Five Days of Catching!

We departed on the Braid 5-day aboard the Excel July 17th with the fish down and predictions of 4 days of rough weather. This was music to my ears. Why? Because every time we leave dock with the fish biting in calm seas, things just have to change and they do. The reverse is true as well.

Justin Fleck skippered the Excel assisted by Mike Ramirez. Jason Fleck skippered the Galley assisted by Jim and on deck were Derrick, Rudy, Joel (another Fleck brother) and Mike’s nephew, Victor, on his first (and perhaps last) trip. Victor is 13 and learned that Uncle Mike’s job is more work than fun.

After loading up with gigantic sardines (nothing small in the receivers) we headed southwest towards the albacore grounds. The required safety seminar covered the basics and Derrick’s tackle seminar gave us the recommended set ups. Justin said we would be on the fishing grounds at daybreak.

We awoke to 20 knot winds and rough seas with 68 degree waters. Trollers put out their jigs at 5:30 a.m. Being on the first trolling team, I was up early. We got a jig strike fairly soon. My jig wasn’t bit but I did get a bait fish on the first stop which went to the galley (as did my second fish). We had stops for 1 to 6 fish all day long ending with 78 albacore for 21 anglers. When my trolling rotation came up again, I was trolling with Joe Simmons and Pat Gallagher. Joe has been nicknamed “Black Cloud.” I learned why. We trolled for an hour and a half until Justin fired us and brought up another trolling team. The next team lasted 90 seconds before getting bit.

Joe Simmons, Pat Gallagher and me - Black Cloud Trolling Team

The weather forecast was revised and winds were predicted to decrease to 10 knots or less. Justin decided to go exploring to a new area with a defined temperature break. The next morning we passed the north end of Guadalupe Island (the fleet doesn’t have permits yet to fish the island) looking for kelps and breaking fish. Late afternoon we found scattered schools of 40 to 50 lb. bluefin in 68 degree water. The winds had backed off to less than 10 knots. Jason caught a bluefin and needed another for sushi. I managed 4 bluefin for the day and gave one to the galley for sushi. We picked up 24 bluefin for the day.

Waiting for the troll jigs to sing.

The squid were all around the boat after dinner so a few of us had fun catching them. Justin, Jason, and Joel were all out fishing for squid along with Pat Gallagher, Joe Ludlow and me. They were right on the surface and catching was easy. We filled the handwells, one bait tank and a quarter of the kill box before calling it a night.

The next morning Derrick and I were soaking a squid before daybreak. A ball of miniature bait (no longer than 2 inches) surrounded the stern of the boat. As we watched, they fired off flashes of light like fireflies. It was an incredible light show. Justin said they are called “noseeums” because you “no see them” during the daylight hours. I wish I had thought to take a video.

Justin called in a couple other boats to help us locate the fish in the new area. This worked out great as the Royal Star and Indy found fat albacore 15 miles from where we started the morning. By 1:30 in the afternoon, we only had 3 bluefin so we joined the Star and Indy. We ended the day with 97 albacore caught on stops for 1 to 25 fish. Justin said we could fish this area again tomorrow. We would have to leave by 1 p.m. for home though.

Kill Box filled with Albacore

Joe Simmons on a fish

Me pulling on an albacore


Rudy holding Dennis Skinner's Albacore with a thumbs up by Mike

My roommate, Joe Ludlow with a nice albie

Capt. Fleck holding Pat Gallagher's bluefin tuna

Ryan's Bluefin Miles with his bluefin

Janet Gorden with a nice bluefin. Robert Zane with his JP fish.

Jason holding one of my bluefin tunas

Joel Fleck holding Jason's bluefin

Second Captain Mike filleting a fish for sushi

Jason and Jim's sushi spread

Everyone's hooked up!

Another fish for me

At daybreak, we began trolling and almost immediately we stopped on a sonar mark of biting bluefin. Two hours later, we had boated 95 bluefin 30 to 60 lbs. It was the best bluefin bite I have seen in over 8 years. You could cast a bait off the port stern and get an instant bite. I fished 30 lb. Berkley Big Game with a 3 foot piece of 30 lb. Berkley Aqua Blue Fluorocarbon. I had better luck on the 30 lb. Aqua fluorocarbon than I did on 25 lb. clear. I caught 7 bluefin and had another 4 cut off by anglers not following their lines. After the bluefin quit biting, we had a few troll stops for another 25 albacore (I had 3 of these trolling a black and purple Braid Little Speedy). What a great way to end the trip. We were 180 miles from Pt. Loma traveling home in flat calm seas.

