Today’s report reminds us that the longtime little used method of chunking still works. In fact, several boats have recently noted that tuna were biting on the chunk. It seems to odd to many anglers that tuna will bite on a small piece of dead meat floating or sinking slowly at moderate depths, say, the upper 60 feet. Even stranger, so will wahoo, and I have the underwater video to prove it.

American Angler is on the way home with a great catch, one that will be matched by the other boats now fishing. The AA will be in Thursday morning, with the Red Rooster III coming the next day and the Royal Star the day after. Excel and Royal Polaris look to be arriving next Monday. There are many big tuna on all the boats with at least a couple of supercows among them.

Chunker Heaven

“And just like that, they were gone,” noted Tim Ekstrom aboard his Royal Star January 30. “Virtually zero sign of jumbos today, despite continued fantastic action on 70 to 120-pound yellowfin, with a few standouts in the 160 to 185-pound class. We did have one shot at a giant early, but to our chagrin the brief skirmish ended with a bare hook coming back trailing only a small piece of skin. At least the skulking beast now has a pierced lip to remember us by.

“Focusing on the positive however, all enjoyed the final full day of fishing logging in time at the rail, enjoying primo weather, and pulling with remarkable consistency on spirited tunas. In particular, the chunk fishermen were absolutely slaying the fish, by far the best chunk fishing I have ever seen, remaining steady on the big gear throughout the day. There were numerous times during the day when of the three or four fish that were hooked all were enticed with the chunk. And it has been this way for the past three days. For whatever reason all sizes of the fish around here appear to be keyed into to that type of feed; we'll take it.

“Photo features another of the Northern Albacoreman Wayne Waldron who is captured in a classic moment of agonizing ecstasy. No doubt this is a perfect example of the slight difference in brawn between the cool water, delicate albacore, and the warm water brawler yellowfin tuna; the extra one hundred twenty pounds the tuna on the other end of Wayne's pole was carrying over the average twenty two pound albacore didn't hurt either. Anyway it is fitting that another Northern Albacoreman, Captain Brett Rouintree, previously of the Royal Star, is at Wayne's side in this photo making his annual one or two winter cameo's on Royal Star far from his own albacore bait boat the Anna Maria.

“With the final morning looming the stakes are gargantuan for a strong finish. With plenty of energy in reserve we are ready and willing to take everything they are willing to yield, and then some.”

“We had a big day here,” wrote Excel skipper Justin Fleck January 29, “with tuna and more wahoo hitting the deck Since I last checked in we've had five more cows come aboard Phil Ruemmler got two at 208 and 210 and Tim Turis has a 221, Nonon Alvarez and Doc Gooing picked off a 224. What a great time to be fishing I'll send pictures later.”



Hacking Them Off

“We spent yesterday's morning bite cutting off everything we hooked,” wrote skipper John Grabowski on the Red Rooster III January 29, “looking for two more good ones that we could fit in our last fish hold. Hector Lopez and Bob Michener had the best two fish and that’s the ones we took to finish off the tuna portion of our trip. I must mention and highly commend the sportsmanship of Bill House, he cut off a 230-pound fish yesterday morning due to the fact he already had two good ones in the hold, leaving room for someone else to have the opportunity to put a duce or better aboard. We spent the rest of the day targeting a few more wahoo and at dark started heading up the line to take advantage of a weather window right now that is just perfect. Flat calm seas traveling north this morning makes our decision to leave the grounds seem to be a good one. We have some time and are gearing up to fish Cedros Island on the way home for a few yellowtail to fill in the cracks between the fish on board. We will continue to report
our days activities and results as we work our way back to San Diego.

"I have been saving a couple of pictures for the ride home of Ray Borders. Ray spent most of the daylight hours each day fishing with his Accurate 50 size sinning reel matched to a Calstar spinning rod designed I believe specifically for this high quality spinning reel. Ray had the reel filled with spectra and used a top shot of 100 fluorocarbon line, he had some epic one to two-hour battles on tough 90 to 150-pound Yellowfin tuna and the gear held up flawlessly. All of us on board where highly impressed with the amount of pressure Ray could put on the fish and the tackle without a failure. Ray is 6' 6", has been an Alaskan commercial fisherman his entire life and fishes extremely well. He truly put that Accurate spinning reel and Calstar rod to the test."



The Morning Hit

“Another fine day,” wrote Royal Star skipper Tim Ekstrom January 27, “that for us again peaked early, with the morning hit yielding four more solid deuces and a couple of handfuls of 130 to 192. Then there were the mid-graders that inserted themselves into the fray from the beginning and unlike their larger brethren, that to our disappointments did not stay, remained with us the entire day.

“Following our big morning the action tapered into plentiful catching on 70 to 110-pound yellowfin with only the occasional fish over 150. However, with the strongest emphasis possible, we are in no state to complain. And, wouldn't even think of doing so on such a prosperous occasion.

“Photos today features Bruce Kelton with his chunk-enticed 245 coming through the gate.”



La Paz/ Las Arenas Fishing Jan. 22-29, 2012

“It was another productive week,” reported Jonathan Roldan of Tail Hunters International, “at least for half the week. Early in the week conditions were excellent and we got into more of those nice yellowtail and pargo. However, by the time mid-week showed up, the days started out nice, but my mid-morning, the winds were up and howling. Seas were up and choppy and just as well to either head back in or not to have gone out at all, pretty typical for this time of year. But then again, as the weekend drew near, conditions settled again and the bite turned on again!

“When the bite was one, boats averaged 1 to 5 fish each. These were 15 to 45-pound fish eating live sardines, mackerel, jigged heavy iron and deep diving Bomber, Yo-Zuri and Rapalas over areas deep enough to drag the deeper running lures. It seems the larger fish were closer to Cerralvo Island with fish averaging about 30 to 40 pounds. The “smaller” fish, still tough 15 to 30-pounders were found just outside of Muertos Bay, Punta Perico and Boca de Alamo.

“Inshore, the cabrilla, jack crevalle, sierra, bonito, snapper keep it fun, but the focus has been on the big pargo that, like the yellowtail, appear to have shown up earlier than usual this year. The big mullet snapper pargo are ranging over the rocky areas in water as shallow as just a few feet as they come in to spawn. The big fish are ranging from 10 to 20 pounds, but larger ones are tough to get out of the rocks!

Accurate "BXL" Lite Line Reels At Miami Boat Show

(Press Release) Accurate Fishing Products is introducing the "New Lite Line Special" in a BX-600 and BX-600W for tournament Sailfish, Kingfish, and World Record anglers. This reel was developed to help alleviate the mono compaction issue seen in reels when using 500 - 600 yards or more of 15-pound and 20-pound mono. The reel was designed with less drag surface that is centered on the arbor and the walls are reinforced to the spool edges giving the spool more material to minimize deflection.

Mono compaction is a common problem with reels when using light line as mono is spooled on with a machine under load it stretches going on with a smaller diameter. Once the line is on the spool, it can happen immediately, or after a few hours, the mono regains its original size causing the line on the spool to expand and push sideways causing the spool to spread.

With the new "BXL" 600 or 600W, the smaller diameter drag washer located in the middle of the spool where the most material is located sees little or no sideways deflection. There is no drag washer around the outside edge of the spool, which under normal mono compaction circumstances pushes the drag plate closer to the washer deceasing your drag range and increasing the probability of the drag to increase upward.

The new "BXL" reels are designed to get upwards of 15 to 18 pounds of max drag. These reels are offered in two sizes the BXL-600 and BXL-600W and in 6.1 and 4.1 ratios with line capacities of 600 yards of 20-pound on the BXL- 600 and 550 yards of 30-pound on the BXL-600W. The "BXL" reels are made of 6061 T6 aircraft aluminum which is light and extremely strong and feature Accurate's patented TwinDrag® system.

For more information on Accurate Fishing Products please visit us at: www.accuratefishing.com.

New Guy Harvey “STRIKE” Board Short From AFTCO Bluewater

(Press Release) Be the envy of other fishermen, with our “eye-catching” Guy Harvey “Strike” Board Short, a serious fisherman’s short, with a board short feel. Made from quick-dry polyester micro suede for wear in and out of the water, this garment sports a dynamic underwater scene sublimated on the entire short. On the right side is a fisherman-friendly, Cordura-lined pliers/ utility pocket. The pliers pocket sits behind a large cargo pocket with quick-drain grommets. Both the pocket and the grommets have the Guy Harvey signature. Other features include baggy “board short” styling, 21” length (9” inseam), two side-seam front pockets, zippered back pocket, triple-stitched seams for extra durability, fixed waistband with zipper, and a front tie for easy fit.

The MH26308-Guy Harvey “Strike” Board Short is offered in Blue (BLU). MSRP $49.99. To see the entire Guy Harvey sportswear line, go to GuyHarveySportswear.com.

“What a great way,” noted the report from American Angler January 29, “to finish our trip: four more fish over 200 pounds (Robin LeMaster, Bill Randall, John Metcalf, Steve Leonhart) and then the last fish of the trip to hit the deck was a 320-pound beast caught by regular veteran angler, Dennis "Red" Saylors. (He's fished a lot of long trips and earned that one). We feel very fortunate to experience this level of big tuna fishing and can't wait to get home to begin eating fresh fish.”



Doc Gets A Monster

“We've been very busy here on the Big X,” wrote skipper Justin Fleck January 28, “with good action on this midgrade tuna. Most of the action comes before daylight on big baits and chunks. Al Merrick picked up a 222-pounder on a chunk. Doctor Gooing added on to his impressive resume with a 314.8-pound monster also caught on the chunk. There's no doubt about it, these big tuna are here and every bait that hits the water has a chance of producing a fish of a lifetime.”



