05-09-2003, 07:10 PM
Hey there guys,
This Thursday I had a really good fishing trip on the 3/4 Victory out of Long Beach Sportfishing, Pier 55 in Long Beach or is it San Pedro? No matter as either way this boat is a class ride.
First off the bat, I called in my reservation Wednesday afternoon to not only get a spot but also to check what the load might be for the next day. Not much concern as this boat often goes out when others stay home. I like the weekdays as the load is usually light yet there are enough regulars that the boat will have enough passengers to make the trip, maybe even to Catalina if the weather is good.
I got to the landing my usual 2 hours before the office opens. Parking has improved at the landing by 1,000% with more space, in a more secured area. In this case, the office opened at 5am as the Victory is on it's summer schedule and departs at 6am. Being first in line, and having made a reservation gives me the privlidge of choosing my spot on the rail. You wonder what number? NOT!
With a good mix of regulars and new faces, Mike tended to captians duties, with Carl doing the decking and Ron heating up the grill. Headed out to the bait barges and picked up a good healthy mix of both chum bait and some killer 5 or 6 inch anchovies.
The weather forecast wouldn't let us go to Catalina, bummer, so we decided to make a run close outside and around the Horseshoe for the bass and halibut and wait and see on the barracuda bite.
Hit quite a number of spots picking up a few fish here and there but no wide-open bite. So it was a few bass, nice California sheepshead, (to you guys that call another fish a sheepshead) and drifted for some very nice, respectable sized, legal halibut.
I was amazed when Mike, as a super gesture, called a buddy and got a couple of scoops of sardines to encourage some of those barndoor halibut to bite. This stuff don't happen every day guys!
Later on in the afternoon, Mike decided to hit the 'Wall' along the breakwall from the LA lighthouse west. The bite here was pretty lively and the fishing was a bit challenging but just an absolute rip. Mike ain't no taxi driver the way we were just sliding along the line at the perfect distance from the wall, kelp, and bass!
Around 4:30pm that's right 4:30pm, Mike asked if anybody has any early dinner reservations and as no one answers, we stay even longer. We finally got back to the landing about 5:30pm with a bunch of happy anglers.
I don't keep fish but there were enough sacks being carried off the boat that I'm sure they weren't toting the bricks I sometimes use to hold down my sack from blowing away.
Nice to meet old buddies on the boat, kudos to the crew, and the landing's friendly, efficient office guy.
This trip was a keeper.
JapanRon
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