Just arrived!
Salud!
Go get em Alan.
Underway!
Somebody feed that under fed guy in the middle. :D :D Rudy
Rudy, fish are not fattening, its just that, the skinny guy in the middle catches more fish, than most, cheers Don.
I just came back from a trip of a lifetime, I took Alan to the airport. With all due respect to Henny Youngman original quote (I just took a trip of a lifetime, I took My mother-in-law to the airport). Badoomboom. :D ;D Good luck Alan. Dominick
Go gettem!
Just pulling into the harbor at Puerto Vallarta. Had a great trip. Full report to follow!
HOLY COW!
Holy COWS!
All I can think of is REDEMPTION!
Nice fishes Alan
WOW !!
Nice!
great photo, good memories ay, thanks for showing us, cheers Don.
now that's fishing. cant wait for the full reports.
That's the way to do it. !
Cool
(https://media1.tenor.com/images/f079e99ccc2bf1889abbb9c481c52c46/tenor.gif)
Wow! Congratulations, Alan! Now the real question...landed in 20 minutes?
Holly Cow !! Nice job guys ! I heard the biggest was 280 with two others over 200 lbs plus 7 other nice ones !! Hope they are around in January when I get a chance !
Cheers:
todd
WOW!!! Congratulations to you all. Waiting with baited breath for the details.
looks amazing!
tuna... its whats for dinner !!
Wow Alan... that might be your best ever...Congratulations!
Sal
Oh my,,,,,, :D that's a big one,,,,, ;) what rod and reel was you using,,,,,, ;D
Great job guys. Alan, yours looks like it might be a "super" if not, very close.
Even if it was a skunk trip it sure beats not fishing.
Congrats.
Scott
Great catch guys, congratulations!!
O.O
Beautiful catches, Alan!
Thanks for sharing!
Best, Fred
What dreams are made of. I gotta do that someday.
Puerto Vallarta! November 16-20, 2019
november 16, 2019
so, i'm flying down to PV with a short layover at LAX. we board the plane and who do i see but none other than the world famous wahoodad, david choate! he will be on the constitution with jeff shapiro, francisco del mundo and david gee!
(https://alantani.com/gallery/30/1_21_11_19_8_02_17_30627130.jpeg)
i will be joining marlas sportfishing on the el pescador. running the boat will be danny osuna, roberto osuna, first mate zanate and chef fernando macedo!
(https://alantani.com/gallery/30/1_21_11_19_8_02_20_30629402.jpeg)
we arrive in puerto vallarta and pick up bohemias at the oxxo and wait. a marlas sportfishing employee picks us up at the airport and drives us to the dock, with a short detour for tequila at the local mega supermarket. after stowing our gear on the boat, we have dinner at oso, the restaurant at the top of the dock. with me are jonny nguyen, ed hayden, rich kubota, paul rowles and doc paul dennis.
(https://alantani.com/gallery/30/1_21_11_19_8_02_21_306271529.jpeg)
at 5pm, we are underway!
(https://alantani.com/gallery/30/1_21_11_19_8_02_26_306321496.jpeg)
november 17, 2019
danny osuna knows me pretty well. for any fishing trip, it's nice to get a few fish in the box as soon as possible. we arrived at the islands at 5am and he has jig rods for us. there were big pargo everywhere. i had half a dozen vicious bites, but nothing stuck to the jig. of course, it was then that danny suggested that i take the covers off the hooks......
(https://alantani.com/gallery/30/1_21_11_19_8_02_28_306342149.jpeg)
we settled back into yellowfin mode and saw fish busting everywhere. big ones. but no takers. lunch was pretty much the only thing we scored until late.
(https://alantani.com/gallery/30/1_21_11_19_8_02_30_30635427.jpeg)
(https://alantani.com/gallery/30/1_21_11_19_8_02_31_306271347.jpeg)
it was not until late that we actually hooked up. the first hit was jonny bravo! here's the first half of the fight.
https://youtu.be/kpoY2IZ3dFI
he was doing well but the fish was starting to wear him down. towards the end, jon got really tired. this fish taped out at 180 pounds.
https://youtu.be/Pu3XB8j_7PU
by the time rich hooked up, it was pouring. i couldn't risk video in the rain, so we just have a few photos. for the last 15 years, rich has been trying to catch a cow. on the first day of our trip, he got it. rich, congratulations!
(https://alantani.com/gallery/30/1_21_11_19_8_02_33_306371200.jpeg)
(https://alantani.com/gallery/30/1_21_11_19_8_02_34_306381254.jpeg)
(https://alantani.com/gallery/30/1_21_11_19_8_02_35_306382490.jpeg)
(https://alantani.com/gallery/30/1_21_11_19_8_02_37_30640595.jpeg)
(https://alantani.com/gallery/30/1_21_11_19_8_02_38_30640140.jpeg)
and jonny's fish!
(https://alantani.com/gallery/30/1_21_11_19_8_02_40_306421829.jpeg)
november 18, 2019
for all of the morning and most of the afternoon, it was fish busting out everywhere, but no biters. i'm tellin' you, this guy is great!
