Hawaiian Shirt Gang Rides the Rail Time again!

Around 6:30 Wednesday evening, the Hawaiian Shirt Gang met up at Peter’s Landing for another two days of fishing.  (The gang includes El Presidente, Sheepie, Professor Popper, Needles, Yukon Jim and me).  Mitch and Eric, crew for the trip arrived shortly after we did.  Last, but not least, our Captain, Gary Adams, arrived. 

Eric and Mitch made short work getting us, our gear and the food loaded on the boat.  We stashed our gear, put the food away and started rigging tackle for the morning.  Gary advised having two outfits ready: a dropper loop and sliding sinker with an Ahi Twist for seabass in the morning.  The plan was to fish seabass first thing in the morning then head offshore to fish bluefin.  Day two would be island fishing.

As we set up our gear, Gary stopped at the bait receiver and picked up some healthy sardines and live squid.  Great baits to add the the flyers crew planned to make when we got to the island.  After setting up gear, we had pizza (thanks to Fumio), wine and snacks before heading to bed. 

Traveling was quite bumpy.  The engines turned down at 1:30 am and I woke up to find that we were at San Clemente Island.  Last trip, we had gotten our flyers at Catalina.  Crew had just started making flyers.  It didn’t take them long to catch 27 flying fish placing some in each bait tank and 7 in the new G-Fly Bucket that keeps flyers alive all day.  I went back to sleep until I heard Gary start the coffee around 4:30 am. 

 

Gary moved us to a different area to try and catch a seabass or yellowtail.  Nothing was biting so Gary said get out your bluefin gear.  We headed offshore in choppy seas with a heavy overcast and a cold wind blowing.   Normally, this would be good bluefin weather.

Eventually we got to the fishing grounds.  Gary checked out a couple spots of breaking fish then shut down on one.  Out went the helium balloon with a flyer, two flylined flyers went out as well.  Various other methods such as sinker rigs and flylined squid were deployed.  Although the fish were around us, we couldn’t trigger a bite until Jeff bravely cast out a sardine on 30 pound line.  Unfortunately, he hooked a big fish that couldn’t be stopped with his outfit.  Not to be discouraged, he did it again and this time he hooked a 50 pounder that was no match for Jeff’s determination and expertise. 

Gary worked hard trying to find a biting school but the fish wouldn’t cooperate.  Perhaps they had been pounded so heavily by the skiffs dragging Madmacs through them, that they were tramatized and quit biting.  Gary headed the boat towards San Nicolas Island, still searching for fish.  He said we would fish that island the next day.  We were relieved to get out of the wind and rough seas into a calm anchorage for the night.

It was after 8 pm when we finally sat down to our dinner.  BBQ ribs, mac and cheese, coleslaw, corn bread, wine, and ice cream sandwiches for dessert.  It tasted great after a long day of fishing.  I went to bed right after dinner.  I was exhausted – more so than usual.  I’m beginning to wonder if I’m getting too old to do this.  Sleep was wonderful.

 

Gary was up early putting on the coffee and checking bait.  He moved the boat a short distance and anchored.  Out went the dropper loops with squid.  We had a screaming current that required at least 12 ounces of weight to get to the bottom. I had to put on a heavier weight to fish my dropper loop that's tied on the Gary Adams Special. 

Friday was a very different day from Thursday.  We had calm seas and eventually the sun came out.  It didn’t even look like the same ocean.  Much more comfortable conditions for fishing.

Sheepie was first on deck and first to start fishing; so it was appropriate that he caught the first fish – a big yellowtail!  Cathy got bit next.  We thought she had a big yellow too.   It was a strong fish and when she finally tamed it, up popped a big 31-pound white seabass.  Now we were excited. 

We had to wait for another 30 or 40 minutes to get another bite then a school of white seabass swam through and 3 were hooked.  Mitch landed a small one, Cathy landed another 30 pounder and Jim landed one the same size.  I missed out because I was rebaiting my hook.

