Rail Time end of Season

Date:  October 7 to 10, 2025

Anglers:  Cathy and Matt Needleman, Jeff and Steve Chuang, Jim Carlisle and Jan Howard

Boat and Crew:  Rail Time owned and operated by Captain Gary Adams and second Captain and crew Jack Armstrong.

Trip:  Two days fishing Tanner Bank and San Clemente Island.

Fish Catch:  17 Bluefin Tuna 15 to 25 pounds, 3 Yellowtail to 30+ pounds, 1 Sheepshead, 1 Fantail Sole, and 5 Calico Bass

Trip Details:  Cathy, Matt and I arrived first at Peter's Landing and moved our tackle through the gate placing it on the dock adjacent to the boat for easy loading.  Our new Crew member, Jack arrived next.  He looked familiar but I couldn’t place him at first. Eventually I realized he was Jenny Armstrong’s son.  Jenny is a friend from my early fishing days when we were both involved in United Anglers and Fred Hall Shows. 

By 5 PM, all anglers and crew were on board motoring towards the bait receiver.   Gary and Jack loaded us up with some great sardines.  

Unfortunately, there were no squid in the receiver so Gary said we would make our own when we got to San Clements Island.  Gary recommended we get our gear ready for fishing in the morning.  He told us to set up our 25 pound tackle with a quarter once slider and a number 2 hook to start the day.

Once we got our gear set up, we settled inside for dinner.  Courtesy of Jeff, we had fresh pizza for dinner.  

Our seas were bumpy so I crawled into my bunk for the ride.  Once we made it to the island, Gary and Jack made squid.  Apparently, it was difficult to get the squid to float due to the full moon.  Fortunately, they captured enough for the next day (so I was told as I slept right through it.)

Gary was up a little after 4 am making coffee and checking out the bait before he started the engines and pointed the bow towards Tanner Bank.  Gradually, a couple of us crawled out of our bunks and stumbled towards the coffee maker.  Others took advantage of the travel time to catch up on their sleep.  I find it interesting how comfortable it is fishing with this group – always respectful and looking out for each other.  Very, very family like.

We arrived at the bank around 8 am.  There were several other sport boats already lined up along the bank fishing. John (Gary’s friend on the Soria) was there too.  Gary anchored up close to John and we cast out our squids. The weather was improving and continued to improve until eventually it became a beautiful day.

It wasn’t long before we started hooking small bluefin.  At first the tuna wanted squid but as the day progressed and the seas calmed, the tuna started eating the sardines. We would catch a fish here and there. No barn burner but a decent plunker bite.

We fished the bank until we had limits of bluefin for the boat.  The bluefin were slightly larger than they were on our last trip but not by much.  These fish were 15 to 25 pounders and very fatty presumably because they had been feasting on squid.  Everybody caught at least one bluefin.  Sheepie had a limit of whitefish (released) to go with his bluefin.  Bottom fishing produced a couple of sheepshead to go along with the whitefish.  Jeff was our star angler hooking and landing 6 bluefin himself.  Cathy and Matt caught 2 bluefin each, Jim caught 3 and released 1, and I caught 3 and released a couple myself. 

Gary checked out the bank for yellowtail before heading back to San Clemente Island.  We arrived at the island just before sundown.  We had just enough time to cast a few baits for yellowtail before settling down for dinner.  Sheepie caught a Fantail Sole (identified by Professor Fumio after the trip.)  

The yellowtail however, were a no-show but that didn’t keep us from enjoying a delicious BBQ ribs and chicken dinner courtesy of Cathy.

After dinner, Gary and Jack made squid while the rest of us headed to bed to rest from a successful day of fishing in beautiful weather.  The squid cooperated by floating which allowed Gary and Jack to get a good night’s rest too.

Friday morning we all managed to be on deck early.  

Gary had our dropper loops deployed so we could grab our coffee on our way to the rail.  Jim hooked up almost immediately and when it hit the deck, it looked like it was a 30 to 35 pound yellowtail.  What a beautiful fish.  Sheepie hooked one on the bow and after struggling to get his rod out of the holder, the hook pulled.  Matt hooked one next and landed his shortly thereafter.  Another beautiful yellowtail.  A couple more were hooked and lost before the bite shut off around 7 am.

Gary checked out cove after cove around the island.  In the process, we picked up five nice calico bass and released more than we kept.  I managed to catch 3 keepers myself. 

Conditions got rougher as the day progressed, eventually producing the strong winds that had been predicted.  We ended up heading over to Catalina Island to look for fish.  Gary put us on a spot of yellowtail sharing the cove with many large, aggressive sealions.  Conditions were horrible -  wind against current.  As soon as we cast a sardine, a sealion bit it off or the sardine made a U-turn and headed away from the yellowtail.  Jeff was the only one who managed to catch a yellowtail before we called it a trip.

