jaggerbub
07-20-2015, 10:53 AM
After all the reports of slug yellows being caught at Catalina, I looked around and booked a trip with the Toronado out of Pierpoing Landing in Long Beach. Seems like some of the old salts on fnn take a liking to this landing namely (etucker) so I thought that this might be a good trip. I've never fished with anyone else besides Newport Landing and Davies locally, so I was a bit nervous since I would be going solo for this trip. My fishing buddies were not available, but I had to go. Luckyjr's report got me pumped the Friday night since he was just on the trip. Saturday rolls around and it starts raining at 4 pm. I thought, this is going to suck. Will the bite turn off with the weather change... Oh well, I'm commited now. Loaded up the gear and headed to the LBC at 6:30. I didn't know where to park, check-in, or unload and so I was a bit nervous. For those that haven't fished with Pierpoint, it's actually parking/fisherman friendly. Spots 1-25 in their lot is open (first come, first served) and they also have an overflow parking underneath the bridge across the parking lot to the landing. It cost only $3 to park and there was plenty of spots in the overflow so there is no need to go early to find parking. Checked in about 7:30 pm, and boarded at 9:30. Shoved off at 10 to load up on some nice size dines, got my rigs set up and hit the sack.
Woke up at 4 am pleasantly surprised to see blue skies and flat seas with no rain in sight. There were a huge amount of bait presence around the boat. Small bait jumping as they were getting chased and big fish breaking the surface. The deckie said it was ok to fish and kill time so I got my flatfall out and threw it for a bit for no love. Next I grabbed my #20 rig and flylined a fresh dead dine for no love. Then threw the krocodile for no love. Next thing you know, gray light comes and Capt. Ray gives the ok to start chumming. I grab a lively dine, nose hook and off he goes. Another guy comes next to me on port side and tosses a dine next to my bait and goes bendo. Next thing you know, Fresh One!!! Hot Rail!!! I'm over you, I'm under you!!! Man, I love fishing... That gets me pumped. A few cookie cutter 10-15 pounders hit the deck at first, then the slugs show up. My #30 rig finally goes bendo and i'm thinking it's my turn... It's fighting like a champ and takes me up to the bow but I'm thinking, it's a cookie cutter because its not fighting like a slug. I see color and it's not the right kind. Big Bonito at the end of my line. I shake him off, and recast. Seals show up and now and make it hard to get a bait out. With the seals and thick wall of bonito to get through, I can't get bit by a yt to save my life. Bonito after bonito for me. I got tired of shaking them off my line. The slugs continue to hit the deck one after another and i'm getting frustrated. I decided to switch to my #20 rig (belly hook it), it runs deep and I get hit... and finally, it's the right kind! It's pulling and I knew it wasn't a bonner this time. I work it up to color and the deckie gaffs him. Not huge, but not a rat... So that was my story for the rest of the day besides a short calico. I could not keep the bonners off my line while everyone else was cathching slugs. That's fishing... I spent the rest of the morning throwing the iron because I got tired of rebaiting and catching bones. Captain Ray decided to make a move at 9:45 in search of bigger models since the private boaters were constanly running through our chumline. We set up again near the Truline, and we ended up with our boar limit of 150 yellowtail for the day at 2pm. He told us that we still have two hours to kill so he said we were going to put the trollers out and head offshore to paddy hop. We hit two to three paddy's for a few more yellows. The first stop had a massive school of Dorado, and only one hit the deck. They were lock jawed and would not take any offerings. 5 pm rolls around and we head back to the barn. Fresh seared yt with wasabi, siracha, and soy sauce was served. Back the dock and off the Toronado at 8:20.
All in all, great trip, great captain and crew. I will definitely be returning to fish with them again shortly. They start their offshore trips next week. Maybe I'll hop on again before my San Diego trip next month on the Ocean Odyssey!
*** Sorry for no pictures. I can't seem to load up from photobucket anymore. I tried last weekend when I got back from an epic weekend up the 395. If anyone can chime in and let me know how you guys load picture on fnn, let me know.
