I write a fishing blog?!?!

I can not let an entire year go by with out getting to this blog. With the best of intentions I want to "catch up". Or even write a trip report when I do get out fishing. Couple things about that. To catch up I have countless trips from last year some very notable that deserve their own blog post. I'm obsessed with it being in order. Then current trip reports are non existent because I have not been fishing :(
Not fishing to me is different then not fishing to the world. Last trip was 12/28 until this one I just went 3/2. Fishing got put on the back burner in exchange for my triathlon training.
Not only are both time consuming but both require my extra fun money.
Fishing locally is changing from what we did in the past. Rockfish closures from Jan 1 to Mar 1 sent the local boats to Mexico to fish. This year Mexico decided to require visas to fish in their waters. Visas are to cost like $35 for a day. That's on top of ticket, Mexican permit & the usual costs. It kept everyone fishing local with limited options what to fish for. Well seems the sheepshead bite was HOT this off season. & BIG ones! So while I had planned on not missing out during this time I really still did.
I finally did make it out after the rockfish opener on what will be one of my favorite memorable trips. It was Katalina's first fishing trip. Everyone kept advising me to wait. Taking both kids on my own would be to hard. She is my more spirited adventurous child so she needs constant supervision. Well I'm the mom who takes her kids on her own & flies to vacations. Goes solo to themeparks. I live my life with two kids on my own. I could not wait any longer! Plus Martin is experienced now he doesn't need my constant attention so I knew I could attend to Kat. Martin got his own rod & reel from Grandma which he needs to learn how to use & hold on his own.
Turns out not giving Martin sea sick meds took him out a lot of the trip. He got sick once & slept a lot. Kat had another little girl her age on the boat to play with (that never happens) she quickly bored with fishing & played. Then I didn't do much catching! When I finally DID hook a fish I got caught up in the moment & reeled it in myself OOOPS! I still have to get Kat to wind in her first fish.
It was so great to be back out there. Taking both my kids fishing. This opens the chance for me to keep doing it & going fishing more! Both my kids have fished their first time on the same boat as me. I love this passing on through generations.

7/10/11 1/2 day on the Daily Double

Every time I go fishing there is something I miss...it is my mom. She was the one that introduced me to fishing, took me on countless boats & trips. Now that I am the mom I have a new appreciation for the money she invested in gear, trips, food, permits & my mom always baked cookies & pies for the crew!
I miss her cause she was my fishing partner. We always went together, well she went with out me a lot.
Now what I experience is the same but reversed as I am taking my son fishing. It starts early morning when I go to wake him up & he says (just like I did to my mom) "I'm tired" "I don't wanna go" "let me sleep" I of course do as my mom did & drag his butt outta bed & make him. I do this knowing once we are on the boat & fishing he will have a blast!
Then like my mom I have prepared & packed all our gear, gotten snacks for us. All he has to do is recline in the car until we arrive.
On the boat I get us all signed in & rigged up. He just has to wait until we get to the spot to fish. He loves watching them load bait, talking to the crew & taking a nap (just like me!).
This trip was pretty slow fishing for rock fish. Right now my goal is to get my son exposed to fishing, get him experience with different types of fishing & boats.
This trip was pretty slow but we always have fun & Martin got a rockfish. He even held it for the picture...well sort of!

