by Shawn Arnold

The Eastern Sierra trout season starts the last Saturday in April (this year it’s April 30) and ends November 15 in Mono County and parts of Inyo County. A lot of people who fish the opener call Opening Day Fishmas. This weekend is like a holiday to them. That is how much they look forward to it. Some one once said to me about the opener, this is where kids go and hope they can be adults and adults go so they can get away and be a kid. I have been fishing the opener since 1977 and we have a group of 30 or so who come back each year. We lose a few and add a few but us die-hards (or nuts?) are always there. There are plenty of other groups just like us of 10, 20, even 30 people who make the trek each year.

As always I have no idea what to expect up there weather wise this year. The eastern sierra version of Mother Nature has a nasty curveball and throws it every year at the eastern sierra opener. If you think it is going to nice, it snows. If you think it is going to snow it is warm. I have seen it snow and be freezing on the opener and be 60 degrees on the next day. As of this magazine going to print I assume that with El Nino coming that a lot of lakes will be iced over and perhaps there will be ice fishing. But with the eastern sierras you just never know. Just come prepared for anything.

Lone Pine to Big Pine

When driving from southern California the first fishable area you will arrive at from Highway 395 is the town of Lone Pine. This is about 240 miles or so from Orange County. The last spot is Bridgeport, which is about 420 miles from Orange County. I would recommend you fill your tank with gas in southern California as the prices are better in southern California than in the eastern sierra. And as you are driving up there I recommend you fill up again at the Fort Independence Casino just past Independence. Their prices are usually 10 cents a gallon cheaper than any where else you will see in this region.

The Owens River in Lone Pine is more of a bass spot and the trout fishing really starts in Independence which can be excellent for bass in addition to trout. Try a night crawler in the Owens in the Independence area and you could end up with a bass or trout.

Diaz Lake is an 80 acre lake 3 miles south of Lone Pine that offers up trout, bluegill, catfish and bass in a rather sterile environment. I can say the restrooms have been clean every time I have stopped there and they have some nice picnic benches so it is worth a stop to take care of business if needed and relax there and throw out a line.
When you go up to the eastern sierra, if you have not done so in a while change the line on your reel. While I use two-pound test, you should have no more than 4 pound on your reel unless you are trolling. The fish can be quite line shy in the crystal- clear waters of the sierra. When using light line just make sure to tie a strong knot and take your time bringing in a big fish. If you catch a nice fish let it tire it self out. And if you catch a nice fish make sure to retie your knot afterwards.

In Big Pine there are some nice spots on the Owens River. What to use and how to use it depends on water flow and other variables. Just stop in a local tackle shop and get their advice. If you are looking for a nice place to have breakfast, lunch or dinner in Big Pine I highly recommend the Country Kitchen. It has a big yellow sign and is right on 395. It is run by Andre Nersesian and his brother. Andre is from southern California and is a well known trout fishermen.

Bishop Area

In the city of Bishop there are numerous good fishing spots. The Owens River is open year round for fishing as is Pleasant Valley Reservoir. And this year the Bishop Chamber of Commerce is buying some BIG fish to be planted before the Blake Jones tournament in February and March. All those fish will not be caught that weekend so there should be some 5 pound plus hold-overs into the summer. Not all bodies of water are open though. Make sure that it is legal to be fishing where you are fishing before you toss out a line. The state of California needs money and what better way to get it than giving a ticket to some guy fishing in the wrong area. Check with any of the tackle shops in town for what bodies of water are OK to fish. The local tackle shops are full of information, as they want you to catch fish so you will come back and keep their economy going. Reagan’s Sporting Goods on the main drag usually has a free bbq while supplies last on the Friday before the opener.

This year Western Outdoor News is putting on a fishing derby from Lone Pine to Bridgeport with Bishop being the main weigh station. The winner will win an aluminum boat according to the Bishop Visitors Bureau. Contact the Bishop Visitors Bureau for more information about the derby. There is a $20 entry fee to be eligible to win the boat and all of the other prizes in the contest.

When fishing the Owens I usually use mini-jigs in the cricket color and they usually work well. Also a Rooster Tail in the ¼ ounce size usually will get you some fish. I like to walk from spot to spot and am in constant movement. If I don’t get something in about 20 casts, it is on to the next spot. There is a lot of brush so you might have to walk 50 yards through some brush to the next spot. Some areas become a dead end so you might have to get back in your car and look for another opening along the dirt roads that take you through the valley. Just be careful on some of those roads. Common sense should dictate.

