Posts by captn ron

  • another check on the bucket list

    For the last three years I have had a goal to shoot a yft. I got close the first year when I did a trip to Alijos on the Horizon. I was lined up on a nice one but the trigger mech failed on a borrowed gun. The next year I traveled to p.v. but the water turned over a couple of days before I got there and we couldn't see.
    This year was finally the one. Water was blue and warm and the tuna were there. It was an awesome trip with Scott, Jeff, and Alberto. Three days of diving with a great crew. So fun. Everyone on the trip scored. I got lucky with 4 yft. First day of diving I shot a 30lber which was my first yft. Scott promply reminded me that I had made my wife eat the heart of her first wsb, so I had better man up and eat the heart of my first tuna. I am so glad my first fish was only 30lbs. The heart was still large enough that it took quite a while to chew it up and swallow.
    My second fish came a little bit later that day and it was about a 65lber. Getting bigger!
    After shooting my second fish I was getting a bit more comfortable and doing some deeper drops. On one of the drops I started to come up when a dark shape caught my eye. I swam towards the shape and watched as a monster black Marlin came into view This fish was massive with lots of scars. Weight estimated around 700-800lbs. This thing was amazing.
    I went home that day high as a kite knowing that I had finally met my goal of shooting a tuna.
    The next day we headed out and Scott brought in the first fish. A solid one around 90lbs. It was so cool to see a healthy size one on the boat. Next was Alberto. I was diving primarily with Alberto and we were doing drops one up one down. At the end of one of my drops a few fish started coming in. I came up and motioned to Alberto that there were fish so dive now!
    He dove and shortly after I heard his gun fire. He was on! He also had a nice size fish.
    Later on Jeff had his fish but I still had not connected.
    The next drift the roles got reversed and I saw Alberto waving and motioning to me that there were fish so dive now! I dove down and was treated to an awesome sight of five or six beautiful fish moving through. I took aim at the largest of the group and let the shaft fly. The shaft slammed into the fish and the fish took off like a scalded cat. It was so satisfying to finally be able to utilize my Tommy Botha board. I was able to get one more that day. Both fish were just under 100lbs

  • The Adventures of Thumper

    Wow Don,
    After talking to you on wednesday, I had to check out this thread. Can't believe what an epic job you've done so far. Really impressive. Can't wait to see thumper on the water.


    I too have a port supply account with the business. If you need the number give me a call.

  • before the MPA hit so cal...

    Toad calico Chris. I drove by some closures yesterday and was pretty sad. John was with me and said now when we're hunting wsb we're going to always say...."I bet those areas are thick with wsb right now". I can hear it now. :)

  • Hand grab Cabezon

    Went diving the other night for bugs at the long beach breakwall. Was tough finding them. I was able to get a limit but really had to work for them. Saw a nice school of wsb, found a very large whale vertebre and found this toad cabezon lying out in the open. I dropped my light and bag and did a two handed grab..just like grabbing a big lobster. It fought pretty hard but I had a death grip on her. It went 14.1lbs

  • Trip report with new p.b. checherboard

    Went out with Hughes on tuesday. Water temps were right around 62. Vis ranged from 5' to over 30' depending on the spot. We spent some time at local spot that usually looks like mud. Anchoring up on the outside of the kelp bed we could see the bottom at 35'...what a treat. Entering the water we were surrounded by schools of barracuda that would swim right next to us. We were on a sightseeing mission..trying to sight a worthy wsb. I began by swimming too fast through the kelp trying to get to the inside. I was stealthy but just a little too fast. I came up on a huge tanker broadside to me. Before my brain would click in the fish had boomed off with two loud booms.:(. This was such a shock as I rarely see any large fish in this spot. Reaching the shallows was like swimming in a murky fish tank with dozens of wsb milling about. Only problem was the size...all small.
    The next spot was also beautiful. John went inside and I decided to head in to middle of the bed. After getting my suit cleared of bubbles, I was lying on the surface relaxing when a huge shape glides directly under me. I raise my gun and aim it at the behemoths head and watch as a 200lb black sea bass continues right past me. Man are they beautiful. I calm my racing heart down and start moving through the bed. The very next time that I'm breathing up I look down at the bottom which is 30' down and I see two wsb cruising.
    I spit the snorkel out and make a nice quiet dive, point my gun at the largest one and stone it with the shaft coming out it's head.
    I am relieved that he was stoned as I had visions of the black sea bass coming in and trying to eat the wsb.;)
    I head back to the boat and leave the fish in the water while I have a water. About this time John swims by and just about shoots my fish that He thought was just hanging upside down under the boat:laughing3:
    John saw more wsb but wasn't anxious to pull the trigger on a small one.
    The next spot we dove was very dirty on the inside. I moved in with my small gun and was doing drops to the bottom and trying to peer through the 5' visibility. On one of the drops I see a blob that was not a kelp leaf. I aim my gun at the blob and watch until I can see fins on the outside of the blob. I fire and skewer this calico from face to out it's tail. It can't move with the stainless steel splint:@
    I'm stoked cause I can tell this is my p.b. calico. Weigh it back on land and it goes 10 lbs 2 oz :thumbsup2:
    Nothing like spending the day with a good friend making good memories.:thumbsup2:

  • B.W.M. Two In One Shot

    Quote from Don Paul

    Nice Capt Ron,:thumbsup2: sorry I missed the weigh in.


    Cheers, Don


    Wasn't sure if you were out there. The after party was pretty fun. I won a huge bottle of silver patron, but I'm on the wagon. I think the bottle was empty after 15 minutes. I noticed the volume level increased after that. ;)

  • B.W.M. Two In One Shot

    Had a blast at the blue water meet over the weekend. There were not many fish taken but a good time was had by all.


    I wanted to share my story because it was a first for me. I scouted the day before the meet and never found the fish. I could hear them faintly but no matter where I went no one was home.


    The morning of the meet I headed out and decided to stay close to two harbors. Didn't want to burn up alot of fuel plus I didn't have any luck at the distant spots anyways. I had been planning to dive solo but my wife graciously volunteered to hang out in the boat while I dove.


    The bed I went to already had two boats when I arrived. I anchored up away from the other two and slipped in the water. Vis was about 10'-15' and water was 60-61. My first drop was to get the air out of my suit and immediatley my ears and chest were assaulted with croaking. It was the kind of croaking that you feel as much as hear. I spent the next dozen dives searching the kelp and no one was home. I could tell when the croaking was getting louder or fainter so I focused on my diving and zeroed in to the loudest area.


    I made a few more drops and finally saw the silhouette of a nice fish probably 50lbs+ . I took a shot but the fish bolted as I pulled the trigger and so I missed but at least I now knew where the fish were hanging out. They were at 40'.


    I continued hunting and finally while kneeling on the bottom at 40' I had a school of fish swim through. I lined up on a fish near the front and fired....fish on!


    I swam to the surface and couldn't believe this smallish fish was pulling so hard. I kept getting pulled under. As I took up my float line I saw my fish halfway up my float line. I kept taking up and the fish traveled down the float line to the shooting line, through the shaft and finally I saw two fish on the shaft. No wonder I was getting pulled under. I was able to land both fish but could not keep them both. After landing the fish I pulled anchor and went over to Steve's boat and told them that I was gifting the fish to them. I also told them where I got the fish....probably a mistake in a competition but what the hell.


    Turns out that the fish I took was good enough for a third place.... 28lbs
    It was really fun to get a twofer on wsb. It was a first for me.




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