st joseph river Fishing Report 2024

The wahoo fishing has greatly diminished. Since we have plenty on board, we decided to take off to the tuna grounds where the reports have been good. We should be there in 48 hours. Weather is sloppy, choppy.

Tommy and crew

Sept. 29

Well today was more of the same. We woke up to coffee, machaca and eggs and a Tom Cruise movie. Then we rigged up our heavy gear and did our tuna seminar. Then we trolled it up for a bit and looked at a couple of kelps for some neck tie size dorado which we let go. Then we had a nice taco salad and some kind of a room temp soup which was good and then some chose to take a nap while others chose to listen to football and do what guys do while we listen to football. After that it was dinner time and then a quick nap before arriving to the bait grounds at 11:00 PM. Bait fishing wasn't a great success but we did manage to catch 13 nice size squid that will fish beautifully on the kite. Hey, that's 13 200+ pound tuna as far as I'm concerned. Now everyone is in bed and I'm up driving and writing this.The weather couldn't be better and we're about half way there so a little more relaxation before we get down and dirty for several days straight.

The Polaris Supreme Crew.

Captain Ryan Bositan checked in with an update tonight from the San Diego. Today we fished at the Coronado Islands. We had 18 anglers catch 2 Bluefin Tuna, 1 Sheephead, 7 Yellowtail, 6 Calico Bass, 90 Bonito, and 13 Rockfish. Check out the beautiful Sheephead we caught today that weighed in at 18 pounds.

Tommy Rothery docked his Polaris Supreme at Fisherman's Landing August 22 after the season's best tuna trip to Guadalupe Island. There were 24 anglers aboard the first Dan Heil Memorial trip. "I felt like he was there with us," said son and chartermaster Ron Heil. "He would have really enjoyed this trip." Tuna fishing was excellent for the group, so much so that Rothery was able to give the spot up to Art Taylor and the Searcher. "We had plenty of tuna," said Tom, "all we needed. The sharks got some of them." Steve Patterson of Grants Pass won first place for a 103-pound yellowfin. "My best tuna ever," he said. Patterson used a sardine on a 4/0 ringed Gorilla hook tied to 40-pound P-Line and 65-pound Izorline Spectra backing, on an Avet LX reel and a Rogue Rod of seven feet. "He slaughtered me," added Patterson. "I couldn't get my new rod off the rail. He tore up the cork and the diamond wrap." Don Pieper of Arroyo Grande was second for a 72.6-pounder, and Buddy Bales of Spokane, WA won third place, for a 72.2-pound yellowfin tuna. The season's 12th wahoo from Guadalupe was included in the catch.

Nov. 10

No fishing today - it was all catching. Wide open dorado, yellowfin, and 30 plus wahoo. Did not matter what you cast into the ocean - sardines, maggie bay mackeral, wahoo iron and bombs - it was all awesome.Big dorado of the 30 lb variety, wahoo up to 40 lb and 15 to 30 lb yellowfin. Constant "catching" all day with only breaks to tie on new hooks and leaders. The crew show'd their experience as 17 anglers, all hooked up at the same time with flying dorado all over the place, untangled, gaffed and tagged with seamless ease. Everyone is tired and happy and settling in after a fine dinner of seared wahoo with mango ginger sauce, risotto followed by blackberry pie ala mode. Whats next? Heading after big tuna tomorrow and hoping for more of the same. A big hello to Terra and Finn. and also a big hello to Allison from Jim.

O.T.R. Lon Mikkelsen

Captain Mike Pritchard checked in tonight with a final wrap-up from the Tribute’s offshore trip today.  We had 9 anglers and caught 17 Bluefin Tuna (one shy of limits), 1 Yellowfin Tuna and a Yellowtail.  We had flat calm weather.  We are back at it tonight.  Come on out and go fishing on the Tribute.

Nov. 11

                Not a very good day for us today.  I wish I could call it a travel day too but we did a lot of fishing, just not catching.  Well, we did need to travel for 4 hours of the day to put us in position for tomorrow, so maybe I can call it a travel day.  Anyways, the weather today was pretty crappy when I first woke up and not much better when we arrived to our first fishing destination of the day at 7:00 AM.  That could be why the wahoo weren't there and biting.  But after 3 hours there, the weather was nice.  The wind backed off and the ocean flattened out.  Unfortunately 12 miles below there the current did a 180 and the wind picked up a little and things got jacked up.  The swell and chop were coming from every which way and we couldn't pick a smooth course.  We got our roll on for most the rest of the day.  Spot #2 looked like we could've caught a bunch of nice yellers but the skip jack wouldn't let us have any of it.  They were hitting everything we threw in.  That's alright though.  We needed the chunk for tomorrow.  We did get a few nice yellows though.

 

                After that we had a delicious cheeseburger and some took a nap during our 20 mile move.  I had high hopes for this place but it was not to be so we threw in the towel a bit before dark to make sure we give ourselves plenty of time to get to our next destination.  We'll be hunting for cows tomorrow.  We need a little luck and by that I mean good timing.  The fish need to be on the bank tomorrow for us because above here didn't seem like the answer for the last couple of days. 

 

                Mama Bear: Though we only caught a few wahoo today, your little rascal caught one of them.  His first wahoo.  I guess the ritual for that is a deck hose soaking?  I never heard of that but he got a drenching after that one.