Finally got pics to download and a minute to scribe some commentary. Wayne has done a great job with the Argo trip, a lesson for me in how to document appropriately vs. just taking random shots of shiny baubles.
A bit of commentary before we fly out: The Tani's are as gracious and wonderful hosts as one will ever meet. Alan felt like crap due to allergies the whole time I was there and was still all over the place making sure everything was just so. Those that know him already know this, but I saw first hand how these folks help their fellow man. Alan's generosity and benevolence are far larger than what's on that site, and that's considerable enough.....
JV: I shouted out Jon on his link. What a nice guy and the top of the heap on all things rods.
As much as I went out to fish, I went more to meet the AT gang and learn everything I could absorb to reapply back at home base. I will say that Alan is extremely detail oriented and systematic in fishing (no surprise there), but even more so in the measures he takes to guarantee the safety of the crew....more about that later. He was suffering from some really nasty allergy the whole time I was there and still was a whirling dervish to ensure everything was just so...
Picture worth a thousand words, so let's go! This post will take me several casts to complete....without further ado...
Leaving RDU, sporting shark socks in solidarity for Daron who isn't going to be able to do his Sept trip this year. Alan picked me up at airport, we prepped boat, and enjoyed a wonderful ribeye dinner prepared by Joy and Allison. Didn't get pics there....a learning point for me.
Debarked Thursday with Nick and Mati for a little lingcod and rockfish outing...my first exposure to this. Easy ride out, nice sunrise. Note aft starboard corner where Alan has an extra cooler mounted on the Euro transom and lashed down, freeing cockpit footprint. Starboard cutting board with splash wings permanently mounted on top of this one. Note flexible hose nozzle mounted to center cutting board: it has a quick disconnect so the raw water washdown hose can be quickly hooked to the fish cleaning station for hands free operation...great touch.
Note safety vests: Alan has ALL rigged with radio, lightstick, strobe, whistle, and you wear them while running. Also, inflatable raft, epirbs, multiple fire extinguishers, etc.
Alan with a nice 15 lb lingcod. I was pretty busy trying catch my hitchhikers so didn't take all that many pics. Gear was Daiwa linecounter with braid on light Trevala rods, a very nice setup for this application whether using bait or jigging. Gotta a couple of the linecounters, really quantifies jigging for suspended fish...taking that page back to NC on stripers in submerged structure...layed out pretty nice for the ride in; Alan cleaned up all the fish and disbursed them. Neighbor Jeff received a nice cod and a couple rockfish for dinner on Friday night.
Municipal lake on way home from rockfishing.
Headed out early on the Argo on Friday with Captain Craig. Wayne already showed the tackle wonderfully so I won't belabor that particular point. Very smooth day on the water, but it took a bit of searching to get on the fish. We had a hit on my rod (actually my man Steve was kind enough to let me fish his narrowed Surfmaster, smooth as butttahhhhh...) which I promptly lost, five decades of setting a hook and pulling rods up out of downriggers to set not able to be un-imprinted by Alan's coaching on the ride up. Barbless hooks are required, so steady delicate pressure is required, meaning there is no hookset or yanking rod quickly out of holder...the angler reels continuously against appx. 3 lbs of drag, whether fish is taking line or not. New one on me....Dominick lost one also, and I left the safety strap off about a dozen times....
We found the fleet and got the skunk out...and by fleet I mean I lost count at 81 that I could see around us, including a guy boating a salmon on an orange kayak. A large GWS had been spotted in the area earlier; I can't help but think that kayak looked and smelled like a big shark Cheezit....
Alan was deckhand for the day and was everywhere, untangling lines, throwing me a sammich, netting fish....
Mati and Dominick on the board....
MONEY SHOT, my first salmon! That pic with the fellas is going up on the wall of fame.
After that, things got kind of crazy with several multiple hookups, re-rigging from hits...we had a bit of glorious, piscatorial pandemonium for a hot minute so I didn't get it all, being rather bent on actually fishing then.
Quote from: thorhammer on September 13, 2016, 09:49:01 PM
Barbless hooks are required, so steady delicate pressure is required, meaning there is no hookset or yanking rod quickly out of holder...the angler reels continuously against appx. 3 lbs of drag, whether fish is taking line or not.
Yep...this sounds a lot like my learning curve of switching from standard J hooks to circles. A big Roland Martin hookset yanks that circle hook right out the fishes mouth! Sounds like you fellas had a great trip...thanks for sharing the fun! 8)
The gang with the haul.
Many thanks to Alan for putting this together, and on a deal, and mating. I could not ask for a better five guys to fish with. The whole day was entertaining, even riding a long ride...great folks in general and all with unabashed passion for fishing, food and the outdoors. My first trip to the Bay Area, so a treat for me to see the Rock and the Golden Gate bridge up close.
The weather faired off beautifully for the ride in to the harbor, and we were greeted by the harbor seal who knew where his next meal was coming from....said goodbyes and packed up for home and a fantastic family style Chinese dinner at the Tani's neighbor Jeff's house. Also a great group of folks, and the food was simply phenomenal.
We decided to drop back and punt Saturday, both needing a break. I hung out in the garage with Joey while Alan got a Benadryl-forced respite. I was tasked with finding reel covers for a set of Accurates, so I after two hours wading through tackle and brass I found all but two...then Alan, freshly rested and with a clear head, sticks his hand in a tote I'd been in at least twice and pulls out about ten more....I think he had them in his pocket lol.