Just About Full

“Every day during the daylight hours has had one consistency, that no two days have been the same as far as fish sign or fishing conditions” wrote skipper John Grabowski aboard Red Rooster III January 29. “The nights have been our most valued time of the day by far, up until yesterday afternoon. Extremely good sign on Vaca all day with good steady fishing current and a legitimate shot for a "Good One" basically all day long. We made the most of the golden opportunity with an epic afternoon of Vaca fishing by hooking and landing a 298, 285, 277, 243, 222, 211 and a 207. This along with very good fishing for 120 to 180-pound fish and excellent light wire bait fishing for wahoo made for a day that no one aboard will forget any time soon. We are getting very close and have room for maybe two more good ones in our fish storage tanks, along with a little more skin to fill in the cracks. We are waiting to see what today has to offers as I type this report, obviously in great anticipation at another shot at a good one or two.

“Today’s onsite pictures are of Mike Burkman with a mid day 243-pound kite fish; Scott Harper and the Red Rooster III crew with Scott's 298 at Sundown flying a squid under the kite; Jack Thrush and the crew with a 285 from the kite in the afternoon; long time Red Rooster III passenger Dave Malmberg and a 222-pound Kite fish. Last but not least is Daniel Bliss with his first Solo light wire finesse wahoo, I must say Daniel was elated to master the art of light wire fishing for wahoo.”

“Today we experienced slower fishing,” said the report from American Angler January 27, “due to lack of conditions which made it a touchy bite. It was the toughest fishing day of the trip, but still beautiful weather and plenty of fish on board. Enjoying the Life…”



Cows Outstanding

“Fishing remains outstanding down here in the lower zone,” observed skipper Justin Fleck January 27. “We picked up 75 nice tuna from 70 to 200 pounds and 60-plus wahoo so far. Four cows have come over the rail and a few more broke our hearts. Henry Flores got a 246.8, Bubbles Maugh has a 219, Jim Dekay 210.8, and Vladimir Kusturic 204. I’m hoping things keep up.”



Gittin’ Good Ones

“It is Saturday morning,” wrote Red Rooster III skipper John Grabowski January 28, “and to be quite honest I'm not sure where I left off on the updates from the last report, the days are starting to blend together. We continue to have excellent fishing and fantastic weather as you can see by the pictures we have sent along with today's report. We still have three day's of fishing and we are trying to be very selective on what is being put in the last hold, looking for more "GOOD ONES".

“Our picture today is Mike Butler with a midday 180-pound kite fish. Onsite are more of Bob Brower of Hixson Tennessee pulling on one of his better fish from yesterday (note the weather). Jack Thrush with a 207 pound fish right at daylight and Ray Broders with one of his two 200-pounders in the last twenty four hours, along with a few more fish waiting for a ride back to San Diego. We will continue to report on our progress as all of us aboard the Red Rooster III enjoy this great fishing and weather.”



Over A Dozen, Still Going

“While the satellite reception is still poor,” said the report from the Royal Polaris office January 27, “we did manage to reach the Royal Polaris briefly on the radio this morning. At the present time they have 14 fish over 200 pounds. They have many fish in the 175 to 195-pound category. They are also catching some Wahoo. Presently, they are cutting off all fish 100 pounds and under. The largest fish so far is 284 pounds. We will update you as soon as communications allows us to do so and “Big D” will have plenty of pictures for you to look at once they start receiving satellite communications.”



Wake Up Call

“An early wake up call today as the wee hours of the morning produced the lion's share of the day's excitement,” wrote Royal Star Tim Ekstrom January 27. “I won't classify the action as hot and heavy, things were far more reasonable than a few days prior, but the pace was worthy and the tuna were game.

“As well the mixed bag size average continues with one bait producing a 75-pound yellowfin, the next perhaps a 120 to 150, and the next a 200 to 250. Other than fishing a big bait in the early dawn, or perhaps sticking to the chunks, there is no explanation other than odds; those odds favoring one who is in the water, fishing with the big gear, the vast majority of the time.

“Other than a few tuna here and there, in addition to more sporadic excitement provided by the ever present striped, speedy hooligans, the day passed in abundant leisure with anglers worn down by the early start and baking sun, grabbing liberal siestas and enjoying the calm. It was a fine day in every respect. Another four tuna over the 200 mark in the hatch, and plentiful action in between.

Photos today features an incredibly stoked Royal Star veteran David Sumethasorn with a porky 219 that was so big around when landed it appeared as though it would explode. After the official weigh in, we flushed about five pounds of chunks and various "giblets" from prior dressings from it's belly. It was living high on the hog for awhile, and at least went down fighting with a full belly! This one, fresh from the RSW upon return, will undoubtedly be a delicacy. Washington Albacore fisherman Todd Girtz, I originally incorrectly identified as Oregon Albacoreman, landed his first deuce this morning, coming in just over the mark at 205.”

“The wind backed off and left us with a peaceful, enjoyable day,” noted the report from American Angler January 25. “Once again we had a steady pick on nice grade yellowfin with several in the 120 to 190lb class. Robin LeMaster led the 200lb parade with a 232-pounder and Glenn Bummer, Ben Frazier, John Metcalf and Sam Cornell also joined the club with their 200-pounders from 208 to 215. Things are coming together and guys are having a good time. Nice weather sure helps.”



Watch Your Toes

“Another very good day of Yellowfin Tuna fishing today,” reported skipper John Grabowski January 25, “along with a few Wahoo to keep everyone on their toes. We have sent along a photo of Red Rooster III regular Bob Michener and crewman Nick from todays action. The 15 to 18 knots of wind we have had the past two days has backed off to a light 8 to 10 knots and we are enjoying beautiful weather and excellent fishing conditions. We have a lot of fishing time remaining and we are all hoping for continued success as the trip progresses. It appears everyone is having a great time as we work at making this a trip to remember. We will report back later and keep you up to date on our progress as things develop.”



Cows Coming

“The first day of fishing we had 2 over 200 pounds,” reported Frank LoPreste from the office of Royal Polaris, “and the second day we had 5 over 200. This morning (1/25) at 7:30 am we had 1 over 200. We have good fishing and good weather. Yesterday we put down 19 fish and released many other smaller fish. Our communication with the Royal Polaris is very poor. They are not receiving a satellite signal where they are fishing. We will update you when we receive reports.”

This little note was posted on Brandon Hayward’s Log January 25: “Eric Huff at Eric's Tackle just sent me this pic. It's a 90 x 62 inch yellowfin tuna taken by Ron Tegland on his yacht Tenacious. Word is he caught it yesterday in the hot Puerto Vallarta zone that's been kicking out so many cows the past few weeks. It taped out at 432.4 pounds. Huge fish. Mind blowing... Look for more details as they come out.”

Skipper John Grabowski reported from the Red Rooster III January 23: “Good fishing today on mid-range fish for us, basically 70 to 130-pound fish made up the bulk of our catch today. Bill Campbell had the largest Yellowfin of the day for us and it was approximately 185 pounds. It was a great day, a very nice start to the trip. Our weather was perfect kite flying weather today, which was very successful for us in the afternoon. We will be around here in the morning and are hoping for similar good luck with a few shots at the bigger fish. We have sent along a few photos today of Art Caballero with a nice Wahoo and Paul Lapore with one of his mid-range tuna.”



Supercow On Drift

“We had a great day today,” said the report from American Angler January 23, “with drifts that included a lot of personal bests such as: Dynamo Dan Martin's 312-pounder, Lady Angler Extraordinaire Jan Howard with a 286, Bill Leonard's 266, Galen Steward had a 266 and a 205-pounder, Bill Randall (100 days in 2011) with a 240 and Robin Lemaster (famous for his bleu cheese dressing) with a 230-pounder. Everyone else enjoyed bountiful fishing with tuna from 100 to 190-pounders.”

Jeff DeBuys docked Independence at Pt. Loma Sportfishing January 22, after a 16-day West Coast Marketing trip with 21 anglers and chartermaster Rick Ozaki. There were a dozen cows in the stuffed refrigerated saltwater and brine spray holds.

“They bit everything,” remark Ozaki, “and a lot of them ate chunks. It was good fishing.”

“We spent two days in the Buffer Zone,” said skipper DeBuys, “ and six at the Hurricane Bank. We got limits of tuna and a few wahoo. The water’s still holding down there, at 77 degrees.”

The trip’s biggest tuna wasn’t eligible for the jackpot, so Frank Bartel of Buena Park brought his 281-pound yellowfin into the lineup shot on the far right, as honorable mention. He said he got it with a chunk on a 6/0 Hayabusa hook, 130-pound Yo-Zuri line, 130-pound Line One spectra, an Avet 50 reel and a Calstar 770 XXH rod wrapped by Taka Tanaka.

Chartermaster Rick Ozaki of Torrance won first place for his 243.2-pound tuna. It bit on a double sardine rig under the kite, and he landed it in just 20 minutes. He said he used 7/0 Hayabusa hooks, 130-pound Seaguar Premier fluorocarbon, 130-pound Izorline spectra, an Avet 50 reel and a Calstar 765 XXH rod.

Tony O’Connell of Santa Monica won second place for a 236.2-pounder. He got it the hard way, on a Salas PL 68 glow jig on 130-pound Izorline and 130-pound Line One spectra. He fished with an Avet 50 reel and a Super Seeker 2 X 4 rod he wrapped himself.


Louie Marzari of Yorba Linda won third place for a 234-pound that ate his chunk bait on a 7/0 Hayabusa hook. The fish fought 40 minutes. He used 130-pound Seaguar Premier fluorocarbon, 130-pound Power Pro spectra, and Avet 50 reel and a Calstar 755 XXH rod wrapped by himself.

Min Kang of LA got a 217-pounder on the double trouble sardine rig under a kite. He used 130-pound Seaguar Premier fluorocarbon, 130-pound Line One spectra, a Penn 70 VSW reel and a Calstar 6465 XXH rod.

Scott Ocheltree of San Diego caught a 212-pound tuna on a chunk and a 5/0 ringed Owner Super Mutu hook. It was his best ever, and he won the fight in 30 minutes. He said he used 100-pound Seaguar Premier, 130-pound Line One spectra, an Avet 50 reel and a Super Seeeker 2 X 4 rod.

Art Green, Newport CPA, took his son fishing and was rewarded with a 205.8-pound tuna on a double sardine rig under the kite.

“He was the wildest fish,” remarked Art. “He took me around the boat three times. He finally came up on the port corner.”

