1/2-Day Moo-moo Trip ... Barracuda 08/07
Local ‘Flats’ Produced Haul Of Barracuda/Bass
Hi there guys,
Tuesday 08/07
Went on a ½-day PM trip out of Pierpoint Landing. Fished the Southern Cal. Collin was the skipper, with Stan on deck, and Ed in the galley. Fished our local waters, i.e. the ‘Flats’ and points south, for Calicos, and Sand Bass. Had about 50 anglers on the boat!! Turns out the sister landings’ PM run had to be cancelled and a bunch of anglers ran over to our boat. Yikes!!.
Note: Countdown 1:No special events that I noticed this week.
Target Fish: Bass and Barracuda
Short Report- Tuesday 08/07
No published numbers but that’s ok. I can count. Our 45 or so anglers caught around 50 Sand Bass and Calico, and ……………….150~160 Barracuda. Grade of fish was good on the cuda going an average of 5 but more like 6lbs with maybe 2 or 3 around 8 pounds. Average of 15-inches on most of the legal Sand Bass …. biggest going maybe 5lbs..
Bass mix of Sandies to Calicos was maybe around 90/10. Being the PM run, part of our strategy had to take in account the water conditions later on in the day.
Finbait consisted of larger pinhead Anchovies (2~2 1/2-inches) and Sardines … that’s the usual fare of what has been available for the last two weeks.
(Please widen your view to fit monitor if word-wrap looks off)
08/07Jackpot
Last Call ………………….The Winner!
Log Barrie
Way to go on catching the jackpot fish! Lil Ceez was the winner today. The near 9-lb fish was caught on a 45 ….. of the Dorado persuasion ……. Little surprise there as the iron often gets the bigger fish in my experience. Yes …….. and there’s lots of talent that likes to throw iron on the boat too!!
Long Report
Headin’ Out
The Days Fishing
Down and Back …………………………………………&# 46;.........&# 46;.Currents!
Grazing in the Pasture
Moo-moos This Trip
Moo …………………….....& #46;.........& #46;.........& #46;..Mooo ………………………………... ;...... Moooo
Moos & PBer’s This Trip
Moos & PBers .......... .......... .......... .......... .......Mooooore
Round-Up
2 Rounds
First Stop
Round 1 We spent an hour plus getting down to the ‘Flats’. We at first fished a little north of the stacks and fairly close-in on what seemed like a soft bottom at maybe 70 feet for fair results on the bunch of cuda we had located. As has been the case the last few weeks, constant chumming kept the Barracuda interested. Lots of guys used the usual dropper loop and finbait. It almost goes without saying …. a good number of guys would see something working and would try that … if that didn’t work for them … they’d go back to what they were originally doing.
Others of us used either iron or plastics. The iron with some blue or yellow .. or both seemed to do pretty well. The ‘real’ iron chunkers pretty well got bit on anything … their confidence bait!! Guys putting in the time throwing plastics were rewarded with the self-satisfaction of getting dialed in to the fishys flavor-of-the-day. The grade of fish was mixed from barely-cuda to near-9-lbers.
Second Stop
Round 2 Looking for a little better bite we moved a little further down the line for an improved bite. I think Collin was trying to hit a place where we’d have a better chance at both the cuda and the harder-to-locate-biters … Sandies and Calicos. Again everybody pretty much fished the dropper loop, some fly-lined a larger chovie or dine while the diehards threw their iron or plastic.
Although the constant chumming attracted the interest of a Sealion or two, we didn’t have any real trouble …… at least I didn’t …. .of having the dogs steal a hook-up. The cuda were not spooked as they boldly hung around the boat ….. suspended …. In sight …. 10 feet below!! Some of the meat-hunters caught on and just started dropping their baited hooks straight down. Well ya !!!… just jack-pole the $*^%& fish in ……whatever!! Not my cup of te ….. er … can of beer!! Yes ….. I am judgmental of my fellows fishing tactics!! On the bass ….. I believe we got most of our pass on the second round.
The average grade of fish was better in the second round.I caught all my fish on the plastic as described in the Plastic section.
Conditions: Warm going to hot but with a comfortable breeze! Water visibility was around 15 feet….. Good! Air temp stayed in the 70º~75º range during the early afternoon cooling just slightly until …. hitting the beach!!. Didn’t need a jacket for when we headed back ….. wind-chill factor or NOT!!. Please check out the graphics for additional weather and water conditions.