(https://alantani.com/gallery/30/1_21_11_19_8_02_43_306441661.jpeg)
(https://alantani.com/gallery/30/1_21_11_19_8_02_43_306441687.jpeg)
ed finally got an 80 pounder that stuck!
(https://alantani.com/gallery/30/1_21_11_19_8_02_40_30642506.jpeg)
https://youtu.be/IvNXKDcdZAc
this evening was far different from the storms of the previous night!
(https://alantani.com/gallery/30/1_21_11_19_8_02_46_30646981.jpeg)
right at dusk, our chef hooked up on a 130 pound bait rod and handed it off to doc. then he grabbed the closest rod to him, which just happened to be one of those jig sticks. it was an high speed okuma tessoro 12S and an okuma pch 7.5 foot jig stick rated 12-25. and 60 seconds later, he hooked up again.......
https://youtu.be/nHg0uE54SRQ
(https://alantani.com/gallery/30/1_21_11_19_8_02_50_306491249.jpeg)
november 19, 2019
happy birthday to my brother, ed tani, and to my other brother, danny osuna!!!!!
(https://alantani.com/gallery/30/1_21_11_19_8_02_53_306511779.jpeg)
all day, fish jumping everywhere and no biters!
we get a double, late afternoon. both fish are fought!
https://youtu.be/ht3hXoY3k9U
both fish are gaffed!
https://youtu.be/_Ka5fliYG5g
finally evening comes. another double!
https://youtu.be/kvOQ7N1CNKQ
and another double!
https://youtu.be/O2EUJ9OQpiY
my fish dies about 300 feet out.
https://youtu.be/IER9MPtjOqM
finally up! it tapes out at 230 pounds. it felt like 330 pounds because it was dead and was getting dragged up sideways. one hook of the "double trouble" rig was in his mouth and the other hook was in his tail.
https://youtu.be/vXH3nqQlFl0
doc's fish will tape out at 280 pounds.
https://youtu.be/vERC__uY7CU
(https://alantani.com/gallery/30/1_21_11_19_8_03_00_306562463.jpeg)
exhausted, we cleaned up, had dinner, and all collectively passed out around 9pm. while we were doing this, the crew was cutting up, vacuuming packing and freezing our fish until probably midnight. so, yes, these guys ARE probably the hardest working guys ever.
november 20, 2019
with the late bite, we got back to the harbor way later than usual, close to 8am. while the crew cleaned up the boat and packed our fish, we headed out to breakfast. the crew works so hard. we all tipped them extra!
(https://alantani.com/gallery/30/1_21_11_19_8_03_00_306572171.jpeg)
you've really gotta see that the osuna's run an incredible operation. danny and roberto had a plan. they stuck to it and it worked. zanate is always there to help. and even with a bad cold, fernando was always working. this was probably one of the most difficult trips for the crew that i have ever been on. catching fish late in the evening like this meant that the crew stayed up even later to process our fish. it literally doubled their workload.
as far as the actual boats go, the 55 foot delta that the osuna family is working on is still not ready, but it's getting close. until then, they are fortunate to have access to the 50 footer. larry lionetti's el pescador is an impressive platform to fish from. she's a 50 foot delta with a forward v-berth that sleeps 4 and a port cabin that sleeps 2. the lower bunks in the forward cabin are a little cramped, so the skinny guys have to sleep there, but it's not a problem. she is starting to show here age, but this vessel is obviously well cared for. there is plenty of fresh water, the hot water is hot, the air conditioning is cold, the drains all work, the heads work, the ventilation is good, the cushions are thick, and there is plenty of room to move around. everything on this boat is well maintained, and everything works. i know it may not sound like much, but these are things that you will definitely miss in boats that are not as well cared for!
these are still small boats, but it's amazing what you can do from this kind of platform with the right people at the helm. so that is trip number one down, three more trips - december, january and march - to go! stay tuned!
Great report. The videos bring it to life. I'm having a sushi and sashimi tomorrow. It's good to see the fish it came from. Thanks Alan. Dominick
Looks like a super trip....great fish, and great friends !
Good stuff! What rod was Jonny using on that YFT? Seeker OSP 1x3? Reel was a Mak 20 SEa?
Wahoodad was my roommate 2 years ago when I got the 298 and 321 on the Excel. I've known him for almost 30 years.
Really gets my blood up just watching the action. I won't be going down until next fall.
You have a good life. Just getting those to stand up on their nose for a photo must have been a lot of work.
-steve
Awesome videos and pics!! Thanks!
Quote from: oc1 on November 22, 2019, 04:16:46 AM
You have a good life. Just getting those to stand up on their nose for a photo must have been a lot of work.
-steve
It takes 2-3 guys to stand it up balancing its nose on a little rag to keep it from sliding out, then you take over to keep it there for the photo, out takes can be hilarious.
