the 2007 amended booklet.
Still Another Aside: Moo-moos
Mooooooo! .................................................. ...............................South Coast 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.
NOTE: This is the last report in this series as the counts have become meaningless and of no use. I’ll start it up again next year near peak season.
Almost Last Aside:
Winter Schedule Pierpoint Landing is going into Winter Schedule starting October 1st 2007. The ¾-day Victory will be on-line 7 days a week, departing at 7am daily.
The ½-day Southern Cal will be on-line 7 days a week. Their Monday ~ Friday schedule is comprised of a single run departing at 10am. The week-end schedule (Saturday and Sunday) will be as it is presently …… with 2 runs daily. AM run departs at 6:30am with the PM run departing at 12:30pm.
Last Aside:
The Law of the Sea Coming home we were about to enter our usual entrance (L.B. Light) to the harbor when a call came indicating a boat was stranded just a bit off the East end harbor entrance. Being a serious matter to a mariner, Mike did a sharp right … making a bee-line for the stranded boat. The culprit was engine trouble with no apparent anchor out.
One ‘Law of the Sea’ it that a vessel is obligated to assist another in distress ….. not matter how seemingly insignificant or inconvenient while not endangering oneself. Don’t know of the exact legal implications or liability but Mike went into the ‘serious business’ total focus mode in a heartbeat. Good to know guys like this are out there!
The Boat
The Victory
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Stern Numbers ………………………...................... Boat Colors!
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The Crew
Mike ………...................................Deck George …………...Galley-Ron
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Great Day on the Water
Having the morning, noon, and afternoon to fish makes for a day to test ideas thoroughly !! Good crew, great club buddies, interesting challenges. Can’t ask for much more!!
JapanRon
Hi there guys,
Wednesday 09/26
Went on a 3/4-day moo-moo out of Pierpoint Landing. Fished the Victory. Mike was the skipper, George (deckhand) was on deck and Ron ran the galley. Had a mere 15 anglers on board a vessel certified for 92!! Pretty obvious ……..the average angler-numbers on weekdays is really leveling. Only 10 rode on Tuesday!! Presently, a good number of Lings and Reds are in the counts and you really ought to come out for some decent fishing without the crowds.
Note: Countdown:Lobster Season Opener Get ready for a zillion threads on the bugs!! (See aside) California Spiny Lobster season starts Saturday the 29 of September ……is that Midnight??. That’s 2 days away. Limit is 7 of the creatures ……… you’ve measured with your handy-dandy, correct, double checked scale! No you can’t use just any measure ….. in a pinch …. heh heh heh !!
Target Fish: Rockfish, Whitefish, Lings
Short Report- Wednesday 09/26
15 anglers (8 K of C anglers) caught 3 Lingcod (1 released), 40 Rockfish (15 Bocaccio) ….. (Rockfish included Reds, Chuckleheads, etc.), and 45 Whitefish. Also a few Sanddabs and Starries were caught but not included in the count. Two Sharks were caught one kept the other released. The usual pesky Mackerel were home today as well as the Sealions chomping on bait. Grade of keeper-fish, with a minimum size-limit, for the boat was above average …. translation ……. good margin past minimum length.
The AM Left the dock pretty much on time although …….. there’s really usually no rush to get to the grounds when rockfishing IMNSHO ! Salmon Grouper limits being the norm we then were off to search for more desirable species. Reds for the table and Lings for the fight …. and table.
The PM Did quite a few drops and slowly worked our way West and further inside till the end of the trip. Got back to the dock past 5pm.
(Please widen your view to fit monitor if word-wrap looks off)
09/26 Jackpot
John & George ………………Winner!
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Lingasaurus
Way to go on the jackpot John! A Lingcod was the winner last week, the week before, as well as this week. The 10-lb fish was caught on a Sardine.
Long Report
Bait
Scoopin’ Chovies ………………………...... In the Tank!
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On bait, Sardines were already in the tanks and looked like they were in good shape. We also picked up so Anchovies that were both in good shape and it was obvious that they are getting bigger. Not yet perfect hook bait but better than what we’ve seen in the last month. With wildly fluctuating conditions the last few days’ and counts pretty much down …. we decided to stay local and hit the Bocaccio for sure limits and then go for Reds, Lingcod, Whitefish, etc.
