“A seamless transition into action mode today,” wrote Royal Star skipper Tim Ekstrom April 17, “as we arrived in Cabo San Lucas to greet our eager group of anglers and immediately began rigging gear in preparation for fishing tomorrow and beyond. First stop will be Isla San Benedicto only a short, 21-hour run to the south where will target both yellowfin tuna and Wahoo before attempting to top off our bait supply and continuing on. Of course there is always the possibility that we will opt to remain at 'Smokey' for an additional day or two if the fishing warrants further investigation.

"I would venture that more often than not Isla San Benedicto is a one-day program that we are all too happy leave behind. There are those times, albeit very few, however when conditions are right and the Jurassic island produces what we are looking for. In fact, I recall it was last year in February that we clobbered the tuna there.

"This incredible group of highly experienced anglers has the savvy, experience, motivation, and horsepower to make it happen. For the fishes' sake thank goodness this is a tagging voyage. They are getting a real break with these anglers arriving on scene. Before I get too far ahead of myself however foremost is the fact that they have to be there. Then we have to find them. Then they have to be in the mood to bite. Nothing to it, right? Stay tuned for fishing reports to begin tomorrow."



Nibblin’ Skins

“Another repeat of yesterday for the most part,” noted the report from Qualifier 105 April 17. “We did troll up some wahoo today.  We trolled for about 3 hours, and about half the guys ended up with some nice wahoo. We dropped the anchor in a little shallower water today. We started hooking fish on the kite shortly after that. The fish were all good grade fish from 80 pounds to one that taped out at 199 pounds.

Chris Hall hooked a big wahoo on the anchor that was landed after a run only a wahoo could make. Dewy also hooked another nice wahoo.  We have all gained a few pounds with Chris and Cappy feeding us like kings. The weather has also been nice, with overcast in the morning and sunny and warm in the afternoon. Today we had a nice wind to keep the kites up and it also makes the temps pleasant, otherwise it would be pretty hot this far south. We are only halfway thorough our trip, and the boat already has a nice load on board.”



Homeward Bound, RP Has A Couple Of Spots

“Our weather today is absolutely beautiful,” said the report from Royal Polaris April 17, “as we travel to Cabo San Lucas. Our group is watching movies such as Blind Side, Sherlock Holmes and the Hurt Locker. Some are reading novels some playing cribbage. There was a good poker game with Jim Travis the big winner.

“Tonight is prime rib night with plans by many to enjoy an excellent bottle of wine with dinner. My compliments to Bill Nakaki for being an excellent charter host. We would also like to thank Owner hooks, Blackwater fishing line, Salas jigs, Cal-Star fishing rods, 5 Star fishing processing, and Richard Losey for t-shirts. This is an outstanding group that really knows how to have fun.

“P.S. We still have a few openings on our next trip (departing on the 23rd of April). This is the SDlongrange 17-day trip (ride down/ride back). Roy Rose will be at the helm. Give our office a call at (619) 226-8030. Look forward to fishing with you.”

The 31st annual celebration of San Diego’s best-known sportfishing event began officially at nine AM Sunday morning, April 18. That doesn’t take into account all the weeks of planning and organization done by founder Catherine Miller and her associates. Day At The Docks needs good weather, and this year’s version got just what it needed to be a roaring success. With blue skies and light morning breezes happening while I walked the show from eight to 11 AM.

I could hear the wild parrots living in front of Fisherman’s Landing when I crossed the drive there. One was calling from the top of a ficus tree near the big Canary Islands palm the birds use for nesting. The smell of sausages and tacos being prepared at the lot entrance were tempting. Kids were feasting on the drinks and cotton candy the Rounds family was selling next to the Friends of Rollo, where John Rowe was doing a brisk business.


Up at the other end of the fair the band Dog Pound was playing country/rock/boogie, and they sounded very good for gents nearly my age, rockin’ and boppin’ for the crowd. The program said they did Latin beats and surfin’ music, too. I liked the way they interacted. Bands were scheduled to play all day.

Back down at Fisherman’s Landing, before a seated group, Seeker’s Ed Surick and Cory Sanden of MC Swim Baits were giving a talk on how to fish the bay with artificials. Talks on long range fishing were scheduled by John Grabowski and Andy Cates, and Cates was to be the subject of a dunk tank later; three balls for five bucks!

There were plenty of fish scheduled for the kids to catch, what with 1,000 pounds of mackerel provided for the cause. More importantly maybe, was the offer from the landings to take kids fishing for free (with an adult, of course), from April 19 through the month of May. The offer applies to half-day, ¾ and all-day fishing trips. That’s an unbeatable deal.

Fisherman’s Landing Tackle had a crew of salesmen working hard under manager Doug Kern’s supervision, with all kinds of deals on tackle: bags, rods, reels, swimbaits, etc. The Izorline boys mugged for the camera, not far from the sidewalk where Pete Gray and Rock Cod Rick Maxa were taking a call on Let’s Talk Hookup from Excel skipper Justin Fleck. Fleck brought the radio audience up to date on his trip, now parked at the Hurricane Bank.

I saw a new bait maker that Bob Kotula was promoting at the Candy Mack booth. Like the jointed hard swimbait, it was in the best thing since sliced bread category, a tiny little light stick inserted right into the bodies of the flies on the gangion. Combined with the glow in the dark wings, that thing ought to work even when the mackerel have lockjaw!


You can’t walk around the show without seeing all kinds of fishermen. I talked with Art Taylor, who had open house on his Searcher, next to Norm Kagawa’s Shogun. Ted Dunn was there with Norm, and folks were stepping aboard the long rangers to see what they were like. Islander and Prowler were also entertaining interested onlookers.

Calstar and Penn had booths near Fisherman’s. I even saw the Shopper Stopper man, Ed Robison. He was showing off his shortie sticks and other lovely custom-built rods.

Bill Cavanaugh told me he’s taken a partner, Drew Card, formerly aboard the Apollo, on his Pacific Queen.

“We’ll both try to be aboard the boat this summer,” Bill told me. He expects to begin running overnighters next weekend, and will go to day and a half trips as soon as the offshore fishing requires the longer run.

I saw two skippers who are now running tugs. Billy Stevens (formerly of the Osprey) said he’s working in Louisiana, and Brian Haslam, who used to be on the Red Rooster III, is driving tugs in Hawaii, assisting refrigerator shipping.

