Not exactly the grand finale here in the offshore grounds today with only a handfull of tuna and poor weather. The water structure seems to be falling apart which probably has this fish relocating somewhere down the line. At least we figured out for Tim where not to start the next trip, we always say knowing where a guy didn't catch is as important as where he did. Tim leaves tomorrow on a six day so look for his reports on the 2nd.

Another fine morning of yellowtail fishing had everyone satiated and limited out by lunch. We spent the afternoon working up the line towards the offshore zone where we'll finish up the trip tomorrow.

Nice steady angling all day on 18-25lb yellows here on the inside while enjoying flat calm seas. The guys had to work at it as it wasnt no brainer full speed fishing but by days end we had the same result with a better angling experience. The yoyo was steady with a small sinker bait combo also being productive.
We are spending the night here and will fish yellows in the morning before starting our Northern trek in search of tuna.

Slow day scratching up 30 yellows highlighted by a good showing of quality tuna this afternoon. Unfortunately they were reluctant to bite which combined with the tax man made for a challenging combination to put a few aboard. We will be enjoying a calm night on the anchor and give it another shot here tomorrow.

Steve Bennetts angling skills were put to the test to land this 70lber in today's shot.

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Tough fishing and conditions here in the offshore grounds where we started our annual Baja Fish Gear seven day after clearing Ensenada last night. We did manage to scratch up 45 tuna and dorado off of various kelps but with deteriorating weather our destination is Guadalupe for tomorrow. Hopefully we can pick up where Tim left off out here while enjoying the lee of the island.

Even prior to our final, sixth day of fishing on this seven day voyage the consistency of our success was becoming somewhat surreal. In the beginning I laid out a strategy of what, why, and how then followed through to the letter. It doesn't happen this way too often. Typically we find ourselves adjusting the original plan due to any variety of changes that throw a wrench in the works; such is the nature of fishing. Then, once in a blue moon, everything seems to fall perfectly into place doing a fantastic job of making us look like we know what we are doing. I'll let all of you decide on that one. Of late I have to admit that there have been some pretty convincing examples.

Our final morning of prospecting actually looked as if the bubble was set to burst as we took a track off the beaten path pushing our recent fortune to the limit. It didn't work at all. Finding ourselves in left field by a wide margin I figured it was time blow the carbon out of the exhaust and execute a twenty mile jump in relatively short order. The old saying "he who hesitates is lost" definitely applied. In doing so we went from a obviously fishless ocean to a stretch that somewhat mirrored a set of conditions about six weeks ago. I have made plenty of mention of late about the six fishing sense and such and again this notion applied. As we rolled into this different zone it had that distinct fishy feel I know so well. I knew we were going to find a school; without a doubt. Again I mentioned such to my right hand man Chief Engineer Sean Bickel. And again, not five minutes later, there it was.

A few picking terns were the tip off. As we approached a spread out area of flips and jumpers revealed exactly what we were looking for. When we did get on them wow did they bite. It was game on. Fifteen to twenty two pound yellowfin with a few standout twenty five's was the grade and these anglers were well prepped for action by the long morning fishless morning. Suffice to say we loaded up from the "aquarium style" opportunity that featured hundreds of fish plowing through the corner the entire time. It was a fantastic closing round to put the finishing touch on a voyage of epic proportions. Quantity, quality, in a big way, and variety fulfilled to perfection. Throw in flat calm weather for seven days, and six days of fishing time out of seven days total, and the picture is complete.

Now it is time to return anew as Captain Toussaint resumes command departing tomorrow on our annual Baja Fish Gear seven day voyage. The stage for success is definitely set as another seasoned group of anglers joins Randy and our crew in search of a repeat or better. Meanwhile I remain on the beach to join "Rock Cod" Rick Maxa on Let's Talk Hookup Sunday morning. Between this voyage and the upcoming fall season no doubt we'll have plenty to talk about.

Photo today features long time Royal Star veteran Brett Merrill and crewman Paul Caramao with Brett's first trophy Guadalupe yellowfin. I'll send a few more full resolution photos from the home front tomorrow. Have a fine weekend!

