FINAL PHOTOS dockside at the end of charter master Roger Eckhardt’s 16 dayer aboard the Independence. There were 10 cow-class yellowfin boated including a 305-pound super cow. PHOTO COURTESY OF INDEPENDENCE SPORTFISHING.
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BY MERIT McCREA
SAN DIEGO – Capt. Andy Cates was just rolling in from a 15-dayer with Pelagic clothing and chartermaster Sonny Jones aboard the Red Rooster III. Fishing had been steady but the quality was excellent for the fleet fishing the Bank after some windy weather had finally backed off. Here’s what he had to say:
“Trophies produced for the fleet with multiple fish in the 200-plus-pound range. Not much fishing on the kite. Most bites on the big tuna were fly-lining sardines and big mackerel. Heavy line was needed in order to tackle these brutes. Had a standout day for 13 fish from 160 to 268 pounds, 6 of which were over the 200-pound mark that day – all fly-line and all on at least 130-pound-test.”
That’s some big string for a sardine to drag along.
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THREE ON DECK. Side by side these three cows hit the deck in the same hot bite fishing the Lower Banks during a 15-day long range run. PHOTO COURTESY OF RED ROOSTER III
The Independence was also just in from a 16-day with Charter Master Roger Eckhardt, who would miss the Eastside Rod and Reel Club installations dinner for it. What he didn’t miss was his shot at boating a 285-pound cow yellowfin. However, this year he missed the top spot on the trip. Big fish was Dane’s 305 pounder! There were 10 tuna weighing in above the magic 200-pound mark on that trip.
Looking at the bluefin scene the most recent report was from Max Neue on the Pacific Voyager. Basically the 1.5 to 3-day trips all scratched last weekend, including those heading for Colonet. Neue said, “We saw small school and one good school of big fish last week. Unfortunately it was 175 miles from the dock and we didn’t find it until the end of the trip. Got as far as 193 miles from the dock on our 2.5 – didn’t catch anything but if we’d found that school at night I’m sure it would’ve been very good. (We) had very rough weather the whole trip too.”
Sportfishing Association President Ken Franke said Capt. Aliyar Hajinab on the Polaris Supreme said Sunday, recent action was sparse on the local to semi-local bluefin grounds.
That was the bluefin scenario and Neue is one of the few among the fleet who are actively scouting bluefin as weather and conditions permit.
HANG’N HIGH – One of several cow class yellowfin tuna boated aboard the Red Rooster III on their most recent 15-day trip. PHOTO BY CAPT. ANDY CATES
