We worked close to the same area today scratching yellows and flatsoff of various kelps. We had flat calm weather to work in and found kelps til we had to call it and head for home. Many thanks to Rob Sanford of Parker Boats for putting together such a great group of anglers.

We checked out an island this morning for not much before heading back outside for more kelping. The day was saved as we fund a couple of kelps which held dorado and yellows. Our weather is flat calm andwe will be hard at it again in the morning.

Today we had a great day of offshore fishing with yellowtail to 28 lbs, dorado to 20 lbs and yellowfin tuna to 19 lbs. We scattered our action throughout the day with the morning a little more productive. The fish bit 40 # tackle readily. Lots of laughs were had and the weather was beautiful.

We are currently heading down on the Rob Sanford Parker Boats four day . We have beautiful weather and will be looking offshore tomorrow.

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I would definitely say it was worth the northerly ride to the local albacore zone, but the catching left plenty to be desired as school after school of twenty to thirty pound albacore thumbed their noses at us the entire day. The big moment of glory came late in the day when the incredible abundance of fish was not just witnessed by me using the sonar and fathometer on the bridge, but by everyone on board as a conservatively estimated square half mile of albacore erupted in a surface showing that can only be described as phenomenal. Imagine the thrill, the adrenaline surge while sliding into an area of albacore crashing on the surface so large that the boat passes through solid fish for four hundred yards before we even think about stopping. When we finally do stop, there are albacore jumping and crashing within a short bait cast to a half mile from the boat in every direction; thousands of fish visible at all times. Now imagine - just try to get your head around the almost unbeliveable reality that we experienced this exact scenario yesterday three or four different times without getting a single bite; not one. Needless to say there was plenty of dissappointment and utter disbelief among our fisherman who yesterday witnessed the exact reason why purse seine fishing was developed by pole and line bait fisherman fifty years ago.

Sometimes they just don't bite, and the only thing anglers can do in these instances is keep trying and wait them out as the pattern eventually changes and the cycle comes around. At the very least, we can say with certainty that the present quantity of albacore offshore is more than sufficient to supply both the local and long range fleet for many days to come. With any luck they will get with the program sooner than later and our day's of reckoning will come.

In the end we did manage to scratch up almost twenty of the reluctant longfin before our voyage came to an end. With that, we will be turning around on the next four day adventure today with Captain Brian Sims taking the helm for Rob Sanford's charter. With the albacore up above, and plenty of good kelp action on the yellowtail, dorado, and yellowfin tuna down below, the offshore prospects are very encouraging for the next series of voyages.

Another successful day of offshore prospecting with good working conditions and regular productivity as we worked the southern end of our range targeting yellowfin tuna and quality yellowtail on kelps. The trend on the tuna continues with the vast majority of what we saw ingoring us and a limited few jumping on the baits and jigs, but thankfully the yellowtail took the opposite approach biting with great enthusiasm every time we found the right kelp. Now, with plenty of kelp action under our belts, we are off to the north where we plan to finish up the voyage in search of albacore and bluefin tuna in the upper offshore zone. Everthing that can be is in our favor, so now it is simply a matter of hitting it on the right day when the albacore decide to bite. The good news overall is that the offshore zones in general have come to life with a number of different areas showing very good potential for the upcoming voyages, both local and long range. Time will tell of course, but there is presently good reason to feel optimistic about what lies ahead for us offshore. First things first however, we will give it a go on the local albacore tomorrow.

We got off to a great start in the weather department with perfect looking conditions for the offshore grounds. We put the opportunity to good use too as we prospected the entire day hitting kelps for steady action on 15 - 30# yellowtail with a sprinkling of dorado mixed in. I can't say we saw a tremendous amount of tuna in the area we were in, but there were signs of both yellowfin and bluefin tuna around although what we saw was very skittish and reluctant to bite. For whatever reason, again we find ourselves in one of these cycles where the offshore fish are practicing self preservation avoiding the majority of what we have to offer despite our best efforts to find the right combination. As we have seen so many times in the past, this phenomena is not limited to one particular zone either as we have all been experiencing similar responses, or lack thereof, from most of the tuna we are finding offshore whether targeting albacore at thirty miles, or yellowfin and bluefin tuna at one hundred fifty. Of course there have been a few days where the albacore have let there guard down slightly and got with the program, but thus far the vast majority of the tuna we are seeing down below have set their sights on a protein source other than our beautiful sardines. In this respect only one thing is certain - it will change. The only thing that is uncertain is when.

