The List - SOA 3-day, July 1-4 - Alan Tani chartermaster

[Rocket Dog]

I'm starting to put together my gear list.  This is a good/bad thing.  There's enough time between now and the trip that I could buy a lot more stuff.

Looking forward to fishing with everyone.

just got more knife jigs and now think I need a crimping set

[alantani]

gentlemen, welcome and thank you very much for signing up for this trip.  if you have been following the san diego reports, you know that they have been catching bluefin and that they have been getting bigger.  this bodes well for us!  many of you have done these short range bluefin trips many times before and know what to expect.  and many have not.  what i would like to do is go over everything from where to stay on arrival to how to get your fish processed before departure. 

1. Passports and licenses - everyone must have a current passport, and i believe that all of you do.  we will most likely need california fishing licenses.  for most of us that live in california, make sure that your california license has an ocean enhancement stamp on it.  licenses for short term or out of state people can be purchased at the landing.  so far, the boats are fishing in US waters.  if we have to go to mexico, then a passport and mexican license will be needed.  you will already have your passport.  the landing will get mexican licenses for us. 

2. Arrival in San Diego - most of us will be arriving the day before.  there are two hotels at the landing.  one is the old vagabond, now called the sea harbor hotel, on scott street.  https://www.seaharborhotel.com/  the other is the ramada on 1403 Rosecrans St, San Diego.  both places are dumps, but for one night they're fine.  if you don't have a traveling buddy already, check the list and see who lives close to you and send them an email or text.  you might be able to travel together and save some money.  we usually gather at miguel's cocina on scott street the night before.  drinks at 5pm, dinner at 6. 

3. Rods and reels - i highly recommend two speed lever drag reels only, avoid single speed lever drag and star drag reels if you can.  lighter reels should be loaded with braid and fluorocarbon leaders.  for heavier rigs, braid and mono might do quite well so that you can avoid the high cost of fluorocarbon. 

here you will get as many recommendations as there are people to voice them.  judging by the way fishing has been, i would definitely recommend three rods and reels - a 30 pound outfit, then a 40 to 50 pound outfit, and finally a 60 to 80 pound outfit.  if you have something in a 100 to 130 pound range, that's fine.  so, basically 3 rods and 3 reels is all you might need for a trip like this.  set the drags with a scale to give you 30% of your topshot line weight at strike.  as an example, a 50 pound rig would be set to 15 pounds of drag at strike.  then push the reel to full and see what kind of drag you get at full.  that way you know. just in case you hook into something big.  if you are going to need help with gear, please let me know.

4. Hooks - for bluefin, i would recommend ringed owner circle hooks in 2/0, 4/0 and 6/0 sizes. pocket packs of six to eight hooks in these sizes should be fine.  you could even go with 1/0, 3/0 and 5/0.  it's just not necessary to have every size.  https://www.ringedhooks.com/products/owner-mutu-circle-ringed-hooks.html

an assortment of small j-hooks is also good, maybe in #4, #1 and #2/0.  maybe pocket packs of six to eight count pack of these as well.  https://www.ringedhooks.com/products/owner-flyliner-live-bait-ringed-hooks.html

you really don't need that much.  and if you run out of hooks, you've had a fabulous trip!!!!!

5.  Jigs - these are more to catch anglers than fish, but they do work.  sometimes these fish will only bite the smaller colt snipers.  https://www.amazon.com/Shimano-Current-Sniper-Fishing-Lures/dp/B07GTDSQFW

james kikkawa has a really nice line of the 100 to 300 gram larger knife jigs.  you can reach him at (626) 988-3632  or  on Instagram @jameskikkawa or @westcoastjiggerz or Facebook James Kikkawa.  he's a smart kid and really keeps track of what's biting, so he's a good one to talk to.

and lastly, there are the monster knife jigs and flat falls that go up to 500 grams in weight.  right now, the fish are smaller, but you never know when these larger fish that eat these larger jigs will come through.  check with james, but you might have to go with amazon.


6. sinkers - we might use sinker rigs, which involves a live bait on a mono or fluoro leader and an 8, 10, 12 or 16 ounce torpedo sinker that is rubber banded 15 to 20 feet above the bait.  a #64 size rubber band works great for this application. 

7. troll/kite rotation - for trolling and kite/balloon fishing, the boat will have gear, so you don't have to worry.  if you have a 100 to 130 pound line class rod and reel, feel free to bring it.  we will likely not be trolling much, but we should be running a kite or balloon and there will be a rotation.  random numbers will be drawn to pick the order for that. 

8. Boarding the boat - we'll have breakfast at the denny's on rosecrans first thing in the morning.  i'll need everyone there by 9am.  we will board somewhere between 10 and 11am.  cabins will be assigned.  so will rod storage, port and starboard.  tackle box storage will not be pre-assigned, but you will not be needing a full long range tackle box, anyway.  everything you need for tackle should fit in a shoe box.  it's only a 3 day trip. 

9. Fish processing - we have reservations with Fisherman's processing (619) 255-3128 for our return date, July 4th.  the price is now up to $1.50 per pound of whole fish.  you will need to call them and confirm. i generally go for 5 mil bags, 1 pound packs, bellies, collars and same day service.  we will try to get back to the dock ahead of the other boats.   once docked, we will need some serious hustle to get gear off the boat.  then we have to get fish off the boat, up to the sidewalk and to the processor.  there may be other processing companies at the dock.  you can certainly book with someone else if you wish to, but you absolutely must make a reservation ahead of time.  Five Star is at (888) 253-9692 and Sportsmen's Seafood (619) 224-3551.

breakfast will be a perry's cafe while we wait for fish.  perry's is right across the street from fisherman's processing.