Art fished with 6/0 ringed Owner Super Mutu hooks, 130-pound Izorline and 130-pound Izorline spectra on a Penn 50 reel and a Calstar 755 XXXH rod.


Dave Burriault took a mere 15 minutes to bag his 204-pounder. It bit the double sardine rig under the kite. He fished 8/0 ringed Super Mutu hooks on 130-pound Seaguar Premier, 130-pound Line One spectra, an Avet 50 reel and a Calstar 770 XXH rod.

Jeff Liu of Alameda caught a 202-pound tuna with a kite-flown double sardine rig featuring 6/0 Hayabusa hooks, 130-pound Izorline mono, 130-pound Tuff Line spectra, a Penn 70 VSX reel and a Calstar 6465 XXH rod.

Allen Smith of Santee finished out the cow catch with a 200.1-pound yellowfin tuna. He said he baited a sardine on a Hayabusa 4/0 hook, tied to 100-pound Seaguar Premier, 130-pound Line One spectra, an Avet 30 reel and a Calstar 770 XH rod wrapped by J Lo.

Intrepid returned to Pt. Loma Sportfishing after a West Coast Fishing trip with chartermaster John Bakos and 22 other anglers. They fished offshore waters below Cabo San Lucas for a very nice catch of tuna, with eight fish over the 200-pound mark. They also caught some very good pargo, including a possible world record, and Bakos found a huge 125-pound grouper.

“We had very good fishing in the far south,” said Osborne to dock reporter Bill Roecker. “We had four and a half days of fishing in 73 to 76-degree water, and we found plenty of tuna under birds: terns, boobies and frigate birds. The tuna were pretty much trophies of 140 pounds up. We also spent a half-day on The Ridge and another at Cedros/Benitos for yellowtail. That was good yoyo fishing.”

Orthopedic surgeon Corey Burak of Westchester, NY won first place for a supercow he got with a squid on the flyline. All the big tuna came on squid. Corey said his 332-pound big boy bit the squish on a 9/0 ringed Super Mutu hook from Owner, tied to 130-pound Seaguar Premier fluorocarbon, 130-pound Line One spectra, an Avet 50 reel and a Seeker Classic 659 XXXH rod.

“This was an awesome group,” said Corey, who also caught a 242-pounder. “It was my first trip over 10 days. My best fish before this one was a 280. This one bit up at the bow and he came to gaff there, too, after he took me around the boat twice. Then he got tail-wrapped.”

David Rouse of Fresno had a great trip, too. He caught a 266.6-pounder on a squid and a 5/0 ringed Super Mutu. He used 100-pound Seaguar Premier fluorocarbon, 130-pound Line One spectra, and Okuma 30 reel and a Super Seeker 2 X 4 rod wrapped by Salty Dawg.

The second feather in Rouse’s cap was a possible world record snapper, the red Pacific snapper anglers call pink pargo, of 22.4 pounds. The current record is 17.7 pounds, held by Lon Mikkelsen since 2001.

Jerry O’Sha of Mohegan Lake, NY won third place for a 250.6-pounder, and also had one at 207. He said he baited his squid on a 9/0 ringed Eagle Claw hook, and used the boat’s heavy kite rig with a Super Seeker 6463 XXXH rod.


Jim Hart of San Jose weighed a 248-pounder that took his squid on a 9/0 ringed Super Mutu. His first cow, the fish fought for an hour. He said he used 130-pound Momoi fluorocarbon, 130-pound Line One spectra, an Accurate ATD 50 reel and a Super Seeker 2 X 4 rod.

David “FishyBuzz” Tang of Tucson spent 45 minutes teaching his 221.7-pound tuna to come to the boat after it bit a squid on a 9/0 Eagle Claw hook. He said he used 130-pound Seaguar Premier fluorocarbon, 130-pound Line One spectra, and Accurate ATD 50 reel and a Super Seeker 6463 XXXH rod.



In The Zone

Justin Fleck docked the Excel at Fisherman’s Landing January 20 after a 15-day trip with 26 anglers to the Buffer Zone and Hurricane Bank. The big rig’s holds were stuffed with large tuna and an excellent catch (about half-limits) of wahoo, one of the best catches so far this year.

“We fished the Hurricane and The Zone,” he said. “We got three and a half days on the bank and a day and a half at the Buffer Zone. We ended up with seven cows. It was a great trip, and we were full, so we came home a day early.”

Eric Woyce of San Francisco won first place for his 212-pound yellowfin. He said it bit a sardine on an Owner 6/0 ringed Super Mutu hook and 100-pound Blackwater fluorocarbon. He used 130-pound Line One spectra on an Avet 30 W reel and a Calstar 6455 XXXH rod.

“It was a textbook fight of 45 minutes,” Woyce remarked. “The crew was really a big help.”

On his first trip, James Falotico of Islip, NY won second place for a 208-pound tuna. It bit a sardine on 7/0 Quick Rig hook tied to 100-pound Seaguar Premier fluorocarbon, 130-pound Line One spectra, an Avet 30 W reel and a Super Seeker 1 X 3 rod.

Ted Prager, Jr. took third jackpot for a 206-pounder. He bagged it with a sardine on a 7/0 Eagle Claw hook on 130-pound Seaguar Premier fluorocarbon, 130-pound Line One spectra, a Penn 50 reel and a new Super Seeker Rail Boss rod.

Steve Olson of Newbury Park had two cows, at 219 and 209 pounds. He fished sardine on 6/0 Eagle Claw hooks tied to 130-pound Seaguar Premier fluorocarbon, 100-pound Line One spectra, a Penn 50 SW reel by Cal Sheets and a Calstar 765 XH rod. The big fish fought for an hour and a half.

Dean Jefferis of Redondo Beach helped himself to a 204-pounder after it sucked in his sardine on an 8/0 Eagle Claw hook. He said he used 130-pound pink Yo-Zuri fluorocarbon, 130-pound Line One spectra, a Penn 50 VSW reel And a Calstar 7455 XXH rod wrapped by Bob Sands.

Jake Hensley got a 205-pounder, one more cow that came home to the Excel.

Randy Toussaint brought his 23 anglers aboard Royal Star home from a 12-day trip January 19. The group had three cows and a few close to that status, but the best one was lost.

“It was a squirrely fish,” commented Toussaint to dock reporter Bill Roecker. “He was on the light, 100-pound sardine gear, and I wondered if we’d be able to get that one. Then he swam right past the corner, upright, and I thought, ‘Whew, that’s a really big one!’ Later he broke off.”

The skipper thought the big tuna was well over 300 pounds when he got a good peek at the monster.

Ernie Holmes of Socorro, NM won first place for his 209-pound tuna. That one went into a bin on the dock, so he posed with a slightly smaller fish. He said he got his winner on a sardine and a 9/0 Eagle Claw hook. He used 100-pound Blackwater fluorocarbon, 130-pound Izorline spectra on a Triton 50 reel and a Calstar 6465 XH rod.

Mitch Otera won second place for a 207-pound tuna. He said he got it with a sardine on a 8/0 Eagle Claw hook, tied to 130-pound Blackwater fluorocarbon and 130-pound Line One spectra. He fished with a Penn 50 reel and a Calstar 6465 XXH rod.

Len Cunningham of Alpine won third place for his 195-pound yellowfin tuna.

Dennis McNeely of Soquel got a 204-pounder that wasn’t eligible, so he stood in with the winners on the right end of the lineup. He said he used a salami mackerel on an 11/0 Mustad 7691 hook for bait, and fished with 130-pound Seaguar Premier fluorocarbon, 130-pound Izorline spectra, a Tiagra 50 W reel and a Calstar6455 XXH rod.

“My best fish before was a 62-pound tuna,” he told Roecker, “and a 70-pound wahoo. So this is my best fish ever and my first cow, on my first long trip. I learned a lot; that the rail is for me. I’m changing my seven-day next year to a ten-day trip on the Star.”

Team Hoo Coming Home Early

“We made a stop by Cedros Island today,” wrote Excel skipper Justin Fleck January 18, “where we filled the last few cracks in the fish holds with 70 nice grade yellowtail. Most of the fish were caught on yoyo iron with a few being taken on the dropper loop. With the wells being completely full and an unfavorable weather forecast, Team Hoo has decided to go in a day early. We will be at Fisherman’s Landing tomorrow morning around 0630.”



Indy Back On

“Hey, here we are, back on line,” wrote Independence skipper Jeff DeBuys January 18. “Wow, where do we begin? We just got sat signal and thought we should get up to date. We finished up on the fishing side Tuesday night in a blaze of glory. Rick Ozaki pulled a 240-pounder just before we left the zone, and they were right on the corner biting everything. We have been blessed again with stellar fishing, and good weather. The overall grade for the trip is just awesome, with many, many, 125 to 195-pound fish in the holds.

“As far as big ones go, I think we have nine cows and some more that might sneak in there. I will say one thing that what ever was biting; the guys took care of business, and put the wood to 'em. We have just a little bit of room left for some yellowtail if we have time on the way home. With two wells of RSW fish, and two of frozen there is plenty for everyone meeting the boat on Sunday. We had a couple of bingos on the Wahoo, and they all made it into the fresh well. I will leave it this way; we had chances at cows each day, along with steady fishing for quality all day long. We will give you all a report as to when we will arrive in San Diego on Sunday.



Made It!

“We made it up to the San Benitos Islands around midday,” said the report from the Intrepid January 18, “and again scratched away at some Yellowtail with the Yo-Yo Iron. Crewman Dave Taylor demonstrates how to fight Yellows on the ultra light gear this afternoon. What a riot! We spent the evening tucked into one of the coves sheltered from the wind and enjoyed our Seafood Buffet before continuing up the line. We will make a short stop tomorrow and try for some reds and lings.”



Half Released

Jack Vitek is world records coordinator for the International Game Fish Association. In the Jan/Feb 2012 issue of the organization’s publication, the International Angler, he said that 746 applications for world records were submitted this year, and that half of the fish they represented were released alive.

