I'm Back

First a Happy Christmas and New Year and Holidays to you. For those who didn't hear on November 1 I was diagnosed with congestive heart failer and consensually had a icd implant for my heart. Doing fine now, just resting and building my strength. Hope to be back fishing and doing more blogs in 2012.

There's Limits

It's limit style fishing for yellowtails on 1-1/2 day trips and also some dorado, yellowfin tuna and bluefin tuna to 70lbs. We still have room on the Dolphin ll 1-1/2 day trip on Oct. 23.
http://www.dansshoppingcart.com/mm5/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Store_Code=dansshoppingcart&Product_Code=FT_Charter_65&Category_Code=FT

The Best Fishing Offshore of the Year

The 1-1/2 day tuna trips are checking in with over 150 mixed fish; bluefin, yellowfin, yellowtails and dorados. The best fishing of the year.

Rod and Reels

Determine what fish and the size of the fish you will be targeting and pick the rods and reel to use.
So we will be fishing tuna that weight from 25 to 60lb. I remember the days when I wounld take up to 7 rods to cover all the different lines but with todays braided line as backing on the reels you can just change the top shot I to have from 15lb. to 60lb. mono on any of the rod and reels. Now I'm down to 4 rods and reels: a Penn Torque 100 for 15 to 30lb. mono, 2-Torque 200 for 25 to 50lb. mono and a Torque 300 for 40 to 60lb. mono and all reels with 65lb. braided lind backing. Rods are Dan Hernandez signature rods of models 1-870 and 3-670.











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Indian Tuna Trip

The Indian reported limits of bluefin tuna for the day. Now its time to get ready for our trip on the Indian next Tuesday. Will go over the tackle prep over the next few blogs.

Tuna Time

Just got a report from mark Gellett of the Eclipse on the tuna fishing. His boat has had limit style fishing on the tuna with yellowtails and dorados mixed in at 140 miles. Due to the long boat ride the boat is leaving 3 hours early, 6pm instead of 9pm. We still have plenty of room on our trip  leaving 6pm Tues. August 16 from Seaforth Sportfishing. http://www.dansshoppingcart.com/mm5/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Store_Code=dansshoppingcart&Product_Code=FT_Charter_60&Category_Code=FT

Our Outrider Fishing report

Very nice flat calm waters all day at San Clemente Isl. With a tank full of sardines and the other full of live squid we fished the front side of the isl. along tight to the kelp and with the squid on a 1oz. bucktail we started catching nice calico's. Soon the first legal white sea bass came to gaff. The calico was excellent on quality bass to 6lbs. thought the day. The morning bite was on the squid and the afternoon bite did better with the sardines and a 1/2oz. sliding sinker. As the calico's were wide open we would get a seabass seems like once a hour. We ended with 3 seabass and a few lost to the weeds or just came unbuttoned. Also coming to gaff was a lone yellowtail. Thanks to captain Jeff and Dave for driving us around and cook Odie who makes a mean breakfast burrito with gravy and deck Manny for rigging the gear and getting us out of weed snags.

Tuna Coming

Looks like we turned the corner for tuna that are in close for the overnight and longer trips. Lots of yellowfin tuna and yellowtails with bluefin mixed in. If you want to get in on this action with Dan we have a charter on the Eclipse for a 1-1/2 day trip on August 17th. guys are starting to sign up so dont wait to long to join us. If we get 14 the trip is a go. Check out the trip: http://www.dansshoppingcart.com/mm5/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Store_Code=dansshoppingcart&Product_Code=FT_Charter_60&Category_Code=FT

Outlook on the Tuna

For the past few weeks the tuna have been missing in action but now there are some reports of bluefin and albacore by the few boats out looking close to home. Maybe if the albacore start bitting in numbers the SD fleet can get out. For now many boats on 1-1/2 day or 2 day trips are making the long run to San Martin Isl. for the yellowtail.  

A Report From the Indian - Tuna

Hey gang we rolled Southwest 75 miles to start this 1-1/2 day open party trip and we did find good signal in the morning as we hit our first spot of breezers for 2 Bluefin Tuna and ran on a second spot in clean 67 degree water where we hooked one Bluefin and landed it then we were just getting ready to move and hooked another Bluefin and it was soaking as we got flashed by the Albacore and landed 3 in the 25lb range.We rolled another 15 miles South and ended up in 69 degree off color water for the rest of the day and did land 2 more fish with the biggest weighing in at 77 pounds WOW!
The anglers name was Mark Dandoy and he did a great job of working this fish on 30lb test line and a Torium 2/0 , it took 25 minuites and he was just about done as this fish took to dives under the bow at color but he pulled it off and landeed this monster we saw spot after spot of Shiners or what I would call ripplres these fish where just pushing thier noses out of the water acting very boat shy and made for a tough afternoon.
Lots of fish in this area but thats not next months fish (trust me on this one) Anyway The Indain has a 1-1/2 day open party trip scheduled forJuly 16th and 17 th for only @285.00 and that includes all you meals, snackks and permits. I f you woul like to jump on one of our open party trips give Chris a call at (619) 523-8832

tuna in our future

Nice to finally see tuna in the count for the overnight trips in San Diego and this is just the start. Can't wait for our 1-1/2 day trip on August 17 on the Eclipse. This should be right in the middle of the bite with bluefin tuna, albacore and yellowtail fishing. Check out the web page and come join us. http://www.dansshoppingcart.com/mm5/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Store_Code=dansshoppingcart&Product_Code=FT_Charter_60&Category_Code=FT

