Reel Repair by Alan Tani

Had a great trip, weather was warm, seas mostly calm, great friends, good drink (Thanks John!), and Capt. Evan Kraft at the helm.  My streak of firsts continued with my first visit to Alijos Rocks and my first wahoo!  With the help of some kindly souls made my limit of yellowtail.  Sheepshead were caught by many, wahoo, trigger fish, sand bass the size Southern California wished they had, bonito and dorado continued their plague at at couple stops.  We stopped at Canales Bay and the yellowtail slaughter was in full swing, dropper loop, flyline, flyline with egg sinkers, irons all caught their share. The boat stopped counting after we hit 250 yellowtails.  The wahoo were a menace at the Rocks continually cutting off hooks, Alan's titanium leader brought my fish to gaff. Ohh yeah almost forgot, someone managed to hook and bring to gaff a striped marlin, but I will let him tell the story 😉 Safe travels to all who are still on the road.  Bill

Wa HOOOOOOO!  Nice one Bill looking to hear more great tales from the trip!!!!! - john

I got a micro wahoo.... :0) and one close to Alan's.

Nice wahoo Bill!

Does Lee get the Golden Carp for the wahoo category?

-J

Finally made it home about 12 midnight GA time. Rained most of the way home, but we really need the rain.
Had me a large time with some good friends and great fishermen.
GA Mike

Mike, was that your first time at the Rocks? You finally made it?

Quote from: MarkT on October 13, 2022, 05:07:47 PMMike, was that your first time at the Rocks? You finally made it?

Fishing Alijos has been a "bucket list" trip of mine for many many years. I sort of gave up making it there on an 8 day, so I went on the 10 day Grady White SoA trip just last year and we did very well at "the Rocks". Less than a year later, my 2nd trip to the Rocks was on an 8 day.
GA Mike

Quote from: Wally15 on October 13, 2022, 11:11:18 PM

Quote from: MarkT on October 13, 2022, 05:07:47 PMMike, was that your first time at the Rocks? You finally made it?

Fishing Alijos has been a "bucket list" trip of mine for many many years. I sort of gave up making it there on an 8 day, so I went on the 10 day Grady White SoA trip just last year and we did very well at "the Rocks". Less than a year later, my 2nd trip to the Rocks was on an 8 day.
GA Mike

I've done a dozen 10 days and only one didn't go to the rocks (due to weather). The last few years the sharks (bronze whalers) have been bad at the rocks. The YFT and YT have been better though.

Our overnite at the ridge, Alan, Dave, Ron, and I were on the back of the boat fishing for "whatever".  Dave's flylined sardine got picked up and off to the races, but broke off.  Figuring maybe his knot failed I followed suit, great pick up, good run and broke off 🧐. Ok I'll fix his little rd wagon, tied on a titanium leader... now what you gonna do!  Woohoo, picked up in short order, pulling drag, and pow!  Broke off.  Errrr, now Alan gets involved, rigs a multi strand leader, Dave flylined that,  but no takers.  Now it's late, I'm tired, maybe a few beers, and off to bed.  All the pick ups were just outside the deck lights, but figured it was sharks.  Bill

Anyone remembers what trolling lures were used to catch those wahoos?

On my Excel 10 day I got mine on a Cowbell Jr. Most other troll fish came on DTX minnows. A few on Marauders. Most troll DTX minnows so that's what catches most fish.

Thanks Mark.  I have all the lures you mentioned.  Just wondering if the magbay magtrak is productive.  I was on Alan's last 8-day trip but couldn't recall if the magtrak caught any fish.  I have another 8-day trip at the end of October and look forward to trying different lures for wahoo.

I have the Magtrak too. I don't have anything on it but no one did any better on those trolling rotations!  I'm pretty much all in on Wahoo and have multiple DTX 200 and 220 Minnows (and a couple of 165's), a Magtrak, a Madmac 240, Halco Max 190 and 220, and both sizes of Cowbells. I had one trip where they called me Cowbell Mark 'cuz it got hit every time it got wet. The 32oz is the orange/black and the small 16oz is pink. They both feel the Wahoo love! Dorado, YFT and striped Marlin hit them too.

Quote from: DFT on October 21, 2022, 11:24:58 PMAnyone remembers what trolling lures were used to catch those wahoos?

The micro wahoo was caught on a purple and black Maruder and the other troll caught one on a Tony the Tiger Maruder.

Marauders still work well, especially in the corners. Back when Marauders were the only game in town, no body wanted to be long down the middle... but the Cowbell loves being long down the middle! DTX Minnows like to be long too. Marauders, Magtraks, Madmac's, etc like the short corners better than being long down the middle.