the very first day i ever set foot on the spirit of adventure was august 31st, 1997. i remember because that was the day that princess diana died. since then i've been on the boat every year except for two. 21 trips over 23 years. it's not the biggest boat, but i think it's one of the best. starting 5 years ago, i've been running a charter myself through this website. this last trip was number six!
october 14th, 2019 - is starts out the usual way. driving from the san francisco bay area to san diego takes 7 hours.
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(https://alantani.com/gallery/30/1_05_11_19_9_54_16_30032282.jpeg)
traffic was nowhere near as bad as we had expected.
(https://alantani.com/gallery/30/1_05_11_19_9_54_22_300701051.jpeg)
we pulled into the vagabond near the landing.
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we met for dinner at miguel's cochina, then off to club marina for more drinks and a game or two of pool!
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just a hint. don't play pool for money with the new guy, tracy!
(https://alantani.com/gallery/30/1_05_11_19_9_54_37_30074216.jpeg)
october 15th, 2019
breakfast at denny's is always how we start the trip.
(https://alantani.com/gallery/30/1_05_11_19_9_54_45_30076396.jpeg)
the SOA came back with quite a few wahoo from the previous trip.
(https://alantani.com/gallery/30/1_05_11_19_9_54_45_300761262.jpeg)
already in line!
(https://alantani.com/gallery/30/1_05_11_19_9_54_54_30078736.jpeg)
annemarie keating handles all the paperwork and all of the money. no trip to guadalupe this year, so no $250 surcharge.
(https://alantani.com/gallery/30/1_05_11_19_9_54_52_300782499.jpeg)
the rod racks fill up fast!
(https://alantani.com/gallery/30/1_05_11_19_9_55_00_3008088.jpeg)
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the first stop always the bait receiver. this year the sardines will be miserably small. most were not much bigger than jumbo anchovies. it will make fishing difficult.
(https://alantani.com/gallery/30/1_05_11_19_9_55_16_300852292.jpeg)
our chef, david, put together a sandwich bar for lunch.
(https://alantani.com/gallery/30/1_05_11_19_9_55_18_300861709.jpeg)
i got my personal gear set up first. the lighter stuff was penn torques and custom phenix black diamond hybrids. the heavier gear is penn international visx's and custom united composites.
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(https://alantani.com/gallery/30/1_05_11_19_9_55_29_300901576.jpeg)
never mess with the united states navy!
https://youtu.be/7_EqLnMKTtw
once you get out of the harbor and out of cell phone range, it really kicks in that we are going fishing!
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(https://alantani.com/gallery/30/1_05_11_19_9_57_17_30098651.jpeg)
it was salmon with a dill sauce for dinner.
(https://alantani.com/gallery/30/1_05_11_19_9_57_17_30098140.jpeg)
(https://alantani.com/gallery/30/1_05_11_19_9_57_24_301001809.jpeg)
october 16th, 2019
today will be a full day of travel. on these boats, you always get a full breakfast, a full lunch and a full dinner. figure you're going to gain a pound a day!
(https://alantani.com/gallery/30/1_05_11_19_9_57_31_301032319.jpeg)
it's a good time to decompress.
(https://alantani.com/gallery/30/1_05_11_19_9_57_34_301041648.jpeg)
just another beautiful sunrise!
(https://alantani.com/gallery/30/1_05_11_19_9_57_38_301052106.jpeg)
lunch is here before you know it.
(https://alantani.com/gallery/30/1_05_11_19_9_57_56_301101859.jpeg)
(https://alantani.com/gallery/30/1_05_11_19_9_57_40_301061251.jpeg)
today it's a taco bar.
(https://alantani.com/gallery/30/1_05_11_19_9_57_44_301072438.jpeg)
we are hoping to get into wahoo at the ridge. that means rigging up wire leaders.
(https://alantani.com/gallery/30/1_05_11_19_9_57_47_301081955.jpeg)
(https://alantani.com/gallery/30/1_05_11_19_9_57_50_30109300.jpeg)
the day passes pretty quickly.
(https://alantani.com/gallery/30/1_05_11_19_9_57_56_30110152.jpeg)
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(https://alantani.com/gallery/30/1_05_11_19_9_58_10_301141964.jpeg)
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(https://alantani.com/gallery/30/1_05_11_19_10_00_54_30116125.jpeg)
(https://alantani.com/gallery/30/1_05_11_19_10_01_02_30119346.jpeg)
october 17th, 2019
morning. another few hours and we'll be at the ridge.
