Had the SOA crew played the "Victory at Sea" title sequence in a loop to welcome us aboard, they would have been just honest. Totally.
The conditions expectations and Capt's talk12+ knot winds, 4' swells, and 6'waves. Capt. Brian's briefing was even worse...but another boat came in with a high count of BFT so that's where the boat will go. Go down below for some shuteye 'cause we'll be in for a long night.
The Fishing - Day One/1st nightGot to the area where the high count was reported (somewhere between Cortez and Tanner Banks) after 9:30 PM; appeared that a large number of the rest of the fleet had the same game plan as us. By then at least three people were chumming over side or into buckets with others getting very queasy. Start dropping jigs shortly after that. At the start of second drop at the starboard corner, my feet went out from under me but I caught hold of the rail and avoided landing on deck but still slammed my left rib cage into the stern rail; the pain level was relatively low so I knew I didn't fracture or break any ribs. Carried on to the fourth drop when I hooked up to a BFT 1/3 of the way up from the stern tuna shuffling left port side. Others to the left and right of me also hooked up, and chaos immediately ensued. Tangles started and a deckhand grab my rod and went forward to the bow. I followed, tripping and smashing to everyone else to the front where I was clear, only to shortly be pulled all the way back the way I came. Not entirely sure how I managed my line over/under everyone else's lines but I was more or less by myself at the port stern corner. Deckhand Luke and I both simultaneously saw color, but by that time I was struggling to gain on the BFT. He assisted by hand pulling the line between the line stripper and reel and after several pulls went for the gaff. I managed a few more short cranks on my own, and he gaffed the BFT mid-stern and got it boated!!! Did more drops on a few more stops until 2:30 AM, and I called it quits for the night.
The Fishing - Day 2Started the cold day chasing boils and fish finder hits, working the way up north with San Clemente to the east. Chucking lures, dropping sinker rigs, and fly-lining for very little to show for it; a total of three BFT for the boat, none for me. Capt Brian made the decision to go back to where we were the previous night for more night action. It was very evident by sunset that it would be colder as well, so I made the decision to pass and went down below for shuteye after dinner. Woke up at 2AM and went to a darken and empty galley with the boat underway--a clear indicator that the night action was unfruitful and a decision was made to go elsewhere.
The Fishing -Day 3Woke up to learn we went from U.S. waters to 40 miles South of Coronados and about the same distance west of Ensenada. Trolling and paddy chasing. Did not recall much if any action at the first paddy. At the second paddy, I landed my first YT fly-lining on the Monofil 27; a second pass yield my second YT fly-lining on the BG 6500. There was a significant drop in action on the third pass so we moved on. All the subsequent paddies were smaller with matching smaller grades of YT and dodos...rats. I hooked up to at least two dodos and two YT but either allowed them to self-release in the water or was cut off. By mid-afternoon, I called it a trip for myself since there was no desire to keep any rats, and broke down all my gear.
The gear usedMade a pre-trip decision to minimize gear/tackle purchases so this was the list:
- 40, 50, 60, 80, 100, and 130 lb mono leader
- AFW 411 lb swivels
- Owner Ultra Split Rings - Size 10 - 370 lb
- 3 each of 10, 12, and 16 oz torpedo sinkers
The tuna jigs came from my existing inventory, and after distilling all the insights from posts here and BD, this was the config of the one I used for my one BFT:
(https://i.imgur.com/s3xgoLw.jpg)
An ~400gm $5 clearance knife jig from CB in Huntington Beach + $1 CB assist hooks (3-pack) + AFW 411 lb swivel + Owner 370 lb split ring + $10 Esca blue blinking light...less than $20 total.
It turns out I was really, REALLY lucky because the assist hook at the top that hooked the BFT got its loop-thru chewed on and was close to failure (you can see the fraying).
