Long Range Fishing Report & Local Info- 8/23/08

****NOTICE: There are some openings on the WCA 10 Day trip leaving Sept. 28 on the Red Rooster III. For more information please call 818.224.3857****

Bill Roecker for FishingVideos.com & the San Diego Sportfishing Council – Net Update August 23, 2008

Brad Merritt Charter

Justin Fleck docked Excel at Fisherman’s Landing August 23 after the five-day Merritt charter with 21 anglers.

“We fished at Benitos, offshore and Sacrament Reef,” said Justin. “And we did well up toward San Martin, too.” There’s lots of exotics headed up this way.”

Wayne Wilcox of Downey won first place for a 35.4-pound albacore, but was tied for the spot by Rod Kiewiet of Altadena with an identical fish. Jim Kastorff of San Diego (He ties the “acid-wrap” rods) was third for a 27-pound yellowtail.

Gal Gets Honorable Mention

American Angler docked at Pt. Loma Sportfishing August 23 after a Sam Patella-skippered five-day trip with 27 anglers.

“We got lucky at Guadalupe,” said Sam, “and got some of those better fish there. No hundred-pounders, but some good ones. I was surprised; Whitey wasn’t bad.”

Charles Schuler of Vista won first place for a 90.4-pound yellowfin tuna that took his sardine on a 4/0 Mustad hook. He said he used 40-pound Seaguar fluorocarbon and 40-pound Ande line on a Daiwa reel and a Sabre five and a half-foot rod.

Glenn Iwamoto of Sacramento was second for a 90.2-pounder, and Terry Kimura of Cypress took third place for a 62.4-pound yellowfin tuna. Also in the jackpot lineup with her best fish ever: Michelle Uesugi of Redondo Beach, who got honorable mention.

Four-Day Extravaganza

Polaris Supreme arrived August 23 with skipper Drew Henderson at the wheel. Ryan Christianson of San Diego was chartermaster for the 24 anglers aboard on the Let’s Talk Hookup trip.

Mark Greul of Omaha, NE presented a 58-pound yellowfin at the scales and won first place for his effort. He said his fish bit a sardine on a 3/0 Flyliner hook tied to 30-pound Blackwater fluorocarbon and 30-pound Ande line. He used a Torium 30 reel and a Seeker Black Steel C8 seven and a half-foot rod.

Richard Miller of Jackson won second place for a 40-pound albacore. Mark Cornoll of Jackson won third place for a 31.6-pound yellowtail.

Toussaint Takes Alijos flyer

An Alijos Rocks trip in six days is cutting things close, but Royal Star skipper Randy Toussaint pulled off one of his famous flyers for 25 fishing passengers, returning to Fisherman’s Landing August 23.

“We got a lot of tuna from 18 to 30 pounds,” said Randy. “You could limit on those easy. There were also tuna from 40 to 80 pounds around, and we had an afternoon bite on tuna up to 120 pounds. Yellowtail bit at night. We stopped at San Pablo on the way up to collect our yellowtail.”

John Strock of Redondo Beach won the jackpot for his 112.6-pound yellowfin. He said it bit on a sardine and a 6/0 Eagle Claw hook. He used 50-pound Seaguar fluorocarbon leader, 80-pound Izorline Spectra on an Avet LX reel and a Calstar 765 ML rod.

“On our first afternoon at the Rocks,” said Strock, “a school of bigger fish came through and produced all the jackpots at once. It was about five p.m.”

Phil Hashimoto of Mission Viejo won second place for his sardine-caught 102-pound tuna. Tony Yee of San Jose was close behind with a 99-pounder on the Mako Nakamura charter.

Good Local Report

The islands may not be on fire with biting forktails, but Grant Christianson said he found very good yellowtail fishing at the Coronado Islands fishing the ridge at the Middle Grounds in his 21-foot Grady August 22. He said the water was 71 degrees and clean blue, and the fish were running 18 to 20 pounds. He also remarked that offshore fishing in the area was just about as good, with tuna and dorado on some of the paddies.