10. Things to do now - if you are looking for someone to travel with or split a room at a hotel with, check the list below, see where people live and get in contact. book a hotel now if you need one. i will be checking in and talking to all of you later as well to see where everyone is with that.  also, figure out if you need same day fish processing and contact fisherman's processing or one of other two companies and get a reservation in.  getting fish done the same day is always stressful.  there might be shipping options or late pick up options, but none of these is easy or cheap. 


that's is for now.  i'm certain that there will be more later.  thanks!  alan

[David Hall]

so much to do and so little time.

[pjstevko]

Thanks for the rundown Alan!

One question (for right now)...... Do we need to bring our own bedding?

[alantani]

no, we should be fine. 

[pjstevko]

no, we should be fine. 

That's great to hear, at least that's a couple less things to pack

[alantani]

From: admin@soasportfishing.com <admin@soasportfishing.com>
Date: Tue, May 3, 2022 at 11:10 PM
Subject: Spirit of Adventure Fishing Information
To: <phildez2@aim.com>, <jcox@coxmachine.com>, <daniel_scanlon91@yahoo.com>, <bill.barella@gmail.com>, <1fishhunter@sbcglobal.net>


Hello Anglers!

 

 

Thank you once again for booking with the Spirit of Adventure! The fishing season is quickly approaching so we would like to send out some friendly reminders and information for you to share to better prepare for your upcoming trip.

 

1.We are currently not requiring COVID testing for trips shorter than 7 days, but this may change at any time. If and when they are required, rapid tests will be available at a small cost dockside. Please board at your own discretion.

 

2. We ask you still bring your own pillows and blankets for sanitation purposes. A bottom/fitted sheet will still be provided on your mattress. Should you need a pillow and blanket due to travel, please contact us via email: admin@soasportfishing.com. We are following strict sanitation guidelines for the safety of our crew and passengers and our crew is regularly tested regardless of vaccination status.

 

3. Reminder to bring your own reusable water bottle. The vessel is equipped with a purified water faucet and an ice machine. No water bottles are sold on board. Beer and soda are available for purchase.

 

4.  For all trips departing at 11:00am, check in will begin at 9:00am. Lunch will be served. For all trips departing at 6:00pm, check in will begin at 4:00pm. A light dinner will be served.

 

5. California fishing licenses are not included in your trip cost and can be purchased at H&M Landing on the day of departure.

 

6. Mexican fishing licenses also are not included in your trip cost but will be purchased by our staff on the day of departure.

 

7. Passports are only required for trips 3 days or more.

 

8. Outstanding balances are due 2 weeks before trip departure. Please contact our office for any necessary arrangements/considerations.

 

9. Rods and reels are available for rent at a limited quantity at a rate of $15/day per outfit due at sign-in. If you need to reserve a setup, please contact our office asap.

 

10. In addition to license and permit costs, we recommend passengers bring cash for the following: jackpot participation, beverage/galley tabs, rental equipment, crew tips/gratuities, and Spirit of Adventure merchandise.

 

11. A fuel service charge may apply depending on price of diesel at time of departure.

 

Charter masters, please provide us with your list of anglers as soon as possible so we can update our passenger lists. Please also let us know if you will be needing us to assign bunks or if you will be doing so. If any of the anglers on your trip require special dietary restrictions, let us know in advance in order to properly accommodate their needs.

 

For additional information regarding your trip, please contact our office via email or phone at admin@soasportfishing.com or (619) 549-8002. For any tackle or equipment related questions, please contact H&M Landing at info@hmlanding.com or (619) 222-1144.

 

 

We look forward to a great season!

 

 

 

Thank you,


Andrea
Office Administrator


admin@soasportfishing.com
(619) 549-8002
2803 Emerson St
San Diego, CA 92106

[pjstevko]

Just picked up 2 more sniper style jigs in colors I haven't ever seen...I bought the chrome for bft and the mint/white for yt! I'm usually a Shimano Coltsniper guy but was really intrigued by the colors, size and shape!

[stoked4fishin]

The Zakana jigs have caught many of BFT and YFT for sure!  I've used 80g-120g range with success.  You guys should have a great trip!

[Bill B]

During my stint on the Sacramento River jigging for king salmon the most violent strikes I ever had were on the black (dark) jigs.  Wouldnt surprise me if the darker Snipers and clones did the same.  Bill

[pjstevko]

Less than a month to go and I am getting stoked! I've started to slowly get my gear together. Just got more heavy duty jig leader supplies....

I'll be bringing jig leader making supplies. I'll have crimps, swivels, solid rings and split rings for 80,180,300 and 400# leaders.

If you need leaders made we can make them on the boat but you need to supply the assist hooks at a minimum.

[Rocket Dog]

Less than a month to go and I am getting stoked! I've started to slowly get my gear together. Just got more heavy duty jig leader supplies....

I'll be bringing jig leader making supplies. I'll have crimps, swivels, solid rings and split rings for 80,180,300 and 400# leaders.

If you need leaders made we can make them on the boat but you need to supply the assist hooks at a minimum.

Are you rigging straight to the jig or using split rings? I just got the last bit of hardware to start making some, but I am only going to make 200lbs leaders. Now you got me thinking of other line weightings. 

[MarkT]

I connect to the jig with a split ring rather than crimp to the jig. My best jig fish was only 128# but my gear is rated above that and no issues so far.

[pjstevko]

400# swivel crimped at the top, 3-4' leader crimped to a solid ring at the bottom.... jig attached to the leader via ultra split ring

[bchen]

Attaching the jig to a split ring makes it really easy to change jigs.  I'm going to try a flat fall rigged the same way (attached to a solid ring via a split ring) to see if it still retains its action. 

Btw, I'm bringing 2 speed jigging rigs, a 50# and an 80#, along with what feels like 20#'s of knife jigs.

Keeping an eye on the June trip - I hope you guys run into the big boys.