We kept fishing hoping another school would swim through but it seemed like the bite was over until my rod went off.  The fish took off like a freight train and I was sure I had hooked a black seabass but it finally slowed down and I could get back some line.  We didn’t know what it was until it was at color and I heard Mitch say “It’s a big chrome!”  The Gary Adams Special had caught another big white seabass.  At 47 pounds, this one was just shy of the 48 pounder the Gary Adams Special caught on the last trip.

Gary checked out other areas around the island then decided to head back through the bluefin grounds.  Our destination was an area off Catalina that anchored boats had caught bluefin while fishing for yellowtail.  He said we would stop on any schools we encountered along the way.  Professor Popper was armed and ready.  Since the last trip's painful experience, he had strengthened his arsenal with a heavy-duty rod for his spinner and replenished his popper supply. 

 

Gary did indeed stop on a school and Professor Popper did cast on it.  I didn’t witness the cast or incident but I heard Jim say “nice birds-nest.”  I glanced towards the bow and saw Professor Popper holding a bunch of line and at the same time Jim saying, “your popper is back here at the stern.”

Sheepie came to his rescue and told us later:  “I had the unusual task of bringing a cutter to Fumio, when he somehow made a spider web and entangled himself. You know it was one of those moments when you wanted to burst out in laughter but it wouldn't have been nice to do so? I think Spiderman could work as the new nickname?”

We arrived at Farnsworth Bank around 1:30 pm and anchored up.  I was shocked to learn that this is where boats caught bluefin the day before.  Normally, we fish for big yellowtail at this spot. If bluefin had been here, we found no evidence of it.  We fished the bank in a couple different locations but the yellowtail weren’t cooperating either except for one captured by Cathy.  Gary called it a trip around 3:30 pm. We ended the trip with one 50# bluefin, 5 white seabass and 2 yellowtail.   

It was another successful trip for the Hawaiian Shirt Gang which now has Professor Spiderman applying to fill Professor Popper’s membership position.

Thanks again Cathy for your friendship, generosity, and the Hawaiian Shirts that gave this gang it’s name!  Gary did a great job and stayed positive as he always does.  Mitch and Eric did a fantastic job on deck and assisting us with anything we needed.  They both were professional and had a positive attitude the entire trip.  They were a pleasure to have on board.  I’m already looking forward to the next trip!

Rail Time Combo Island/Offshore Trip July 13 & 14, 2022

The week before our scheduled Rail Time Trip, we anxiously watched weather apps hoping the offshore winds would die down enough so we could go fishing.  Gary Adams (Rail Time Owner/Captain) will cancel a trip or slide the departure date forward or back to ensure compatible winds for the trip.  We were lucky to have the winds come down enough to fish offshore on our scheduled dates.

Jeff put together a great group of avid fishermen that included Jeff, Steve, Brian, John and Fumio.  I was fortunate to be invited to join this elite group of fishermen.  Their expertise was on full display during this trip.

We met at Peter’s Landing for a 7 pm departure.  While waiting in the parking lot, Jake arrived and informed us Andy had a freak accident (a shattered cookie jar cut a gash in his foot that required sutures) and couldn’t join us.  We all told Jake that we would help.

 

Once we boarded and stowed our personal gear and put the food away, we were off to the bait receiver.  We picked up a load of large, healthy sardines.  Gary said we were heading to Catalina first to make flyers to fish tuna in the morning.  He suggested we set up a knife jig rod and a 40-pound sinker rig for bluefin in the hopes they would bite on sardines.  We also set up our usual dropper loop outfits for seabass.  I brought the “Gary Adams Special” for that purpose, which is my Penn Torque 30 with 60-pound line.

