Reel Repair by Alan Tani

WOW!!!!!
What a trip!  Really!!!   Here we are in Morro Bay and its namesake rock!



Based SOLELY on Fred's prior post recommendation, lunch at Taco Temple!
This is ONE Baja-style Fish Taco, JUST ONE!  Fantastic to say the least!  Thanks Fred, I owe you on this one!



Stopped by Morro Bay Landing to settle up our bill.



Here is Glenn getting the bill taken care of, I used his knowledge base to increase my odds of big ling cod on this trip.  More later.



Need I say more???



Totally off topic, but walking thru the parking lot I veiwed this Honda Trail 90!  Used one for a summer while in high school working construction for my Dad's company, and SCARY where this trail bike would ALWAYS take me!!!



At Alan's Cayucos home, here is the assortment of AT.com members:  Jack, Alan, Scott & a guy who ended up in all but three photos!!!  Big Tim!!!



More of the members:  Again, and I do apologize for Tim ending up in MOST of the photos:  Tim, Steve, Bill, Alan and Jonathan's marathon-running spouse, Mari.



Joe & Jack heading out for some surf fishing time after dinner,



It was low tide, but they still caught some surf perch!



Parking suituation at the Cayucos home, I'm sure many parking and moving violations would end up in tickets if the local enforcement dept. were to stop by!



Today is THE DAY, April 17, and we are heading out for what will become a VERY MEMORABLE DAY to say the least!



Starting out 3 hr. 20 min. boat ride to the fishing grounds, Breakfast we being served...  for a price.



To make the best use of time, Alan is doing what???  You guessed it, REEL REPAIR!!!!



Really Big Tim???  Another photo??  and when possible with a pretty young fishing lady!



While underway, Scott, Rick & Jonathan talking fishing.



Just a perfect picture day on the Central Coast of Big Sur!



Today, NOT A SINGLE boat rod/reel was brought out, but what a variety of reels for the day.



Rods the same.



As a lifelong CA resident, this view never fails to amaze me - the Central Coast of CA - Baja Sur Coast.



Here we go, here goes the 1st drop!  At days end, Alan will have caught most of the big lings, not the cash pool fish, but MOST of the big lings,  Alan, what is your secret?



My 1st Red of the day and all my fish were caught on Iron, just dropping iron all day.



Some of my day-use Tackle:  What I learned from Glenn is the following:
Use single 5/0 or 6/0 hooks
Use 40 lbs. test line, I used 25 lbs. line, and lost 3 lures and yes, 3 fish!, BIG FISH!!!


More to follow.....  

Terrific Wayne you made Monday.  I bet myself a $1.00 you would be too tired.  Dominick

Dominick!
Make it $10 and I'll stop by tonight!

YOU WOULD HAVE LOVED THIS TRIP!

Wayne

  Awesome Wayne, I am a better after meeting you, but I may have to sober up a bit first   So glad you and Rick made it & had a great time. It seems as though I've talked a few of you city folk into coming back to my stomping grounds in the future ? I promised flat calm seas, but missed it a bit on the hot weather? Darn glad I'm not perfect.


Putting the "####" in sarcasstic.

BT

You asked for more of him and here is the star of the day...  BIG TIM!!!!!



And my big fish of the day, 12 1/2 lbs. Ling Cod!!!!  And THANK YOU Fred for the fixed up & repaired Surfmaster 100, it did the job for the day.



BUT I did learn something today, when you have your thumb in the mouth of your day's biggest Ling Cod, and club it on the head to stop the threshing on the deck, get ready for LOCK JAW!!!! It took me 30 seconds to get my thumb back out of the locked down jaws of this now disabled fish.  



Some of the fishing dudes of the day...   Rick (back turned away), Alan, Yours Truly, Jonathan, Big Tim and Bill.



Rick was SO CLOSE to losing this Red, hooked by its Chinny Chin Chin!!!!! 



Dominick YOU would have LOVED today, there was NO wave or swell action to speak of!  Just like Baja.



Here is an above average sized Rockfish!  



And now for the PHOTO of the TRIP!  Big Tim's Not-So-Big rockfish.  For this he was awarded his own prize!  a Hex Bar!
Let's all congratulate Big Tim for the win!!!



Here is the Money Fish of the day!  18 1/2 Lbs. Ling Cod!!!!  



Second Place Fish!  



15 of the 26 fishermen on the boat were AT.com members, and next to me is this guy, and his 500 well in need of some AT.com love.



Fishing is DONE for the day, fish cutting board is out for use, and we are heading home.



Filleting of the big fish of the day.




Another shot of the B E A U Tiful Coastline of CA.



My fish of the day, 3 Ling Cod's and 6 Rockfish.



Do you see it??? Out on the distant hilltop???



During the fish cleaning process, our winged friends were with us.



Here is Piedras Blancas Light House, San Simeon Point and the elephant seal rockey to the south.



If you guessed Hearst Castle, you are correct.



On the bow enjoying the ride home.



I never tire of looking at Morro Rock.



Surf crashing over the Jetty.



That is IT for this report, WHAT a great day and I so much enjoyed meeting all the AT.com members who attended.

Time to plan out our next trip.

Time to clean up some gear.

Wayne

  WAYNE  come back soon.

BT

AND which of you AT.com members THOUGHT this was a good idea???

Sending a bottle of GRAPPA to Alan, or as Wikipedia defines this liquid gold, "Italian Fire Water".  
Man o'Man, this GOT the party started!  for SURE!!!!  
It was different than any other Grappa I've enjoyed, this is golden colored, Honeydew Vine Water to say the least!!!  

Thanks Sal!!!!!!!   Wayne

Great report guys! 

That looks like it was alot of fun.

I can't believe you travelled that far north, one of those pictures looks my honey hole just north of Point Sur!
Those are some nice Ling COD.  Great pictures, looks like everyone had a fantastic weekend.
Awesomeness everywhere.

Great trip guys and some nice pics, I wish I was there. Wayne, good job with the report

Sal

great post, wayne.  thanks for taking all the pictures.  i was too busy trying to school these young kids using all their fancy jigs and bars.  i went grandpa-style with shrimp flies, heavy weights and whole squid.  got 8 or 9 nice ling cod and two nice vermillions.  had a great day!

Thanks for sharing.  Makes me so envious that I couldn't go because there was no way I would have been able to drive home and go in to work today.

Awesome report Wayne. Somebody give this guy a cigar.

Wow! Great pictorial!

You captured the weekend Wayne, thanks!

Potluck dinner Saturday night was a  gourmet's delight.

Golden grappa was appreciated by everyone. Thanks to the supplier!

When the party was over there were a few half full bottles of good red wine with the corks in the trash. What else could we do? Tim, Alan and I did our duty.

Tim can tell a story and they just got better.

Alan did school us 'youngsters' all weekend on the finer angling arts but, when he told me I needed to find a left handed smoke shifter - I got suspicious.

Weekend was a blast with nothing but friendly rants and laughs.

Wayne, please thank Rick for the pickled vegetables from Taco Temple.

Small town fact; the owner of Taco Temple is the brother of the owner of our boat the Endeavor.

Steve

first batch

Great trip pics! thanks for sharing. The sea looked like a big lake. Nice.