West Coast Angler - Long Range Fishing Reports

Bill Roecker for FishingVideos.com & the San Diego Sportfishing Council

Net Update

January 19, 2008

Pelagic Super Cow From Hurricane

A 307-pound yellowfin tuna was caught by Pelagic rep Sonny Jones of Santa Ana, who was chartermaster aboard the Red Rooster III on a 15-day trip with 20 anglers, co-sponsored by Catchy Tackle. The boat arrived at H&M Landing January 19. Andy Cates skippered the trip, and Wayne Martin and Fred Knilans were aboard to represent Catchy Tackle.

Few 300-pounders have been caught at the Hurricane Bank in recent years, although the bank has produced many fish over 200 pounds.

“I was fishing a big skipjack for bait,” said Sonny. (Skipper Cates said the skippie weighed about six pounds.) “When he bit I let him eat it for at least 30 seconds. My best fish before was a 220-pounder. I was thinking this one was at least a 200-pounder or a shark, and I tried to stop the take with two fingers while he was swallowing the skipjack, with no luck. After the hookset I couldn’t get any line on at all for at least two minutes, and Andy said I had a really big fish.

“Thirty minutes later we could see that it was a big fish. He fought for an hour. He’s my personal best.”

Skipper Andy Cates said the boat had six cows. “It was a pick bite,” he added. “The wahoo gave us the action we needed.”

Sonny Jones’ super cow came on a 10/0 VMC hook, he said, tied to 130-pound Momoi leader and 130-pound Line One Spectra aboard a Penn 70 VSW reel and a Calstar Boomer rod wrapped by Glenn’s Tackle.

Mike Butler of Sonoma won second place for a 239.5-pound tuna. “He was on for an hour and a half,” said Butler, “and he got me in tangles. I had to fight him twice.”

Butler baited a chunk on a 7/0 ringed Super Mutu hook and 130-pound Momoi and 130-pound Line One Spectra. He used an Avet 50 reel and a Calstar 760 XH rod.

Art Green, Newport CPA, took two cows and third place for one that weighed 234 pounds. “He fought hard,” said Art, who used a 5/0 ringed Super Mutu on 130-pound Blackwater fluorocarbon leader and 130-pound Line One Spectra. He fished a Penn 70 VSW reel and a Seeker 6463 XXH rod.

Art also got a 215-pounder on his birthday, and a wahoo on one of the unusual jigs he makes of diverse parts; this time a Shrek figure with plenty of tinsel.

Henry Maze of Dublin, CA bagged a 227.5-pounder with a double sardine rig on the kite. He used the boat’s rig and said his best previous tuna was a 150-pounder.

“I also got six wahoo,” said Henry, “and to me that was the next best part.”

Lewis “Mark” Dennis of Woodland also borrowed a boat rig to subdue a 215-pounder with a squid under a balloon.

The Rooster was scheduled to leave again the same afternoon with skipper John Grabowski at the helm, on an Accurate reels trip with Dave Choate as chartermaster.

Bill Roecker for FishingVideos.com & the San Diego Sportfishing Council

Net Update

January 16, 2008

Hot Tuna: Accurate Trip Scores Inside

Brian Kiyohara brought American Angler home from a ten-day Accurate reels trip to southern Baja’s offshore banks January 16. The trip scored nine tuna over 200 pounds and a good catch of smaller fish. Accurate rep Gary Teraoka of Torrance was the chartermaster, and provided reels and rods for anglers who wanted to try them.

“We had super weather the whole time,” said skipper Kiyohara. “It was a nice trip.”

Joe Gigliotti of Cota de Caza won first place for the trip’s best tuna, a 268-pounder that took his sardine pinned to a 7/0 ringed Super Mutu hook.

“He bit about 100 feet from the bow,” said Joe, “and he took a third of my spool. He came up to the surface off the stern, then he torpedoed the boat and we gaffed him while he was still pretty hot.

Joe said he used a 130-pound Momoi wind-on leader by JAK, 130-pound Line One Spectra on a Tiagra 50 reel and a Shimano Talus seven-foot rod.

Doug Rodricks of Mammoth Lakes, a guide for Sierra Drifters Guide Service, won second place for a 234-pound tuna. He also had a 225-pounder. Doug fished a mackerel bait for the big one, on a 9/0 Eagle Claw hook tied to 130-pound Izorline and 130-pound Line One Spectra. He used an Avet 50 W reel and a 655 XXH Calstar rod.

“It took an hour and ten minutes,” said Doug. “He’s my best fish ever. He was very active.”

Jackie Larkin of El Cajon won third place for a 222.5-pound yellowfin. He dropped in with a sardine on a 9/0 Eagle Claw hook on 130-pound Izorline and 130-pound Izor Spectra on an Avet 50 SDS reel and a custom Calstar 7465 H rod by M&M. The fish fought for 45 minutes, “…up and down the side a couple of times,” said Jackie.

Ted Windham of Mission Viejo got a 222-pounder with a mackerel on a 7/0 Eagle Claw hook. He used 130-pound Izorline and 130-pound Line One Spectra on a Penn 50 with a Baker conversion and blueprinting by Cal Sheets.

“It took 18 minutes,” said Windham. “He bit up the side and came up on the starboard stern corner.”

Rodin Morales of San Diego took a 218-pounder with a mackerel on a 7/0 ringed Super Mutu hook. He said he used a leader of 130-pound Blackwater fluorocarbon, tied to 130-pound Line One Spectra on a Tiagra 50 LRS reel on a Calstar 6460 XXH rod built by Noah’s Tackle.

Chartermaster Gary Teraoka also reps for Izorline. He’s from Torrance, and got a 211-pound tuna with a mackerel on a 9/0 Eagle Claw 2004 hook. He fished with 130-pound fluorocarbon, 130-pound mono and 130-pound Spectra, all from Izorline, with a surgeon’s knot for a connection. He fished an Accurate 50 reel and a custom Calstar 760 H rod from Yo’s Tackle.

“The rod was new for Christmas for me from my wife,” said Gary. “This open-party group took instruction really well. After the first day they fished together like a charter group”

Jeff Bott of Snohomish, WA bagged a 207-pounder on a mackerel and an 8/0 Eagle Claw hook. He said he fished with 130-pound Izorline and 130-pound Line One Spectra on a Penn 50 VSW reel and a Seeker 6463 XXXH rod to do the job in 45 minutes.

Wes Cogan of Ken’s Custom Reels in Oceanside got a 202.5-pounder on a sardine and a 5/0 ringed Super Mutu hook. He fished a 130-pound leader of Blackwater fluorocarbon tied to 130-poundSpectra on a loaned Accurate 50 reel and a Calstar 7465 XH rod.

“I got him in 35 minutes,” said Wes. “It was an awesome trip.”