(https://alantani.com/gallery/30/1_05_11_19_10_00_59_30118242.jpeg)
(https://alantani.com/gallery/30/1_05_11_19_10_01_03_301191744.jpeg)
wahooooooooo !!!!!!!!!! one lure will catch 6 out of 7 wahoo today. it's the pink mag track lure from magbay. we named her fifi!
https://youtu.be/-FMbNOJL4kQ
(https://alantani.com/gallery/30/1_05_11_19_10_01_08_301211081.jpeg)
(https://alantani.com/gallery/30/1_05_11_19_10_01_14_30123950.jpeg)
towards the evening, we started picking up yellowfin.
(https://alantani.com/gallery/30/1_05_11_19_10_01_15_301241841.jpeg)
(https://alantani.com/gallery/30/1_05_11_19_10_01_18_301251820.jpeg)
october 18th, 2019
wahooooo!!!!!!!
(https://alantani.com/gallery/30/1_05_11_19_10_01_23_301271802.jpeg)
(https://alantani.com/gallery/30/1_05_11_19_10_01_25_30128921.jpeg)
https://youtu.be/RDRljLVh7cI
gotta stop to eat!
(https://alantani.com/gallery/30/1_05_11_19_10_01_31_301291180.jpeg)
or not.
(https://alantani.com/gallery/30/1_05_11_19_10_01_31_301291848.jpeg)
(https://alantani.com/gallery/30/1_05_11_19_10_01_36_301311291.jpeg)
(https://alantani.com/gallery/30/1_05_11_19_10_01_37_301311755.jpeg)
https://youtu.be/BwZ5u14UUas
finally gotta stop!
(https://alantani.com/gallery/30/1_05_11_19_10_01_48_301352067.jpeg)
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october 19th, 2019
i know it's common enough, but i never did understand biscuits and gravy.
(https://alantani.com/gallery/30/1_05_11_19_10_01_55_30137618.jpeg)
wahooooo!!!!!!
(https://alantani.com/gallery/30/1_05_11_19_10_02_02_30140606.jpeg)
(https://alantani.com/gallery/30/1_05_11_19_10_02_08_3014282.jpeg)
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(https://alantani.com/gallery/30/1_05_11_19_10_01_55_301372179.jpeg)
october 20th, 2019
just another beautiful sunrise!
(https://alantani.com/gallery/30/1_05_11_19_10_02_19_301461532.jpeg)
just another beautiful wahoo!
(https://alantani.com/gallery/30/1_05_11_19_10_02_20_301462218.jpeg)
joel is 80 years old!!!!! another fish caught with fifi!
(https://alantani.com/gallery/30/1_05_11_19_10_02_32_301502482.jpeg)
(https://alantani.com/gallery/30/1_05_11_19_10_03_20_301521801.jpeg)
(https://alantani.com/gallery/30/1_05_11_19_10_03_28_301542017.jpeg)
afternoon snacks!
(https://alantani.com/gallery/30/1_05_11_19_10_03_31_301552046.jpeg)
mike caught a nice yellowfin!
(https://alantani.com/gallery/30/1_05_11_19_10_03_36_30157624.jpeg)
mr. and mrs. dembski!
https://youtu.be/kJ7zVcIlzBo
https://youtu.be/a2KLXZohPiM
(https://alantani.com/gallery/30/1_05_11_19_10_03_52_301621453.jpeg)
brendan!
(https://alantani.com/gallery/30/1_05_11_19_10_03_55_301632196.jpeg)
(https://alantani.com/gallery/30/1_05_11_19_10_03_57_301641196.jpeg)
https://youtu.be/Jb0K5a7RCT4
carne asada!
(https://alantani.com/gallery/30/1_05_11_19_10_04_12_3016985.jpeg)
(https://alantani.com/gallery/30/1_05_11_19_10_04_18_301711261.jpeg)
(https://alantani.com/gallery/30/1_05_11_19_10_04_20_301521934.jpeg)
(https://alantani.com/gallery/30/1_05_11_19_10_04_26_30173617.jpeg)
(https://alantani.com/gallery/30/1_05_11_19_10_04_26_301732101.jpeg)
(https://alantani.com/gallery/30/1_05_11_19_10_04_32_30175581.jpeg)
october 21, 2019
at this point, we're pretty much done with fishing. time to wind down!
(https://alantani.com/gallery/30/1_05_11_19_10_04_39_30177722.jpeg)
eddie and i got photo bombed!
(https://alantani.com/gallery/30/1_05_11_19_10_04_47_30180726.jpeg)
sloppy joes!