The seas were rough and getting rougher as we started back across the channel.  Jack filleted the tuna first then the yellowtail and bass.  I bagged fillets and Steve sealed them.  It was a three-hour crossing and we finished processing the fish just after we entered the harbor.  Jack did a fabulous job filleting our fish working in less than ideal conditions.  

Jack proved his worth on this trip.  He’s a great addition to Gary’s operation and we hope to see him on future trips.

Gary is incredible as a captain and boat owner and his crew are always professional.  Many thanks to Gary for another great trip.  Cathy, thanks so much for including us on your charters and for feeding us delicious ribs, chicken, and bagels.  And many thanks to my fellow anglers who fed us lunches, snacks and ice cream.  I am so appreciative of being able to fish with you all.  Many thanks for helping me when my hands fail me.

This was our last trip of the season fishing with Gary and it didn’t disappoint.  Until next year friends, have a safe winter! 

Rail Time in September!

Date:  September 16 – 18, 2025 

Anglers:  Cathy Needleman, Jeff and Steve Chuang, Jim Carlisle and Jan Howard

Boat and Crew:  Rail Time owned and operated by Captain Gary Adams and second Captain Jake. 

Trip:  Two days fishing San Clemente Island and offshore.

Fish Catch:  15 bluefin tuna 15 to 30 pounds, 6 yellowtail 25 to 30 pounds, 6 calico bass

Trip Details:

Weather was the most used word on this trip and in the days before the trip.  Weather predictions were for calm seas for the days up to the departure date when the predictions changed several times.  I thought my weather app was malfunctioning because one minute it showed 30 knot winds and the next it showed calm seas. 

 

We departed the landing around 5 pm stopping first for bait.  After loading some beautiful squid, Gary said we were heading to the bait receiver in San Pedro to pick up some live sardines because there were none here at the Long Beach Bait Barge.  After picking up our sardines, we headed to Catalina Island.

Gary suggested we set up our tackle with a 1/0 hook on 25# test line for the next morning.  After getting our tackle ready, we shared a sushi appetizer and pizza for dinner then I went to sleep.  I heard the engines turn off at 9 pm and back on at 1 am.  The ride was a bit bumpy all night.   When I got up the next morning at 5 am, Gary was still driving towards our first fishing spot.  We were somewhere southwest of San Clemente Island.

Around 10 am we reached an area containing several sport boats.  Gary’s friend John was in the area and suggested we use a quarter ounce sliding sinker on our 25-pound line and squid for bait.  Gary set us up close to John’s boat and we followed John’s suggestion, which proved successful.  After putting half dozen small bluefin on board we decided to release everything under 25 pounds.

The word “weather” came up when it started sprinkling while we pulled on our tuna and when the wind started to blow.  We didn’t complain about being rocked around because we knew the Seakeeper kept us from being rocked like the boats around us were.

After we reached our bluefin limit of 14 fish, plus releasing at least twice that many, we searched the bank for something else that wanted to bite.  Weather was still a bit rough and no other fish wanted to bite so at 2 pm we headed back to fish San Clemente Island.

Back at the island, we enjoyed a nice little sheepshead bite at sundown.  We had to wait for the military to finish their training exercises before we could anchor for the night in Pyramid Cove.  When they let us in, Gary parked us right on top of a squid nest.  Great spot to start the morning.

Once in the cove, we enjoyed a BBQ Ribs and Chicken dinner.  As usual, I went to sleep early.  Jeff told me the next morning that the squid eventually floated so Gary was able to scoop the squid without using the crowder.

Weather during the night was unusual.  We had 50 knot winds with waves slapping the side of the boat and rain. 

 

6 am the next morning, we gradually left our bunks and hit the deck. It was cloudy and misty.

Cathy started the day pulling on a big yellowtail.  We all grabbed our 30-to-40-pound outfits and cast out a squid.  We all got bit.  I was using my 12T spooled with 40-pound fluorocarbon.  My fish made a 100 yard run straight offshore, stopped then repeated the action twice more exactly like a black seabass does.  I just hung onto my rod and occasionally got a wind on my reel, then the fish would run a shorter distance each time now. 

I usually hand off my blacks to a crew member to let them break it off but everyone was busy either pulling on a fish, gaffing a fish or trying to get Jeff’s fish off John’s anchor line.  Pulling on my fish was good exercise for me anyway.  Eventually my fish tired out and changed color from black to yellow.  It was just another 30-pound yellowtail like the other 5 lying on the deck.

 

By 7 am the bite was over.  Gary started looking around for more hungry fish.  We picked up a few calico bass releasing most of them keeping just enough for 1 meal each.  Around 1 pm we started towards home looking for schools of fish while we processed the fish in the hold.

 

Another great (although unusual) trip in the books with my fishing family.  Thanks to everyone for everything you do and all the help you give me.  Of course Gary and Jake are the best at what they do and such great attitudes no matter what the fishing gods throw at them.  And Cathy - you know how special I think you are.  Once again, thanks for your generosity.

