“Good evening folks,” wrote Red Rooster III skipper Andy Cates January 30: “More of the same today with a little less action. We had 25 tuna for the day. Still, it was good and we were pleased with the day. John Wells picked off another 230 pounder and Martin Gomez J.R with a 203. Rich Rose had a nice fish but got sharked as well as Steve Chambless where all we got was a big head back from a 200-pound-plus fish. Bummer. Looks like we might have a little wind tomorrow. It may make the offshore scene tough. We will try again though.”



Recommendation

“I hate to sound like a broken record,” said the report from Royal Polaris January 30, “but if you like great food, fun people and good fishing I recommend a trip aboard the Royal Polaris. The weather is not as good as it has been; there was actually a swell and some wind today under overcast skies. Our Chefs James and Brett continue to cook superb meals for us from Machaca for breakfast to Tri-tip steak, mashed potatoes, delicious glazed carrots and bread pudding for dinner! The fishing, well Yellowfin tuna from 120 to 220 pounds! David Fay captured the big one of the day and a $100 bonus from Mr. Jerry Brown! Thanks for the great trip Jerry, we love ya! Wahoo too, yes!”



Supercow Quest Ends

Classic big fish angling here today with a shot in the morning and sundown while midday was very slow. We put twenty fish in the RSW for the day from 110-185 with two at 230 and a 305. Larry Ward who has been fishing down here since the Bill Poole days, landed the giant which ended his forty-year quest to boat a 300-pounder. Today's shot shows Larry with his trophy.”



Cruisin' With ATR

"Bill: What can I say? I got my copy of your latest book " At the Rail two days before my wife and I left on our Caribbean Cruise. The book went with me. Every chance that I had, I was out on the fantail, with your book and a fine cigar, reading, relaxing and remembering most of the Long Range stories that you relate. THANK YOU, THANK YOU for the awesome book."
Tom Y, by Facebook, January 31

It looks as if Paul Sweeney has succeeded in his desire to catch a 100-pound tuna on the current Excel trip. In fact, the fish he’s posing with appears to be well over the mark. Skipper Justin Fleck had the following report for January 28:

“Tuna fishing has really picked up for us in the last 24 hours with our best action just after dark. Most of the fish are in the 100 to 190-pound class. We did have a few shots at some heavies, but luck was not on our side and they lived to fight another day. Wahoo fishing remains steady as well.”



“A Better Day”

“We had a better day on bigger fish today” wrote Red Rooster III skipper Andy Cates January 28. “We had a couple more stops than yesterday. That gave us a few more chances at bigger fish. Tom Jenkins took a 250-pounder, Art Cabelero got a 235, Martin Gomez Jr. caught a 213 and Bob Michener had a 215-pound tuna. We had 30 fish for the day, most from 120 to 180 pounds. Nice grade of fish; I hope we can do it again tomorrow.”



“Grade Is Incredible”

The report from Royal Star for January 28 said, “Not quite the caliber of action we had yesterday, but still a great day of cow angling in flat calm weather. We ended up with 22 fish, highlighted by six that made it over the magic number from 205 to 270 pounds. The overall grade is incredible, with the stock grade being 110 to190 pounds, which puts the average at about 160 pounds. We’re hoping we can keep it up for the next three days. Today's shot shows Bruce Lozekar and Mark Bower with a pair of 250-pounders taken out of our sundown bite.”



Cranking Away

“Royal Polaris is still pulling ‘em in,” said the report for January 28. “The weather continues to be outstanding and the Baby-back Ribs were wow! Wahoo and YFT, not enough to be wide-open, just enough to make every fish a story of its own! The tuna were between 140- and 195 pounds, complete with a few heartbreaking losses! The good stuff; afternoon mayhem that led into darkness.”

“We have truly become spoiled this trip, but nothing is being taken for granted. We have been blessed with nice weather and overall good fishing conditions which add up to a great day. We started up just before daylight when we hooked our first fish and it lasted until after dark when we boated our last fish. There were slow times throughout the day but there were also some pretty good rallies to be had. Most of the fish brought aboard were 120 to 190 pounds with Doc Metcalf doing his magic again with a 237-pound fish.The greatest victory of the day was Glenn Bummer with his all-time best 287 pounder that he caught after an epic battle.”



