Pretty much by the numbers today as we rolled into the ridge (literally) and got down to business throwing on 22 - 28# yellowtail to our angler's content. And that was the theme as this group set an ideal example of how long range fishing has evolved. Self regulation is now what the majority of anglers recognize as appropriate for a variety of reasons. The first being incredibly generous Mexican limits of thirty fish total for a voyage of three days or longer can yield an excess of product; especially on trips when the average size tuna is 50 pounds or larger. Between keen appreciation of the premium quality and value of our RSW product, and understanding of our responsibility to utilize what we take scenarios like this morning are now typical.

We could have absolutely clobbered the beautiful grade yellowtail. They were around in big numbers and eager to come aboard. We were ready to accomodate them as well. Rather than annihilate them just because they could however the majority of anglers landed a few, kept a few, released a few, and relaxed a lot. It was one of those occasions that I am still adjusting to. After all these years I still wrestle with the old school drive to produce, and produce, and produce. Of course this insatiable motivation is the foundation for the majority of incredible catches made now and before. But things have definitely changed; and for the better I might add. When we find ourselves in the situation where anglers are done catching though the fish are still willing and eager it is a sign of success; whether the score for the day is one or one hundred.

So we knocked out our yellowtail for the morning then took off for the offshore zone to see if we couldn't add a lot of color to the day in the form of a kelp or other flotsam holding dorado. Also wahoo as conditions suggested the likelihood that they would be around. It didn't take long. About twenty minutes after our departure there it was. Right on the bow standing out like a sore thumb - bush; and a big one at that. So we knocked out our dorado in short order as the insane hoards of neon blue were driven to psychosis by the easy pickins'. Of all the different types of fishing we encounter I submit that a good dorado kelp most aptly describes the term "wide open". When an angler swings a bait two feet from the hull and twenty or thirty lit up dorado frantically charge and churn the water to a froth beneath I can't really think of anything that compares. Crazy is what it is, but in a good way.

With two species checked off the list wahoo were now seranading anglers from all directions. We rose to that calling as well. Not in a big way, but enough to elicit a few whoops and cheers. Everything about those wahoo makes them incredibly easy to covet. Actually, we picked off five of the devils on the same kelp after the dorado backed off. Supplemented by a few more from here and there we caught just enough to consider it a success.

Two photos today. One of long time Royal Star angler Bob Furman pulling on a dorado with our bonus kelp in the backgroud. The water on the lens degraded the picture a bit, but the idea is intact. Photo number two features angler Shelly Mark happy with his forty pound wahoo landed on the troll. Top of the order tomorrow is wahoo and bottom denizens.

Tim Ekstrom

Photo Here...
Photo Here...