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5 fish in 5 minutes!

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JimB517
Past Commodore

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USA
3285 Posts

Initially Posted - 09/12/2004 : 20:28:39

Great sailing / fishing day today! Light winds, boat speed usually 3.5 to 4.5 knots. I was sailing south in 185 feet of water just outside the Pt. Loma kelp when I saw lots of pelicans crashing into the water. For once, the action was downwind. I gybed over and managed to sail just by a bunch of pelicans sitting on the water. Bait fish were jumping out of the water in their midst with the bonita in hot pursuit. I managed to get the jigs trolled through the mass, and was instantly bit on both lines. I threw my iron jig into the fray and had 3 fish on. I caught and released 2, the other had managed to get the line around the rudder. I didn't want to lose a $10 lure so I brought this fish in by hand, then removed the lure, cut the line, and wound it back in. Retied the lure and back into the fray!

Back on course to follow the birds! Fisherman call this "run and gun". Its very hard to do in a sailboat. The idea is to get just ahead of where they are going. I managed to do it one more time, and got 2 more. All the bonies were about 2 to 4 lbs. These little guys really fight, even on my 30lb rigs. Blistering surface runs seem to be their hallmark. (Yellowtail like to dive and head to the kelp where they will saw you off, and tuna like to swim in big vertical circles and pull down like anchors).

The bird action headed out to sea, and I followed for several miles. I got one more fish on very deep (100 - 200 feet) yo-yoing my iron. But I lost him at the surface. I have no idea what he was. Most likely a bass.

No more fish, couldn't see any birds, I found myself about 6 or 7 miles offshore. Ate lunch while running downwind back home in light air, managed about 4 knots.

Back in the slip by 4 after a 6 1/2 hour great day at sea! Sea was a little choppy and a big but gentle 4 to 5 foot NW swell made an appearance from time to time. Sunny, and very warm (85 F) even at sea.

Indiscipline 1978 FK SR #398

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Gloss
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
1916 Posts

Response Posted - 09/12/2004 : 21:54:07

Awesome, Thanks for sharing this great story.
I'm still working on my kitchen renovation, and really appreciated it.
When I used to live in South Florida we didn't eat Bonito as they were infected with parasites. How about where you live, I assume it is on the west coast?

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JimB517
Past Commodore

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USA
3285 Posts

Response Posted - 09/12/2004 : 22:34:51

they are good to eat and parasites are rare on this coast. Bonies have to be bled and iced right away. I didn't have any ice so I let them go to get bigger.

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Ben - FL
Admiral

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880 Posts

Response Posted - 09/13/2004 : 02:51:24

Trying to thow a cast net off a sailboat is fun too! The shrimp are running here and I just had to try it. Since then I've been down to my brother's dock and learned to throw a ten foot (radius) net.

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RichardG
Admiral

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USA
990 Posts

Response Posted - 09/13/2004 : 12:05:22

The bonita are also pretty thick up here. I caught and released about 50 while anchored last weekend at Cat Harbor. I started with a small bonita feather on 15# spinning rig. I then switched to a Bonita Special on my fly rod (6# tippet, fast sink line) -- awesome fun!!!

Yesterday I went out locally for a few hours and released a couple dozen fish. Wind started light (2 - 3 kts boat speed), but trolling the fly produced almost constant bonita action. The wind picked up pretty good later. Great day!

Anyone know if there is such a thing as a clamp-on rodholder for a flyrod?

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Scotd
Navigator

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USA
136 Posts

Response Posted - 09/13/2004 : 12:33:56

What no pictures of the Fish??????

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SteveG
1st Mate

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51 Posts

Response Posted - 09/13/2004 : 13:07:45

Hey Scot, I see you're from Rapid City, I used to live in Sturgis. Still have family out there, so I visit once in a while. Where do you go to sail?

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Charlie Vick
Captain

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USA
423 Posts

Response Posted - 09/13/2004 : 14:10:42

Not off the boat but caught from the dock.

Would have been a good meal but I tossed him back to get a little bigger.

CVick
PanaceaII '81 C25 #2439 SRSK

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JimB517
Past Commodore

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USA
3285 Posts

Response Posted - 09/13/2004 : 16:16:09

no pictures....we are waiting for our new digital camera. I lost the old one on our summer cruise.

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Notice: The advice given on this site is based upon individual or quoted experience, yours may differ.
The Officers, Staff and members of this site only provide information based upon the concept that anyone utilizing this information does so at their own risk and holds harmless all contributors to this site.