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Thread: Rpt.-09-17-14 Tuna and a Do Do at the 277!

  1. #1
    Join Date
    Mar 2010
    Location
    Diamond Bar, CA 91765
    Posts
    549

    Default Rpt.-09-17-14 Tuna and a Do Do at the 277!

    I went fishing Wed. 9-17-14, with Joe (Grump) on his 26’ Striper. We launched out of Dana Point at 5:30 am, and patiently waited for our turn in line to get bait. We purchased a full scoop of very nice Sardines, and exited the harbor at 6am, with our beginning destination being the 277 Bank for Tuna some 27 miles away. This was my first successful fishing experience with Joe, as our previous attempt was aborted due to engine problems.

    The forecast called for some wind, 6 to 8 knots in the morning with the afternoon rising to 16 to 22 knots with small craft warnings. Well the weatherman got it right for the morning, although the swell forecast of 1 foot at 17 seconds was a bit off, as it was easily 3 to 4 feet, at maybe 10 seconds or less.

    We coasted out at around 16.5 knots and at about 15 miles out came across our first measurable Kelp Paddy. Tossed a few baits for nothing and moved on. A couple miles later we trolled by another nice Paddy and the Rapala got hammered. I was driving and Joe reeled in the hooked fish, while I cleared the other two trollers. It was a 14 pound Hen Dorado.

    We set the boat up on a drift of the paddy and both of us got bit almost instantly. The fish were small as I straight ground my hooked fish to the boat, a 3 lb. Yellowtail. Joe’s was a bit larger, maybe five pounds. Both were released. We both threw bait and got bit with similar sized Yellowtail, which were released.

    At about 9:30 am we came up upon a group of boats drifting off a very large garage sized Kelp Paddy. We didn’t see anyone hooked up, as we approached from up swell. Another boat moved right in on the paddy and got bit immediately. So we set up about 100 feet off the paddy. Maybe two minutes into our drift I got bit. The fish took a decent run and I worked it to the boat. Joe placed his rod in the holder and grabbed the gaff, as he made a super headshot stick. It was about a 15 pounder.

    Then Joe’s reel began screaming, and he was on! I tossed another slimy green Sardine and got bit instantly. It was going to be a gaff your own fish scenario, oh darn my fish unbuttoned. Joe’s fish came to color and I stuck the Tuna in the gill plates. The Tuna skunk is off the boat for both of us!

    We saw an opening to return to alpha spot on the big Kelp Paddy and Joe set us up nicely. Within maybe 30 to 45 seconds I was bit. This Tuna was a little smaller and charged the boat. I had color in about a minute and Joe got a nice belly shot a minute later. While I bled the tuna and hosed the blood off the deck, Joe got bit again. Just then a huge ten foot Hammerhead Shark appeared and swan close to the boat, then proceeded to circle Joe’s fish, so he let it stay deep. The Hammer Head moved on and Joe reeled in his Tuna and I stuck it right through the gill plates and through the mouth, sweet!




    Once again we moved back up to alpha spot and as I grabbed my 20 pound outfit and tossed in a new Sardine. I was bit almost instantly and after a short fight on a ten pound Yellowfin, Joe managed a shoulder shot on the gaff. The Hammerhead Shark returned and within seconds Joe was bit again. Another small Tuna and Joe had it to color very quickly. It was so green and squirrely, I gaffed in the side, darn!

    Most of the boats by this time were crowding the Kelp, although the fish usually bit at least 150 to 300 feet off the Kelp, up to several hundred yards. It was approaching high noon and the wind was making an unwelcomed appearance. Joe caught one more small Tuna and after quite a bit of soaking baits and seeing no other hook ups for quite some time, we decided to move on.

    We had seven Yellowfin Tuna in the cooler and one nice Do Do. According to the radio, others were not doing so well? There was one other massive kelp paddy in the area, some two miles away from, which we heard was holding more fish, unfortunately we did not seek out this opportunity and instead headed toward the 209, which had been producing good counts of fish earlier in the week.

    The seas became gnarly, with gusts of over 20 knots and a few 5 to 7 foot swells intermixed. We saw a lot of Sport boats off in the distance, south of us into heavy seas. We attempted to stop on a Kelp Paddy in that direction and found the seas to be unfishable at this time, with a few big swells crashing at three seconds apart and looking very treacherous?

    It was time to point it home. We were 35 miles from the harbor and buckled down for the mainly down swell ride. Our direction carried us over the 209; however we saw absolutely no signs of fish or any other activity. We did stop on a number of nice Kelp Paddies for nothing. The seas inside 20 miles from port did calm down.

    Water temps were amazingly between 75 to 77 degrees, and the water was a milky blue to purple color in most areas. We anchored up outside the harbor to clean fish. Out of the water at 4:30 pm and after a boat scrub down, left Dana Point shortly after 5pm only to head directly into a heavy traffic jam on the 5 freeway, as a result of a fire in a Sparkletts water truck as well as the usual off work heavy traffic at this time table. Home in Diamond Bar at 6:30 pm.

    Joe took some pictures and will add them to the post.

    Thanks Joe, we had a very decent day of fishing, and I enjoyed sharing a rail with you. Hope we can do it again soon!

    Hook up! Cory

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Mar 2008
    Location
    Beaumont, CA
    Posts
    503

    Default

    Cory,

    A Great Report! Thanks

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Nov 2009
    Location
    Whittier
    Posts
    2,455

    Default

    Very nice report Cory,sounds like quite a few fish came off that patty! WTG

    Cya Tuna Vic

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Nov 2009
    Location
    Rat Beach
    Posts
    7,272

    Default

    Thanks for the always great report.
    DR

  5. #5

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    This was fun to read... Getting me pumped for my trip this next weekend. Tunaslam, great report. So I must confess I have NEVER caught a tuna. Closest was a bonita. I'm heading out of Newport harbor with some buddies this Saturday- I found the GPS coordinates for some fishing spots, including the 277 bank and the 209: http://www.fishingnetwork.net/socal/gps2.htm. I'm hoping I can land at least one. The cap has a 50ft. Bayliner so we should be pretty safe, not unlike on a party boat. Any advice you have that I can take with me?

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