The Days Fishing
The morning started out with very few anglers but nearing time to leave, we got a good rush of anglers. I didn’t bother to ask if they had come from other landings’ cancelled trips. That will be more common as the season progresses.
Fishing Area …………………………………………………….....Current!!
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Grazing in the Pasture
Moo-moos This Trip
Southern Cal!
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PBers This Trip
PB1 …………………….......................PB2 ……………………..........................PB Stranded!
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Round-Up
3 Rounds
1st Round
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Round 1 This was a typical Rockfish trip. Most used a two-hook dropper or reverse dropper-loop w/4~6oz torpedo sinker, fishing either a live Sardine, Anchovie, or cut Squid. We fished mostly hard bottom as well as some structure in less that 200 feet of water ….. at anchor. Tried to drift a couple of times but we just zoomed past the spots too quickly. Got our boat limit of Salmon Grouper. No not me!!
2nd Round
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Round 2 For our second round (pm) we moved West and a little outside in pretty much the same type of water/structure (a little rougher structure as there were lots of hang-ups) to target Reds and other Rockfish. Victory does pretty well on Sheephead and Whitefish. Those are a common target for Mike. He’s 2007 Champ for Whitefish in the Sportfishing Boat category.
3rd Round
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Round 3 For our last round we moved yet a little further West and closer in for a mixed bag of bottom species. Fish average per angler was pretty good with my buddies getting 6 or 7 fish by the end of the day.
Conditions: Cool and overcast later becoming bright and sunny. Needed a jacket with the wind strengthening and the air temp staying between 70º~75º until the wind factor entered the picture. Late afternoon breeze made it feel colder and a jacket felt good. Water visibility at maybe 12~15 feet. Beautiful !!! Check out the graphics for additional weather and water conditions.
Gallery
Beauty of the Day
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Fish & Anglers
Saber ………………..................Shark !!! ………….............. Nice Red
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Art's Fish ....................Jose ……………...................Fight 1!
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Fight 2 ……………………...................Fight3 .........................................Mixed Fish
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Nice Bunch
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Other
Tiny …………………………..........Short Lingcod ………………………….Deck at Work!
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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.
Plastics Tweek #44
Tools ………………………………Cutting Edges …………………Critters
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Catching the Bocaccio and Reds with the smaller plastics and lighter leadheads confirmed my suspicion that plastic with more of a fluttering action … as opposed to a swimming or jerking motion …… might be the ticket.
The ‘stealth critter’ emerges. I thought I might make a special effort for a Sheephead and catch it on a shrimp or critter imitation. For this trial, I will put away the leadhead/swimbait combo and switch to a Carolina rig with a weighted plastic critter. I’ve got a selection of 10 different critters awaiting trial.
How I Did It
Having sharpened my radio antenna punch and pounded out a plug-cutting tool for a length of coat-hanger, it was a pretty simple matter cut a plug out of the various plastics and replace them with a ‘Mojo’ elongated weight. With the right diameter segment of the punch, the weight fits tightly. Incidentally, the Mojos come in various weights.
A wire (along with a length of line) pushed through the center hole of the weight and out the back of the plastic critter is what I used to make a pilot hole to connect the two-prong hook (at the rear) to the swivel (at the front). I’ve wired the hook so that the plastic lays between the two prongs.
Plastics
New Sinker Approach
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Again …. Avoided Mr. Skunk
Setups As usual, I once again loaded up my plastics stuff and was all set for a shot at the Reds …… Tried some of my smaller stuff but the current was so strong that I hardly hit bottom and ……. then it being only about 180 feet. Wind/direction + swells + waves x current = awesome boat swing. Tried both the Carolina (5 foot leader) and Texas rigs. Only thing different from before was that I upped the weight of the sliding-egg sinker to 4ozs on the Carolina and reduced the leadhead weight to 3/4oz. Used 3oz sliding-egg sinker on the Texas rig. Pretty much stayed with the red/orange and greens on plastics. Whatever the case …. I just got dinks !!
I’ve started to paint both my leadheads (since forever) and sinkers now. I paint them with nail polish I get cheap at the swapmeet and coat them with nail protector….. which is working out great (clear nail enamel doesn’t always work) as there is no deterioration or reaction of the enamel to saltwater.
Water Covered ……….. I was pretty much either hugging the bottom for Lings or searching the section of the water column 5~10 cranks up from the bottom, hoping to hook a Red (Vermilion Rockfish), Johnny Bass …. anything!! Others caught them on BAIT!
