The PCS Blogosphere
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2010 was a rather interesting year. Attending the MLPA meetings was totally depressing. The ominous reality that well backed special-interest groups can impose unnecessary closures on such a large scale makes my stomach turn. The tuna and yellowtail didn't want to play. It was the least productive halibut year I've experienced since I started bounceballing 20 years ago. But my mother-in-law had a banner year of smack highlighted by asking "Rick, are you ever going to catch another halibut?" smiling all the while. The fish are not gone; it’s just Mother Nature's cycle. I did enjoy many great days on the water with my friends though. It's not all about catching fish.
My last two trips out before the never-ending rain were memorable in different ways. I enjoyed a gorgeous early December day with my friend Greg, who introduced me to saltwater private boat fishing many years ago. I was pretty much his deckhand and loved every minute of it, while learning the ropes. We don't fish much together anymore. So we started pounding sand in the morning, hoping for one good biter, and got it a few hours later. She went 23 lbs, the biggest halibut captured for the year. The day was filled with many smiles and laughs as we recounted our numerous adventures together. I guess the smile says it all!
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My last two trips out before the never-ending rain were memorable in different ways. I enjoyed a gorgeous early December day with my friend Greg, who introduced me to saltwater private boat fishing many years ago. I was pretty much his deckhand and loved every minute of it, while learning the ropes. We don't fish much together anymore. So we started pounding sand in the morning, hoping for one good biter, and got it a few hours later. She went 23 lbs, the biggest halibut captured for the year. The day was filled with many smiles and laughs as we recounted our numerous adventures together. I guess the smile says it all!
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Halibut and Halloween
In our household, fall evokes differing passions for wifey and I. Being the knuckle-dragger of the lot, it means time to get out and bounce-ball for halibut. The weather is often great, and the flatties like to chew. Wifey has other ideas however. Fall means making the trek to her mom's modest rental cottage on Great Guana Cay in the Abacos, about 180 miles east of Miami, and dressing up for some Halloween fun. Each of the three local bars throws a party on successive nights. Everyone goes all out with costumes and such on this tiny Bahamas Cay. The water is warm, gin clear gorgeous, and big wahoo prowl the drop offs just minutes away through the cuts on the Atlantic side. It's not so bad.
Before our trip, I managed to get out for a few bounce-balling sessions off Carlsbad in early October, with modest success. We enjoyed a few one-fish days, highlighted by 4 nice fish in the box on another. The fish were holding tight to the structure just outside the kelp line in 68 feet of water. The last few years they seemed to aggregate near the rock piles outside a bit in 80 feet or so. Every year is different.
In our household, fall evokes differing passions for wifey and I. Being the knuckle-dragger of the lot, it means time to get out and bounce-ball for halibut. The weather is often great, and the flatties like to chew. Wifey has other ideas however. Fall means making the trek to her mom's modest rental cottage on Great Guana Cay in the Abacos, about 180 miles east of Miami, and dressing up for some Halloween fun. Each of the three local bars throws a party on successive nights. Everyone goes all out with costumes and such on this tiny Bahamas Cay. The water is warm, gin clear gorgeous, and big wahoo prowl the drop offs just minutes away through the cuts on the Atlantic side. It's not so bad.
Before our trip, I managed to get out for a few bounce-balling sessions off Carlsbad in early October, with modest success. We enjoyed a few one-fish days, highlighted by 4 nice fish in the box on another. The fish were holding tight to the structure just outside the kelp line in 68 feet of water. The last few years they seemed to aggregate near the rock piles outside a bit in 80 feet or so. Every year is different.
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Lucky and Fortunate
A fortunate man has many good friends to spend time on the water with. A lucky man also has good friends with nice boats! Such was the case recently when invited for a long boy's weekend with Larry Marble on his sweet Sportcraft Dawn Patrol II with Jeff Cozzolino. The armada also included Dave Peter's Teaser crew, with Herbert Presley and his son Dustin, visiting from Texas. Dustin loves to fish. He's good at it too, wanting badly to capture his first tuna. That just wasn't in the cards but the weather forecast was great.
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A fortunate man has many good friends to spend time on the water with. A lucky man also has good friends with nice boats! Such was the case recently when invited for a long boy's weekend with Larry Marble on his sweet Sportcraft Dawn Patrol II with Jeff Cozzolino. The armada also included Dave Peter's Teaser crew, with Herbert Presley and his son Dustin, visiting from Texas. Dustin loves to fish. He's good at it too, wanting badly to capture his first tuna. That just wasn't in the cards but the weather forecast was great.
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Swaging
Now that the offshore season is upon us, folks are getting prepared for the chase. The quiver of assorted lures is spread out all over the place as leaders, hooks, and chaff gear is replaced. Heaps of knots are tied in the process. You know the drill.
I did it this way for many years before learning how to swag connections (many call it crimping too). Initially it can be intimidating trying to sort through the myriad of sleeve sizes, tools and such. Truth be told, with just a few inexpensive parts and simple techniques, anyone can quickly and easily create professional quality rigging.
