I got to the landing and boarded for a 9:00 PM departure. I set up a couple of outfits and waited for the rest of the gang to arrive. Tonight we had Captain Dave, with Second Captain Eric, Manny, the new guy, on deck, and Steve in the galley, on deck!
Captain Dave
Captain Eric
Steve in the Galley
Manny; the new guy on Deck
While we’d all hoped we were heading to the banks again, the weather had other plans for us. The wind was up pretty severely. The Freedom, heading out on a two day trip, wasn’t even going to try for the banks. Capt. Dave presented us with two choices: We could run on the inside of the banks and look for yellowfin on the paddies and porpoises, or try to get squid at Catalina and then fish San Clemente for yellowtail and bass or whatever was biting. Figuring it would be tough and rough on the inside anyway, we opted to try the latter.
It was a rough ride out to Catalina, but I slept pretty good, in spite of being airborne a couple of times! I know they ended up buying squid from one of the boats, I don’t know if they tried to raise any themselves or not. I heard us stop, but went right back to sleep. When I woke up again I heard the anchor going down. It was about 5:00 AM. We had a pretty nasty mixed swell going, I stayed in my bunk until we had settle on anchor. Several anglers got up, and came back down. I rolled out at about 5:30.
We were a ways off the island, I asked Manny where we were and he said we were at the Nine. He suggested a heavy leadhead and dead squid, so I rigged up my 30# that way and a glow-in-the-dark leadhead, lit it up, and tossed it out. There were only a few of us on deck, it was still pretty dark and hard to see where your line was. Those of us up caught and released a few calicos, with some bleeders sacked up. The sun came up, but it was heavily overcast and very windy. Thankfully, not too cold. When it got light out we could see a small fleet of sportboats and smaller boats huddled in the lee of the island. We caught a few bonies. Some of the guys were hanging in the galley watching, I guess waiting for us to get a bite going, but it wasn’t happening. I took a short break for a great breakfast burrito Steve whipped up for me, and hit the rail again. Nothing.
By 9:00 AM the wind was screaming even worse. Capt. Dave gave up on the spot and said we were going to run in closer to the island and see what we could find there. He suggested we rig up on the way… small slider and small hook on 20# or so for the dines, ¾ to 1 ounce and 2/0-4/0 hook for squid. And after a little while, we anchored up on a spot out of the wind.
I tossed out several dines, most of the guys were fishing squid. The current was running opposite the wind, causing a lot of tangles initially, but eventually we all seemed to get it pretty well figured out, and had down where to case and which way to step, and at least we weren’t wrapped around each other so much. Nothing but the seals seemed interested in the sardines. Then the birds starting pestering us, and after they stole two sardines off me, and I finally hooked one of the birds, I switched to squid, but still with my 20# setup and the lighter sinker. I tossed out a live one, and let it drift up into the current, and eventually felt a light nibble. Then a tug, then line peeling off! I gave it a few seconds, put the reel in gear and waited for the slack to take up, then set the hook! Game on! “Fresh One!” Line peeled off. Capt. Dave and Manny were all over me… directing traffic and making sure there were no tangles. “Did you check your drag?” “Yes…!” Up to the bow, under the anchor, back to the stern and to the bow again. Straight up and down, finally and then deep color. And finally, Manny gaffed it, and we had our first yellow of the day at about 10:20.
It was probably another half hour before Larry hooked and landed our second fish of the day. The guys were starting to hook bat rays, and I told Capt. Dave I’d been using a pretty light slider, only 1/8 ounce… the rest were still fishing with leadheads and heavier sliders. As they rigged up with lighter sinkers we picked up a couple more, but it was painfully slow. I went in and got a cheeseburger, and heard Larry had hooked a landed a second yellowtail; a personal best in a single day for him.
I finished my burger and headed out. Tossed a squid, and a ways from the boat, I got bit again! Line peeled off, I questioned my wisdom in sticking with my 20# outfit and just a single speed reel. By the time I got this one to the boat I had been worked pretty good… the hook was a little deeper and Manny cut the line and handed me my little sinker. I decided to switch up to my 25#, an SX 6/3. I tossed it out with a ¾ oz. sinker still on it, and hooked up a little calico that scraped me a bit in the kelp… when I re-rigged I put the 1/8 oz. slider back on, tossed a squid, and low and behold: Hook Up! And sacked up number 3.
By 2:00 we had 11 fish on the boat (four were mine). The crew was all out now, trying to hook and hand fish, and get at least one for everyone. The wind was getting worse again where we were, and Capt. Dave decided to make a longer move. This one got us more out of the wind, and once we got settled on anchor, the current was finally running more straight out the back of the boat! Within a few minutes, we had what looked like a little better bite going. Not wide open, but at least a little more frequent pick. Losses were high, but they were starting to bite on heavier line, too. Capt. Dave told us if we had 40# we should switch up. I walked up the rail and racked my 25# and grabbed my 40#. I stood there with it for a second. Then set it down, and took my 25# back to the rail, and hooked another fish. I questioned my decision, as the line remaining on my spool shrunk… uh-oh. But with not much line left, the fish finally stopped running. 300 yards of spectra, 50 yards of Yo-Zuri, and nearly all of it between me and fish number 5 of the day. It was a struggle, but eventually I landed the fish.
Capt. Dave called in the Freedom, who was out on a two-day. They came up and anchored off our bow, and within a few minutes we heard them yelling “Fresh One”! By 5:30 we were running low on squid, and the anglers were running low on energy. The crew was finding it hard to get anyone to take a hand-off anymore and happily landed a few fish of their own. That spot pretty well saved the day for a lot of our fisherman. We ended up with 47 yellows, 25 calicos, and a handful of bonito.
My last, and probably biggest, of the day...
Jackpot honors went to John Hart. And I was the hot stick of the day, with 8 yellows landed (and only one lost to a pulled hook), all on 20 and 25# line!
We hung out in our little quiet spot through a wonderful spaghetti and meatball dinner, then headed back to the barn. The ride in was much nicer than the ride out, and it looked like it would be a pretty nice day for the lucky anglers that would be on the water on Sunday.
As always, I enjoyed my day on the water.
The Outrider crew could not be any better! The boat had just come in from another trip, but it was spotlessly clean! The Captains and Manny stuck by every hooked up passenger as much as possible to keep the losses to a minimum. Every yellowtail was bled and hung, and then put on ice. Manny and Eric did an excellent job filleting the fish for us.
Just another great trip on the Outrider!
Chasin’ Tail on the Outrider! Challengers Angling Club 1.5 day Charter 9/20/08. 
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