Bubbles Bags Big Boy

Paul Sweeney of Fishing Videos.com is out on the Excel, shooting HD video and still photos. He wants to catch his first 100-pound tuna, which seems reasonable to expect on a trip into far southern waters. The Excel filed its first fishing report January 27, written by skipper Justin Fleck.

“Our first two days fishing down here in the lower zone have brought good action on wahoo, with some quality tuna mixed in. The mornings are spent trying for tuna where we have picked up few on chunks and live flying fish. The afternoons are used to look for wahoo with the trolling jigs, before we try for tuna again just before sunset.

Congratulations to Bob "Bubbles" Maugh for catching his first 300 pounder today. His fish fell for a Yummee Flyer floated underneath a helium balloon and it weighed in at 322.2 pounds on the boat's certified scale. Here are some pictures from the past two days.”



Wolfson Gets Best Tuna

"Hello Folks," said the Royal Polaris report for January 27, "we had blue skies and blue seas, puffy clouds and calm breezes today. We picked away at some nice tuna again today 120 to 195 pounds! Bob Wolfson caught his personal best Yellowfin tuna at 270 pounds. David Fay battled a 256-pounder for several hours and we were all relieved to see it brought aboard the boat. Same stuff tomorrow. Thanks for checking in!”



Real Deal Cows

Royal Star reported for January 27, 2011: “Real deal cow fishing here today that started with a good morning bite and culminated with a ripper at dark on straight jumbos with five heavy cows hanging at once. We ended up with 35 fish, most of which were 110-195 with seven from 205 to 298 pounds. We did suffer a few casualties on the cows but overall this veteran Braid group did a great job of using the right gear and working together. Needless to say we're looking forward to the next four days and are hoping to keep up the pace. Our shot today shows John Cox who raised the bar with a 298.”

“We woke up to another incredible day on the water,” said the report from American Angler January 26. “A beautiful sunrise, clear skies, very little wind and a flat calm ocean. The only thing that could put a damper on a fishing day like this is not getting bites. We spent the better part of the morning seeing a few fish and only getting two bites. Granted that one of the bites turned into a personal best for John Metcalf (he did a great job on a 269-pound fish) and then we could only last so long trying to wait out this batch of fish.

“We went looking for something fresh and as with most good things it wasn't easy but when we got located it was well worth it. We had great fishing in the afternoon where there were plenty of chances at getting a good one. Our smallest fish of the day was a 115-pound fish with the majority of the tuna weighing at least a buck and a half. Paul "Planet" Yarnold also was fortunate enough to land a 250-pounder which as it turns out is also his personal best. Not pictured is Charlie Iwashita and Bobby Gene Gott who also got into this trip's big fish club, with each of them landing a low two.”



Dang Near 300-Pounder

“Our first day was pretty tough,” wrote Red Rooster III skipper Andy Cates January 26. “Our first bite and fish was landed by John Wells, a 292-pounder. We thought here we go but proceeded to get no more bites. So, after lot of looking around with one more stop in the evening that offered a few bites, Art Cabalero pulled out a 203 and we got another fish about 150 pounds. There were only a few other fish caught, and those were the highlights. We are hoping that tomorrow we get more chances and can get a little more action for the day.”



Royal Polaris Rodeo

“Howdy Pardners, Jerry Brown’s Line One Bandits Strike Again! The bank of Mexico reported the loss of several large tuna from a southern district today! They rode in before dawn under cloud covered skies and made off with 20 tuna over 140 pounds, a half dozen of those between 180 to 195. Also, scalawag Joe Amagrande wrangled in a 234, outlaw Craig Drummond lassoed a 214, rider Brian Boatman had a great day and made off with a wily 207 and scoundrel Don Burnside captured a 209. It was reported the rustlers scattered off with only quality stuff and left the small varmints to the locals! It appears the Stagecoach Polaris is remaining in the area, so protect your women and little ones!”

