
With Northern California in the midst of a brutal heatwave, I was looking for an escape from the heat, preferably something that involved fishing. At the start of the week, I had made an early morning bass trip to Folsom Lake. The first few hours were refreshing, but the tough bite and crazy boat traffic ruled out a sequel.
What to do, what to do? A quick call to Captain Jonathon Smith on the Happy Hooker revealed he had a few spaces available for the holiday weekend. That's all it took and I was good to go. When I arrived with Ian Rigler at the Berkeley Marina, it was t-shirt weather at 5 am, a rarity to say the least. At the dock, we were greeted by Captains Chris and Jonathon Smith who would share duties for the day. Once on board, Ian and I made our way to the bow where we found our fishing spots along the rail.
With Captain Chris at the wheel, he made a quick stop at Pier 47 to pick up several scoops of live anchovies from the bait receiver. Once underway again, Smith set course for the Farallon Islands some 30 miles to the west of San Francisco.
I always say that one of the best things about fishing are the people you meet along the way. On this day, I had the pleasure to fish with John and Sandra Parker of Visalia. The husband and wife team are avid anglers and great company. On the ride to the islands, they shared stories of Shaver Lake kokanee and frequent trips to Avila Beach and Morro Bay for Central Coast rockfish.
When we arrived at our destination, Captain Chris skillfully maneuvered the boat into position for our first drift then instructed us to drop our lines. As fast as our baits reached the bottom, shouts of, “Fish On” could be heard from all corners of the boat. Soon an array of rock fish began hitting the deck, sometimes two at a time. On the rail next to me, John and Sandra were fishing P Line Rock Cod Rigs that featured two small