Long Range Fishing Update – 3/30/10

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

Yellowfin In March: Amazing

Shogun at Alijos Rocks

Finding yellowtail at Alijos Rocks in March isn’t surprising. Discovering biting yellowfin tuna of the sort the long range fleet pursues during summer is revelatory. It may have happened before in March, but I don’t recall it. Often the water at The Rocks doesn’t warm up to tuna temperatures (say above 66 or 67 degrees) before May or June. Even then, the fish may not be there. But skipper Norman Kagawa on the Shogun found ’em biting shortly after scoping back on the anchor line yesterday. Here’s the first report.
“The anchor went down at Alijos Rocks this morning,” said the report for March 29 and within half an hour we had a decent tuna bite developing, the fish averaging 35 to 45 pounds, with a handful of fish twice that size. Capt. Norm hustled to get both kites in the air and tuna came aboard on fly lined and kite fished sardines.
“A big heart breaker was lost at color estimated at 125 pounds that bit a chunk bait. The tuna bite slowed this afternoon but the yellowtail picked up the slack. We fished all day under clear skies and fair seas. This evening the Shogun is anchored up at Alijos Bank, perhaps there will be a night bite on the yellows. Tomorrow we’ll return early to the tuna grounds. It’s been a great first day.”

Bill Roecker for FishingVideos.com & the San Diego Sportfishing Council
Net Update
March 29, 2010

Spring Has Sprung

Skin on the Intrepid

With two long range boats heading for home and another enroute to Alijos Rocks, the spring season is underway. The homeward bound sportfishers have cows aboard. Intrepid will dock Wednesday, March 31, after the Wahoodad/Willy trip, and the Royal Polaris is scheduled to tie up at Fisherman’s Landing the next day, April 1, following the Jerry Brown Line One Spectra expedition. Shogun added to her many early-season laurels with the year’s first bluefin tuna, caught on a meter mark. Here are their latest reports.
Flat Rolling For The Barn
“As we head home in beautiful seas,” wrote skipper Kevin Osborne March 27,
“with a great atmosphere here on the Intrepid, everyone is talking about the fantastic Wahoo fishing we encountered on this trip. We have full limits on the skin, to go along with a good catch of Yellowfin to 220 pounds for 13 anglers.
“It was the best Wahoo fishing seen in a long time. If you are thinking of this trip for next year we would like to let you know that the two weeks before the full moon in March all the way through the full moon in April, has, is, and will continue to be the best Wahoo fishing of the year. We have been blessed with outstanding weather for the length of our trip so far and hope it continues for the next few days.

Cow Yellowfin on the Royal Polaris

“The weather remains very nice as we make our way up the line,” he wrote March 28. “We came across a pod of Orcas that seemed to be showing a young calf the way around. The Killer Whales allowed us to get very close and get some snapshots of them as we watched them casually swim around the vessel. There were two large Whales and one younger calf.”
A Sunny Outlook
“Our weather continues to be beautiful, with lots of sunshine,” said the report from Royal Polaris March 27.
“We had another great day of fishing on Wahoo and Yellowfin. The best bite came at sunset with Yellowfin in the 140 to 160-pound range, on the kite and flylined Sardines. The largest fish caught today was by John Jeffreys. John’s fish came in at 212 pounds. This is our third fish over 200 pounds this trip. We will fish until noon tomorrow, then head for home.
“Weather is just gorgeous,” stated the report from March 28, “with clear skies, a slight breeze, and all the sunshine you could ask for. We ended our trip with another 200-plus-pound Yellowfin tuna.

Royal Polaris spots some Orcas

“The lucky angler was Ron Lewis, and it was his first Yellowfin over 200 pounds. Ron’s fish came in at 237 pounds. The fishing cooled off some, but I think it was due to lack of participation.
“We are now headed for home, with a group of happy anglers.”
Shogun Gets Year’s First Bluefin
“This morning the Shogun is once again fishing long range,” said Shogun’s report for March 27, “clearing Pt. Loma by 10 am, headed toward Alijos Rocks. We hope to find favorable sea temps and biting tuna and yellowtail. South of the Coronado Islands there were yellows boiling under the birds and a few Bonito jumped on the trolling plugs, 2010 could shape up to a good fishing season both local and long range, Monday will find us at The Rocks.
On March 28, the encouraging report from Shogun noted, “Our new Furuno sonar marked a small school and a jig strike came a few

Seasons first Bluefin caught on the Shogun

seconds later. Surprise, surprise, the Shogun puts the first bluefin tuna of 2010 on the deck!
“This is another hopeful sign for the local tuna season. Tomorrow morning we’ll be on site at The Rocks, looking for tuna and yellows. In years past Alijos Bank has produced a great night bite on big yellows; that’s 24-hour fishing action!”