Rpt.-Wed.-07-051-15 An Offshore Slam on the Kolo!

[Tunaslam]

Holy Mackerel, can the local fishing get any better? Just wow! 7 miles off of Dana Point we caught 35, 50, and 65 pound Yellowfin Tuna, eight Bluefin Tuna 30 to 40 pounds, five Yellowtail to 18 pounds and a Do Do, for an offshore (inshore?) slam!

So I went Tuna and Tail fishing with Jeff on his 24’Skipjack, the “Kolamono” with crew Frank and Ryan, Wednesday, 7-15-15. I set the alarm for 2am, and arrived at Jeff’s house in La Mirada at 3 am. The dilemma was where to start? The 150 produced Bluefin Tuna to 70 pounds on the ¾ day boats Tuesday! Off Laguna, near Newport Harbor there were great reports of mixed Tuna to over 100 pounds. Then there was Dana Point with Tuna being caught close to shore. Decisions, decisions? Well Captain Jeff said we are giving it a go at Dana Point, as they were said to have some dandy Sardines for bait.

So we locked and loaded our gear and quickly headed south, Launching at Dana Point after topping off the fuel tanks at 4am. Gad $4.05 per gallon, a rip off and bargain compared to some other gas stations we saw at $5.09? California refineries are gouging us? Thanks Governor Brown, you really are getting the job done, no!

We picked up a less than normal size scoop of very large Sardines at the bait dock, with only three boats in line and many more already launching at this early hour. Jeff indicated we had plenty of time before we needed to head offshore, so we put on the Sabicki rigs and made about a dozen Mackerel. They were not very co-operative during our hour of trying.

Jeff pointed the boat north to some numbers he had, and away from the multiple boats mostly heading south. We worked our way north for about 6 to 7 miles and then did a 180 to parallel the coast at about 7 miles offshore.

Frank spotted a kelp paddy and we chummed some of the few dead Sardines. Frank got bit on the iron (Mega Bait) and pulled in a four pound Yellowtail. Jeff got bit and also caught a four pound Yellowtail, as did I. Shamefully we kept them; they do make good sashimi at that size. Frank and Jeff both spotted some bigger boils on the other side of the Kelp Paddy, so Jeff re-positioned us back near the Paddy.

Both Ryan and I got picked and dropped, Jeff got hammered and with some serious drag being taken, knew that this was not a baby Tail. A good fight and I stuck him in the gills with the gaff.

A very bloody Yellowtail:





Darn I got picked and dropped again. Frank gets slammed and he also has a decent sized Yellowtail on his line. Jeff gaffed the Tail after a good fight.



Frank wanted a picture with his new (recently purchased) Truline D-8 which for him was no longer virgin:



I have two D-8 Truline rods and they are serious jig sticks, although Frank was using his as a bait stick?

The Paddy went dry and we put out the trollers for the first time today. We only trolled for about five minutes and spotted another nice paddy. Birds diving and a jumping Do Do, but no one was hungry. Not too far away we saw a gathering of boats, about five, all stopped. In the middle of them we could see huge boils. Several boats had bent rods. We setup about 200 yards up swell of them. Frank tossed a Sardine and was almost instantly inhaled. Tuna on! Yeah.

Ryan gets bit, and so does Jeff. Crap, what am I doing wrong? Then I get short bit. Frank works his Tuna to color, and with everyone else hooked up, I grabbed the gaff and did a perfect head shot on our smallest Bluefin Tuna of the morning, just under 30 pounds.. Tuna skunk is off early. Ryan is getting worked by his fish, and Jeff has hooked a beast!

Finally I get bit again and this time it is game on. The darn Tuna plays Kamikaze with me, racing toward the boat from 100 yards out. I reel like a madman and catch up to him. Jeff has deep color and so does Ryan. Frank sticks Ryan’s Tuna a good 35+ pounds. I begin the Tuna two step with Jeff and this continues for a few minutes. Jeff’s Tuna races to the other corner and my fish is in the way and I have to duck under Jeff as my Tuna dives under the boat. Attempting to move out of Jeff’s way and scramble to follow my Tuna, it unbuttons. Darn!

Ryan and Frank are both bit again, as we see Tuna coming all the way out of the water, within 50 feet of the boat and as far out as two hundred yards. Fortunately we had drifted away from all the other boats and were all alone in the zone! Again with everyone hooked up I was left to gaff Jeff’s pig Yellowfin Tuna as he finally got it to the surface after a really long and furious battle. I stuck it in the belly, not waiting for a headshot as this was a toad Tuna. The brute almost pulled the gaff out of my hands when I stuck him and Jeff assisted me in bringing him aboard as I could hardly lift him. We estimated the big Yellowfin Tuna to weigh somewhere near 65 pounds. It bottomed out the 50 Lb. Boga before even lifting him completely off the deck.



