Fishing Catalina with Friends

I know I am about to sound like a Gulp! commercial but it is the truth. Myself and two other buddies made our way to Catalina Island on Tuesday, March 31, 2009, for a couple of days of white seabass fishing. We managed to reach the backside of the island around noon. We met up with another boat and got a couple of passes of live squid to go along with our scoop of sardines and fresh dead squid we had brought over with us. I had several reports from other friends that the seabass were in tight and unfortunately on the small side. We set up for our first drift in tight on some good looking water just above the Vee's to get a feel for the area so we could make a better decision as to where to anchor for our attempt at the gray ghost. One of the guys threw out the live squid on a sliding sinker setup i tight while another opted for the live sardine on the same setup based on reports I had form friends fishing earlier. I on the other hand, after seeing the boiler rocks, decided to use my Revo Offshore spooled with 30lb Spiderwire Stealth with a two foot section of 20lb Stren tinted Fluorocarbon coupled with an IM7 "Buzz Ramsey" rod. I tied on a 1/2 ounce Owner sled head and threaded on a 7" Berkley Gulp! Jerk Shad in Sardine color and started pounding the boilers. As our drift continued down the coast, I managed to pick off a nice Calico in the five pound range to get the party started. My other two friends on the boat were starting to get a bit perturbed at me fishing the Gulp! since we were on a mission for the elusive white seabass and I wouldn't touch any of our great selection of live bait. Two casts later, I got hammered in the shallow water with what turned out to be a legal white seabass. At this point, my friends are digging through my tackle bag trying to figure out what I was using. While they were trying to get rigged up, I nailed a halibut and the tide dropped off to nothing and the bite shut down. Needless to say, the Gulp! did indeed out fish live bait this day and I made a few more people fishing on the backside of Catalina believers since my buddies couldn't wait to tell everyone we saw what "we" caught and what "we" caught it on. On this day, the Gulp! produced all of our bites and made my friends believers who always told me that seven dollars for a bag of five baits was ridiculous. I reminded them with a smile on my face that "they" had just purchased close to fifty dollars worth of live bait that "they" would eventually throw away and I still had two more baits left in my seven dollar bag of Gulp! for the next trip.

Captain Horace Barge

Going Down

The trip down the coast to Cabo San Lucas should be experienced by everyone before they die. After making the trip several times I can say that each experience is different and memorable in its own way. I had the privilege of making the journey a few years ago with one of the top captains on the southern California coast and I can still recall many of the escapades encountered along the way. The late Captain Steve “P-bod” Reschke was not only well known up and down the Baja coast, but he had secret spots that to this day still produce for me on my trips and I have yet to see another boat on them.

I would recommend leaving late in the evening with a full tank of fuel and bait so your trip can begin with trolling and paddy hopping in the zone at grey light. On a side note about fuel, I just completed this trip one week ago and found out that fuel in Ensenada, Mexico is not as plentiful as it once was. Due to shortages, most boats are limited to 200 gallons, so make sure you’re full when you leave. Once grey light was upon us it was only a short time before we found ourselves in and amongst the day boats of San Diego trolling for tuna while looking for kelps to put a few dorado on board for dinner. The first realization that this trip will be different is after you have managed a great day’s catch, you continue south towards warmer waters for even better fishing. Sliding down the coast is not a race and every minute should be enjoyed. There are a few stops before Cedros Island but I find myself taking the most direct route in order to enjoy what this island has to offer.

Once you arrive at Cedros Island, Benitos Island can be seen to the west and you soon realize that the air temperature has just risen by ten degrees and you will not be wearing long pants again until you return to this point when heading back north. Cedros is a magical place for yellowtail and calico bass as the kelp beds are thick and the rocks below wait to break your line. We pulled up to the southwest corner of the island and it was game on immediately with calico bass to seven pounds and yellowtail dragging your surface into the kelp to be lost forever. Note to self; bring plenty of tackle, as these fish are not near as polite as their northern cousins. We anchored for the evening at spot called “Black Rock” near a small fishing village where you soon learn that all of these local fisherman are happy to see you and not only enjoy conversation but love to receive T-shirts and fresh water. A few things to remember before leaving for Cabo is a grill with plenty of fuel and the will power to push yourself away from the table because there are only three things to do on these trips, drive, fish, and eat like a king. Sure I have done the microwave trips but nothing beats a meal of steaks, fresh fish, baked potatoes, and grilled corn on the cob while planning the next days fishing adventure.

