Sometimes the Magic
Works
I have a pat answer when"
asked; "When is the best
date to go fishing?" My
answer is always the same; "
When you can!"
After a
brief chuckle,
the question
fades into
the conversa-
tion as folks
generally
understand
that you can
plan around
the moon
John King
and stars,
but weather Columnist
is as weather
does, and fish do as fish do.
Case in point: I had a cus-
tomer call months ago to charter
a boat. Naturally he was look-
ing to maximize his vacation
plans by building in a fishing
trip at the perfect moment for
fishing. I gave him my stock
answer, but he wanted more.
With CapL John King
and September is now here. I
looked at the notes for this char-
ter 'Customer wants trophy fish,
off shore preferred',
This is not an unusual mes-
sage to find in the reservation
notes.
People want to fish for big
fish. I get it. But I am pretty
sure that almost none of them
understand what it takes (see last
week's column).
We try to get a sense for the
make-up of a group When we
book charters.
The really tricky ones are
those that note 'family group of
5, one 3 year-old wants trophy
fish for his 11 year-old.' What
we really should put in these
notes would be something more
like; 'Expectations completely
out of whack with reality.'
I am a strong advocate of
getting kids into fishing early
in life. Many take to it readily.
Some could not care less.
But all are fascinated by such
things as bait and netted fish.
None are fascinated by hours
"September"
"September is
around month for fishing
Catalina Island. The crowds are
gone, the weather is still great
and, with luck the warm water
fish will be close to the island."
We set his charter to start at
7a.m. on September 6th,
Once a charter is in the books
I generally forget about it until
the date rolls around and I have
a chance to lo0k at the reserva-
tion notes. Summer happened
I said, of trolling on an open sea in a
the best all-pitchingboat.
Kids do not care what they
catch. They want action. I
always advise my family groups .
to stay close to the island and
allow us to target high probabil-
4
Founded in 1913 by Ernest Windle
Publisher
Jon Rerny
publisher@thecatalinalslander.com
Editor
Jesus Ruiz
editor@thecatalinalsiander.com
Associate Editor
Charles Kelly
editor2@sunnews.Qrg
Office Manager
Kristy Throndson
office@thecatalinalsiander.com
Legals
Regina Martinez
legals@localnewspa pey, oyg
Multimedia Director
France Te
Group Publisher
Steven Remery
publisher@localnewspaper.org
635 CRESCENT AVE SUITE A
AVALON, CA 90704
(310) 510-0500
FAX: (310) 510-2882
Postmaster:
Send address changes to
The Catalina Islander
P.O. Box 428, Avalon, CA 90704
Calendar: Noon Monday I News: 5 p.m. Monday
Display Advertising: 2 p.m. Tuesday
Classified Advertising: Noon Tuesday
Legal/Public Notices: 5p.m. Monday
Send to managarQcinews.us
One Year Subscription:
Catalina $39
Mainland $48
Subscriptions via First Class Mail are available for $80/year
A Publication of CommunltyMedla Corporation.
CATALINA ISLANDER (USPS 093-140) Acceptance under 39C,
F.R. 3464 periodicals postage paid at Avalon, CA 90704
and other additional offices. Adjudication Decree No.
377598. Date of Adjudication: Oct. 4. 1934 Exact Name of
Newspaper as shown in the Petition for Adjudication: The"
Catalina Islander. Published weekly at 101 Marilla Avenue,
#6 Avalon. CA 90704. The entire contents of The Catalina
Islander are copyrighted by The Catalina islander. No partf
may be reproduced in any fashion without written consent of
the publisher. This publication is printed almost entirely On
~1 recycled paper. Contents Copyright 2017 and
Title Registered, Catalina Islander, Inc All Rights
Resented. . .
ity fish that will ~ive the kids a
thrill. The kids will want to fish
with Dad year after year and
will soon enough be ready for
trophy hunting.
On the evening of September
5th I was checking my book-
ing notes and I had to chuckle,
remembering the conversation
with this customerand thinking
SINGING WATERS
SERVING AVALON,
REACHING THE iSLAND
CATALINA AVE
Lasik
[tion
,intment at CIMC,
O GE COAST
Budding Anglers with locally caught yeilowfin tuna. Courtesy photo
AUTO, COMMERCIAL, HOMEOWNERS & LIFE INSURANCE
Where Everything is FiShy andNothing is Imported
888-613-7770 wwwJdishinadosGallery.com
about how high his expectations
would be having months-ago
booked the perfect date for a
fishing trip.
The notes indicated that it
would be just one customer.
Now that is a profile that is
suited to going off-shore and
trophy hunting.
We picked him up at 6:30 off
the Green Pier.
"What's our target, Captain?"
he asked. "Tuna" I responded.
"Cool."
As we motored out of the har-
bor he mentioned "I thought you
said that the tuna rarely come
close enough to the island for a
half day trip?"
"Yep, sounds like something
I would say. But in the last
couple days we have seen the
fish come in and there is a good
chance we can get into them
today." I responded.
Within 30 minutes of leaving
Avalon Harbor we found the
wind howling around the back
side with a mixed swell that was
going to make it difficult to fish.
Still, I had slowed to a troll,
had the jigs set up behind the
boat and a new set of batteries in
my gyros (binoculars).
Although there are excep-
tions, it seems that tuna fishing
and bad weather go together like
a cold beer and salty chips.
I tried to stay positive as I
struggled to steady my gyros
in a heaving sea. Doing so is
like the circus performer who
balances on top of a bunch of
teetering chairs.
There is nothing quite so sat-
isfying as seeing fish within
seconds of raising the gyros to
your eyes, "Breaking tuna!" I
yelled to the crew, "Right on our
bow, maybe half a mile."
Exciting stuff to be sure. We
approached the foaming mass
and did not get a strike. Not one.
Not a sniff. Still, we pressed on
with our search. Soon we found
another foaming mass of fish
and nothing. Then again.
Tuna can be finicky, but these
fish were not" acting finicky.
They were on the chew and we
could not get them to sample
our baits.
When this happens it is time
to improvise and consider all
the tricks that have worked in
the past.
I went through the invento-
ry of tactics and lures, 'Cedar
plugs? Feathers? Plastics? Live
bait?'. I called me deckhand to
the bridge.
I opened with a suggestion,
"We have to start changing it up
until we figure out what these
fish want. Let's get a cedar plug
long down the middle."
As he was leaving to make
the change the first rod sang
out with its signature clicker
being ripped at high speed
"We are bit!" came the call from
the cockpit. The second rod
went off, "Double!", then the
third and the fourth, "We have
a quad!"
Sometimes the magic works.
The time to chase tuna is right
now. Let's go get em.
Capt. John runs Afishinados
Charters and Catallac Tours -
john@afzshinados.com - 888-
613-7770.
4 =, Friday, Sept. 15, 2017 THE CATAUNA ISLANDER
