American Angler 10/4-14

Guy · Oct-23-2009, 08:40 PM

Sorry for the late post. We got on the American Angler October 4^th for a ten day trip with Monty, his wife Mary and uncle Dee from M&M custom rods. Due to some reports that captian Sam got of slow fishing and off color water at Cedros Island the decision was made to go straight to Alijos.
After a long boat ride broken up only by custom hair cuts by Monty and Mary we arrived at the rocks around mid morning on Tuesday. It turned out to be the right call as the guys started hooking up on a pretty steady pic on 80lb to 90lb Yellowfin Tuna.
After a frustrating day of not being able to get bit and seeing other people bringing a really nice grade of fish over the rail I figured out the key was butt hooking a good sardine and letting it swim far from the boat with minimum pressure on the line. But by then the bite had slowed.
The next morning using the tactics that guys were having better success with I was able to get hooked up. After a good fight and dodging other hooked fish my first fish of the trip is at the corner, Jorden is leaning out with the gaff and pop out comes the hook! I am thinking dam I can't buy a fish on this trip. Well Jorden didn't give up and as the fish thought for a moment about his close call Jorden drives the gaff home and brings it to deck. I never thought I would be disappointed with a 60lb tuna but we were still getting 80lb and 90lb fish.
Finally its my turn on the kite, after sitting for a good 30 minutes with nothing Ray the deck hand says we need to reel in and change the bait. Since I am new to all this and wasn't reeling in fast enough the bait and balloon were dragging in the water. At about 30 feet off the stern a big Wahoo slamed my rig and because we were on the upper deck there was no way to get to the rail quickly. Well the Wahoo couldn't have cared less and tore full speed across the stern and up the starboard side of the boat dragging 130lb braid across the steel light mast and everyone's heads knocking off hats and making trouble. At that point Ray took the rod, put the reel in controlled free spool while Jordon took the line in his hand and managed to get past all the other anglers to the front of the boat were we got fish, rod and line straightened out allowing me to finish the fight. A short time later my first Hoo hit the deck at 54lbs. Thanks to quick work by the crew no one was hurt and we got the fish.
That night I helped Bobby and Jorden make a couple of hand fulls of nice 18” squid for the kite the next day.
The weather continued to be good and the fishing excellent at Alijos, I ended up with several Dorado (released) a 54lb Wahoo and eight Yellow Fin Tuna from 60lbs to my largest at 92lbs.
We left the rocks on Friday just before dinner for the run to the ridge and the 23 spot. We arrived there around mid morning and it was my turn on the troll. It only took about 20 minutes for me to hook my second Wahoo which hit the deck at 25lbs. We continued on like that for most of the day picking at the Wahoo and smaller grade Yellow Fin Tuna working our way north. At one stop Matt B. and Peter managed to put a couple of Grouper on board as well.
We arrived at Cedros sometime during the night and woke up to a great Yellowtail bite on fish 15lbs to 30lbs. We chased the Yellowtail around for a steady bite on sunday. Monday was more of the same with the exception of some very nice Grouper for Richard and Matt B with Matt's fish going 60lbs and my breaking one off on eighty pound test.
Thanks to the Seacher for a long range beer resupply.
We fished about ¾ of the day at Cedros and then headed to San Benitos island for good fishing on larger Yellowtail to 44lbs to finish out the day and heading home.
All in all a great first long range trip for me with great fishing great folks and excellent crew.

**Smudge** · Oct-23-2009, 09:52 PM

Bitchin' report! Love the shot of the boat at the unloading rail!

JJONES660 · Oct-23-2009, 11:11 PM

american angler is a great boat! CONGRATS on a fine trip indeed!

Cast Gold · Oct-23-2009, 11:16 PM

Nice action photos!

nick17yz · Oct-23-2009, 11:32 PM

thats sweet. cant wait!!!!!!!!!!

wxdunn · Oct-24-2009, 12:58 AM

Sounds like you had a great trip for the first one! It really is about more than just the fishing. Friendships, camaraderie, scenery, sense of adventure, anticipation, FOOD! Most of the SD long range operations are top notch and while they can't control the fishing or the weather, they can control the service and the boat. Nice pics too!

tighthead_lock · Oct-24-2009, 01:22 AM

I fished with those guys one time in 2007 and really enjoyed it. they run a great operation and they are patently cool to fish with.

spike · Oct-24-2009, 07:31 AM

An epic adventure to the Stones, & S. End. A great grade of fish, congrats on your trip, Sammy is one of the best.

rambozo · Oct-24-2009, 08:27 AM

awesome first 10. what was the hot ticket for tuna at alijos? im leaving on the r/p nov. 1

Guy · Oct-24-2009, 10:46 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rambozo

awesome first 10. what was the hot ticket for tuna at alijos? im leaving on the r/p nov. 1

Try to make as many of those 18" squid at night as Sam will let you for the kite, butt hook a good clean Sardine and let him swim FAR from the boat with light line pressure on a long soak for fly lining. I used my HX with 25yrds of 50lb fluoro to 80lb Spectra on a M&M custom CalStar 7465L. I think that 8 or 10 feet of Fluoro would let your bait swim better but with tangles and abuse I found myself cutting off 10 feet of Fluoro fairly often and the 25yrd top shot let me do that without retying my braid to Fluoro all the time.
For the first day at the rocks when I couldn't get bit I was nose hooking and keeping a little tighter line pressure on my bait to avoid tangles, which worked for not getting tangled but also worked for keeping the fish away.
Good luck on your trip.
Also Jackpot winner:
First place : Matt Ford 94.5lb Yellow Fin Tuna
Second place: Tom Szczeblowski 94.0lb Yellow Fin Tuna
Third place: Richard Clark 92.0lb Yellow Fin Tuna

Slater · Oct-24-2009, 11:09 AM

Glad you, Monty & D's crew had a great trip & the weather held up unlike last years trip!
Monty was telling me last year they had 2 days of some really nasty sea conditions that was totally unfishable & lots of sick heads..

Alaska4me · Oct-24-2009, 11:21 AM

nice report. I fished with Monty and Uncle Dee some years ago, was a great trip. I still fish the AA and will be on an 11 day trip in Dec.
Monty at MM rods makes all my rods for me. Fantastic work, great prices and besides you get a hug from him every time you see him.
See you at the Fred Hall show Monty.