Long Range Fishing Report – 7/27/08

Bill Roecker for FishingVideos.com & the San Diego Sportfishing Council – Net Update July 27, 2008

Killers On Porpoise

“On the way back from Guadalupe Island I stopped on a spot of albacore at 150 miles,” said Intrepid skipper Kevin Osborne after a five-day Fred Bowden charter July 27. “We saw them on the way down, too. This time they bit and we caught some peanut-size albies there.”

That would be good news to most albacore anglers, who have recently feared “the change” of seasons was coming on and albacore might be migrating out of the area. The sighting would seem to indicate otherwise, that albacore should still be available for some time yet.

“Then we saw a pod of killer whales,” continued Osborne, “and there were five of them; two big ones and three smaller whales. While we were stopped to watch, a huge school of white-sided porpoise came in from the west and the killers just sunk out. In a few minutes, 500 porpoise all jumped out of the water at once. The killer whales went through the school and got a bunch of porpoise. I saw one adult run down a porpoise and take it back to the young. Nobody on the boat had ever seen anything like it.”

Osborne docked Intrepid at Pt. Loma Sportfishing and weighed his catch. Albacore caught the afternoon before won the jackpot, taken during an afternoon bite only 50-odd miles from San Diego, which is more good news. The water was 70 degrees.

Todd Bowden of Monrovia, son of the chartermaster, won first place for a 37.4-pound albie. He said he bagged it with a sardine on a 2/0 ringed Super Mutu hook, 30-pound Seaguar fluorocarbon leader and 30-pound line. He used an Accurate 870 reel and a seven-foot Truline rod.

Ryan Stoddard of Jamul won second place for a 33.8-pound albacore, and Paul Suter of Sedalia, CO got third place for a 32.6-pound yellowtail.

Good Vag Four-Day

Mike Lackey docked his Vagabond at Pt. Loma Sportfishing July 27 after a four-day trip.

“We did all right,” he said, “we got just enough fish.”

Scott Stoyan of Kettle Falls, WA won first place for a 39.6-pound albacore. He said he caught it on a sardine and a 3/0 Gamakatsu hook. He fished with 30-pound P-Line fluorocarbon and 30-pound Izorline on a Saltiga 30 reel and a Seeker JB 65 rod.

Larry King of Apple Valley won second place. He got a 38.6-pound albacore. Mike David of Glendale took third place for a 36.6-pound albie. Collin Evans of San Diego had the trip’s best dorado, 29.4-pound “flathead.”

Searcher Finds Some Mossbacks

Art Taylor docked his Searcher at Fisherman’s Landing July 27 following a five-day trip that visited Cedros Island. Some big yellowtail were taken there, including the first one caught, by Joe Dunn, 88 and a San Diego icon, the former owner of the Champ.

Matt Rohrs of Placentia got first place for his personal best yellowtail, a 49.8-pounder. He said he fooled it with a Salas 7X jig in green sardine swirl color. He used Izorline XXX line on a Torium 20 reel and a Calstar 800H rod to do the job in ten minutes.

Jack Simplicio of Redondo Beach won second place for a 33.2-pound yellowtail, and Matt Gilchrist of Long Beach took third place for a 36.6-pound yellowtail. They were joined by an angler with a nice dorado who left before giving his name.