Catalina

[PaulC]

Hey guys,
I enjoy the reports up north, and don't often have one that I think may be of interest.
I thought you might enjoy this one. Water is real warm down here...more so than usual (around 73 degrees!).
Note how the anchovies look in the water in the bottom pick. No wonder tan back bugs work so well!
Guys are picking up yellowtail and dorado on bait, but we didn't hook up this time.

Woke up at 3am this morning to hop in the car and race down to Marina del Rey to head out with Jeff.
Our plan was to run over to PV and see what was happening a bit out from shore. We'd both heard good reports out there, so figured it was a good starting point.
We got on the water at 4:30 and raced over there to try and get some greylight action.
Unfortunately, there wasn't much going on at all. No birds, the occasional small paddy with noone home, etc.
We kept running futher and further out and finally said screw it and ran all the way out to Catalina.
We came around the west side and it was like night and day. Birds everywhere, bait and fish busting the surface.
We managed some nice bonita right upon arrival.
Those things have some tug for their size even on a 10wt.
Jeff's boga'd at 8 and mine might have been a bit bigger, but no boga on that one.
There were some yellowtail chasing smaller bonita but no takers for us today.
Jeff had two come out of the depths to chase a small bonita he had online.
Jeff nailed a nice cuda.
No dorado sightings on our end.
Kept moving around catching calicos and moving through one massive school of mackerel slamming anchovies driving some into the boat.
Took about an hour skipping along in Jeff's boat to end a 75+mile day.
Amazing how things can be so different on two sides of an island. Definitely a calm nice day on the water.
Here's some pics.
-Paul

Bait on the surface


Bonita Bendo


Paul and a bonita


Jeff and a bonita



Jeff and a Cuda


Mackerel (notice the bait they were chasing in lower left corner)

[Darian]

Wow!!! It's been a long time since I saw a Pacific Bonito as big as those. When I was in High School down there (circa 1957), we used to get some like that inside/outside of King Harbor. I t wasn't a marina yet; just had the breakwater. What a great place to fish.

Have you ever fished out of the Rocky Point shop in King Harbor They have fly fishing charter that targets Catalina and Albacore....

[PaulC]

Hey Darian,
I haven't tried those guys before. I'm sure they're busy now though.
We thought about running there for gas as we were a bit low due to our unplanned exursion.
Reports of dorado and yellowtail this far north isn't the norm by any means. Same deal with the big bonita.
That was my first trip out to Catalina. Looks like a cool island from a nature perspective. No parties, resorts, etc where we were at.
Loads of great drop off structure with upwelling for calicos, etc.
We were in a 17ft boat though, so conditions have to be good to make it out and back on a tank of gas.
Definitely skipping our way all the way home. Legs make great shock absorbers.
-Paul

[JerryInLodi]

Paul, that 17 may be a little small but when buying gas I bet you appreciate it. I just put 23 gallons in my boat yesterday and it came to over $100 at the marina pump. Gas, 3.99/9 a gallon. At 4mpg your run to catalina and back would have been $75, a buck a mile!

The current gas prices are definately going to put a crimp in my range!

[PaulC]

Hey Jerry,
My friend Jeff definitely has a nice little ride. Its a tri hull so its a bit more stable when casting.
Problem with the smaller boat is its light and tends to skip more.
That and a trip like that is only doable on real calm days.
Definitely feeling it a bit this morning despite the relatively calm seas.
He's stoked though as it fits in his garage and no storage fees.
Gas wise, I think we were averaging around 7-8mpg.
For inshore stuff down its its a great platform....going that far out you're at the mercy of the ocean and what kind of a beating you can take.
-Paul

[David Lee]

Dang , Paul !!!

This is really turning out to be YOUR year ! Makos , Big Bonito ........ I'll bet you get a big Yellowtail or WSB next

Good stuff !!

David

[PaulC]

Hey David,
I'm just trying to get in as much fishing as humanely possible before our boy arrives in the December timeframe.
Definitely stoked on that, but know fishing will take a serious backseat for a year or so.
I'll be tying away though as a substitute and will have to send you more bugs to try on your next trip.

BTW, those bonita were nailing a longer version of the sardina I sent you with a chartreuse back. That slinky fiber stuff held up to some serious chewing, although one of the eyes popped off.
You can see the bug basically right in the teeth of the fish.

Hey Darian- Forgot to mention. One of the bugs fished for a while was on a 600sp hook out of that same batch. Didn't start rusting on me right away. So my new theory is that they have a thin nickle coating to protect against rust and the occasional drag in the sand up north abraded it enough? Guess I'll have to run more tests, but the good news is they look like they can handle non-abrasive fishing in the salt.
Going to buy a pack when I get back from kauai and sand each one down with different grain sand paper, same number of strokes, soak and observe. I'll use some Gami hooks as a control.

-Paul

[Darian]

Verrrry Interesting,.... Keep me posted on the results of the test.

[Flyjunkie]

PAUL,

Those are Sweet Bonito Jeff and You got into... I gotta get out to the Islands ASAP..as those "Big Bonies" are always around the Islands during this time of year.. yet most folks don't bother with them much...

(Hey, If it's Bigger then the Kings Harbour Sized Bonito, I'm Game for it!!!)

You Leaving for Hawaii soon, ain't You????

Great Pictures and Glad to see you "Rippin' It Up" prior to the Blessed arrival of "Paul Junior".. those 2 am "wake Up" calls put a Damper on your fishing adventures..so I'm told...


DEAN ~

[Darian]

Hey Dean,.... Noticed a post on Gary Bulla's BB about a person who sounds a lot like you changing positions to manage The Fisherman's Spot in Van Nuys... iF that was you, congratulations and wishes for success are in order.

Dos "The Spot" have a website