We will be making another go of it offshore tomorrow trying a different stretch of ocean in search of a higher percentage of tuna. With perfect weather forecast for at least two more days, there is no better time than now to keep up the prospectin

It looks like the offshore fishing has finally turned the corner, especially since the last voyage I was Captain, with a broad area showing good potential for both yellowfin and bluefin tuna in addition to yellowtail and dorado on kelps. Of course competition for the tuna is fierce, but there appears to be a good enough spread that one could get lucky and be in the right zone at any time before the circus arrives. The new life down below combined with the local albacore sign remaining strong sets up a promising picture for the upcoming weeks offshore. Before thinking too far ahead however we have this voyage to attend to, and as reported, the set up is promising. Our annual "Phillips Steel" four day began yesterday with a perfect load of sardines and an enthusiastic group of anglers ready for action. Good weather is in the forecast so we will see if we can put it to good use on the grounds tomorrow. Look for reports to continue daily.

Overall slow day but we did get lucky this morning and managed to get a stop for eleven 60-125lb bluefin amongst the seiner fleet. It was an exciting show for a solid hour, reminiscent of the good old days of a few years ago. We are moving up the line tonight in beautiful weather and plan on finishing the trip tomorrow in the albacore grounds.

We started our four day in the offshore gruonds today for decent fishing on 15-25lb yellowfin, a handful of nice yellows, and 3 dorado. Our weather was beautiful with the forecast calling for more of the same. We are going to take advantage of the great weather and continue to prospect offshore.

Another enjoyable day of angling for quality yellows here in the flat calm lee of Cedros. We are feeling fortunate to have made a nice catch behind the island as the weather offshore is far from stellar. We will be prospecting up the coast tomorow with an eta of 0600 Friday.

We enjoyed a great day of fishing on 25-40lb yellows in beautiful sunny weather here at the island today. Our plan is to stay here tonight and give this until noon tomorrow before starting back up the line.

We started the trip in the offshore grounds today for a few stops on 15-30lb tuna. With the weather coming up we're opting to run down and fish Cedros tomorrow.

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Well the confidence built by our previous two days of island success fizzled by day?s end as we logged another full day of looking for absolutely nothing other than perfect conditions, tons of bait, and zero fish. I have to admit that I am presently convinced that beyond sixty miles from San Diego, the prospects of finding the ?next wave? or mother lode of albacore are very, very slim. The good news is that the sign of albacore close to home remains good and one must simply find the resolve to battle it out to get their fair share. In the meantime the next piece of good news is that yellowfin are beginning to trickle in and I wouldn?t be surprised to see some good local and long range action offshore on school size yellowfin tuna in the upcoming months of August and September. Throw in a few Dorado and good size yellowtail on kelps and away we go.

Presently, Captain Toussaint has returned to take command for a few days so look for a marked upturn in the fishing and a trailing off in the daily reports. I am sure Randy will keep everyone sufficiently informed however and I will be certain to weigh in with any thoughts I conjure up. Good luck to all on the annual Kevin Leong/Blackwater five day voyage that has a fantastic group of anglers aboard ready for any and all fishing to come.

Boy we were living right today as yesterday's good fortune spilled over and we continued to find exceptional action on the big yellows just about everywhere we stopped through our mid day departure. As a number of anglers had their desired quantity of premium yellowtail in the RSW tanks, catch and release was the order of the morning while others gleefully partook in the bounty that will be thoroughly enjoyed at the table in the weeks following our return.

On that note, I can't remember if I have mentioned the quality of the yellowtail product from the RSW in the past, but even if so, I am compelled to do so again. Of all the different fish species we catch, the refrigerated seawater storage of yellowtail, combined with the appropriate process of pithing, bleeding, and thoroughly washing the fish before they are stored at thirty degrees immersed in clean seawater, has had the most profound impact on the end quality of these fish. Traditionally yellowtail were considered decent table fare by most but were not among the coveted species we catch such as Wahoo or fresh, well cared for albacore or tuna. Now, fresh yellowtail from the RSW tanks is a genuine delight with a light, flaky texture, almost white colored meat, and no fishy flavor when the fillets are properly trimmed.

