First time saltwater fishing goin 2 Channel Islands

[rspar]

In two weeks my son and I are going on our first saltwater fishing trip. A friend of a friend has chartered a boat and we're going to the Channel Island area from Oxnard. I plan on renting equipment but is there anything I should know or will they just set us up at the rental place that I'm assuming will be there. We went once in Mexico on a little boat (6 total people) about a 6hr or so trip but we got shut out. On that trip the boat owner took care of everything, I'm told on this one we have to arrange our own equipment.

Any thoughts appreciated.

 

[SBTOM]

Re: First time saltwater fishing goin 2 Channel Islands

It really depends on who you are chartering with and what type of fishing they will have you doing.... From Channel Islands harbor, they might just drive out to one of the reefs and start dropping lines. In that case, they would probably set you up with live bait.... They might also run you out to the backside of the islands and have you trolling for the big dogs. It just depends on how long you want to be out there, and what the boat is set up to do. Either way, I would be really suprised if you got shut out...

 

[CheapboatKev]

Re: First time saltwater fishing goin 2 Channel Islands

Your making me homesick..

There will be at least one deckhand on board I am sure to help you and your son out..As stated it will depend on what you guys are fishing for..

If your going to the bottom..make sure you get lots of extra sinkers (6 oz to 8 oz) and hooks..

If your going to troll the back sides looking for yellowtail, make sure you have extra live baithooks...

Are you used to using conventional tackle? open faced reels or have you only used spinning reels in the past?

 

[rspar]

Re: First time saltwater fishing goin 2 Channel Islands

We've only done lake fishing with the one exception in Mexico that didn't turn out so good but they did everything so we didn't learn much to use this trip. The boat goes out Sunday night and we start fishing Monday morning returning Monday evening so I'm assuming it's going out a ways. I believe they said there was a deck crew of 3. I'll certainly be wearing the patch so I'm not chumming all day. There going for Rock fish, Sea bass, and cod course I don't know what any of those look like thats how newb I am.

Who knows might like this enough to trade up my boat for something ocean worthy. Kind of doubt it though.

 

[CheapboatKev]

Re: First time saltwater fishing goin 2 Channel Islands

You'll be fine...

Since you'll be fishing the bottom for those species, you'll be renting conventional fishing reels fishing with 2 or 3 hook gangions (sp?) rigs.

It's fairly simple fishing, you will have to be ready to fish when the Cptn says "Let em go"...

You will be drift fishing for the deeper rock cod...and may only have one pass over the sweet spot before the Cap decides the boat has drifted off the spot.

When he says "Wind em up", dont dilly dally..get your line up and re bait it for the next drop. As you wind up..make sure you use your thumb on the non winding hand to guide the line back on across the face of the spool..this way you don't get one giant hump of line in the middle of the spool that will jam up on you.

Also on the drop, pay attention to when the rig hits the bottom..Keep light pressure on the line coming off the spool..when it hits the bottom, put her in gear immediately and give her 3 or for turns to get your bait off the bottom.

In some of the shallower areas..try using a whole huge sardine for bait on the bottom of the rig..Lingcod love em and they are the ugliest/yet best tasting fish out there..They get pretty big as well..

Like I said, you are making me homesick...

 

[rspar]

Re: First time saltwater fishing goin 2 Channel Islands

Thanks I appreciate the info. It seems like yesterday I was saying it's a few weeks away now it's just a few days, time flies. My 13 year old's biggest catch it 3/4lb so he's really looking forward to this.

The fishing in Fla is bound to be better than here. I've only been in Florida once, Miami Airport for 1/2 an hour took one step outside felt the humidity and went back in and waited for my flight to Jamaica but that was twenty years ago. I'm a typical socal wimp I live less than a mile from the beach hate the LA traffic but not as much as the weather every place else. Weird I live 1/2 a mile from the beach and I travel a couple hours to go lake fishing. Where in socal u from?

Thanks again I'm going to print you post for a cheat sheet

 

[CheapboatKev]

Re: First time saltwater fishing goin 2 Channel Islands

My pleasure...

I have been in Florida for 7 years. Relocated for my company..

I last lived in Lomita, off PCH and the Redondo Beach border.
Basically PCH & Hawthorne Blvd.
Would leave my apartment, hang a left and be at the beach in 10 minutes.