Linda Palm, owner of the Rooster, told me the boat is over at Knight & Carver, out of the water undergoing her annual boat work. At H&M Landing (which is waiting on a door to open the new building), Jon Petty had his fishing-related jewelry shop open. His first customer of the day was excellent fisherwoman Jan Howard, who was picking up some gold-plated bent hook earrings. Shortly after that I came across Mike Lum, exec for the Fred Hall Shows. He looked ready to fish.

Halfway down the dockside walk, out in front of Point Loma Sportfishing, Bill Boyce and Diana Woods were showing off the Boyce gallery of photographic fine art. There were plenty of boats for sale. I saw a nice model called the Guadalupe—hey, I can dream, can’t I?

Day At The Docks has something for everyone. With a beautiful day like we had today in San Diego, you could catch the double-decker shuttle bus at Shelter Island and ride over to the fair. You just couldn’t go wrong taking a stroll through the big, free event. I hope you didn’t miss it, but if you did, here’s what it looked like.

“It's 0530 here on the bank and it's been a real waiting game,” noted Excel skipper Justin Fleck’s report for April 17. He has been fishing for big yellowfin tuna on Ralph Mikkelsen’s annual trip. Apparently he has been fishing in close company with commercial seiners, as the pictures he sent indicate.


“There are dry spells on the tuna during the day,” continued Fleck, “where you go an hour and a half without seeing anything and before you know it, you look up the side and you have three or four hanging. We were able to capture another three cows yesterday: Andy Marcum 220, Joann Ciciliano 227, and Bill Lynd with a 231. The gang is downstairs rigging up for today.

“As a bonus, the wahoo are still biting well. Wahoo have been a real pest for our kite anglers, slashing their baits in half on the way out. Let's hope for another good one.”



Yellows Galore For Spring/Summer Trips

“One thing is certain after our afternoon passage through the yellowtail triangle,” wrote Royal Star skipper Tim Ekstrom April 15, “there is no shortage of 15 to 25-pound forkies. As we worked our way down we drove over spots of breaking fish and bird schools hovering over huge color spots literally for miles and miles. We occasionally stopped to harass a few with our surface plugs that they were all too eager to consume.

“Based on what we witnessed, I have to believe that we are again in store for some phenomenal yellowtail action this spring and summer. Either as the main event, or as a supplement to our offshore tuna effort, the unbelievable quantity of yellowtail around during the past five or six years has made for plenty of successful days of fishing, or even entire voyages. This year will be no exception.

“We enjoyed an epic meal featuring the day's catch prepared by Chef Drew Rivera while continuing the southerly trek. We are tending to few small projects on the way down in addition to rigging the boat for fishing after our six weeks of down time. As I mentioned yesterday, it sure feels good to be getting back to what we know and do best. For now everything is in order and we are on schedule for a early afternoon arrival in Cabo San Lucas harbor on the 17th.”

“We had a beautiful morning at Hurricane bank,” said the report for April 15 from Royal Polaris. “It started with a late breakfast and our group just hanging out relaxing.

“We eventually did some fishing and caught some Plotinus for a great dinner on the way home. Our favorites way to prepare them is with a lemon caper sauce.

“Bill Nakaki caught a 120-pound Yellowfin and Pete Heimback got a 190-pound fish, which e put in the freezer upstairs. Jim Travis got the only Wahoo for the day. We are now headed to Cabo.”



Action Heats Up

It's lunchtime here on the Excel and the guys are enjoying a break after a busy morning,” wrote Excel skipper Justin Fleck April 15.

“The tuna showed for us today mixed in with the wahoo. Most of the tuna have been in the 100 to 120-pound range but we did land a few cows. Pat Gallagher boated a 215 on the kite just a few minutes ago. George Meigs and Bob Buckland also got lucky on the kite with twin 210-pounders.

“We still have a ton of daylight left so hopefully we can keep steady. While I was posting this report, the crew just threw on a 226 pounder caught by Jamie Massion. It's getting exciting!”



Qualifier 105 Daily Reports

Day Six: “First thing this morning, in the grey, we hooked a few fish. Problem was they were sharks. We started looking around, and found a big bird school. Sliding up to it the fish were breaking all around us. We hooked a few fish right away. A couple of the fish were good sized. Gene Connely hooked and landed a fish around 140 pounds. We fished till lunch and decided to make a move. We are headed to the bank to spend a few days, with a six AM ETA to the bank.

Day Five: “We started what we came so far to do, catch tuna and yahoo. The day started at around four AM with a few of the guys trying to get some big mackerel for baits. At first light we started to troll for some yahoo. It was not what we had hoped for, the yahoo were scarce. After some trolling around, we found some birds that looked like they might have tuna with them. They boiled a little but no bites.

“When we got rolling again, we hooked a fish on a big black marauder. The angler was no other then our buddy Phil Lisi. Phil did a great job and landed a 150-pound tuna. We then went in search of more tuna. We ended up having a decent day. A few tuna around 150 and a good number of smaller ones were tagged and put in the hold. The area we are in is showing good potential and we will be here again tomorrow. The weather is good and the food is even better. Chef Chris made grilled pork chops tonight and they were perfect. The picture today is another loyal Q 105 angler, Jim Kirk with a tuna he landed right at dark.”



Sunday’s The Day

San Diego’s biggest dockside event takes place in just a couple of days. The annual Day At The Docks celebration will officially kick off at nine that morning and continue until five in the afternoon. It’s a wonderful family event you won’t want to miss.

The weatherman is predicting some sun and partly clouds skies for the day, so it should make for a pleasant outing. We’ll be there taking photos and talking with exhibitors and friends in the crowd, so you’ll be able to see what you missed if you fail to make it. To see more information and photos about this fun-filled family day, check this blog for April 6.

See you at Day At The Docks!

Western Outdoor News editor Brandon Hayward just put up a piece on fishing steelhead on the Rogue River in Oregon with photos by Paul Sweeney. Here's a quick snippet, make sure to check out the full piece at Brandon's blog:

"The Rogue is immediately infectous. It’s not 'just' a river. It’s a blend of history, tradition and the type of scenery that provides one of those few-time-a-year instances that it’s realized that we really don’t have everything in southern California.