(https://i.imgur.com/7ObW0DP.jpg)
The reels used(https://i.imgur.com/Bxo3h7I.jpg)
- Daiwa BG 6500 (top left)
- Fin Nor FST60 (bottom left; for casting 1.5 oz metal swim jig by the bait receivers)
- Penn Monofil 27 (center; full modded for 40lb)
- Daiwa 600H w/100lb ProSpec Metered (top right; knife jig)
- Daiwa 600H w/100lb white braid (bottom right; trolling)
The knots- San Diego Jam
- Triple surgeons
- RP
- nail knot/nub/glue (hollow core connectors)
No knot failures
The fish(https://i.imgur.com/0SXIO5b.jpg)
- BFT (bottom, 50+ lbs (gutted) on scale + 10% for guts = 55+ lbs)
- YT (top left and right, 32+ lbs total on scale)
The other three fish (dodo & lower two YT) in cart were caught by others...will let them tell their own fish stories.
The total BFT count for 24 anglers was 32; didn't bother to count the total YT or dodos since there were a lot of rats in the mix.
Rough trip overall given that I slipped once on the main deck, once on the upper deck while stowing away my rods, and banged about all over the boat from the turbulence. Skipped a couple of big meals just to avoid chumming later.
Good job in tough conditions! I have lost my footing before and had hard contact with the rail on my own boat before, no fun! Amazing the assist hook stayed with the jig!
Good job on a tough trip!
I was one of the ones who was seasick. First time in 10+ years! I still caught 2 BFT on jigs the first night, ok, technically one since the second fell off the gaff and the hook pulled, but hey, I did my part! I caught the Dorado donated to Wai off a kelp paddy, and 4 YT, two were rats and released... I ain't no baby killer! Luke thanked me for releasing them. All my fish were given to others. I also came home with a cold! But my shower sure felt good when I got home!
Mark, those multi hour stints at the rail drain you.... I had a serious cold when I got back from our trip in June too!
Sounds like a tough trip. Especially if Mark was seasick!! Glad your all back safe.
Mike
Ted told me it was sporty and he saw more of the bunk then the rail. Well there is always next time. At least no one is complaining about all the weight they gained !
Cheers:
Todd
True dat... I lost 2 pounds!
Quote from: Hardy Boy on July 04, 2022, 08:54:45 PMTed told me it was sporty and he saw more of the bunk then the rail. Well there is always next time. At least no one is complaining about all the weight they gained !
Cheers:
Todd
Ted said he was not having fun.
I still feel the rocking ... it was good to meet everyone, even though the conditions left me green around the gills. everyone fished hard.
Good job everyone for hanging in there! Even if you're not seasick, it is zero fun trying to fish while getting bounced all over (need 3 arms, one for the rod, one for the reel, and one to hold on to the rail). And Kudos for the Yellowtail on that Monofil! - john
I managed to catch 1 bft on a knife jig and 4 yt on flyline sardines. I didn't get physically sick but felt "off" for the first 2 days. It was a tough trip in a lot of ways but the company was great!
I had no idea the bft count was that high.I thought it was around 17-18.....
Quote from: pjstevko on July 05, 2022, 12:50:37 AM...I had no idea the bft count was that high.I thought it was around 17-18...
I saw 14, 15, and 3 on the count board under BFT...so I just added.
I believe it was a running tally per day... So 15 on day 1 and 3 on day 2... But I'm not 100% about it....
The three on Day 2 were on different stops; a running total would have 1, 2, 3 but it was just 3...so I took the numbers as noted.
You're probably right.....
Bravo Zulu to all. Alan's Victory at Sea charters (That would make a great charter name, hint, hint 😉) irregardless of the catch, are always an adventure. Looks like more fish were caught on this trip than June. Sux to get sick, seasick or otherwise. Captain Brian can be kind of a wet blanket, but he WILL put you on the fish. Kudos to Wai for fishing the single speeds. You know if Mark got sick, well then it definitely was sporty. Tight lines everyone! Bill
Thanks to all on board, Captain, crew, deckhands crew, Alan and the gang. I haven't been sick on board in over a decade, but I was. Missed the bft bite, but eventually made it on deck to land a few rats. I still wouldn't trade in the time. See you next time.
...