Honors were accorded in the same magazine to Mike Livingston for his world record 405-pound yellowfin taken on the Vagabond. The fish broke a record that Curt Wiesenhutter held for 34 years.

Other notable 2011 records: Fiona Stallard of Perth, Australia got a six-pound line class record for her 46-pound, four-ounce wahoo. She got her big skinny with a Halco lure called a Lazer Pro on the troll off Fiji. The Halco lures are distributed in the US by Accurate.

A 156-pound, 13-ounce amberjack was picked up in November on a vertical jig fished by Hideyuki Nemoto of Japan was one of 21 new records that went to that country last year.

Alaska produced two all-tackle rockfish records: a 25-pound, 14-ounce bocaccio (known locally as salmon grouper) from Elfin Cove; and a four-pound, one-ounce China rockfish, from the depth of the Gulf of Alaska.

The depths of Black’s Beach in La Jolla yielded two California corbina tippet records for Erv Wheeler: five pounds, four ounces on four-pound tippet; and five pounds three ounces on eight-pound tippet.

Great Praise

 “Dear Bill: The world is a better place with you and your comments and pictures in it. Happy Birthday!”
Phil Havlicek (by email January 18, 2012)

Bill’s Reply

I don’t know if I can live up to that, Phil, but I’ll keep trying. My warmest thanks to you and the dozens of other readers and viewers who wrote, called or emailed me on my 70th, January 17. I feel much honored. Thank you, Bill

Brian Kiyohara docked American Angler at Pt. Loma Sportfishing January 18 following a 12-day Accurate voyage with 26 anglers and Gary Teraoka as chartermaster.

“We had great fishing,” said skipper Kiyohara. “We had a fine catch of tuna and yellowtail, along with some wahoo.”

He noted the water at the Hurricane Bank was 77 degrees, and 63 at Cedros Island.

Chartermaster Teraoka brought some 40 rods and reels aboard from Accurate and Calstar. He said, “We went to Clarion Island first for a day, and then out to the Hurricane for two days, and we spent a day at Cedros fishing yellowtail."

Yellowtail fishing was better than expected, said jigmaker Matt Salas, who commented that most of the yellows came on the yoyo iron.

“I got three wahoo on 6X Jr. jigs down south,” he remembered. “They seemed to like the Tar Baby best. I also got bit off a few times.”

Ed Morrison of Santa Cruz won first place for a 209-pound tuna. He told dock reporter Bill Roecker he got it with a sardine on a 5/0 ringed Owner Duper Mutu hook on 100-pound Blackwater fluorocarbon, tied to 130-pound Izorline spectra on an Accurate ATD 30 reel and a Calstar 770 XXH rod.

“He fought me for 40 minutes,” said Morrison, “and he took me around the boat three times. He came up on the bow.”

David Claverie of El Centro won second place for a 206-pound yellowfin tuna. It bit a sardine on a 5/0 ringed Mustad Demon hook. He said he used 100-pound Blackwater fluorocarbon and 100-pound Izorline spectra, an Accurate ATD 30 reel and a Calstar 765 XXH rod.

“My best fish and my first cow,” said Claverie. “It was a 40-minute fight.”

Tom Mato of Pico Rivera won third place for a 189-pound yellowfin tuna.

ALABAMA 2011 BCS NATIONAL CHAMPIONS TEES By Guy Harvey

(Press Release)

AFTCO and Guy Harvey would like to congratulate The Alabama Crimson Tide by becoming the BCS 2011 National Champions! Support Bama’s Roll Tide, and this great victory, by gearing up with an Alabama 2011 National Champion T-Shirt. These tees are officially licensed by the CLC. Since 2008, Guy Harvey has created custom T-Shirts that celebrate the success of the NCAA Championships. These shirts have been very popular, and hugely successful. This year Guy has created a dynamic scene showing a fierce elephant defeating a tiger, set against a “Roll Tide” background. Own a piece of history, grab this custom shirt, and show your “Pride of the Tide”.

The MTHNC5640-Alabama National Champions 2011 Tee is offered in Crimson (CRI), Athletic Heather (ATHR), and Black (BLK) MSRP $26.99. To see the entire Guy Harvey sportswear line, go to Guyharveysportswear.com.

The annual Taka Tanaka 16-day trip aboard Royal Polaris returned January 17, when skipper Roy Rose docked the boat at Fisherman’s Landing and 26 anglers stepped off after a fine trip for tuna with a smattering of wahoo and other species to go with it. They had 11 cows, tuna over 200 pounds, in the catch. A stop at the islands on the way home saw a contest for calicos and Steve Goto earned the title of Calico King.

John Woodward of Anaheim won first place for his flylined 228-pound yellowfin tuna. He said it bit on a sardine and a 6/0 ringed Super Mutu hook from Owner. He fished with 130-pound blue Izorline and 130-pound Izorline spectra on a Penn 30 S reel by Cal Sheets and a 770 XH rod wrapped at Taka Tanaka’s legendary shop.



“He bit only 30 yards from the starboard stern,” said John, “and an hour later I got him up on the port stern.”

Jack Preston of Alta Loma won second place for a 206-pounder he decked in 35 minutes. It bit on a sardine pinned to a 6/0 ringed Super Mutu hook on 130-pound Yo-Zuri pink fluorocarbon and 130-pound Line One spectra on a Tiagra 30 reel treated by Cal Sheets and a Calstar 770 XH rod.

Calvin Fujimoto of Burbank won third place, not for his 202-pounder, which came on the kite, but for a 197-pound tuna he flylined. His cow bit on a “Double Trouble” sardine rig under the kite. He said he fished with 7/0 ringed Super Mutu hooks, 130-pound blue Izorline, 130-pound Izorline spectra on a Sheets-treated Penn 80 reel and a Calstar 6460 XH rod.

Sam Lewis of Chino bagged a brace at 201 and 202 pounds. He got ‘em with sardines on ringed Super Mutu hooks size 6/0, tied to 130-pound pink Yo-Zuri and 130-pound Line One spectra on a Penn 50 by Sheets and a Calstar 770 XXH rod.

“Good fishin’, he said. “I got the bigger one in 40 minutes.”

Ron Watanabe of Carson caught a 228-pound on the kite with a brace of ‘dines for bait. He said he used 7/0 ringed Super Mutu hooks, 130-pound Izorline and 130-pound Izorline spectra, a Penn 80 reel by Sheets and a Tanaka-wrapped Calstar 770 XH rod.

“I got him in 20 minutes,” said Ron. “I really put the screws to him. I firewalled him and made him come up on the starboard stern.”

Paul Boggs of Cypress got his best fish ever, a 220-pounder, on the kite with paired sardines. He said he used 7/0 ringed Super Mutu hook, 130-pound Izorline and 130-pound Izorline spectra, a Daiwa 80 reel and a Calstar BTG 6465 XXH rod wrapped by Taka.

Walt Jeffrey of Huntington Beach caught a 202 and a 204-pound tuna. He fished with sardines on a 6/0 ringed Super Mutu hook, and used 130-pound pink Izorline fluorocarbon, 130-pound Izorline spectra, a TLD 50 reel and a 770 XH rod.

Alan Otsuma of Long Beach bagged a 202-pounder with a sardine on a 6/0 ringed Super Mutu hook, in 30 minutes. He said he fished with 130-pound Izorline and 130-pound Izorline spectra on a Penn 50 W reel and a Calstar 770 XH rod.

Andy Cates brought Red Rooster III home to H&M Landing after a 14-day trip with 18 anglers, the annual Loftus & Martin expedition.

“We had spectacular fishing at the Hurricane Bank,” remarked Cates, “with plenty of opportunities at wahoo.”


The trip’s tusker was a 274.8-pound yellowfin taken by Tom Kelleher of Corona del Mar. He told dock reporter Bill Roecker it was his best-ever tuna, though he’d had a 243-pounder six years ago. He said he baited a mackerel on a 9/0 Mustad 7691 hook, and used the boat’s kite 130-pound pound kite outfit, with a Penn 80 reel and a Seeker Black Steel 6463 XXXH rod. The big tuna fought for an hour.

Butch Oldenkamp of Bakersfield won second place for a 244.6-pounder. It bit a sardine on a 12/0 Mustad circle hook tied to 130-pound Maxima fluorocarbon leader, 130-pound Line One spectra, an Accurate ATD 30 reel and a Calstar 7455 XH rod.

Gary Grimaud of Ocean Beach won third place for a 210-pound tuna. He said it bit on a sardine and an 11/0 Mustad 7691 hook. He fished with 130-pound Seaguar fluorocarbon and 130-pound Power Pro spectra on a Penn 80 W reel and a Super Seeker 6463 XXXHG rod.

“It took a half-hour,” he remarked. “It’s my fifth cow.”

Peter Wright of Torrance got a 200.2-pound tuna in just 20 minutes. He said it took a sardine on an 8/0 Eagle Claw hook, 130-popund Blackwater fluorocarbon, 130-pound Maxima mono topshot, 130-pound Izorline spectra, an Avet 50 reel and a Calstar 770 XXH rod.

Squeaking into the cow club with a 200-pound fish, Tony Postolov used a sardine on an 8/0 Eagle Claw hook. He said he used 130-pound Izorline pink fluorocarbon and 130-pound Line One spectra on an Accurate ATD 50 reel and a Phenix seven-foot rod.



Steady Big Tuna Bite

"The fishing down here has been pretty steady,” said the report from skipper Justin Fleck aboard the Excel, January 15, 2012. "There is a pretty good grade of tuna around. It is all mixed up from 40 to around 150 pounds; we really haven't seen too many big jumbos around. We've been scratching away. Just about all the tuna we have caught we have released, the guys have done really well on the tuna this trip.

 We've also had steady fishing on wahoo. The wahoo fishing has been good this trip. Everybody has a few, some guys have done better than others but we’ve had a good all-around trip, lots of tuna, lots of wahoo. The weather down here is flat calm right now, so we are going to make a move up to be at our next destination the day after tomorrow.”



