11/07/12

Grudge fishing - no haste, no panic, no wasted motion; systematic elimination of our quarry was the clear
objective. When the first stop of the morning revealed thousands upon thousands of 15 - 25#, "ballslapper"
grade dorado aggressive, ravenous, and eager to come on board, this group of anglers, starved in
production over the past couple of days and taunted by the sight of so many fish unwilling to play ball,
were ready to exact some revenge. Against such focused, primitive intent those dorado didn't stand a
chance; they were destined for San Diego even before the harvest began.

A bountiful outing it was as anglers reefed, yarded, jerked, and pulled for the better part of two hours
save for a couple of breaks when we stopped the slaughter to properly address the fish on deck and drop
them in the RSW tanks. It makes a big difference in the end quality of the product, especially in the case
of dorado that contain exceptionally high histamine levels. The bonus opportunity when we do stop fishing
in such cases is the exceptional fish watching as the thousands of revved up dorado patrol the near
perimeter instantly charging and consuming any and everything that hits the water.

Such occasions usually elicit a wide variety of imaginative offerings as everyone gets into the spirit of
the thing. Grapes, sausages, French toast pieces, clipped tail ends - anything that hits the water draws a
reaction strike as the desperate predators scramble to seize the perceived meal. Needless to say still and
video cameras make a quick appearance in such circumstances capturing the moments that would be otherwise
unbelievable to most people by description alone.

It is wildly entertaining, and never gets old. Between the big beautiful, seemingly endless dorado, and
thousands of swarming smaller grade yellowfin tuna that desperately asserted themselves as the boomer stop
progressed, it was a defining moment; or series of moments blended into a mass of catching glory that
vaulted us back to the top of our game; just what the doctor ordered.

I suppose the most gratifying part from the bridge was the fact that the strategy set forth from the
beginning came to fruition by the numbers. Good weather, good fortune, good information, the right bait,
and the right timing for the occasion came together by design. We are living right here - big time.

After all my talk about the photo opportunities I'm pained to relate that I was up to my elbows in the
labor of the occasion missing the chance to share the amazing images. For today's shots I must draw on
yesterdays events featuring the Honorable Jim Robart and his eleventh hour 185 pound yellowfin that
arrived in the nick of time, and Paul Guggenheimer with his hard earned, mid morning 125.

Tim Ekstrom


Photo Here...

Photo Here...