I fished every Sunday on the City of Redondo, the 1/2 day out of Redondo Sport Fishing for 10 years easily..Then was in San Diego once a month for my charter group chasing tuna in Mexican Waters...Also fished all the landings, 22nd street in SP, LA Harbor Sportfishing @ Ports o call in SP, Newport Beach...all of em..

Since I have been in Fl..I have been out maybe 4 or 5 times max..go figure! lol

Please let me know how you do! Wish I could join ya!

 

[rspar]

Re: First time saltwater fishing goin 2 Channel Islands

Sure will, nice job on the boat by the way. I can see where your free time goes. I spend hours doing something on mine and when I'm done it looks like it took ten minutes.

We were practically neighbors I'm in El Segundo for the last couple years, Hawthorne for 15 or so before that. Can't even imagine moving across the country, Hawthorne to Gundo nearly killed me.

 

[rspar]

Re: First time saltwater fishing goin 2 Channel Islands

Had a great time both of us caught our limit on red snapper, rock fish, a couple whites and a couple sheephead. The weather turned on us a little at the end (windy) so they called it a day a couple hours early which was fine with me. The only real excitement was a guy who earlier in the day almost fell off the boat (while motoring) managed to fall off the dock after returning.:redface:
It was quite an experience I've never caught two fish at once nor had my son.
On one occasion the Captain had decided it was time to move and my son started cranking in for quite some time so I took over and after cranking till my arms burn I handed it back, for him to crank some more. I asked him how'd you get so far out? That's when the two good size red snapper appeared and it dawned on me he got one while he was letting line out and didn't know so he just let it go lol .

Thanks for the advice can't wait to go again.

 

[CheapboatKev]

Re: First time saltwater fishing goin 2 Channel Islands

My help was minimal...
You guys hooked em and got em over the rail!
Any pics?


I am very glad you and your son had a good time, I'm sure you guys will become seasoned veterans in no time!

Now...go see if you guys can get down to San diego and grab some Yellowfin Tuna!!!

http://www.fishermanslanding.com/pages/fishcount.php

 

[rspar]

Re: First time saltwater fishing goin 2 Channel Islands

Thats funny, on the way home we were talking about going out next time for tuna hah. Had fish for dinner tonite I'd forgotten how not fishy good fresh fish is. The house doesn't even smell of it. Even the sheephead was good although not near as good as the snapper. Great fun except the ride home the six hour diesel drum about drove me nuts. Got a couple pics but no fish catching ones when he was catching so was I should have got at least one I'm kicking myself.
Next time. I was amazed how hard the crew worked the only thing we did was bait the hook. On ever caught fish they ran over and unhooked it and untwisted any lines, tough job.

These are pretty much the extent of my pics I'm really kicking myself. My kids the one in the hoody for some reason he wanted a bait pic.

 

[SBTOM]

Re: First time saltwater fishing goin 2 Channel Islands

Sounds like you guys had a great trip! I can't help but notice that you managed to get some nice weather and calm seas.... Trust me, you got lucky on that one! I was out Saturday and Sunday of last weekend and it was rough and cloudy just about 30-40 miles north of you! Especially Sunday... it took us almost an hour and a half to get up to point conception! Congradulations on the sucess

 

[CheapboatKev]

Re: First time saltwater fishing goin 2 Channel Islands

Thats funny, on the way home we were talking about going out next time for tuna hah. Had fish for dinner tonite I'd forgotten how not fishy good fresh fish is. The house doesn't even smell of it. Even the sheephead was good although not near as good as the snapper. Great fun except the ride home the six hour diesel drum about drove me nuts. Got a couple pics but no fish catching ones when he was catching so was I should have got at least one I'm kicking myself.
Next time. I was amazed how hard the crew worked the only thing we did was bait the hook. On ever caught fish they ran over and unhooked it and untwisted any lines, tough job.

These are pretty much the extent of my pics I'm really kicking myself. My kids the one in the hoody for some reason he wanted a bait pic.

Cool.thanks for adding the pics and really making me miss Socal!!!
Live squid is like a snicker bar for just about everything that swims..They look good n healthy..Did ya get bit BY the squid or did ya learn how to "cup" them in your hand to not get bit?

