+1-619-226-2403| reservations@searchersportfishing.com
InstagramFacebookYouTube

Captain Mike’s Blog

Bluefin Update from Capt Art!

April 22nd, 2021|Captain Mike's Blog|

Update from Capt Art:

Great news from the bluefin tuna area! There is very good sign of big bluefin tuna within 2.5 day trip range. Take that chance for a fish of a lifetime and hop aboard one of our upcoming limited load weekend trips.

What to bring:

  • Your heaviest outfit with a 2-speed reel, a 80-100 pound mono top shot and a 250 gram flat fall type lure (review here Tackle Tip Thursday) . Make sure that flat fall type lure has a heavy (200#) mono leader.
  • A 40-50 pound outfit with a 2-speed reel for fly-lining a sardine on the surface. There are also some yellowtail on kelp paddies offshore.
  • A light outfit with 25-30 pound line and 2/0 J-hooks.
Let’s go fishing! See you out there.
Team Searcher

Tackle Tip Thursday Vol. 143 (Popper Set-up)

April 15th, 2021|Captain Mike's Blog, Tackle Tip Thursday|

Happy Tackle Tip Thursday! A special guest, Lori from Turner’s Outdoorsman in San Marcos, CA, shows us all about tuna fishing with a popper set-up and spinning gear. Thanks to Lori and Turner’s Outdoorsman for the great Tackle Tip Thursday

🎣Reel in more Tackle Tips here! Subscribers get hooked up to new videos first!

🎣Reel in more Tackle Tips here! Subscribers get hooked up to new videos first!

April 9 First Trip!

April 10th, 2021|Captain Mike's Blog|

We at Team Searcher were excited to get our first trip of 2021 away from the dock and take some anglers fishing! The dockside maintenance is complete and there’s reports of yellowtail at the islands. We’re scheduled for Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays through April for some fun, full-day trips (5:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m). Targets will be yellowtail, rockfish, and calico bass.

Book at spot on FishermansLanding.com or call at 619-221-8500. See you aboard!

Tackle Talk Live!

March 22nd, 2021|Captain Mike's Blog|

We will be going LIVE and talking tackle! Tune in for Tackle Talk Live! Thursday, March 25 at 4pm PST.
⁠
Join us to talk tackle with the Team Searcher crew. Let’s get ready for the new fishing season and gear up for spring. Feel free to send us questions that you’d like answered.
⁠
Tune in Thursday, March 25  at 4pm PST on Facebook LIVE! And look for the recorded talk here and on our social media.

Catching up with Anglers

March 21st, 2021|Captain Mike's Blog|

Welcome to a segment we are calling “Catching up with Anglers!”

We love to stay in touch with our Searcher family to share 🎣fish stories, recreate the excitement, swap tackle tips, reunite with old friends and maybe make new ones. Let’s catch up with an angler, a special, long-time Searcher family member, Chris Flaxington!

Name:Chris Flaxington
From: La Mirada, CA
Job Title: Logistics manager at T&J Sausage Inc

  • What’s your typical day like?: On  weekdays, I get up for work at 3:00am and go to bed at 11:00 pm.  Spend day at work then go home and take care of my 27 year old handicapped son and then proceed with my late  afternoons. Prior to Covid I used to coach club soccer. With Covid here, Logan and I spend lots of time working on our boat.

  • Share your best tackle tip: My best tackle tip is don’t get caught up in all the hype of new expensive gear. Fish don’t know what make of gear you’re using.

  • Who or what got you into fishing? I truly got into hard core fishing when my neighbor got me into fishing freshwater bass tournaments.  Then I met my wife and she told me if I buy an ocean boat she would go with me.  Well my wife comes from the Midwest.  After I bought a ocean boat and she went out twice. She realized she gets too seasick to ever want  to go again. In the last 18 years she has not stepped foot on my boat.
  • A “must have” in your tackle box is: Must have in my tackle box is, having enough tackle for my kid while we are fishing.  The true must have in my tackle box is basic weights and hooks for bait fishing, I don’t care for all the lures and jigs unless they are the only thing working.
  • Favorite fish dish? Any fish that is fried with lots of vinegar and tartar sauce.
  • What kind of fish is inside your fish taco? Rockfish, Is there any other type?
  • Favorite hobby other than fishing: My other hobby besides fishing is working on boats. I love to install and fabric custom items for private boats.
  • What Searcher trip are you most excited about? The ones I’m booked on!  On the Searecher,  I rate trips all the same from 1.5 days to 8 days as they are all good and I really enjoy hanging with the crew members of the Searcher. So much that I spend more time talking with them then I do fishing on some trips.
  • Favorite fishing memory: This actually happened  on the Searcher trip we did September 2020.  Captain Ryan told Logan he could troll, but Captain Mondo did not know there were any trolling lines in the water. Logan hooked up with a marlin! Captain Mondo tried to turn the boat for Logan and the fish spit the hook. While stopping for the marlin, a school of BF swam under us and no one got hooked up until Captain said  “Ok let’s move.” Then Logan yelled  “Fish on!”  Little did Mondo know that Logan had grabbed his bass fishing rod and ended up hooking into a 38lb BF tuna.  This fish ended up tangling almost every fisherman on the boat and 1.5 hours to reel in the fish. Logan was lucky it was slow day and every fish counted.  
  • Fish you are looking forward to catching: A cow yellowfin once the island opens back up.
  • What motivates you? Watching a plan in action that works!
  • Favorite thing to do in your spare time? Work with my son on his fishing knowledge and watching him become one of the better fishermen around.   