Here's all you need to rig 40lb – 150lb monofilament or fluorocarbon:
• A pair of hand swagers
• 3 sizes of aluminum sleeves in .8mm (40-60lb), 1.2mm (80-100lb) and 1.5mm (125-150lb)
• Surgical tubing with a 1/16" inner diameter, 1/8" outer diameter, and 1/32" walls
• A lighter
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Now that the offshore season is upon us, folks are getting prepared for the chase. The quiver of assorted lures is spread out all over the place as leaders, hooks, and chaff gear is replaced. Heaps of knots are tied in the process. You know the drill.
I did it this way for many years before learning how to swag connections (many call it crimping too). Initially it can be intimidating trying to sort through the myriad of sleeve sizes, tools and such. Truth be told, with just a few inexpensive parts and simple techniques, anyone can quickly and easily create professional quality rigging.
Here's all you need to rig 40lb – 150lb monofilament or fluorocarbon:
• A pair of hand swagers
• 3 sizes of aluminum sleeves in .8mm (40-60lb), 1.2mm (80-100lb) and 1.5mm (125-150lb)
• Surgical tubing with a 1/16" inner diameter, 1/8" outer diameter, and 1/32" walls
• A lighter
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Halibut fishing here off the Southern California coast has been slow for most lately. A few nice fish have been reported. I've pounded sand bounce balling in depths from 30 to 110 feet from Carlsbad to Laguna for no joy. Other experienced and successful flattie fishermen have met the same fate. Perhaps it's a pre-spawn lockjaw funk. Maybe the fish moved. Only they really know.
These are some of the fish we've caught in April in the last two years:
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These are some of the fish we've caught in April in the last two years:
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When the Weather Breaks
Flattie fishing has been decent when the weather breaks. My friend Herbert took some folks visiting from Illinois out recently. They bounce-balled for a bit out of Dana Point in rough conditions for one good biter. She was full of it, taking them deep into the kelp twice. The spectra mainline got her out after many tense moments. When all was said and done, a fine 27-lb flattie hit the deck.
Flattie fishing has been decent when the weather breaks. My friend Herbert took some folks visiting from Illinois out recently. They bounce-balled for a bit out of Dana Point in rough conditions for one good biter. She was full of it, taking them deep into the kelp twice. The spectra mainline got her out after many tense moments. When all was said and done, a fine 27-lb flattie hit the deck.
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Enjoying a Day on the Water with Friends Is Priceless
Halibut fishing has been a decent pick lately for us on eight- to twelve-pound fish, although I have not been out much. Last year we really got into them good in December and January with many 30-lb-class fish. Every year seems to be different. There’s no substitute for time on the water to find a bite pattern. Bounce-balling is great for this given the amount of sand you can cover since it’s essentially slow trolling the bottom.
Halibut fishing has been a decent pick lately for us on eight- to twelve-pound fish, although I have not been out much. Last year we really got into them good in December and January with many 30-lb-class fish. Every year seems to be different. There’s no substitute for time on the water to find a bite pattern. Bounce-balling is great for this given the amount of sand you can cover since it’s essentially slow trolling the bottom.
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MLPA, Flattie Fishing
I’m sitting here in shock this morning trying to digest what just happened, after the MLPA "Blue Ribbon" task force completed their "landmark" railroading job on us "consumptives." Not that it's unexpected.
I’m sitting here in shock this morning trying to digest what just happened, after the MLPA "Blue Ribbon" task force completed their "landmark" railroading job on us "consumptives." Not that it's unexpected.
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Oct 21 MLPA meetings
I had the distinct pleasure of attending the recent Oct 21 MLPA meetings in Long Beach. There was a great turn out of similarly concerned folks wearing black shirts in support of Proposition 2. This was our last opportunity to voice concerns before the Blue Ribbon panel chose which proposal would be recommended to the DFG. Hopefully extreme closures proposed by Proposition 3 (and their deep pockets) whose supporters wore blue shirts, could be prevented.
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I had the distinct pleasure of attending the recent Oct 21 MLPA meetings in Long Beach. There was a great turn out of similarly concerned folks wearing black shirts in support of Proposition 2. This was our last opportunity to voice concerns before the Blue Ribbon panel chose which proposal would be recommended to the DFG. Hopefully extreme closures proposed by Proposition 3 (and their deep pockets) whose supporters wore blue shirts, could be prevented.
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Maybe someday I’ll get one like this
Fall is in the air here in Southern California. Cool, crisp evenings are a welcomed change of pace. Summer crowds have thinned. And the big halibut have started to chew, like they most always do this time of year. I love fall flattie fishing.
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Fall is in the air here in Southern California. Cool, crisp evenings are a welcomed change of pace. Summer crowds have thinned. And the big halibut have started to chew, like they most always do this time of year. I love fall flattie fishing.
Read More...