Incredible Shrinking Gulp
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To my buddy ……. who mentioned that you have to be really careful about closing up packs of Gulp products …… here’s the last Gulp Shad I have and since abandoned for the plastic only approach.
Weather Statictics
Lunar ……………………………………………...Tides!
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Wind Speed and Direction …………………………………....Water Temperature!
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UV Alert!
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Wednesday’s Conditions
Fishing Grounds: Conditions were overcast in the morning, only slightly windy earlier, water a little choppy, with lots of current and cold water. That seems to spell Rockfishing.
Wild Creatures: Saw lots of Sealions. Seagulls, Terns, Pelicans were around diving for the Sardines ……. especially then when it was time to clean fish.
From The Deck
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Leave it to the Crew
I have to admit this is kinda one of my pet peeves as well as a concern of George and most other professional deckhands. What’s the issue. …..?
Use of the boats’ nets and most importantly the gaffs. In-my-not-so-humble-opinion, patrons should not be allowed to use the boat’s nets or gaffs. Of course, crews frown on anyone trying to use equipment specifically the boats. Exceptions to gaff use: Only when the entire crew is involved and not available ….. that’s …. wouldn’t be available in a reasonable time (relative to the fish already being brought to the boat) to get a fish …. and there is a seasoned and experienced angler to do the job.
Gaffing order: Decks job ….even if the decks are involved with other patrons fish, the skipper will do the honors if alerted…. if otherwise unoccupied. Next ….. there are (senior) pinheads that will fill in for the decks when present and absolutely needed. Lastly …. truth is …. there is no lastly yet …. in the end …. The gaff has to be requested and the gaffer must take full responsibility!
If and when a patron takes it upon themselves to net or gaff a fish, be it their own, a buddies’, or fellow anglers’, the ugly head of liability raises its ugly head. Who’s responsible when …
1) a patron is injured thru the use of a net or gaff by a fellow patron?
2) a fellow-patrons’ fish is lost (always the jackpot fish)?
3) a clueless patron gaffs a short, out of season, or no-take species?
4) the angler or by-standers fishing equipment is damaged in the process of gaffing or landing a fish?
5) a gaff or net is damaged or lost by a patron?
6) a patron has been asked to gaff another guys fish ….. ? Yep … the guy with the gaff in their hand!! BUT ……..
In the end ….. whatever the situation …. the blame (spoken or otherwise) is laid on the crew for whatever happens by the authorities! With this in mind, for our local moo-moo fishing, leave the netting or gaffing to the crew! We patrons … no matter how seasoned … have no business ‘Doing the Honors’. Am I tempted …. you bet ….. still ….. most of the problems will be nipped in the bud if some timely communication is given the crew. After all … it’s just a matter of letting the crew know you 1) have a ‘fish on’, 2) if your moving ‘hot rail’, 3) you have ‘color’ and, 4) need a ‘gaff’. Pretty logical huh?
Asides
An Aside:
Lean Times Definition: a) species ‘off-season’, b) extended abnormal water or weather conditions hindering the fishing/catching, c) fishing regulatory restrictions, and d) occasional or tourist anglers not going fishing. Our present lean times is reflected in the fact that many landings have gone into their Winter schedules early.
Irrelative of the annual feast and famine of ½ and ¾-day moo-moo operations, I’ve a few ideas on understanding how to make the best of our ‘lean times’ ……. not yet ‘off-season’. I see two basic takes on things ……. the short and the long view.
The short view is pretty simple: Economic necessity may require that …..
1) A boat, and often backup boats, be simply taken ‘off-line’.
2) A single boat does double duty depending on which runs’ (½ or ¾) loads justify the nod.
3) A ‘new’ boat to the landing is delayed in being brought ‘on-line’ for the next season.
4) A boat has extended …. really extended its’ refurbishing or annual maintenance.
5) A boat goes somewhere else ‘for the season’.
The long view is a bit more simple and yet ……….. more complicated. You might want to be a bit circumspect in your view of moo-moo operations during the leaner times …. and maybe not … your choice. One might expect the following:
1) Availability of a moo-moo is set in two ways. The boat will be advertised by the landing as either ‘on-line’ 7 days a week or will be ‘on-line’ only during a block of days or on a certain (historically larger loads) number of days. Typically the ‘on-line’ days will include the week-ends. Of course ….. odds are ……you’ll get that ride on the week-ends.