That first day (Guide Jon) Geyer slips a Pavati Marine drift boat into the Rogue above Grant’s Pass. The Rogue that Zane Grey looked down on while writing novels. The Rogue that literally had a war fought from its banks in the 1800s. The Rogue that, more recently, had a different type of war fought over dam removals and protecting the river’s famed salmon and steelhead runs. The Rogue that will hopefully kick out some of the wild steelhead it’s famous for.

The scenery’s incredible. All it takes is the start of the drift to realize why the Rogue is one of the original eight rivers included in the Wild and Scenic Act of 1968.

Then the float goes down, a la that first Alaska steelhead. The rod tip flies up, and what would goes on to be a beautiful, wild hen steelhead feels the jig’s hook, taking off on a long run, pulling braid off the little spinning reel and doubling over the 10-foot steelhead rod.

Geyer is quick to get the 24-inch steelhead out of the net and in front of the camera as quickly as possible. He takes care of the wild fish as if it’s family.

The next steelhead to eat a little ball of roe side drifted a mile down stream isn’t as lucky. It’s a nice, 26-inch hatchery fish. It goes right in Paul Sweeney’s camera lens and then Geyer bonks it on the head and drops it in cooler."



For Hayward's full story on the Rogue River, CLICK HERE.

“It is just after 10:00 here at the bank and the wahoo fishing remains steady,” wrote Excel skipper Justin Fleck April 14.

Fleck is currently fishing with chartermaster Ralph “The Long Ranger” Mikkelsen, Curt Wiesenhutter, holder of the world record for yellowfin tuna (both men are pictured here), and a group of anglers on the annual Big Fish Trip, dedicated this year to the late Bill Poole.

“We have over 100 skin (wahoo) so far for our small group of anglers here on just the second morning of fishing. The tuna fishing has been hit or miss for us so far, but we did manage to put together a good afternoon yesterday from 15:00 until dark.


“Most of the fish were in the 100 to 140-pound range with a few bigger. Here are some pictures from our day.”

Qualifier 105 Is Fishing

“We made a short stop at the rocks for some looking around today,” said the report from the 105 April 12.

“With a few hours to kill, the guys wanted to capture a few yellows or a few tuna for a meal. We managed to get some nice yellows. A couple of our guys had never caught a yellow before. The power of these fish is very impressive. It was fun to watch the first time a 35-pound yellow bit one of their baits.

“Ernie Camilleri, on his first long range trip, hooked and landed the first fish. Now Ernie is a fisherman but never had he hooked something with such power. The look on his face was priceless. After a brief tussle he landed a nice fish, his first yellow ever!

“We had a little flurry before the current died and we split. The picture we are attaching is of Duane Winter with his first-ever yellowtail, a 40-pound fish! The Coastside group is made up of guys that live mostly in nor-cal or the S.F. bay area. We have Cris Hall, Pierre Granier, Jim Kirk, Rick Sturiza, and a few more guys that have fished with us before. I will fill you in with more names tomorrow.  With one more day of travel, we have high hopes for the next 12 days. Wish us luck.”



“A Wonderful Day”

Frank LoPreste is reporting a very successful trip into far southern waters. Here’s what he said about yesterday’s fishing:

“Weather was variable today with some drizzle, and a little breeze and finally calm weather and sunshine. Fishing here continues to be outstanding. We have topped off the fresh well and will try to squeeze a few wahoo in before taking off for home.

“Today we landed 51 yellowfin tuna and 28 wahoo. Largest was 212 pounds, caught by Nilo Malong and then one at 201 pounds caught by Jim Travis. We had many fish in the 120 to 145-pound size. It was a wonderful day of fishing.”



Star’s Fishing, Too

“After our annual five week maintenance interval,” wrote Royal Star skipper Tim Ekstrom April 14, “we are finally back at it, shaking down all of our new equipment and mechanical improvements completed during the recent down time. Thus far, the old girl is in top condition… We are going fishing; and very glad to be joining our colleagues in the grand arena of the Revillagigedos and surrounding waters.

"As the voyage progresses daily updates will keep you all informed. This being the second of our two annual Revillagigedo tagging voyages, we are very excited to again take full advantage of the incredible opportunity to legally fish within the marine biosphere reserve while contributing the fruit of our efforts to the advancement of effective, informed management of the yellowfin tuna population in the Eastern Tropical Pacific Ocean.

"As of now we are underway for Cabo San Lucas, where we will meet our anglers on Saturday then continue the southerly trek to begin the fishing portion of the voyage on Sunday the 18th. Our load of "primo" sardines is presently happy as can be, and a sloppy sea state is on our stern as we slide down the line in comfort glad to be heading in this direction.

"I want to put the word out, if you haven't already seen it on our website or heard the news, that we have scheduled a series of introductory two-day voyages during three weekends in May, offering the opportunity for anglers to experience Royal Star on a voyage of shorter duration at a phenomenal, all inclusive price of only $400.00. Angler loads are limited to 24, and the first class standards that Royal Star anglers experience on all longer voyages will be delivered with our trademark professionalism. With spring yellowtail fishing already in full swing, and all indications pointing for more to come, as well as tremendous offshore potential for early albacore and bluefin tuna, these new two-day trips effectively position anglers to experience the best of both worlds.”

(Press Release)


El Nino will bring a banner year for Yellowtail

The 2009 InternationalYellowtail Derby was a success and the fishing should improve and be fantastic during the 2010 fishing season.

San Diego has a long history of fishing and is a Mecca for saltwater anglers. They travel from all over the USA to come here for the exceptional opportunity to fish not only the San Diego waters but to go to the fishing grounds off the renowned Baja California Coast aboard one of the Long Range Sportfishers at the San Diego Landings.

The Yellowtail Derby originated in 1946 and every year until 1973. In many years the Derby started on or about the end of March and finished at the end of September. Each year as many as 10,000 anglers competed and many traveled from outside of San Diego County. In 2009, we brought it back to life.

This is a $50,000 Jackpot tournament with 100% of the entry fees being returned to the anglers in prize money and prizes. The fishing area is limited to 80 miles South of Point Loma and North to the Orange County line and 80 miles West. All fish caught must be weighed in daily at certified weigh stations.

