Rail time during Pandemic

Jeff scheduled a trip aboard the Rail Time for May 2020 before the Covid 19 Pandemic broke out.  Each of us debated whether we would be safe fishing together. In the end, all 6 of us had been self quarantined and decided to go.  Normally the crew makes all the meals but during these times, they felt it was better for us to bring our own food.  We scrambled and put together a meal plan which included meats, tuna, muffins, jerky, cookies, fruit and snacks plus wine, beer and champagne.

Cathy arrived first and I got to the parking lot next.  She mentioned her husband wasn’t happy with her leaving.  Shortly after, she learned why:  he phoned and let her know he was ill with a fever.  Needless to say, she returned home to care for him but not before leaving us brisket, ribs, chicken, wine and champagne.  We were disappointed to lose her company on the trip.  Her husband had strep throat not Covid.

Gary (Captain/owner) said no one had been on the boat in 12 days, and only family membersat that, plus he sanitized the boat after everyone left and again the day we arrived.  He set up industrial strength hand sanitizer in each head and in the galley for our use. 

Jeff, Steve, Jim, Rick and I loaded our gear and food, set up our rods and settled into our bunks for the fast trip to Catalina Island.  Crew tried to make squid until midnight at which time Gary bought squid from a light boat. 

4 am the next morning. Tuesday, Gary put on the coffee, checked the deck and bait then moved the boat to the fishing spot.  He set up 4 dropper loop rods.  Jim and I were up first.  We had our coffee while watching the rods and re-baiting when the little grabbers picked them clean.

The fish were a no show so Gary started checking out all the spots for both yellowtail and white seabass.  Jeff was able to coax a nice yellowtail to bite his bait.  That was the only game fish landed for the day, however, we caught and released many calico bass, whitefish, blue perch, sheepshead, barracuda, baby seabass, etc.  We even tried the Farnsworth bank twice and struck out.

At sundown, Gary said we are busting a move to Santa Barbara Island.  We had the ribs and brisket for dinner along with Cathy’s cabernet sauvignon then hit the bunks.

Wednesday morning I was up at 4 am but Gary wasn’t up yet.  Unusual, so I went back to bed.  Gary got up at 5:15 am and set up our rods.  We worked hard all day, casting, retrieving and re-baiting our hooks.  Jim finally hooked and landed a nice yellowtail.  There were two gorgeous vermillion rock fish caught too (but not by me) along with the miscellaneous fish species we caught at Catalina.  Late in the day, we fished close to a kelp stringer and kept losing fish - calicos and a yellowtail (we think).  Jim cast out a 40 pound outfit – a kelp cutter rig.  He hooked a good fish that went straight into the kelp  After a 20 minute fight, he managed to pull a 38 pound white seabass out of the kelp.  What a gorgeous fish. 

At 3:30 pm, Gary called it a trip.  We were back at dock at 6:30 and I was home by 7:20.  No traffic on the roads due to Covid 19.  It was wonderful to get away for a couple days and to feel normal.

I am very thankful to Jeff for setting up the trip and including me; and thankful to Gary for including us in a family and friends trip on his boat.  It’s such a pleasure to fish with Gary, his crew and the group Jeff includes in his fishing family.