  • Bucketlist fish/fish you haven’t caught but want to? Opah 

Tackle Tip Thursday Vol. 140 (San Diego Jam)

March 18th, 2021|Captain Mike's Blog, Tackle Tip Thursday|

Happy Tackle Tip Thursday! Today we have a very special guest and Searcher family member Pete G. from Let’s Talk Hook Up! Pete gives us a must- have knot. He is using Seaguar line and Gamakatsu hook for his demo.  The San Diego jam is a great connection knot. This is one knot everyone will need.

Our 1.5 day Let’s Talk Hook-up Trips still have space available: Trip 3 (7/6-8) and Trip 21 (9/1-3). There will be tons of fun and giveaways for novice and expert anglers! These are the perfect trips to get offshore to fish from dawn to dark for tuna and yellowtail.

Captain Art will be on Let’s Talk Hook-up Fishing Talk radio show this Sunday, March 21 from 7am-9am!  Listen live on the Let’s Talk Hookup App or at The Mightier 1090AM! This is the line to call during the show: 213-432-1090, Ask your question on the air! Fun and fish talk. Don’t miss it. ⁣

Huge thank you to Pete G. from Let’s Talk Hook Up  and Gamakatsu for the tackle tips.

🎣Reel in more Tackle Tips here!

Hook 🎣 more Tackle Tips here.

Catching up with Anglers

March 13th, 2021|Captain Mike's Blog|

Welcome to a segment we are calling “Catching up with Anglers!”

We love to stay in touch with our Searcher family to share 🎣fish stories, recreate the excitement, swap tackle tips, reunite with old friends and maybe make new ones. We thought it would be fun to see how our anglers are holding up and share some of their stories. Let’s catch up with an angler.⁠

Today we have a special, long-time Searcher family member and amazing angler Teresa R.

Name: Teresa Reynoso
From: Long Beach, CA
Job Title: Pediatrician, retired 

  • What’s your typical day like?:  My favorite part of the day is early morning, enjoying that first cup of fresh coffee!  Afterwards reading then planning my sewing projects which are mostly fishing themed such as facial masks, rod covers, tackle bag cover. 

  • Share your best tackle tip:  LISTEN to the captain and crew!!!  They know and what worked in the morning may change in the afternoon or next day.  I’ll watch other anglers for a bit to see what’s working and what isn’t.

  • Who or what got you into fishing?:   My dad fished a few times with friends and took my brother as kids. I didn’t go because dad thought other guys were pretty salty and didn’t want to expose me to that. My college roommate fished with her boyfriend and invited me to Santa Ana Lake and Newport Pier; that’s when I got hooked!!!  My years in med school were too busy but after completing that, WOW!  I fished mostly day or 3/4 day boat in San Diego.
  • A “must have” in your tackle box is: Owner hooks, sunscreen, water bottle.
  • Favorite fish dish?  Fresh Ahi, seared or in poke.
  • What kind of fish is inside your fish taco? I love yellowtail for tacos. I skip the breading and do a quick seat which gives it some crunch.
  • Favorite hobby other than fishing: I love reading, sewing and cooking.

  • What Searcher trip are you most excited about?   The Lady Angler trips!  I’m looking forward to the 6th annual trip in August 2021. It’s a great way to meet other lady anglers, share tips and make new friends.

  • Favorite fishing memory:   My first 7 day out to The Island, Janice and I were the only 2 women. No bites at all until the last day. I was at the stern when Captain Art said : “Boil in the corner “.  I knew my bait was swimming towards the boil when bam!  I got bit!!!  Captain followed me up and down the rail, offering to help if I got tired, telling me “it’s just a fish”.  ME: “ Yeah Art but it’s MY Fish!”  After getting me around the anchor, he gaffed it and I followed him back to the stern where he announced to the guys I brought in a nice BFT with his assist around the anchor and the guys let out the
  • Fish you are looking forward to catching: Wahoo, Ono
  • What motivates you?: My faith, love of my family and friends.
  • Favorite thing to do in your spare time?:  I never had spare time until I retired.  Now I have time to plan our glamping trips and fishing trips!  I’ve always loved attending fishing shows like Fred Hall, and seminars sponsored at Turner’s San Marcos, and picking up great tips from Lori Sachau and Wendy Tochihara!
  • Bucketlist fish/ fish you haven’t caught but want to?:  I’d like to get a 300lb BFT. It would feed all my extended family in the OC!

Spring Fever? Let’s Go Fishing!

March 2nd, 2021|Captain Mike's Blog|

Spring fishing is right around the corner! We’ve scheduled the perfect way to get out there and see what’s biting. Weekend 2.5 day trips with only 17 anglers will start the season off right. So much rail space and plenty of time to get to the fish.

GEAR UP! Watch our helpful tackle tips here: Tackle Tips on YouTube 

Trip dates and reservation links follow. Don’t wait, spots are selling fast!

Go to Top