My big but...6-28-11

Something unusual happened this late spring. Halibut were getting caught in really big numbers & sizes. Halibut do span in the spring but I don't ever remember them being caught 4-6 a day on the local half day boats. Also the fact that they are legal size limit! Which is 28 inches. The halibut were not barely legal they were big!
I have caught a few shorts & one nice legal halibut before. I planned to go out & get one once I saw the counts!
It's a bold statement for me to say I planned to get a halibut. The thing is I knew they were biting, I know how to rig up for them, & I know how to land them...still a ton of luck involved.
I went ahead & told everyone & anyone that would listen I was gonna go get a big halibut.
Just like when I'm doing a big race I did a lot of mental preparation for this. I thought through the whole thing the night before. Also putting more pressure on myself haha. I thought about my rig & bait selection. Reminded myself not to get anxious or panic if I got bit. Not to jerk the rod...etc etc.
We got out to the bait receiver in the morning & I know halibut can get caught there so I was rigged up & ready. My first bait got chomped but I didn't hook it :( bummer! Even worse the kid next to me moments later in the same spot got bit & landed a legal (barely) halibut.
He was so excited & decided to declare he had landed the jackpot fish of the day. That sparked my competitive side & since I already knew I was getting a big halibut I said "I hate to tell you this but I'm gonna land a bigger fish today" He was shocked at my bold statement. But I didn't waver from my claim ;)
I would like to say I am normally not this prideful but....I can get pretty cocky. Or confident in my ability.
We got out to the actual spot we were going to fish. I had my rig already to go. Unfortunately in my bold statement to everyone I got a lot of mixed advice :-/ use this rig, use that hook, make sire you use this bait....
The boat had live squid the previous few trips which was one of my reasons for picking this boat. My trip there was dead, stinky squid that had been live the day before.
I dropped a whole dead squid first which I knew was dumb. I quickly wound in re-baited using MY knowledge not the opinion of others. I know this stuff (that being said I'm on every trip ready to learn something new) but when it comes to the #1 key to catching fish I KNOW it is bait selection. I picked the most beautiful tasty healthy looking anchovy in the tank. I dropped down to the bottom and the CHOMP! I knew I had done it! I hooked a halibut, now I had to land it. I stayed surprisingly calm & steadily wound it in. The captain stood next to me and called for a gaff when it came up. The deckhand threw a hook in it and bam my but was on deck! I was a happy lady AND my little buddy with his little but had to acknowledge I in fact did what I said.
The bait barge halibut barely legal


First I landed a nice sand bass (wasn't good enough for me)


Mike stuck the hook in it


My halibut


I asked him to take a picture with me


Big giant jelly fish came by


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Calico Bass 6/19/2012

The Daily Double may be my favorite boat to fish because of all the memories I have. This was the boat I took my very first trip on. I was on it so many times with my mom growing up.









I must say this particular trip I slayed the bass! It was so fun! I got into a little friendly competion with a unknowing boy on the boat. He didn't know that calico bass is my favorite & I am good.
Ok I'm bragging but I think catching 4 fish to every one he got gives me bragging rights ;)

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Dolphin 6/16/2011

This was a special trip for a few reasons. I was back on my old boat. Boat I use to fish on & even work on! With my old friend & Captain Jason. This was also the first time I got to fish with my friend Kathy. (forgot to get a picture of us)
We went on the am 1/2 day. She is actually a long range angler oh and a IGFA record holder for halibut! I met her at the gym where she is also very skilled :)
The fishing was slow but we both managed to get a few calico bass


Wearing my Dolphin hat on the dolphin :)


A nice calico!


I managed to get a legal barracuda too!

I didn't feel like keeping any fish this trip. I don't really like to eat calico bass or cuda. Well when we docked I was glad! The fish & game was at the dock, the aggressively boarded the boat & started ripping open filet bags & measuring fish. Luckily I was able to just leave since I had no fish so I could take off.
It was so fun getting to fish with my friend & get to know her better & learn all about long range fishing from her.

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My new reel

I think it is obvious I love fishing. I love it so much I will go out even when the fishing isn't off the charts amazing! I do this for a few reasons...




One there is always a chance that I will be out there the day conditions change and the fish show up




Two just cause the fish aren't biting doesn't mean I wont see amazing marine life (I love whales, dolphins, even sharks, sunfish, all kinds of cool stuff) I don't get so jazzed about sea lions or seals but I saw an otter once that was rad.




Three there is never a bad day on the water (do I say this EVERY post?). For me it is not just about fishing, it is about getting away from reality and relaxing, enjoying the smells and sights you can only get out there on the ocean.