Tim Ekstrom

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Ecstasy and agony is how I would describe it - in about equal proportions. And the best part about it was that the ecstasy followed the agony, for most. Translated ecstasy took the form of good fishing for trophy yellowfin tuna; far better than anything we have experienced since July. Agony took the familiar grey, elongate, corpulent form of the Great White Shark, or sharks in today's case, that did their best to rain on our parade.

When all was said and done though, with the exception of an unfortunate few anglers that paid the tax and received the short end of the bargain, we departed feeling like winners in several respects. Best said our results today were not by chance. We methodically executed a strategy beginning on day one that led to the opportunity we were able to make good on. Mind you I'm not taking credit for the good fishing fortune, that happens to anyone and everyone who puts in their time out here, but I'll own the fact that we were more than ready to make good on any opportunity that came our way. It just so happened that this time the stars aligned in our favor.

Now we head north on the final leg in high spirits fueled on fine fishing and superb weather. There is nothing quite like a good day at Guadalupe followed by a departure sans crash helmets and full body armor. Not even a bump or a roll accompanied the ride that felt far more like gliding across a mountain lake than the Pacific Ocean; good times, in every respect. Offshore fishing will be the final pursuit seeking to add color to the catch in the form of a few dorado, or a sparkle of blue in the form of Bluefin tuna; though it might be better to say gold when referencing the bluefin tuna; swimming gold as I call them.

Photo number one today features ecstatic angler Mike Vasile with the second of his two Guadalupe yellowfin hauled through the gauntlet. After suffering the heartless injustice of this island on a couple of past voyages by feeding the locals without reward, Mike's day of reckoning finally arrived; ecstasy defined. Photo number two is purely for contrast; agony defined; for all parties involved. Viva Guadalupe!

Tim Ekstrom

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No surprise at the big island today as scant sign and lack of conditions made for great fishing but poor catching. But from numerous previous outings this season we have learned and adapted. Key to this day of success, yes - success, is the position we are still in, and the conditions we have to fish in. I'll spare the verbose driftings about the breathtaking beauty of the atmosphere today. It is an inherent fact when fishing this island. Of course there are times when conditions break down, and the fierce beauty of this massive haven becomes frightful, but, as I have offered many times before, such is the nature of this ocean; and our beloved opposite gender. That's a tangent I'll leave at that.

Back to fishing though we find ourselves in the uniquely satisfying position of being fish rich and quality hungry. The fish rich part of the equation dictates that we focus our effort toward the best and biggest, regardless of the pace, for as long as possible; and we are fully content to do so. After three days of solid steady action on offshore tuna and coastal yellowtail the change of pace was understood and embraced by all. It is a pure quality pursuit now; time at the rail; perfectly prepared gear, and perhaps a touch of good fortune is the recipe for success. And between bites, which represented the entire day for the majority of these anglers, it was impossible to miss the surrounding contrast. The flat calm seas, stark vistas, and behemoth Mesozoic outcrops of Isla Guadalupe have a way of shrinking even the staunchest self importance. A full day at the rail without a bite does a good job of it too.

We went four for eight today from a variety of anchor positions that offered a taste in the form of a few fish crashing around, but little in the way of action. There is reason for encouragement though as we saw the similar sign of a little fish in a lot of places. If conditions here align, and the fish stack up in one place, there will be a day of reckoning. Suffice to say we are hoping that day is in our near future, like tomorrow. Even if not however we are content to scratch every last one we can stretching our time on the outside through tomorrow evening. At the very least, after battling conditions in the form of zero current this morning, I feel that even a little flow stands to elicit a significant change in production. We'll see if tomorrow is the day.

Photos today feature Charter master Tim Marshall, who had the hot hand today landing fifty percent of our catch with two seventy pound class Guadalupe Yellowfin, and Royal Star veteran Art Holcomb, who does a good job of demonstrating the contrast I was mentioning, pulling on a good one with Outer Rock looming overhead.

