At least we weren't skunked

[Bill McIntyre]

I went to San Clemente Island Tuesday with Eric Stewart and Dave Ness. Considering how well everyone seems to have done over the holiday weekend, this is pretty pitiful, but I guess it beats a sharp stick in the eye.

Friends who had been willing to brave the holiday weekend crowds at the launch ramp did very well. In particular, my friend Joe Nguyen, who was not familiar with the island, asked for recommendations, so I gave him some numbers, and he got a 50 pound white sea bass and some yellowtail in the 30s. Other friends did at least as well, so we had high hopes. Its a 51 nautical mile trip just to get to the end of the island, so with present gas prices, I need some encouragement.

At all the spots were everyone had clear water, we found it fairly cloudy. At all the spots were people saw lots of bait, we saw very little.

I think Joe Nguyen does better at my spots than I do.

I think the three of us decided to agree on an excuse. A one day trip is not only shorter than a two or three day trip, but it causes you to make choices and keeps you from diving late and early.

We started at one of the spots that was so good for Joe over the weekend, but either his talent exceeds ours, or conditions had changed. We couldn't find as wsb in the kelp, and out off the dropoff, the current was stiff, the vis was poor, and there was no bait at all.

At the second spot I took my 50" gun and headed in to the sand to find a halibut while Eric and Dave went out off the edge for yellowtail. I guess they barely got there when two yellowtail buzzed Eric and he took one, but that was it. I went out and joined them, but the current was stiff there too, and we didn't see any more fish.

So on to another high spot where I dropped a marker buoy for reference and dropped them in while I idled around in the boat. A friend had taken yellowtail of 25 to 35 and been schooled by bluefin tuna at that spot over the weekend, so I had high hopes. The vis was poor and they never even saw the top of the high spot, much less any fish.

So on to another high spot, a reef that sticks out into the current from the main kelp bed area. That same guy got more yellows, was buzzed by two more schools of tuna, and took a wsb out of a school of 50 or so, so more high hopes. We anchored at this spot, and I struggled in the current while Dave and Eric went in toward the edge of the main kelp. Temp was 63. Vis was better, maybe 20 feet, but after a while I got tired of dealing with the current, so went back to the boat. I had just unloaded the first band when Eric came up and surprised me by holding out a white sea bass with a knife sticking out of its head. He said that there was a big school of them circling just 15 feet down about 75 yards away, so I reloaded and headed over there. Dave had seen a couple but not been able to get a good shot, but then we couldn't find them again. I went back to the boat, but the guys were still over in the kelp bed, so I got the bright idea to pull anchor and move the boat into the bed closer to the action. That was a mistake. My anchor retrieval ball failed me. The anchor was either hung on a rock or in very heavy kelp, and the boat got swung around before I pulled off on the power. I think my boat has strong cleats. So I had to pull it by hand, pulling the boat into a stiff wind with no one to run the boat forward for me. I finally got it out, but my back and shoulders still remember it this morning.

By the time I drove over to where the guys were diving, we decided that it might be best to try another spot, so we ran to a kelp bed that has done well for us in the past. I gave Joe those numbers too, but he didn't get a chance to try it, so maybe there might be some fish left. We anchored on the downwind side and went in. Water temp was 64, but the hole in the ass of my old wetsuit was getting bigger with every stop and I was tired from swimming into current all day, so I doubted I was going to last too long. At least the vis was pretty good and there was a very mild current. I swam through the bed and as I came out on the up wind (which happened to be the down current) side, this little 26 pounder swam slowly by in front of me. If I had not had such a long dry spell, or maybe if I had been along the mainland coast, I might not have taken the shot. But with this long expensive trip, something was going to die if I had any say in it, so I didn't even hesitate. It was such a blessing to stone the fish and see it just roll over and sink hardly twitching. I really wasn't up for digging fish out of the kelp on the bottom this late in the day.

As I pulled the fish up, the shaft didn't even pull back through. The slip tip was just dangling on the far side as shown in the photo.

I had only been the water for about 5 minutes before shooting the fish, but that was a good time for me to end the day and take a shower. The guys kept on diving for a while, and Eric says he saw a 50 pounder and a 35 pounder, but couldn't get good shots. We decided to start the long and bumpy ride home.

We burned 66 gallons for a total of $302. That makes for expensive fish, but of course who's counting.

One day trips are brutal even if you are young, and I'm not. I was up at 2:50 AM and got back to the house at 9 PM. We arrived at the island about 8, so missed any early show, and then left well before the what is often the best time, right before dark. Its much better if you can dive until sunset, then be there early the next morning. In fact I once did that with Mark Hultgren on that bed where I got the fish. We dove late, then just stayed at anchor there for the night, and went back in in the morning, and got some nice fish. And of course with two days, you can try a lot more spots and take your time, and maybe still leave before the afternoon wind kicks up. A lot of people express admiration that I'm still managing to dive fairly well at age 69 and I appreciate it. But its the damn boating that is going to be what causes me to stop. If I could only take leisurely multiday trips on a Grand Banks and sleep well at night, I'd be at this a lot longer than I will in small boats.

I should have married richer.

[sciencemike]

Damn nice haul and writeup Bill.

[BatRay]

Glad to hear you're still hitting 'em, Bill. Good job on the stone shot. I've heard that gas prices are starting to drop, so the fish will get less expensive. I look forward to your trip reports

[Pastor]

Still 69 Bill? You've been 69 as long as I've known you

Nice report as usual, I wouldn't mind putting up with those long days for some of that I tell you

We all should have married richer but for us mere mortals that thing called love always seems to bugger things up

[Bill McIntyre]

Originally Posted by Pastor

Still 69 Bill? You've been 69 as long as I've known you

And I'll probably remain 69 for at least another three years. Seventy just sounds so terminal.