For me ….. and going only on the week-days ….the strategy is to …….. find a boat that not only goes out often but also has a good number of regulars that go on a certain day and patronize the boat that day…….. or …….. have your own group!! Percentages are higher the boat will sail!! Checking landings’ fish count archives will give you an idea as to what days a particular moo-moo goes out consistently ….. did I say consistently.
2) Minimum Angler Requirements vary according to the boat/landings’ booking policy. 7 to 10 regular adult fares is a common standard. Landings vary in angler number and conditions. Understand that even the minimum number of patrons usually does not cover the expenses of the boat. Personally …. as a person that has worked and been paid according to earnings, I would feel embarrassed to get on a boat with only 4 or 5 patrons.
During lean times, you might want to give the landing or boat a bit of a break on the ‘angler numbers’ business. They may wish to depart a little later or combine two boats reservations into one boat …….. so that the patrons’ fares will at least pay for expenses. Don’t be disappointed if the landing or skipper won’t accept an ante from anglers to ‘make up’ the difference of a couple of anglers fares. Why? Probably as the boats income is based on fares, galley, fishing cleaning, and tips.
3) Crew might not be as numerous working the boat as in busy times. In one way .. this makes sense as there are not as many anglers requiring help. With 8 or 10 anglers on board … an all-around, experienced deckhand can pretty much handle galley duties too if required. Make sure the guy’s hustle is recognized. That’s in addition to the fact that there’s often someone lending a hand ……. especially on the week-ends.
With the standard crew numbering 3, that is in stark contrast with the busy season ……. where there always seems to be a number of pinheads running around helping out the crew, there’s no need to feel it’s understaffed. Another difference you may observe on a boat during lean times is that the crew will sometimes be fishing. Some anglers hate the idea of crew-fishing but there is an up-side to their fishing when they are barely outnumbered by patrons. 1) Crews are excellent guides on how to catch fish ……. as they often ‘dial-in’ quickly and pass the word along. 2) Crews will often pass along fish caught to those that weren’t so fortunate in the catching department.
4) Patrons of moo-moos in lean times are varied in experience but most noticeably …. regulars outnumber the occasional angler and or tourist. As a group, the guys that fish the boats year-around, once or twice a week, are the guys that make excellent mentors. Being observant, I learn lots from them and don’t have to ask them a thing! With the lite load of anglers, one is pretty much free to fish however one wants with whatever gear chosen.
Additionally, we can pick the brains of the skipper and deckhands, have helping hands at the rail at a moments notice, have all the room in the world to fish, and hang out in the galley during travel time.
5) The fish being caught now (Bocaccio, Vermillion Rockfish, Chilipepper, and Copper Rockfish) on moo-moos, are some of the easiest to catch and the best quality table-fare we have available locally on a year-around basis (regulations withstanding). Sculpin, Whitefish, and Sheephead also get high marks the from fish lovers. On the fighting side of things …. Lingcod, Cabezon, and Calico Bass weigh in as great targets too.
With the proper tackle, catching fish has been put on a level playing field where the novice or angler alike have a good chance of hooking a lunker and or filling their bag with fish.
6) Tackle being used on the moo-moo presently to fish depths of up to 260-feet ranges from 7-foot medium saltwater spinning outfits to Stupid! Just about any reel that holds a couple hundred yards of line and a rod that will not strain with the load of an 8oz torpedo sinker and 2-hook ganion should be ok for most of the target species. Any saltwater outfit with a 20lb rating should be perfect. More and more anglers have caught on to the fact that fish as deep as 220 feet can be handily caught with heavy-duty freshwater conventional tackle. With the very lite loads, being on the proper spot on the boat, and knowing how to fish it properly, braid is a very attractive alternative to mono.
7) Bait Availability on the boat. Bait ….. they got! Depending on the type of fishing and target species, one can expect adequate but often a limited variety of bait. Again, in lean times, live bait may not be an option due to either availability or economics. On the economics side, although a lot depends on the condition of the bait, when the boat gets lice bait, there is a possibility …. that bait will be used for only that one run. If there are no other runs seen in the next day or so ……..
8) Fishing Time is often impacted by water/weather conditions and distance needed to travel to get to productive fishing areas. Lean times often means travel is needed. That’s often time to bait up and hit the outside to get to outside areas for species like Rockfish, searching for elusive school fish, or good water (warmer water or temperature breaks) conditions.