Tim Ekstrom

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Yesterday's coastal yellowtail action carried right through today beginning early and continuing until anglers threw in the towel thoroughly spent from pulling on seemingly endless 20 - 25# yellowtail. And I do mean seemingly endless as the sheer quantity of fish around is difficult to imagine. At times when the fish were up and trashing their favorite treat it was a spectacle of proportions most sport fishermen could not believe unless living in the first person. And the good news in this case, and in the case of these fish throughout this season, is their enthusiasm for biting. It is one thing to see them. It's another to see them in full feeding mode then receive the expected reaction.

Surface irons, live baits, and just about anything one wished to use was effective leading to a final couple of drifts that focused on fishing for the pure fun of it. With production goals fully met a handful or two of anglers broke out the bass tackle and ultra light outfits to try their hand at taming a few of these yellows in a more sporting fashion. It made for good fun as the guys tested the limits of their lighter gear while presenting a variety of unconventional yellowtail offerings that, given the willingness of the fish to bite, worked to perfection.

Now we shift modes geared up for the pursuit of trophies to the west. All quantity goals have been met, the weather is fine, and time is still in our favor. Between this group of highly motivated anglers and the load of bait we are presently carrying we are positioned as well as one can be. Photo today features veteran long range angler Cliff Joralmon with a thirty pound class yellowtail landed on the bass gear during one of our many successful morning drifts.

Tim Ekstrom

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There were many highlights from today's fishing exploits. From my vantage point the best by far was when charter master Tim Marshall was winding his surface jig through an intense swarm of yellowtail that was so charged up that none could manage to get the iron down. To begin with one twenty pound yellow, that was completely over the edge, jumped clear from the water in an attempt to best his numerous competitors. Those who fish for yellowtail regularly know how rare this is, and what the indication of such behavior is.

About 99.9 percent of the time yellowtail, even when biting furiously, crash on the surface and create a phenomenal show by carving out big wedges as they slash and turn while chasing panicked bait fish. But for a rare occasion the are not a surface feeding fish that jumps. When that rare occasion does occur it is almost certainly a result of yellows frenzied to the point of complete abandon. And as it does not happen often it really stands out to one who spends a tremendous amount of time observing.

Back to the original story Tim Marshall was winding his jig through this churning morass of yellowtail when one jumped about a foot clear of the water knocking his jig sideways in the process. Before he could even take a quick couple of winds to straighten out the slack another one jumped on it managing to foul the line in the hooks on the back end. After that Tim continued the retrieve that was rendered useless as the fouled jig grabbed and skipped the remaining way in. Almost unbelievably the frantic yellows continued to pursue and smash the screwed up jig right to the boat. And I have to say that although the whole episode did not result in a fish hooked or landed the show was far better as a result; and he hooked one on the next cast anyway, as did everyone else.

It was a good morning of steady yellowtail action punctuated by a long mid day lull that led well into the early evening. Then from a collective looking effort organized with our colleague, we got on to another area in the evening that led to the above detailed scenario. It was a perfect ending to a full day of good fishing, beautiful weather, and epic scenery.

Regulating production to stretch this paradise into at least one more morning we also accomplished the goal of topping off on "soft bait" preparing for our final westerly leg of the voyage. First things first however we will dedicate a little more effort toward the coastal yellowtail before heading offshore in the afternoon in search of "flats" and tuna. For certain the door for anything to occur is open. At this time of the year, with a wealth of good conditions to choose from, everywhere holds the potential for surprise. Bigeye is what I am thinking. It's a stretch, but still well within reason.

You're probably going to have to use a bit of imagination to interpret today's photos that unfortunately barely capture the action of scooping live day time squid. The balls get chased up by marauding yellowtail and sometimes remain on the surface long enough for us to load up. I can not sufficiently express the joy of such occasions. Everyone on board gets fired up at the sight and prospects a booming load of primo squid represents. It's no guarantee of fish, but it is as close as one can get - if we find 'em. In today's photo Captain Gregg Tanji and Chief Sean Bickel are getting the job well done.

