Rpt-Wed-06-12-13 My Catalina curse is over-a Trifecta+1
After chasing ghosts at Catalina on 13 different trips over three years to no avail, the third trip this year turned out to be the charm! Talk about emerging from a slump, this was a day to remember, and certainly my first Quadfecta (Black Seabass, White Seabass, Yellowtail and Halibut) at this Island or any island in my 57 years of fishing! I’m guessing only a very few others have ever enjoyed the experience and if so would love to hear about it? Perhaps your catch was made on a multi day trip, yet on a one day trip, if so, very special!
So sit back and enjoy the ride as I take you on an adventure that will most certainly not be repeated in my remaining life time! Since a picture is worth a thousand words, how about we start with a few to get the adrenalin working:
Only the second time fishing with Jeff on his 24’Skipjack, the “Kolamono”, Wed. 6-12-13, I arrived at Jeff’s house at 10:00 pm in La Mirada and we headed to Davies in Long Beach to launch the boat for our trip Catalina. We stopped at Nachos to pick up some insurance Squid and were told that they were closed until 4am. Nacho was not present and we are sure he would have accommodated us had he been there, as Jeff is a regular customer. We complained to whomever to no avail.
Jeff set a course for the east end of Catalina and on to the backside to attempt to make squid. We cleared the breakwater at 11pm and arrived to the backside at around 12:45 am. There were squid boats and seiners in a variety of areas and Jeff began metering around to find a nest near Silver Canyon. We began a drift, put out the squid light and within 5 minutes a few small schools of squid made their appearance. The meter showed scattered marks, yet was the best reading we had had so far. Jeff dropped the anchor and we waited for the squid to float. I brought in a squid hear and several there with the net, yet the quantity we needed to utilize the Crowder never appeared. After an hour of maybe making 20 pieces we pulled anchor and headed over to the Long Beach Carnage and bought a half scoop of squid. We asked how the float was and they said it was tough work to scratch out enough to sell and needed a seiner’s help to fill up?
Jeff had fished the island on Monday and he and his girlfriend each caught 25-30 pound White Seabass and Jeff added a 35 pound Yellowtail. So Jeff anchored up in this area to try our luck. Once again a few squid appeared under the lights, but never allowed an opportunity to get many. We maybe added another 10 pieces before we called it a morning at 3am, we both of us in dire need of sleep! We each put out a couple of outfits and set about dreaming of White Seabass and screaming drags!
I awoke just before 5am, already well into the grey. There was a foggy mist surrounding us, and despite being only a few hundred yards away you could barely see the Island. Water temps were 63.7 degrees, and the water appeared very clear and a soft blue color.
After half an hour the Barracuda moved in and began tormenting our squid and shredding our lines which were on our sliding sinker outfits. Then I got hammered and this was no Barracuda. The fish made a beeline toward the kelp line up to the bow of the boat. I nearly lost my balance and fell I walked the very thin ledge of the Skipjack, like walking on a very narrow plank? Made it to the bow and thought the fish would make it into the kelp, and then headed out to sea? This time I handed my rod to Jeff, not wanting to repeat the one handed hanging on to the rail to return to the stern. A smart move to avoid chaos and taking an unwanted cold sea shower.
I gained line on it and finally the fish was visible, a darn Mud Marlin (Bat Ray)? At a little after 6 am we pulled anchor and went looking, as the meter was empty and conditions did not look favorable. Working between the three Vees and Salsa Verdes we came upon diving birds whom looked like were feeding on day time squid. The meter was lit up and so we began drifting. I pinned two live squid on my CP105 Dolphin color jig, as I was too lazy to change to the typical white Tady lure with a red strip, known to entice the White Seabass and Yellowtail. Turns out to have been a super decision that I made.
Both of us were also using our sliding sinker rigs and immediately getting hammered by both Barracuda and Calico Bass. This area was real fishy! My jig outfit goes big time bendo, and the drag begins to whistle. After a short run and then nearly dead weight. Jeff hollers, must be a Halibut. I said and a big one to take drag on my 50 pound outfit. I immediately backed off on the drag, knowing Halibut have very soft mouths. Sure enough a huge brown shadow appeared from the depths. Jeff sinks the gaff and the big Flatty goes berserk on the deck. Jeff slams the head with the butt end of the gaff a couple of times and peace resumes. A beautiful 27 pounder, and my first big Halibut in a number of years, although I don’t fish for them and they are always a by catch to my targeted species:
We drifted in near the kelp line and Jeff returned us to deeper water. The birds were gone, yet the meter stilled looked promising. I wasn’t in the water more than a minute and once again my jig gets picked up, a bit longer run, albeit on a lighter drag, which I had not reset. Same scenario, sure felt like another Halibut? Yep, another deep dark brown shadow slowly rises. Jeff hits the big butt right in the head and it bounces off. Yikes, that put the fish in panic mode, and it made quite a lengthy run towards the bottom. This time I guided the fish so Jeff could shoot for a belly shot, and fine job Jeff. My gosh this Halibut was even bigger than the first, a 30 pounder:
Wow, what a start to the day, however, the targeted species remains the prime directive, the elusive Ghost. After retying my sliding sinker outfit for the umpteenth time, I get rewarded with a screaming drag on my next cast. Holy smokes this fish is on a mission and I holler to Jeff, I don’t know what it is, but it is going to spool me soon if we don’t follow it. I was using 30 pound test Izor’s CXX line with a Flouro leader and a 7/0 Aki Twist Hook.