Sing It, Don

“The party is over, and the results are in, said the report from Royal Polaris for January 15. “Steve ‘Happy Feet’ Goto is the winner. Not only did Steve win first, but also second. So Steve won the money, the jacket, and the name of Calico king for a year. Weather today was a bit overcast, cold, and the seas are flat. We are now headed for home, with happy anglers all aboard. This has been a great trip, and like passenger and crew we look forward to the next trip. Our next trip will depart on the 19th of January 2012. The next trip is an 18-day ride down, ride back. Jerry Brown is the sponsor for the next trip.”

The Intrepid had an exciting report from far southern waters on January 13: “The day we were looking for! With conditions changing daily here, we woke up to find the water off color and different than yesterday, right when we thought we had it all figured out…

“So, we went hunting to find the water structure we wanted and man did we find it!! It couldn't have been any better. We ended with 62 Yellowfin today, with four more Cows and one Super Cow... Of course with this come heartbreaks, like Mike Stiny, who hooked into a real monster super and battled perfectly for two hours only to see it break off at color. It was a Very Big fish to say the least, but Mike, being the sportsman that he is, just smiled and said, ‘Man, what a fight that was.’”

“Dave Rouse landed his first ever Cow, a 270-pounder! Fishybuzz landed another nice one at 225, Jim Hart with a good one, David Manning with a solid fish, but the big fish honors go to Corey Burak who landed a Tuna today that taped out at 330 pounds. Again, many personal best were caught today. Time to get back to work and get ready for tomorrow.”



Team Hoo Gets Rest

“After just three and a half days of fishing,” wrote Excel skipper Justin Fleck January 13, “Team Hoo has almost filled the boat. After lunch, we had to stop fishing and left them biting to save room for just a couple of trophies. The overall grade was better today too. I didn't see very many fish under 100 pounds. Also, we did pick up another cow caught by Jake H. on a squid during the night. We will be at our next destination tomorrow morning.”



Friday 13th Report

“Weather is just beautiful, a slight breeze, overcast and cool for traveling north. We had a wonderful sunset tonight. We will try our luck at Rockfish tomorrow afternoon, but I thought I would send some photos from the trip. Enjoy the photos, the R/P crew.”



Good Payday

“Our move paid off with a great day of angling,” said the report from Royal Star January 13, “on quality tuna. It was a steady pick through the morning then turned into the real deal this afternoon for a total of 70 fish from 50 to 175 pounds and one over 200 pounds. Awesome visual effects to go along with the great angling made for a memorable day that can only be had on a longer trip. All methods and baits were working but the sardines on 100-pound line accounted for the bulk of the bites. Ernie Holmes got one today at 209.”

“We started out the day similar to yesterday,” recalled Excel skipper Justin Fleck January 12, “with a good little go around on wahoo. But after we put the anchor down, the rain started coming down and everything got a good rinse. Even though it was raining, that didn't stop these guys from fishing their butts off and putting together another great day. There were no cows caught today but a lot of 150 to 190-pounders hit the deck. Julia Cain got a nice fish caught on a flying fish under the kite.”



What A Day

“We had a phenomenal day on the ocean,” noted the report from American Angler January 12. “It started about 3 AM and from there it was beautiful, steady fishing throughout the day, with some 40 to 80-pounders and the rest of the tuna being 100 to 180lbers. The weather is nice, but forecast to change here pretty soon, so we're going to start traveling before the wind comes up. We'll check back in while we're on the road.”



Tried New Water

“We decided to make a move and check out a different body of water,” said Intrepid skipper Kevin Osborne January 12, “and it paid off big time. We had a good day yesterday, but we felt that the conditions could have been better and that there were more fish to be had elsewhere. It was just after lunch when we got to the area and it was instant.

“A couple of Frigate birds showed the way to a body of fish breezing on the surface and all it took was a few baits to spark interest. These fish are down right mean! Four out of the six fish hooked on the slide found freedom whether it was a chew off a pulled hook or what ever, some after 2 hours. At times we had 10 fish hanging: flylined baits, squid, kite, it all worked.

“We ended up with 22 fish from 140 to 250 pounds with a few even bigger fish lost after long battles. There were a couple handfuls of smaller fish in the 60 to 80 pound range to go with it, but hooking one of these lunkers was not difficult for the period of time that they were on the corner. We will be starting in the same area in the morning. We can hardly wait to see what a full day here will produce. Some times thinking outside the box really pays off and the best part is that we have it all to ourselves.”



On The Way Home

“We left the Island yesterday at about noon,” said the report from Red Rooster III skipper Andy Cates January 13. “We have had a nice ride so far and expect to get in on Monday a little early. After leaving the epic fishing at the Bank, we had saved room for a few fish at the Island in hopes of a couple of Jack Pot fish. First day was more of the same with a little morning show on fish from 80 to 170 pounds, just enough to make you feel like you were on to something. That died out.

“Yesterday before we left we made a good move and had a chance at a couple of big fish and things worked out. Butch Oldenkamp, on an Accurate 12, landed this 256 and It looked like that might be first place until Tom Kelleher landed a 286 on the kite. This took first and second and it looks like one of the low 200's from the Bank will be third. All in all it worked out great.

“Now we are on our way home and we have a great catch with happy and tired beat up anglers. The boat leaves on another long trip on the 19th of January. John Grabowski will be running the boat. With the fishing at the Bank and the chance of a cow at the Island it is a great setup. Also some wahoo can be had, we did pick up 50 wahoo at the bank. That rounds things off nicely. If you are looking to come out and get in on some of this we do have a spot or two on the next trip. Call the office and let them know.”



Made A Move

“Much slower today,” said the report from Royal Star January 12, “but we did put a few nice fish in the hatch, the biggest of which was 204 pounds. After catching a handful of wahoo amidst dwindling sign of tuna, we took off for a different location to spend the next two days. The guys pull over a 175-pounder for Mitch Otera in today's shot.”

We’re in the depths of winter, so how can fishing be good? The southern area, the big tuna grounds, is producing some great fishing from the Hurricane Bank to Puerto Vallarta, as you’ll see in the following reports. Southern California anglers have reason to be enthused, too. Read on…

“Team Hoo Is On Fire!”

“Our good luck continued today,” wrote Excel skipper Justin Fleck January 11, “with another excellent showing of quality tuna in the lower zone. We started off our day looking around when we got a five-way jig strike on wahoo that quickly turned into what looked like a fire drill. After picking up around 50 skins, we put the anchor back down and went to work on tuna for the afternoon. At the end of the day we collected 70-plus more tuna with three of those going over the 200-pound mark. Angler of the day was Steve Olson who picked off a pair of cows. Ted Prager Jr. caught his first cow. We are spending the night and will do it all again tomorrow."



On The Second Day

“Great day of fishing,” said the report from American Angler for January 11, “everyone had a few wahoo and at least one nice tuna. Ed Morrison and David Claverie were today's golden boys, catching fish over 200 pounds and we are hoping for more of the same tomorrow!”



“A Fun Day”

“Good afternoon all,” said Intrepid skipper Kevin Osborne January 11. “With the Hurricane Bank crowded and no room for another boat and the island having very little sign, we made the move to Puerto Vallarta! We arrived last night and began our search this morning. Around lunchtime today we found em, and they are good ones. In the last couple of hours we have put 11 Yellowfin on deck ranging from 140 to 190-plus pounds. We have a couple of 190s, a couple in the 180-pound class, and the rest at the 140 to 170 class. We have a few fish hooked at the moment and are having a nice drift in beautiful weather.

“We ended up having a fun day over here,” he wrote later. “We got on a couple of spots of good fish and finished off our day with smaller grade 40-pounders that were hitting everything, including the Poppers. It was a popper fest, with several of the guys catching multiple Tuna on the poppers. During the early morning hours some of the gang caught some huge Pargo, including this one caught by David Rouse, a 22-pounder! We’re excited to see what tomorrow brings now that we have located these fish and have a better idea of what's up.”



Seven Years Full

“Unbelievable, that’s the word for today,” said the report from Royal Polaris January 11. “Sorry about the updates, but low signal, means no updates. By the time you read this, we will be on our way to fish for reds. We are full, that’s 7 years in a row. I don't know what to say, but that’s good fishing in anybody’s book. We had many anglers catch their first 200-pound Yellowfin, and many others catch their personnel best. We have a few old-timers on the trip, and J.T. Flannery (87years young) caught a 232-pound Yellowfin tuna. Now for the rest with 200 plus fish:

Sam Lewis 201, 203
Calvin Fujimoto 202
Walt Jeffrey 201, 202
Alan Otsuka 202
Ron Watanabe 220
Paul Boggs 220
Ron Watanabe 228
Jack Preston 206

“We had another 40 fish in the 180 to 198 pounds, just short of the 200-pound mark. Our last day of fishing we had an excellent day of Wahoo fishing, now that’s the way to finish a trip off. We are headed north for now, but we will keep you posted on our upcoming events.”



Star Likes The Action

“Steady action combined with beautiful weather got the trip off to a good start today,” said the report from Royal Star January 11. We ended up with 50 yellowfin in the RSW hold which ranged in size from 60 to 195 pounds, with the exception of one at 209. The sign was impressive here so hopefully we can continue to scratch while this bigger grade filters in. A favorite Royal Star regular, Len Cunningham of Alpine got a 195.”



Squishy Observation

Brandon Hayward (WON saltwater editor) reports that local anglers may have reason to be pleased with their prospects for some good winter fishing on white seabass, yellowtail and calico and sand bass. Here’s what he said:

“A fresh influx of squid has moved in along the coast just about everywhere but La Jolla. Here's a pic from Monday night. The big decision is always whether to fish the bait grounds or structure when it comes to fishing seabass. The best fishing I've seen has been about a 75/25 split of bait grounds to structure. But it does seem like winter seabass like to get on structure.

"And yesterday afternoon they were snappin', too. Annoyingly wide-open, after all, the goal wasn't bass, but keeping a bait down in a lane between hard bottom and kelp that could have a seabass or two swimming around.

"Cory Leiser on the 3/4-day boat Clemente out of Dana Wharf came rolling by after calling it a day. He shot me a text on the way towards Dana: over 60 bass, 3 halibut to 25 pounds.”

