Long Range Fishing Update – 12/21/09

Bill Roecker for FishingVideos.com & the San Diego Sportfishing Council

Red Rooster III Jackpot Winners

Rooster Gets Supercow
Andy Cates brought Red Rooster III home to H&M Landing December 21 after a ten-day trip with 23 anglers sponsored by Izorline and Accurate. The H&M building was flattened when he left, but on his return there was already a shell up for the new landing offices. Both Fisherman’s Landing and H&M will have new quarters next summer.
The big fish caught on the Rooster was a 332-pound giant yellowfin caught by Dana Sterling, a retired angler now working in the marine coating industry.
“Remember that,” he told Bill Roecker at the scales. “You’ll be seeing something about it pretty soon.”
Sterling only needed 45 minutes to quell his trophy. “My best fish before this one was only 126 pounds,” he remarked.
Dana used a sardine on a 4/0 ringed gorilla hook, which he tied to 130-pound Seaguar fluorocarbon and 130-pound Power Pro Spectra. He fished with an Avet VX 50 reel and a Calstar 765 H rod.

Dana Sterling and his 332# Yellowfin Tuna

Bill Falls of Las Vegas got the trip’s other cow, a 237-pound tuna taken on a sardine and a ringed Super Mutu 7/0 hook dangled from a fishing kite. He used the boat’s kite gear: 130-pound Izorline and 130-pound Power Pro Spectra on an Accurate 80 reel (the anglers call it “the tractor,” and a Calstar 6460 XXH rod.
The two cow catchers posed with Farrey Flessender of Santa Rosa, who got a 180-pound tuna, good for third place. Bruno Buzinskis of La Crescenta got honorable mention and the trolling jackpot for a 135-pounder.

Cow For Bob
“Our weather remained beautiful yet again today,” said the report from Royal Polaris December 19. “We enjoyed bright blue skies and calm seas. On the other hand, fishing slowed significantly. Although we had fish boiling around the boat most of the day today, unfortunately they did not bite all that well.

“We did manage a few tuna ranging from 100 to 180lbs and one 241-pound yellowfin landed by (Royal Polaris regular) Bob Ramirez. Tomorrow will be out last day of fishing and we plan to stay put and spend our remaining time trying for a few trophy tuna. Wish us luck.”

Wedging The RSW

Royal Polaris Yellowfin Tuna

“It was another great day for us, wrote Royal Star owner-skipper Tim Ekstrom December 20, “traveling up in flat calm weather thoroughly enjoying the ride. We have definitely paid some dues on a number of northerly runs this season so I suppose we earned this one. Less any obstacles in the form of contrary weather or current we are lined up to make our 0800 arrival in San Diego on Tuesday the 22nd.
Normally I would have more to say but the serenity of this ocean, with the brilliance of a million stars reflecting on the glassy surface like Christmas lights, has my thinking at bay. About fishing anyway. Right now it is near impossible to not grasp and be intensely grateful for the good fortune all of us out here realize. Nothing cements the fact like one of these surreal transits.
For today’s photo I thought I’d share something a little different. Many times I have been asked the question of how we get these big fish into the fish holds. Today’s sequence features Captain Sean Bickel providing a perfect demo. This RSW tank was nearing capacity so it actually took three of us as we called in the “beef” utilizing crewman Blake Wasano’s superhuman strength to get things moving. In the end however it was simply a matter of finding the right angle. When we did Robbie Mc Adam’s 364 slid right in. We even got a few more in after this.
One note of interest in the photos is the seawater in and flooding out of the tank after being displaced by the giant tuna. Notice how clean the water in the tank is while being near full of fish. This is how it is supposed to look if one expects to achieve a premium quality product after seven days. The blood and slime must be thoroughly washed from every fish before they are deposited. This shot is an excellent example of the care, professionalism, and standards we employ in the handling of our anglers’ fish.

Yellowfin going into the RSW