2017 Merritt charter on the Excel

[MarkT]

It's Tuesday, 10/31/17. I'm checked into the Vagabond, leaving on the Merritt 10 day on the Excel on Wednesday morning.  Happy Halloween! We'll be back early on Saturday, 11/11/17.

[steelfish]

good luck MarK

catch a big one

[Crow]

Catch a bunch, and have a blast !

[Benni3]

X3 good luck,,and have a blast

[Swami805]

Should be a great trip, good luck!

[Cor]

Have a great trip and catch everything you wish for!

[alantani]

Good luck!

[Rancanfish]

Gettum' Mark!

[MarkT]

2017 Excel Merritt 10 Day

Trip of a lifetime to cow town!

Crew:
Captain Justin, Mike Ramirez, Chowder, Jake, Colin and Josh (new guy) on deck. Chef Jake and assistant Nick.

Overall fish count (11 species) :
11 YFT (321# and 298.8#, 5 small, released)
2 YT (1 released)
6 Dorado
2 Olive Grouper
2 Skipjack
1 Black skipjack
1 Mexican Barracuda
1 Whitefish
1 Mexican Rockfish
1 Sand Bass
1 Bonito

Rods/reels:
30# Phenix psw760h/Accurate DX400
40# Phenix psw700xh/Penn Fathom 25nld2
40# UC 76HP/Avet JX 6/3
40# Phenix psw809h/Daiwa Lexa HD 400hs-p
50# Phenix phd760xh/Daiwa Saltiga 40ld2
50# UC Tilefish 80/Avet JX Raptor
50# Phenix psw809xhj/Shimano TranX HG
50# Phenix psw909xhj/Shimano TranX HG
60# Phenix phd700x2h/Avet HX Raptor
80# Black Hole CB S-801H/Shimano SRG 10k
80# Phenix phd700x3h/Okuma 16SEa
100# UC Viper 76/Okuma Mak 20SEa
30# Avet SX Raptor

Wednesday 11/1, Day 1:
Weather is cloudy and cool.
I'm #27. Dave (wahoodad) is my roommate. We're in room 11.
Baited up with Sardines.
Headed out at 12:45pm.
Lunch was Philly cheesesteak with fries.
Afternoon snack was smoked and jerked tuna with cheese and crackers.
Dinner served by Colin was a Pork Chop with green beans and dressing with carrot cake for dessert.
Dodgers lost game 7 of the World Series by a score of 5-1!

Thursday 11/2, day 2:
For Breakfast I had oatmeal and a banana.
Travel day on a totally flat ocean.
Finished rigging up and had Chowder shorten the cable on the Jr Cowbell. Added fluoro to a couple of lures.
Lunch was beef enchiladas with rice and beans.
Afternoon snack was little burritos.
Dinner served by Chowder was NY steak with for dessert.

Friday 11/3, day 3:
For breakfast I had oatmeal.
Arrived at the Alijos Rocks at 10am.
Trolled around for nothing.
Got a YFT on flyline and a YT and Whitefish on yoyo.
Lunch was seafood chowder and grilled cheese sandwiches.
We found a magic kelp paddy 25mi East of the rocks loaded with nice Dorado. Absolute pandemonium for an hour.
Dinner served by Josh was spaghetti with meat sauce and red velvet cake for dessert.
Heading for the 23 spot on the Ridge.

Saturday 11/4, day 4:
For breakfast I had oatmeal and a banana.
Got to the 23 spot at 9:30.
Caught 2 YFT on bait.
Lunch was Italian sandwiches and pasta salad.
Got 3 YFT and a YT on a popper. So fun!
Afternoon snack was quesadillas.
David put my 130# Seaguar Premier fluoro leader on my heavy rig (Mak 20 SEa/UC Viper) for me with a tac-glued insert into the hollow spectra secured with Sato crimps. Tied on a Mustad 6/0 4x circle hook with a trilene knot.
Dinner served by Jake was breaded Dorado with broccoli and rice with pineapple coconut ice cream for dessert.
Headed into Mag Bay at 9pm to make bait, there wasn't any to be had. We headed to the lower banks after 10pm.

Sunday 11/5, day 5:
At the Potato Bank.
Breakfast was ham and cheese omelet with country potatoes.
Windy today.
I hooked a YFT but the line broke in the spectra. Got cut off? Had to re-rig on my own. I tied 20' of 130# Premier fluoro to the spectra with an Albright and a Mustad 6/0 4x circle hook on with a Springer knot.
I then caught a 298.8# YFT on a flylined nose hooked Sardine on the Potato Bank. It was my first fish over 100# and was way over that! One of only four caught today (1 was 113#, the others over 200) but mine was the biggest.  I should've been in the jackpot! Chowder was my wingman the whole time. The fish had chunks and sardines in its stomach so it had been working the chum line.
Lunch was chili cheese hotdogs.
Increasing wind and rougher seas.
Dinner served by Mike was Pork Loin with a BBQ sauce with mashed potatoes and zucchini with angel food cake with berries ala mode and whipped cream for dessert.
Spending night on the Potato Bank.