Gallery
Beauty of the Trip
Fish & Anglers
Pair of Cuda ………….Barracuda …………..Nice Bass ……….......Carl†™s Cuda!
Nice Fishy ……………… Good Job ……Nice Bass
Other
Good Idea
Let Them Know
The photos above are just a sample of the fish and things of interest, at least to me, on this trip. Note: If you see a friend in the pictures, let them know they can copy the photo off the report. Directions: Click the right button with the ‘cursor’ on the picture, then click on ‘save picture as’, next choose where they wish to copy the picture, and lastly click ‘save’. Later, they can edit and print the picture at their leisure with a simple photo-editing program that comes with Microsoft Windows.
Tweeking Plastics #38
Throat Position …………………….....& #46;........ Barb Positon
I was recently reminded of a little trick that used to do a real number on the bass, in the kelp stringers, at Catalina. Gotta remember to bring these puppies along when we hit the PV kelp beds again. Although the proper gage stainless wire is not that easy to find, rigging a Shad Storm or Calcutta swimbait in pretty simple. If you’ve seen the weed-less hooks the LMB guys use, the concept is easy to follow.
Components:
1) Storm or Calcutta Shad style swimbaits.
2) Coil of stainless steel wire that has ‘spring’. I used an old guitar string as material then later the single strand wire in old wire bait leaders.
3) Good ol’ Super Glue.
Tools:
1) Clamp
2) Magic Marker
3) Cutters
How To:
1) Place the swimbait in the clamp securely.
2) Eyeball the length of the wire. The wire length should be measured so that the two ends (to be embedded in the body of the swimbait) will reach almost all of the way thru the swimbait. Also take in account that you will be bending the loop portion downward approximately 45ºs.
3) Cut to the proper length. (The shaped end of the loop in the wire should be measured so that it either: a) extends to the front section of the throat …. inside the hooks bend) or b) for the more demanding …. rests upon … and right in the middle of the length of the barb. Heavier cover applicable for the former.)
4) Using a pair of pliers, for the (a) wire positioning … bend ½ -inch or more of the loop at the opposite end downward approximately 30º. For wire positioning (b), bend 3/16 ~ 3/8-inch of the loop at the opposite end downward 45º or more. Whatever the case, you’ll need to adjust the angle for the size of the bait too!
5) Do a trial insertion of the wire-ends into the sides of the swimbait ….. so that each wire actually contacts each side of the embedded weight. Make sure the wires are at the same angle and same point along the swimbait body when inserted or there will be problems!
6) Check the amount of pressure required for the guard to be pushed down … exposing the hook point. Use your own judgement. The ligher the tension ….. the more snags you may get while if the tension is greater …. You’ll miss some fish … probably dinks anyway but ….. you’ll snag less!!
If the angle is good, and the point where the wire was bent….. is as you wanted, pull the wires out ¾s of the way out, apply some glue, quickly re-insert, and position.
Conclusion:
The point where the wire was bent should still be above the point of the hook, the end of the loop should be in the forward section of the throat of the bend (so that it doesn’t get caught on the end of the barb) or lying on the barb itself and …… the degree of pressure correct. Fine tune if necessary! Happy fishing!
Plastics
My Fishys
Plastics Rule
The writing was on the wall. The Barracuda were biting and the boat was geared to catch them so I broke out my collection of mangled baits to offer the snappy critters. As has been the case the last few weeks, if the cuda are on a rampage …. ‘You ain’t getting’ to the bottom no~how!’
Used my standard red leadhead, Blams, and 6-feet of 30lb-test Seaguar fluorocarbon. Why 6 feet of that expensive stuff! Fishys keep chewing on it till I have to cut out a 5-inch section every other fish or so. Fish were inhaling the plastic! Became standard procedure to just go thru the back way ….. no …. Not that! I mean loosening them through the gill plate!
Cuda
I caught lots of Barracuda in numbers that modesty does not permit me to divulge. Don’t fish for them normally ….. other than that first one to loosen up the drag and flex the rod. As I don’t fish the jackpot, gotta admit that the first one is good for a warm-up to the days fishing ….. but that’s it …… I wish. Any~how, the things were biting all along the water column …. Even picking up plastics ‘off the bottom’!! As I reserve my swimbaits for the Calico and Sand Bass …. my offerings to the cuda were the usual tattered Blams. A red ½-oz leadhead and red sparkle 4-inch Blam was the go-to bait for the cuda. Made some people happy on the boat with fish caught.
