We sailed on Saturday with Brad & crew for a two-boat shark trip. We left the dock at around 6:00 am. Fortunately, we had picked up some bait prior to the trip and didn’t need to stop on the way out. Between the swells and the fog, the point was a bit of mess. (Not to mention that not everyone on the boat had a strong stomach!). We steamed about 20 miles SW of the lighthouse and set-up around the same area where Steve fished last week and had busted off a mako. We had lines in at around 8:45 and our first run-off within the hour, with a 200 lb. blueshark at the side of the boat within 15 minutes. Shortly thereafter we had another fish on. By the way the fish hit and fought, we figured it was another blueshark. But when we got it to the boat, we realized it was a small mako. We estimated it at around a buck and a quarter and while I had suggested we let it go, I didn’t want to send the guys home with no fish if we didn’t hook up again. Ultimately, we decided to take him. Good decision on their part because it was the last bite we had for the rest of the trip, something I was pretty surprised about given the action we’ve recently seen. The fish weighed in at 128 pounds. Not a beast by any means, but it provided for more than enough meat for the guys.

It’s not my place to post for another boat, so I won’t mention names, but it’s worth noting that the second boat we fished with also had mako, around the same size. Likewise, at Westlake Marina, I saw another 5 makos come in on this afternoon.

If you're thinking about making a shark trip, now is definitely the time to do it!

We sailed on Saturday with Brad & crew for a two-boat shark trip. We left the dock at around 6:00 am. Fortunately, we had picked up some bait prior to the trip and didn’t need to stop on the way out. Between the swells and the fog, the point was a bit of mess. (Not to mention that not everyone on the boat had a strong stomach!). We steamed about 20 miles SW of the lighthouse and set-up around the same area where Steve fished last week and had busted off a mako. We had lines in at around 8:45 and our first run-off within the hour, with a 200 lb. blueshark at the side of the boat within 15 minutes. Shortly thereafter we had another fish on. By the way the fish hit and fought, we figured it was another blueshark. But when we got it to the boat, we realized it was a small mako. We estimated it at around a buck and a quarter and while I had suggested we let it go, I didn’t want to send the guys home with no fish if we didn’t hook up again. Ultimately, we decided to take him. Good decision on their part because it was the last bite we had for the rest of the trip, something I was pretty surprised about given the action we’ve recently seen. The fish weighed in at 128 pounds. Not a beast by any means, but it provided for more than enough meat for the guys.

It’s not my place to post for another boat, so I won’t mention names, but it’s worth noting that the second boat we fished with also had mako, around the same size. Likewise, at Westlake Marina, I saw another 5 makos come in on this afternoon.

If you're thinking about making a shark trip, now is definitely the time to do it!

We sailed this evening with Russ Hall and crew. We left the dock at around 4:30 and fished the entire flood tide. Between the moon, the tide and the overall conditions, I thought we had the makings of a really successful trip. Unfortunately, that wasn't the case. We managed a few fish, but not anything that I'm particularly proud of. We fished the chutes, umbrellas, jigs and eels, none of which proved to be overly successful. Some may ask why I'd bother posting this report. The truth is, you just can't win them all. Every season, there's always a couple of trips that just don't pan out the way one might hope. I don't believe in hiding them. After all, there will be plenty of successful ones to follow!

Today we steamed offshore. Capts. Steve and John ran this trip and headed out about 20 miles SW of the point. Within the first hour, a 175-200 lb mako swam up the slick right to the side of the boat. The guys tossed in a pitch bait and hooked the fish immediately. Unfortunately, the fight lasted only a couple of minutes before they busted him off. They're still not sure exactly what happened, other than the fish was long gone. They had a number of other hook-ups throughout the day with blue dogs and the guys kept busy at the rod. It was an awesome day to be on the water and the guys had a blast. Last time some of this crew was with us, the boat returned with a 250+ pound whippy. Guess we'll have to wait til the next trip to try it again!

The boat sailed on Friday afternoon with the Billy Williams group. Capt. Scott was at the helm for us on this trip. The guys were successful pulling the umbrella rigs and ended the day with a boat load of bass and blue fish.

This afternoon was a bit easier than the morning. The boat sailed with Pete Rasulo and crew, along with Capts. Steve and John. Whereas we trolled chutes throughout most of the morning, the guys decided to stick with the umbrellas for the p.m. It paid off, especially with one triple-header bass run-off. The guys thought it was a cow. Instead, they settled for two 20-25 lb keepers and a short. They added to that with a few more keepers and twice as many additional shorts. They also managed a boat load of bluefish, the biggest weighing in at over 15 pounds.

Overall, a great day on the water. We had to fish hard, but it paid off and the guys were able to pull together their catches.

This afternoon was a bit easier than the morning. The boat sailed with Pete Rasulo and crew, along with Capts. Steve and John. Whereas we trolled chutes throughout most of the morning, the guys decided to stick with the umbrellas for the p.m. It paid off, especially with one triple-header bass run-off. The guys thought it was a cow. Instead, they settled for two 20-25 lb keepers and a short. They added to that with a few more keepers and twice as many additional shorts. They also managed a boat load of bluefish, the biggest weighing in at over 15 pounds.

Overall, a great day on the water. We had to fish hard, but it paid off and the guys were able to pull together their catches.

We sailed on this morning for a half day trip with Andrew, Henry, Bradley, Drew, Michael & Jason. We shoved off at around 7:30 a.m. and got out just in time for slack. Perfect. Although the action picked up a bit once the tide got going, it wasn’t the slaughter I was hoping for. However, we picked away and ended up with a nice mix of bass, bluefish and fluke. The guys were great and the laughs were non-stop. Fishing might not have been the best I’ve seen, but it was a great trip nonetheless.