 |
|||||
|
From the Deck
by Captain Jack
Well mates if'en ya been out on them waters you got wet this week; cursed storms! Ain't it interesting that when we gets good weather, all winter, you couldn't buy a fish. The rains come and them wiggley little sea creatures are jumping out of the water into the boat. Down Diego way seven fishermen go out, get all wet, and fill their sacks with limits of yellowtail. That's the way it is sez the Captain!
There's a fella, who asked the Captain not to use his real name, who has a boat in basin three; so we'll call him Stinky the mackerel and squid handler. In the basin is where the public boat hoist are located, also known as the Redondo Beach Marina. Every time it rains he goes out and fishes halibut, sez it is the only time they bite regular. I went out with him for a look see, rain coming down in buckets, and not another soul on the water. Stinky starts yanking halibut out of the water one right after the other. I am not making this up, in less then two hours he has four flatties on the deck; one at 25 pounds! He looks at me with a big fat grin and sezz, "It's the rain Jack!"
Well, it just wasn't the rain, however, the science boys at the fish lab over at Edison, claim that a rain storm and the fresh water trigger halibut to come in-shore to lay their eggs. I figure that all of them particulates, such as comes out of them storm drains, God only knows what's in there, provides food for the halibut hatchlings. Kind'a scarry isn't it? Hell, halibut ain't nutt'en but a mud sucking bottom feeders and they start young, eating anything that moves or dies in the ocean.
Stinkey also asked me not to reveal his fishing secrets but my fingers were crossed when I said, "Sure no problem." Here's the secret; but don't tell no one. At the crack of dawn, Stinkey goes out to the bait barge and gets a trash can full of dead and stinking anchovies. Don't ice them he sez, the more they stink the more they get the fish excited. Then he finds his spot and dumps the stink bait in one place, over a certain reef outside of the harbor; oh a mile or two out. He waits twenty minutes, or so, letting that dead bait fall to the bottom, then he starts fishing with live bait.
Seems the halibut are a curious lot. They smell the dead bait and swim over to see what's going on. Now, they will eat some of that smelly stuff, but they would rather eat something fresh. Like sardines, anchovies, or live squid; especially live squid!! So, in less than a minute, WHAM BAM thank you ma'am, Stinkey lands a big flat flattie on board and that's it folks!!!. Arrrg, sez the Captain!!!!
"In the Bay", the local fishing out of the Redondo Fishing Pier and Portofino, Marina Fuel Dock, report a good showing of Sand Bass, Sculpin, Sheepshead and a few Halibut (unless you do it the "Stinkey way"). The best bet is to hop on any boat out of Diego, "Island Fishing", for Yellowtail and Barracuda; on the iron man!!! You can even try out of Ensenada, if you're willing to risk that dang border crossing.
Send your fish tales and photos to Captain Jack at the Easy Reader, (310) 372-4611 ext. 119 or easyreader@earthlink.net. Page the Captain direct at (310) 504-1940.