Ok 20 minutes into my work day, my desk has picked up about a 2 foot swell. Not unpleasant, just unexpected.
Quote from: dgrayson92027 on July 05, 2022, 03:14:48 PMThanks to all on board, Captain, crew, deckhands crew, Alan and the gang. I haven't been sick on board in over a decade, but I was. Missed the bft bite, but eventually made it on deck to land a few rats. I still wouldn't trade in the time. See you next time.
...
Ok 20 minutes into my work day, my desk has picked up about a 2 foot swell. Not unpleasant, just unexpected.
>:D :cf
Quote from: Bill B on July 05, 2022, 04:01:46 AM...Kudos to Wai for fishing the single speeds...
Alan's facepalm and head-shaking in disbelief when he learned of my line-up of fifteen antiques and spinners onboard was priceless...
Quote from: Porthos on July 04, 2022, 07:33:03 PMIt turns out I was really, REALLY lucky because the assist hook at the top that hooked the BFT got its loop-thru chewed on and was close to failure (you can see the fraying).
I can see the chew marks on the shrink tube where it would make sense to be with a circle hook in the jaw. It would be pretty hard for the fish to abrade the loop at the ring junction. The ring gets in the way. My bet would be that the split ring was causing the abrasion. Any sort of line rub on split rings is usually not a good idea,
Some folk tie the main line and attach the top assist hook to a solid ring, and then use a split ring to attach the solid ring to the jig. Other folks go a bit further and use two or three hole solid rings to further isolate the split ring from line abrasion.
I have looped an assist hook on a split ring in a pinch for dorado, and have seen wear pretty quickly. Not a jumbo tuna guy myself, but I still prefer to rig completely with solid rings and avoid split rings whenever possible.
Good on you for using a circle hook for the assist hook! I have been wondering how well this might work for tuna. Those bridle rigged circle hook setups from your earlier post look really intriguing.
Old school tackle, mini-lights, circle hooks. Much more interesting than 25 guys lined up at the rail fishing the identical hot setup of the month :)
-J
I wouldn't ever put an assist hook like that on a split ring! Put it on a sold ring and put that on the split ring.
It was attached to the lure's top eye since the bottom eye also had a matching assist hook.
Referring back to the hooks' packaging, and seeing the outcome of actual use, unsure if 180# Dynema (the hook is blocking the "1") is the optimal material for assist hooks.
(https://i.imgur.com/ZQCpudf.jpg)
Quote from: Porthos on July 05, 2022, 07:19:48 PMIt was attached to the lure's top eye since the bottom eye also had a matching assist hook.
Referring back to the hooks' packaging, and seeing the outcome of actual use, unsure if 180# Dynema (the hook is blocking the "1") is the optimal material for assist hooks.
My guess is different flavor of the same problem. You have chafing edges on the the split ring ends and where the casting runs up the eye. All in a confined area due to the small eye ring.
Plus with the crowded eye ring, you are probably not helping the action, although the action may already be pretty minimal with a long skinny jig fished deep with heavy line.
Thicker cord is just going to be jamming more stuff into a smaller area. Faster chafing, and more inhibited action. The fibers are going to break individually. Thicker cord just means more individual fibers of the same thickness. So maybe you buy a bit more time, or maybe not, but it might be better to address the fundamental problem. 180 does seem a bit lighter than necessary, but I would wager that rigging is more of an issue here.
A couple more notes: the alloy required to keep a skinny jig from bending also makes for some pretty hard and sharp flash. I have cut my fingers on flash when cleaning up my castings of these kind of jigs. I also clean off the flash/overflow that runs up the eye rings. I am especially careful on the bottom eye, as I am willing to loop assist hooks in here, as lure swinging and levering, and ring chafing won't be a problem on the bottom of the jig. Commercially produced jigs are often not prepped as carefully.
If you are attaching only soldered or split rings to the eye, you won't need to worry much about chafing edges where the jig body joins the eye.
-J
Quote from: jurelometer on July 05, 2022, 09:48:59 PMMy guess is different flavor of the same problem. You have chafing edges on the the split ring ends and where the casting runs up the eye. All in a confined area due to the small eye ring.