Expect entries to be in excess of 2,000 during the 20 days of fishing beginning Saturday, Sept. 4 to 26. Finals qualifying will end on the Sept. 22 at 6pm. The top 10% or 50 anglers will have a fish off on Sept. 25. The Derby awards will be presented on Sept. 26 at the Bali Hai Restaurant.

The Yellowtail Derby website will be updated during the contest. Fishing results will be sent daily to all of the radio stations, especially those with fishing shows, including ESPN Radio. It will be sent into the boating and fishing publications, including: The Log Newspaper, Western Outdoor News, Arizona Boating and Watersports News and Pacific Coast Sportfishing magazine.

The charities benefiting are IGFA Junior Program, and Coast Guard Foundation.

3960 W. Point Loma Blvd, Ste. H347, San Diego, CA 92110

Frank LoPreste’s Royal Polaris has found some wahoo and tuna at the Hurricane Bank in the breeze from the tradewinds. Here’s the report from April 12.

“We arrived at Hurricane bank at 12:10 hours, weather consists of 15 knots of northeast breeze, but nice and sunny.

“We trolled wahoo for about an hour and half and then anchored up for most of the afternoon. We caught 19 yellowfin tuna for the day, the largest at 216 pounds by Leon Travis. The rest of the yellowfin were mostly 100 to 165 pounds.

“We also had a very good bite on the wahoo both while trolling and on the anchor. The only negative for the day was the sharks were pretty relentless. We lost at least 15 fish to the sharks. Were hoping the sharks will back off some tomorrow.”

On April 13, the report from Royal Polaris was damp but encouraging:

“Overcast light rain and 15 knots of breeze best describes our weather. We did have some sunshine in the afternoon.

“Our fishing today can only be described as excellent. We captured 71 yellowfin tuna and also had excellent wahoo fishing the entire day. We sat in one spot from sunrise to sunset. Our tuna wee from 80 to 225 pounds. We had many 100 to 130-pounders and in the afternoon most of the fish were 130 to 170 pounds. John Yamate was the lucky angler today with the 225-pound yellowfin.

“We just got done catching a tank of flyers for tomorrow. The crew is doing top shots for the passengers and we are hoping for another great day tomorrow.”



Word From Big Boat

The skipper of the Excel, Justin Fleck, was busy yesterday, but he found time to send along this update:

“It is 10 am on our first day of fishing and the wahoo are BITING! We're busy out on deck so we'll send a full update tomorrow with pictures.”

“It's Monday morning here on the Excel,” wrote skipper Justin Fleck April 12, “and our gang is enjoying a great breakfast and a very nice ride on our way to the Bank. Like always on Ralph's (Ralph Mikkelsen) trips, there were plenty of activities this weekend to keep the guys mind off the long ride. First was the NFL style bingo game where a newcomer to this trip, Terry Farmen, took the pot after he was the first one to black out his card.

“Second was the dart tournament on the upper deck. This is a good way to get everyone outside in the sun and laugh at their fellow anglers as they try to hit the board with their right hand for the first round, and then their left for the second.

“Third, the passengers have really enjoyed the addition of the Nintendo Wii. They have organized a bowling tournament to take place in just a couple of days. All of this plus the usual rigging of tackle has made time fly. We will be arriving to the bank tomorrow at daylight and hopefully find some eager, biting fish.”



A Sunny, Formal Kind Of Day

“It was a beautiful sunny day with flat calm seas,” read the report from the bridge of Frank LoPreste’s Royal Polaris April 11.

“Unfortunately, fishing was on the poor side with almost no life to be seen the entire day. We caught three fish in the 60 to 65-pound category and some 40-pounders that we released. Our group took the day in stride and actually had a good day. Tonight the galley is buzzing as we are on our way to Hurricane bank and will arrive there at noon tomorrow.”

“Our weather continues to be absolutely beautiful. Flat calm weather and plenty of sunshine,” said the report from Frank LoPreste’s Royal Polaris April 9.

“We had excellent fishing today landing 54 yellowfin tuna. The fish were mostly in the 100 to 135 pound category. There were a few 140's to 180-pounders. There were also three cows landed. Ted Ziegler of Oregon landed one at 205 pounds, Bill Golder landed a 210-pound fish and John Yamate of Seaforth Sportfishing landed a 325-pound yellowfin tuna. John used an Accurate 30 with 100 pound Blackwater top-shot and an Owner 6/0 Mutu with a sardine.”

Yamate is manager at Seaforth Sportfishing, and well-known to most local anglers. His accomplishment on the 30-sized reel is remarkable.

On April 10, the report said, “Weather was foggy and drizzly the entire day, with a 10 to 15 knot breeze. Our fishing was excellent in the morning, slow at midday and very good in the afternoon from about 15:30 hours till dark.

“We had 72 Yellowfin tuna for the day. There were some 60 to 80-pound fish, however most were 100 to 150 pounds. Ron Zachary got a 245-pound fish on a sardine, Richard Losey a 225-pounder on a sardine, and Mike Heishima a 212-pound Yellowfin tuna on the kite.”



Headed To The Bank, Or Zone

“We departed today on our annual Ralph Mikkelsen 17-day around 0800,” wrote Excel skipper Justin Fleck April 9. We picked up a nice load of bait, and cleared the point just after 1100. It is nice to see all of our friends again. We are currently headed south toward the bank for now but can make a turn for Clarion very easily.”

“It was an absolutely gorgeous day here aboard the Royal Polaris. There was 3 to 5 knots of breeze throughout the day and plenty of sunshine, said the report from the RP April 8.


“Our anglers had a very fun day of fishing with our largest yellowfin tuna of the day at 140 pounds caught by Bill Golder. We did lose a fair amount of fish to the sharks, but our anglers took it in stride and all managed to tag some fish for the day.”

A postscript to the report from April 7 noted, “A great chance to fish a light load. Our next trip only has 14 passengers. Call our office if you wish to book the trip and have a room by yourself.”



Excel Leaves Today

“We have just completed boat work 2010 on the Excel,” wrote skipper Justin Fleck April 8, “and I must say that the boat looks great! I am very happy with how the heads came out with the new flooring, sinks, and wallpaper.


“Also, the new lighting in the galley/salon area really gives off a comfortable atmosphere. The exterior stuff came out amazing as well. The fresh gloss, the new decals and the new rod holders up the sides of the boat all come together nicely.