Next stop...Linda and Dominick's for paella!!!! Will someone PLEASE right my sideways pics, thank you.
Most of the characters will smell familiar from earlier, Tony the Rockfish Ninja also joined. Thanks to Bryan for driving, I really enjoyed the face time. Boys and girls, Bryan, Alan and I had some interesting dialogue about a future project that will be of great interest....we'll see how it progresses....
Glad you had a great trip. Congratulations!!
Mo dinna pics....fantastic paella and vino, with a splash of Maker's for the requisite garage visit to D's bench.
I only flew back to NC to install my new AT handles ;D. a quick load of laundry and now back to work in Pa. Alan rather humorously indicated I left with a "goody bag" from the reel shop...it was more like Santa forgot his haul....
Thank you, my brother!
P.S., about Thorhammer: It's the moniker I came up with fifteen years ago to name the rods I was building, having some Norse in the woodpile, Boy Scout and HS mascot being Viking, and nickname in college of Thor (from being very competitive at the beer drinking of Viking).
Salut!!!!!!
dinner was great. i was looking at the bugs and decided to pass. i wasn't sure what part was edible. ;D
John,
That was one awesome report! You were among royalty. I'm sure it felt that way too. ;)
Great to see those shots of Dominick cooking up a feast. :P
I know you enjoyed yourself. I thank you again for taking me along. ;D
Salut!
nice write up compadre John
it looks like a nice group of friends, I really appreciate you guys for posting this kind of pics, it remains me that a fisherman on everypart of the world enjoys fishing but always with a nice group of friends, food and a cup of vino.. or tequila.
Great report John! I wish that I could have made at least one of the trips.
BT
thank you for taking us all along. ;D We could almost smell and taste it.
Mark
Very nice John, I'm glad you had a great time.
Great report!
Quote from: alantani on September 14, 2016, 12:35:49 AM
dinner was great. i was looking at the bugs and decided to pass. i wasn't sure what part was edible. ;D
This is what Alan is talking about. Here's a guy that will eat raw fish and he won't eat a perfectly cooked crayfish. He should have watched Tony (Rockfish Ninja). Tony broke off the tail, split it and ate the tail like a miniature lobster then sucked the juicy flavor out of the head. Good going Tony. Dominick
(http://i1220.photobucket.com/albums/dd459/lmdl4law/SALMON%20TRIP%2009-09-16/635_zpsdsblkzgp.jpeg) (http://s1220.photobucket.com/user/lmdl4law/media/SALMON%20TRIP%2009-09-16/635_zpsdsblkzgp.jpeg.html)
Mudbugs!!!
It's not easy to be an AT member, look at the hosting skills on display and they even brung out the Sunday dinnerware. I would have thouroughly enjoyed hanging with you all but duty called and I being the good patriot answered. Actually one of my competitors who I trained and set up in his own business is a guard member and got a late call to report for three days so I make it a point to always fill in for him and cover his regular job while he's away, then he reciprocates so I can go fishing during the week. Timing just didn't work out in my favour this time but reading all the great posts I almost feel like I was there, I'd have ate the bugs!
You guys put more salmon on the deck than I saw all season in my waters!
thanks for sharing the love.
Quote from: David Hall on September 14, 2016, 02:59:22 AM
You guys put more salmon on the deck than I saw all season in my waters!
thanks for sharing the love.
We had to go all the way past Bolinas to get those. There must have been a hundred boats around Duxbury reef and not everyone was catching. Dominick
You were on the right boat, at the right time, with the right people, in the right place, fishing the right gear, and there just happened to be some fish there at the same time that where hungry.
How could it possibly have turned out any other way?
GREAT THREAD! another home run. Maybe I don't do Penn reel hotrodding but for me this is what the AT site is all about.
Dominick, your plate pic is "The Money Shot".
Thor- believe it or not but in that first pic, you departing RDU, is my wallet, some loose change, and a pair of very nice Vintage Bausch and Lomb Aviator Sunglasses. All at the bottom of that lake. I used to sail there often and dumped my boat once, real hard, in big wind.
That pic brought back lots of memories for me, thanks.
Quote from: Dominick on September 14, 2016, 02:05:53 AM
Quote from: alantani on September 14, 2016, 12:35:49 AM
dinner was great. i was looking at the bugs and decided to pass. i wasn't sure what part was edible. ;D
This is what Alan is talking about. Here's a guy that will eat raw fish and he won't eat a perfectly cooked crayfish. He should have watched Tony (Rockfish Ninja). Tony broke off the tail, split it and ate the tail like a miniature lobster then sucked the juicy flavor out of the head. Good going Tony. Dominick
(http://i1220.photobucket.com/albums/dd459/lmdl4law/SALMON%20TRIP%2009-09-16/635_zpsdsblkzgp.jpeg) (http://s1220.photobucket.com/user/lmdl4law/media/SALMON%20TRIP%2009-09-16/635_zpsdsblkzgp.jpeg.html)
I ain't uh-scared uh no bugs. ;D
You guys had a ball - I'm green with envy ;D
I've never ate little bugs.
I'm sure I would have gave it a try.
Bugs is Bugs. ;)