Albacore on the Braid Little Speedy

Mike's nephew, Victor, hard at work

Our Captain enjoying the bite

Janet Bailey with another albacore

Jackpot honors went to Robert Zane with a 42.4 lb. bluefin, Miles Yamaguchi with a 41.2 lb. bluefin and Lyle Burkhart with a 40.8 lb. bluefin tuna.

Robert Zane, Miles Yamaguchi and Lyle Burkhart

Canyon Lake Bass Fishing

On the lake at 6 am. You can see who caught all the fish. I'm still in learning mode and caught 3 small bass on a crank bait.

Justin popped for lunch at the Country Club because "Biggest Bass Buys Lunch." Thanks Justin!

Braid 8-Day 2009

We departed June 27th on the annual Braid 8-Day on the Excel heading straight for the Rocks after picking up a load of healthy sardines. The forty-four hour travel time to Alijos Rocks was spent with tackle seminars and rigging tackle. We would be the third boat to arrive making our prospects less than ideal.

Captain Justin Fleck ran the trip with Mike Ramirez as second. On deck were Joel, Derrick, Brandon and Dustin while Jim and Vince were in charge of the Galley. The trip was light this year with only 24 passengers, however, they were mostly regulars. After dinner the first night I had the pleasure of distributing Braid T-Shirts, jigs, trolling lures and the new Hand Wipes to remove offending smells that may repel fish.

Rigging Gear

View from my Stateroom Window

I had the pleasure of Stateroom Four on the main deck. It was the first time I've had a window stateroom and I enjoyed the view.


Free Diver "Chris" with his first yellowfin tuna caught from the deck of a boat


As soon as we arrived at the rocks and got the anchor down, Justin put the kites out. I was first up with a double sardine rig. It didn't take long to get bit and what a surprise when my fish came to color and I had to call for two gaffs - two gaffs because I caught two fish - one on each hook. I sent both to the galley for dinner.

I had great luck fishing with bobber balloons catching seven yellowfin between 50 and 65 lbs. the first day. I also had 5 yellowtail for the day. We boated 47 yellowfin and 42 yellowtail the first day and about the same the next. The third day conditions changed so we took off for the ridge arriving there the next morning.

It was wide open yellowtail fishing for 20 to 35 pound yellowtail. They bit jigs, bait, surface irons, slugs, poppers - virtually anything you threw at them. We had all we needed in 3 hours so Justin called for a crew fish off. First yellowtail to hit the deck wins - but there was a catch. The fish had to be gaffed by one of the lady anglers - there were four of us - Jill, Kathy, Holly and me. I wish I could say I was part of the winning team - but not only did I lose, I cost Dustin first place. When Dustin's fish came to the boat, it was green and I couldn't get a good shot with the gaff. Kathy and Mike won. I did get to gaff Justin's yellowtail which was 48 pounds.


Holly pulling on a fish

The Gaff Girls - Jan, Jill, Kathy & Holly

Kim with a nice Yellowtail

Jill pulling on a yellowtail

Yellowtail fishing

Kathy with a nice yellowtail

Justin's 48 pound yellowtail caught on a surface iron

Shortly after the trip began, Jim developed a problem with his leg that our on board doctor suspected might be a blood clot. Jim had to keep his leg up for the remainder of the trip to reduce the chance of it breaking loose - if it was a clot. Vince handled most the cooking the rest of the trip with assistance from all the crew. One morning our Captain decided to cook breakfast - mushroom and swiss cheese omelets. They were fabulous!

We headed up the line to fish reds outside of Benitos. I managed 3 reds before a sealion took all my fish, hooks and all. Justin got the word that the albacore were biting and we took off for the off-shore grounds.

Fishing Reds

The albacore fishing was slow but we did manage to pick up 41 albacore before calling it a trip around 1 p.m. We cleaned up our gear and settled in for a nice final dinner. I had the pleasure of dining with a very unique group of anglers - each and every one unique in their own way.

My dinner companions

Path traveled during our 8 days at sea

Jackpot winners - Don Burnside with a 90.7# yellowfin; Roland Reesby with a 72.8# yellowfin; Jim Kastorff with a 72.6# yellowfin; and Steve Alexander with his 47.6# Bigeye caught at the rocks.

I had Mario loin out my 4 albacore and 5 of my yellowfin in preparation for canning. The next two days I canned 84 pint jars of albacore. The third day I smoked the rest of the tuna and canned that ending up with 72 pint jars of smoked tuna.

Canning tuna

Smoked Tuna ready to can

Dinner. The benefits of fishing - all you can eat sushi.