(https://alantani.com/gallery/30/1_05_11_19_10_04_50_301812226.jpeg)
tracy apparently didn't get the message that we were just goofing off the rest of the day. he stuck his first yellowtail ever!
(https://alantani.com/gallery/30/1_05_11_19_10_04_57_30184592.jpeg)
ok, now we're just goofing off!
(https://alantani.com/gallery/30/1_05_11_19_10_05_02_301862021.jpeg)
(https://alantani.com/gallery/30/1_05_11_19_10_07_14_301871877.jpeg)
https://youtu.be/5qvVP19I86k
chicken!
(https://alantani.com/gallery/30/1_05_11_19_10_08_16_302051203.jpeg)
the final count!
(https://alantani.com/gallery/30/1_05_11_19_10_08_17_30205418.jpeg)
october 22, 2019
taco bar!
(https://alantani.com/gallery/30/1_05_11_19_10_08_24_302071512.jpeg)
the last night!
(https://alantani.com/gallery/30/1_05_11_19_10_08_37_302111847.jpeg)
fish count wise, it was slow, but this is not the hardest fishing group. weather was great, the guys were great, and the crew was great. looking forward to next year!
and the best quote of the trip is from my brother, ed! "gentlemen, put your hands together for fifi!!!!"
Nice. I am setting in Alan's shop watching him post this report and assembling reel handles. We drive to SD in the morning to fish for BFT.
Looks like a great trip....great fishing, and great friends !
Fun trip you guys had and caught a nice bunch of fish! Thanks for all the pics and videos, action packed!
The big blufine have showed up a bit, a buddy of mine got a 330 on Friday, hope you eat your wheaties! Hope you find some.
I leave for San Diego tomorrow morning, boarding the New Lo-Ann on Tuesday to chase those same fish. We return at 6am on Friday. At 6am, I fly to Puerto Vallarta, back 5 days later. Figured I'd better finish this report before I go on another trip!
That's quite the agenda! Living the dream! Maybe 2 bowls of Wheaties. Safe travels and best of luck, I'm sure you have the rest covered
Nice report with a great group of guys.
I just wish I was there.
Sal
Looks like it was a good trip with friends and good fishing.....safe travels in the coming days. Bill
Quote from: alantani on November 11, 2019, 04:05:05 AM
I leave for San Diego tomorrow morning, boarding the New Lo-Ann on Tuesday to chase those same fish. We return at 6am on Friday. At 6am, I fly to Puerto Vallarta, back 5 days later. Figured I'd better finish this report before I go on another trip!
I'll be interested to hear what you think of the NLA as it's on my list of boats to try out....I've heard great things!
Does that really say 121 Dodo? I know that the Boss isn't into them but that is a bunch of fish.
Sorry I missed it.
The Man
Oh, yeah, forgot to mention that. We had a 1 hour bite and put 60 dorado in the box. Then the next day had another 1 hour bite for another 60 dorado. Meat-wise, that sort of saved the trip. I'm just not a big fan of dorado. Sort of forgot about it.
this SOA trips are always exiting to read I can only imagine what it would be to be on one of those trips.
looks likea wonderful time, even when not fishing
Quote from: alantani on November 11, 2019, 07:06:47 PM
Oh, yeah, forgot to mention that. We had a 1 hour bite and put 60 dorado in the box. Then the next day had another 1 hour bite for another 60 dorado. Meat-wise, that sort of saved the trip. I'm just not a big fan of dorado. Sort of forgot about it.
Alan, I feel the same way. Here in South Florida 90% of the fisherman go crazy for Dolphin but I can take them or leave them. I like Snapper and Grouper with the occasional Wahoo or (Blackfin) Tuna thrown in for good measure.
Those are some nice Ono.
I came back from a 7 day trip on 11/2. We spent the entire 7 day at Guadalupe Island. The permit fee to fish the island is $350.00 now.
Your cinematography seems to be gettin better, especially the directing. I felt like I was there, especially in that 1st Wahoo video. Great job and thanks for takin us along.
Fantastic! What a trip! 8)
Quote from: alantani on November 11, 2019, 04:05:05 AM
I leave for San Diego tomorrow morning, boarding the New Lo-Ann on Tuesday to chase those same fish. We return at 6am on Friday. At 6am, I fly to Puerto Vallarta, back 5 days later. Figured I'd better finish this report before I go on another trip!
Do you need to borrow any equipment? ::) Dominick
Nice report as always Alan! Looked like a fun trip!