Aug 14-18
This 4-day trip had 19 anglers and they caught 260 albacore, 2 yellowtail, and 1 yellowfin tuna. The jackpot winners are: (left to right)
- Joe Valle, El Monte, CA — 40.1# albacore
- Don Culbertson, Sylmar, CA — 40.4# albacore
- Mike Collins, Lompoc, CA — 38.6# albacore
4-Day Braid Charter by Bill Roecker
4-Day Braid Charter
Skipper Art Taylor docked his Searcher after a four-day Braid Chartered trip. The boat’s 19 anglers got off at Fisherman’s Landing August 18. Charter mistress Jan Howard recalled rough waters the first day with good albacore fishing, but the next day they bit real well.
“Art was just great,” said Jan. “After those first two days of fishing albacore, the next morning we headed up to fish the kelps.”
Angler Stanford Parks of Oxnard said, “The Searcher is a five-star outfit. I’m going to sign up for next year’s trip, I didn’t know you could have so much fun!”
Joe Valle of El Monte took first place with a 41-pound albacore. Joe used a Mustad 3/0 hook on 25-pound Berkeley Big Game line, a Penn reel and a Seeker rod.
Don Culbertson of Sylmar was second for a 40.4-pound longfin and Mike Collins of Lompoc took third with a 38.6-pound albie.
“I slipped the first day out and pulled my hamstring,” said Collins.
“I caught one fish then spent the rest of the first day in my bunk. But it didn’t matter; I still had a great trip. What phenomenal albacore fishing!”
Three fat albies swept the Searcher jackpot.
“Everybody got their quota early,” said Skipper Taylor. “The fish we’ve seen all season long are finally biting, we’re all very grateful.”
Aug 11-14
This 3-day trip had 22 anglers and they caught 173 albacore. The jackpot winners are: (left to right)
- Pamela Bies, Whittier, CA — 34# albacore
- Gary Heilgeist, Whittier, CA — 33.6# albacore
- John Avitia, Kingman, AZ — 33.2# albacore
Capt Aaron Remy is in the background.
Daughter, Father Win by Bill Roecker
On her second trip, Pamela Bies of Whittier won first place aboard the Searcher on a three-day trip with 22 anglers. Aaron Remy was the skipper. He said his best fishing came at about 80 miles, near the Butterfly Bank, inside the Cortes Bank.
“The best bite was from about eight in the morning to about one p.m.,” he said at Fisherman’s Landing August 14. “We saw lots of fish and some big bait balls.”
Pamela won for her 34-pound albacore. She got it with a sardine on a 4/0 hook, 25-pound fluorocarbon leader and 40-pound line on an Accurate-modified Penn 500 reel and a six and a half-foot Fenwick rod.
“He took me up to the bow and back, and across the stern,” she said. “I can’t wait to get home and show it off.”
Pamela’s dad Gary Heilgeist of Whittier won second place, for a 33.6-pound albie. John Avitia of Kingman, AZ won third place, for a 33.2-pound albacore.
Aug 8-11 Let’s Talk Hook-Up Shimano Seminar
This 3-day trip had 29 anglers and they caught 92 yellowtail and 39 dorado. The jackpot winners are: (left to right)
- Chris Luciani, Greenbill, PA — 30.2# yellowtail
- Martin Ferreira, Jamul, CA — 20.8# yellowtail
- Ron Young, Athens, OH and Rob Young, Poway, CA — 19.6# dorado and yellowtail (tie)
Need More Paddies by Bill Roecker
Shimano and Let’s Talk Hookup sponsored an on the water seminar aboard the Searcher with skipper Aaron Remy that returned August 11.
“We could sure use some more kelp paddies,” said Remy. “But the ones we found were holding pretty good.”
The three-day trip had two chartermasters: Shimano’s Patrick Gee and Barry Brightenburg of Fish Trap. There were many loaner outfits on the boat.
Such a rig was used to good advantage by Chris Luciani of Greenville, PA, who won first place on the adventure for a 30.2-pound yellowtail. He said it bit a sardine on a 3/0 Gorilla hook on 30-pound Big Game line with a Shimano rod and reel.
Martin Ferriera of Jamul was second for a 20.8-pound yellowtail. Ron Young of Athens, OH got a dorado that tied his nephew’s (Rob Young of Poway) yellowtail for third place. Both fish weighed 19.6 pounds.
Aug 4-8
This 4-day trip had 28 anglers and they caught 82 albacore, 61 yellowtail, 7 dorado, and 4 bluefin. The jackpot winners are: (left to right)
- Frank Vanoudheusden, Dominguez Hills, CA — 38.4# albacore
- Jesse Bingaman, Costa Mesa, CA — 38# albacore
- Dylan Haste, Palm Desert, CA — 37# albacore (for the third year in a row!)
Jul 31-Aug 4
This 4-day trip had 28 anglers and they caught 228 yellowtail, 58 dorado, and 1 released striped marlin. The jackpot winners are: (left to right)
- Chad Creason, Yucaipa, CA — 30.2# yellowtail
- Clay Creason, Yucaipa, CA — 29.6# yellowtail
- Spencer Stoetzel, Baltimore, MD — 27# yellowtail
Accurate Products representative, Jason Fulton, is in the background. Photo by Bill Roecker.