The next stop for most boats is Bahia De Tortuga (Turtle Bay) for fuel. Turtle Bay marks the halfway point and is a great anchorage to hold up in should the weather come up while transiting the coast. Turtle Bay is the site of a now closed cannery and houses a few people and an old steel pier, which supplies fuel. In order to fuel at Turtle you need to drop your anchor and tie stern to the dock (i.e. Mediterranean Moor). The process of fueling can be an adventure in a stiff southern breeze since you are beam to the wind and should there be large tide swings, make sure you schedule your time to coincide with the high tide as I have kicked up mud on more than a few occasions. The people at the pier are quick to receive a line and after securing your vessel are soon tossing you another line attached to the fuel nozzle. Once you have fueled, the nozzle is passed back and a can on a string comes flying your way with the bill. You simply place the money for the fuel in the can and they pull it back and untie your lines and it is off to parts further south known as “hoo” country. At the right time of year you can expect to catch the most amazing mixed bag of fish you will probably ever encounter.

Once again, I can’t stress enough the importance of planning your trip on arriving at the fishing spots at the right time of day. On this trip we anchored in Turtle Bay for a few hours to make another spectacular dinner and prepare the tackle for the next days fishing. We pulled anchor at 7:00pm for a nice slow cruise so as to arrive at the top of the ridge in the morning. What ensued that morning has yet to be matched on any trips before or since. Captain P-bod ordered the wahoo jigs in the water and we trolled for a good twenty minutes before our first bite. After a mere two hours, we had no room for anymore wahoo and the grade of fish ranged to upwards of 60 pounds. Another note to self; make sure to have plenty of freezer space available because you’re going to need it. After some insane wahoo fishing with heavy metal head banging music blaring, it was off to our next stop to catch bait and ready the gear for tomorrow’s antics. The next stop would be Santa Maria located north of the entrance to Magdalena Bay.

Santa Maria is known for an easy anchorage with plenty of bait and apparently a great surf spot according those in the know. On my most recent trip, there were two surf nuts in the boat that had brought their boards with them. These guys paddled out into large south swell that providing endless hours of glassy, uncrowded, overhead surf that you see in the movies. When I say there wasn’t a crowd, I mean it was these two guys for hours all alone. When they returned to the boat they just had that glassy stare you get when everything is perfect. Heading out the next morning with plenty of mackerel, it was for an amazing Mag Bay striped marlin bite. If you’ve ever thought of learning to fish marlin, this I the place to practice as you will have plenty of chances to screw up. It so easy in fact that you can convince yourself that you are much better than you really are. Over the horizon you begin to see the Frigates in the gyro’s and you know it’s only a matter of time before the first striped marlin of many is to be hooked and released. If you like to keep track of how many you catch, you had better designate someone to count because there is no way you can keep up with it while fishing.

After a long day of pulling on marlin, it is time to enter Magdalena Bay to take on more fuel. The fuel dock is actually located in San Carlos, which is on the upper end of the bay. The zigzag channel is not one to be taken lightly as shallow water abounds on both sides. Once you reach San Carlos, you will notice all of the steel commercial boats that appear to licking their chops for a fiberglass meal. You need to be very careful in here, as these captains are use to side tying up to three deep and big truck tires are the fenders of choice. If you find yourself side tied to one of these guys, make sure you leave someone on board capable of driving the boat or you could become a gel coat sandwich. You will need to clear your paperwork with the proper authorities while docked and remember; cash is king. Once fueled, Mag Bay is a great anchorage as long as you take into account the ripping tide swings. This is the place to launch your dinghy and go exploring. There are mangroves located throughout which provide for great sight seeing as well as fishing. There are halibut, snook, spotted bay bass, pompano and more that don’t get fished with the heavy pressure so often associated with southern California. If you choose to go into town, be sure to find the tortilla factory, you won’t regret it.

Once you’ve rested up it’s time for more marlin fishing on the outside. If the fishing is good, you will probably choose to fish into the evening and I would recommend anchoring at Tosca which is located to the south of the Mag Bay entrance. This anchorage is kind of small but will suffice as long as there isn’t a large south swell rolling in. Leaving Tosca in the early morning, you can’t help but dream of big blue marlin tearing the drags on your reel to pieces while watching a 400 plus pound fish do a complete 180 degree shift in the blink of an eye. There is nothing in this world that can compare to blue marlin fishing and there is certainly no way it can be described with enough realism to justify my enthusiasm for these magnificent fish. When making the trip south, I look forward to the moment when the Finger Bank and the Morgan Bank start coming into my sights because it is then that I know I am getting near my destination. Last year, in 2007, the Finger Bank saw some of the finest striped marlin fishing ever recorded and to this day I can not remember ever seeing that volume of fish in one spot for that many days in a row.

