Our last Bongos trip in September had bait tank issues, so Captain Mike gave us another trip. We ended up hopping on the boat today with a substitute Captain Rob and a deckhand whose name I missed (solid deckhand). On the boat at 0500 and loaded up with both sardines and anchovies at the bait barge.
(https://i.imgur.com/3QZGy1Ch.jpeg)
We took our time out before sunrise, going about 10kts toward the 14. I said to the others we were probably taking our time so we could be at the 14 around sunrise and have visibility while in The Zone, and Captain Rob looked over and nodded. The sun finally rose near 0700 and we picked up the pace on Lake Pacific.
(https://i.imgur.com/ZKoqyFSh.jpeg)
Around 0730, ahead of us, I thought I saw a lone dolphin jump kind of high a couple times. Then the deckhand came down from the tower and said it was a marlin, and put out the trollers. We gave it a few minutes but it didn't come around. Then we saw our first paddy of the day. Had marks, but no biters. Slid off of that and almost immediately into a sleeper marlin. Didn't bite a fly lined sardine.
Poked a couple more paddies and saw a couple more sleepers between the 277 and the Mackerel Bank before we booked it toward the 209.
An hour goes by and us riders were finding places to nap, then we finally got off plane and started trolling. Still not much to do, so we kept napping.
Then, around 1400, we stopped on a paddy. Captain said there were definitely good marks. I threw a 40g jig, noted a couple nerf football yellowfin coming up, then I got slammed by one. I was on first, then immediate hookups by 3 other guys within seconds. Still surprisingly difficult to turn their little heads! First yellowfin of the year for me.
(https://i.imgur.com/3MxrP0th.jpeg)
Got another in short order, then the next burned the line off going under the boat. Ended up going something like 5 for 10 with a small yellowtail mixed in. 30 for the boat.
(https://i.imgur.com/jfGRwlSh.jpeg)
Alejandro got this yellowtail with a...third prong in the fork growing out?
(https://i.imgur.com/gisKJV3h.jpeg)
That stop finished up at 1500 and we were on our way back. Slept a bit more.
Those tuna may have been micro, but one fillet was still enough for our carpaccio side dish tonight.
(https://i.imgur.com/ivYDCxOh.jpeg)
Might launch tomorrow if I don't wake up too sore. Kinda wanna deep drop the 14 for rockfish with an eye out for pelagics.
It's funny. I thought the same thing also about those micro YFT. I caught them on my bass gear but they really threw it into high gear and it wasn't as easy as I thought it would be to turn the handle and bounce them.... and they are yummy!
As for deep dropping, I'm still trying for my hoo, but I really want to deep drop soon. I also need to get my trolling motor wiring fixed.