Steve Cato, Alfie Adams and Bud Adams went for halibut today, and despite cold water (52ºF on the bar, 57ºF by Marshall) and a pretty aggressive South wind they caught two, 14 and 15 pounds. The shivering fish bit dead drifted anchovies in 40 feet of water on the outside of the bar. Today was probably the last chance to do that for a while, as the "storm door is open" according to the meteorologists. That means not just rain (what's a little rain to a real fisherman?) but also wind and big swell. The swell is the killer. Literally so on the bar. If you missed your chance earlier in the year to catch a halibut, well, just close the book on it. It appears that there will be further opportunities but the windows will be short. The same can be said for salmon, only more so, as the season ends at the end of the month. At least salmon has a legal end. California halibut just kind of piddles out as the water cools and the days grow shorter. It's not that you can't catch them in winter, it's just that you almost certainly won't. But hey, here's to tilting at windmills. 

   Sorry for the delay in reports but, along with the fact that I had no fish to report, I was out fishing again. I was able to get one of the last spots on the Dillon Beach Tuna Club charter of the Polaris Supreme. We arrived just in time for the first major cold front of the season to push 21 foot seas and 45 knots of wind through, cutting our five day trip to closer to three days and cooling the water off enough to give the fish lockjaw. The catching wasn't good, but at least I was stuck on a nice boat with people I like. I even still do like them, most of them. 

      Day one on the boat, at the dock. After watching the San Diego PD perform a possible wellness check on a liveaboard sailboat across the way, the Great Spotted Bay Bass hunt started. We see here two of the competitors and an impartial judge. This was during the testing phase, when an attempt was made to determine what there was to catch from the dock. After feeding the spotties 30+ live sardines Gage finally caught one on a small bait. This was followed by Joe Winn's sprint to the tackle shop for a $35 spinning combo with which he dominated the competition. Do not challenge the good Mr. Winn to a no-stakes tiny fish competition, as he will mess you up, Tecate in hand. I needed both hands to lose. A parade of spotties followed for two days, along with a few barracudas and rays. Kooks, yes, but less bored kooks were we. Breaks were taken to visit Angler's Choice Tackle shop on both days at the dock, as our warm yellowtail and yellowfin Mexico trip had become a colder California bluefin trip. Those guys had fair prices and good service. I think everybody on the boat went at least once. 

   There was one kite fish. Eddie Parsons was first on the list and landed this 174 pound gutted and gilled bluefin. I was jealous until I saw him trying to reel it in. I thought this was supposed to be fun? His expression didn't say fun. Grim determination? Maybe. Not glee. I guess that comes while eating all that sashimi. 

  Mara Nursement landed her personal best yellowtail and the only one landed on the boat for the whole trip. It's a shame that she thought it was her bait when she reeled it up. While Mara went home without fish I'm sure that it's comforting for her to know that somewhere there's a yellowtail that is terrified of her. Watch out, Mara. He may be telling his buddies. 

   In the final daylight hours of the trip a school of bluefin decided to bite and some folks got to take a fish home. The jackpot went to the Dark Lord, AKA Steve Werlin, with a 40 pound bluefin. There were another 10 to 12 caught in the 20ish pound range. Gage had the last bite of the trip but lost it to a sea lion. It was probably instant karma for taking my rigged rod. That's right, Gage, the universe is watching.

    So, Dungeness looks like it will start on time. That's not official, as a plane must fly and whales must be counted first, but the general consensus of people that know more than I (that's a lot of people) are that it will happen on time. What whales are around are pretty much offshore and away from crab gear. Get those crab pots marked with their small red buoys as, weather permitting, it looks like crab is go. Unofficially.