“We started out the morning hooking one nice fish in the dark,” recollected the report from American Angler January 25, “which gave us high hopes for the bewitching daylight hour. Right around breakfast time a few fish rolled by and we were able to hook a handful before they kept going. Bob Wheeler (retired NYFD) was one of the guys that got bit. He was ahead of the game, using a big hook and 130-pound line. If he had been using lighter gear, we probably would have lost the fish. He hooked the fish straight up and down, and within what seemed like seconds, his spool was emptied and we had to throw his 50-sized reel in the water attached to a backup.

“Luckily, two hours later after a grueling battle, Bob managed to bring up a beautiful 257-pound yellowfin tuna. We ended up the day scratching at 70 to 110-pound fish as all but one of our guys landed a nice tuna today.”



“A Decent Start”

“We got our annual Braid 15-day off to a decent start today,” said the report from Royal Star January 25, “in beautiful, flat calm weather. The overall sign of tuna down here was as impressive as the last few trips but they sure made us work at it to get a bite. Our tally was 17 fish from 70 to 170 pounds, which by normal standards is a fine day. With plenty of time and more beautiful weather in the forecast, I'm confident we'll get our shots.”



“Jerry Brown Rules”

“Ahoy! Today was one of those great days for quality fishing,” stated the Royal Polaris report for January 25. “We had a little morning bite on 140 to 195-pound tuna, and Jim Nailen caught a 245-pounder! We also scratched a few nice hoos. Our luck with the weather continues and of course the Swordfish dinner was to die for. Jerry Brown wanted to Thank BHP tackle for the three $100 top shot certificates. Seeker Rods also gave three $25 rod certificates. All the passengers also received a 2011 Bill Roecker Calendar. Three of the guys will be receiving a framed picture of themselves and their personal best tuna from yesterday: Jim Tallerico (268), Charlie Fouquette (231) and Bob Garber (272). I wanted to highlight Bob Garber; he has been fishing with the RP since the boat was built and is still pulling in huge Yellowfin tuna at the age of 83 years. What an inspiration! Last but not least I wanted to say, Jerry Brown rules! He is a great sponsor, super guy and pretty decent fisherman. What a fun trip!”



Praise From An Angler

“Bill,
As a hardcore west coast standup fisherman for more than 15 years, I have to say this is the best single collection of photos and stories I have ever seen assembled. I have never been able to fully convey my love for all things long range fishing to friends and family accurately and passionately enough. I couldn't count how many times I have had to answer the question, “How could you spend eight days on a boat?” Now, using your book, they get it! It's not about just catching fish. It's about the whole experience, and you share that experience very well in the pages of At The Rail.

I recommend that this book be on the shelves of anyone who's an ambassador of our sport. It's not a “how-to” book as much as a way to relive our own memories and vicariously enjoy those of others. It's also a testament to the pioneers who set sail for unknown waters so long ago and paved the way for us to enjoy our unique fishery in that special San Diego way. Keep up the good work!”
Brian L., (by email January 24, 2011)

At The Rail

The heftiest, best-illustrated book on long range fishing: At The Rail: Long Range Fishing, by Bill Roecker, was recently released by Oceanic Productions. The big new 208-page coffee-table volume is colorful, about the best bites ever seen, the closest calls, oddest events, the most gratifying results and heartbreaking losses of the original extreme sport. It's printed on high-quality slick paper and is available in hard and soft covers.

At The Rail shows fishing for giant yellowfin tuna, and wahoo, dorado, yellowtail and other species. It covers the area from San Diego to Clipperton Atoll and Panama, with much about the Revillagigedos archipelago, Baja's southern banks, northern Baja's offshore islands, and the open waters south of San Diego, where most of the summer fishing for albacore, bluefin tuna and yellowtail takes place. Winter long ranging goes to the southern climes, targeting giant yellowfin tuna and wahoo.

The book is loaded with sharp photos of the scenic spots and action shots of anglers contending with the huge fish often encountered on long range trips. History of the sport and profiles of best-known skippers, manufacturers and anglers are included.

At The Rail is a landmark saltwater book for expert anglers and the general audience, with high-quality color photos and art, species information, fishing locations and tackle, war stories from fishermen, stories of the most significant catches, details of record fish and Roecker's personal long range adventures over the past 30 years. This book is a must-have for all ocean anglers.



