Slug Yellowtail biting on the Indian

[etucker1959]

Boy this is a very different year then the last 2 years. No coastal Yellowtail biting except for the Rats off of Rocky point. The Islands Yellowtail have bit on and off for the last several months. The problem is they only bite for a couple of days pretty good and then you get that famous expression from the Skippers. "Today was a totally different day!!!!" Finally I got the explanation I was looking for why the coastal Yellowtail in places like the 150 spot haven't bitten at all this season. The water is warm on the top, but go down 60 feet and it's 57-59 degree water. Well this season is running out so I better do something quick!!!!! So I plotted several of my favorite Island boats and said, "I'm going to go fishing when they start catching some Big Yellowtail." (No Rats allowed) I figured the 805 boats (Oxnard boats) San Diego Island boats or the 3/4 Catalina boats were my best bet. Going on the Overnight boats to places like San Nick wasn't worth the time or the effort to me. (I'm getting old) lol My fishing partner Glenn was coming back from Alaska on Tuesday so Friday would be a good day to go fishing. Fortunately when it comes to fish counts I can read between the lines. I know some of the boats like to load up on Rat Yellowtail at Catalina while others want quality. It came down to going on the Native Sun or the Indian if I wanted to go to Catalina Island. (they both have been catching some big Yellowtail this week) I like the Indian for a lot of reason's but it's far from being a perfect boat. It does have bunks and excellent seating in the galley, so a 12 hour day won't beat you up so much. The Indian will spend part of his day looking for the Big ones and that's good enough for me.

Friday was a good day to go fishing, nice weather and only 21 anglers on the boat. When we were under way Captain David told us his plan. He wanted some big Yellowtail but the Native Sun had Jacked his spot this week. He said last Sunday somebody leaked his big fish spot to the Native Sun. So if the Native Sun got there first, he would have to roll the dice on some other big fish producing area's. When we got to the West end and put the hook down the Captain hated the conditions. So he said we are going for broke and head for the Farnsworth Bank and give it a shot. (Boy that bunk sure comes in handy) We ran another hour and hit the bank for Nada!!!!! We fished the Island working our way back and caught all the usually suspects. Some legal Calico's (I caught 2 and threw them back) ton's of shorts and a few Bonito and the usual bottom grabbers. We caught 3 Yellowtail along the way. A #3, 6 and a 12 pounder and that was it. Captain David said all the boats were having a tough day. We were going to fish one last spot and call it a day. It was already 4:30 but he wanted to try one more. (Glenn was already in his rack)

It took about 5 minutes and we hooked our first Yellowtail and it was GAME ON!!!!!! They flurried in the stern and we hooked 5 fish really fast. I had my trusty #30 test with a fluorocarbon leader and my number 1 ringed flyliner hook. This rig served me well the last 2 years. I got bit and set the hook and I immediately knew I had a good one. I guided this fish up to the bow away from the other fishermen (riff raff) lol and did battle up there. This fish kicked my butt just like those slug coastal Yellowtail did all of last year. It came as no surprise when a #22 pounder came into sight. He still wasn't done but eventually everything worked out and he hit the deck. I was one happy camper!!!! Every fish I now saw on the deck was nice size, nothing under #18 pounds. They were still biting as I threw out another bait and within 5 minutes I was on again!!!! I knew the reef was behind the boat so I drug him up to the bow again. This fish was kicking my butt more then the first one. I was standing in the exact same spot as where I landed the first one. Slowly this fish came up and he was bigger then the first one. A true #25 plus pounder!!!!!! Now Captain David starts pulling the shutes on his bait tanks to really fire these things up. People are getting bit left and right but losing a lot of them!!!! I know now I'm going to hook up again with all the bent rods that are going off. Sure enough tink tink and the line slowly starts pealing off the reel. I give this one a good 10 seconds and put the reel in gear and wait till it loads up and pound the crap out of it. This fish doesn't feel very big as I'm crossing the stern heading up to the bow again. (A Bonito maybe???) As soon as I got almost to the bow he makes a run and I know for sure he's a Yellowtail. (Maybe a smaller one???) I get back to my spot in the bow and fight this thing up and down again. He's now fighting pretty hard, but I get him to deep color pretty fast. I get a look at him and he's bigger then the last one!!!!!! He's just lazy, he keeps making these big circles and keeps going down every time I think he's done. This went on for awhile and I'm getting pretty frustrated by his tactics. I bear down and short stroke him and guide him towards the boat. I got him to make a big circle right into the gaff and he's mine, a #30 pounder and the biggest one on the boat!!!! I finally see Glenn with a fish and glad he caught one. It turns out he was being lazy and was fishing straight 40 pound line. They were biting but not that wide open, you still needed floro to get bit. It was 5:30 and we were out of bait. Captain David said we hooked 50 to get our 18 Yellowtail out of that spot. All's I was thinking, "I did my part!!!" lol That run back to the harbor was ever so sweet we those 3 slug Yellowtails in the bag!!!!

PS. As I was looking at Indiansportfishingfacebook.com I looked back at the group photo on 8/26. (I wasn't in it) I noticed the young deckhand with sunglasses on holding up two Yellowtail. (one of them was clearly bigger then the rest of them) I saw number 12 stapled to that fish. Guess who was number 12???? Me of course!!!!! I thought just maybe, ALL 3 of my fish were bigger then anybody else's. I have no idea which one of the 3 of my fish he was holding up, but if you wanted to get a look at one of them. Hit the above website for a gander!!!! lol