VENICE 12/23

[semipro]

THE FISHING SAGA CONTINUES: AFTER EXTENSIVE MANEUVERING, OUR FRIENDS WERE FINALLY CONVINCED TO SPEND SEVERAL THOUSAND DOLLARS ON FISHING EQUIPMENT. THIS BEING THE CASE, IT BECAME NECESSARY TO GO AND TEST IT. TWO ACCURATE BOSS 665 AND TWO SHIMANO STELLA 20,000 REELS AND OTI 80 LB SPINNING RODS AND TWO 80 LB OTI JIGGING RODS AND $400 WORTH OF JIGS/POPPERS. THIS IS SUFFICIENT EQUIPMENT FOR WANNABE SEMI-PRO FISHERMAN, BETTER KNOWN AS THE DRINKING TEAM WITH A FISHING PROBLEM.

ON THE 8 HOUR TRIP TO VENICE, THE DRINKING TEAM FORGOT ABOUT FISHING AND BECAME HUNTERS. THEY KILLED TWO LARGE GREY GOOSE AND A JACK. UPON ARRIVAL, WE FIXED THE DRAGS ,JUST IMAGINE THAT. AFTER A SHORT FOUR HOUR NAP, WE MET CAPTAIN EDDIE AT THE DOCK. WEATHER WAS 48 DEGREES AND A LIGHT DRIZZLE. AFTER A ONE HOUR BOAT RIDE , WE ARRIVED AT THE LUMP. WATER TEMPERATURE WAS 68 DEGREES, CLARITY WAS GOOD AND WE ANCHORED AT 214 FEET. AFTER CHUMMING FOR AN HOUR, AND CATCHING MANY BONITOS AND SMALL JACKS, HERE COMES THE SCREAMER, AND 70 LB YELLOW FIN. THIRTY MINUTES LATER, ANOTHER 25 LB YELLOW FIN, AND AN 30 LB AMBERJACK. CHUNKING REEL STARTED TO SCREAM AND THE BLACK FIN TUNA ARRIVED. BOTH POLES WERE BENT DOUBLE. AS USUAL ,I WAS SCREAMING THAT I NEED HELP. CAPTAIN EDDIE, CAME TO MY RESCUE AND DISCOVERED A SUBMARINE ON THE HOOK. THE ANCHOR WAS RELEASED TO CHASE THE FISH. THE REEL WAS SCREAMING ON THE LEFT AND PETER WAS SCREAMING ON THE RIGHT WITH BLACK FIN. AFTER 20 MINUTES, BLACK FIN WAS GAFFED AND BOATED, ABOUT A THIRTY FIVE POUNDER. THE SUBMARINE, SPECIES UNKNOWN, WRAPPED ITSELF AROUND THE ANCHOR OF ANOTHER BOAT 500 YARDS AWAY. QUICKLY, WE GAVE THE ROD TO THE OTHER BOAT TO UNWRAP THE LINE AND JOIN THE FIGHT. AFTER 15 MINUTES, THEY RETURNED THE ROD TO US FOR DAN'S PURSUIT OF THE PRIZE WHICH IS SUSPECTED TO BE A 150- 200 LB TUNA ACCORDING TO CAPTAIN EDDIE. AFTER TAKING TURN ON THE REEL, IT WAS DANS TURN AGAIN, HE WAS SAYING THIS FISH IS NOT TIRED AT ALL , PINGGG AND FISH WAS GONE, DAN THINKS WE NEVER HAD A CHANCE TO GET THAT FISH AFTER THE ONE HR FIGHT.....BACK TO CHUMMING AGAIN BUT NOTHING, OLD CHUM SLICK WAS GONE AND SO WERE THE FISH, ANYWAY. BACK TO THE MARINA, SEAS WERE 3 -5 FT ,WE ARE TROLLING 12- 13 MILES PER HOUR, WE GOT BITES BUT NO FISH, AFTER 30 MIN ANOTHER BITE AND ERIC PULLED IN THE MR. HOO IN. BY THE WAY, DOES ANYBODY KNOW HOW CAN YOU TELL FEMALE OR MALE HOO...
AFTER A WET RIDE BECAUSE OF RAIN BACK TO DOCK, AFTER CHANGING TO DRY CLOTHES AND ICING THE FISH, ON THE ROAD AGAIN FOR AN 8 HRS DRIVE (DRINKING TEAM BECAME SLEEPING TEAM, WHAT A BUNCH OF AMATEURS) AND NEXT MORNING BACK TO WORK..LESSON LEARNED, ALWAYS USE NEW LINE...PICS COMING SOON

EDDIE AND HOOP THANK YOU AGAIN FOR A GOOD TRIP

[BretABaker]

not a bad trip - too bad you didn't get to see the big one.

what was the final fish count? sounds like some blackfin, a few small yellowfin, couple AJ and a wahoo?

[semipro]

We kept 1 black, 2 yellows, 1 AJ (threw back lots of little AJ's), 1 hoo, 2 nice beeliners. Soon as we left our chum slick the bite was over though...

[semipro]

dockshot

[BretABaker]

if you like sashimi - eat the blackfin, they're better than YF.

Nice catches though, at least you weren't skunked!

[mcgolfer]

not a bad haul and at least you got hooked up to a good one. the positive was at least you got to fish. more than half the trips are canceled this time of year. i hope that the oti equipment worked well for you.....rick

[Kentucky Hog Hunter]

Looks like an awesome trip..... I keep telling my wife, although I love the Pacific NW here, I can't use my GB Cat on an evil ocean this time of year and it really does suck....

I finish Grad School in June and I am going to get serious about getting back down to the Southeast.... I don't think there are many better places on God's Great Blue Depths than Venice, La.....

You guys are really fortunate..... I love reading the eports this time of year.... It makes me appreciate the dys I do spen on the Pacific out here chasing Albe's, Salmon & Halibut in the summer....