“We are departing tomorrow on the annual Ralph Mikklesen’s Tribute to Bill Poole 17-day trip.”

Two over night boats fishing out of Pt. Loma and H&M Landing bagged a big bunch of yellowtail April 7. The Grande reported limits of 200 yellows for 40 anglers, and the Sea Adventure 80 got 161 yellowtail for 39 anglers. At Seaforth Sportfishing the Legend reported 138 yellows for 36 anglers. These fish coming aboard overnight boats are being caught near the Todos Santos Islands at the outside of the bay at Ensenada. Looks like the bite’s on; it’s time to go fishing.

New Guy Harvey Technical Fishing Shirts by AFTCO Bluewater

(Press Release April 6, 2010)

AFTCO, known for making performance fishing products, has teamed up with Guy Harvey once again, to make our new Guy Harvey Technical Fishing Shirts. These classic technical fishing shirts are made from breathable, quick-drying Supplex-nylon that keeps you cool, even on hot, sticky days. Our shirts have two large bellows pockets with drainage eyelets, a cape ventilated back, and a handy utility loop. The long sleeve models of the shirt have roll-up sleeve tabs. We included Teflon Anti-Microbial, and Anti-Stain fabric treatments to keep our shirts looking and smelling good after a hard day of fishing. Our garments are also engineered for ease of movement and comfort, and include features that encourage air circulation to promote quick evaporation for dryness and comfort. Not to mention we added Guy Harvey’s signature embroidery above the left pocket, and his ‘Brushstroke Slam’ embroidery on the back.

UPF 30 Ultraviolet Protection Factor provides good protection from the sun’s harmful rays, according to standards set by the American Society of Testing and Materials.

Guy Harvey Technical Fishing Shirts are available in short sleeve and long sleeve. We offer Sky, Tan, Aqua and Yellow. The MSRP for the short sleeve is $54.99, and the MSRP for the long sleeve is $59.99. This new shirt will be another fisherman’s must have!

Locate a Retailer

For more information contact:
Terry Simms
AFTCO Mfg Co. Inc
17351-B Murphy Ave
Irvine, CA. 92614
949-660-8757

Fishing for nice spring yellowtail of 15 to 25 pounds continues to get better, although not many anglers seem to be taking advantage of the bite. The fish are being found from 60 miles to the Coronados.

Yesterday the Sea Adventure 80, fishing on an overnight trip from H&M Landing, found 111 yellowtail for 33 anglers. The boat made its catch under skipper Rick Scott’s hand, fishing about 60 miles from port.

Also yesterday the Mission Belle, sporting a load of 15 anglers from the landing office and dock, found 27 yellowtail and nine bonito at the Middle Grounds, said landing spokesperson Tony R. Some fish were caught on bait, he said, and the majority on iron. Half of those were on the yoyo jig and half on surface iron. Quite a few fish were lost on the hook, noted Tony, but that’s not unusual for anglers making their first trip of the season.

We couldn’t get a location, but the San Diego yesterday reported 31 yellowtail for 17 anglers on a ¾ day trip. If those fish were from La Jolla it would be even better news.

The big day is just a week from this coming Saturday, so it makes sense for families to plan now to see the 2010 Day At The Docks festival, held at the spanking new San Diego Sportfishing landings on Harbor Drive.

Much of the event is sandwiched between Garrison and Emerson Streets, where the parking lot will be cleared to make room for dozens of displays, booths and events. The dockside sidewalk and two main aisles offer strolling space for onlookers to get around.

Most of the family fun is for free. Last year’s band, the Pounders, played for thousands of listeners throughout the day. Free bay rides and open house will be offered on many of San Diego’s finest fishing boats.


San Diego’s sportfishing boats range from luxurious long rangers that travel up to a thousand miles south of San Diego searching for giant tuna and wahoo to half-day and three-quarter-day boats that take people fishing locally for bass rockfish and yellowtail all year. Dayboats and charters will also offer folks a chance to step aboard and see what the boats are like.

There’s plenty of food from vendors, and tackle sellers like Fisherman’s Landing Tackle Store will be offering some deals on hot new equipment. Manufacturers like Accurate Reels, Tady Lures and Shimano will be giving demos of their latest gear and answering questions from the curious. There’ll be booths The Friends of Rollo, for fishing clubs and civic organizations.


Besides the tackle vendors and boat dealers you’ll find books on fishing and ocean-oriented jewelry, art and sculpture for sale, and subscriptions to newspapers, magazines, websites and sea surface analysis.

Some of the area’s expert anglers will give free lectures to those who want to learn how to make the new season their most productive ever. An apparent oncoming warm-water year will likely make San Diego’s fishing better than ever, so it’s a good idea to get ready now. Yellowtail are already biting, and it may not be long before albacore will bring a frenzy of anglers to the docks.

Many of southern California’s best-known sport fishing personalities will be at the event. You might meet Ingrid Poole, Frank LoPreste, Day At The Docks founder Catherine Miller, rod makers Leon Todd of Calstar or Joe Pfister of Seeker, or many other famous skippers, owners, manufacturers, fishing experts, artists, authors and sport fishing communicators as you walk in the fresh April air. It’s a good way to find out what’s new, while having a truly good time.


Day At The Docks is about sport fishing, and the most famous aspect of the celebration is the kid’s fishing offered at both ends of the docks. Late word had it that over 1,000 mackerel and a few other species would be available in the pens for kids to have some good clean fun catching.

The kid’s fishing pens and the half-day boats are where many anglers got their start. Take a kid fishing, and take your family to the best event of its kind in southern California, Day At The Docks, on April 18. It’s a wonderful way to spend the day, and it’s free!

Royal Polaris is headed to the tip of Baja to pick up passengers. She made a brief stop along the way to check out the big island of Cedros. Here’s that report, from April 4:

“Happy Easter: Our weather today was a stiff breeze out of the northwest at 18 to 20 knots, with clear skies and a 4 to 5 foot swell. The passengers riding the boat down started getting their gear ready. Most of the day was spent making kite leaders (double trouble, squid, and flying fish). We made a quick stop at Cedros Island. We made four stops for 12 Yellowtail, most of the Yellowtail were in the 12 to 15-pound catagory.

