Apollo Sportfishing Two Day Charter with the Marina Del Rey
Anglers Club
A fantastic trip aboard the Apollo fishing the Cortes Bank
and inshore at Ensenada Mexico, 8/25/24 thru 8/27/24.
A pictorial by Derrek Stewart 9/2/24
The
adventure began at Seaforth Landing, Mission Bay, San Diego, California.
We embarked on our journey shortly after sunset.
A stop at the bait dock and off we go.
Underway and rigging for the morning.
No alarm clock is required; I’m up early, first on deck,
ready to fish.
The Secret Spot, just
kidding. We have arrived at the Cortes Bank.
The Cortes Bank is a renowned fishing spot
approximately 100 miles west of San Diego, California, and 40 miles southwest of San
Clemente Island.
Deckhand Nicolas is chumming our first spot.
Keith Lambert at the leeward corner of the stern wastes no
time hooking up.
The boat is loading up
with fish fast. My first Bluefin Tuna is at the top of the image. These are
30-to-40-pound class Bluefin. Yes, they’re not the 100-pound plus grade
everyone hopes for. However, Captain Ryan made excellent decisions based on the
conditions, placing us on solid action at each stop throughout this trip. Bravo,
Captain!
The captain unhooks and quickly dispatches Ted Cotter’s,
(red shirt) catch, while Joseph Chen is hooked up on the stern.
Fortune is nearby! On the hook with a light passenger load.
An intense battle on the
bow: Joseph Chen, in his white shirt, and Charly Levy, both with their rods
bent, were in a fierce fight with their respective tuna.
Crew member Blair assisted on the bow. You can always count
on Blair for a big smile, work or play!
Fishing for Yellowtail outside the kelp beds off Ensenada, Mexico.
A great, fun group of anglers, united by our passion for the
sport and the thrill of the catch!
Amidst the Yellowtail
grounds, we also managed to hook several Kelp Bass, a delightful by-catch that
added to the diversity of our catch.
This was my first
offshore tuna trip, and I was able to pick up on several essential items that
significantly contributed to my success, including a two-day tuna limit. It was
a journey of learning and growth.
My Take Aways
Listen to the suggestions the Captain and Crew
provide.
Only well-tied knots will withstand hard-pulling
Tuna on light lines, any line for that matter.
Certain anglers constantly hook up. Observe them
and determine why.
Tuna are line-shy, so set a distance between your
hook/bait and the braid main line.
Only a lively bait gets bit. When you put your
bait in the water, if it’s not swimming strong, reel it in, make chum, and
get a new bait. Otherwise, you’re wasting time. The bait you want is the
one that tries the hardest to get away from you in the bait tank.
Balance your hook and line so it’s as easy for the
bait to swim.
You can get bit when nose hooking by slowly
reeling your bait back to the boat. The bait doesn’t have to swim in only
one direction: it’s a good way to separate yourself from everyone else.
If the bite slows, go to a lighter longer leader and
switch the hook position on the bait, such as changing from nose hooking
to butt hooking.
If the fish wants to go, let it take the line. If
the fish lets you take line, take it. If neither you nor the fish are
gaining, don’t let the fish hang there. Don’t reel if you can’t gain line;
slightly lighten the drag so the fish will swim. A fish that is swimming
against the fight is a fish that will eventually tire.
The dance at the stern: Follow your bait. When you
get to the opposite corner of the stern and haven’t been bitten, get a
fresh bait and start over. Don’t stay put in one spot. The Captain places the boat for a reason. If your bait keeps swimming for an extended period of time, you're probably out of the hot spot. This topic deserves
an entire article.
Determination and measured persistence will help
you achieve your goals. Stay in the game, learn how the game is won, and
keep fishing. Only wet lines get bitten.
Never giving up is gratifying. Believing in
yourself is satisfying. Combined, these two aspects are rewarding.
You win some, and you lose some, but you can always have fun
with the right attitude!
Robert Le, left, and
Luis Lopez are reminiscing on their fishing adventure. Robert and Luis were
hooked up whenever I crossed these two on the rail!
Species caught: Bluefin
Tuna, Yellowtail, Kelp Bass, Ling Cod, Starry Rockfish, and Bocaccio Rockfish.
The bounty; the boat
limits out on Bluefin!
A big shout-out to my fishing mates, the Marina Del Rey
Anglers, and most importantly Charter Captain Myles Blatt. Myles and the MDRA produced
an amazing swag and raffle prizes, including four premium Avet reels. A lot of planning and effort went into making
this spectacular trip happen. Deep gratitude to every one of you.
Another shout-out to Apollo Sportfishing and their
outstanding Captain and Crew, including Chef Shad’s excellent meals. Their
efforts, guidance and hard work are much appreciated!
The trip started with a beautiful
marina sunset and ended with another stunning sunset after returning to the
dock two days later. Good Times and Tight Lines!
Collage
images by Keith Lambert, all others by DSF.