Of course if you are not one who enjoys eating fish none of this matters, but I mention it again to encourage more of you to take full advantage of these yellowtail now that they are among the finest product available on your long range voyage.

That said we are now on our way northward enjoying a pleasant ride that also reflects our bountiful good fortune of late. The weather was rugged for those who made the northward passage yesterday and two days prior, but our departure today coincided perfectly with the wind slacking off and a rapidly dimiishing sea state. Now the true test is set before us as we prospect on the offshore grounds once again in search of whatever species of tuna is available. We have the entire day to work, with everything in order that can be, so it is now simply a matter of fortune combined with our standard dedicated effort. Vamos a ver.

Well it took a few days, but we finally had our day in the sun with very good action on the bruiser, island yellowtail in perfect conditions and a beautiful setting. The action was so good in fact, that we opted to give it one more try tomorrow morning before heading back out on the offshore grounds to brave our final day and a half of fishing time in search, once again, of any sign of tuna or albacore between here and the local grounds just south of San Diego. It must be done, and, weather permitting, we are just the guys to find 'em considering the odds alone. With any luck however, we will put in a nice morning before the offshore phase resumes with some fine, memorable action on the big yellowtail and flat calm glory on the lee side of this incredible island.

Well our troubles are not over yet although we did manage to scratch together a fair score on the jumbo yellowtail in the beautiful lee of Isla Cedros. Thus far this has been one of those time periods where it is not coming easy regardless of the effort we are expending. The good news is that we still have time, we still have good working conditions, we still have plentiful, perfect bait, and we are all in top form ready to take advantage of the big opportunity when it manifests. As you can see the glass is well above half empty and as such, we are looking forward to our day of fishing tomorrow.

We had some trouble getting the report out yesterday, but it's just as well as the only catching we did was limited to a handful of yellowtail and one forty pound yellowfin tuna. Yes, we did see some fish, including a fair school of not biting bluefin we found well off the beaten path, but our prospecting mission, although executed in perfect, flat calm weather, was essentially a bust in the catching department. Those of you who have been following the reports over the past couple of years have probably noticed the same pattern developing that I have. For whatever reason the fish gods have not been kind to those with adventurous notions of late dishing out plenty what we refer to as "red ass" when we break off from the routine strategy. These instances, that have a tendency come around with time, are simply inevitable from my perspctive, and have a way of balancing out from one year to the next. I can say with certainty however, that I/we are ready for some kind of good luck offshore for a change as we have endured a hefty share of pathetic results of late.

So, with my sniveling done for the day, I can get back to the fishing details, although as reported we don't have a whole lot of success to trumpet. We did scratch a big question mark off the list, checking the outside for the first time this season for absolutely zero sign and no fish. As such we will be dedicating plenty of effort during the next few days to the yellowtail pursuit with plans to stop the boat and fish while some of the other guys in our group take on the challenge of locating something new offshore. Look for reports to continue tomorrow and throw in a prayer or two while you're at it.

A new voyage begins and we are ready with another fantastic, highly motivated group of Royal Star anglers that are well prepared to make the most of our day of offshore prospecting tomorrow. We have another very good load of sardines to work with, a primo weather forecast on the outside, and a generous amount of time to make it happen as this, once again, is our annual John Kashiki summer seven day voyage. Offshore looking is exactly what we will be doing tomorrow in search of a new vein of albacore, bluefin, or yellowfin on the outside that will provide additional opportunity for us and the rest of the fleet beyond the local albacore grounds that continue to produce decent scores on longfin for the overnight guys. We have some promising zones to cover and high hopes so we will see what tomorrow brings in the catching department.


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We put in a full day of looking off the beaten track and found plenty of yellowtail both offshore on kelps and in the late afternoon around the islands. Of course yellowtail were not on the agenda, as we had our fill yesterday, so we released the vast majority of what we hooked and focused our island efforts on catching a few kelp bass for a lunch tomorrow. Fantastic weather continues to grace our effort and is a much appreciated feature for the final phase of our voyage where northwest is the inevitable direction of travel to reach both the final day's offshore albacore zone as well as home on Sunday. Thus far our voyage has unfolded near according to plan so we will see if we can wrap it up with a productive final afternoon catching albacore for the R.S.W. tanks before calling it a trip at nightfall.