Ya, a good deckie is priceless..I used to deadhead in Redondo Beach..fish for free and be a part time deckhand...

The last time I was out fishing here in Florida, I spent so much time untangling my fellow anglers, getting them unhooked from the bottom and just helping out that the cap gave me 2 free passes and a job offer..

Now if I was 18 again I would have taken him up on it..lol

 

[rspar]

Re: First time saltwater fishing goin 2 Channel Islands

Yeah I got nipped a time or two before I learned how to catch them but I never got squirted half the guys on the boat had black faces. Having rockfish tacos tonite first time for the fish tacos, I know hard to believe that's what everyone says when I say I haven't had a fish taco.

I hate the traffic here but the only possible other place I'd live is maybe coastal Oregon maybe for retirement time.

We might look into going out of Pedro looking for some sea bass a friend of mine caught some couple weeks ago it was tasty.

 

[RICHARD5]

Re: First time saltwater fishing goin 2 Channel Islands

This is a fun thread. After I quit commercial fishing I worked as deckhand on the sport boats out of Morro Bay for a couple of years. This thread reminds me of some stories of that time.

~strolling the deck with a filleted sardine sandwich...with the tailfin prominently in view. Wow, mister! I'd never seen that color of green come out a person.

~some days my hands would be covered with hook snags. It would **** me off to no end when I would be working to unknot a guy's rig and he wouldn't pay attention. Keep your tip up, keep the line taught. No, don't yank it....owwwww! Repeat over and over and over throughout the day. If a guy started being a jerk, I'd just cut the whole snag off and tie up a new rig for him. Let him sort out his tackle later.

~Usually a guy on once side of the boat would snag everyone on the other side of the boat. Everyone thought they had the biggest fish of their life! That would just tighten the cluster. BTW: now you know where cluster**** comes from.

*looks to the port rail--everyone is hooked up...look to the stbd rail, everyone is hooked up. OK, EVERYONE STOP REELING!* A pair of dikes was was my best friend.

~Many times it was the young girl on her first trip who caught the whopper. That was cool. One time a 6 yr old girl slept the entire trip except for 20 minutes. That's when her father coaxed her to try fishing. She did and she caught a huge Cow Cod, the biggest fish that day. You shoulda' seen the faces of those guys with $3,000 worth of rods and tackle.

~I also ran the galley. It was great to cook up a fish sandwich using just caught fish. They enjoyed that.

 

[CheapboatKev]

Re: First time saltwater fishing goin 2 Channel Islands

This is a fun thread. After I quit commercial fishing I worked as deckhand on the sport boats out of Morro Bay for a couple of years. This thread reminds me of some stories of that time.

~strolling the deck with a filleted sardine sandwich...with the tailfin prominently in view. Wow, mister! I'd never seen that color of green come out a person.

~some days my hands would be covered with hook snags. It would **** me off to no end when I would be working to unknot a guy's rig and he wouldn't pay attention. Keep your tip up, keep the line taught. No, don't yank it....owwwww! Repeat over and over and over throughout the day. If a guy started being a jerk, I'd just cut the whole snag off and tie up a new rig for him. Let him sort out his tackle later.

~Usually a guy on once side of the boat would snag everyone on the other side of the boat. Everyone thought they had the biggest fish of their life! That would just tighten the cluster. BTW: now you know where cluster**** comes from.

*looks to the port rail--everyone is hooked up...look to the stbd rail, everyone is hooked up. OK, EVERYONE STOP REELING!* A pair of dikes was was my best friend.

~Many times it was the young girl on her first trip who caught the whopper. That was cool. One time a 6 yr old girl slept the entire trip except for 20 minutes. That's when her father coaxed her to try fishing. She did and she caught a huge Cow Cod, the biggest fish that day. You shoulda' seen the faces of those guys with $3,000 worth of rods and tackle.

~I also ran the galley. It was great to cook up a fish sandwich using just caught fish. They enjoyed that.

lol...EXACTLY..I can relate all of it cept the sardine sandwhich!
The tourist..oh man a bunch of tourist on the boat was my nightmare...

How many people did ya see CASTING (or trying to..) bottom rigs? lol...