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Fathers day with Capt. Mongo When I got the call from AZOD's Fishing Editor Kip Pollay I immediately answered yes. These days I don't get many chances to run off and go fishing, much less fish the big pond. We had been invited to go on a Fathers Day trip with our good friend Don McDowell. Don is the host of the Shake Rattle and Troll Radio show (KFNX 1100 AM, broadcast every Thursday night.Don switches to ESPN on July 13th). Ken Coon AZOD's co-owner and Webmaster would also be onboard for the fun. The plan was to meet Saturday evening and share a ride to San Diego, spend the night at Point Loma and meet the owner of Performance Charters " James "Mongo" McCurty at Dana Point Landing the following morning. San Diego is about a 5 1/2 to 6 hour ride from Phoenix and offers some great recreational activities such as scuba diving, boating and of course some great fishing not to mention the weather. We arrived at about 6 pm to clear skies and a balmy 72 degrees.
WOW, heaven after _ _ _ _, well lets just say cool after hot. After a great seafood dinner on the waterfront
we retired to our rooms where Don broke out the new Evolution Reels we would be using on this trip, along with the Mirado rods. Sweet is a good word to use when describing these gold beauties. Don rigged us up with 20 lb test line. Baits were discussed and rigged in preparation and a trip to a local tackle shop for Mexican Fishing Licenses. A one week license is about $32.00, but you can purchase a annul license for around $52.00. A cell phone call was made to the "Wild" Mongo to discuss the plan of attack for the morning and it was decided we would go after the sure thing and fish the Mexican Cost and the Coronado Middle Grounds. Making the long run outside trying to find Albacore was still a chancy proposition this early in the season and we wanted to spend our time fishing not riding. Sand Bass, Barracuda, Flounder/Halibut and Yellowtail would be our quarry. The Morning light was still new in the sky when we meet Captain James McCurty at the landing. James is a big guy with a shaved head and a great sense of humor. I found him to be very knowledgeable and personal, instantly taking a liking to the man. We shook hands, loaded our gear and were off to the bait barge. Along the way James and Don
provide lots of information on the area and the fishing. Ken and myself are old hands at fishing around Florida and the Eastern Cost, but things are a little different out here. There are similarities in fishing styles on both costs, but there are also vast differences and it was great to have good friends who knew what they were doing. This was to be Kips first experience in the big pond
and as the sun burned off the fog cover we found
ourselves racing across the waves on the "Seas
N Angler". The
"Seas N Angler" is a 24-foot center console Doral powered by a
225 hp Mercury. Top speed is 40 mph. and it has a range of about 200
miles. The Doral offered
plenty of fishing space and was also equipped with an enclosed head.
You got to love that!
The electronics onboard included a Furuno wide-angle fish-finder,
24- mile radar system, a GPS/ chart plotter for accurate navigation, and
two marine radios. The
"Seas N Angler" is also equipped with a large live well that
can hold 2 scoops of baitfish. We
would be using Sardines and Anchovies on this trip with no need to catch
bait. After about a 45-minute run we hailed another boat and were informed that they had picked up Barracuda and Sand Bass. It was time to fish. Don immediately started throwing a swim bate and almost instantly picked up a nice Barracuda. The rest of us tied on Bottom Rigs and Kip came through next with a flounder. The bite was on now with everyone picking up Sand Bass. We released all of our fish not caring to load up the fish boxes to quickly. Our success continued as James time and time again put us on fish. I began to fish a Fly Bait, that's a free swimming Sardine and is great for Yellow tail or Barracuda. The Cuda were everywhere and it didn't take long to hook up with one of the toothy critters. Although some people like to fish for Barracuda with wire leaders I prefer not to, feeling that the leader results in fewer fish on the line. Kip changed back to fresh water techniques tying on a drop shot rig and promptly picked up the biggest fish the day. A 20 lb flounder.
Another boat was close by and the Captain asked what the flounder
was caught on. When
he was told everyone got a chuckle out of his reply.
What the _ _ _ _ is that? We had been working the Mexican Coast all morning and decided to head for the Coronado Islands and Middle Ground, we were only about 6 miles out and made the trip quickly. Four Party Boats were anchored near Middle Ground Island; I could see 60 or 70 people lined up along the rails toe to toe. A mate on a raised platform was throwing large scoops of live bait overboard; the gulls were going crazy and a school of yellowtail slashed the surface held in place by the free meal. James looked on and mumbled something to the effect that fishing shouldn't be a full contact sport. James anchored us about 300 yards beyond the other boats and we began to free fly Sardines. It wasn't long before James hooked up. A Yellowtail will take the bait tail first and make a short run while killing the bait. He then will spit the bait out and take it headfirst. After the second run begins you set the hook and that's exactly what James did. The fish took line on a long run and then went strait down. Now the work began. 20 minutes of pumping brought the 17 lb Yellowtail to the surface where Don waited with the gaff. Video (5 Meg Video..High Speed Access suggested. You may need to download once and then play again for a smooth play) We boated our first Yellowtail of the day.
The fish was actually hooked in the side but markings on the fish told the story. The hook had pulled out of the Yellowtails mouth and buried itself in the fish's side making the fight even more demanding on James. Next it was my turn. The run began and I waited until it slowed, when it began again I set the hook. The power of these fish can't be described. They put up a fantastic fight and it's a treat to hook up with one. The fish I caught weighted 18 lbs.
We had
several more chances but were unable to land another Yellowtail.
All in all it had been a great trip with everyone on board
boating numerous Sand Bass, Barracuda not to mention Kips big flounder
and the Yellowtails. The
last part of the afternoon was spent cleaning the fish we had kept for
the pan and a quick 17-mile run home brought us back to port.
Kip, Ken and I would like to thank James and Don for a great time and a fantastic Father's Day.
It's was great to be on the water with good friends and the
fishing wasn't that bad either. . Robert Glenn Willis Team AZOD If you're interested in going
fishing with Performance
Charters just check out his website and give him a call.
I can guarantee you'll have a great time.
http://www.performancecharterssandiego.com/ We also invite you to partake in AZOD's new "Saltwater" section at http://www.azod.com/fishing/saltwater
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