This past October I fished off Warm Springs Road with a nightcrawler and a #10 hook and a splitshot. I cast upstream and let it drift down and caught 10 small browns in an hour. Luckily they were all lip hooked and released to live and fight another day.

The lower Owens from Pleasant Valley Reservoir down stream to Five Bridges Road is a wild trout river. Check with a tackle shop like Reagan’s in Bishop for constantly changing regulations. Like I said earlier, you want to make sure you are fishing in the right place or you may end up with a ticket. The state does not do the best job of letting you know if you are fishing in a legal spot or not.

Fifteen miles above Bishop, at around 8500 feet elevation, the trout filled waters of Bishop Creek, Sabrina Lake, North Lake and South Lake all offer excellent possibilities. You can easily get to this region by making a turn in the middle of Bishop on West Line Street, which is also known as the 168. It used to be on opening weekend this region was usually snowed in. Last year it was not and was not advisable to ice fish. This year with El Nino my guess is that you will be able to but better safe than sorry. As this goes to print there is no way to know if that region will be safe for ice fishing. Your best bet is to call Jared Smith at Parcher’s Resort or the Bishop Visitor Bureau and ask them.
Intake 2 is always jam packed on opening day. There are usually some nice fish taken there on the opener.

During the summer and fall the Bishop Creek Canyon is a magnificent area to be in. The fall is really nice up there as the leaves start to change color and turn brilliant colors of orange and yellow. The fishing is usually very good. There are some nice backcountry lakes to hike to and fish at but be warned that you will be hiking at around 10,000 feet and you should give yourself a day or two to get acclimated to the elevation. For more information about backcountry hikes see Jared Smith at Parcher’s Resort booth at the Fred Hall show in Long Beach or Del Mar or read his book Fishin Trails or the soon to come out Fishin Trails 2.

Once you are in the Bishop Creek Canyon lodging options include Parcher’s Resort, Bishop Creek Lodge and Cardinal Village. All provide clean lodging and are very close to the excellent fishing up there. They are all 15 to 18 miles away from downtown Bishop and offer a nice change from the city down the mountain.

Bishop has numerous nice motels and most of them are geared for fishermen. My favorite is the Best Western Creekside Inn. The Creekside Inn has a real nice breakfast buffet and even though they are a bit pricier than most Bishop Hotels, those of you who like an upper end hotel will feel you got your moneys worth. The other Best Western is a good one too. Also the Holiday Inn is a nice place.

Restaurants are plentiful in Bishop. The real hidden gem if you like good food is the bowling alley. Great steaks and seafood (can you believe it?), very reasonable prices, full bar and the owners Tom and Jackie are just real good people. This is where the locals go. The ambiance is pretty casual but the food is good. For more info on the Bishop area call the Chamber of Commerce/Visitors Bureau at 888/ 395-3952.

As you work your way up route 395 from Bishop towards Bridgeport, lots of fishing spots await. About 15 miles past Bishop is Tom’s Place. Rock Creek Lake can have good fishing, but is usually iced over until the end of May. My guess is that will be the case this year.

Mammoth Lakes Area

Right before the City of Mammoth still traveling north on 395 is Hot Creek. It gets its name from the hot springs naturally heated waters. Fishing Hot Creek is strictly catch and release, barbless artificial. I am told that this is a world-class fly fishing destination. There is a lot of moss and weeds in the water so it is really not too easy if you are not fly-fishing.

About 23 miles past Bishop with a gradual climb up is Crowley Lake. Crowley is perhaps California’s most famous fishing lake. Its reputation is well deserved. If you fish there on the opener expect it to be cold. In fact if you fish anywhere in the sierra on the opener, expect it to be cold.

Dress in layers and make sure you have gloves and some warm socks. I always bring some hand and feet warmers too. I would much rather have the insurance of too much clothes and some warmers than to freeze my butt off. You can always take off clothes if you get warm. I am always amazed of anglers who make the 6-hour long drive on opening day and are not prepared. Let me warn you now. The chances of it being cold are better than it being warm. Bring warm clothes. I have been doing this since 1977. Last year it was 60 in June Lake a week before the opener. It was about 20 degrees on the opener. You can’t trust the weather up there. Just come prepared.