Working further south, Cabo San Lucas is now on the horizon and the Cabo charter fleet can be seen in every direction. If you have never fished around the Cabo charter fleet, let me tell you it can be an interesting experience. I am not suggesting that anyone be a jerk but you will learn to stand your ground or you will have to learn to find fish where no one else is. The charter fleet is very aggressive when it comes to performing for their customers and there is enough ocean for everyone when you realize that on a private boat you can leave earlier, stay later, and travel farther which translates into less pressured fishing areas which is what you left southern California for in the first place.

For those of you that have made this trip before, you know what a wonderful time it can be. For those of you that are contemplating the trip, beware, southern Baja can be addicting with it’s less than three dollar a gallon fuel and fishing that can easily be described as world class. Cow tuna, Wahoo, Striped Marlin, Sailfish, Blue Marlin, Black Marlin, Swordfish, and Big Bull Dorado are all within a few hours of Cabo San Lucas. Some of the best advice I can give for the trip down is to check your ego on the dock before you leave as I can’t tell you how small even a 100 foot yacht can get if you have the wrong guys on board. With a little forward planning and weather checking you can have the trip of your life with less hassle than a tax return. I will leave you with one last thought, if you can’t tell who the jerk is on the trip, it is probably you.

The Glamour of the Deck

The glamour of working the deck in a marlin tournament is all about the parties and going out with your buddies for a good time right? The top teams in this sport can be found laboring away on all of the boats systems to make sure everything is ready for the task along with readying the tackle for the job at hand. That’s right, I said job. If you want the slightest chance of being successful in a marlin tournament, you had better bring your “A” game and leave the parties to someone else because that is what the competition is doing. The deck of a tournament fishing boat is definitely the hub of all the action and without preparation you may as well save your entry fees or better yet make the check out to your favorite charity.

I have fished many tournaments with different crews and I am amazed at how many times I hear the vote for the cockpit guy going to the least experienced crew member for the simple fact that all they need to do is put out a few jigs and wait for a bite. I have always thought that one of the best guys should be in the cockpit since this is the person with the first shot at a fish. When a marlin comes into the pattern, it is the cockpit guy that sees the fish first and has the first shot at dropping a bait back to a willing fish. Many times when a marlin is spotted in the gyro’s, it is this same person that gets to the bow first to cast a bait. I want my most experienced person on the crew in the cockpit ready to feed a marlin at a moments notice. The need for an alert person in the cockpit is paramount, especially during the waning hours of a tournament when your mind can wander about what could have been or even worse, there are only 45 minutes to go in the tournament and we are in the lead. I can’t stress enough, the importance of staying focused as I have been handed a second place check instead of a first place check because there were only minutes left to fish and the second place team needed two marlin to overtake us. That second place team remained focused and their determination prevailed that day and proved to me once again that you never, ever stop fishing until the final gun.

I have worked the deck on tournament boats on both coasts and I can tell you that not having to rig ballyhoo all night or set out nine rigs and two teasers behind the boat is a dream here on the west coast. We do of course have one of the most prolific live bait fisheries anywhere in the world. With that said making bait is the first duty of the deckhand and should be shared by all on board to expedite the filling of the bait tanks, especially when bait is scarce or hard to locate. The more people on deck making bait, the faster the tanks get filled. Everyone needs to figure out the amount of bait that their tank can hold comfortably so as not to over crowd the bait. Most every top captain can tell you how many mackerel that their tank can hold and in most cases, each bait is counted going into the tank to keep from over crowding the bait. When moving bait to the bow tank, it should be moved in a bucket with water and gently poured into the tank. The bait net is not for transferring bait to the bow. A technique used by the top captains to establish which baits should be moved to the bow, is to feed the bait and see which ones will eat. These are the baits that should be moved as they are the healthiest and happiest baits in the tank and should transition well.
The tackle is the responsibility of the mate, and should be cared for like a child. As a deckhand, I spent many hours stripping and re-spooling line into the wee hours of the night, lubricating and maintaining the reels, checking roller guides for proper operation, and sharpening hooks to the point of having blurred vision. Assuming your reels are in working order and the line is fresh, it is time to check your drags. If you are used to checking your drags by pulling line off of the reel with your hand then it’s time to use a drag scale. When setting up for marlin on the trollers it is a good idea to establish your strike setting at the customary 30 percent of line breaking strength. How many of you know how much drag the reel puts out at full at this setting. Now is the time to check and yes you can cram the drag in the corner under certain circumstances when you need to lift a fish, just be ready to back off the drag should she decide to run. When setting your drags, make sure you take the time to warm up your drags prior to putting a scale to them. This can be done by putting light pressure on the drag and turning the handle while holding the spool or by stripping the line off under tension several times, either one will prepare the reel for setting the drag by giving a better representation of the drag during battle.

