08/15-08/16 ISLAND FISHING! New PB(s)?????
WARNING SUPER LONG POST!!!
Webmaster Jeff sends me a text Sunday night, "Fishing tomorrow?" Well I'm down!
Monday rolls along, I get work done as fast as I can, then I load up my poles and head to the 99 to pick up snacks and monster shooters, all for 99cents!
Bought some sandwiches from Albertsons, the staple fishing food, and pull up to Webmaster's shortly after noon. As we're loading up the boat I notice that there's no mustard or mayo packets in the sandwiches!!! DISASTER!
"Hey Jeff, you have any mustard or mayo? These albertson's fellas forgot them again!"
Webmaster says, "I've got a little surprise for us, we may not want those sandwiches!"
Turns out webmaster bought a little stove from Big 5, and loaded up the icebox with burgers!! w00t!
Days looking fantastic already!!!
We buy bait at San pedro bait company. The chovies look awesome. Some nicer sized chovies in the mix. If you guys launch outta cabrillo, or even los al, give San pedro bait company a try. Nice staff and a nice clean bait barge with quality bait!
We head straight for the island with our bait tank full and full tanks of gas. Luckily we had glass conditions most of the way. We heard that the yellows were moving out and about around the front side so we gave that a shot. Nobody's home. No bites, no runs, no boils.
Wanting to make the best of the evening bite we try a couple more spots, trying to get a bite to happen. We did the drift and the anchor, with frozen squid, dines, chovies and even small mac with no love.
With the sun setting, we decide to head over to where we'd be making bait for the night. We get our squid light out and it wasn't long before we see squid down a ways below the boat.
Jeff fires up the butane stove while I go at it with the whac-a-mole (trying to catch squid). Reports of easy squid gives me hope for easier whac-a-mole. Sometimes its easier, sometimes its rough. I recall the last time I tried to make squid at Catalina, I caught 8 the whole night! (We metered a ton of squid but they just wouldn't float up)
Pretty soon we see bigger schools of squid starting to come up, but still too deep for a scoop. But every once in a while something would scare them up and I would get a couple. Within an hour or so I had about 20 pieces in the tank. The 2nd hour though, the squid really started floating up and I was getting consistent scoops of 5 pieces or so every 20 seconds. When it became obvious that we'd be getting enough squid, I took a break to eat the fresh cooked burger.DE-freaking-LICIOUS! Maybe cause I got too used to cold sandwiches while fishing... not that they're bad or anything... but this burger is the most delicious thing ever! I wolf it down and get ready for whack-a-mole round 2.
"uhh Jeff. Take a look at this!"
We see the thickest school of squid we've ever seen. They were floating so thick right up to the light. There was more squid than water! Within a couple scoops we had more than we could ever use!!!
There was so much squid that they clogged the drain of thee bait tank! and when we looked, some of the bait had died.
"Need more squid"
and now by this time the squid were so thick It seemed like I could walk on the water! I shove the net in the water and do a scoop. Too heavy to carry. I dump half the squid out of the net. Still heavy but I was able to lift it out.
"We gotta go Eric, these squid are clogging the drain again!"
We anchor up and decide to bail out to where we planned to fish the next morning.
We got to the spot and I decided to toss a line out. 4 foot nurse shark is all that I could account for from the night.
Lights out and knock out.
---------------------------------------------------
Wake up to gray light and toss lines out with fresh squid. Baited and waited, and waited, and waited. No bite. We anchor up to find another spot. Once again the water is glass so we decide to do a drift. Waited and waited and waited. We fire up the motor and look for more promising fishing.
We find a nice patty to rear into and drop anchor. Toss lines out and it wasn't long before we get the first clicker scream. Feels a little bigger than normal calicos, but not the right kind we're looking for. Color! and its whitefish! Big ole whitefish at 2lbs. Next couple fish were also whitefish but they seemed to get bigger and bigger! My previous best whitefish was around 2lbs, and I ended up boating one in the 4-5 lb class! NEW PB WHITEFISH
okay okay, now before you think, wow... how lame. A PB whitefish... please just keep reading.
Then my clicker screams again. This one feels a little different! Wonder what this fish is? Color. Halibut!!
