My first Yellowtail (long story)

    Been looking forward to this trip since we were down to San Diego back in March.


    Disclaimer: Due to the bloody nature of the actual events that took place on this day my report has been modified, and some names have been changed to protect the innocent.


    Target Species: If it swims and it tastes good, it dies.


    Guns and bands? Check
    S.S. cable shooting line and slip-tip? Check
    Floatline and bungee? Check
    Extra tools and rigging supply? Check
    Passports and Mexican Fishing License? Check
    Lotsa' ice for dead fish? Check
    Beer, and even more ice? Check


    Rolled out of Folsom at 6:30 p.m. Friday night, met up with Phil Herranen in Santa Cruz at 10 p.m. Trading off time at the wheel, we drove straight through to Mission Bay, arriving at 5:30 Saturday morning. After each of us catching about an hour sleep in the last 24 on the drive down, we met up with Mark Lehner at the ramp, loaded up Joe Acevedo's boat, and mashed for a couple hours Southwest of San Diego (into Mexican waters) to a “secret” high spot in the Pacific Ocean. Wind and swell were up just a bit so it was a bumpy ride, but the stoke ran thick on the boat that morning.


    We hit our spot at about 9:30 and suited up. Phil jumped in first and reported a good 50-60 feet of viz. We dove several spots for hours on end without seeing much of anything except some 10lb. hog Calicos and some nice Sheephead. Frikken’ huge! Unwilling to pull the trigger on "taco meat" for fear something bigger would swim by just as I'm reloading my gun, I never took a shot. On that location, Phil shot and landed a really nice, rather large fish, but I’ll save that report for him to post (if he wants to bother with typing it up, but most of you already know what it was ;))


    At that point, only having 1 hour of sleep in the past 36 hours and diving for the last 6 hours straight, after hoisting Phil’s fish into the boat I was ready to call it a day. I started peeling off my wetsuit when Joe said “So Rich, what size yellow do you want to take home? 20? 30 pound?” I said “Shit Joe, I’m too tired to dive any more. I’m ready for a beer.” He wouldn’t take “no” for an answer and said he had one more spot to hit. We motored over to another location and dropped the anchor. The wind and swell had picked up, and it was rough!!! Everyone (except Phil, for good reason) suited up and hopped in.


    Phil tied of the tag end of his 100’ floatline to the boat cleat with his tuna float on the trailing end to give us a place to rest and drag ourselves back up to the boat for another drop. After making 4 or 5 drops to 30’, drifting back 150’ behind the boat, and swimming like hell to get back to the floatline my ass was kicked. I pulled myself all the way up to the back of the boat and said “Dude, I’m done!!”


    Phil encouraged me with “Don’t quit. Just drop down to 20 feet or so, head on a swivel and then look around. They’ll come in.”


    I breathed up, spit my snorkel, and made one more drop, clearing my ears as I descended. A quick check of my watch told me I was hanging at 35 feet. With lots of small bait fish all around, I scanned left, then right. Out of nowhere a wall of fish appeared about 15 feet from the tip of my already extended gun. I’m guessing there must have been 60-80 of them and estimated their size at 10lb. each. Yellowtail!!! Everything from that point moved in slow motion like a scene from the Matrix. I singled out the first unfortunate soul at the head of the pack. Leading him by about a foot and tracking him as he moved past me, I squeezed the trigger. The school exploded in every direction, and for a split second I was certain I’d whiffed the shot. Then, a solid pull, and my break-away popped out of the gun as my floatline ripped from under my armpit.


    I kicked to the surface and I was amazed at how hard this fish was fighting. My head broke the surface and I screamed “FISH ON!!!” with the last remaining bit of air in my lungs. Phil jumped up from his seat shouting “No way!!” as I started pulling myself to the boat with the fish yo-yoing on my bungee 70’ below. Every time I pulled in floatline, this fish pulled back harder. My first white seabass went 45lb. and was no where near the fight this fish put up!


    “You gotta’ get that fish up NOW, or those sea lions are going to take it!!” Phil shouted.


    As I got the fish closer to me I could see the slip-tip cable tearing a nice gash in the belly and I was afraid I was going to loose it if I horsed it too much.


    “It’s a bad shot. It’s gonna’ tear off.” I yelled.
    “You’re fine, just get that fish to the surface!!” he shouted back.


    Phil coached me from the boat with a few more words of encouragement as I got my hands inside the gills and started ripping. Holy shit, I thought. This thing was way bigger than I first estimated. Fish under control, I pulled myself the rest of the way back to the boat. I handed up my gun, then my fish, shaft still hanging from it’s gut. “Wow,” he commented “this is a nice Yellow!” and then immediately bled and gutted for me as I climbed back into the boat.


    After admiring my kill cleanly stashed on ice, and rejuvenated with a rush of adrenaline, I promptly loaded my shaft and shooting line and jumped back in the water. I made 4 or 5 more drops back down to where I’d seen the school of Yellows before the “high” wore off, but saw nothing more.


    “F*ck it, I got my fish!” I thought as I climbed back in the boat, exhausted.


    On the way back into Mission Bay, Mark noticed another boat nearby and that the driver was wearing a Pistoleros t-shirt. Then we noticed Matt and Josh in the boat with Michael Dong and they were all just getting in from they day out in the kelp (see Josh’s report for more info). Two more Nor Cal guys down South for a good time!!


    We spent Saturday night and dove Sunday with Guy Skinner, another member of the Pistoleros Club. He's also the owner of a small company that makes spearguns and spearfishing gear that some of you may have heard of. JBL International ;) Before we jumped in the water on Sunday, Guy took us down to the factory and gave Phil and I the grand tour of the facility. The machine shop and assembly area was absolutely amazing, and Phil is currently working with Guy on some new designs, so keep your eyes peeled for those in the near future. We dove the kelp with Guy on Sunday afternoon for a few hours, but no one worth shooting was home. Afterward, he fixed us up a nice dinner of shark and white seabass tacos, and after a few beers to wash it down it was time to hit the road back home.


    My first Yellowtail ended up going 20# bled and gutted, and I couldn’t have done it with out the help of my good buddy Phil, and the awesome trip Joe planned and executed for us Nor Cal boys to come down South for the weekend. Viva Los Pistoleros!!!




    Quote from undrh2ohntr

    Congrat's on the YT...they are so much fun to hunt.
    How big did the black go?


    im calling it 200# but it might be bigger ,i only have a 50# scale the head spine and skin weighted almost 100#
    and it took took 2 people to carry the fish bag with only meat in it into the house.
    phil

    Quote from phil herranen

    im calling it 200# but it might be bigger ,i only have a 50# scale the head spine and skin weighted almost 100#
    and it took took 2 people to carry the fish bag with only meat in it into the house.
    phil


    haha wow...that is a silly big fish Phil....bet you are mighty popular in the neighborhood right now ..:toast: for fish seems like a great deal

    i like to spear fish

    Great story and nice fish!!! I caught a 36 lb Mahi Mahi in Kona a few weeks ago.


    Paul

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