We’ve all been concerned about Sheepie missing some of the fishing fun due to seasickness.  Unfortunately, he’s unable to take the normal Dramamine/Bonine remedies.  I offered the patch and Zofran but the patch can have glaucoma as a side effect which is what Sheepie experienced with the normal meds.  Brian offered to let Sheepie try the Reliefband Premier Watch.  This watch provided the relief he needed.   

 

I was tired so I hit the bunk early. I take the upper bunk in the salon so I can hear if something is happening on deck.  I awoke long enough to see John and Jake making flyers then back to sleep.  I awoke again at 1:30 am when I heard a thud on the deck.  I got up to see a 48-pound white seabass on deck that John landed with help from Fumio.  I quickly looked for my dropper loop rod so I could put it out and learned it was my rod that caught the seabass.  That Gary Adams Special lived up to its name.  John suggested that I might want to change out the line and that’s when I heard the real story. 

When my rod got bit, the fish went straight to the bow.  John thought it was another bat ray but followed the fish to the bow where it wrapped on the anchor.   With Fumio’s help, they cut the line to unwrap it.  Fumio asked what to do with the line he was holding that was still in the water.  When they realized it was my rod, they decided to splice the line back on so I could get my hook and weight back.  Once the line was spliced, John started winding and realized the fish was still on the line.  When the fish got to color, they realized it wasn’t a bat ray and Fumio stuck the gaff in it.  Not only was there a nice fish on deck but a great fish story to go with it.

Although the rods were baited and in the water, no more fish were hooked that night.  We were all up early the next morning fishing for seabass but it seems we got the only hungry one around.  Since we had no real bites or action at that spot, Gary said it was time to use our flyers and catch some bluefin.

 

It was a short run from the back side of Catalina to the bluefin grounds which was inside a triangle formed by San Clemente Island, San Nicolas Island and Catalina Island.  Once Gary located a school of fish, two helium balloons with live flyers were sent out on the Port Side and two flylined live flyers were deployed on the Starboard side.  Sardine sinker rigs were fished in between.  I had one of the flylined flyers to watch; Jeff had the other. 

Jeff got bit first and landed a 175-pound bluefin tuna.  We were all thrilled because we knew we would all go home with a piece of bluefin and a piece of white seabass.  I also had a bite but the fish got the bait without getting a hook in it.  I think the fish was too small to swallow a live flyer. 

 

We fished for a while waiting for the fish to come back around and when it didn’t, Gary moved the boat closer to where the fleet was fishing.  It was a short move and when he found a school of fish, he had us drop back the live flyers so they would be far from the boat.  We did this several times and I had another short bite on the drop back and the same thing happened – the bait was picked off.  Eventually Gary found a good school for us to drift on.  The balloons and flylined baits went back out. 

The balloon got boiled on several occasions but no hook-up - just mauled baits.  Brian got bit on a flylined flyer and, with assistance from Fumio, landed another 175-pound class bluefin.  Another beautiful fish.

Finally, I got a real bite and line screamed off my reel.  It was a squirrely fish.  It took me to the bow and stern a couple of times, ending up at the bow for big circles.  Gary helped me navigate and get around the bow equipment.  When my fish was finally gaffed, it turned out to be similar in size to the other two.  I was ecstatic.

 

We decided to continue team fighting these fish since they were very tough and squirrely.  The next bite was another flylined flyer.  Steve started the fight then teamed up with John.  Early on, Steve graciously gave his partner the rod so he could have the joy of fighting the fish but Steve was right there opening the back gate so the gaffed fish could come on board.

 

Sheepie was right next to the rod that got bit next.  We all said “that’s your fish Sheepie.”  We told him he needed to fight it since he let John fight the last one.  This was another tough fish.  While at the bow, I helped him by pulling the line in so he could wind the reel.  We did this for a few minutes then Sheepie said he was tapped out.  Jeff took over at that point and landed the fish.  It ended up being the largest of the day at 193 pounds.