Pros:
Great Captain / Crew.
Good food from the galley.
Only 5 of the 32 anglers were newbie, everyone else were seasoned salts. Minimal tangles...
Parking is great and cheap.
Cost was great for an overnighter. $130 but as Etucker mentioned on his latest thread, mention 976tuna and get $20 off. $110 for the trip was excellent.
No fuel surcharge.
37 anglers max makes fishing this boat comfortable.
Cons:
Bunks, the middle ones were open side by side with no dividers or curtains. Made sleeping next to some stranger a bit weird.
That sums up the trip! Go get em' fellas... Tight lines and no breaks.
Woke up at 4 am pleasantly surprised to see blue skies and flat seas with no rain in sight. There were a huge amount of bait presence around the boat. Small bait jumping as they were getting chased and big fish breaking the surface. The deckie said it was ok to fish and kill time so I got my flatfall out and threw it for a bit for no love. Next I grabbed my #20 rig and flylined a fresh dead dine for no love. Then threw the krocodile for no love. Next thing you know, gray light comes and Capt. Ray gives the ok to start chumming. I grab a lively dine, nose hook and off he goes. Another guy comes next to me on port side and tosses a dine next to my bait and goes bendo. Next thing you know, Fresh One!!! Hot Rail!!! I'm over you, I'm under you!!! Man, I love fishing... That gets me pumped. A few cookie cutter 10-15 pounders hit the deck at first, then the slugs show up. My #30 rig finally goes bendo and i'm thinking it's my turn... It's fighting like a champ and takes me up to the bow but I'm thinking, it's a cookie cutter because its not fighting like a slug. I see color and it's not the right kind. Big Bonito at the end of my line. I shake him off, and recast. Seals show up and now and make it hard to get a bait out. With the seals and thick wall of bonito to get through, I can't get bit by a yt to save my life. Bonito after bonito for me. I got tired of shaking them off my line. The slugs continue to hit the deck one after another and i'm getting frustrated. I decided to switch to my #20 rig (belly hook it), it runs deep and I get hit... and finally, it's the right kind! It's pulling and I knew it wasn't a bonner this time. I work it up to color and the deckie gaffs him. Not huge, but not a rat... So that was my story for the rest of the day besides a short calico. I could not keep the bonners off my line while everyone else was cathching slugs. That's fishing... I spent the rest of the morning throwing the iron because I got tired of rebaiting and catching bones. Captain Ray decided to make a move at 9:45 in search of bigger models since the private boaters were constanly running through our chumline. We set up again near the Truline, and we ended up with our boar limit of 150 yellowtail for the day at 2pm. He told us that we still have two hours to kill so he said we were going to put the trollers out and head offshore to paddy hop. We hit two to three paddy's for a few more yellows. The first stop had a massive school of Dorado, and only one hit the deck. They were lock jawed and would not take any offerings. 5 pm rolls around and we head back to the barn. Fresh seared yt with wasabi, siracha, and soy sauce was served. Back the dock and off the Toronado at 8:20.
All in all, great trip, great captain and crew. I will definitely be returning to fish with them again shortly. They start their offshore trips next week. Maybe I'll hop on again before my San Diego trip next month on the Ocean Odyssey!
*** Sorry for no pictures. I can't seem to load up from photobucket anymore. I tried last weekend when I got back from an epic weekend up the 395. If anyone can chime in and let me know how you guys load picture on fnn, let me know.
Pros:
Great Captain / Crew.
Good food from the galley.
Only 5 of the 32 anglers were newbie, everyone else were seasoned salts. Minimal tangles...
Parking is great and cheap.
Cost was great for an overnighter. $130 but as Etucker mentioned on his latest thread, mention 976tuna and get $20 off. $110 for the trip was excellent.
No fuel surcharge.
37 anglers max makes fishing this boat comfortable.
Cons:
Bunks, the middle ones were open side by side with no dividers or curtains. Made sleeping next to some stranger a bit weird.
That sums up the trip! Go get em' fellas... Tight lines and no breaks.