Rail Time Season Opener – May 2022

It was a long, boring winter for me.  My last fishing trip occurred in December 2021 and I was looking forward to getting back on the water.  As I prepared for my first fishing trip of the year, weather threatened to cause the trip to be cancelled.  I was very happy when our Captain, Gary, adjusted the departure date permitting us to fish during a calm weather window.  I later learned it was Gary’s first trip of the year as well.  He had cancelled his previous 2 trips due to bad weather.

The target species was white seabass and yellowtail and we were advised to pack tackle with that in mind.  I decided to pack just 4 outfits:  20, 30, 40 and 60 pound rigs with hooks, weights and extra line to match.  I tried to cut back on the quantity and weight of my tackle this year as I’m finding my strength weakening as I get older.

I met up with our Chartermaster, Cathy Needleman, for dinner at Captain Jack’s before the trip.  After dinner, we drove to the landing (a 5 minute trip).  Mike and Mitch, our crew members for the trip, had just arrived as had Jeff and Steve Chuang, the rest of the anglers.  Gary was already on the boat.  Unfortunately, we lost two of our passengers (Jim Carlisle and Randy Sharon) due to unforeseen circumstances.

We were on the boat and on our way by 6:45 p.m.   Gary said to get a dropper loop outfit set up for the morning.   I set up my 60 pound outfit with a dropper loop then hit the bunk.  I didn’t wake up when crew made squid at Catalina Island but I did wake up at 1:30 am when the engines were pulled back. I thought it was time to get up and fish.  Then I checked the time and iSailor App and realized we were at Clemente and Gary was searching for spots to fish in the morning. I tried to go back to sleep but just tossed around instead.

Gary usually gets up at 3:30 am to make coffee and check bait.  Gary was still looking around so coffee wasn’t ready as usual.  Fortunately, I brought a Starbucks bottled coffee and heated that in the microwave.  My normal routine is to get coffee, put sunscreen and flex tape on, get out a hand towel and check drags.  It wasn’t until spectra was running over my thumb that I realized I had forgotten the entire routine.

Fishing began slowly.  We worked an area for an hour or so until a friend of Gary’s called to say they had just landed a seabass.  Shortly after we joined the friend. Unfortunately, the fish ignored out baits so we moved on to another spot.  By then, it was 8:30 am.  There was no or very little current at any of the spots.  This spot was no different.  We put out the dropper loops on the bow and fished the stern with either leadheads or 3/8 ounce sliders and an ahi twist hook.   We worked the area by casting and letting the bait drop and slowly retrieving it. Crew chummed squid and finally the calicos started to come out of the kelp to bite.  We caught some good quality calicos and they were numerous so we decided to keep a few.  My dropper loop on the bow went off.  I ran up and grabbed the rod and fought the fish.  It pulled at first like a seabass then it felt like it was breaking through kelp.  That’s when we realized it was a soupfin shark.  It broke off before I got it to the boat.  At least it was action and exercise.

Around 9 am Cathy hooked up.  She said it bit right at the boat.  The fish took her around the boat and fought hard.  She pulled harder and finally brought it to gaff.  It was a trophy 52 pound white seabass!  I hooked up soon after.  Same kind of bite for me.  On the retrieve and close to the boat. I felt a tap tap like a calico bite then it just got heavy.  It fought like a seabass shaking its head from time to time.  When the fish hit the deck, it was beautiful and shiny like silver.  It was long and thin and had already spawned out.  I was happy for that.  Crew told me the fish hit 48 pounds on the scale.  It certainly didn’t look that big.

By 10 am, we had limits for the boat – 7 white seabass.  Everybody had caught at least one and Jeff caught 3.  Gary called in his friend and we turned the spot over to him so he could catch his limit (which he did).

Next was a search for halibut.  Gary checked out several spots.  Eventually I caught one small halibut.  We ended the day in another cove with a wide-open bite on a variety of fish.  We caught and released baby seabass, calico bass, sheepshead, white fish and mackerel.  That was great fun for all.  Our catch for the day included 7 white seabass, 16 calico bass, 2 yellowtail and 1halibut.

 

We put gear away, cleaned up, poured ourselves a glass of wine and sat down to a dinner of BBQ ribs, ziti pasta with meat sauce and salad.  Fish shaped ice cream sandwiches were our dessert thanks to Jim Carlisle.  Crew fileted fish while we dined then they came in for dinner.  We all crashed by 9 pm, exhausted from a great day of fishing.

 The next morning, we all slept in until 5:30 am – crew included.  It had been a calm and quiet night.  Gary started the engines and took us back to yesterday’s seabass spot.  Conditions were slightly different but we managed to catch 2 seabass – Jeff caught one (on 20#) and I caught the other.  Glad it was him that fought the fish on 20# instead of me.  That took real skill.

Gary worked us around the island fishing spot after spot looking for halibut. He finally found one that we pulled 4 fish out of.  Jeff and I caught a smaller halibut each.  Steve caught a beautiful halibut that hit the scale at 16 pounds and I caught a second that was close in size to Steve’s.

 

Throughout the trip, we were plagued by black seabass.  We all had our turn to be harassed by a black.  Some more times than others.  It's hard to believe they are endangered and illegal to keep.  It seems once a black seabass shows up, the white seabass either leave the area or quit biting.

Around 3 pm, Gary called it a trip.  We had eked out 2 seabass, 2 yellowtail (I caught one), 6 calico bass and 4 halibut for the day.  Another good day of fishing.

 

Crew fileted our fish and cleaned the boat on the way home.  The rest of us napped for the 3 plus hour trip.  It was late in the trip that I noticed Steve had on his lucky Frog Boots that he wears for seabass fishing.  They certainly brought us luck this trip.

Jim and Shig were waiting for us when we reached the dock at 6:45 pm.  We had promised them fish to take home. I gave Shig a whole white seabass as he likes to do his own processing.  We also left fish for Gary and crew.

Many thanks to Gary and crew.  Without Gary’s knowledge and expertise at finding fish and Mitch and Mike’s assistance on deck, we couldn’t have succeeded in bringing home such a beautiful catch.

And a special thanks to my friend Cathy for inviting me to join her Charter.  Your warmth and generosity is incredible.