I still wonder how fishing is what I love. It is so not girly (I was always a tomboy I guess) but I swear it is something in your blood. My mom was one of the best anglers I have ever known. She was LUCKY to hook some amazing fish but had the TALENT to land them.




I must have gotten her fishing genes.




Everything about fishing appeals to me. I love the knots, all the gear, rods, reels, boats, anchors, gaffs, nautical terms....I love that eat type of fishing requires different set up, hooks, techniques, rods, reels, jigs, etc etc




I still have so much to learn and see in my life.





It is one of the reasons I love the boat shows. Which this year I set out to get a new rod & reel. Somehow I went from looking at spinning reels to getting a Newell 220 conventional.






The thing about my spinning reels is that I can cast with accuracy and distance. It is comfortable for me. It is what I have always used since I pulled in my first fish at age 11.

I have been so scared to use a convention reel because I am not as skilled at it. I am worried about backlash. That is where the line balls up in the reel when you do not keep accurate pressure on the reel while casting. I feel like I won't be able to keep up with the fishing because I am not as good at using conventional reels. The ONLY standing in my way from being a great fisherman is my own self! I just need to practice! I just need to go for it, get out of my comfort zone and try. The thing is you don't wanna be "practicing" or trying to figure out a new reel in the middle of a wide open bite!! So it was good that I finally took my new toy out for a test ride when fishing was possibly slow.

This is THE REEL! I honestly bought it because it was special. Only 50 of them made! And it looks so damn cool!!! But as it turns out once I got it on a rod (my buddy Jason loaned me the perfect rod!) and started using it I found it to be perfect for me!




I started out just flipping my baits underhand while fishing the bottom. It was such a fun set up to fish! & one reason I got the reel was cause everyone wants to check it out. There is nothing like it. So every time I walked away from it one of the crew was fishing my rod (perfectly acceptable with me). Then we anchored up in the kelp beds to try to get some calico bass.




I never want to say that any type of fishing is my favorite BUT calico bass fishing is up there (with all the rest-except maybe squid fishing once was enough for me).




Anyway calico bass fishing is one of my best skills! There is so much technique involved and just finesse to it.




The only bad part about today was that the fishing was not that good. I got bit on the bottom one short sand bass, and a few short calico bass. I managed to get one legal calico and just when it was time for the 1/2 day to be over the bass seemed like they were ready to bite. The only good news was it was a great chance for me to start casting my new reel and I did a great job! I didn't have the distance and accuracy I want just yet BUT no backlashes and it came totally natural to me!




I am so excited for the upcoming season I think that this is going to take me to a whole new level of fishing and prepare me to take on bigger fish in the long run when I can go on longer range trips!!

my one and only legal fish this trip a calico bass

Happy Mothers Day to ME!!!

So when asked what I want for Mother's Day my obvious response was FISHING! I ended up on a different boat this time. It was out of H&M Landing called the Premier. WOW what a NICE boat! I was hesitant to go at first because the weather seemed iffy and it was a new boat I had never been on. Once I was out there though I had the best time! Fishing was not off the hook but it was steady and I was getting fish consistantly.


I will always say any day out on the water is a good day! (UNLESS I spend the day getting sick that is!)



Just a little guy



Me with a brown rockfish

TREEFISH!

I never posted a picture of the galley on the boats.

This is a much newer boat then most in the fleet built in 1990!

My catch (from what I kept)

What happens next...

I think most people dont like fish because they have never had fresh fish and also have not had it prepared correctly. I pay extra on the boat to have the fish filleted for me. It is so cheap and such a huge convienence! So when I get home all I have is the fillets with a little bit of skin left on for fish and game identification. There is very little that needs to be done. Just remove the extra skin and any bones that need to be but out.

With rockfish breaded and fried is the best and then make fish tacos or just eat with a squeeze of lemon or tartar sauce. In my case I bread and bake the fish cause I'm watching my calories.

Flour, egg, and crumbs

The fish fillets. I used the rockfish for the oven and the sheephead I caught for Ceviche

Lemon juice, cilantro, cucumber, onion, garlic, jalepeno, tomato

The final results!!