09-27-2014, 03:59 PM
Well, I finally got to head for So Cal to get my salt water fix. The tuna fishing has been off the hook this year with the El Nino event. I was fortunate that I was able to go with both my kids and a good buddy from Phoenix.
We fished a day and a half trip on the Sea Adventure 80 out of H & M Landing. I met up with an old friend who used to fish with me when I lived down there years ago. He had just got off another boat and slayed the tuna out by San Clemente Island the day before. Upon boarding our boat, we learned that the tuna bite had dipped today. Just my luck, I think, Wow, shoulda been here yesterday!
The skipper said there was, however, a large area of big Dorado (Mahi Mahi) under kelp paddies about 120 miles to the south and that was where we'd be heading. I was a little disappointed about the tuna, but hopeful for some nice Dorado.
We ran all night and started fishing at 7 am the following morning. The first couple paddies were dry, then we started seeing a few fish as we headed further south. Then it happened! We slid up to a small paddy and the deckhand threw some bait on it and a school for fifty neon-colored Dorado rushed the boat. They scarfed up everything in the water, dead or alive, hook or no hook! If you could get a bait in the water, you were bit immediately! No line shy fish here! They bit the 40 lb line without hesitation. The attacks only lasted about 10 minutes, in which time you may be able to catch one or two fish, then they were gone. So it went through half a dozen paddies during the day. We ended up catching lots of Dorado and NO tuna, even though the skipper metered several schools. The Dorado ran from 5-10 pounders up to the jackpot fish of 25 lbs. Both my son and daughter had jackpot contenders, but fell just short. It was the best day of Dorado fishing I've ever experienced in my 25 years of fishing So Cal. What a day!
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We fished a day and a half trip on the Sea Adventure 80 out of H & M Landing. I met up with an old friend who used to fish with me when I lived down there years ago. He had just got off another boat and slayed the tuna out by San Clemente Island the day before. Upon boarding our boat, we learned that the tuna bite had dipped today. Just my luck, I think, Wow, shoulda been here yesterday!
The skipper said there was, however, a large area of big Dorado (Mahi Mahi) under kelp paddies about 120 miles to the south and that was where we'd be heading. I was a little disappointed about the tuna, but hopeful for some nice Dorado.
We ran all night and started fishing at 7 am the following morning. The first couple paddies were dry, then we started seeing a few fish as we headed further south. Then it happened! We slid up to a small paddy and the deckhand threw some bait on it and a school for fifty neon-colored Dorado rushed the boat. They scarfed up everything in the water, dead or alive, hook or no hook! If you could get a bait in the water, you were bit immediately! No line shy fish here! They bit the 40 lb line without hesitation. The attacks only lasted about 10 minutes, in which time you may be able to catch one or two fish, then they were gone. So it went through half a dozen paddies during the day. We ended up catching lots of Dorado and NO tuna, even though the skipper metered several schools. The Dorado ran from 5-10 pounders up to the jackpot fish of 25 lbs. Both my son and daughter had jackpot contenders, but fell just short. It was the best day of Dorado fishing I've ever experienced in my 25 years of fishing So Cal. What a day!
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