“We are now underway and headed for Cabo San Lucas. We will arrive on Tuesday afternoon (6 April 2010). We will keep you posted on our daily events, the R/P crew.”



Review Of “Wahoo…”

California Sportsman, the new kid on the block of regional sporting magazines, put out a very complimentary review of our latest effort, “Wahoo & Summer Tuna” in their new (April) issue. Paul Sweeney and I surely appreciate this kindness, so we offer it here for viewers to read. Thanks to editor Joel Shangle. A click will expand the picture.

Norman Kagawa docked his Shogun at Fisherman’s Landing April 4, Easter morning. He was just back from an incredible early season open party adventure to Alijos Rocks and Alijos Bank.

“We always make this trip to Alijos in April,” he told Bill Roecker. “We’re just a little earlier this year. On our first day at The Rocks we saw sign of tuna and yellowtail, so we went out to the bank that night to make bait and try for big yellowtail.

“Willie Yip of San Francisco got an 80-pound tuna about 2 AM on the dropper loop, so we hung around the bank for the rest of the trip. We got up to a dozen of those big yellowtail each night.

“I couldn’t believe the grade of tuna we caught during the day. They were an honest 40-pound average, with a few each day of 60 or 70 pounds or more! We had five over a hundred pounds. They bit on the kite, too, on paired sardines. One guy got two tuna at once, one on each hook.

“On the way home, we stopped at a place I hadn’t fished before up the lee side of Cedros Island. It looked likely, and they came up and boiled in the circle before I could get the anchor down. We started about 6 pm and got 54 nice big 25 to 35-pounders in the next two hours. They bit on yoyo and surface jigs and bait.”

Willy Yip said, “We were fishing in 280 feet for bait, when some of the guys started getting cleaned by yellowtail. Then the bait just disappeared, so I dropped down a Spanish mackerel on a 6/0 hook with a 16-ounce weight. That’s when I got that first big tuna.”

Eugene Lamont of Pinole won first place for a 104.4-pound tuna. He said he got his best-ever fish with a sardine on a 3/0 Mutu hook tied to 50-pound Blackwater fluorocarbon leader and 65-pound Izorline Spectra. He used an Avet 5-2 reel and a six-foot Fenwick rod.

John Talbot of Richmond won second place for a 103.4-pound yellowfin. It bit a sardine on an 8/0 Super Mutu hook under the fishing kite. He used 130-pound Soft Steel Ultra leader on 80-pound Izorline Spectra, with a Tiagra 30 W reel and a Black Steel Seeker 6460 H rod.

Dave Hensley of Ontario won third place for a 102.2-pound yellowfin. Jerry Talbot (John’s son) got the trip’s best yellowtail, a 57-pound slug, and stood in with the winners for a lineup shot.



Excitement At The Landings

As Saturday’s yellowtail bite hit a peak, construction on the new buildings and improvement on the three landings is also peaking. The yellowtail bite was better than good, reported H &M Landing and Pt. Loma Sportfishing, after hearing from three overnight boats at lunchtime Saturday, April 3.

The Sea Adventure II out of H&M had 133 yellowtail for 38 anglers. The fish have been running 15 to 25 pounds. The first report in Sunday morning came at 10:20 from the same boat, saying they had 21 yellowtail aboard. Live bait is not yet the item of choice, but will be after the fish do more business at the surface.

At Pt. Loma Sportfishing, Shawn Gray said the Grande had 134 yellows for 33 anglers, and the New Lo-An reported 100-plus yellowtail for 24 anglers, saying they would have to stop fishing shortly because they were limited out. Most of the yellows are coming on iron jigs, with the yo-yo iron working best, but surface iron is also producing some fish.


Pt. Loma has finished with its construction, said manager Tish Deering. The new rood is on and so is the front façade, along with a new sign. Mitch’s Seafood (formerly Hudson’s Bay) can now be reached under a new overhang. There’s a new sidewalk and new light fixtures, etc. Best of all, said Tish, is new air conditioning for the whole place.

H&M has been completely rebuilt from the ground up, reported Ollie Patrick, who was manager on Saturday afternoon. General manager Phil Lobred told Bill Roecker he was hopeful of moving into the new place during the upcoming week. Day At The Docks is April 18, and the space now used by temporary offices will be needed for the event.

At the moment H&M is in the final stages of building after being torn down to the slab, said Patrick. The tackle shop and rental section is much enlarged.

Fisherman’s Landing is undergoing the greatest changes. Manager Gary White said the exterior stucco is done and so is the interior drywall. The enlarged new building is wired and plumbed, and will feature the landing offices, an owner’s room, a tackle room, a changing room, storage and a new ice house.

The old tackle shop will be removed and will also go into the big new building. The memorial for Bill Poole will occupy the space where the tackle shop was. The construction should be finished by June, although that wasn’t certain in early April.

Ted’s New Boat

Ted Dunn, who partners with Frank LoPreste and is one of the owners of the Shogun, has purchased an East Coast lobsterman, a trim little diesel-powered aluminum boat he is rebuilding for local use. Ted said cruise speed is 14 knots and top speed is 18 knots.

The boat is named after the British Isle of Skye, and she’s 37 by 12 ½ feet, powered by a Caterpillar 3208 diesel of 375 hp. Skye was originally built by Thomas Marine in New York. Dunn said he rebuilt and enlarged the cab, among other items of improvement. Ted feels one of the boat’s new uses will be as a rental to Hubbs-Sea World for various research purposes.

Mercury Danger? Maybe Not…

A scientific dustup (maybe disagreement would be a better word) seems to be underway regarding the danger of eating seafood like tuna and swordfish. Federal and other warnings may be incorrect, even those directed toward pregnant women, if I understand the gist of several scientific reports sent on to me by Dr. Kurt Schafer of the Inter-American Tropical Tuna Commission.

I’m no scientist, but from these papers it appears the danger of mercury effects is mostly negated by the presence of selenium in these same fish, because selenium counters the effects of the mercury, as well as having some of its own neurological benefits. Additionally, it seemed to be suggested by the medical journal The Lancet that suggesting pregnant women avoid eating more than 340 grams of seafood weekly might actually cause more harm to the unborn than eating such an amount.