Tim Ekstrom

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Overall a good day of offshore fishing with school size yellowfin making a strong showing for a few hours in the morning for just about everyone on the grounds. Different today was the reluctance of numerous spots to bite that added a bit of frustration to the effort as it required more than just finding a school to get the job done; one had to find the right school of which there were only a few. Otherwise it was short stop or quick hit type fishing where we would hit a spot, get ten to twenty fish, then get rolling again in short order to find another.

In the end, whether finding one good spot that was suicidal, or accumulating them ten to twenty at a time, they added up the same. Satisfied by day's end, but far from sated with this size fish and this type fishing, we maintained our southerly momentum setting up for a change of pace in coastal yellowtail fishing tomorrow. Consistent stability in the offshore conditions suggests that we may find more opportunity at these school size yellowfin and bluefin on the back end of the voyage. While we would never bank on it, or count our chickens so to speak, it's at least a thought we are harboring.

Still in an ideal position with a wealth of time, bait, and good working weather our foundation for success appears sound. As long as the fish hold up their end we are good to go. Time will tell.

Tim Ekstrom

Another big day of fun on the waterfront as multiple big long rangers made the turn and quickly diffused the carnival like atmosphere alive with energy. Fired up by the sight of so many successful catches being unloaded fishermen embarking on their vessels of choice mingled with those returning extracting tales and tips from afar to fine tune their upcoming approach with real time information. Between that and the opportunity to interact with so many other departing anglers the morning had a distinctly positive tone that was welcome to my eye.

So effective was the run down that anglers received while we tended to the task of completing a two and a half hour turn around that when we had our opening meeting and safety seminar a few hours later they were nearly as informed as I about the overall picture and our many different options. It made for a lively discussion as we steamed south opting for a wealth of fishing time on this annual seven day North County Fire fighters run.

We'll see how it shakes out in the end. For now we are pleased with the idea of six fishing days targeting everything from yellowfin, bluefin, and dorado offshore to coastal yellowtail and of course the coveted Guadalupe yellowfin. Good working weather for at least a couple of days promises a pleasant time of it as we apply our effort to the offshore pursuit of tuna and dorado for the opening round. Between a primo load of bait, an epic group of positive, like minded anglers, and a present set of options almost too good to be true we are ready to set the ball in motion.

Of late though this offshore tuna has been a little slippery to say the least. Keeping this in mind we head forth with measured enthusiasm considering day one a prospecting mission with encouraging odds. Either way reports with details will continue throughout the week.

Tim Ekstrom

We started the morning with a lucky kelp that produced wide open action on quality dorado which was quite therapeutic after a couple days of slow scratching at the island. We also managed to string together a few short stops on school yft to make for a nice ending to the trip. We are presently traveling up in nice weather and will be in at 0800 tomorrow. Tim departs on a seven day so look for his reports on the 17th.

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Another fine show on this 70-100lb tuna today but getting them to bite proved to be quite a challenge. We managed to boat 9 fish from 70-98lbs, no huge day but that is the nature of fishing trophies at times.
We're traveling up tonight and will finish up in the offshore grounds tomorrow. Sam Sourakli with a 80lber in today's shot.

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Guadalupe didn't give up its bounty easily today in spite of a couple good showings on 70-100lb tuna. Our group of seasoned anglers gave it a great effort and were able to coax seven 70-90lbers into the RSW while paying the usual thirty percent tax to the local GW population. The potential is here so we're spending the night with hopes that tomorrow is the day that they ley their guard down. Royal Star regular 'Hot Bobby' shows off a 90lber in today's shot.


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Nothing like wide open yellowtail fishing to erase the memory of a slow day like yesterday. Huge boilers of yellows started showing first thing this morning and bit with reckless abandon until we had our fill. All offerings worked well with many of the guys going to the surface iron and waxwings to get the visual effects from the bites. We are running out to Lupe tonight where we hope to spend the next two days targeting the quality yft that Tim had a shot at last trip.

