Rpt-Wed.-06-08-16 Chasing Big Blue!
Dying to get a shot at the Gigantic Bluefin Tuna being caught both north and south of the border; I received an invite from Jeff. So I went fishing, Wednesday, 6-08-16 with Jeff on his 24’Skipjack, the “Kolamono” with crew Josh and Ryan. I set the alarm for 1:30am, needing to be at Jeff’s place by 2:30am, when Tuna fishing “sleep” is optional, although a bit better than Ghost fishing?
I was last to arrive at a little before 2:30am, with Josh and Ryan eager to get going. We quickly loaded the bat with our gear and were off to Shelter Island in San Diego. We stopped for gas for the boat in San Diego and launched at 5am. Sadly the bait receiver had only anchovies, so we passed, maybe could of used them for chum? We’ll never know.
We attempted to make bait at the receiver, nothing and again at the Point Loma kelp beds. Everywhere there was Red Crab and nobody else was hungry. Gave up and headed south some 40 miles, clearing North Coronado Island around 6:30 am arriving at our starting numbers at 7:45am.
The weather was mostly as expected 4 to 8 knots of wind, a 2 foot swell and a deep marine layer. Never saw the sun all day. Wind increased at times, and backed off. Off and on there was popcorn and the swells surged to over 3 feet, with everything manageable.
Not much signs of life to this point. However, only minutes after we slowed down and put out a single Rapala way, way back, we spotted a school of working birds and boils underneath them.
I selected my Blue Halco Popper, with a Shimano Trinidad 30 loaded with 50 pound Mono and 65 lb. Spectra backing, mounted on a Truline D-8, my favorite Jig stick. Jeff slid us up slowly on the school and we all cast into the breaking fish, and wow there were some big boy’s amongst them! I got boiled on, as did Jeff and Josh, but none stuck. The school sank out and the search continued.
We repeated this process for what seemed to be eternity. We must of seen 8 quad zillion Tuna, with a few schools looking to be Yellowfin. We all observed enormous Bluefin boils and jumping, with the backs of some looking like you could ride them like a porpoise?
Finally on one school that came within easy casting distance of the boat, Josh was bit. I know both Jeff and I worked our Poppers right through the middle of breaking fish with no results? Josh made quick work of the Bluefin Tuna, using a Popper with 80 pound Flouro and Spectra. The Bluefin weighed 35 pounds on the Boga scale, a baby, considering the size of Tuna we witnessed around us.
We also tried Colt Snipers and Flat Falls to no avail. We even setup near a Tuna Pen where there was lots of signs of life. Jeff put out the kite and Josh fished with a frozen Mackerel. Off in the distance a private boat was pulling hard on a big tuna, where they constantly were backing down on it. 20 minutes later we heard screams of what we thought might be success at landing the monster.
Not having live bait may have or might not have made a difference in our catch ratio. We will never know. At 3pm we began working our way north to port. We continued to see Tuna on many occasions, and when approaching they just sank out. As suggested in other reports we fished in areas without breaking fish, but containing working Terns. Lady luck was not on our side today.
At about 3:45 pm the engine alarm went off. It was over heating, Jeff though it might be kelp, no? Opened the engine hatch and the water pump had a sheared off bolt. No worries, Jeff “McGivered” it:
Tape and a screw driver and we went on our way, although at very reduced speeds of 6 to eventually nearly 10 knots, adding 3 hours to our trip home, arriving safely at the dock at 7:45 pm. Oh well we will miss the heavy traffic. Oh to add insult to our day, a truck tire on the way home began to wobble and shimmy. So we stopped and changed the tire. Yep, it was all part of a long day of private boating.
At Jeff’s place at 9:30 pm and home in Diamond Bar at 10:15pm. Whew!
Thanks so much for the challenging day Jeff; we don’t often get a chance at catching the big boys so close to home. Josh and Ryan, it was great meeting and fishing with you today.
Hook up! Cory