Crowley can be very crowded on opening day. In the old days they said you could walk across Crowley from boat to boat it was so crowded. Now days it has not been that crowded. Limits are usually the rule at Crowley on Opening day and through out the year. They have a big float-tube tournament in the fall and in the summer the Sacramento perch bite can be wide-open.

The lake has a marina with boat rentals, launching facilities and bait and tackle shops. For the latest information about Lake Crowley call the marina at 760/935-4301. Or check out their website at www.crowleylakefishcamp.com. The lake is 650 surface acres (on average).

A short drive past Crowley Lake is Convict Lake. It is located right off Highway 395 across from the Mammoth Airport and just minutes from the town of Mammoth. Convict Lake is a real eye catching gem. Don’t let its beauty fool you though. There is excellent fishing in this 168-acre lake. At just under a mile long and a half-mile wide, numerous spots can be fished from shore. This year they plan on pre-stocking the lake with some 3-5 pound fish and I was told that they have lots of hold over 4 plus pound trout from a stocking late last year. There will also be 23 tagged fish that combined will provide $1500 in cash and prizes and one lucky angler will win up to $500.
The resort has a renowned gourmet restaurant, deluxe cabins and houses for rent and a well stocked general store. More information can be found at www.convictlake.com.

The Mammoth Lakes area is only about seven miles past Convict Lake. There is NO lake called Mammoth Lake, it is just the name of the city. Even though it does provide some of the best skiing in the United States it is growing in popularity for its fishing. There are five lakes accessible by car in the Mammoth Lake area. The most popular is Twin Lakes, which are really three small lakes, joined together by a stream. Lake Mary, Horseshoe, George and Mamie are the other lakes.

All lakes can provide very good fishing but usually are frozen over until early-June. At press time it looked like they might be partially open to all the way open for the opener. Good for now but not for the long run. This area offers a wide array of lodging facilities. Hotels, motels, and condos are available. Numerous restaurants from fast food to gourmet add to the convenience. For lodging options check out www.mammothinfo.com. Mammoth a nice place to be in the summer too. Lots of fishing and hiking and there are enough nice restaurants and shopping to even keep the non fishing wives happy for 3 or 4 days. For more information about the mammoth area and things to do in all 4 seasons visit www.mammothinfo.com

June Lake Loop

About 18 miles past Mammoth lakes is the June Lake Loop my favorite eastern sierra destination. The June Lake loop consists of four lakes. You must get off 395 and onto highway 158. A short two-mile drive delivers you to the town of June Lake.

The four lakes are June, Gull, Silver and Grant Lake. The only city in the loop is June Lake. It offers 9 or 10 motels and 7 to 8 restaurants depending on the year. Fishing tackle and insider tips are available at Ernie’s Tackle. Ernie’s is well known, and is open most the night before opening day. They also put on the Monster Trout derby for the loop lakes on opening day. If you plan on visiting the June Lake loop contact Ernie’s at 760/648-7756.

The first building you see when you come into town is the Boulder Lodge, which overlooks the 320-acre June Lake. It is a popular lodge. For years I stayed at June Lake Pines Cottages on opening weekend. It is certainly not the Ritz but was OK for a couple of guys who want to fish and sleep. Problem is they got new owners who changed policy and gave my room away for the opener. And they were not very apologetic about it either. Well sometimes those things that you think are bad are a blessing as I rented a condo over looking June Lake for just a little more money. Much nicer with more amenities. I highly recommend to anyone looking to stay in June Lake to look for a condo. There are two marinas on June Lake to rent boats. Trolling is a very popular method on this lake. Shore fishing is available off route 158 (a real steep climb) and near the beach area.

Gull Lake is a short walk from June Lake. This is my location for fishing on opening day. I switched from Crowley over 30 years ago. This small lake offers up some big fish on a regular basis. Rainbow, brown and brook trout are available. If a boat is available it is better to rent a boat here, as a large percentage of shore space is inaccessible. My favorite spots include brookie hole, in front of the playground (which also offers good shore fishing) and the reeds. Both bait and lures work well. Over the years I have done best here with Thomas Buoyant, mini-jigs like Sierra Slammers,Trout Trap Stingers, Lip Ripperz, B-Line jigs and night crawlers. As the water warms in the summer you can catch Sacramento perch in it.

If you ever stay in June Lake be sure to eat at the Sierra Inn. The night before opening day they put on an excellent buffet and usually have live music. In the old days a big group of us would close the place down and go to bed at 2 A.M. just in time to wake up at 4 A.M. for the opener. Now that I am a little older and wiser my head hits the pillow by 10 PM.