What a pain in the neck …. these cuda!! I believe that the Calicos shy away from 30lb-test fluorocarbon in shallow water but I don’t want to use my usual 8~12lb-test leaders as my swimbaits will be ‘Gone in Sixth Seconds’.
Calico Bass
Skunked on any legal Calicos! Got a coupla dinks when I was actually able to get down!
Sand Bass
Got two legal Sandies ….. nothing to brag about. As stated, It was pretty hard to keep from getting hooked up on the Barracuda. I like the green color combos for the bass in the morning around structure and browns when we’re more in the mud …. later in the day but this day …. Being a PM run …… was not to be a bass-day for me on either color.
Tuesday Out There
Lunar ………………………………………. ......…Wind Direction and Speed!
Tides …………………………………………†¦â€¦â€¦â€¦â€¦.......&# 46;.........&# 46;...Water Temps!
UV Alert!
Tuesday’s Conditions
Fishing Grounds: Had a little boat traffic today from moo-moos and PBers alike, but all in all water and weather were great …..pretty much what was expected for an afternoon run!!
Wild Creatures: Saw a few Sealions, but no Whales, Dolphins, or Porpoise. Had some Terns and Seagulls around …….. except everybody, but the finches, were there when it was time to clean fish.
Asides
Aside:
DFG Topics
Tsurikichi©2007
Lifetime Fishing License Please consider getting a lifetime license. I’ve had one for 7 years and watch fees go up year by year. My license w/additions have gone up almost $400 in that time!! Remember … even if you move out of the state, when back visiting or whatever, you’ll have your license .. even though you are no longer a resident!!
Fees
For ages 9 years or younger ……… 414.75
For ages 10 to 39 years …………… 681.75
For ages 40 to 61 years …………….613.50
For ages 62 or older …………………414.75
Additional Package …………………..278.50
(includes: 2-rod stamp, Delta sportfishing stamp (Stripers), Ocean enhancement stamp, sport Salmon punch card, and Steelhead report card)
Another Aside:
Handi-Fishing
Tsurikichi©2007
For the Hearing Impaired or Deaf
A special service for the deaf or hearing impaired when contacting the DFG is provided by California Relay Service and is utilized from TDD phones at (800) 735-2929.
Yet Another Aside[/u]: Moo-moos
Mooooooo!
South Coast Landing
[font color=�blue�]Moo-moo Load Averages
Guys are often asking me what days are lighter during the week. I’m in the process of making a chart to reference the weekly load % averages for our sportfishing landings’ ½-day (am/pm), ¾-day, and twilight boat runs. Charts will not have the name of the landing or boats represented but simply indicate which of the 3 areas main geographical areas locally were chosen for the survey. (SMB/L.B.-S.P./South Coast)
I’ll first choose one landing from each area for the first 3 weeks then rotate the areas ….eventually having done all the landings. I figure these numbers will be a good representation of the Summer season.
Last Aside:
Good Bait Notice the improvement in finbait? The volume of Anchovies around 3-inches seems to have increased with fewer pinheads in the mix. Are the pinheads growing up?!? Medium-sized Sardines are also available to the moo-moos and Pbers here locally in the L.A. area too. Interestingly …. I’ve seen some brown-bait scoops too! Needless to say, good to see we again have a choice of reliable bait receivers in operation.
Truth is ….. I was happy when we just had pinheads …… why? Less competition for the Bass and Barracuda as I fish plastics!! I’m thinking the fish were in a much more reactive-strike mode rather than the tail-grabbing, lighter bites I’ve been experiencing with the rubber ……. since the bait size and quality got better. Dang it!!
The Tradition this Week
My buddy Jimmy Hon’s charter boat, the Tradition, has been out there fishing quite a bit recently. Targeting the Barracuda and Bass locally. Really racked up some good numbers on trips both last week-end and this week. Sunday it was something like 30 anglers with 300 bass on a twilight ….. not too shabby Jimmy!!
The Boat
The SoCal
Stern Numbers
Crew
Collin ……......... ;...... Deck-Stan ………….....Cook- Ed
Great Day
Had a great day. Caught a lot of fish I didn’t want but had fun catching them. Don’t remember how many trips in a row I have ended with limits but it’s been a few for this boat. No matter what the flavor ….. I say to the crew ….thanks guys. Good memories for the dead-of-Winter’s often tougher catching.
JapanRon