The fish have displayed a pattern here in the offshore grounds recently by making a great showing one day and disappearing the next, unfortunately for us today was the no show day. We scratched up 25yft and a few dorado while working down to an island where we'll target yellows tomorrow. The water structure is still in place and I'm sure this fish will pop back up, hopefully its in a few days when we hit it on the back end of the trip.

Yesterday’s promised photos supplement Captain Toussaint’s reporting today that features little more than another successful turn less any dockside antics or drama; just the way we like it. Any way photos today at full resolution feature Royal Star veteran Kerry Krueger in the heat of battle pulling on his 86# Guadalupe prized Yellowfin. With our trusty Pentax W20 camera I made an attempt to capture the dramatic setting while fishing up against Guadalupe’s famed Outer Rock. The backdrop of this incredible chunk of rock up close and personal makes every catch here far more memorable. Enjoy today’s images and look for Randy’s reports to continue throughout the week.

Tim

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An abrupt end to our forward fishing momentum as the whole offshore picture nose dived despite unbelievably gorgeous conditions. Zero wind with a gentle rolling swell complimented by a prominent waxing moon set a stage for some real clobbering as the bluefin made a strong showing the previous day. By all rights the set up appeared that all one had to do was be there today; the fish would come.

True to their nature however they had alternative plans. Whether they were down or gone is a question we'll never really answer but my suspicion is that it was nothing more than a day when their feeding focus was somewhere far below our reach. And while any speculation is little consolation to the many who ventured a shorter voyage on the weekend such is the obvious nature of fishing. The cup half full perspective simply latches on to the most positive alternative. In today's case the heavenly weather took up a lot of fishing slack.

In our case I have to admit that with our catch already made the lack of production did little to disrupt our sentiment. Without ignoring the pain of my struggling colleagues, I was satisfied with the ending note from a weather perspective alone; though at least a few bigger bluefin would have catapulted this voyage into a rare realm of success. It wasn't meant to be. And, considering the roll we established this voyage, if it didn't happen for us today, the message was painfully clear.

So we head in triumphant and satisfied ready to turn and burn again departing on the Jason Hammond six day voyage tomorrow. Capt. Toussaint resumes command looking forward to the next run and a fine set up for fishing success. Between the fishing potential, and a group of fishermen dedicated to the pursuit of having fun, the recipie for success is a rich as possible.

Today's photos will come later in the day at full resolution from the home front as I have a few good ones to share. Look for reports to continue tomorrow and beyond.

Tim Ekstrom

In all the most noteworthy tale of the day features long time Royal Star angler Bob "Turbo" Ryan who schooled every angler on board with a demonstration of skill, experience, and knowledge learned over as many years of long range fishing as I can recall. No doubt also Bob was on one of those rolls that sometimes occur when one can do no wrong, but that is the exact point of his fishing results today worthy of emphasis - he did no wrong.

Recognizing the high stakes of Guadalupe, namely that on any average day out here, especially in 2011, that anglers are fishing all day for perhaps one or two chances at a big fish, Bob made the conservative choice of fishing with his fifty pound outfit freshly spooled with new Izorline. He figured that with the quality of bait we hauled from the inside, and the high stakes of the game, he wanted to position himself for the best possible outcome in the event he hooked the one. As it so happened, he did.

His gear performed flawlessly resulting in the fantastic triumph over a 125 pound Guadalupe yellowfin tuna. It was a great catch made by pure application of skill and knowledge - no luck involved. The best part however came next. Immediately following his victory over the biggest tuna we have seen this season at Guadalupe by a wide margin Bob made his way up top, stripped off the used line, and re-spooled with fresh Izor 50 pound. It took a relatively small amount of time to replace the top shot, and why not? Lightning has been known to strike the same place twice before. The line wasn't dinged or frayed, just used pulling on a big one. But again, in this arena why risk it?

