Bill Roecker's Southern California and Baja Long Range Fishing Report, May 22, 2001, The Fish Sniffer Online

Bill Roecker's 2001 Sportfishing Calendar, FishingVideos.com

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The Albacore Are In!

Southern California and Baja Longrange Report

By: Bill Roecker
May 22, 2001

Previous Report

It's About Time
Albacore season is getting under way. Pacific Queen and Bright and Morning Star found albacore about 80 miles south, taking three and five small fish May 19. Vagabond found a couple dozen, up to 24 pounds, at 200 miles. Reports indicate good water in the area and lots of paddies with yellowtail, and a few jumpers that may prove to be bluefin. Locally, small yellows under paddies and bigger ones lurking at the Coronados are drawing angler interest. Diminishing supplies of squid may be starting to make it harder to catch white sea bass for some LA area anglers, but those who can get squirts are doing well at Catalina, San Clemente and even Santa Cruz Island. Near shore anglers report the kelp bass bite is going off everywhere.

Two Dozen Albacore: First Multi-day Score
"It was flat calm at Benitos," said Vagabond skipper Mike Lackey May 20, "and the worst wind we had was maybe eight knots. We had 19 albacore the first day of our five-day trip, up to 24 pounds. We got those at about 200 miles, in 63 to 64-degree water. And we got limits of yellowtail, mostly yoyo fish, at Benitos."

Big Blues John Kukta of Stren had a 19-pounder he got on Stren fluorocarbon and a Burns Hoochy. "They were biting the Hoochies on the troll," said John. "They liked the Zucchini and the purple and black ones. Half the albacore came on bait and the others on the troll."

Skipper Lackey posed behind, and Kutka stood third from the left in a group albacore photo, with Carlos Lopez of Duarte, Reid Matthews of Del Mar and Mike Kreischer of National City.

George Bigenho of San Pedro won the jackpot, for a 35-pound yellowtail he fooled with a blue and chrome Ironman 5 jig. Reid Matthews was second for a 22.5-pounder, and Bob Gates of Filmore was third, for a 22.2-pound yellowtail.

"We had a total of 25 albacore. It looks very good for albacore season," said Lackey. "I wouldn't be at all surprised if they showed up here in San Diego soon. I wonder if we shouldn't be looking out to the west."

Star Comes Home
"Today (May 19) we traveled up all day in beautiful flat calm weather," wrote skipper Brian Sims in the ship's Internet report. "We kept the jigs out and our eyes open. We found long stretches of beautiful blue water with scattered kelps. Each kelp held a few yellows. This was our final long trip of the season and we will be in for 18 days for our annual maintenance period. Our next trip is an eight-day, leaving June 8th."

Tim Ekstrom captained Royal Star's final trip of the 2000-2001 long range season, ending May 20 with a nice catch of tuna and wahoo. He said his 19 anglers had to work hard for their fish. The big one was a 241-pound yellowfin, caught by Harold Palmer of El Dorado, who did not enter the jackpot. Palmer got his cow on a caballito, a 9/0 Mustad hook, 80-pound clear Izorline, a Penn 30 reel and a Shimano six-foot rod. He said the fight lasted an hour.

Bob Knapp of Santa Rosa won first place, for a 175-pound tuna he nabbed with a sardine on an Eagle Claw 8/0 2005 hook, 80-pound clear Izorline, a TLD 50LRS reel and a Calstar 6460XH rod, after a 30-minute scrap. Murry Darch of Fountain Valley was second, for a 161-pounder, and Jerry Kruse of Long Beach was third, for a 153-pounder.

May 17, 2001

Big Line-Cutter
Royal Polaris arrived May 14 after a trip that was tough for tuna and great for wahoo, a not uncommon experience for long rangers late this season. Comments from the ship's e-mail log after the last two fishing days serve to illustrate skipper Frank LoPreste's experience and the positive attitude of the anglers.

5/9/01 "Hi folks, we arrived at Socorro at 11:30 hours. It has been a very slow day and also quite aggravating watching yellowfin tuna from 90 to 130 pounds boil consistently, 30 to 40 feet from the boat. Obviously they were extremely touchy fish because they would not even bite 50-pound test line. We ended the day with 8 fish, two were on the kite and the other six were on sardines. The fish were a nice grade from 90 to 135 pounds."

5/10-01 "After dark last night we caught 2 tanks of tubes mackerel and caballito. We then went to San Benedicto Island and start the morning at the Lunker Hole. We caught two 50-pound yellowfin tuna, and lost one big one. The big one was hooked by Richard Jenkins on 100-pound and it did not take long for the fish to run into the shallow water and cut the line off on the rocks. For the morning we had 12 wahoo and 11 yellowfin. We finished the trip with 306 wahoo and 80 yellowfin tuna. Yes, this was a very tough trip for tuna fishing, but we gave it our best. Our group seems extremely happy and our weather is gorgeous."

Ron Zachary of Oakland had the trip's big one, a 197-pound yellowfin tuna he bagged with a sardine on a3/0 Gorilla hook, 80-pound clear Izorline, 100-pound Spectra backing on a Penn 30SW reel and a Calstar 6465H rod, after a 40-minute fight. Zachary also won the Friends of Rollo added jackpot.

Jim Springer of Ventura was second, for a 192-pounder, and Dr. John Allen of Santa Barbara was third, for a 181-pound yellowfin tuna. Other anglers said Bob Edman of Torrance was the wahoo king, and Edman said he took his limit of 15 'hoos at Clarion and Hurricane Bank on "Tar Baby" Salas 6X Jr. jigs.

Bill Roecker owns Oceanic Productions and provides promotional services for the San Diego Sportfishing Council.