American Angler came home to Pt. Loma Sportfishing July 4. Norm Fujimoto stood in for Glenn Kuromi as chartermaster on the five-day Calstar trip. The boat’s office posted the winners.

First place: 30-pound yellowtail, Steve Shiba

Second place: 24-pound yellowtail, Steve Brunton

Third place: 23/5-pound yellowtail, George Iweshita

Intrepid Winners

Skipper Jesus Companioni reported July 3:

“The Avet Reels five-day returned this morning. Thanks, Ben Frazier for being a wonderful host. Here are the jackpot winners:

Perry Bell, 27-pound Yellowtail

David Yi, 26-pound Yellowtail

Dan Amato, 24.5-pound Yellowtail”

A Good Pick

“We were going to the bluefin grounds today,” wrote Polaris Supreme skipper Drew Henderson July 3. “We did and of course it was a different day today; that's fishing. The morning was very slow especially compared to the last five days running. Things weren't looking on the up. We left the grounds in search of and found nothing. When we went back to the grounds we noticed boats were drifting and most of them all had a fish or two hanging, so we decided to drift too. And for the next several hours we most always had one or two hanging too.

“So after a day and a half we had 5 fish on the boat and things were looking bad, and now there isn't a skunked person on board. We could've doubled our score too if it wasn't for all the casualties, but hey, that's fishing. A successful day I say. Great weather helped too. Up until late it was just lovely.”

Good Trip Makes Winners

Red Rooster III docked July 4 after an eight-day trip. Skipper Andy Cates posted the results on Independence Day.

Anglers aboard the boat brought home 293 yellowfin tuna, limits of yellowtail, 27 wahoo and a dorado.

First place: 62.6-pound yellowfin tuna, Jeff Bruner of Westminster

Second place: 56-pound yellowfin, chartermaster Sonny Jones of Santa Ana

Third place: 48.8-pound wahoo, Ben Kita, LA (Kita also caught the trolling jackpot, a 44.4-pound wahoo.)

Celebration

“Our day started out with bang,” said the July 4 report from Royal Polaris. “We got on a school early, and they stayed with us until we had limits for the day. It was very good fishing on 18 to 25-pound Yellowfin tuna.

“But we are moving south and will try our luck on some new grounds. We are now in search for some Yellowtail. Our weather today was a bit cool, with overcast skies, 10 to 12 knots of breeze, it was not shorts and t-shirts today, but you never know how cold it is when the fish are biting. So until fingers and keyboard meet again, good luck and good fishing.”

“Weather today was a bit breezy,” the boat reported July 5.

“The fishing continued to be quite exceptional as we once again had daily limits of Yellowfin tuna, along with eight Yellowtail. We are continuing south in search of some good Yellowtail fishing, along with a few exotics. Wish us luck.”

On July 6, Royal Polaris reported:

Weather continues to be a bit breezy, however our fishing once again was quite outstanding. We absolutely wore the Kuechel family out. When we pulled the anchor at 14:00 hours, there was only one person fishing. From 06:00 hours until we left, it was as good as it gets on the 12 to 30-pound Yellowtail and 18 to 30-pound Yellowfin tuna.

More Fish Coming From South

Skipper Brian Sims wrote for the Royal Star July 3:

“We traveled up for the better part of the morning today. Once we arrived in our fishing area it didn't take long to find what we were looking for. Good grade yellowtail, 22 to 25 pounds, started boiling around the boat. A couple of hours later a current shift shut them off and we happily moved on. Luke Sabel flew from Hawaii with his dad John for this trip. The pair had five during the bite. Here Luke shows off his first of the afternoon.”

Out on the next trip, skipper Tim Ekstrom posted July 5:

“There have definitely been some highs and lows offshore of late but there is no doubt about the tremendous potential around. Though not on the bite quite yet local the potential for huge offshore tuna action is already here. It will come in time - rest assured. In the present we are all in steaming for not too distant offshore grounds in search of anything and everything that wants to climb on board.”

Bodacious Day

Bruce Smith had a day of it with his charterboat Fortune at Catalina Island at the end of June. His anglers caught 51 yellowtail weighing up to 30 pounds, a good day anyway you look at it. They also caught and released two giant black sea bass, both over likely over the Smith’s conservative estimation of 250 pounds. But the capper of the trip was the snagging of a dying 20-foot oarfish by a Fortune angler. Deepsea fishes like the oarfish are muscularly delicate compared to surface fish, as the crew found when they attempted to bring the critter aboard, and were unable to lift it on gaffs.

“And that was our day,” laughed Smith as he related the story to 976 TUNA. The shot here was not attributed, but appeared to be made by an angler aboard Fortune.

Wahoo Comeback, Marlin Eat Hats

Jonathan Roldan reported Monday morning for his week in the La Paz area:

Las Arenas

“Usually, Las Arenas is where we send our clients to catch variety, get bent, have a little fun close to shore. Everyone catches fish. It’s a good area to start fishing on a fishing vacation. There’s a lot of species and lots of live bait to play with. After fishing here and having some fun and putting some fish in the ice chests, then we go fish with our Tailhunter La Paz fleet and look for bigger fish!

“Well, this year, it seems just the opposite. All the larger fish are at Las Arenas. And there are no “small fish.” Because it’s mostly the larger fish, there are fewer fish. You get one or two shots at a trophy and that might be it for the day. Or one boat might have all the luck on a given day while the boat next to it might get some needlefish, triggers and a bonito. You hit home runs or you strike out.”

“And that’s how it’s been. But the trophies are nice!

“This week the marlin woke up! For many of our folks they got their first shots at billfish and there were several days where each of our pangas hooked at least one marlin. Quite a few lost, but many others were caught and released. The problem is that it’s like the marlin woke up from a Rip Van Winkle Sleep! They are voracious! Guys have told me the marlin were everywhere and swimming around the pangas. They are actually trying to get away from them. The fish are charging just about any bait or lure in the water without hesitation and even fighting each other to get to a bait or lure. The problem with that is they we found the fish are literally swallowing everything whole! That makes it tough to release when hooks and lures are so deep! One of our guys even told me that his hat blew into the water and as it blew away a marlin swirled on it!

“Likewise, the rooster fish have been on fire! Not uncommon to hit 2, 3, 4 or 5 roosters in the 20 to 50 pound class each day with all fish being released. It seems the full moon turned them on also. Around Punta Arenas and on the south eastern side of Cerralvo there are some hot spots. There’s also some wahoo still around and we’ve taken a few fat amberjack and pargo too. However, I think our incredible epic wahoo bite that we enjoyed the last two months may have finally run it’s course! It had to end sometime, darn it! The past week or so only a smidgen of wahoo biting.
“Just as I’m putting the finishing touches on my Sunday night fishing report, our Las Arenas boats come in from the day with wahoo. One panga had three. One had another wahoo and another lost a wahoo. So, maybe all is not lost. Wahoo!

La Paz

Normally, this is the “big fish area” as mentioned above. However, the last few weeks, this has turned into the action zone. Dorado have finally come around nicely. Lots of little fish, but some larger 15 to 20-pounders now showing up and not unusual to get limits or near limits daily. Marlin and sails are in the same areas as the dorado, since they are eating the smaller dorado, plus quite a few sharks hooked as well. Inshore, cabrilla and pargo and big snapper as well as roosterfish have made for some nice variety.”

http://fishreport.jonathanroldan.com/