Rail Time Blues 2020!

The  Pandemic cases were escalating and prospects of a longer quarantine loomed so a fishing trip was just what we needed.  I was really looking forward to the opportunity to feel normal for a couple days.  We met at Peter’s Landing and loaded all our gear on board with the help of Jake and Gary.  Gary’s deckhand, Brett, became ill from eating oysters and was unable to join us.  Jim came down with a fever at the last minute and decided to stay home just in case it was Covid 19.  That left Jeff, Steve, Brian, Rick Uribe and me joining Gary and Jake.  (Jim was better before we left the bait receiver.)

Gary informed us we would be fishing Catalina for yellowtail and seabass the next morning so we needed three outfits:  One 30 pound outfit for yellowtail with a quarter ounce slider and small hook for sardines, and for seabass, one 40 pound outfit with a half ounce glow in the dark slider and a 5/0 Ahi Twist hook and a 50 pound dropperloop outfit.  We set up our rods while Gary and Jake loaded sardines and squid at the  bait receiver.  Once bait was loaded, Gary moved the boat outside the harbor for us to fish for mackerel.  We managed to catch 25 baits then off to Catalina.

 

We had cookies and drinks before climbing into our bunks.  We had a short trip to the island then Gary and Jake decided to make more squid to top off the tank before they went to bed.

Around 3:30 the next morning, Gary got up and started the coffee, checked the bait, set up the dropper loops for seabass.  I got up when the coffee was ready and fixed myself a cup, put on sunscreen and flex tape on my fingers then went on deck to watch rods.  It was calm and nice out.

 

We fished until after the sun came up with little success. Gary moved the boat to a yellowtail spot and we picked away at 20 pound yellows.  Jeff caught the first yellowtail then a legal halibut.  The yellows made us work for them.  Eventually we realized they wanted sardines instead of the squid. Finally I caught one.  After checking several spots, Gary decided to move the boat to San Clemente Island and fish for seabass and yellows there.

 

We all fished hard hard and picked away at the yellows but the seabass were a no show.  Sheepie hooked and lost 4 yellowtail early and I lost a couple that bit through my line. Throughout the day we caught dozens of barracuda, tom cod, calico bass, sheepshead, baby halibut etc. so we had action most the day.  At days end, Sheepie redeemed himself by landing 3 yellowtail bringing our total to 12 yellowtail and 1 halibut for our efforts.

  

We heated up our BBQ Rib dinner and enjoyed some wine/beer to go with it.  After dinner, Jake and Gary made flyers to use as bait for bluefin the next day.

Early Wednesday morning, Gary put on the coffee then moved the boat to the bluefin grounds southeast of the island towards San Diego.  Gary had us set up our 80# outfit with a circle hook to fish a mackerel.  Gary set up boat gear for flylining live flying fish and the balloon rigs.  Gary and Jake set out two balloon rigs and two flying fish rigs.  After an hour with no action, Gary decided to return to the island and let us fish for yellows and seabass until the afternoon, which is when the bluefin bit the previous day.

We moved back out to the bluefin grounds around 1 pm and Gary and Jake deployed the rods in the same manner as they had in the morning. The balloon rig got hit right away and our Chartermaster, Jeff, did a great job landing a 140 pound bluefin in 10 minutes.

The second balloon got thrashed so they had to set out a balloon rig with a circle hook instead of a J hook.  That proved to be a problem later.  After an hour or so, both the flying fish rigs got bit as a school of fish swam through.  Rick pulled on one and I pulled on the other.  Both were big fish and very squirrely. We went round and round the boat 6 or 8 times then the hook pulled on Rick’s fish at color.  My fish took me round the boat a couple more times and Gary tried to keep it in the corner and the hook pulled on it.  Both our fish were on circle hooks.

Then it was time to go home and Sheepie was pulling in the last balloon rig (the one with a circle hook) when it got bit.  Sheepie and Jeff pulled on the fish then it headed straight away from the boat and that hook pulled too.  Oh well – That’s fishing.

We broke down gear and napped during the 4 hour trip back to dock. Jim met us and picked up some fish for him and to take to Al.  Jeff and Steve took two Bluefin loins (to share with me), Rick one loin to share with Jim, and Brian took one.  We split up the yellowtail, said our goodbyes and headed home.  I got home around 9 pm, later than usual.

Thursday I cleaned up my gear and processed my yellowtail.  Steve brought over some bluefin belly and a couple big chunks of loin.   I made yellowtail ceviche for dinner and baked a yellowtail collar and had it with Ponzu for snack.  Bluefin sashimi is on tap later in the week after the flesh softens.

Trips on the Rail Time are special.  The entire operation is very professional and yet the Captain and crew make you feel like family.  The quality of the fish we take home is the best and gives us joy for days after a trip.  I’m already looking forward to the next trip.