Though I likely just gave away the story the point I want to emphasize is about the crucial importance of maintaining equipment in perfect order while fishing in zones that hold the potential of producing trophy class fish. With much experience fishing in the Revilla's and beyond Bob knew this and dutifully applied the golden rule. Fast forward a couple of hours and low and behold another big opportunity climbed on his line; he was well prepared. The result was a 128 pound yellowfin this time shattering any and all previous successes I have seen at Guadalupe this season. And again - no luck involved in this catch. He prepared for a big one, specifically targeted a big one setting up his tackle accordingly, and earned his success. These are my favorite type catches to observe. Of course I like all fish coming over the rail regardless of whether they jump in the boat or we haul them over the side, but I have a distinct appreciation for skill applied and rewarded. Bob's results today were a perfect example.

Fishing conditions were tough with howling wind challenging both Captain and anglers alike, but the results were well worth the exhausting effort. No big barn burner by any means, eleven yellowfin from 70 - 128#'s, with the majority over 80 did not set the day on a pedestal premier, but every angler had the shot at a trophy yellowfin we came for; the day's results definitely fulfilled that goal. And as such we now have the big three firmly chiseled into history. Quantity, quality, and variety now set this voyage in the coveted category of success we aspire for all.

The final day will feature one last shot at offshore bluefin before calling it and heading up the line. Photos today rightly feature long time Royal Star veteran Bob Ryan and his 128 caught against Guadalupe's famous Outer Rock, and first time Royal Star angler Gene Hobel pulling on what became his first, 80 pound class Guadalupe yellowfin.

Tim Ekstrom.


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There are those junctures when all things positive align and seem to fall in their correct place. Of course the opposite is also true making the plus side of the equation that much more poignant and appreciated. We are presently on that coveted winning side savoring every moment with appropriate attention to detail. Because when things are so right why not stop and take in the full picture? In today's case it is almost impossible to imagine anyone missing the raving beauty of a three hundred sixty degree panorama burgeoning with raw, earthy flavor galaxies beyond the average urban frame of mind. And while the sublime conditions bludgeoned our senses, the fishing for twenty to twenty five pound yellowtail took anglers to the mat with most tapping out by mid morning sated and satisfied.

Taking full advantage of our strategic position, we seized the moment, stopped the world, and focused an effort more familiar to half day vessels than long range; the exception being the average size class of the target species. Calico bass initially played hard to get but finally dropped their guard for about an hour providing anglers the chance to prove their ability in an arena completely different than our meat and potatoes.

Now that the quantity and variety categories are thoroughly satisfied, the last leg to the west beckons. A few trophy yellowfin, or perhaps even more than a few, will launch this voyage into the ultimate realm of long range success. We are focused and ready for the challenge bringing along with us a few tricks and new offerings. At the very least we'll see if we can't fool some of these wily devils with our idea of what is good.

To close the day as we steamed west into a late afternoon blazing sun an errant kelp put the finishing touch on the variety category with a fifteen minute ripper on "ball slapper" grade dorado that rousted plenty of anglers from an exhausted slumber with an abundance of color and mayhem. The bewildered countenance of quite a few anglers was priceless as they mustered from below, rubbed their eyes, grabbed their nearest rod, dropped in a bait, and were instantly attached to one of the spirited colorful leapers. Between the numerous fish jumping around us, and the plentiful vanquished flapping on deck, mayhem is a perfect description for the overall setting that thankfully did not endure for too long. The best of it was overcome and organized within a few hectic minutes then we settled in, clobbered a few, cleaned up, and moved on; a classic fire drill in every respect.

Photos for the day reveal another scenic moment I could not resist featuring angler Ernie Quijada Jr. pulling on a big yellowtail with a celestial backdrop, and a group shot of our final yellowtail stop during the height of the action - good times.

Tim Ekstrom


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About as idyllic a day of yellowtail fishing along the Baja coast as one could ever imagine beginning with a sublime, haze dampened sunrise that illuminated an ocean brimming with life. With barely more than a breath of wind throughout the day, beautiful scenery august and primitive, and fishing for 18 - 25# yellowtail steady and satisfying the old cliché "as good as it gets" more than once came to mind. In every respect it was.

It was so good in fact that we couldn't bring ourselves to depart in favor of anything else. Regulating our killer instinct today left the door, or hatch in this case, open to more catching tomorrow. Between the setting and fishing that is exactly what we plan to do. Now we'll see if the fish agree with our program.

