Local exotics, DP 8-9

[smanx57]

With all the local reports of dorado close by, I decided to take my girl and try it on Saturday. Launching later than I wanted to @ 630, and after waiting about an hour for bait, we were finally out of Dana Point harbor. About 7 miles out we started trolling for about an hour with no luck. Pulled the lines in and headed towards the 279. Just before getting to the 279 we saw about 20-30 boats and decided to head that way to see what's up. They were all fishing this one patty, the only patty we had seen. We dropped our sardines along with everyone else and started our drift. Now I would not normally take the action away from another boat fishing a patty, but with this parking lot, it was open to anyone. Seeing a little action here and there on some of the boats was a good sign. Not wide open by any means, but the fish were there. We also seen the fish jumpinn and boiling, so we knew they were there, but getting them to bite our lines was not easy. After a few drifts and many bait changes I decided to try lighter line. Switched to my 12 lb setup, dropped a sardine, and whamo. Fish on! My first dorado. After that, two more on the boat. They were not under the patty, but anywhere from 20-100 yards off it. All the time I was catching these my girl was using the heavier (maybe 20 lb) line. Wanting my girl to get on of her own, I handed her the lighter setup. After two drifts of her on the light line, I decided to throw one of my own on the heavier setup. Fish on again, of course she wasn't happy about that. I handed her the line so she could reel it in. She was having a great time with this one. Getting it to the boat, she handed my the pole to land the fish. I was playing with this fish, figuring the heavier line I would be oaky. Well I guess I played a little too long as this one snapped the line. We had enough fish for us anyhow. As the wind started to pick up we headed in only to fiind the zoo at the launch ramp.