Kurt sent me four reports or abstracts on the subject, but this one seemed easiest to understand by laymen. I’m not suggesting that anyone should rush out and begin to gobble large amounts of seafood with high mercury content. It does appear, however, that some of the warnings issued over the past few years may not be supported by the scientific community. Here’s a bit garnered from The Lancet:

“Interpretation: Maternal seafood consumption of less than 340 g per week in pregnancy did not protect children from adverse outcomes; rather, we recorded beneficial effects on child development with maternal seafood intakes of more than 340 g per week, suggesting that advice to limit seafood consumption could actually be detrimental. These results show that risks from the loss of nutrients were greater than the risks of harm from exposure to trace contaminants in 340 g seafood eaten weekly.” (www.thelancet.com Vol. 369 February17, 2007)

Thanks to Kurt Schafer for bringing this to the attention of the sportfishing community and to the general public, including pregnant women. It’s not the last word on the subject, but is an indication that the mercury warnings may be overzealous and/or overstated.

It isn’t very often that Alijos Bank provides better tuna fishing than Alijos Rocks. Apparently that was the condition discovered by Shogun anglers on their just-completed visit to the area. The boat spent its last time fishing on the 50-fathom high spot, bagging the quality yellowtail and yellowfin tuna that were willing biters. Shogun will come home to Fisherman’s Landing Easter Sunday morn, April 4.

“Another day out on Alijos Bank; the tuna were a little late to show but then they began to jump on the hooks once again. Several kite rotations lasted less than 5 minutes. Fishing was hot.

“This afternoon the anchor came up and we began bumping our way toward home, Norman is planning to give Cedros a check. The wind has finally caught up with us although it should have blown out by the time we clear the North point of Cedros.”



Ready For Inspection, Sir!

“As we put the finishing touches on our mechanical work in preparation for our annual Coast Guard inspection,” wrote Royal Star co-owner Tim Ekstrom March 31, “all our systems and equipment are receiving final attentions in advance of this coming Monday. I snapped Captain Toussaint hard at it as we all continue the drive to maintain and improve Royal Star.

“Every season we improve the equipment and performance of Royal Star through the effort of our owners and crew members. This year is no exception and we are looking forward to getting back on the water in a couple of weeks. Enjoy your day and please take the time to check out the new section of our website featuring our new fish processing company Fisherman's Processing.”



Qualifier 105’s Going Fishing

“Phew, We are finished with the gnarly 5 year ABS inspection and hull sounding, keeping the Q 105 at the highest SOLAS safety standards for long range fishing,” said the latest report. “The boat is back at the dock and all the under water projects are finished. Prop polishing, shafts aligned, bottom paint and much more the eyes can't see.

“Now Joe/Jiro will concentrate on what the eyes can see. New deck, polishing the hull, stripping the wood and the list goes on. The Q looks great. Checking all of the systems and making sure everything is in top-notch condition.

“The guys are getting itchy to go on our first trip of the season. We leave April 10th with the goofy Coastside group. We still have some openings on the 16-day Accurate fly home trip. Come fish with Jack of Accurate. It leaves on April 27th. He brings about 80 Gs worth of gear for all to use free. Call the office at 619-223-2786.”



Catalina Croaker Trip: Pro Staffer’s Seabass Account

By Paul Lepore, Accurate ProStaff

The Long Beach Fred Hall Show coincides with the arrival of the white seabass migration at Catalina Island. Catching seabass from a private boat is often a good bet since smaller boats are quieter and can get into tighter spots than the larger party boats. My 30’ Skipjack Santiago, named for the old man in Hemmingway’s Old Man and the Sea, is the perfect vessel to target these fish. The boat is fast, economical, has a large fishing cockpit, a 5 KW generator, and five scoops of live bait.

The key to catching seabass is to find the live squid. These are not the large three-foot Humboldt squid that invade our waters and are eating everything in sight, but rather the smaller four to seven-inch market squid that migrate to our waters every winter to spawn.

Live squid can be caught by shining bright lights into the water in certain areas of the coast where squid are known to spawn. The squid spawn over sandy beaches and are drawn to bright lights. When the squid come to the lights, anglers are able to use a crowder (a 5 square foot section of net stretched between two poles) and a Braille net to catch the squid. Another option is to purchase squid from one of the commercial boats at a cost of $60 per scoop.

My tackle of choice includes a Calstar 800XL and an Accurate BX 400 or BX 400 narrow filled with 60-pound spectra to a 15-foot section of 40-pound fluorocarbon. On the business end I prefer an 8/0 Aki long shank and a ¾-ounce sliding egg sinker. The long rod allows me to make long casts and work the squid back to the boat similar to the way a largemouth bass fisherman works a plastic worm. The incredible freespool of the Accurate BX 400 reel allows me to make long casts. Being able to cast long distances is the key to fishing tight spots for white seabass.

Once I hook a fish, the twin drag enables me to put the brakes on the fish before its powerful tail can make it to the nearby kelp. I can pull as hard as I need to with 60-pound spectra and 40-pound fluorocarbon and an 8/0 hook without worrying about a tackle failure. The heavy line keeps me from getting bitten off by the seabass’ sharp and abrasive teeth.

Successful seabass fishermen know that there are three keys to success. Each component must come into play for the private boater to be rewarded. First, the weather must cooperate. Since most of my fishing is done in the backside of Catalina, weather is a huge factor. The backside of the island is very exposed to the Pacific Ocean.
Picking good weather days is a must. I find buoyweather.com a huge advantage in picking the days I can fish. The next hurdle to overcome is finding live squid. While fresh frozen will also work, I prefer having the live squid. Lastly, and most importantly you must know where to fish.

I had been watching the weather and I had a couple of days off from work and wanted to squeeze in a trip and target my first seabass of the season. I rounded up my crew of one (Chuck Fedak). While I prefer to take at least three guys to split expenses, everyone had other commitments. We left Dana Point harbor at two pm armed with frozen squid. The plan was to fish the afternoon with frozen squid and make squid that night and fish the next day.

We arrived to the island and found perfect conditions. Seabass prefer off-color, milky water where they can remain stealthy. My favorite location is where the milky water reaches a kelp line. I also like the middle of a sandy cove that has kelp lines on either side of it. The seabass swim the shallows (anywhere from 5 to 50 feet of water) to look for food.