The deck needs to be free and clear of all obstacles and that means everything. I was working the deck on a yacht down in Cabo San Lucas a few years ago and everything was coming together nicely with a large black on and the crew working together for one common goal. I had two wraps on each hand and two my surprise; my feet were rising over my head before I could get loose of the leader. I looked on the deck and couldn’t figure out why I had lost my footing. After we successfully released the big girl my thoughts returned to the deck and I was literally on my hands and knees trying to figure out why I nearly went over and I found a small piece of leader on the deck. This six inch piece of leader material nearly cost me my life and to this day you will see me hosing the deck off many times throughout the day and making sure there is nothing on my deck, ever. While on the subject of leadering a fish, there is a new school out there that uses wind-on leaders which allow the angler to basically crank the fish right to the boat. This is very good when it comes to the safety of the crew as it keeps the leader man from getting wrapped up in a fish and getting hurt.

I, being from an older school, am used to being wrapped up with a fish and I believe that an experienced leader man is an invaluable tool on a team. The leader man can move around with a fish much faster as well as regulate the amount of pressure being put on a fish easier. When I was a lot younger and on a different coast, we as kids used to practice with 400 pound leader attached to the bumper of a car. The trick was to get the car moving without breaking the leader. We would also attach the leader to the cleats on a large yacht and try to pull it against the wind. You would be amazed at how much pressure you can put on 400 pound leader. The most important part of learning to leader a fish is learning how and when to let go and with the advent of the wind on leader, this is becoming a lost art more and more. Another safety concern while leadering a fish is to always wear some type of eye protection. I have had many injuries from swivels and broken line. I had one swivel come back at me and hit me in the chest so hard I had a bruise the size of a softball with a hole in the very center. It looked more like I was shot with a 22 caliber weapon. I have had my knuckles busted many times but the strangest one of all was when I had to pull about 2 inches of leader material out of my arm. While trying to get a quick release on a marlin, the leader snapped and return with such force that the bare leader actually stuck into my arm, I can’t imagine what that would have done to me had it been in my neck.

The most important tools of the trade in the cockpit are line cutters and gloves. There are several makes of safety line cutters but the one I am partial to is called a release knife and features two razor blades faced inward and can cut through mono leader like butter. The blades are protected so you can keep one of these in your pocket without fear of dismembering yourself. I will usually have one in each pocket when fishing for bigger fish just in case I can only get one hand free. A pair of pliers should be handy to remove hooks from fish. A good pair of gloves is invaluable and will save your hands from line cuts that can slice to the bone. I have several different styles of gloves depending on the species and mood. I use anything from the yellow snot gloves up to the heavy leather welding gloves. I have gone so far as to line the heavy welding gloves for more protection on a big fish. The one thing I want when it comes to gloves is for the leader to be able to compress the glove. If the glove is to heavy or thick, I lose my feel for how much pressure I am putting on the fish. Make sure you have gloves with enough grip that you can bill a marlin without losing her. On a recent trip to the East Cape, the only gloves available at the time were very well worn yellow snot gloves. I grabbed the bill of a small striped marlin three times before I finally got a good grip. Had this been a money fish or had there been more than one marlin hooked up this could have meant disaster. If you are new to leadering or “billing” a fish, be very careful and deliberate. I would recommend the use of wind on leaders to start out and once you go for the bill of a marlin, do not hesitate and do it with authority. In other words, when you grab the bill of a marlin, grab it with enough pressure that you can control the fish and keep her head in the water.

There is much more to working on the deck of a marlin boat than throwing jigs in the water and waiting for the clicker to go off. If you are chosen as the deck person on a marlin boat think of it as an honor and stay alert until the jigs are out of the water and you are back home. When I am on the deck, I can often be seen standing at the stern staring at the jigs and ready for a drop back. I have been startled many times from other crew members sneaking up behind me while on the troll as I can get fixated on the pattern, waiting for any sign of life. You don’t need to look all around the boat since there are probably four or five other guys doing that and once you see a pack of stripers come in to the pattern you never want to take your eyes off of the jigs again. I fished one tournament a few years ago where we were fortunate enough to have five marlin come into the spread at once and we eventually landed three of them. This is a rush you won’t experience if you are napping in the salon or not paying attention. The deck is a definite thrill and although I am spending more time running boats now I still enjoy getting down on the deck and going head to head with a marlin at leader. Once you have a blue marlin jump at the stern of the boat while you are hanging on to the leader you will see why the deck is where all of the action is.