On the plus side, the boat will sometimes go where it doesn’t fish in easier times, has little competition for spots, is willing to hit spots it wouldn’t hit if there was traffic nearby, and is willing to stay out (often only one run a day for the ½ -day and no twilight) a little longer.
Although times might be considered lean, fishing-wise presently, we are not as yet into the true ‘Winter’ fishing mode. There is still a lot of time until November when we start our 4 month period of cold-water fishing. Things just may heat up between now and the end of the year. Otherwise, make the best of the lean times and get out there and fish! Lots of reasons why !!!
Another Aside[/u]:
I Had to LaughFor Newbies You meet all kinds on the boats good, bad, and neither. Some anglers are the proverbial ‘Wolves in Sheeps’ clothing’. I experienced an incident recently where a guy, whom I had fished with a couple of times, fishing besides me brought up his line tangled on mine. I was fishing a straight line with my usual plastic … rigged Texas style … no less. His line was all the way up with his two-hook, 60lb-test ganion and torpedo sinker twisted like crazy on all its’ components and on my line big-time.
Pulling in his stuff he announced convincingly …. Oh .. ‘You got cut off’! Not being an idiot (as he must have assumed I was), I looked closely and noted my taut line going both into the water and entering his mess. I said .. ‘NO it’s NOT’ …. A wave of what I was to later understand was a sign of resignation washed over this guys face. I can just read his mind now!! Damm …. that didn’t work!
The deckhand being there ‘Johnny on the Spot’ quickly took hold of the mess and deftly got HIS tangles off MY LINE and all was well. Heck, initially, I gave him the benefit that it was his innocent mistake on saying that I was cut off.
Well …… A week later this jacka$$ is fishing down the rail a bit and what do I hear …… Yep … ‘Oh …your line got cut off’. Fact is that the other guys line was not cut off and the same deckhand ….again quickly showed up and …. untangled the mess and both anglers kept their gear intact. Ah ha ha ha ha Cut off Huh???? in a loud voice is all I could manage.
If you’re totally, that’s totally convinced that someone is trying to pull this scam on you …. after calling the deckhand for help and getting things untangled …. laugh …. and make a rude comment (within earshot of the perpetrator …. but to yourself) just for fun.
Again Another Aside:
DFG Topics
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What the ……….?
Just how tough are the regs up North ???? Has everybody seen the amended regulations related to hooks (circle), sinkers (weight), and ‘rods in water’ when fishing north of Point Conception??? Looks like one can’t just go out and fish with whatever tackle one might bring from looking at the regs. Be forewarned and prepared when going after the Salmon if you’re not familiar with the territory. Check out the DFG website or the 2007 amended booklet.
Still Another Aside: Moo-moos
Mooooooo! .................................................. ...............................South Coast 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.
NOTE: This is the last report in this series as the counts have become meaningless and of no use. I’ll start it up again next year near peak season.
Almost Last Aside:
Winter Schedule Pierpoint Landing is going into Winter Schedule starting October 1st 2007. The ¾-day Victory will be on-line 7 days a week, departing at 7am daily.
The ½-day Southern Cal will be on-line 7 days a week. Their Monday ~ Friday schedule is comprised of a single run departing at 10am. The week-end schedule (Saturday and Sunday) will be as it is presently …… with 2 runs daily. AM run departs at 6:30am with the PM run departing at 12:30pm.
Last Aside:
The Law of the Sea Coming home we were about to enter our usual entrance (L.B. Light) to the harbor when a call came indicating a boat was stranded just a bit off the East end harbor entrance. Being a serious matter to a mariner, Mike did a sharp right … making a bee-line for the stranded boat. The culprit was engine trouble with no apparent anchor out.
One ‘Law of the Sea’ it that a vessel is obligated to assist another in distress ….. not matter how seemingly insignificant or inconvenient while not endangering oneself. Don’t know of the exact legal implications or liability but Mike went into the ‘serious business’ total focus mode in a heartbeat. Good to know guys like this are out there!
The Boat
The Victory
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Stern Numbers ………………………...................... Boat Colors!
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The Crew
Mike ………...................................Deck George …………...Galley-Ron
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Great Day on the Water
Having the morning, noon, and afternoon to fish makes for a day to test ideas thoroughly !! Good crew, great club buddies, interesting challenges. Can’t ask for much more!!
JapanRon