Jeff backs down the boat for what seems like an eternity. I would gain line and lose line, mostly lose line. Finally the big fish sounded. It became straight up and down tug of war. Every time I would get its head turned, down it went! A 40 minute battle, neither of us would give up, I pulled hard, and inching down on the drag, praying it was not another Mud Marlin, which it never acted like except for the initial run of some 300 to 400 yards. We were now in 190 feet of water and we were both sure it was a Black, or a monster White Seabass. Jeff said his friend caught one over 70 pounds in the same general area last year, so maybe?
At last the last few winds on the reel revealed an enormous bulk emerging; yes it’s a big White, as I thought I saw a flash of silver no that was the Blacks belly. Thoroughly whipped, drenched in sweat, with sand paper knees from being pinned to the rail for so long, I exhaled. Jeff kept the boat in gear so the fish would have water flow through the gills. Jeff had an anchor outfit which he had used in the past to drag a black back down for revival. As he snapped off a couple of pictures and unwound the anchor rope to attach to the fish, I reached down and attempted to pull out the hook. It wanted no part of that and dove. Wow, a successful release!
Jeff returned us to the spot of the crime, although in a bit deeper water. There were still many meter marks and the Bass and Barracuda remained in full feeding mode. Then for the third time today my jig outfit got hammered. Oh yeah, head shakes, not a Halibut, the right kind, you bet. A short battle on 50 pound with a tightened drag and Jeff sunk the gaff into my first Ghost in three years, a 25 pounder:
Thirty seconds later Jeff was bit hard on his dropper loop outfit and it too was the right kind. The fish was a bit on the small side, thoughts were made to release it and try for another? No, Jeff had caught two on Monday, and he knew they don’t release well, so I stuck the gaff into it:
OK, mission accomplished, time to go find some Yellowtail on the front side to complement the day and accomplish a real Trifecta? We stopped at Hen Rock and several other fishy looking areas, but only found a few Calico Bass interested. The Sport boat Sport King was anchored up somewhere east of Empire. We decided to spent a few moments there, first drifting and then we anchored up after catching more Bass and Barracuda, but witnessed the landing of a Yellowtail on the King.
Jeff promptly hooked up and sure enough it was a Yellowtail. A dandy 12 pound fish:
The DFG was patrolling the area and we watched them give a citation to a private boater group, and then board the King and proceeded to write several folks up for I’m guessing either short Barracuda or Calico Bass?
They paid us a visit and asked us if we had caught anything, although we knew they had observed our constant releasing of Calicos and Cuda’s? We stated we had just a few keepers, and pointed to our filled to the brink Kill bag. We opened it for them and I took a quick picture:
They acknowledged that we were the first they had boarded that anything besides Calico Bass and Barracuda. They also pointed out that this was a very good year for Halibut and gave us congrats on our catch. After checking our licenses, they bid us adios and more good luck, nice guys. I thanked them for doing their job.
The Sport King left and shortly thereafter the Freelance setup near us. We watched them brail live squid and anchovies. The current had changed and everything changed with it. Then it changed again, and we had to reset the anchor. All of a sudden we heard hoops and hollers from the Freelance, and noticed a number of hook ups. We didn’t see many fished gaffed though. They had 79 anglers on board, what a zoo?
For several hours we watched and waited as the Freelance had surge after surge of feeding Yellowtail come through their chum lines. Boil. Boil, fresh one, follow that fish. We couldn’t buy a bite; except for you know what Bass and Barracuda. Gad we had to of caught 40 to 50 Calico Bass and 20+ Barracuda, those that made it to the boat that is, and not shredding our lines. It was 3pm and we decided that we might as well clean our fish here while we soaked our baits. We removed all the fish and laid them on the deck for a picture, and wham I’m bit on my 20 pound fly lined outfit. Yee ha, it’s a Yellowtail. A solid battle, the fish on the deck, and my Quadfecta in the books:
Put on the glove, grabbed the filet knife and my other outfit, a 25 pound rig with a small sliding sinker got bit. Yep, it was another Yellowtail, our third of the day:
We finished cleaning the fish, leaving the full skin on and retaining the Halibut carcass. The Freelance pulled anchor and so did we at 3:45pm. What a day! Back at the dock and on the trailer at a little after 5pm. Stopped at my good friend Lal’s house and shared some Trifecta filets with him, as he poured me a cold glass of Chardonnay, yum yum. Home by 8pm and in bed at 8:30 totally exhausted.
Woke up this morning with aches in places I didn’t know I had places, although they were feel good aches? Also noticed I had hamburger hands, cuts and scraps everywhere, break out the Neosporin.
Thanks so much for the invite Jeff, an unbelievable adventure together. What can we do for an encore? Tuna, Tuna!
Hook up! Cory
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wow! what a report to read, congrats on the amazing trip! thats a very nice mix of keepers!
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Originally Posted by ml8fish
I need to get out there and try for the others 