Gary said he didn’t see the fish around anymore, so we went looking.  Everyone except me decided to nap while Gary looked around for fish.  Soon after, Jake came down and told me to help get the flyers dropped back.  Gary said he saw a half mile of foaming fish.  When the boat stopped, it was just Jake and I on deck fishing and neither of us got bit. Gary had been sure we would all hook a fish out of that school if everyone had been fishing. When Gary found the next foamer, everyone was on deck ready to fish.  Fumio raced to the bow with his popper and cast right into the school and hooked up.  It was very exciting until he realized his rod and reel weren’t going to make his fight any easier.  He had a spinning reel on a light rod.  He had it spooled with 80-pound spectra and 80-pound mono with a 200-pound leader. It was perfect to keep the fish from chewing through.

As the fish beat up on Fumio, most of us just watched.  However, Brian and John took pity on Fumio and decided to help.  They each took turns getting a beating from the fish, using all their strength to inch the fish closer to the boat.  At one point Gary looked at the guys and said “Those two guys are bent over.  Man, that’s what you call being corn-holed!” 

 

After a lengthy battle, tiring out three strong anglers, the fish circled close enough for crew to get a gaff in it.  When the gaffed fish was brought around to the back deck door, Sheepie was right there to open it.   Finally, the fish was on the boat, having lost his fight for life.  At 112 pounds, he was only four and a half years old.

 

Gary looked at his exhausted anglers (all six of us) and asked if we really wanted to stay up and fish into the dark for more bluefin or go on to the cove at San Clemente for the night.  Without hesitation we all said we didn’t want to fish for bluefin into the dark and preferred to go to the cove for dinner and the night.

We had a wonderful ziti pasta and salad dinner with ice cream sandwiches for dessert.  I hit the bunk right after dinner and didn’t wake up until Gary started the coffee the next morning around 5 am.  Everyone was still asleep when I got up around 5:30 am.

It was warmer close to the island and before long the sun came out.  Gary started checking out his yellowtail spots.  Jeff had the hot stick for yellowtail.  He landed the first one and the last one plus 3 others in between.  I managed to lose one and land one.  We ended up with 9 yellowtail and a few calico bass for the day.  

Gary suggested we start for home at 1:30 pm and take our time so Jake could fillet our fish.   No problem, we answered. 

As we were stowing our gear for the ride home, Gary got a “toilet paper” May Day from the Pescador.  They were completely out of toilet paper and still had fishing time left.  Jake said it was the first time he’s handed over toilet paper.

 

Jake filleted the yellowtail first, then the bluefin.  He had to fillet the bluefin on the deck as they were too big to fit on the filet board.  Last, he filleted the seabass.     

Steve opened the bags and handed them to me then I bagged the fillets.  Jeff squeezed the air out, closed the bags and put them in the hold.  We started at 1:30 pm and finished at 4:20 pm.  

Jake scrubbed the boat while naps were being enjoyed the rest of the ride.  We arrived back to dock at 6:30 pm and off-loaded gear first then Jake wheeled up the first batch of fish then returned for the second batch. We each got what we wanted and still left lots for Gary to share with his family and friends.

 

As always, Gary was terrific.  He is flexible, knowledgeable and always positive.  He’s incredible.  Jake did a great job even though he didn’t have Andy to help.  Thanks, Jeff, for putting together a great group of anglers for this charter.  Your charters always have people that I enjoy fishing with.  Thanks for letting me join.

I’m sure we’ll all be enjoying fresh fish, in some form, for a few days.  Even our family and friends will be enjoying a share of our bounty. I shared my fish with eleven friends that are fish lovers and don’t have the means to catch their own.   I’ll enjoy my fish even more knowing I could bring them some happiness.

You might think our trip was over when we got home, however, you would be wrong.  Texts and photo exchanges continue the fun for days.  Thinking back on the trip creative nicknames are born.  In addition to El Presidente and Sheepie, we now have Popper Fumio and Splice Guy John.   Food photos always follow documenting how we honor the fish that gave up their lives for our pleasure.