Plus with the crowded eye ring, you are probably not helping the action, although the action may already be pretty minimal with a long skinny jig fished deep with heavy line.
Thicker cord is just going to be jamming more stuff into a smaller area. Faster chafing, and more inhibited action. The fibers are going to break individually. Thicker cord just means more individual fibers of the same thickness. So maybe you buy a bit more time, or maybe not, but it might be better to address the fundamental problem. 180 does seem a bit lighter than necessary, but I would wager that rigging is more of an issue here.
A couple more notes: the alloy required to keep a skinny jig from bending also makes for some pretty hard and sharp flash. I have cut my fingers on flash when cleaning up my castings of these kind of jigs. I also clean off the flash/overflow that runs up the eye rings. I am especially careful on the bottom eye, as I am willing to loop assist hooks in here, as lure swinging and levering, and ring chafing won't be a problem on the bottom of the jig. Commercially produced jigs are often not prepped as carefully.
If you are attaching only soldered or split rings to the eye, you won't need to worry much about chafing edges where the jig body joins the eye.
-J
So I oversimplified my configuration. Will bring back the solid ring.
That was a good trip because of the conversation and the chance to pull on big fish. I also learned a new uni-to-uni from Alan.
I was really hoping to see the folks with spinners work on 100-pounders or to watch Wai and his single speeds. Something special about that level of masochism...
Anyway, let's do it again!
Well, I'm happy to say I'm fully back to myself again. I screwed up and my first Dramamine wasn't until after we left the harbor. The boat ride was amazingly good in the sloppy seas. The part that really started me getting sick was that dang double swell. One dominant tight swell, and a slightly smaller but noticeable 2nd swell that was about 25° off from the main swell. My hats off to everyone that fished without falling or getting body slammed into the boat. There was no pattern to which way the boat tipped on those confused swells, which made it nearly impossible to stay planted and gimble the body on the swells. I've been in these very conditions several times in my own boat and it makes fishing much tougher and always causes one or 2 of my crew to chum a bit. We live by the motto "puke and rally", cause we're not running in 40+ miles till we get all our limits. I have chummed a couple times on my own boat, but only had to give the helm away once, and that guy had 100 ton license and it gave me time to recoup and fish later that day. I just want everyone to know I'm not a seasick kinda guy. Ron Jones can attest to that LOL.
I really enjoyed getting to chat with a lot of the guys and of course getting to meet them too. I was overly impressed with the weaponry I gazed upon. Old school, new school, and some middle school. As a first timer, I was doing a lot of observing. Lots to soak in.
I did fish a few kelp patties with no luck. After about 3 kelp pattie's I had to head for the bunk. I regret not getting to do some night fishing, and lots of the day, but I have zero regrets about the overall experience. Hope someday there is a "next time".
Thanks to Alan for getting me to and from the airport, and for bringing his gear for me to fish, and being my tour guide the night before departure.
Long story short, sweet boat, great bunch of guys passionate about a fishery I know nothing about, good times, weather sucked
Ted
To be clear, I have helmed the boat quite a bit, but only so Ted can run the downriggers and get us on fish!
I was surprised to hear that he got sick, we have been in some nasty stuff without issue; and he ain't lying; We've been in sideways rain with a current so fast that Ted ran the mains to back troll and I STILL couldn't get the 600ft bottom with 1200 grams, but we didn't come home without fish!
The Man
Thanks for the kind words Ron. I re-read my post and it makes me sound like a whimpy whiner. My apologies. I do want to thank David hall for tolerating me as the worst roommate imaginable. At one point I didn't have the gumption to get out of my bunk and get a cup of water to try and down more Dramamine. David was on it. Sad to say about 5 minutes later it came back up. I'm still getting rehydrated, and eating like a horse
What a harsh ride! The vid I saw even made me queasy and I haven't chummed in 40 years.
It sounds like it was still fun, kind of.
One day I will do a 3-4 day, beyond that is a bit too much for me. Plus, I hate flying.