We fish this spot for 1 more whitefish and one PRETTY calico that unfortunately swallowed the hook which gave him an invitation to the dinner party.
We pull anchor and look for some better fishing.
As we're driving over, Skipper Jeff finds promising structure on the fish finger- a really nice drop off that goes from 60-90 real fast. We decide to do a drift. We drive over and cut the engine and toss the lines out. 50 feet. 55 feet. 60 feet and the bite turned on like a light switch. WHITE FISH WHITE FISH WHITE FISH! BIG ole fatties! up to 6 pound whitefish! NEW PB WHITEFISH... AGAIn! I never seen such big whitefish! We were releasing any whitefish under 3 lbs. As soon as the bait hit bottom it was hookup!
I get another hit and I set the hook. This one feels different. Color!. SHEEPHEAD! big one! we net it up! Nice 8 lb sheephead! NEW PB SHEEPHEAD We bounce a few more whitefish on the boat and as soon as the depth hit 90 the bite shut off. 90... 95... 100... 105.. nada.
We fire up the engine and go looking for fish again.
tried closer up to see if we can find some seabass. While we wait Jeff fires up the stove for some smoked sausage for breakfast. DELICIOUS!!! but our baits aren't touched at all!!
We go looking for that drop off again so we can anchor on top of it. First anchor we weren't quite on it and we don't get bit. Anchor up, move, anchor down and the bite went WIIIIIIIDE on premium whitefish! Awesome eating HUGE whitefish!
Just then Jeff hooks up. "Its not a whitefish... get the gaff!" Jeffs fighting this thing and we're wondering what it could be. COLOR! SHEEPHEAD!! and the biggest darn goat I've ever seen in my life! NEW PB SHEEPHEAD FOR JEFF! This thing looked like it had a T-rex for a head! 20lb goat that made my 8lber look like a baby!
We fill our limits of whitefish and the sheephead decide to start playing. We each pick up another sheephead. Then it happens, my loomis gl2 with my calcutta and 14lb test gets slammed! I set it and it feels heavy!
I'm thinking big boat like Jeff's. But this one doesn't let up at all! It starts peeling drag and now we're thinking Big sea bass or homeguard yellowtail.
"What lb test you got on there Eric?"
"... I was fishing for whitefish and sheephead... its only 14...."
Jeff runs and ties the anchor off to a buoy and fires up the engine.
"Just in case Eric, we may have to chase this thing down."
ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ
"We gotta go Jeff"
We take off chasing this thing down. Luckily for us its going to deep water. There is NO stopping this thing. Run after Run after Run. I fight to gain 20 yards of line, then it rips off another 50.
"How long have I been fighting this thing?"
"at least 20 minutes. But its getting tired."
"I'M getting tired!"
It keeps running and running. I finally get to see my topshot knot, which lets me know I've got 100 feet of mono or so. Seeing that knot makes me scared and I when I reel in that knot into the spool I give a sigh of relief.
"Eric, you know that knot will come out of the spool at least a few more times."
and it sure did. It was like I was playing tug of war trying to keep that knot in the reel. 7-9 times that knot came back out in vicious runs.
After 40 minutes or so of hard hard fighting we see it coming to the surface.
BIG BIG BIG black sea bass!!!
Estimated to be about 100lbs!! New PB BLACK SEA BASS!!
We snap a couple pics and let her go.
We head back to our buoy and tie up to our anchor line again. No hits. wait wait wait. Seems like the black sea bass scared the fish away.
Well we didn't want to hit too much chop on the way back, so I start filleting the fish and making preparations to head back.
Not a bad day!!
We're coming back with 2 limits of HUGE whitefish-75 pounds or so, and 4 big sheephead.
For me,
-new whitefish PB
-new sheephead PB
-new black sea bass pB
For Jeff,
-new sheephead PB. (He's actually caught whitefish bigger than these! O_O )
(If you've ever cleaned sheephead, you know they have dense bones, and filleting a 20lber is no fun.)
We pull anchor and start heading back home while I'm cleaning fish. As I'm cleaning a little bird comes and lands on my shoulder. And it stays there! Just chilling. moving a little from my head to my shoulder, to my other shoulder. Not scared of me at all, but just chilling!