Photos for the day feature a scenic image of the morning sunrise, and angler Peter Culp enjoying himself while setting the hook on one of many yellowtail he battled throughout the day.

Tim

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Well it's been quite some time since I have been on the receiving end of extraordinary good timing right from the gates. In fact, I would say on average the opposite has been the case throughout this summer. We have made a bunch of fantastic trips, and a bunch of superb catches, but the old drive down, start looking, and load up we occasionally enjoy has been tough to come by during my stints behind the helm. From everyone's perspective such good luck sets an awfully sweet tone, though sometimes it can be a hard act to follow. We'll see how it goes this time around; regardless we'll take it.

Though we did do at least a little angling at the tail end of our first of two good stops today the need for trickery and/or tactics was effectively non-existent. Basically any gear would do, anywhere one wished to drop in; especially from the second spot we happened upon that was completely suicidal, hell bent on riding the RSW express to the cannery and/or Fisherman's Processing fillet line. It was sweet, and we were all smiles as the school size yellowfin rained on board with a slight mix of bluefin and dorado. And at the tail end of both stops, but in particular the second after all production goals were satisfied and the focus shifted to pure entertainment, out came the bass tackle, poppers, and surface jigs to simply have fun. In beautiful weather we floated along for an hour or so fish watching, releasing a few, and enjoying the challenge of battling the still eager yellowfin on ultra-light gear. A good time was had by all.

Basking in the afterglow of a hugely successful day one, we head south in weather that is presently glassing off comfortable and satisfied, but far from complacent; one good day does not a long range trip make. Now aiming for the big three - quantity, variety, and quality, we still have a few goals to achieve. We are well toward the first however and with some luck will make a little more progress toward that end on the coast tomorrow.

Today's photos can only be understood and appreciated by tuna fishing enthusiasts. I don't offer these shots as the best they could have been, unfortunately I was doing my best to juggle two tasks at once while attempting to capture the action from my perspective, but they do reasonable justice to the caliber of the action we encountered during our second mid day stop. In both shots note the proximity of the rail to the fish plowing through. The shots at this resolution may require an extra second or two of study hence my statement that only tuna fishing enthusiasts would understand. In the second shot angler Duke Dixon provides perspective as the charged up tuna churn the surface into a cauldron right under his nose.

Tim Ekstrom

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Well it's been quite some time since I have been on the receiving end of extraordinary good timing right from the gates. In fact, I would say on average the opposite has been the case throughout this summer. We have made a bunch of fantastic trips, and a bunch of superb catches, but the old drive down, start looking, and load up we occasionally enjoy has been tough to come by during my stints behind the helm. From everyone's perspective such good luck sets an awfully sweet tone, though sometimes it can be a hard act to follow. We'll see how it goes this time around; regardless we'll take it.

Though we did do at least a little angling at the tail end of our first of two good stops today the need for trickery and/or tactics was effectively non-existent. Basically any gear would do, anywhere one wished to drop in; especially from the second spot we happened upon that was completely suicidal, hell bent on riding the RSW express to the cannery and/or Fisherman's Processing fillet line. It was sweet, and we were all smiles as the school size yellowfin rained on board with a slight mix of bluefin and dorado. And at the tail end of both stops, but in particular the second after all production goals were satisfied and the focus shifted to pure entertainment, out came the bass tackle, poppers, and surface jigs to simply have fun. In beautiful weather we floated along for an hour or so fish watching, releasing a few, and enjoying the challenge of battling the still eager yellowfin on ultra-light gear. A good time was had by all.

Basking in the afterglow of a hugely successful day one, we head south in weather that is presently glassing off comfortable and satisfied, but far from complacent; one good day does not a long range trip make. Now aiming for the big three - quantity, variety, and quality, we still have a few goals to achieve. We are well toward the first however and with some luck will make a little more progress toward that end on the coast tomorrow.