“We arrived to our destination around 0900 this morning," Excel reported January 10, "and it didn't take long to figure out that we were in for a real show. It was just like someone rang the dinner bell and they came right to the boat. At the end of the day, we managed to boat 120 tuna from 80 to 200 pounds with three cows coming over the rail. Just as a bonus, there were a dozen nice skins to add to the count. Needless to say, we are spending the night here and Club Excel will be in full swing tonight!”

Early morning report for January 11: "Epic AM wahoo bite for the Excel."



Kites Of Fire

"We have had no signal but wanted to update on the fishing,” said the report from Red Rooster III January 10. “We started out at the Island. We had a very slow day with very little sign and poor conditions. We made the move out to the Bank and it paid off big. Our timing was great and we saw it get better and better each day, Really a nice grade of fish with many fish in the high hundreds closing in on the 200-pound mark, with most fish being 120 to 200 pounds. Each day we watched the grade and caliber of fishing get better and better.

"It’s been classic Hurricane bank fishing. Very little wind, just enough for the kite. Oh, and were those kites on fire! Some evenings it was as fast as you could get it out there. We had all-day bites with an incredible show and action in the evenings. With our fill of fish we are headed in to the Island and give that another try in hopes of a few Jack Pot fish. We will be there and have a day and a half to fish. Hopefully we get a few big ones.”



Halibut Derby’s On

(Press Release)

All systems are go!  Mark your calendars. Save the date, and start getting ready for the 36th Annual Marina Del Rey Halibut Derby scheduled for June 9th and 10th 2012. Marina Del Rey Anglers once again are hosting the Annual Marina Del Rey Halibut Derby, keeping alive the long-standing tradition of LA's largest salt water angling tournament.

Sign up information will soon be available at www.HalibutDerby.com or you can stop by the Halibut Derby booth at the Fred Hall Show March 7-11th.  All derby entrants will get a limited edition derby shirt, discount membership to the MDR Anglers as well as some nice goodie bags which alone will make the derby worth their while. 

Brand New Board Shorts From AFTCO

(Press Release)

By expanding our AFTCO development team, using the highest quality factories, and finding the most technically advanced fabrics available, we are proud to say that we have created the ultimate AFTCO board shorts for the serious angler. Our two most technical shorts are the Dorado and Techno. These two shorts use an incredible new fabric, 95% polyester/ 5% Spandex with a “Bamboo Charcoal” laminate on the inside. With qualities such as quick dry, water resistant, stain resistant, UV protective, moisture wicking, and anti-microbial, this fabric has got it all! Great fabric, along with features like side seam pockets, cargo pockets, Cordura lined pliers pocket, back zipper pocket, logo grommets, tie front, and a spandex fly, make these shorts “top of the line”.

Our next two shorts are Wahoo and Player. These are constructed of 100% polyester microfiber that is quick dry, water resistant, stain resistant, super lightweight, and super comfortable.

With all the awesome features that were added to these new shorts, what makes them so uniquely appealing are the prints. The Dorado & Wahoo shorts were created to really look like you are wearing fish skin! Both are offered in two colors each. The next two shorts are a more sophisticated look. Techno is a basic pin stripe, and Player is a large scale plaid. Both of these are offered in three colors each. On the beach, in the surf, on the docks, or big game fishing… these shorts will be your favorites!

M11 (Wahoo) is offered in Blue (BLU) and Silver (SIL) MSRP $49.99. M13 (Dorado) is offered in Yellow (YEL) and Blue (BLU) MSRP $64.99. M14 (Techno) is offered in Royal (ROY), Dark Red (DRED), and Black (BLK) MSRP $64.99. M15 (Player) is offered in Light Blue (LBLU), Black (BLK), and Dark Red (DRED). MSRP $49.99.

The long range season went into round two after Christmas. The good news was that the fish were still where they left ‘em, at the Buffer Zone and Hurricane Bank. The first trips to return after the holidays had good catches, including a couple of remarkable tuna caught by women. Look at the recent reports on FishingVideos.com to see more about those events.

The next batch of boats is fishing down south right now. We should have some reports from them in the next few days. Electronic connections with the boats have been dicey just lately, and satellite communications tough at best. Stay tuned.

Turned The Corner

“Good morning to everyone,” posted Bruce Smith writing about his new charter boat Fortune. “Yesterday it felt like we turned the corner, in a manner of speaking.  The Coast Guard arrived promptly at 09:00 we proceeded to run through our annual top side inspection.  We went through every compartment, looked at the wiring and paperwork.  I'm not going to sit here and tell you we passed with flying colors, but what was written down on the work list/835 consisted mostly of getting our paper work completed before the first trip is to run the 27 of this month.  It was great news in reality, nothing major was found, no soft deck, no new piping, the Fortune is in good health and we are looking forward to the upcoming season.  

"In other news concerning future trips.  I had a meeting with the upper crust at the landing and it was stated that for the next 1.5 day trips passports are not needed, but if you have one go ahead and bring it.  Fishing permits are 12 dollars a day, and the Visa's right now stand at 30 to 35 dollars.  If this changes I will put the information out, pronto!   One more word about passports, if you plan on fishing in Mexico, at all (from 3/4 to long range) in the future get a passport!

"The crew has been working hard everyday pulling carpet off the walls, prepping for the new carpet, cleaning up some wiring harnesses.  A couple of days ago we took the Fortune out into the bay for a test drive.  We eventually topped out at 14.2 knots, but of course we were also burning 12 gallons an hour on each main, ouch.  She can get up and move though, and this is still with the old props on.  Once I back it off to a feasible 10.2 knots we were only burning 4.8 gallons on each main, that's more like it."  

Early East Cape Fishing Promising

It looks like fishing for yellowtail, pargo and other early-season species is unusually good for the time of year. Also, some welcome competition for air fares is on the way. It should help ease wallet pain on gringos who fly to East Cape and other Baja destinations. Here are two reports just off the Internet:

Gearing Up For Spring Season

“Our first show in Denver is in progress,” said the news story from Rancho Leonero January 8, “and soon to follow will be the I.S.E. Show in Vegas, our O'Loughlin show in Portland, Fly Fishing shows in Pleasanton and Pasadena, and finally the Fred Hall shows in Long Beach and Del Mar. As always, we'll be offering our Show Special through March 31st, so be sure to check out the link to take advantage of our best deal of the year.

Southern California will have more flights available starting May 24th 2012. Southwest Airlines has acquired Airtrans, and will begin flights out of Orange County. Flights start at $119 each way, $238 round trip.

La Paz/ Las Arenas Fishing Report for Week of Jan. 1-8, 2011
 
“What a surprise to start off the first week of 2012,” noted Jonathan Roldan in his report for last week.  "As winds lay down, we had great inshore action that turned into big pargo and big yellowtail as the week went on!  These were some toad fish!  Got some great photos and video too this week."

Brian Sims docked Royal Star at Fisherman’s Landing January 7 after a fine 12-day trip that produced 21 cows for his 22 anglers, along with numerous smaller tuna and wahoo. Some of the trip’s highlights included the rookie who won the jackpot and a mother-son team that also got cows. Mom’s won second place.

It isn’t unusual for a rookie to win, but what happened to Don Bobertz of San Diego on his first long range trip seemed to show rapid karma reward. Don got his first big one, a 280-pounder, on the kite with sardines and a boat outfit. Then he fished a bait, got bit, and handed the tuna off to another angler who hadn’t yet caught a big one.

The second hookup proved to be another cow. Then Don cast another bait out and was bit again. This time the tuna weighed 272 pounds and won him first place in the jackpot.

“The whole trip was an incredible experience, with the food and the crew and everything,” he told dock reporter Bill Roecker. “For sure, I’m gonna do it again!”

Jan Abbott of Hobbs, NM won second place for her 243-pounder. She’s a regular on the boat, and has numerous cows to her credit. But this time she was fishing with her son A.J. Burns, who is 20 and hadn’t fished long range before. A. J. got two cows, a 216 and a 224-pounder, and posed with his mom for the first-ever, mother-son cow photo shot by Roecker.

Jan’s winner bit on a sardine pinned to an 8/0 Eagle Claw hook on 130-pound Blackwater fluorocarbon, 130-pound Izorline spectra, and Avet 50 reel and a Calstar 760 XH rod.

“It was the first fish of the morning,” she said. “It was just after dawn and a short soak. The tuna bit and ran, fought deep and came up on the bow, where I had to do most of the fighting.”

Mark Fujimoto of Torrance won third place for his 230-pounder, a best-ever tuna. He said it bit on a salami mackerel on an 18/0 Eagle Claw hook tied to 130-pound Seaguar Premier fluorocarbon, 130-pound Line One spectra, an Avet 50 reel and a Calstar 6460 XXH rod.

“It took about a half-hour,” he remarked. “It bit around seven in the morning, a standard fish as far as the fight went.”

Mike Boquet of Capistrano Beach bagged a 244.6-pound tuna with a salami mackerel on the kite, with one of the boat’s kite outfits. He said the hook was a Mustad 7691, and the fight went about 30 minutes.

A. J. Burns of Rapid City, SD got a 216 and a 224-pound tuna, while fishing with his mother. He fished sardines on 8/0 Eagle Claw hooks, 130-pound Blackwater fluorocarbon, 130-pound Izorline spectra, an Avet 50 reel and a Calstar 760 XH rod.

“Coach” Cliff Clark of Union City had a triple cow catch of 203, 207 and 218 pounds. He said he used sardines on ringed 5/0 Owner Super Mutu hooks, with 100-pound Seaguar Premier fluorocarbon, 100-pound blue Power Pro spectra, an Accurate ATD 30 reel and a Calstar 760 H rod.

Ray Ochoa of Van Nuys caught a 220-pound yellowfin with a sardine on an Eagle Claw 8/0 hook. He fished with 100-pound Seaguar Premier, 100-pound Power Pro spectra, and Avet 50 N reel and a Super Seeker 2X4 rod.

