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PaulC
06-27-2006, 11:02 AM
Hey Guys,
Here's a cut and past from my post on the bulla board. I was playing host to a steelhead/trout/striper buddy from the bay area this past 5 days.
He had 7 new species on the fly and is probably ruined forever. lol.
Here's the mako report. I'll post a corbina report next.


To round out exposure to the saltwater species down here, I decided to take Brendon on a Mako trip in San Diego with Capt. Dave of Bowman Bluewater.
We showed up and the wind was already up and things looked really sloppy.
Dave gave us an option to back out, but there was no way we were not going to at least give it a shot.
We loaded up the boat with smaller rods for inshore and used the guides 16wt for the sharks.
He had a really nice 25ft boat that made the ride in rough water a bit wet but manageable.
After cruising to his spot, we set up a slick and essentially sat and waited while the boat drifted.
Luckily, the wind died down for us and the rocking of the boat was a bit more manageable.
45 minutes later the first Mako and a small blue showed up.
Soon later a couple more Makos showed up.
The routine was basically bait and switch using Mackerel teasers.
Shark chases the teaser and its pulled with a large 6/0 fly thrown in its place.
I hooked the first one which just ran on me...no jumping or walking.
It took a while to land on a smaller 13 wt. We boated that fish and brendon was up.
A 150lb fish was milling around, so that was next on the 16wt.
Brendon hooked that guy also and he too just ran...no jumping. Took a while to get that guy to the boat.
The next 10 fish or so were various scenarios of jumpers going totally nuts and were almost impossible to keep on.
One ran right at the boat tail walking into the side of the boat.
Brendon totally had the fish under control and then total mahem ensued.
We actually have video where everyone is scattering when the fish ran straight at us halfway out of the water.
Another flipped on the line breaking off in the 80lb butt section.
Others would pop off right after the take and running right at you.
The last one was a 225 lber that was milling around the boat for about 3 hours periodically chomping on the boat.
I missed two takes where he threw the fly.
The third take was the money take right in the corner of the mouth.
2 tailwalks and 3 double backflips later, he was off.
We actually got some excellent video footage of this stuff which i'll be compiling all day. Takes...missed takes, etc.
Description by words and pictures doesn't do the fish justice.
Sight casting to these beasts milling around was unbelievable.
It was hard to fight intuition to set early when you see the mouth open up.
Also fun with mackerel busting anchovies and squid at the surface.
Catching bait on the 9wt rod was fun.
Brendon also caught one of the blue sharks to get him away from the boat
.
Dave was saying this was his best day so far this season.
I think we just lucked out and used some of our good karma up on this one.
Here's a few pictures....I'll see about getting this video online.
We have quite a bit of it and i'm a novice editor so I imagine it will take me till the evening to compile it in a reduced format.
Overall this trip was a good one I think. Total of 7 new species on the fly for my friend and he's now way stoked on saltwater.
-Paul

Mako Release
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v715/Cronin/bmako1.jpg

Brendon on one
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v715/Cronin/bon2.jpg

MBGS (Mako Be Good Stick)
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v715/Cronin/brendon_MBGS.jpg

Getting Hungry
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v715/Cronin/Mako_swim2.jpg

Darian
06-27-2006, 12:49 PM
Hey Paul,.... Great trip.!!! I sure want to see more of your photo's. What a bunch of brutes!!!.... :D :D :D

PaulC
06-27-2006, 01:02 PM
Hey Darian,
Definitely a fun fish on the flyrod. I think my buddy is ruined now with saltwater madness. I am wading through alot of video but we have some really cool clips of takes, runs, jumps, the whole deal. Hopefully will have something up on the bulla board tonight. I'll post a link when we do. Photos just don't do those fish justice. The video of the 225 lber doing 3 double backflips is amazing. Didn't get it to the boat but just seeing that was worth the price of admission. lol.
-Paul

Hairstacker
06-27-2006, 02:10 PM
Kind of puts a different perspective on fly fishing for bluegills. . . . :lol:

Katz
06-27-2006, 03:17 PM
Can you post some info on the Guide service you used, or a link. I have family in SD and would love to try to set something up with the Mako.

Is there a specific time of summer that is better than others?

I used to work on an overnight Albicore boat down there and the sharks bugged us all summer.

Thanks for any info.

Kraig

Katz
06-27-2006, 04:00 PM
I found their webpage. Bowman Bluewater...... Not too tough!

Kraig

PaulC
06-27-2006, 04:02 PM
Hey Kraig,
We went out with Dave Trimble of Bowman Bluewaters.
Good guy, nice boat/rods/reels/flies. I don't think out experience out there was the norm, but even one of those beasts is a blast.
http://www.bowmanbluewater.com/info.htm
They have links that show when a certain species is going off.
-Paul

Katz
06-27-2006, 04:15 PM
Thanks!!

Man, I want some of that action! :evil:

Kraig

stonefish
06-27-2006, 08:16 PM
Great report and thanks for sharing. I hope you can post some of that video here.
Brian

JerryInLodi
06-27-2006, 08:23 PM
I'm assuming that the fly fishing equipment belonged to the guide. I don't know too many people who have a 16 weight in the closet. Great trip. Awesome report. Videos please!

PaulC
06-27-2006, 09:27 PM
Hey Jerry,
I have no need for a 16wt at the moment. That was the guide's rig.
Man was that thing a broomstick, but still loaded reasonable on the cast.
Here's a video truncated down in a lower resolution version.
Definitely a cool fish. Hope you guys enjoy the movie.
I can only hope I can give back some of the entertainment your posts have given me in the lab the last couple weeks. Tight lines out there man.
http://www.garybulla.com/vids/Mako_lowres.wmv
Cheers,
Paul

flygolf
06-27-2006, 10:38 PM
Awesome video!

Hairstacker
06-27-2006, 11:26 PM
Yep, I agree, that is a GREAT video! Loved watching the acrobatics on that big one. Was also cool to note how fast it made distance from the boat. :shock:

JerryInLodi
06-28-2006, 01:43 AM
That... It... AWESOME!!!!!!!!! I swear I did not know that sharks could fly.

stonefish
06-28-2006, 08:32 PM
Paul,
Excellent video footage. That looks like a blast. Thanks for sharing.
Brian

SteelieD
06-28-2006, 10:25 PM
That is too cool. Thanks!!!

PaulC
06-29-2006, 08:10 PM
Glad you guys enjoyed it. I'm glad I can contribute back as I get alot of enjoyment of the reports you guys put up from northern CA.
Definitely fun to look back on a video as opposed to the usual grip n grin pictures. We were lucky to get such a good shot on that last run as we missed a few good ones on smaller guys prior to that. Things just happen so fast.
-Paul