“At about 0900 we began to see little teasers,” recalled Royal Star skipper Tim Ekstrom February 21, “fleeting indications of good size tuna that would appear and quickly disappear to the point of nearly driving us mad on the bridge. We would see the fish, head toward them, and then see zero sign by the time we arrived. It was maddening. We knew we were seeing fish, but couldn't prove it with results. Then, at 0945, someone hit the switch. They floated. And this time they were ready to eat. They were 50 to 80-pound tuna, with a few handfuls bigger, and a few handfuls smaller. The first stop was a quick warm up. The second lasted over two hours. “They were biters. For the first hour and a half of our big stop it was anything that hit the water. Every bait, every jig, every surface popper produced. Royal Star veteran Stuart Exall's experience with the big surface "stick bait" summed it up best. On one cast he hooked a good tuna. It smoked him straight down and out, struggled for about five minutes, then came off. Five seconds later, as Stuart was retrieving the stick bait from untold depths, another tuna grabbed it, and a new battle began. It came off as well. And another tuna grabbed it. It came off. And another tuna grabbed it. And on, and off, and on, and off until finally the line broke for some unknown reason to end the chain. Five or six different mini battles on one cast made for good action, and better comedy. Stuart and I were laughing heartily, counting out loud, after the third time.
“So passed the day until the fish, and many of anglers as well, threw in the towel in the late afternoon. It was tremendously satisfying, tremendously rewarding, and, in my case, an unspeakable relief. We accomplished exactly what we came to do. The present is for celebration. A great day of fishing electrifies the atmosphere like none other.
“Our final morning will find us stationary in the world famous "Lunker Hole" where the opportunity to snag and tag a bona fide behemoth is as good as any in the Revillagigedo island chain. Regardless of tomorrow's outcome our satisfaction and gratitude for today's action cannot be toppled. What a day of catching!”
Scratching Up Skins & Tuna
“Good evening folks,” wrote Red Rooster III skipper Andy Cates February 20. “Today we scratched 18 tuna and 30 wahoo. Two of the bigger fish were 199 and a 204 . Pretty slow but the wahoo filled in the time that the tuna bite were not available. Hopefully we have a good day tomorrow.”
Spiritual News“We have installed our new sonar,” says Shawn Steward, owner of the Aloha Spirit and former captain of the Excel, “and got the boat all cleaned up for the season. We have new deck paint, new bottom paint, we buffed out the hull and replaced the overhead in the galley; pretty much just shined the boat up.
“The season opens on March 1st and we still have a few spots open for our 5 to 5 trip on the first and we are trying to get a few people on the 2nd to go with a light load. We are going to try to get out and make some live squid for the season start to hopefully help on getting some better quality fish.
“Call Channel Islands Sportfishing Center to make an open party reservation at (805) 382-1612. If you would like to book a private charter call me at (805) 844-5566. We look forward to a new season from our new home and getting you all back out with us.”
New Guy Harvey Deck Tech Shoe From AFTCO Bluewater(Press Release)
Guy Harvey Shoe is part of the growing Guy Harvey Footwear Collection, which includes a wide range of new Guy Harvey Sandals. This fishing shoe is lightweight and custom designed, part sandal and part shoe. Engineered for the serious angler, this shoe will not only enhance performance and comfort on the water, but is functional and comfortable for everyday wear. Our fishing shoe has a quick-dry mesh and “waterproof” PU Nubuck upper with printed Guy Harvey logo. There is a custom-molded, non-marking rubber outsole with wave-siping for superior forward and side traction in both wet and dry conditions. We included our AFTCO FishFeet Insoles, which provide extra arch support to prevent foot and lower back fatigue. Finally, we can’t forget to mention the collector’s box that comes with each pair of Guy Harvey Deck Tech Shoes.
The HS90 – Guy Harvey Deck Tech Shoes are in sizes 8 to 13, and are available in half sizes. The shoe is white and gray, with blue trim. The MSRP is $79.99. To see the entire Guy Harvey Footwear Program go to Guyharveysportswear.com.
For more information contact:
Terry Simms,
AFTCO Mfg Co. Inc.,
17351-B Murphy Ave.,
Irvine, CA. 92614
terry@aftco.com
949-660-8757
New App Is Under A Buck
The SportfishingReport.com iPhone app is now only 99˘. Available on iTunes or via the Apple App Store, the SportfishingReport.com iPhone app provides instant updates on both local and long range fishing conditions and catches, complete with photos and audio reports. The app, which debuted last summer at a cost of $4.99 per download, includes daily reports, dock totals and fish counts before they appear anywhere else -- and now it's only 99˘!
At The Rail Reviews
