FINALLY...!!

[Aiala]

At last, seven months after I first stumbled across this site in my search for a 9/0 frame --a million thanks Dom/Tom!-- and fourteen rebuilt/upgraded reels later, my stepson and I are bound for San Diego and the ROYAL STAR, just in time for a full-on wide-open BFT bite... Woo-hoooooooooooo!  

Pics will be forthcoming, maybe even in real-time assuming the WiFi aboard is up to it. Meantime, I haven't felt this jazzed in a long, long time; it's a nice sensation for a lady of some years. Almost makes me feel (sort of) young again.  

Y'all be good, now!
~A~

[sundaytrucka]

Very happy for you!!!

Hope you find what you are looking for on the trip, and on nice boat to boot.

Do you have all of your gear squared away, have everything you need?

[Shark Hunter]

Good luck Girl!

[Alto Mare]

I feel the excitement, you go girl...

[Newell Nut]

Hope you are plum tuckered out when you return with lots of fish stories.

[Dr. Jekyll - AKA MeL B]

have fun and be safe!

[floating doc]

Wonderful news! Have a great trip!

[Dominick]

Aiala:  it is good to see you jacked up over the fishing trip.  Good luck and tight lines.  Dominick

[alantani]

have a GREAT trip!!!!!   

[Bryan Young]

Have a wonderful time and I'm sure you will breath in every moment.

[Aiala]

Well, I am back from my adventure!

As I told Sal, the trip was quite enjoyable. I almost didn't feel as if 15 years had passed since my last voyage. Regrettably, the fishing was pretty mediocre... we seemed to hit a dead zone for most of the time, although one wide-open yellowtail bite on the third morning provided me with half a dozen nice fish, including a 32lb bruiser on a 113HLW with a dropper loop... (kicked my butt!  ) What makes it even more maddening is that both before and after my 4 days, the BFTs went on an insane tear. But, that's fishing... sometimes you score, other times, not so much. Still, 70-some pounds of YT isn't so terrible; I'll have plenty to share and enjoy.   

Actually, the best part for me was watching my stepson Jake get into the LR swing of things. He manged to score four nice YTs and a YFT, so that was a thrill he'll be bragging about back in New York! We can't wait to go again.

Happily, all my reconditioned equipment performed flawlessly, which pleased the heck out of me. Jake and I were pretty much the only "old-school" anglers, although one venerable duffer was fishing with a Jigmaster mounted on an old guides-up spinning rod! Everyone else was loaded down with modern expensive 2-speed bling, but ours worked just as well. I really would like to someday go on a charter using classic equipment only... I think it would be a blast from the past.

And, as always, I return to land humbled and renewed by the solitude and majesty of the great ocean. Somehow, it's easier for me to feel close to the Creator out there.

There really wasn't much to photograph, but when my stepson sends me his pics I'll see if any of them are worth posting.

Meanwhile, it's good to be home!   

~A~

[Shark Hunter]

Welcome back! Glad you made it back safe and got some fish to show for it. Can't wait to see the pictures!

[alantani]

glad to have you home!  looking forward to photos.  yeah, we missed the blue fin as well.  no one else gets a shot for the rest of the year. 

[bluefish69]

You can come to Long Island the Tuna are starting to chew here. Blue Fin, YF, Swordfish & Big Eye. If you do a all night trip there are Tile Fish out there also

[wallacewt]

goodonyah aiala
nice to share your happiness
cheers