Silver Lake is about two miles past Gull Lake. This scenic lake offers good shore fishing. There is a nice little restaurant there for breakfast and lunch. Rush Creek flows into Silver Lake from both sides. Rush Creek is always jammed with anglers fishing the many pools on it. Seems like each year there is always a big fish caught from this creek.

The creek then flows into Grant Lake, which is the least scenic of the four lakes in the region. However it provides the best opportunity for large brown trout. Inflated night crawlers or Fire Tiger Rapalas seem to catch a big brown every year here. Grant Lake is three times bigger than June, Gull, and Silver combined. While driving keep on route 158 and it runs into 395 again. Route 395 then goes to Lee Vining then twenty-five miles later to Bridgeport where there are numerous angling possibilities. The big body of water you see from Lee Vining is Mono Lake…sorry to say no fish in that lake.

Bridgeport Area

The largest brown trout ever landed in California was landed in Bridgeport’s upper Twin Lake. The monster weighed in at over 26 pounds. Large browns are caught ever year in Twin Lakes and Bridgeport Reservoir. Walker River produces some nice fish also. Usually the conditions are a little harsh in Bridgeport on opening weekend but the big browns seem to love it. Locals say the nastier the weather, the better your chance of catching a big brown.
Bridgeport has a few restaurants and motels along its main drag on Highway 395. Driving up Highway 395 and fishing its many spots makes for some great fun from late April to mid November. If you have not made the trip to the eastern sierra make plans now. In the summer this region makes for a great family vacation.

By Steve Carson

The 24 anglers aboard Captain Sam Patella’s “American Angler” out of Point Loma Sportfishing in San Diego knew that a strong El Nino was placing the fish in some less than usual locations. Anglers from SoCal, NorCal, Oregon, Washington, Florida, and even Hawaii journeyed to San Diego for what was to be a very interesting PENN Fishing University adventure.

WAHOO!!

As the American Angler headed south toward Alijos Rocks, Captain Patella investigated several areas that had been holding wahoo on previous trips. The first day after departure, the boat could coax up only a single wahoo from the vicinity of the Ranger Bank and San Benitos Islands. Continuing south to where the previous trip had scored well at Hippolito and the Richardson Bank, our group could only manage two of the wily skinnies, all on trolled marauders.
Upon arrival at Alijos Rocks on day 3, the crew immediately deployed the standard-issue wahoo trolling rigs; large marauders in orange/black, purple/black, and dorado colors. Besides rigging the trolling lures in the traditional manner on 275-pound wire cable, some of the marauders were rigged on 300-pound fluorocarbon. Despite plenty of effort, including trying a rainbow of lure colors, along with several different spread patterns and speeds, not a single wahoo was caught trolling during two full days at Alijos.

Knowing full well there were wahoo to be had, Captain Patella anchored up in one of his favorite spots as the anglers fanned out and tossed all of their favorite wahoo offerings. Almost immediately, Jeff Ingram of Oceanside hooked up on a black/red Tady 45, and landed a nice wahoo that would ultimately be the jackpot fish.

However, it became very apparent that although there were plenty of wahoo in the water, it was going to take “finesse” techniques to get them, and that means live bait. As with almost any gamefish species, selecting the absolute liveliest possible bait is the key to success. This is even more true with wahoo, which love to chase things.

Finesse was going to be called for, and although wahoo can be aggressive, they can also turn as finicky as brown trout. With perfect bait and presentation, getting a bite on 40-pound tackle was not too difficult, but dropping down to 30-pound was more productive, so long as drags are set properly, and anglers are able to keep up with a fish that can swim up or down the rail with astonishing speed.
Another tricky part of finesse wahoo fishing is the need for an 18-24 inch wire leader. Any longer, and the weight of the wire will restrict the bait’s ability to swim freely. Any shorter, and if the wahoo swallows your bait deeply, a bite-off can still occur. Best connection from wire to mono is via a black #4 Owner Solid Ring.

Regarding wire, many anglers find multi-strand wire easiest to work with, but single strand wire gets more bites, and the amazing new Terminator Titanium wire is even stealthier. Learning the Haywire Twist will get you operating with singlestrand, and the Perfection Loop is the way to go with Terminator Titanium.