Fish Across the Border

(Sportfishing Association of California Press Release January 25, 2011)

On the weekend of January 7th the Sportfishing Association of California (SAC) partnered with the Ensenada Rotary Club, and several other San Diego Rotary clubs to participate in the 18th year of “Fish Across the Border”. Every fishing season marine recreational fisherman have the option of donating their catch to a nonprofit cannery run by Fisherman's Landing. After the fish are canned and packaged they are sent to Mexico to help support the “Fish Across the Border” project which is able to touch the lives of hundreds of needy Ensenada residents. Funds are also collected from the Sportfishing fleet and the two Rotary organizations to fill the balance of the food bags with other food products in addition to funding the purchase of 900 blankets.

The food bags were delivered too many sites throughout Ensenada including orphanages, homeless shelters, and migrant worker barrios. The Ensenada Rotary does an outstanding job of coordinating this community event. Approximately 50 volunteers from the Rotary clubs and SAC, including Captains from the SAC fleet assisted in giving out the food. They were also joined this year by the new San Diego Harbor Police Chief, John Buldoc and his wife. “The Ensenada and San Diego Rotary's have put a lot of time and effort in making the “Fish Across the Border” program highly successful. Every year the SAC fleet looks forward to partnering with them to help our neighbors in Ensenada. We are hoping for an abundant sportfishing season this year, so we can provide even more cans of tuna to donate.” Says Michelle Gandola, Director of Public Relations for the SAC.

Facts: Food donations were bagged by volunteers and handed out in several locations across Ensenada. Over 900 bags of food distributed. Project started by Rotarian and former SAC President Robert Fletcher.

Participants: SAC representatives, Captain Mike Jewett, Captain John Klein, President Ken Franke and Michelle Gandola. SD Harbor Chief John Buldoc and wife. Over 50 Rotarians led by Robert Fletcher.

Contact: Michelle Gandola, Director

“Today it took us awhile to get situated in the right zone as we all know that first priority is being where the fish are. We found good conditions and then shortly after that we started hooking fish. We began landing a few 50 to 70-pound fish, but also saw decent signs of better fish. It took some time but we finally started hooking those bigger fish and there were a few times when we had 3 to 4 hooked at once. Unfortunately the sharks found our zip code and made it impossible to land anything over 100 pounds. We scratched wahoo and a few mid grade tuna and tomorrow we're looking for a shot at those better fish, with no sharks.”



Line One Trip Wallops Wahoo, Touches Tuna

“Hi All, Royal Polaris stayed put today,” said the report for January 24, “and did A-Okay! The wahoo bit pretty good, about the same as yesterday, and Craig Drummond caught a whopper! The Yellowfin catching was all about quality not quantity: Bob Garber (272), Jim Tallerico (268), Charlie Fouquette (231), Joe Amagrande (226) and Jim Nailen (199). We have several days of fishing left and the outlook is good! Our weather continues to be sweet!”

“As we arrived on the grounds early morning, “noted the report from American Angler January 23, “we instantly saw good sign of fish in the dark and just when we thought we had the current all dialed in, as luck would have it - things changed. We finally got situated about a half hour before daylight and for the first five minutes it was game on, we thought we were on our way. We had several fish hooked including Steve Leonheart's 158 that Kamikazed under the lights, which took about four turns of the handle until it was landed. Unfortunately for us as fast as things got going, they came to an abrupt halt when the small tuna and miscellaneous junk got on us and made it unfishable.

“After daylight we got going and we were all fortunate to experience classic fast and furious wahoo fishing that involved lots of bite-offs and aerial stunts. For those of you at home watching and are planning on a wahoo dinner, now would be a good time to start researching a few quality recipes as you will not be disappointed!”



Howdy From Royal Polaris

“Hello People, We fished from dawn to dusk, though we did not find the huge YFT we came for we managed to have a fine day. While glassing/trolling for the elusive giants several wahoo committed suicide, plus a few medium grade tuna. Most of the passengers ended the day with nice smiles. The weather continues to hold and the seas were pleasant. The Line One Bandits wanted to send a "shout out" to their amigo Art who is sorely missed from this wonderful vacation. Tomorrow’s agenda will be much the same as today’s, thanks for checking in!”