I don't think our bft count could have been more than 20. I counted 13 on the first night drop and remember seeing Alan's second one come up in a subsequent drop on a different school but unless there was a whole other school that bit between 2am-5am that first night there's no way we even sniffed at 30 bft boated. By my count (and what I rememver seeing on the board on the evening of day 2) we had 16.
Then PJ could be right and the numbers were a running count. The 3 BFT may have been too few to have a running count. The last YT numbers I saw was 41 first and a 40 second, so who knows what their system is...
Thanks for all the reports of your trip, yes choppy double swells, can churn up my tummy, I always have one or two travell calm tablets 1 hour before placing a foot on the boat, not sure if I would be okay on the second day though, cheers Don.
I'm still amazed this hols up to my standards considering how sloppy it was out there when I did it0EF54640-2E78-49B0-A52B-9317BA0FE614.jpeg
This too
Quote from: Maxed Out on July 06, 2022, 06:01:25 AMThanks for the kind words Ron. I re-read my post and it makes me sound like a whimpy whiner. My apologies. I do want to thank David hall for tolerating me as the worst roommate imaginable. At one point I didn't have the gumption to get out of my bunk and get a cup of water to try and down more Dramamine. David was on it. Sad to say about 5 minutes later it came back up. I'm still getting rehydrated, and eating like a horse
Ted,
I still feel the rocking. I too tried to take more meds on Saturday morning only to run out and right into the chum bucket.
This is a trip to remember, that's for sure.
Jose
Quote from: Calingfornia Dreamin on July 06, 2022, 09:19:02 PMI'm still amazed this hols up to my standards considering how sloppy it was out there when I did it0EF54640-2E78-49B0-A52B-9317BA0FE614.jpeg
Quote from: Calingfornia Dreamin on July 06, 2022, 09:20:23 PMThis too
You think you're amazed imagine how the rest of us feel.....My writing is so bad a doctor can't even read it ;D ;D ;D ;D
That has to be framed! Bill
Nikola, who are you calling ragtag?
Mark, you were certainly one of the most seasoned of the crew. That said, we also had plenty less experienced anglers. All things considered I felt, as a group, we did a pretty remarkably good job converting hookups.
Those conditions took a toll on all of us. I was shocked to see that even you got a little green, that second night.
Since I lost out on the "...that guy..." badge, I'll settle for runner-up as a "...ragtag scoundrel!!!"
Great report Wai! 8)
Quote from: mo65 on July 07, 2022, 02:36:54 AMGreat report Wai! 8)
Will you ever come out to join us, Mo?
Nice Nick.
So Wai, who did you nominate to replace you as "that guy"?
Quote from: MarkT on July 07, 2022, 03:52:08 AMSo Wai, who did you nominate to replace you as "that guy"?
No nomination by me needed...it was self-inflicted on the 3rd day, and everyone on deck...in the galley...
saw would have witnessed... ;)
Ha Ha Ha... yeah, I'd already forgotten that! He nominated himself, seconded it and got it by universal acclimation! :ct
I've just got to ask it.... circle hooks on a jig?
I mean if it works it works, right? How do you fish these?
It was with ProSpec metered line. Dropped at least 3 colors more than the lowest depth called out by the skipper to account for the drift angle.
The 600H has a 3.1:1, but even under best conditions that night, I wasn't cranking fast to retrieve it through the 120'-240' zone. I have no ability to sustain any level of cranking that would match the troll speed of 6-8 knots. My steady retrieve with the drift still hooked up.
As I understand, circle hook rigged ballyhoo is trolled for billfish, and billfish can swim just as fast as BFT, so why the beliefs that circles won't work on a jig for blue fin tuna is perplexing.
A circle hook on a jig landed me a BFT, but as always...YMMV.
There are a few Angler's on BD that use large circles and "bridle" flatfall jigs with some success.
Ahh so it's just a steady retrieval? Ok makes sense now :)
The steady retrieve was to ensure that the knife jig swam...I put a slight bend on it similar to ones found on smaller sized metal swimmers.
