New Sport Fishing Boat in San Diego the "Liberty"

[otghoyt]

08/16/2016

You ever planned a trip, spent the money, tuned your equipment, packed days ahead of time and traveled to your destination only to have all kinds of maladies befall your carefully planned trip?  Now, looking back, weren't those some of your most memorable trips.  Well nothing like that happened on my most recent day of fishing. It was a most memorable day of fishing and I now have a new favorite day boat out of Point Loma.  We were 37 anglers landing 150 California Yellowtail!  Yeah Man!

There has been a murmur about a new boat harbored at Fisherman's Landing in Point Loma, San Diego, CA.  It is named the "Liberty" and she measures out at 85 X 23.  The Liberty specializes at ¾ day trips to The Coronado Islands, targeting California Yellowtail, Bluefin, Yellowfin and other pelagic fish as well as Calico Bass, Ling Cod, Rock fish and sand bass.                
The Liberty is a very fishable boat with low rails for better than 3/4 of her length.  There's plenty of elbow room for 58 passengers to free spool and/or fly line fresh bait into the fray.  There is ample room on the bow for pitching iron which pleased me to no end.  One of her greatly appreciated attributes is that she cruises at a fast pace.  I don't know the numbers but I do know is we were one of two day boats dipping bait at the same time. The Liberty was hauling fish aboard nearly a half hour before that other ¾ day boat got to the prime fishing grounds. We also stayed later than the other day boats.

Capitan Terry Clayton put us on the fish immediately. He called out depths and the windward side before we even stopped.  He wasn't cheap on the chum either.  We stopped on several 45 minute bites and he kept the fish in an excited frenzy by calling out for strategic application of chum.

The Liberty has a well-appointed, spacious galley.  Sarah Grose serves up quality food and drink to hungry fisher-folks.  Each and every member of the crew were most accommodating to the anglers and went out of their way to identify and solve every issue that I observed.  At the end of the day every single angler applauded the experience.  Tipping is customary and I happily emptied my wallet into the tip jar. Literally!! I had to use the ATM to pay my parking ransom!

The deck hands, Anibal Freitas and Chuck Smith were really on the ball.  They executed their responsibilities with haste, efficiency.  It is easy to see they genuinely like and enjoy what they do.  I have witnessed many other deck and galley personnel on other boats get in on the fishing and this crew never wet a line.  In fact there were at least four deck hands from other sport fishing boats on the Liberty to fish on their day off.  Two of the guys came down from one of the Dana Point sport fishing boats to fish the Liberty.  That's a 60+ haul do what they love.  Does that say something to ya?

They may be the Newbs in town but that won't be for long.  It's easy to recognize the professionalism.  In the future, there's no doubt what-so-ever, they will be sold out weeks in advance!  Yep, it's that good.  My personal recommendation: Get yourself some before the crowds show up.  

Hoyt

Liberty
Owner:
Fishermans Landing

Captains:
Taro Takeuchi
Terry Clayton                                      

Mailing Address:
Liberty Sportfishing
2838 Garrison Street
San Diego, CA 92106

Web site for Fisherman's Landing  http://fishermanslanding.com/boats/liberty.php
Dock Counts for the Liberty"  http://fishermanslanding.com/fishcounts/liberty.php

[Bryan Young]

Beautiful!

[Steve-O]

Hoyt,

very nice report, pics and referral. I have yet to try a boat trip like that but your experience and recommendation sounds enticing.  thanks for sharing.

Steve

[Dominick]

cool, plenty of elbow room.  Dominick

[bigggfish]

Went out on the Liberty yesterday (8/16).  Taro captained.  We left right on time at 5:30 and were fishing Coronado North Island by a little after 7:00.  He put us right on the fish.  We moved 10 or 15 times during the day and had an overall outstanding day for the yellows. 140 for 35 passengers.  The deckhands were super and Sarah in the galley was a jack of all trades.  She didn't wait for the customers to come to her, she was out on deck asking for orders.  She also pitched in chumming and helping gaff fish when the action got hot and heavy.  We also managed to throw on a couple of big Calico's (one was ~8 lbs. which h we released).  The boat is easily the class of the 3/4 day fleet with comfortable bunks and a galley that will seat 26.  Fishing room for a load of 35 was spacious.  They will hold up to 58, which I think would get a bit crowded, but probably manageable.  Great experience.  Definitely will go again!!!

[STRIPER LOU]

Was curious as to how those Yellows taste. The look similar to our bluefish but get much larger. If they fight like blues, size for size they must be beasts!
....................Lou

[bigggfish]

Personal opinion, pound for pound they are up there as one of the toughest fish out there.  And they are also one of the best tasting.  Sashimi, smoked, grilled, baked, pan fried, even breaded. 

[Steve-O]

Check this site out.  Was looking for more Cali Yellowtail info and clicked this link.

Today's YT tally has the Liberty on top of the leader board. Nice!

http://www.californiayellowtail.com

[Aiala]

Was curious as to how those Yellows taste. The look similar to our bluefish but get much larger. If they fight like blues, size for size they must be beasts! Lou

Lou, as a native New Yorker, I grew up catching bluefish. Let me assure you, our CA yellowtails taste NOTHING like blues... YTs are much, MUCH finer table fare.   

~A~

[Fishy247]

Aiala is right on that one. Yellows are more like an amberjack, but better! Very similar fight though.

[ChileRelleno]

Awesome report and pics.
Really makes me miss SoCal & San Diego sometimes.

[otghoyt]

Steve-o,     I have used that site for a couple years now.  I have begged them, numerous times, to put out an RSS feed.  I have Charter Masters' that call me to find favorable conditions for fishing.  I always use this site as they also have links to tide and moon charts right there.

Here is another link for NOAA Buoy sites.  If you were to look with diligence, you can find ocean buoy information for the entire Nation.  These buoys' measure all sorts of Oceanic information important to fisherpersons.  This particular link is for Point Loma, CA

http://www.ndbc.noaa.gov/station_page.php?station=46232.

I have listed this information before and only ONE guy did the homework.  He thanked me profusely!  He took a trip to the Gulf and he found the conditions he was looking for to score big.  Wave height, water temp, barometer, and twenty (+/-) other measurements that fisherpeople can use to their advantage.

Here's another link for the long range guys.  This is new and cutting edge Science, having only developed in the last 4 -5years.

https://www.esrl.noaa.gov/psd/arportal/

https://www.esrl.noaa.gov/psd/psd2/coastal/satres/data/html/ardt_ivt_gfs.php

This is information is used to release water from our watersheds in preparedness for storms capable of dumping huge amounts of water/snow over a given period of time.  Go to the link for your hemisphere, click on satellite view for previous to present video and after you see that video, click on future predictions for up to 10 days ahead for that very same system you are researching.  

Luck is the hope of the ignorant because, CHANCE FAVORS THE PREPARED MIND......

H~

[Bill B]

Good report on a Catching Trip.....i think I fished on her about 10 years ago and was really impressed with her and the crew.....Bill

[day0ne]

Was curious as to how those Yellows taste. The look similar to our bluefish but get much larger. If they fight like blues, size for size they must be beasts!
....................Lou

Lou, yellowtail are a first cousin to an amberjack. BTW, I believe bluefish are the only ones in their family.