A happy medium must be determined to discover the correct sire size for any given day. Too light, and wahoo’s razor sharp teeth will still cut through the wire, and too heavy will simply mean bites will be few and far between. Although at times anglers may resort to wire as light as 27-pound test for wahoo, on this trip they were biting through even the 40 and 44-pound stuff relatively quickly.

On this particular trip, 58-pound single-strand, or 50-pound Terminator Titanium struck the correct balance between bites and bite-offs. However, in a couple of instances, this writer dropped down to just 20-pound mono and 40-pound Terminator Titanium when the fish seemed to have lockjaw.

Next up is hook choice. Most of the time a #1/0 or #2/0 Owner Ringed Gorilla Hooks were the standard choice with live sardines, but when the fish get picky, lighter hooks are in order. A #2/0 or #3/0 Owner Gorilla Light Hook is less restrictive to the bait, and offers plenty of strength with typical 30-pound tackle, even if a stray tuna picks up the bait.

Anglers got bit via hooking their baits via the three most popular methods, nose hooking, shoulder hooking, or belly-hooking; personal preference being the determining factor. A huge mistake many anglers make occurs after what may feel like a “short bite” on live bait. The angler reels in to find exactly half the bait has been bitten off, as if by a razor blade.

Quite often the ‘hoo will zoom through at first, slicing the bait cleanly in half, then leisurely return to eat the other half of what it knows is a bait that cannot escape. The trick is to suppress the urge to reel in after a short zip, and to leave the bait out for another 20-30 seconds or so, which will frequently result in the fish coming back for what is left of the bait.

A final little trick when the wahoo appear to have vanished. Sometimes a couple of fish will be literally hiding directly under the boat, and the flylined sardines are heading way out past them. Using a 1 or 2-ounce egg sinker directly above the wire leader, simply drop a lively sardine overboard, letting it straight down. It is amazing how quickly the bite will occur as a fish comes from under the hull to grab the bait.
A handful of wahoo were also caught on traditional wahoo bombs, and a few anglers also managed to fool a couple of the surface iron, including chrome Sumo 7X, and a mint-color Tady 45, along with losing a number of good surface jigs to wahoo bite-offs. Final wahoo tally at Alijos was 42 the first day, and 32 the second day.

TUNA and YELLOWTAIL

The tuna and yellowtail were scattered due to strong El Nino currents, but a coastal spot at Canoas yielded a pretty good bite for most of a morning, and resulted in 85 quality-grade yellows hitting the deck. As is typical of Baja yellowtail, yo-yo iron was the best way to get them, with blue/white or scrambled egg color Sumo JR or Tady A2 jigs being among the favored choices.
In addition to the flurry of yellowtail found at Canoas, there was also a moderate pick at Cedros Island, but nothing like the torrid bites sometimes found at that locale. A couple of good-size tuna were hooked among the wahoo at Alijos, with an estimated 100-pounder lost at gaff, and a 46-pounder landed. In addition, a half-dozen schoolie-size yellowfin tuna were caught incidentally during each day of wahoo fishing.

BONUS SPECIES

The area around Alijos Rocks was teeming with striped marlin, and a few blue marlin. Although the group generally tried their best to avoid them, a number of stripers and at least two blues were hooked, although none were actually brought onboard the boat.
On the way down and the way back, all of the coastal spots held species that are familiar to SoCal anglers, but in sizes rarely seen in CA waters. Included in the catch, but usually released were: calico bass, some monster bonito, barracuda, skipjack tuna, dorado, sheephead, whitefish, black skipjack, lingcod, sand bass, and rockfish.

CREW

In addition to veteran skipper Sam Patella, the very experienced crew included deck technicians Andrew Viola, Dave Ibrahim, Justin Coffman, and Matt Pehkoff. Like a well-oiled machine, the deck crew was a blur, seemingly everywhere at once. Simultaneously they were gaffing fish, unraveling tangles, tying on hooks, and even baiting hooks; all the while keeping up a great attitude and an eagle eye to make sure every facet of fishing productivity was maximized.
Meanwhile the galley crew consisting of Chef Paul Cloutier and his assistant James Van Wormer kept us gaining weight every day, despite our burning tonnage of carbs running up and down the deck chasing fish. Three phenomenal meals a day, plus two substantial snacks made sure nobody ever went hungry.

