October 15-20
This 5-day trip had 14 anglers and they caught 197 yellowtail and 2 white sea bass. The jackpot winners are:
- Duane Weston, Vista, CA — 32# white sea bass (right)
- Mike Meinke, Millington, MI — 30.4# white sea bass (left)
- Russ Baker, Millington, MI — 29.8# yellowtail
Brace o Biscuits by Bill Roecker
Art Taylor’s last trip to Cedros Island for the season paid off with a catch of yellowtail and a brace of white seabass. The Searcher’s 14 anglers, some from as far away as Michigan, enjoyed a five-day trip with at least one night bite.
Five AM was the time when the whites came up, both on dropper loop rigs with squid. The best one won first place for a Duane Weston of Vista, who said he got his with 16 ounces of lead on his loop. He used a 5/0 Mustad hook on 100-pound P-Line, a Tiagra 30 reel and a Calstar 6455 XXH rod.
The other white won second place for Mike Meinecke of Otter Lake, MI. It weighed 30.4 pounds. Russ Baker of Millington, MI won third place for a 29.8-pound yellowtail.
October 9-14
This 5-day trip had 10 anglers and they caught 54 yellowtail. The jackpot winners are:
- Craig Provance, Murrieta, CA — 36.8# yellowtail(left)
- Jeff Kealoha, San Diego, CA — 36.2# yellowtail
- Walt Graham, Henderson, NV –32.8# yellowtail(right)
Ultra Limited Cedros Trip by Bill Roecker
Searcher returned to Fisherman’s Landing October 14 under skipper Aaron Remy’s hand. She’d been on a five-day trip, and spent two days fishing at Cedros Island, where squid was made and used for yellowtail bait, along with sardines.
Anglers said the squid seemed to work best in the early mornings, and skipper Remy agreed. He reported flat calm weather, much enjoyed by the ten anglers.
Craig Provance of Murrieta, somewhat of a regular on the boat, won first place for a 36.8-pound yellowtail he bagged on a sardine. Craig said he used a 3/0 Owner Super Mutu hook tied to 40-pound Seaguar fluorocarbon, 80-pound Izorline and 65-pound Power Pro Spectra. He fished with a new Accurate BX-2 400 reel and a Seeker 870 glass rod. He said the fight lasted 20 minutes.
Jeff Kealoha of San Diego won second place for a 36.2-pound yellowtail, and Walt Graham of Henderson, NV for one that weighed 32.8 pounds, good enough for third place.
October 2-9
This 7-day trip had 22 anglers and they caught 181 yellowfin tuna, 52 dorado, 22 dorado, 9 yellowtail and 9 wahoo. The jackpot winners are:
- Ace Neely, Lancaster, CA — 97/4# yellowfin tuna (left)
- Bob Yoshimoto, Thousand Oaks, CA — 96# yellowfin tuna
- Nanette Smith, Huntington Beach, CA –87.4# yellowfin tuna (right)
Great Searcher Trip by Bill Roecker
Art Taylor brought his Searcher home from a week-long trip October 9. He docked at Fisherman’s Landing and his 22 happy anglers got off to stow their gear and take care of the plentiful catch: almost ten quality tuna around for the fishermen.
“Just to recap this trip,” skipper Taylor wrote the day before, “we saw some of the best tuna fishing ever at Alijos Rocks in the three days we were there. And I can’t remember having two trips in a row with that degree of success on the size fish we landed. It just can’t get too much better than what we just accomplished.”
Ace Neely of Lancaster had the best, qualified yellowfin, a 97.4-pound tuna that bit on a sardine and a 4/0 Owner gorilla hook on 50-pound Seaguar fluorocarbon leader. He said he used 50-pound Big Game line and 80-pound Power Pro Spectra on a Pro Gear 45 reel and a Calstar 700 H custom rod.
“I was after this one,” said Ace. “My best one before was a 67-pounder. This one fought me for a half-hour, and took me around the boat one and a half times before he came up midship, thanks to some good deckhands.”
Bob Yoshimoto of Tthousand Oaks won second place for a 96-pounder, and Nanette Smith of Huntington Beach got third place for an 87.6-pound Alijos Rocks yellowfin tuna.
Sep 25-Oct 2
This 7-day trip had 22 anglers and they caught 258 yellowfin tuna, 52 dorado, 78 yellowtail and 1 wahoo. The jackpot winners are:
- Doug Nance, San Diego, CA — 109.8# yellowfin tuna (left)
- Steve Heffner, Hailey, ID — 108.2# yellowfin tuna
- Jeff Nagel, Laguna Niguel, CA –75# yellowfin tuna (right)
Searcher Finds Alijos Fishing by Bill Roecker
Art Taylor docked his boat at Fisherman’s Landing October 2 after a good seven-day trip to The Rocks, with a stop at Benitos on the way home. His 22 anglers scored very well on quality yellowfin tuna up to 100 pounds.
Doug Nance of San Diego took first place for a 109.8-pound yellowfin tuna. He told dock reporter Bill Roecker it bit a sardine on a 3/0 ringed Owner Mutu hook tied to 40-pound Blackwater fluorocarbon leader and 65-pound Power Pro Spectra. He used an Avet JX reel and a Calstar 700 MH rod.
Steve Heffner of Hailey, ID won second place for a 108.2-pound tuna
Jeff Nagel of Laguna Niguel won third place for a 75-pound Alijos Rocks yellowfin.
George Guardino of San Diego (featured for the month of September in the new 2011 Sportfishing Calendar with the year’s best halibut) caught the trip’s only wahoo, on a sardine without wire. He said that luck hook was a Gamakatsu 2/0 in the J-hook style.