Today's photos can only be understood and appreciated by tuna fishing enthusiasts. I don't offer these shots as the best they could have been, unfortunately I was doing my best to juggle two tasks at once while attempting to capture the action from my perspective, but they do reasonable justice to the caliber of the action we encountered during our second mid day stop. In both shots note the proximity of the rail to the fish plowing through. The shots at this resolution may require an extra second or two of study hence my statement that only tuna fishing enthusiasts would understand. In the second shot angler Duke Dixon provides perspective as the charged up tuna churn the surface into a cauldron right under his nose.

Tim Ekstrom

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Photo Here...

Another quick, smooth turn that was delayed for about a half hour from what ended up being a rather humorous event worthy of telling. While loading equipment in the standard "bucket brigade" formation one slippery rod fell from the center of a bundle at the exact wrong moment while being passed over the rail. With the miserable, unmistakable 'plunk' that always accompanies such mishaps the rod made a quick trip to the bottom ten feet beneath the hull - so we thought. After loading the remainder of angler's gear the entire crew set to the task of recovering the dumped rod dragging the bottom with jigs and a variety of quickly improvised grapples. Five minutes, ten minutes, finally, after fifteen minutes of fruitless dragging, it was obvious the bay was not going to give up it's new treasure so easily. The next step of diving to the bottom for a visual survey was yielded to Captain Toussaint.

So Randy, who is a accomplished diver in every respect, rakes the bottom in every direction for about twenty minutes. Unbelievably the rod is nowhere to be found. Our suspicion was that Bobo (our friendly moniker for any number of local sea lions) had taken the rod to do whatever with, or that it had simply sank deep in the harbor muck beyond our ability to recover. Either way the fact that it was gone was hard to believe; none of our theories or explanations were tasteful to accept or any consolation. The rod was gone and that was that - the show must go on.

The engines were fired, lines were cast off, and we were on our way to go fishing despite the irksome fact that we couldn't make good on such a menial challenge. We had more rods; no one was to go without, but, at the very least, our pride was slightly stung by being unable to create a heroic moment. Okay, that may be taking it a little far, but all of you reading certainly get the picture. At the very least we were all a little deflated by the bummer of losing a good rod to such ridiculous circumstances. Then, just after we begin moving forward, the missing rod pops out from beneath the boat - it was floating the whole time, trapped against the hull! I guess no one thought about looking up for something that supposedly sank. Go figure.

Anyway the successful ending to this comical, mini dockside saga immediately set us back on track steaming from the harbor in triumph on a southerly heading to points beyond. Six days to get the job done, an encouraging set of options, at least three days of fine working weather in the forecast, and every other favorable factor we can muster are fueling strong optimism for our present position; reports, remarks, and a few photos will document our progress. On a final note I want to mention our disappointment that Charter Master Mike Ross, who has been a Royal Star pillar over the past fifteen years, couldn't make this year's voyage. We know how much Mike looks forward to his annual six day, and how much he loves to fish, so we'll catch a few for him and hope to share the rail again sooner than later. Here we go.

Tim Ekstrom

We got up to the offshore grounds late this morning and started scratching away on the yft at a nice steady pace. Qiuck five to ten fish stops until late afternoon when we got on a school that bit wide open until dark. The corner was literally brown with tuna as they competed for the sardines, quite a show. We are making a short move tonight and will concentrate our efforts on bft tomorrow.

The weather was less than desirable here in the offshore grounds today but we managed to scratch together a catch of 100 mixed bft and yft. There were plenty of good schools seen but for some reason they showed a reluctance to bite which was a stark contrast to last trip. We are traveling down to fish yellows tomorrow and plan to finish the trip back in the offshore grounds when hopefully the weather is better.

Beautiful weather and stellar yellowtail fishing made for a nice change of pace. A steady bite throughout the day with a ripper this afternoon had all aboard satiated on yellows by days end. The yellows had squid balls pushed up which we were able to scoop and use for bait. The soft bait and yoyo jigs accounted for the bulk of the bites. We are traveling up tonight and will spend the next two days in the offshore grounds.

Rob Hunt is in today's shot with a bonus 42lb seabass taken on a yoyo jig during a yellowtail drift.

Photo Here...