FIELD TESTING

The anglers had a variety of PENN combos to try out that included the new Fathom 2-speeds in all five sizes. The little Fathom FTH15LD2’s were rigged up with 30-pound mono topshots over 40-pound Berkley Pro-Spec Braid, and handled just about all of the “finesse” flylining duties. The Fathom FTH25NLD2 and FTH30LD2 models were rigged up with 40-pound mono topshots over 50-pound Berkley Pro-Spec Braid, and were the “general purpose” setups. Wahoo jigging and yo-yo’ing for yellowtail were covered by Fathom FTH40NLD2’s, with 50-pound mono topshots over 65-pound Berkley Big-Game Braid, and the Fathom FTH60LD2’s were set up as trollers, with 80-pound mono topshots over 100-pound Berkley Big Game Braid.

GREAT EXPERIENCES

Ramon Cendejas of Los Angeles was a long range rookie when he left the dock, but he fished like a boss from the word go. “I caught 6 wahoo and 9 yellowtail, plus I hooked a marlin, along with some miscellaneous fish including a couple of very big bonito. The highlight of the trip was definitely catching my first wahoo and hooking my first marlin. I learned how to prep my lures for wahoo, and how to fish a wahoo bomb. “My goal on the next trip will be to just catch even more wahoo. The crew of the American Angler was very responsive to my needs, and I loved the variety of food. When I am at home, I mostly fish the Channel Islands, and also 1.5 day trips out of San Diego.”

Steve Goldblatt of San Diego had been on six long-range trips previous to this one, and also has a lifetime of experience fishing the San Diego local fleet. “I caught 5 wahoo, 3 yellowfin tuna, 5 yellowtail, and lots of miscellaneous fish, including the ‘three B’s’ in very large sizes. The highlight of the trip for me is always the camaraderie, plus I hooked at least 4 marlin including a huge blue marlin. I learned that it is very important to use good sun protection and stay hydrated, along with sneaking in a nap whenever you can. My goal on the next trip will be to catch a 100-pound tuna, and also to bring a loved one along. “The American Angler crew gives world class service; they are true professionals and very patient. I also think that the food is really great too. When I am at home, I fish the San Diego 1.5 day boats, in particular the Prowler, and also surf fish at South Coronado and Torrey Pines Beach. ”

JACKPOT WINNERS

Overall Jackpot winner was Jeff Ingram of Oceanside, for his 47.6 pound wahoo, which earned him a nice trophy. Ingram also earned a PENN Fathom 2-speed reel for his catch, which he graciously rolled forward to second place winner Steve Goldblatt for his 46.2 pound yellowfin tuna. Largest fish on a PENN demo reel was the 40.8 pound wahoo caught by Ramon Cendejas, which also earned him a PENN Fathom 2-speed reel.

The Owner Hooks “First Fish” awards went to: Matt Hefflinger [wahoo], Steve Goldblatt [tuna], and Karen Schantz [dorado]. The Flying Fisherman “Master Jig Caster” award went to Jeff Ingram, and the coveted Flambeau “True Sportsman” award went to Dr. Chong Chang.

By Jim Niemiec, Contributing writer

For the record book off shore fishing for the 2015 season was spectacular in San Diego. Not only did giant bluefin tuna show up here in inner waters to provide big game anglers with a chance to catch a fish of a life time, but there was quality fishing for yellowfin tuna, yellowtail, dorado, Wahoo, skipjack, along with five species of billfish and other warm water oddities that traditionally only are found off Baja and waters to the south.

Anglers aboard the Pacific Star, under the helm of Captain Mike Bullard, enjoyed success on most every trip out to nearby fishing grounds. By far multi-day trips on this deluxe sportfisher were very productive allowing anglers to fish for a wide variety of pelagics over the course of a 2.5 day trip, while one day trips also paid off with excellent catches of bluefin, yellowtail, dorado and school grade yellowfin tuna.

This outdoor writer had booked a 2.5 day trip on the Pacific Star for mid-July while attending the Fred Hall Long Beach Show in hopes of getting in on a mid season bluefin tuna bite. The word was already spread across the ocean that Mexico bluefin tuna would be off limits to sport boats, which would put a big hurt on the previous year’s great bluefin tuna fishing at the tuna pens. At the time of booking this trip the yellowfin and yellowtail bite was still going on at the Cortez Bank, but big bluefin tuna had not yet showed up in nearby waters.