Monday 11/6, Day 6:
Breakfast was huevos rancheros.
Had a big YFT on for an hour but the hook pulled when it was 100' out.  😫  Gail had her line break soon after. Ron caught his, a 337# YFT, biggest so far.
Lunch was blackened Dorado sandwiches and chips.
Heading 30 miles south to the Morgan bank at 12:30pm.
Afternoon snack was an Asian spaghetti. I had seconds!
Caught 2 Olive Grouper and a Mexican Rockfish on the Morgan Bank on dropper loop.
Dinner served by Colin was Chicken Marsala, green beans and rice with bread pudding for dessert.
Heading back up to the Potato Bank for a repeat of today.

Tuesday 11/7, day 7:
Breakfast was banana pancakes.
Hooked a fish on a chunk but it came off in 30 secs.
Caught a 321# YFT (super cow!) on a butt hooked Sardine in about an hour and a half on the Potato Bank. Best of the 8 for today. I have the 2nd and 3rd largest of the trip. Colin was my wingman for this fish.
Gave the super cow to Steve from Colorado (#17) who I had fished with 4 years ago on my 1st Excel trip. I gave him a bunch of YFT/YT on that trip too.
Lunch was meatball subs with fries.
Pulled the anchor at one and started looking around.
Did a couple of drifts for Grouper. None were caught.
Left for Mag Bay to make bait at 1pm.
Afternoon snack was chicken wings.
Dinner served by Chowder was NY steak, asparagus and roasted potatoes with German chocolate cake for dessert.
Made bait in Mag Bay. Done at 9:45.
Headed for the Ridge.

Wednesday, 11/8, day 8:
For Breakfast I had oatmeal and a banana.
I caught 2 YFT on flylined bait. Gave one away and released the other. Threw poppers for nothing.
Morning snack was brownies.
Moving up to the next high spot. It's supposed to have nice size Yellowtail. It didn't.
Lunch was pizza and salad.
Hit a spot for Grouper and YFT. I got a YFT and a Skipjack on a popper and another skippy on a colt sniper.
Afternoon snack was sushi, rolls, poke, etc.
Arranged to give the 298# YFT to another Steve (#28) for the American Legion.
Broke down most of my rigs. Fishing inshore tomorrow for YT.
Dinner served by Josh was ribs, Mac and cheese and corn on the cob with mint ice cream shake for dessert.

Thursday 11/9, day 9:
Breakfast was Waffles.
It's windy with rough seas.
Caught a Mexican Barracuda on a colt sniper, a Black Skipjack on bait and a Sand Bass on yoyo near Asunción while trying for YT.
Lunch was cheeseburgers and onion rings.
Called it for the trip, broke down the remaining gear and started heading for home. I never got the chance to troll or fish the kite (no loss).
Dinner served by Jake was Shrimp fettuccine with Key lime pie for dessert.

Friday, 11/10, day 10:
Very rough seas pounding north. Water sometimes a foot deep along the side of the boat when we hit a wave. Good thing there are lots of scuppers. Nice to be on a 124' boat!
I had oatmeal for Breakfast.
Lunch was pulled pork sliders and watermelon.
We stopped behind San Martin Is. for 20 minutes at 2:30 for a break so we could go out for some fresh air.
Afternoon snack was Dorado ceviche.
Dinner served by Justin and Mike was Prime rib, twice baked potato and peas/carrots with raspberry cheese cake for dessert.

Saturday 11/11:
At dock at 5:30am
Fish processed by 5 Star.
Home at 11:45.

First picture is 298# YFT, 2nd is 321#, 3rd is a 22# YT at the rocks. I don't know how to embed them in the text.

[STRIPER LOU]

Wow, now that's a trip. You guys whooped em. Nice work and congrats!

................Lou

[Crow]

Looks like you had a super time , and caught some great fish !  Thanks for "taking us along" !

[Alto Mare]

Wow, what a trip!
They look even larger right side up



Excellent report Mark, you guys did really good.

Sal

[Tiddlerbasher]

Wow Thank you for the ride

[Benni3]

That was a fight,,,,,good job man 

[Jim Fujitani]

Congrats on your COW and your SUPER COW!!  A unicorn and the pot of gold on the same trip!!  And you got to room with Dave Choate!

A great trip for you and a concise write up.