We got our chance to enjoy some bona fide catching as the twenty to thirty five pound yellowtail emerged from the shallows with a insatiable appetite and aggressive disposition intent upon hammering almost every form of jig or bait that hit the water for the better part of the morning. What really stood out in this one of many incredible stops we have seen on the big yellows this season was the aggression with which these southern yellowtail chased and struck the jigs and baits. We probably witnessed a hundred different strikes where a charged up big yellow would explode on a flylined bait or surface jig mere yards from the boat resembling a good size tuna much more than a yellowtail. Needless to say the surface show was as much a part of the memory as the fishing itself that was absolutely spectacular from the time we dropped the anchor to the time we pulled it four hours later with a beautiful R.S.W. tank full of perfectly spiked, bled, and professionally handled yellowtail. To make the day even better, the weather was just short of flat calm with a comfortable, soft breeze to keep things cool and minimal seas making for an easy time manuvering around the deck while ten or fifteen fellow anglers battled big, determined yellowtail.

With as close to a "perfect" day of long range yellowtail angling one could ever hope for, we headed up for the offshore zones after checking a couple more spots in the late afternoon for just a few more unwanted yellowtail. Taking the perfect weather into consideration, we plan to put in a full day of looking offshore tomorrow working into an area where no others have been yet this season. Again we find ourselves in a position with a good catch in the hatch and the final quarry being some form of quality offshore tuna. To this end we will dedicate our final two days effort seeking the mother lode somewhere down below in the long range zone.

Well we couldn't blame it on the sharks today although they did make off with a few of the coveted yellowfin before we threw in the towel and headed for greener pastures. Chalk it up to bad timing because based on weather, current, water temperature, moon phase, water color, sign of bait, type of bait we were using, and most importantly, sign of fish, I should be writing a glowing report detailing the day's success. Our results once again demonstrate that often times there is simply no explanation, and no alternative other than to move on in search of a destination where our quarry has the right attitude.

In the end it was not a complete bust, in fact it was far from it with a fair score of forty to fifty pound YFT and a couple of bruiser yellowtail, but taking the timing of our trip, and the obvious trend into consideration, we had to move on to maintain our status and sanity. Big congratulations to Bob Newnam who landed a seventy one pound yellowtail on the flylined sardine fishing forty pound line. This catch of a lifetime really brightened up an otherwise slow afternoon and definitely made the whole day worth the effort. Now we are again in search mode and will report accordingly tomorrow.

An extraordinarily beautiful day here with near flat calm conditions and a soft, tropical atmosphere that welcomed anglers to shed a few layers of clothing and enjoy their time at the rail long range style. The fishing was no where near extraordinary however though we did manage to scratch together a decent score on thirty to fifty seven pound yellowfin tuna sitting on the anchor all day. No doubt our tally would have been more noteworthy had it not been for a number of menacing huge brown sharks that taxed us regularly from the time we arrived right through day's end. As I have stated many times in the past, there always seems to be something out there to make the actual catching of these fish more difficult so we are rarely surprised by what variety of grief we encounter. At the very least it is far from unfishable and for that fact alone, compared to many voyages in the past, we are grateful. We are also grateful for the sign of fish we see around here despite the fact that they were reluctant to get with the program today. Suffice to say that with what we see, it is well worth another day before we consider other options.

We more or less spent the entire day traveling southward although we did have about one hour of excitement as we ran across a very promising area that was holding good sign of fifteen to twenty five pound yellowfin tuna, loads of bait, and incredible signs of life. I can't say the tuna we found were all that eager to bite, as we stopped the boat with good spots around us on several occasions and scratched only a few handfuls, but the overall indications in the area have us very encouraged about the future potential. As forecasted, the weather could not be more perfect although it appears that our strategy of loading up on primo kite baits will be challenged today by the fact that there is zero wind to provide adequate lift. In fact at present, even a balloon would rise directly above the boat and remain as such. Needless to say this weather condition, with all the challenges it creates for kite flying, is one we are happy to deal with.

We got off to a good start here putting on the brakes and enjoying a steady day of offshore albacore action before continuing the trip down the line towards the southern zones. It looks like the weather picture is setting up to be perfect during the upcoming week and with that in mind, as well as our beautiful load of bait and eager group of anglers, we are looking forward to the remainder of our trip. By no means are we getting ahead of ourselves however as we have a long way to go and plenty of fish to catch before we call it a success. As always the fish gods will play the key role so we will pay due respect, keep plugging away at it, and report accordingly.