Trevor Fulks of Burbank scored a 220-pounder with a sardine on a 6/0 Mustad Hoodlum 4X circle hook on 100-pund Seaguar Premier, 130-pound Izorline spectra, an Avet 50 reel and a Calstar 770XH rod. He also got one that weighed 204 pounds.

Other cow-catchers included Eric Dahlkamp of San Diego, 212 pounds; his brother Ethan, who got one at 208; Dave Coleman, 212; Jim Baker, 207 pounds; and Steve Busch, who got a 205-pound yellowfin tuna.



Report from the Royal Polaris January 6, 2012

“We had another tough day of fishing, but the weather continues to be good. Flat seas, clear skies, and sunny days. On the fishing ends of things, it was tough, with only a handful of Wahoo, and a bit more Yellowfin than yesterday. Big fish honors go to Taka Tanka (195-Pound Yellowfin tuna), and Calvin Fujimoto (196.5-pound Yellowfin tuna).”

American Angler returned to Pt. Loma Sportfishing January 6 after a good 11-day trip that produced 10 cow tuna for skipper Ray Lopez and his Calstar charter with chartermaster Glenn Kuromi, who called it “A great trip.” Two of the top three jackpot winners were from trip co-sponsor Ken’s Custom Reels in Oceanside.

“It was a scratch bite, but every bite was worth it,” said skipper Lopez. Long soaks were the order of the day.


One of the anglers was celebrating 100-plus days on the water with the American Angler this past year. Bill Randall of Foothill Ranch told dock reporter Bill Roecker about it:

“I’m retired since 2008,” said Randall, “and this is what I do now. I’ve averaged 70 days a year for the last four years. Last year I had 82 days and this year I was almost at 100 days so I went ahead and signed on. The trips have been from five to 15 days. I got a 202-pounder this time, on my 12th trip this year.”

John Haskin of San Clemente won first place for a 230-pounder. He also had one at 217. He said he got the bigger one on a sardine and a 5/0 Owner Gorilla hook tied to 100-pound Seaguar Premier fluorocarbon,, 100-pound Line One spectra, an Accurate ATD 30 reel and a custom Calstar wrapped by Ken’s, a 770 XH rod.

Zeke Harloff of Oceanside got a 220.5-pounder for second place, but he also got a 91-pound wahoo on the same outfit. Zeke said he fished sardines on 5/0 ringed Owner Super Mutu hook, with 130-pound Blackwater wind-on leaders from Ken’s and 130-pound Izorline spectra on a Baker/Penn 30 reel and a Calstar 7465 H rod.

“It took an hour,” said Zeke. “This one was tougher than my 232-pounder.”

Reel builder Wes Cogan of Ken’s won third place for a 217.5-pounder, but he also got a 231-pound tuna. Wes said he got his winner with a salami mackerel on an 18/0 Eagle Claw hook, 130-pound Blackwater fluorocarbon and 130-pound Izorline spectra on a Tiburon SST 50 reel and a Calstar 770 XXH rod.


Chris Sato of Encinitas caught a 258-pounder, but wasn’t available for an interview.

John Wilson of San Clemente copped a brace at 208 and 216 pounds. Dave Boes of Bellvue, WA got a 214-pounder. His fellow Washingtonians, son and father Dustin and Bill Graham of Mukilteo popped a pair at 214 and 205 pounds.

Nacho Camarena of Oceanside bagged a 208-pound yellowfin with a flying fish under a balloon. He used a Mustad 8/0 7691 hook and a 130-pound boat rig.

Bob Hanke of Whittier, 80 years old, bagged a 208-pound tuna. Chris Rinauro of Murphys found a 206-pound tuna.



Supercow For Intrepid

Mike Pritchard brought Intrepid home to Pt. Loma Sportfishing January 6 with his best catch ever as master of a sportfishing vessel. He thought he had 21 cows, including the supercow caught by Ed Otero of Palm Springs, but they couldn’t all be located on the pad. David Choate of Torrance chartermastered the Wahoodad/Izorline trip of 11 days.

Otero’s 321.6-pound yellowfin tuna starred in the catch, and won first place. He said he got his dream fish on a squid under the kite, with a kite outfit belonging to the boat: a 10/0 Mustad 7691 hook, 130-pound Izorline fluorocarbon and 130-pound guide’s Choice spectra on an Avet 50 W reel and a Super Seeker 2X4 rod.

Nick Rekrut of Mission Hills won second place for his 251.6-pound tuna. He said he fooled it with a sardine on a 5/0 Owner Gorilla hook on 130-pound Seaguar Premier fluorocarbon, 100-pound Line One spectra, an Accurate ATD 12 reel and a Super Seeker 1X3 rod.


Jerry Green of Riverside won third place for a 233-pounder. That one ate a sardine on a 6/0 Mutu hook on 130-pound Seaguar Premier fluorocarbon, 80-pound Big Game spectra, a Penn 30 reel and a Calstar 665 XH rod.

Chartermaster Choate wasn’t in the pot, but came up with two cows of 274.6 and 209 pounds. He used sardines on Owner Offshore 5/0 hooks, 130-pound Seaguar Premier fluorocarbon, 100-pound Tuffline spectra, an Okuma Makira 20 reel and a Super Seeker 6463 XXXH rod to bag the big boy in an hour and a half. Some of the information about the fish posted here was provided by Choate.

Bill Brown of Juneau, AK bagged a 231-pound tuna with a “double trouble” sardine rig under the kite. He fished with one of the boat’s kite outfits to take his best fish ever in a hour.

Drew Cole of San Diego got his first cow and his best fish ever, a 229-pound tuna, on a sardine and a 5/0 ringed Gorilla hook. He used 130-pound Seaguar Premier fluorocarbon, 130-pound Tuff Line spectra, an Okuma 30 SE reel and a Super Seeker 2X4 rod.

“I got him in ten minutes,” said Cole. “There were sharks around.”

Brady Daniels of Orcutt caught a 220-pounder on a sardine and a 5/0 ringed Super Mutu hook. He said he used 100-pound Maxima fluorocarbon, 130-pound Guide’s Choice spectra, a Makira 30 reel and a Calstar 770 XH rod.

Mark Selman of San Diego caught a 220-pound tuna with a mackerel on a 9/0 ringed Super Mutu hook. He fished with 130-pound Seaguar Premier fluorocarbon, 130-pound Line One spectra, an Avet 50 reel and a Super Seeker 2X4 rod.

“Loreto Joe” Chinovsky of Culver City bagged a 219-pound yellowfin with a sardine on a 5/0 ringed Super Mutu hook on 100-pound Izorline and 130-pound Izor spectra, with a Sheets/Baker Penn 50 reel and a Calstar 770 XH rod.

Jeff Tedmori of Newport Beach battled his 219-pound tuna for three hours after it ate his sardine on a 5/0 Gorilla hook on 130-pound Seaguar Premier fluorocarbon, 130-pound Izorline spectra, an Okuma 20 reel and a Seeker 6463 XXXH rod.

Robert Ehret of Stockton nabbed a 218-pounder in 20 minutes after it bit on his sardine and an 8/0 Eagle Claw hook. He said he fished with 100-pound Izorline fluorocarbon, 130-pound Line One spectra, an Avet 50 W reel and a Calstar 755 XXH rod. Jarrod Weymer found a 219-pound tuna.

Alex Selman of San Diego took an hour and a half to subdue his 206-pounder. He fished a sardine on a 5/0 ringed Super Mutu hook, 100-pound Seaguar Premier fluorocarbon, 100-pound Line One spectra, an Avet HX 30 W reel and a Calstar 770 XXH rod.

Last but not least interesting in the catch was a 26.5-pound Kawakawa, a skipjack-like tuna from Hawaii, caught by Brian Le of San Diego while fishing heavy gear for tuna.

New Heavy Rod Line From Seeker

Darin Dohi of Seeker Rods was at the landings January 6. He had a pair of new rods with him.

“These are from our new Rail Boss Rods series,” he said. “They come in 50, 60, 80 and 100-pound ratings. They’re made from E Glass, with ringed Fuji guides and a foregrip that’s beefed up, reinforced with cork tape and cold shrink. They’re value-priced, at under $400.”

Gail Wade-Adams of Pleasant Hill is a regular on the Excel who’s been fishing cows for years. On her latest trip she scored a supercow, a 340-pound yellowfin that is the second-largest long range tuna ever taken by a woman. Gail fished with skipper Justin Fleck on a ten-day “flyer” that visited Clarion Island, where 30 anglers picked up a nice catch of 18 cows, including Gail’s 340.8-pound whopper, before returning to Fisherman’s Landing January 5. They also had a mixed catch of wahoo and bottomfish.

Wade-Adam’s catch brings the total of 300-pound tuna caught by long range lady anglers to six. Her tuna slipped past the most recent one, a 315-pounder taken by Liz Franzino of Hemet. Liz won first place for her sardine-biter, caught on 80-pound line when she fished with Randy Toussaint on Royal Star one year ago.

Gail’s story went like this: “He bit after a long soak, about 8:30 in the morning, on a salami mackerel on a 14/0 Eagle Claw hook. He ran out and stayed out there for about an hour of the two-hour fight. At first I thought it was a shark because he left so slowly. Then he went down and took me around the boat a few times. He came up on the port bow and just rolled over. They brought him in over the rail. I hooked and landed the fish without any help.”

She said she baited a salami mackerel on a 14/0 Eagle Claw hook tied to 130-pound Seaguar Premier fluorocarbon and 130-pound Izorline on an Avet 50 reel and a Calstar 7465 XH rod. Gail also caught a 242-pound tuna.

Gail doesn’t enter the jackpot, but her fish would have been eligible. Skipper Fleck reported 75-degree water at the island, “grease-calm.” He said the tuna there were feeding on flying fish and mackerel.

Charles Eubank of Kenai, AK won first place for his best fish ever, a 286-pound yellowfin. He told dock reporter Bill Roecker it came on a mackerel and a 10/0 Eagle Claw hook tied to 100-pound Big Game line on an Accurate 50 W reel and a Calstar 6455 XXH rod. The fish fought for two hours, said skipper Fleck, and Eubank had to do his catching from a skiff.

