Tuna were nibbling a little on the Sportking
Compared to the last 2 years this trip wouldn't even be worth mentioning. But this is a much different year. Besides I like to put HELPFUL tips and opinions in my reports that someone might find them useful. To say the weather and bad timing has put a real damper on my trips this year was an understatement. But the real culprit is bites that don't stay biting. Just last week in the early part of the week the Coronado's Island Yellowtail started biting. Glen (my fishing partner) sorta made a commitment to some other friends who were stubborn as mules and thought they knew how to pick a good fishing trip. Instead of all of us going on the San Diego sportfishing boat and catching 86 good grade Yellowtail for 26 anglers they went offshore instead. I'm going to give you my "Lost in Space warning" if you are thinking about going offshore out of San Diego any time soon. "DANGER DANGER WILL ROBINSON!!!!!!" The fish they are catching recently under the Kelp Paddy's are a 1-4 pound average and Jackpot is a 7 pound fish for both Tuna and Yellowtail!!!! So when Glen and company spent $300 hundred dollars apiece for their fishing trip, they all came back solely disappointed!!!!! So when they got back home, I gave Glen my fishing and Gambling motto. If you're going to gamble on a fishing trip, make sure it's "Cheap & Easy!!!!" You spend the "BIG BUCKS" on slam dunks. So the Sportking was going Tuna fishing and if you use their discounts it only costs $50 Bucks!!!!!!!! How can you beat that??????? Now there has been some other threads about fishing with Bruce (captain) on the Sportking. Well I'll give you the Skinny on that boat as "I" saw it!!!!!!! The fish count was 100% accurate (hooked 6 fish and landed 3) and there is no seating except in the Galley. (I thought about bringing a folding chair) But I didn't because I was afraid of being laughed at. As the day turned out, I made every WRONG decision I could make!!!! To start with 5 other people brought folding chairs with them. (Boy did I fell stupid on that one!!!) It only get's worse for me from there for not trusting my instincts!!!!
On to the fishing.
We left San Pedro and headed south to Dana Point and the Tuna grounds. Along the way I heard Bruce talking to the Dana Point Skippers and they told him they were biting in 2 places. (Going on a boat with a captain that has friends is very important) Thank God Bruce is likable to many other Skippers!!!! The first set of numbers were to far for Bruce to reach but the 2nd ones were doable. We got to the Tuna grounds at 9:30 am. Glen wanted to troll and asked me to troll the wood. (cedar plug) Which happens to be one of my favorite Yellowfin tuna trolling lures!!!! I told him I didn't want to because I wanted to be first one in the water on the slide. (If you're trolling you have to reel your line in get your bait pole and then lose the opportunity to be the first one in the water.) We came up on 5 groups of boiling, jumping, puddling tuna and got no bites on any of them. (pretty hard to believe all that action and no bites) Every single time I was first one in the water with a good bait and the right set up. #20 pound test line, floro leader and my favorite ringed flyliner hook just with the smaller version of hook on. I believe in this hook so much I made Glen cut off his rubber hook and use one of mine. We are going to get only 1 shot at this, "So don't screw this up!!!!" (I told myself) That goes for Glen too! So after 5 stops and no bites, "I thought maybe we need to get a troll fish to get them to commit and bite." So I dropped my original plan and trolled the wood, trying to get something going. "BIG MISTAKE!!!!!" The very next group of fish we came on I was trolling and out of position. Guess what happened????? They bit on the slide!!!!! 5 fish went off and I had my hands on both of my poles!!! lol These were smaller fish like 12 pounders and they lost 3 out of 5!!! (losers!!!!) So now we are drifting and we occasional get a boil around the boat. (these are bigger fish) So Glen and I are soaking a bait way away from the boat. When Glen tells me his bait took all of his mono out and he's got spectra in his hands. When someone yells hook up!!!! I turn back and it's Glen!!!! He didn't hook no Tommey Cod but a big mean Tuna on 20 pound gear. Glen being Glen, start's screwing around by putting his clicker on when's the fish is running. If anyone ever fished with Bruce before, should know he is one excitable Moofoo!!!! He start's yelling at Glen for screwing around!!!! Glen yells back, "Captain I'm just having a little fun!!!!" The 2 came to a truce and Glen started fighting the fish correctly. It was a good 20 minutes before that fish came to deep color. A beautiful #25 pound Yellowfin Tuna!!! I knew that was probably are only shot today at getting one so I was really nervous for Glen!!! That thing made at least 10 big circles before they stuck a Gaff in him!!!!! Needless to say he won the Jackpot and donated the money to the crew. No more action the rest of the day and we headed home. Glen did his part for the team and I mentally kicked myself in the ARSE all the way home for not sticking to my guns about being first one in the water on the slide. I can't believe with 5 fish going off in the slide I wouldn't have gotten bit!!!! Well folks that's our $50 dollar tuna story!!!! Thanks for reading.
