The PCS Blogosphere
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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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Big Mistake!
Question:
I hope someone can help! I tried to clean the reel and ran into some problems and wound up taking it apart! Big mistake.
I've cleaned some reels in the past but never took them apart. And this one was very complicated. I think the pinion is stuck to the spool rod? Is this possible? And/or if I can't do this myself, who can? Any assistance would be greatly appreciated, as I am about to pull out my last remaining hairs!
Answer: OK, here's what you do...
Question:
I hope someone can help! I tried to clean the reel and ran into some problems and wound up taking it apart! Big mistake.
I've cleaned some reels in the past but never took them apart. And this one was very complicated. I think the pinion is stuck to the spool rod? Is this possible? And/or if I can't do this myself, who can? Any assistance would be greatly appreciated, as I am about to pull out my last remaining hairs!
Answer: OK, here's what you do...
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Getting Ready!
Although we fish offshore year-round here in central Japan, due to the warm Japanese Current, many make the most out of the "summer" season's variety of offshore fish. Our season has gotten off to a slow start due to cooler-than-normal water temperatures in my area. Depending on how far offshore you go, the water temperature is hovering around the 20 degree C (68F) range. Typically, the middle of June sees 21 to 23 (70 to 73.4 F) water temperatures.
I had a half day to kill, so I drove down to Wakayama Prefecture to talk with the commercial fisherman.
Although we fish offshore year-round here in central Japan, due to the warm Japanese Current, many make the most out of the "summer" season's variety of offshore fish. Our season has gotten off to a slow start due to cooler-than-normal water temperatures in my area. Depending on how far offshore you go, the water temperature is hovering around the 20 degree C (68F) range. Typically, the middle of June sees 21 to 23 (70 to 73.4 F) water temperatures.
I had a half day to kill, so I drove down to Wakayama Prefecture to talk with the commercial fisherman.
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Pacific Coast Sportfishing Festival
Our big Sportfishing Festival is right around the corner, June 11 and 12 at the Orange County Fairgrounds. We hope you're as excited as we are. It's perfect timing, right as our season is going to be making the big turn and starting to really shape up. And now that the season is upon us, it’s time to get your tackle in order and get ready because the fish will show up whether you're ready or not. And the festival is the perfect place to make it happen.
Our big Sportfishing Festival is right around the corner, June 11 and 12 at the Orange County Fairgrounds. We hope you're as excited as we are. It's perfect timing, right as our season is going to be making the big turn and starting to really shape up. And now that the season is upon us, it’s time to get your tackle in order and get ready because the fish will show up whether you're ready or not. And the festival is the perfect place to make it happen.
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Salmon Fishing in Northern California
It caught most of us by surprise. Even when we were told that it was actually going to happen, I think many did not believe it. We could actually go salmon fishing again (thanks, Darryl!). It had been so long that many of us had forgotten how. There was so much to do and there was so little time. Boats needed full systems checks, downriggers needed to be rerigged, reels had to be respooled, and leaders had to be retied. And yes, much of that did not happen. We had not been salmon fishing the previous two seasons! Old salmon gear was pulled out, dusted off and thrown onto the boat with the expectation that it would work just fine. For many skippers on opening day, if it could go wrong, it did go wrong.
It caught most of us by surprise. Even when we were told that it was actually going to happen, I think many did not believe it. We could actually go salmon fishing again (thanks, Darryl!). It had been so long that many of us had forgotten how. There was so much to do and there was so little time. Boats needed full systems checks, downriggers needed to be rerigged, reels had to be respooled, and leaders had to be retied. And yes, much of that did not happen. We had not been salmon fishing the previous two seasons! Old salmon gear was pulled out, dusted off and thrown onto the boat with the expectation that it would work just fine. For many skippers on opening day, if it could go wrong, it did go wrong.
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Salmon have moved in south of Point Conception.
Water conditions combined activity in the low end of the food chain to create the right conditions for the chromium fish. Fifteen to twenty pound fish are being caught near Santa Barbara. As the weather improves this week (offshore breezes are forecast) boaters will get back out on the water with high hopes for a decent season.
Water conditions combined activity in the low end of the food chain to create the right conditions for the chromium fish. Fifteen to twenty pound fish are being caught near Santa Barbara. As the weather improves this week (offshore breezes are forecast) boaters will get back out on the water with high hopes for a decent season.
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Sea of Japan Jigging
The weather outlook for our yellowtail trip out of Maezuru, on the Sea of Japan did not look good--6 to 10 foot swells, with plenty of wind, with heavy rain all day. We checked in with the captain of the "Korine" the night before at 7p.m., and he said it was a go, but to bring full slicker gear.
Only nine of us showed up at the boat, which can comfortably fish twenty anglers.