I dropped one 3-4 times before I gave up and took the photo on the deck, both me and the fish.
What a trip! That's the reason we all keep going back...for bites like that!
You looked exhausted bringing that fish in, Alan. It's a lot of work dragging a cow like that in sideways!
Hi Alan, just saw this and sure want to thank you for this great trip you shared with us all. You are a busy guy, and sure wondered with how you have time to post this stuff as quickly as you did. We already can emagine your laundry waiting in the hall and the rods stripped from the reels on the racks, the reels wiped from the fishy smell and shelved. You are the Boss, afterall. 8)
well, i left all of my clothes with danny's wife to clean for me and i didn't have to worry about gear. you'll see the same t-shirts on the next trip!!!! then i spend 4 hours sitting in the airport at puerto vallarta and was able to clear out most of the emails, pm's and website stuff. on the flight home, i sorted through all of the photos, eliminating duplicates and flubbed up shots, and also reviewed the videos to make sure there wasn't too much profanity. then yesterday i was able to upload all the photos and videos while i went through snail mail and bills. once all of that is done, i loaded the photo links onto a post, just followed the photos and the story sort of wrote itself.
oh, and keeping track on a 3 day trip is alot easier than on an 8-day!!!!!!
Quote from: scrinch on November 22, 2019, 05:46:52 PM
You looked exhausted bringing that fish in, Alan. It's a lot of work dragging a cow like that in sideways!
i seriously thought i had a 330 pound fish on the line, not a sideways 230 pounder!!!!
My favorite was the one on the 12-25 PCH with the little Tesoro...Guess its my upbringing as a fly fisherman, always like light tackle ;D
The whole trip looked like a blast..way to go boss!
Brett
Sushi Party at Dominick's from Alan's 230 lbs. YFT!!!!! LAST NIGHT!!!
Dominick was the gifted recipient of a few pieces of the 230 lbs. Yellow Fin tuna caught by Alan on this trip. Again, Alan HATS off to you!!!! For me, that is a fish of a lifetime.
(https://alantani.com/gallery/30/7588_23_11_19_6_06_52_30674617.jpeg)
Last night Dominick made the call for all of us to show up for a Sushi and Sashimi party ... and we all did!! Gleefully ;D
And here is what Dominick put together: California rolls, Salmon & YFT sashimi with fixings.
(https://alantani.com/gallery/30/7588_23_11_19_6_09_17_306762361.jpeg)
The orange fish roe is very snappy in your mouth - it is called Tobiko or Japanese Flying Fish Roe.
(https://alantani.com/gallery/30/7588_23_11_19_6_12_16_306792140.jpeg)
(https://alantani.com/gallery/30/7588_23_11_19_6_14_02_306811905.jpeg)
(https://alantani.com/gallery/30/7588_23_11_19_6_11_11_30678219.jpeg)
Salmon from a recent outing.
(https://alantani.com/gallery/30/7588_23_11_19_6_10_25_30677450.jpeg)
AND a sampling of a very tasty piece of Blue Fin tuna. WOW absolutely delicious.
(https://alantani.com/gallery/30/7588_23_11_19_6_12_49_306801305.jpeg)
Short time later this!!!! ALL GONE.
(https://alantani.com/gallery/30/7588_23_11_19_6_14_38_30682228.jpeg)
Then the kids all came out DONE with spaghetti and hunger for more sashimi!!! Those kids have an expensive habit ;)
(https://alantani.com/gallery/30/7588_23_11_19_6_08_55_30675414.jpeg)
The generosity on this site is OFF THE HOOK!!! I go on too many charter trips where there is NO sharing of the days catch. NONE, ZIPPO... ZILCH.
Until next time.
Wayne
Bravo! Great fishing Alan! 8)
The generosity on this site is OFF THE HOOK!!! I go on too many charter trips where there is NO sharing of the days catch. NONE, ZIPPO... ZILCH.
therein lies a great difference. Some people simply do not realize the joy of sharing in the catch.
Wow! That sushi/sashimi spread looks fantastic! :o
Wayne, thanks for sharing the pictures of the nice presentation of food that was prepared. All you guys are great guys and even greater still is the support your wives have for your wayward ways! ;)
well, um, it's actually dominick that has really gone out of his way. for the last few years, we've been imposing on him quite a bit. we show up at his doorstep at 4am, he drives us to the airport, drops us off and goes back home to crawl into bed. 5 days later, he shows up to pick us up. all he gets for his trouble is a few crummy pieces of fish! i head down again on december 2nd. it's bad luck to promise fish to anyone, but this time i think we'd better fill his freezer!
Quote from: alantani on November 24, 2019, 03:55:31 PM
this time i think we'd better fill his freezer!
I'll remember that next time. :D The Blue Fin Tuna was a share from Ben, (Alan's Buddy). We did a taste test and the Blue Fin was the winner. So Alan you have to target Blue Fin for the group. They are spoiled. Dominick
I agree a BFT target is what's needed! next summer we need a San Diego charter or a fleet of small boats.