I pulled up to my favorite kelp line that sits in 6 fathoms. I checked the water color and noticed the off color, milky water. I looked at the direction of the kelp stringers and saw them pointing downhill toward the east end of the island. I dropped the anchor in eight fathoms and slid back to a kelp line keeping my stern a good 100 feet from the kelp line. The plan was to make a long cast toward the kelp line and let the downhill current pull our baits into the kelp. It was important to stay far enough away from the kelp to not spook the fish, and to have a chance of being able to stop a nice seabass from getting into the kelp once hooked.

Seabass fishermen know the importance of patience. You must realize that you are fishing for a trophy. It’s also important to make sure you have all aspects of the equation. The water color must be right, the temperature, and the current. It is not uncommon to watch as the conditions develop. I often sit in one of my favorite spots and wait for the right conditions to develop. The reward is a beautiful Catalina Island white seabass.

We waited for the conditions to develop. Initially the current was just a trickle. The boat swung back and forth on the anchor making fishing tough. As time passed, the current strengthened. The smaller calico bass, sargo and other assorted bottom grabbers became active. We continued to fish hard while continuously changing our baits. I believe the smaller fish create a commotion that the seabass are attracted to. The tap, tap, tap of the smaller fish is unmistakable, but when a seabass bites there is no doubt that it’s the right kind.

We waded our way through the little guys. Finally Chuck says, “I am bit and it’s the right kind.”

I looked at his spool and I could see the fish steadily taking line off his spool. He let the fish run for a five-count and he slammed the hook home. His rod bent. The fish took him to the bow and around the anchor line. He swiftly negotiated his rod around the line and came out on the other side. I saw a silver flash confirming it was the “right” kind. I sunk the gaff home and we had our first Catalina seabass of the 2010 season. I knew we were in the right spot and the conditions were getting better.

Now it was my turn. Instead of the tap, tap, tap, from the little fish, I felt a huge clunk on the end of my line. The pressure increased and I could feel the weight of the “right” kind. I set the hook and the fish headed straight for the kelp. I had set the drag pretty tight since we were fishing on the kelp line. I pulled hard and could feel the kelp rubbing on the line. By keeping contestant pressure on the fish I was able to pull him out. He changed his tactic and headed for deeper water. I kept pressure on the fish and in a few minutes Chuck was able to get a nice gaff shot in a 25-pound Catalina seabass.

White seabassing off the California coast is a great way to spend the winter months. I am looking for another three months of seabass fishing, until the migratory tuna, marlin and Dorado arrive off our coast.

Billy Santiago Jr. docked Frank LoPreste’s Royal Polaris at Fisherman’s Landing April 1, on a sunny morning after the passage of a weather front through southern California. The 18-day trip with 17 anglers aboard was chartermastered by Jerry Brown of Line One Spectra. There were five tuna over 200 pounds in the fish holds.

“It was a great trip,” said Jerry to dock reporter Bill Roecker, “and the weather was the best of any of the trips I’ve had; not one bad day! My compliments to Billy, who did a fine job. And I thought this was the best group of any of my charters. We had limit fishing on tuna and wahoo. One day I got four wahoo on bait without wire!”


Jack Preston of Alta Loma, a retired heavy equipment foreman, had a super trip, bagging two cows that weighed 239.2 and 225 pounds, which won him first and third places in the jackpot.

Jack said he got the big one on a sardine on a Mustad 5/0 Hoodlum ringed J hook, tied to 100-pound Blackwater fluorocarbon and 100-pound Line One Spectra on a Tiagra 30 reel worked over by Cal Sheets and a Super Seeker 2 x 4 rod.

Jack’s 225-pounder came on a Salas PL 68 glow in the dark jig. He said he hooked up after dark, and after a hard day of wahoo fishing, with most anglers down for the evening.
He used 130-pound Momoi line and 130-pound Line One Spectra on an Avet 50 reel and a Super Seeker 6463 XXXH rod for the jig-biter.

Ron Lewis of San Francisco won second place for a 235-pounder, which weighed the same on the dock as it did on the boat, something that doesn’t always happen.


Asked about the fight, Ron said, “It seemed like hours. It was probably one hour. We chased him down, because he bit on the slide and then stayed up on the surface and almost spooled me. He stayed up on the bow during the fight. It’s my first cow.”

Lewis said he used a mackerel on an 8/0 VMC hook tied to 130-poundSeaguar fluorocarbon and130-pound Line One Spectra on a Dual 6/0 reel and a Calstar 765 M rod.

John Jeffereys of Claremont took and hour to subdue a 212-pound tuna that bit his sardine on an 8/0 Eagle Claw hook. He said he needed a bit of help to get it in, on 90-pound Momoi fluorocarbon, 100-pound Diamond line, and 130-pound Line One. He used an Avet 30 reel and a Calstar 660 XXH rod.

Sam Lewis of Chino had the final cow, a 208-pounder missing a nip from its body. He remarked that sharks caused some problems during the trip. He said he got his tuna on a sardine and a 7/0 Eagle Claw hook, tied to 130-pound Yo-Zuri fluorocarbon and 130-pound Line One. He fished with a Penn 50 reel and a Calstar 770 HX rod, after a 40-minute tussle.

“I lost a bigger fish on the backup rig earlier in the trip,” he said. That one broke off.

A small tuna bearing an archival tag was caught on the trip, and senior biologist Kurt Schaefer of the IATTC came down to the dock to retrieve it. He said the fish hadn’t been at liberty for a long period, but was pleased when any such tags could be obtained.

The schedule for Royal Polaris indicates she leaves April 3 on the Nakaki-Tsujiuchi-Open Optional Fly Down/Back From Cabo San Lucas, an 18-day trip limited to 22 passengers, returning to San Diego April 21.



‘Gun Goes Off

Shogun has been on a remarkable trip to Alijos Rocks and the Alijos Bank, where she’s found very good yellowfin tuna angling very early in the season. Here’s her report from March 31.

“The Shogun at Alijos Bank! Just like the day before but just a little better. A handful of big yellows came around before first light, followed by a steady bite on those beautiful yellowfin tuna.

“The wind never came on strong and the tuna kept us busy on the kites and fly lined sardines. This has been some of the best early season tuna fishing we have had in the last five years. The Shogun will be fishing The Rocks again in early June, come on out for a taste of long range fishing Shogun style!”