 

 

 

 

The Perfect Trip aboard the Rail Time

Date:  August 26 -28, 2025

Anglers:  Cathy Needleman, Jeff and Steve Chuang, Jim Carlisle and Jan Howard

Boat and Crew:  Rail Time owned and operated by Captain Gary Adams and second Captain Jake.

Trip:  Two days fishing San Clemente Island and offshore.

Fish Catch:  5 Bluefin Tuna 130 to 220 pounds, 5 Halibut, 9 Yellowtail 20 to 30 pounds, 1 White Seabass, 1 Calico Bass

Trip Details: 

Anglers and Captains were all on board when the Rail Time departed its slip at 6 pm August 26^th.  A quick stop at the bait receiver for both sardines and squid.  We were off to a great start. 

Gary advised we set up 40-pound dropper loops for fishing seabass at San Clemente Island in the morning.  After that, we would go offshore looking for bluefin tuna to catch. 

After we got our tackle set up, our Sushi Chef Steve served up an 8 course Omakase dinner in honor of Cathy’s 70^th birthday.  What a fabulous way to start a trip.  Every piece of sushi was special and delicious.  Thanks so much Steve for sharing your talent with us.

 

After dinner, we lit the candles on Cathy’s birthday cake and enjoyed dessert as the sun dropped beyond the horizon.

 

I hit the bunk early (as usual) but awoke when we got to Catalina and I heard Gary and Jake making flyers.  They were able to get all we needed in less than 30 minutes, so Gary took us to Clemente and found a quiet cove and anchored on a squid nest.  With squid floating around the boat, they couldn’t pass up the opportunity to top off the squid tank.

At 5 am the next morning I was awakened when Jeff ran past my bunk saying he heard a reel go off.  By the time I got up, Jeff had landed a nice yellowtail.  We all managed to get to the rail in short order but we couldn’t entice another bite.

At 8:30 am, Gary said to put away the island gear and set up our bluefin tackle.  We needed a 60-pound sinker rig for sardines or squid and the 130 pound gear for flyers on the helium balloon or flylined.

Gary put us on a school of bigger bluefin around 9:30 am.  Jim hooked up on a flylined flyer right away and landed his bluefin after a 40-minute battle around the boat.  Jeff hooked up about 10 minutes after Jim but he was on the helium balloon. Then Cathy's flylined flyer got bit.  Jeff tamed his fish in 40 minutes, however, Cathy’s fish was not as kind to her making her battle the fish for 50 minutes.  It was worth it as she was rewarded with the biggest fish of the trip estimated at 220 pounds.  Definitely the birthday gift we wished for her.  Way to go Cathy!!

 

After a couple of short bites on the balloon and a big fish that spun my reel faster than any fish I’ve seen and shattered the fluoro leader in the process, I caved and used one of Gary’s rods to land a fish of my own thanks to Jake’s help.  

As soon as I landed my fish, Cathy caught a second bluefin.  At this point, we had all the tuna we wanted and opted to go back to the island to fish for yellows and seabass.

We searched around the island for fish that wanted to bite without success.  We ended up anchoring in a nice cove for dinner and readied tackle for day two.  We enjoyed a BBQ chicken and rib dinner, courtesy of Cathy, before calling it a night.  Jake and Gary made quick work replenishing the tanks with fresh squid while we had dinner.

5:10 Thursday morning I awoke to Gary’s voice telling us the fish are biting and we needed to get to the rail.  I think Cathy hooked up first and I may have been second but I’m not sure.  At any rate, the bite was fast and furious and all over by 6:30 am.  We had 8 20–30-pound yellowtail and 1 seabass in the hold.  Cathy, Jeff and I landed 2 yellowtail each and Steve and Jim 1 apiece.  I caught the small seabass.

 

We headed to other spots along the island until Jeff put 3 halibut on the boat and Cathy and Jim each added another halibut making our count 5.  Steve caught and released a big mossback yellowtail and Jeff caught a trophy calico that he released. I picked up a nice calico that I kept. 

 

It was time to head home and process all the fish we caught.  We also needed to decide how much we wanted to take home.  I kept 2 whole yellowtail and one whole tuna for Shig to pick up at the landing.  The rest would be filleted. 

Jake cut all the fish while I put the filets in bags and Jim, Steve and Jeff sealed the bags.  Cathy helped label the bags.

 

We got back to dock at 5:30 pm.  Shig was waiting and helped me take my gear to the car.  Jake brought out all the bags of filets.  We each took a few bags with the rest going to Cathy’s local firehouse.

So what makes a perfect fishing trip?  The weather? The Captain, crew and boat?  Your fellow anglers?  The bait you have?  The species of fish you catch? The size of the fish you catch?  The variety of fish you catch? All anglers catching fish?  The positive attitude of everyone on board?  WE HAD IT ALL!

Thank you Cathy for the trip and everything you share with us.  Thank you Gary and Jake because without you guys none of this would be possible.  Thank you friends for allowing me to fish with you all and thanks to the fishing gods for their gifts this trip.