When I log on, I'm getting a reminder that I haven't posted in several weeks, so I might as well appease the software by posting a belated trip report from a week ago.
Nate Baker and I made the 50 nautical mile run to San Clemente Island. He usually dives on his own boat with a group of friends who's schedules fit with his, and I do the same, so this is only the second time I've ever talked him into going with me. I think the previous time was at least 5 years ago. His boat gets about twice the gas mileage of mine, but standing behind a center console in the wind and spray is a bit much for my old body, so he was gracious enough to come along on my boat.
I have a new 60" Wong Super Magnum and have been afraid that the season would slip away without a chance to try it out, so that was one excuse for Clemente rather than the murky coast. I had wanted to try it first with three bands and then move to four bands to see if it made a difference in recoil and accuracy, but since I'm running out of season, I decided to start with four.
We had a very calm crossing and arrived at a high spot that often holds yellowtail. Water was blue, calm, and about 63 degrees. After diving a while, Nate came by with a yellowtail with blood gushing out of its gills, and pointed me in the right direction. He said he had seen a couple of singles, and then shot that fish out of a school of about 15 fish. I headed that way.
When I got up to the front edge of the bait, several fish circled me on the surface, but I wasn't sure they were in range, so I dove to about 20 feet and turned up. Sure enough, one swam straight down to me and turned broadside. Its nice when things follow the script for a change.
I took the shot and strung the fish on the shooting line, so in that case I didn't need the fourth band, but at least I hit it. It was a poor shot though, and I grabbed the mono shooting line and kicked as hard as I could to the surface to prevent the fish from getting down to some deep kelp. It was nip and tuck for a minute, with the fish pulling me under and then me getting back up for another breath, but I finally got it under control. Nate took some nice photos. I'm getting spoiled by having a photographer along.
I think we could have taken some more yellowtail if we had stayed at that spot, but we decided to go check a kelp bed for white sea bass. Conditions looked nice, but no fish. The wind started coming up and a big south swell was rolling through the next kelp bed we wanted to try in Pyramid Cove, so we decided to run up the front side. At one spot we found a big school of sardines and I couldn't understand why yellowtail hadn't found them too, but we struck out.
It was a fairly decent crossing home and we got back just after dark. I hate it that the days are getting short.
Its getting pretty late for game fish. The Long Beach Neptunes held their Fall Classic contest at Catalina the same day, and even through dozens of divers were entered, we would have taken first and second place with those two fish if we had been entered.
PS: sorry I didn't get a photo of Nate's fish, but it was a twin of mine. We didn't weigh them, but estimate that they were in the low 20s.
Nate Baker and I made the 50 nautical mile run to San Clemente Island. He usually dives on his own boat with a group of friends who's schedules fit with his, and I do the same, so this is only the second time I've ever talked him into going with me. I think the previous time was at least 5 years ago. His boat gets about twice the gas mileage of mine, but standing behind a center console in the wind and spray is a bit much for my old body, so he was gracious enough to come along on my boat.
I have a new 60" Wong Super Magnum and have been afraid that the season would slip away without a chance to try it out, so that was one excuse for Clemente rather than the murky coast. I had wanted to try it first with three bands and then move to four bands to see if it made a difference in recoil and accuracy, but since I'm running out of season, I decided to start with four.
We had a very calm crossing and arrived at a high spot that often holds yellowtail. Water was blue, calm, and about 63 degrees. After diving a while, Nate came by with a yellowtail with blood gushing out of its gills, and pointed me in the right direction. He said he had seen a couple of singles, and then shot that fish out of a school of about 15 fish. I headed that way.
When I got up to the front edge of the bait, several fish circled me on the surface, but I wasn't sure they were in range, so I dove to about 20 feet and turned up. Sure enough, one swam straight down to me and turned broadside. Its nice when things follow the script for a change.
I took the shot and strung the fish on the shooting line, so in that case I didn't need the fourth band, but at least I hit it. It was a poor shot though, and I grabbed the mono shooting line and kicked as hard as I could to the surface to prevent the fish from getting down to some deep kelp. It was nip and tuck for a minute, with the fish pulling me under and then me getting back up for another breath, but I finally got it under control. Nate took some nice photos. I'm getting spoiled by having a photographer along.
I think we could have taken some more yellowtail if we had stayed at that spot, but we decided to go check a kelp bed for white sea bass. Conditions looked nice, but no fish. The wind started coming up and a big south swell was rolling through the next kelp bed we wanted to try in Pyramid Cove, so we decided to run up the front side. At one spot we found a big school of sardines and I couldn't understand why yellowtail hadn't found them too, but we struck out.
It was a fairly decent crossing home and we got back just after dark. I hate it that the days are getting short.
Its getting pretty late for game fish. The Long Beach Neptunes held their Fall Classic contest at Catalina the same day, and even through dozens of divers were entered, we would have taken first and second place with those two fish if we had been entered.
PS: sorry I didn't get a photo of Nate's fish, but it was a twin of mine. We didn't weigh them, but estimate that they were in the low 20s.
