I never had the opportunity to learn much about freshwater fishing but living the majority of my years on the west coast I got into offshore fishing when I was around 10. I really liked it and used to do the multi day boats and eventually the long range 12-17 day trips out of San Diego. Our 15 man group would charter one of the major San Diego fishing boats getting as close to the first quarter lunar phase, as possible. My last 17 day trip was in the late 90's and it was an interesting adventure.
Last trip...we were a few miles off San Benedicto Island and six of us were on deck chunk fishing for whatever came by. The time was around 0200 and the temp was at least in the mid 90's and not a breath of wind and the sea was flat calm...not a ripple. The sky was clear and what a beautiful sight it was and very reminiscent of a TransPac flight. We were not anchored and there was one crewman on deck watch. Out of nowhere the bow swung around and I'm guessing we started moving close to 10 kts...and sliding downhill. One of the guys yelled out, " Holy ****...I don't like that...cut your lines!" The guy on deck watch ran to the bridge and started the twin Cats' and then the captain appeared on the upper deck. He yelled to stow our rods, we're going uphill. We didn't reel in...just cut the line, stow the rods and we scrambled to the upper deck. A minute or so passed by and everyone was on deck when the bow began to rise. I'm guessing at least 20', maybe more. It was what we called a roller because it wasn't breaking. A rogue wave?...we didn't know. Later that morning at breakfast we asked the guy that yelled, " I don't like that," what he meant. He was a new addition to our fifteen man group that charters our yearly trip, and as it turned out, he was retired Navy and spent most of his career at the helm. I guess that included knowing a lot about ocean anomalies one of which was rogue waves. The story he painted was downright puckering when he eluded to a hundred foot monster wave that comes out of nowhere with little warning and 115' fishing boat would have negative chance of staying upright. The big wave didn't happen so we got lucky on that one. Things like that causes one to ponder the, "What if's?" San Benedicto Island is part of the Revillagigedo island chain and I think in the neighborhood of 300 miles, or so, SSW of Cabo San Lucas. Basically in the middle of nowhere. Usually there were a couple long range boats also in the area but not this time, and if something catastrophic did happen, we would have been left to our own devices if we did survive. It was a great place to fish but the Mexican government closed it down to open sport fishing a couple years later. We had a great trip with over 100 Yellowfin Tuna in excess of 100-lbs each...about 200 Wahoo, lots of Dorado, Yellowtail and some giant grouper, and we always donated the majority of our catch to a San Diego orphanage.
Yup...I miss those days, but this old body will no longer stand up to pulling on the big tuna, so now, me and my bride of many moons fly to a Costa Rica or South Baja fishing resort couple times a year and we have a great time...and as much as it hurts to admit it, my girl usually out fishes me.
Anyone else like blue water fishing?
Last trip...we were a few miles off San Benedicto Island and six of us were on deck chunk fishing for whatever came by. The time was around 0200 and the temp was at least in the mid 90's and not a breath of wind and the sea was flat calm...not a ripple. The sky was clear and what a beautiful sight it was and very reminiscent of a TransPac flight. We were not anchored and there was one crewman on deck watch. Out of nowhere the bow swung around and I'm guessing we started moving close to 10 kts...and sliding downhill. One of the guys yelled out, " Holy ****...I don't like that...cut your lines!" The guy on deck watch ran to the bridge and started the twin Cats' and then the captain appeared on the upper deck. He yelled to stow our rods, we're going uphill. We didn't reel in...just cut the line, stow the rods and we scrambled to the upper deck. A minute or so passed by and everyone was on deck when the bow began to rise. I'm guessing at least 20', maybe more. It was what we called a roller because it wasn't breaking. A rogue wave?...we didn't know. Later that morning at breakfast we asked the guy that yelled, " I don't like that," what he meant. He was a new addition to our fifteen man group that charters our yearly trip, and as it turned out, he was retired Navy and spent most of his career at the helm. I guess that included knowing a lot about ocean anomalies one of which was rogue waves. The story he painted was downright puckering when he eluded to a hundred foot monster wave that comes out of nowhere with little warning and 115' fishing boat would have negative chance of staying upright. The big wave didn't happen so we got lucky on that one. Things like that causes one to ponder the, "What if's?" San Benedicto Island is part of the Revillagigedo island chain and I think in the neighborhood of 300 miles, or so, SSW of Cabo San Lucas. Basically in the middle of nowhere. Usually there were a couple long range boats also in the area but not this time, and if something catastrophic did happen, we would have been left to our own devices if we did survive. It was a great place to fish but the Mexican government closed it down to open sport fishing a couple years later. We had a great trip with over 100 Yellowfin Tuna in excess of 100-lbs each...about 200 Wahoo, lots of Dorado, Yellowtail and some giant grouper, and we always donated the majority of our catch to a San Diego orphanage.
Yup...I miss those days, but this old body will no longer stand up to pulling on the big tuna, so now, me and my bride of many moons fly to a Costa Rica or South Baja fishing resort couple times a year and we have a great time...and as much as it hurts to admit it, my girl usually out fishes me.
Anyone else like blue water fishing?
out of Ponce Inlet Florida