Frank was ready and I stuck his Bluefin Tuna, easily over 30 pounds. Frank is a happy camper:



I was soaking a bait while all the action was going on and as soon as I began pumping the Sardine in I was hammered. Oh boy can I join the party? Yikes another Kamikaze experience, run at me and then pull back, repeat and again as I can’t wind on him fast enough. Ok the big boy sounds, and takes another 50 yards doing so. Gad these Tuna are tough. I fight to gain line, but this one was not ready to give up anytime soon. Ok five minutes or more later I have deep color. Can’t budge him. The circle of death continues. Pump hard and down he goes, again and again, then I gain line, Jeff is there to stick him, wow a 40+ pound Bluefin Tuna. Never have I caught that big a Bluefin Tuna so close to shore and this far north of the border?





Exhausted and needing a beer I take timeout to watch Ryan hoist his Bluefin Tuna, another 35+ pound fish:



The terns are still working and we see boils out past 100 yards. Jeff catches another Bluefin as does Ryan and Frank. It gets a little fuzzy here as I hook another beast after finishing my beer. We were all fishing 30 pound test line, except Frank caught his first on 25, then switched to 30 seeing Jeff’s fish. My beast has easily taken 150 yards of line off my spool, and promptly does what the others have done, screams right at me. I reel like hell and catch up to him, only to have another 100 yards of line dragged out.

This continues several more times. It is at least 20 minutes before getting the big Tuna to deep color. It enters the death circle for another 10 minutes, where I rarely gain any line and when I do it immediately gains it back. After a 30 minute battle the huge Tuna rises to the surface and quickly escapes to the depths, not liking the close proximity to the boat. I am nearly wasted as the Tuna goes into circle after circle after circle up towards the bow and back under the boat. My arms are cramping, and I want to give up, this is one stubborn Tuna that is giving its all to survival. Being 45 minutes into the fight it does give up and Jeff sinks the gaff into a 50+ pound Yellowfin Tuna. Again the biggest I have ever caught locally.

After resting a few minutes and downing a quick beer, I got assistance from Jeff to hold up this monster; sometimes pictures never do them justice:



We were now faced with having way too many fish to put in the two kill bags. So we began fileting them. We kept a few baits in the water for ***** and grins while cleaning the fish. I fileted a few tuna and tossed out a fresh Sardine (although now they were all semi crippled) seeing some more terns working just off our stern. I get bit instantly, and since I hooked this 35+ pound Yellowfin Tuna deep throat, it came up in a moderate time. I was definitely done, no longer able to grip a rod, with all the cramping of my arms and fingers. Old age sucks!





Some more pictures:



Captain Jeff with another Bluefin Tuna:



As they say, there is nothing wrong with bloody decks:








With the decks smothered in fish, Frank was soaking a bait way out there and gets bit by a Do Do, it was a female and the Male was hanging around underneath it. Yet we could not get him to bite, although our remaining bait was sluggish at best. :



My two big guys, Bluefin and Yellowfin Tuna:





We finished fileting fish and finally called it at 12:30 pm. We arrived back at the dock at 1pm and at Jeff’s home by 2pm. Not too much traffic fortunately.

Thanks so much for the invite Jeff; you are truly a fishy Captain! It was great to fish with you again Frank, nice sharing a rail with you too Ryan. I hope we can all fish together again soon. What a workout. Yikes, I am feeling my age, sore in places I didn’t know I had places.

Hook up! Cory

[Wingnut]

Oh man, I nearly fell out of my chair at the office today when Jeff sent me the photos.

You guys absolutely killed it! Great job everybody.

Well done done Jeff landing the big Yellowfin on 30# line.

See you soon...

[blakeb]

Hell yeah boys the slaughter was real for you this trip!!! Monsters slaying

[MikesOcean]

LOOKS EPIC TO ME!!

Huge congrats to you all!!

Makes me even more pumped for long haul trip tomorrow leaving from
San Pedro. Wow! I'm only looking to put one on the new boat. I hope
I don't make it to dana and find a score way before.

Exciting report tunaslam! Sounded like a complete blast.

Congrats Jeff on a successful trip for your crew.

[trail blazer]

WOW,,,



EPIC slay on the KOLO,

A G A I N!

I want someeeeeee

congrats men

TRAIL BLAZER

[FrankyG]

Hell yeah Jeff! Thanks for having me aboard the kolo! Nice fishing with you again Cory!

[ichthus]

Wow! Wow! Wow! Epic for sure! Thanks for the excellent report Corey!

[TUNAVIC]

It just keeps getting better,every report I see tops a prior one,just incredible,good work guys! Thanks Cory.

Cya Tuna Vic

[DockRat]

OMG Report of the year !!!

[exfactor]

Well, you guys should have enough tuna and yellows now, time to come get some big seabass and hali's up here! Those fish on 30 are really testing your abilities! Glad you had a great day fishing with friends. Mikey