This year is a year I'll never forget. It's not that I never had big years before, it's the fact you can get something so nice with so little effort. What I mean by that, "there has been big yellowtail caught all year on half and 3/4 day boats all down the CA coast" Today was no exception!!!!! The place was Marina Del Rey sport fishing on the half day boat, "New Del Mar." If you never been to Marina Del Rey sport fishing your missing a good landing. The fish counts in recent years in Santa Monica Bay aren't what they use to be!!!! So I haven't been going there like I use too. Upon my return nothing much has changed, they still have the closest and best free parking of any landing. My truck was only a 100 feet away from the boat, you'll appreciate that if your carry a lot of fishing crap and then have to take a whole sack of fish with you getting off the boat. lol Another good thing about MDR sport fishing is they only take your name for a reservation, none of that Credit Card Crap!!!!! Both the Spitfire their 3/4 day boat and the "New Del Mar" their 1/2 day boat are relative newer style boats with friendly crews and great food!!!! The Break feast Burrito on the "New Del Mar" is second to none. I highly recommend it!!!! On to the fishing!!!!!!!!!
Since this is only a half-day boat 7:30- 12:00pm you would think you wouldn't get enough fishing time. I'm happy to report that since the fish are only a few miles off the power plant, you get plenty of time to fish. Their not getting live bait yet, so you do need to bring a handy dandy to catch some very small Mackerel for Chum. I've fished for Mackerel quite a few times this year, but it was never this easy. Most of the time I had a small Mackerel on every hook on my handy dandy when they were biting. So chum catching was a breeze!!!!! I say chum catching, "NOT BAIT CATCHING!!!!!!' Every one who was serious about catching a 20-33 lbs yellowtail had a Heavy Iron on. We had a bunch of sticks on the boat today!!!! (Not a bunch of stiffs) That's why are fish count was soo good!!!!! 22 yellowtail landed all GRANDE SIZE and we didn't lose more then a handful!!!!! None of this, "we hooked 20 and only landed 6 fish!!!!" These boys came prepared, heavy line 30, 40, and 50 pound test line and big heavy yo yo jigs!!!!! Let me work in reverse, there was 1 yellowtail caught on bait and 1 yellowtail caught on a small jig and 20 yellowtail caught on full size yo yo jigs mostly 6x's. The color and the boat location was a little tricky. Had I known what I know now, I would have probably caught more then the one 20 lbs yellowtail that I landed!!!!! Here's what I mean, the 3 best colors were mint/green and white, blue and white with the black swiggly's on it and scrambled egg. The way to fish these things was to start on the port side right when the captain get's right on top of them. (It's all sonar fishing, no anchoring up) 18 of our hook ups came on the port side, only 7 came on the starboard side and most of them after we were drifting for awhile. Once we were drifting for 10 minutes or more the starboard side was probably the way to go. Why?????? The way we were drifting the fish would come thru on that side first. (I know whay to complicated) Of the 22 yellowtail landed, it was boom or bust for most people. I know 1-2 guy's got 3 yellowtail apiece, 3-4 guy's got 2 apiece and 7-8 got one and 17-19 people caught nothing. For me I was fishing on the starboard side all day (wrong spot) and I had to switch my jig 3 times before I got it right. The only reason I got it right (mint/white) I watched a deck hand who was fishing on his day off (on the starboard side) get 2 on the mint/white and he said, "he sold all the extra's he had this past week to other people." (fortunately I have every good color) I do plan to come back on this bite after this weather front goes through. Thanks for reading my story!!!!!