norcal bay area Fishing Report 2024

Thanks for the amazing response to the OPEN Shimano Charters we scheduled for the Channel Islands this spring. The response was so positive that I spoke with the folks at Shimano and they agreed to put another trip on line. This one will be set for fishing on March 13. That would be departing at 9pm on the night of the 12th. This trip will be just like the others. Shimano will provide a bunch of outfits for fishing butterfly and lucanus systems. There will be give aways of tackle and goodies as well. Please email me if you would like to join us on this trip.

"It was really good fishing wahoo at the bank," said Rothery at the sales. "We stayed there two days and then went in to the southern banks where the big fish were." All the big fish (there were 13 tuna over 200 pounds weighed on the certified scales at Fisherman's) came from the southern banks. There were just as many from 100 to 200 pounds as there were cows, and those were found in both spots. "The Baja tuna were real steady biters," said Rothery. "There were lots of ‚Дтem around, we could see ‚Дтem at the surface and on the meter most of the time." Research biologist Chugey Sepulveda got the big one, related his pal and fellow biologist Scott ("Scootch") Aalbers of San Diego. Chugey wasn't able to be at the weigh-in. The fish weighed 306.2 pounds. Chugey had two more cows, at 220 and 201 pounds. "Scootch" said Chugey got the big one and the others on one of the boat's heavy rigs and the kite. He used two sardines on 6/0 Mustad 7691 hooks, tied to 130-pound P-Line and 130-pound Izorline Spectra, on a Tiagra 50 W reel and a Calstar 655 XXH rod. "He got it on the next to the last day," said Scootch, "about four p.m. He fought it for an hour and 15 minutes, and it wrapped him around the anchor line about 15 times. The crew helped out a lot with the fork." Tom Bass of Newport Beach won second place for a 274.8-pound tuna. He also had a 232 and a 206-pound yellowfin. Tom said he got his fish on a sardine and an 8/0 Eagle Claw hook, pm 100-pound Blackwater fluorocarbon leader of 15 feet, tied to 130-pound Izor Spectra on a Tiagra 50 reel and a Calstar 6460 XXH rod. Hack Bernstein of Valencia bagged a 269.6-pounder. He fished a sardine on an 8/0 Eagle Claw hook tied to 130-pound P-Line and 130-pound Izor Spectra on a boat rig: Tiagra 50 reel and a Calstar 655 XXH rod. Pat Jaeger of Bishop posed with his daughter Maggie, three, and the 268-pound tuna he got with a double sardine rig on the kite. He said he used 100-pound P-Line and 130-pound Izor Spectra on a Penn 50 W reel and a Baja Boomer rod. Ryan Gillette of Orange was another who used a double trouble sardine rig on the boat's rod and reel to take a 246-pounder. Robert Kalatschan found a brace of cows, at 226 and 213 pounds. There were two more cows that appeared at the scales without tags, said Susan Rothery. One weighed 214 pounds and the other went 202.

Saturday, July 14th, 2012

Good evening everyone. We departed earlier this evening for our second annual Optima charter with Garth and his best of buddies. We loaded up on some bait that doesn't look all that stellar but maybe after it settles down, they'll turn into some champions. Anyhow, we're on our way down to try our hand at some Bluefin tuna offshore and some Yellowtail on kelps. Apparently, the Yellowtail are growing a little bit, if you can locate the right kelp as one of our code boats did, and caught some 'tails in the 15-22 lb. range. Regardless, we'll be looking first thing tomorrow morning and we'll try to make a day of it. Our weather is beautiful and we're looking for more. Wish us luck.

 

~~Oct. 12
 Here's what went down today.  Breakfast, then American Hustle(movie), then a whole lot of tuna leader making, then the Charger game.  Listen to this.  Our goofball crew member Mark Clark, well he claims to be a Raider fan but the only time he seems to care what they do is when they play the Chargers.  Myself and the rest of the crew usually bet 20 dollars on each game. Well today couldn't have played out better.  Prior to the start of the game he assumed we were betting and to rub it in that the Raiders are no good, I claimed I didn't want to bet because I'd feel I was taking money out of his sons pocket.  He insisted  we bet so we did.  I still had it planned out to give him his money back if the Chargers blew them out as the ultimate rub in.  So if you didn't know, it was a nail biter.  Mark missed the last couple minutes of the game and everyone on board made him think that the Raiders won.  He immediately came down to the galley and just absolutely let me have it.  I don't know
 how but I managed to keep a straight enough face to still have him think the Raiders won.  Ever since then he's been on cloud 9.  I don't know how and when I'll break the news and bring his reality crashing down to a major low.  I'm sure looking forward to it though.  He thinks he's up 120 bucks but more importantly to him he gets to talk all that smack. 

 Anyways, moving on.  It's cocktail hour now and soon we will be feasting on a veal chop.  One more day.  The weather is fantastic right now.  A beautiful sunset too.

         

 

14 yellowfin tuna and 5 bluefin tuna. Once again, unbelievable amount of tuna in our zone. Most of the fish are strung out on tiny chovies making them very difficult to hook. A dedicated flyliner with 25 lb has a chance at a yellowfin. A dedicated flatfall or sinker rig fisherman with 50 lb has a chance at a bluefin.

Good evening everyone, Today we did some inshore fishing. Conditions were not favorable, not a lot of current left the fish very unwilling. However were able to scratch together a day of nice rockfish, Sheepshead, and a variety of other fish. Including the inshore trifectra: Yellowtail, Halibut, and White Seabass! A nice day to get out of the weather! We are headed back down to try for big bluefin tomorrow! Wish us luck, Team Supreme