To say the least when the giant bluefin did begin to bite I was a little worried about how long the bite would last and whether or not I wanted to move my date up a couple of weeks to ensure a successful bluefin tuna trip. Unfortunately, other anglers were eager to get in on the good bluefin tuna fishing and the Pacific Star was booked solid for nearly the entire summer fishing season.

An early arrival at Seaforth Sportfishing Landing allowed for an opportunity to see fish cart after fish cart pushed up the ramp at the landing with big tuna tails sticking out and excited anglers waiting to have big tuna weighed in to settle jackpot money.

It would be a quick turnaround for all sport boats at this landing and Capt. Bullard had fine tuned his entire crew to get the Pacific Star restocked with provisions, bunks changed, the deck cleared in a timely manner to allow for an on time departure. For most of the season bait was a big issue in that demand seemed to overpower the ability of the bait boats to catch enough sardines and anchovies. Such would be the case for carefully loaded sardines, some mackerel and a few anchovies. This fin bait looked fine at first in the three main bait tanks but it was not cured and only a few hours earlier had been transferred from the bait boat to the receivers in the harbor. Not only was bait not allowed time to recover from net to net, there was a pretty big change in water temps that would also affect our bait and it would be a pretty bouncy ride out to the fishing grounds.

The Pacific Star was on its GPS numbers at gray light with a few marks on the sonar indicating tuna under the boat, but they didn’t want to bite. Steady chumming finally produced the first boil of the morning outside live bait casting distance, but within reach of Rich Francis of Cibola, AZ who was casting a blue and white Tady Jr. jig which got bit on the sink. The first fish on deck was a quality 28 lb. bluefin and then a steady pick on bluefin began. It was not a wide open bite, but over the course of the morning there would be at least 2 or 3 hookups going on at the same time.

As the morning progressed the size of the bluefin being hooked increased with a number of bluefin weighing in the 40 to 45 pound class coming over the rail. Our supply of live bait was hurting and many anglers were switching over to casting or yo-yoing iron in hopes of getting bit. This angler had landed a couple of school size bluefin, but that big bluefin tuna had not yet bit. It was time to ask for one of the last “crew baits” in the tank and it was carefully netted and handed to me. That sardine was pinned on a size 3/0 Owner J hook, tied to 30 lb. Seaguar fluorocarbon leader, and using an underhand cast the bait would not be as traumatized as with a standard overhead cast.

That bait did what I had hoped for in a “butt hooked” bait and immediately swam down. The bite was subtle, not aggressive, as line spooled off the smooth Daiwa Saltiga LD30 reel. It was a big sardine so I let it pull a little more line off the reel before setting the hook with the aid of the matching Daiwa Proteus 76MHF composite graphite rod. The drag had been pre-set at 18 lbs. and preformed well as that tuna dove deep, circled the Pacific Star at least 3 times, requiring deckhand assistance around the anchor and winch. At color the big tuna glistened in the aqua blue water with Captain Mike and first deckhand Tanner Huffer standing by with gaffs. The last circle brought the bluefin tuna to the side of the sportfisher and it was gaffed in the head by a very knowledgeable skipper.

When the bluefin came over the rail everyone admired its mass. It wasn’t in the 100 lb. class but it sure topped any other tuna that had come on board that morning of steady bluefin action only about 20 miles off Oceanside. With our supply of bait limited Captain Bullard opted to look for a fish holding kelp and troll in hopes of finding a hungry school of yellowfin, yellowtail or perhaps a dorado on the troll.

There was a report of good yellowfin tuna and dorado fishing in Mexican waters to the south, but with bluefin tuna in the “slammer” Capt. Bullard opted to stay out of those waters despite the good reports being aired of limit catches. Day two saw some good tuna fishing on both jigs, top water plugs and some even on the poor grade of fin bait still in the main bait tank. It all had already come together for the 24 anglers on board the Pacific Star that would dock the next morning to unload a quality catch of tuna.

Planning ahead to the 2016 tuna season it’s looking very promising again. Tuna bit right up until November when the first major storms of the winter turned the ocean over, but right after the first of the year yellowtail showed up again well within one day range. Now that Mexico has opened up fishing for bluefin tuna with a daily catch limit of 2 fish per rod a day, with multiples of the 2 fish limit allowed on two and three day trips, booking a trip early would be highly recommended. To book a trip on the Pacific Star log on to their web site at pacificstarsportfishing.com or call the office at 951-302-9826.

Good fishing and I hope see you on board the Pacific Star next summer during a wide open bluefin tuna bite.