BY KENJI NAKAGAWA
As the autumn offshore season begins winding down most San Diego sport boats sometimes discover themselves fishing the banks west of Santa Clemente Island in hopes of scratching out a number of remaining bluefin tuna. However this fall could be the exception because the emergence of high quality yellowfin tuna in southern waters could shut out the season in a BIG method!
On October 24, I hosted a Phenix Rods-sponsored journey aboard the Aztec out of Seaforth Touchdown. The journey was scheduled for 2 days, however Captain Justin Ryan made the choice to forgo the banks and as a substitute run far south to get in on the yellowfin motion, reported over the earlier days. With the mass of fish positioned 125 miles under the border, the boat wouldn’t arrive on the fishing grounds till 9 am the next morning.
After working all through the evening, we arrived within the zone round 9:30 am, and the crew set out 4 troll rods. Inside minutes, Captain Justin noticed some dolphins a number of miles forward. Because the boat made a cross by way of the pod, two troll rods connected and a pair fortunate anglers reeled in twin 50-lb. yellowfin. The opposite anglers fished dwell sardines for a couple of minutes, however the tuna didn’t react. So, again on the troll we go.
Lastly, round 12:30 p.m., Justin stops on a sonar college and tells the deckhands to throw the chum heavy. “That is the one we’ve been in search of!” As flyline sardines start to be deployed, cries of “Contemporary One!” echo up and down the rail.
These weren’t your common school-sized yellowfin that the majority short-range boats are accustomed to. The anglers, who have been now connected, have been in for some backbreaking battles with these bruiser yellowfins. Most anglers have been fishing with 40-pound take a look at leaders and small measurement 1 to 1/0 circle hooks, which is about as gentle of sort out we may get away with on these 50- to 90-pound fish. After some 30– to 40-minute fights, the tuna lastly began coming over the rail.
I used to be fortunate sufficient to get a pair bites myself. The primary fish was misplaced to a pulled hook and one other that bit by way of my 40-pound fluorocarbon chief. After retying and regrouping, I despatched a contemporary sardine out and was bit once more after a brief soak. The fish made a blistering preliminary run, then lastly settled down after taking ¾ of my spool. After a number of journeys across the boat and weaving my method round others with fish hanging, the fish got here to paint. The deckhands made an ideal gaff shot and a pleasant 80-lb. yellowfin was welcomed aboard the Aztec!
We drifted with the varsity for the rest of the afternoon and continued to hook fish right here and there. The chew by no means went large open, however we continuously had 2 to three fish hanging all through the day.
Proper earlier than the solar set, ten-year-old Jake Schexnayder, who was on his first in a single day tuna journey, pinned on a jumbo sardine and despatched it into the abyss. Out of the nook of my eye I see Jake whisper, “I believe I’m bit,” and as he pushed the reel into gear, the rod goes full ‘bendo,’ and he’s pinned to the rail. The remainder of the boat erupts into cheers, and everyone seems to be rooting for Jake to land his first ever tuna. Jake and his dad Brian take activates the massive fish for 45 minutes, then the battle involves a stalemate. Deckhand Nick takes a activate the rod and after one other 45 minutes of forwards and backwards, the fish is lastly at shade. The large tuna lastly involves gaff and requires a second to be hoisted over the rail. To everybody’s shock the fish seems to be a 100-pound Bluefin! A real trophy and a terrific ending to younger Jake’s first offshore journey. If the child wasn’t already hooked on fishing, I’m positive he’s now.
At this level we’ve got fished effectively previous our sundown deadline and are actually 160 miles away from San Diego. Captain Justin stated, ‘We might want to make our method north in the course of the evening and can strive a number of drifts for backside fish tomorrow morning.”
On Day 2, many of the anglers elected to sleep in after some robust battles with yesterday’s massive yellowfin, however the boat stopped on a excessive spot and made a number of drifts for high quality reds and different backside critters. By 11:30 a.m. everybody’s sacks are stuffed with rockfish, so Justin pointed the Aztec in the direction of the barn, and we start one other 7-hour run again in.
Again on the dock, Justin came visiting the PA and gave us one final message: “In all my years of fishing, yesterday was nothing in need of spectacular. That needed to be a few of the greatest yellowfin I’ve ever seen domestically.”
It was an absolute deal with to have the ability to fish this huge grade yellowfin, particularly this late within the season. It was additionally an ideal sendoff journey for Captain Justin Ryan, as he’s headed again dwelling to Puerto Vallarta MX to begin his fall season working the El Pescador Sportfishing. Huge because of the Aztec crew and Phenix rods for placing on such a terrific journey!
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