So now, I'm covered in blood. I've got a forscher knife in my hand. I'm on a boat on the ocean. And there's a bird on my shoulder.
yeappp I'm definitely a pirate! Honestly, I felt pretty cool right then and there.
"Eric, you're not a pirate."
"Why not?"
"You don't have an eye patch."
"....... son of a ......"
what a joy a kill. but he was right.
I just went from pirate king, to dumb little boy with bird on shoulder.
Not to be bummed out though, because of an awesome day of fishing. Jeff decides to stop at one last spot so we can fire up the stove and eat the last of our burgers. I toss a line out while Jeff readies the stove.
ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ
feels like a nicer sized calico. But that'd be against the rules because I'm only allowed 11.5 inch calicos.
bring it in close. color. small WHITE SEA BASS!!!
undersized... but that really gets the excitement going!!!
If there's one. There's more. And shoot, maybe some will be catchable size, maybe even 30 inches!!
ZZZZZZZZZ Jeff's clicker screams! Picks up the pole. Lets it run. Sets the hook. FISH ON!!! BENDOO!!!!
He starts fighting the fish. Seems like its fighting hard for a 30inch WSB.
COLOR! and it ain't no BABY!!!!
ZZZZZZZZZZZZZ!!
I reel in all the other rods!
I guess it saw the boat and flipped out cause now its making good runs!
Jeff brings it close to the boat, sticks the gaff and THUMP!!! 35 lb white sea bass!!! New personal best WSB for JEFF!!!
We leave him flopping and get the lines back out. Jeff reels in a pole to check for bait and as he's reeling it in he gets NAILED right close to the boat. We see color on the hookset!!!
SEABASS!! ZZZZZZ!!! ZZZZ!!!!!
A shorter fight and seabass number 2 thumps on the boat! 20lber!!!
Jeff's got TWO seabass on the boat now!
Why am I only getting mackerel and 11.5 inch calicos???
Feel the run. Set hook. MACKEREL.
Feel the run. Set hook. Calico
again and again
Run. Set the hook. MACKEREL... wait.... ZZZZZZZZZZZZ!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
SEABASSS!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Going around the anchor. I pass the pole to Jeff. He goes around the anchor and passes it back. Short pump short pump. But 100 lb black sea bass has took all the ammo from these guns! (haha had to say it. sorry)
Short pumps are so hard to do when your arms are shot and your backs aching!
My pumps are getting longer. But its okay because I'm not on 14 lb test anymore. 25 lb p-line on my avet lx with 50 lb spectra backing. And a circle hook to top it off! You're going nowhere!!!
THUMP!!! 30 lb white sea bass new PB!!!!
This picture doesn't do it justice. It turned sideways so it looks skinny. but the thing had a gut!
And as the bite turned on quickly, it shut off just as quick. We switched baits to small macs now. Every time I tossed out a squid, it would get hammered by 11.5 inch calicos. Instamatic! I caught dozens of them!
Jeff decides to catch a calico too.
speechless. I caught 25-30 calicos. NONE of them were over 12.
Then he picks up another.
????
Another being released.
Baffling I tell you...
Even at clemente. *recall* Jeff caught a 3lb calico. "they're all this size here!" oh really... I tossed out my squid. BAM. 11.5 inch calico. BAM another 11.5. BAM another 11.5.
At one point my squid hits the bottom without being picked up. That's odd. I usually get hit INSTANTLY by 11.5 inch calico. Maybe I got jacked? Maybe the squid flew off on the cast?
I reel in. I feel weight. Kelp? Set the hook just in case. ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ!!!!
FISH ON!!!!
Shorter fight and THUMP. Seabass number 4 hits the deck!!!
Anyways. The bite has shut off now. Jeff fires up the stove as originally planned. DELICIOUS burgers once again. BETTER EVEn! maybe they were the grilled onions. Maybe the sliced dill pickles. Or maybe a deck full of white seabass.
The sun sets. The bite shuts off and we head in after an amazing day of fishing.
Thanks again to the skipper!
Thanks all for reading!
FISH ON!!!!!
-EARG!
NEW PBS 6 total!! EPIC
Jeff- PB sheephead, PB white sea bass
Eric- PB sheephead, PB white sea bass, PB whitefish, PB black sea bass
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Originally Posted by BrandonFish