We boarded, and left the harbor at 22 knots, which quickly was reduced to 15, then to ten knots. We made it about halfway out to the 50-fathom pinnacles, when we started taking green water over the wheelhouse. The captain announced that we might have to turn back before we made the edge of the bank, but skillfully worked the throttles on the big twin screw Yanmars, so the ride was not that bad. All nine of us stayed in the lower salon area, and kept the heater on to stay warm.
The Sea of Japan side of Japan is much colder, and has much rougher sea conditions, on average, than the Pacific Ocean side.
My plan for the day was to use California style tackle--a 90 J with a Trinidad, loaded with spectra, topped off with a 50 lb. topshot of fluoro. I had brought some straight wind Salas, Tady, and Kicker jigs. Since last year, I have been using Unibutter (another similar product will work fine) on my yo yo iron, and butterfly jigs.
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The weather outlook for our yellowtail trip out of Maezuru, on the Sea of Japan did not look good--6 to 10 foot swells, with plenty of wind, with heavy rain all day. We checked in with the captain of the "Korine" the night before at 7p.m., and he said it was a go, but to bring full slicker gear.
Only nine of us showed up at the boat, which can comfortably fish twenty anglers.
We boarded, and left the harbor at 22 knots, which quickly was reduced to 15, then to ten knots. We made it about halfway out to the 50-fathom pinnacles, when we started taking green water over the wheelhouse. The captain announced that we might have to turn back before we made the edge of the bank, but skillfully worked the throttles on the big twin screw Yanmars, so the ride was not that bad. All nine of us stayed in the lower salon area, and kept the heater on to stay warm.
The Sea of Japan side of Japan is much colder, and has much rougher sea conditions, on average, than the Pacific Ocean side.
My plan for the day was to use California style tackle--a 90 J with a Trinidad, loaded with spectra, topped off with a 50 lb. topshot of fluoro. I had brought some straight wind Salas, Tady, and Kicker jigs. Since last year, I have been using Unibutter (another similar product will work fine) on my yo yo iron, and butterfly jigs.
Read More...
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Salmon Season Now Set
Well the tough two-meeting Pacific Fishery Management Council process finished last week and the salmon season is set, ending September 6. Fishing will be five-days-a-week South of Point Arena and a 24-inch size limit. North of Point Arena fishing will be open seven-days-a-week with a 24-inch size limit.
Well the tough two-meeting Pacific Fishery Management Council process finished last week and the salmon season is set, ending September 6. Fishing will be five-days-a-week South of Point Arena and a 24-inch size limit. North of Point Arena fishing will be open seven-days-a-week with a 24-inch size limit.
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Anatomy of a Japanese Jig Fisherman
Soon after I moved to Japan twenty years ago, I was invited to go "jig fishing" for Japanese yellowtail. Having grown up in Southern California, and later received my 100 ton Masters License and run sport boats, "jig fishing" to me was a 9 or 10 foot surface iron rod, and a yo yo iron workhorse, my favorite being a Truline D8. I showed up with these two rods, and a handful of 6X jigs, and a few surface iron.
The first thing I noticed when I boarded the boat was all the spinning reels, and really short (by California standards) rods. To make a long story short, the day passed with all on board catching a few yellowtail, even the "foreigner" with the long rods.
Since that day, I have studied the way the Japanese fish jigs, which is almost exclusively a vertical presentation. Some ask me which is better, the way we do it in California, or the "butterfly" method, as it has become known. I have seen it where I could not buy a strike on the traditional straight grind yo yo method, and vice versa. In the end, I think it is best to be versatile--have a lot of different arrows in your quiver.
Rather than show you my tackle, I went by a Japanese friend's house, and asked to borrow his gear, so I could photographs and explain it to you here.
Soon after I moved to Japan twenty years ago, I was invited to go "jig fishing" for Japanese yellowtail. Having grown up in Southern California, and later received my 100 ton Masters License and run sport boats, "jig fishing" to me was a 9 or 10 foot surface iron rod, and a yo yo iron workhorse, my favorite being a Truline D8. I showed up with these two rods, and a handful of 6X jigs, and a few surface iron.
The first thing I noticed when I boarded the boat was all the spinning reels, and really short (by California standards) rods. To make a long story short, the day passed with all on board catching a few yellowtail, even the "foreigner" with the long rods.
Since that day, I have studied the way the Japanese fish jigs, which is almost exclusively a vertical presentation. Some ask me which is better, the way we do it in California, or the "butterfly" method, as it has become known. I have seen it where I could not buy a strike on the traditional straight grind yo yo method, and vice versa. In the end, I think it is best to be versatile--have a lot of different arrows in your quiver.
Rather than show you my tackle, I went by a Japanese friend's house, and asked to borrow his gear, so I could photographs and explain it to you here.
Read More...
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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