There was some really nice weather out in the ocean today with light winds and calm seas. The fish cooperated too with lots of billfish caught and loads of mahi for just about everyone. Captain Anthony Matarese Jr. and his crew on board the Reel Chaos even had a Grand Slam with three blue marlin, two white marlin and a sailfish released. Hopefully this continues for a while and Mother Nature is chill.
The crew of the Boss Hogg with Captain Alex Beane at the helm had a great day in the canyon with a pile of mahi and six white marlin releases.
Captain Jake Shaffer and his crew on board Turnin’ Fins had an awesome day as well with three white marlin releases and a bunch of mahi.
Captain Bobby Layton and the crew of the Wrecker had a great day off in the deep today with a very nice swordfish and a pile of mahi.
It was mahi for Captain Joe Drosey and his crew on Rhonda’s Osprey too, but Joey added tuna and marlin releases as well.
The crew of the Spring Mix II with Captain Chris Watkowski and mate Chase Porter were happy with their make up trip today. The crew had a limit of mahi for the fish cleaners at the OC Fishing Center.
The crew fishing on board the WOP with Captain Nick Sampson had a nice day with a bunch of mahi and sea bass.
Captain Chris Mizurak of the Angler reported a great day of fishing on the rip today with plenty of big sea bass and flounder up to 6.1 pounds.
Captain Monty Hawkins of the Morning Star had to work a little harder for them today, but he still managed a fish fry for most.
Wow!
And? Well, Darn.
Yesterday was one of the 10 best bites this season.
And then?
No.
Today was not.
Current ripping. Worked for em. Some got it done too. Kelvin and Craig (opposite sides midship) were in double digits by 2 o’clock, but not everyone had dinner. That’s a really hard day.
By 3 o’clock either.
Trying but couldn’t fix it.
By 3:30?
Churchill’s “Never give up, Never give in” paid off for a few clients. Came a flurry of throwback fluke and two keepers – sea bass coming too; the fish pool changed hands several times with Gary boxing the biggest fish of the day, a sea bass, by way of a double-header at the bell.
Craig limited on sea bass; Kelvin was one shy.
And the guy I’d have wagered on to sweep every category?
Well, tomorrow’s another day. . .
The Wow?
Idling ahead to set yet another anchor when Brian points out something huge and lightly shaded moving a few feet beneath the surface off the stb bow.
Way too big for any species of dolphin we have, and too small to be a fin or humpback whale.. I thought perhaps a minke but, again, too big and our water is far too warm.
Opened my trusty NOAA guide (and just where in BLAZES are my marine mammal books?!?) and discovered I’d just seen my first Byrde’s Whale..
Nice.
The whale suffered our curiosity for a pair of blows before arching its back deeply and sounding away then gone. Just right.
Have two spots for tomorrow’s Mahi trip. A ton of spots for Wednesday’s mahi trip.
Cheers,
Monty
Debra Sheppard fished with her husband Svend today and using her JPR Custom Fish in OC rod and a Deadly Tackle Deadly Double in pink managed this 17.5″ keeper flounder.
Tim Axe used a live mullet up near the “Y” in the back bay and caught this nice 19.5″ keeper flounder.
Man, did that weather suck!! It almost felt like spring outside today with sunny skies, lightish winds and temps in the mid and upper 40s. Compared to what we’ve seen over the past week it was… READ MORE
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