1 1/2 day Indian trip report

After the weekends 2 day trip to the tuna grounds Chris saw only a few scratches of albacore but no fish would bite so for our 1 1/2 day trip it was decided to try an area closer to Colenet. We started the morning trolling but no fish were found so at 9am it was decided to head inshore and try for some rockfish. 12 miles off shore we started drifts in 240 ft of water. Soon we were putting 6 to 9 lb. reds on the deck.  Good lingcod fishing was mixed in. Before early afternoon we had limits of rockfish and 21 lings. The waters was 63 to 64 degrees but a little green. on the way home we tried a few kelp paddys for yellowtails but know one was home. All in all it was good fishing.

Mythbusters

Flaming reel busted. A great show on if line comming off a reel fast enough can catch a reel on fire.
did you see it?

Native Sun fishing report

Had a great time with everyone on a fantastic barracuda bite. What suprised me was that they were biting the anchovies on wire leader rigs this is rearly the case but the funnest way was to throw the magic Metal lite MM7 the barracuda was eating the paint off the jigs. This was our first trip on the newly remodeled and repowered Native Sun. What a great job they did on the boat. Do a trip on this boat and see for your self. We have another trip on the Native Sun on July17 check our web site and join us. 40 anglers 206 barracudas, 132 sculpins, 8 rockfish and 300 sandabs.

Mirage Slide Show

Pacific Dawn SlideShow

May 20th Pacific Dawn report

The winds were blowing but we made it out to Santa Rosa Isl. to do some rockfish fishing. The morning didn't show anything on the exocits but the shallow water rockfish were willing to chew.

doing a normal type drift drove the boat over the spots too fast so Pat decided to put the stern into the wind and use the motors to keep us on the spot longer. Soon we were coming up with double reds on the ganions and lingcods for anyone bouncing a jig off the bottom of 90'. With some hard fishing we ended with limits of lingcods to 15 lbs. and limits of red snappers to 6 lbs. Even though the wind was up the fishing was more up. This was the best day of catching quality rockfish I've ever seen. Thanks to Captain Pat and second ticket Bill Cavanaugh and the rest of the crew.

Some Dolphin ll Pics

Time to Catch Up Reports

After 6 fishing trips in 14 days I finally have time to catch up on our fishing reports. I'll start with the weekend of May 14, 15 down in San Diego.
We started on Sat. at Chollas park for a kids fishing event. A nice lake which only allows kids to fish. With a plant of catfish the 300 kids had a great time filling their stringers with fish. Day was overcast but fishing the deeper end of the lake proved to be the places to fish.

Then on Sunday we had a 3/4 day charter on the Dolphin ll at Fisherman's Landing. We headed to the Coronado Isles. with hopes of getting into the barracuda bite that was seen only a few days before and maybe a yellow or two. We started fishing off Casino Point in cold water and breezy conditions. The only fish here were a few calico's and rock fish. Then it was a move to the outside of south Island but only a few more rock fish were the prize. Moving and moving from spot to spot fishing was slow Looked like the cold water was keeping the fish from biting. So went the day as Captain Greg tried to find some fish to bite. Well you have those days when fishing is tough but that's fishing.

How to catch Barracuda

Good news the barracuda are bitting from Santa Monica to San Diego so things are looking up. Here's a few tips for catching barracuda. The most fun way is to throw the irons. Use a surface iron cast out and wind the jig in slow enough to give it a good kicking action. Blue and white colors are the most popular color but any jugs with contrasting colors will work. We use the MM7 Magic Metal lites in blue sardine, anchovy and squid colors and sometimes the fish want the smaller MM5 jigs. Use a 7 or 8 foot 20 to 25lb. rod with 20 to 25lb. test line and your in business. Then there is the live bait fishing. Some people like to use wire leader with a 2/0 to 3/0 hook and a sardine but I like to use 25lb or 30lb test fluorocarbon leader this gives the bait a chance to swim more freely and the strength of the fluorocarbon leader will resist the bite from the barracudas sharp teeth. But be sure to check the line for any teeth nicks after each fish and retie the hook if any are found. If you don't have wire or fluorocarbon you can go to a long shank hook or even a circle hook. Once the barracuda bites your offering don't pull on the rod to set the hook just point the rod at the fish and start cranking on the reel all the way to the boat. Just as you see the fish close to the boat call for a gaff. Never lift the barracuda out of the water keep it just below the surface. If the barracuda gets above the water surface it will go wild and you'll probably loose the fish.