Quote from: Porthos on July 08, 2022, 02:15:39 PMThe steady retrieve was to ensure that the knife jig swam...I put a slight bent on it similar to ones found on smaller sized metal swimmers.
Smart idea!
(But I was really hoping to hear that you cast out the golf ball and hooked up!!)
:fish
Mike
Quote from: Mjg378 on July 08, 2022, 05:05:39 PM...(But I was really hoping to hear that you cast out the golf ball and hooked up!!)
:fish
Mike
Too much buoyancy to get down to 240" by itself and wasn't ready with a rubber band and sinker for night action...
From a logic/design perspective, I suspect that circles would work a lot better than we might expect with these kind of jigs. The assist cord makes a big difference, as it gets the hook away from the jig. Those drive by bites are perfect for a circle hook set, and if the fish inhales and drops the jig, it will drag the assist hook across the jaw on the way out. Similar effect if you pull steady on the jig.
With horizontally falling jigs, most bites happen on the drop, so you are already relying on the fish hooking itself.
J hooks or trebles (blech) might only be necessary when speed winding.
That bridle rig looks intriguing, but I would expect that it works best when you are getting a big fish that eats by swimming right through the jig at speed, because you have to get the whole jig deep inside the mouth to give the circle hook a chance. Best chance with a speed eater like a tuna that is also fairly large for the jig size.
Bending a knife jig seems like a mixed bag to me. The point of a long narrow jig is that you are sacrificing action for a more speedy drop. The jigs can be designed to drop vertically with slight tension, but to wander a bit sideways with free fall or to have a heavier + wider tail that will allow the jig to drop straight and true, but have a kick on the lift. A bend will cause the jig to always wobble in the drop and lift, so you will be slowing down the drop, and messing with any kick on the lift.
OTOH, the fish get the final vote on what works best. As Boon says "if it works, it works". It doesn't matter if the mod is fighting the design if the fish like it better that way. But a sample size of one is not strong evidence.
Surprised that the jig is bendable. A thin jig like that should be a harder alloy. Bending does weaken the material substantially, but I guess if it is through-wired, you won't lose the fish. Each subsequent bend (including straightening) is worse than the original, so it may be best to treat jig bending as a one-shot deal.
-J
Quote from: jurelometer on July 08, 2022, 07:08:28 PM...OTOH, the fish get the final vote on what works best. As Boon says "if it works, it works". It doesn't matter if the mod is fighting the design if the fish like it better that way. But a sample size of one is not strong evidence...
I went with "...the road less traveled..." and presented what I fished to be most likely different than anything else being dropped around me. It was the end result of fusing different elements that others have reported to be successful.
That being said, there was nothing in my inventory with "Katy Perry" colors...and with night drops down to 120'- 300', will BFT actually see those colors or was it just to more to catch the fisherman at the tackle shop? Inclined to believe the latter...
Quote from: Porthos on July 07, 2022, 02:59:39 AMQuote from: mo65 on July 07, 2022, 02:36:54 AMGreat report Wai! 8)
Will you ever come out to join us, Mo?
With inflation and fuel prices so high...I'm doing good just to make the 100 mile trek to my brother's place to go fishing. I'd need to hit the lotto to get all the way to the west bank! ;D But I appreciate the invite Wai! :fish
https://youtu.be/FH90Pws233I
Gents the 2023 July 3 day trip dates just got posted!
Hope to see you all again on this trip!
I forgot who it was and I need to know, who did I get that beautiful blue handle from?
:d
It looks and feels great on the Mak20.
Quote from: David Hall on January 05, 2023, 07:19:21 PMI forgot who it was and I need to know, who did I get that beautiful blue handle from?
:d
got a photo?
Here it is, someone offered it up on the July trip and I couldn't refuse.
https://www.cortezconversions.com/custom-handle-arms-grips
Dave it was me who sold it to you, got it from Alan!
Juan
thank you Juan, for the life of me I couldnt remember who. It is possible I might have had 1-2 or? drinks in me at the time.
As you can see its a perfect match, the handle and reel were made for each other. :d