Dave Feibush of Sausalito took two and a half hours out of his fishing day to boat a 255-pound tuna, which won second place for him. He also fished a salami on a 15/0 Eagle Claw hook, and used 130-pound Seaguar Premier fluorocarbon, 100-pound Big Game line, 100-pound Line One spectra, an Accurate ATD 30 reel and a Calstar 6455 XXH rod.

Walter Ozawa of Long Beach won third place for a 250-pound tuna. He sadi he got it with a salami on a 15/0 Eagle Claw hook tied to 130-pound Big Game line and 130-pound Blackwater spectra on a Penn 50 reel and a Calstar 765 XH rod. The fish resisted for an hour.

Dudley Vaughan of Buckeye, AZ hauled in a 265-pound yellowfin after it bit his salami on a 10/0 Eagle Claw hook. He said he fished with 130-pound Seaguar Premier fluorocarbon, 100-pound Big Game line, 100-pound Power Pro spectra on a Fin-Nor 6WA reel and a Calstar 6460 XXH rod. His best fish fought him an hour and a half.

Steve Roller of DeRuiter, NY got a 234-pound tuna with a mackerel on a 15/0 Eagle Claw hook, 130-pound Big Game line, 130-pound Line One spectra on an Accurate ATD 50 W reel and a Calstar 6455 XXH rod. He fought his fish for an hour and a half.

“My best fish,” he told Roecker, “and my first cow. I got him on my first cast after spending a whole day on the kite.”

Chris Kumai of Berkeley bagged a brace: 231 and 201 pounds. He fished mackerel on 10/0 Eagle Claw hooks, with 130-pound Izorline and 130-pound Line One spectra on a Penn 50 reel modified by Cal Sheets, and a Calstar 755 XXH rod.

Shannon Nutt of Palmdale took her first cow, a 214-pounder, on a sardine and a 7/0 Owner ringed Mutu hook. She said she fished with 130-pound Seaguar Premier fluorocarbon and 130-pound Line One spectra on an Accurate BX-2 50 reel and a Calstar 655 XH rod.

Other cows were caught by: Jay Orbon, 282.4 pounds; Rick Iwatsubo, 246.8 pounds; Russell Fujizawa, 220 pounds; Fred Leitner, 218.6 pounds; Paul Carlisle, 213 pounds; Jerrol Kinsey, 206 pounds and Randy Andrews, 201 pounds.

“And they end with a bang,” said the report from Royal Star January 3, “logging another five over the two hundred pound mark in addition to fifteen other “marginal” 120 to 195-pounders. In total the fishing down below was a huge success with eighteen solid deuces in the hatch, a near boatload of giant yellowfin, and a solid sprinkling of “skin”. Between the fine weather and abundant opportunity at big ones there could not be a better ending to the fishing portion of the trip. Now, with some grace from the weather gods, it should be a milk run home in forecasted flat calm for the next few days. Time will tell of course, Mother Nature has a way of producing surprises both unpleasant and pleasant, but for now the passage is lining up to be beautiful.”

Things will change shortly, as the next batch of long range boats arrives home in San Diego later this week with at least two more supercows and plenty of 200-pounders. But right now, here’s how things stand: the score for the fleet to date is 155 tuna over 200 pounds, and two over 300 pounds. The season, which runs from October to June, seems to be “normal” although there was a shortage of big tuna available to long rangers on the inner banks off southern Baja this fall.

Pointed At The Barn

American Angler’s office report for January 2: “Capt. Ray called to let us know they are on their way home. They finished up the trip with 10 more beautiful tuna, mostly 150 to 190 pounders, with one cow, a 217-pound tuna caught by Les Stark. Everyone on the boat has at least two nice ones, the weather is predicted to be nice all the way home--they're stoked! Check back for Friday's eta.”



Six For The Go Around

Skipper Justin Fleck reported for the final Day of the Excel at the Lower Zone, January 2, 2012: "Our final day down in the Lower Zone was very productive for us. We started hooking fish in the gray and the school stuck with us. Again it was all that big fish, 140 pounds or better. We had six more Cows for our morning go around, with the big fish in the morning being a 282.4-pounder that bit on the kite with a mackerel. Altogether we had a great morning, I think we had 16 of those big ones. We're going to be offshore tomorrow, see if we can find some Dorado or something that wants to bite. We'll be up at the islands the following day see if we can find some Yellowtail for the end of our trip. The weather is still fantastic, the Guys are having a great time.”

Skipper Fleck noted that the taped 340-pound tuna he reported January 1 came to Gail Adams. It would seem to be one of the five best tuna ever caught by a long range lady angler. The boat will arrive at Fisherman's Landing January 5, Thursday.




Cigars & Handshakes

On Mon. January 2, Intrepid skipper Mike Pritchard posted: “This morning, like the others, started nice and early with a fish eating a squid under the kite before daylight. This one though, was bigger. Ed Otero was the first one up this morning and was in the right place at the right time with the right gear. After 45 minutes his fish came over the rail and a big one it was. Ed's fish taped out at 310 pounds and was accompanied by six other fish this morning, two of which topped the 200-pound mark and one at 140. We also picked up a half dozen Wahoo before calling it quits and heading for home. The Tuna fishing that we have experienced over the last four days is still the hot topic on the upper deck, where cigars are being smoked and hand shakes are abundant.”

“Another great day of fishing,” reported Intrepid January 1. “Our morning started bright and early with fish being hooked right at daylight and then continuing on, a steady pick with a flurry here and there, but few dry spells during the first day of 2012. We offered up a friendly wager to get the New Year rolling. The first Cow of the New Year would be worth a $300.00 dollar credit towards a future trip.

"Several fish were hooked that seemed to push the 200-pound mark and the race was on. Jeffrey Tedmori seemed to have it in the bag, a steady tail beat showed signs of a Cow Tuna, but he was not alone. Nick Rekrut, Shauna Barton, Bob Ehret and Brady Daniels all had nice fish hanging. In the end it was Brady Daniels with a 207-pounder that would take the honors. At the end of the day we ended up with 24 tuna with 5 over 200, 2 in the 190s, 3 in the 180s, 10 between 130 and 170 and a few smaller ones went in to our RSW, just great fishing. Our top fish of the day went to Okuma rep David Choate with a 281. I think that makes 42 total cows for this well-seasoned long ranger. We still have half a day tomorrow, but what a great way to start the New Year!”



Angler Has Sweet Dreams

The American Angler office posting for January 1 said, “Report from the bridge tonight was 20 fish and nine of those were cows, from John Haskin's 273-pounder cows were caught by Chris S., Bob H., David P., Chris R., John W., Wes C., and Zeke on down to Bill Randall's 202-pounder. The guys decided to hang out until the morning because they may have the opportunity of a lifetime right where they sit, not to mention the beautiful flat, calm weather. Morale is high, everyone on the boat has a big fish and is looking forward to tomorrow morning.”



Royal Star Update

“Happy New Year!” said the posting from the boat’s office January 1. “It comes with good news from the fishing front as the boys on Royal Star are steadily scratching at quality tuna down below. It has been consistent albeit picky fishing for the bigger fish with the best of it coming their way today. Five good deuces, the best of which came in at 272, and another eighteen good ones were the sum total for the effort. Another five over the coveted mark have been part of the total score from the prior couple of days.

"Now to address the notable void of reporting over the past six days: we are upgrading our equipment on board to send data more efficiently, new software was installed to accomplish the first stage of the changeover – it didn’t work; and still doesn’t. From here forward reports will at least be updated from a home terminal as the on board information is relayed via sat phone. The guy who never rests or takes time off did exactly that over the past week. And, it was heavenly. Recharged and ready to go the daily narrative will re-commence as we begin the New Year brimming with optimism. We have much to be grateful for and more to motivate our incessant drive to advance. Meanwhile, via Captain Brian Sims the weather is primo and the big fish are biting. They have a couple more shots before heading up the line tomorrow. Happy New Year and Let’s Go Fishing!”

Justin Fleck checked in from the Excel January 1: "We ended up having a very nice day yesterday. We ended up keeping one or two hooked pretty much all day until sunset. We ended up with 10 over two and one over three. That's a total of 11 Cows. (Fleck said the biggest one taped out to 340 pounds.) We have one more day down here in the lower zone. We're hoping to put another nice day together before we start working our way back towards San Diego. The weather is very nice we have high hopes for today. We'll check in again this afternoon or the first thing tomorrow morning.”



“What A Day!”

“Our morning started out great,” noted the report from Intrepid January 1, “with fish hanging before daylight. Our first fish on the boat was a 241 for Nick Rekrut followed by a 208 for Joe Chinovsky. We finished off our day with three more coming on board after dark, pulling them from the sharp teeth of hungry Brown Sharks. We lost more than our fair share for a number of different reasons, but we did boat 28 fish from 140 to 241 pounds with probably 13 over 200. A final weigh-in at the dock will be the judge. Great weather, great fishing and a boat load of happy anglers.”



Whopping ‘Hoo

On December 30, American Angler reported, “The boat checked in last night with their first report. They had beautiful weather, a handful of tuna (including one 200-pounder caught by Bill Graham), but overall a slow start. They rolled in after the grey and had good sign, caught a few fish, had a few heartbreaks and then the light switch went off and never came back on. The rest of the day's efforts produced a handful of wahoo and a few smaller tuna.”

The Angler’s New Year’s Eve posting said: “The boat left a message last night reporting a much nicer day of fishing: 16 tuna from 140 to 217 pounds and five of those were cows. To sweeten the deal, there were a couple of wahoo, one of them a whopping 91-pounder caught by Zeke! Capt. Ray says all is well on board and everyone wishes their loved ones a happy New Year.”



Raising Bluefin

Tom Greene posted a very interesting video about raising bluefin in pens near Croatia. The video is excellent, and the translated information is right on. The fish are fed sardines, like they are here, and the aerial footage of the pens is stupendous. The tuna are raised for sale in Japan, and the pen company has recently merged with another one in Baja.