Fish Report for 2-20-2008

Royal Star Fish Report

2-20-2008
Royal Star

What a classic Clarion island morning beginning with a good action on 70 - 110# yellowfin tuna in addition to a scratch on cows that included a 209 and 197 as well as a couple of other missed opportunities on real deal big ones. All the morning action was had on the anchor where we remained through 10:00 a.m. with only minor grief from the sharks. It never ceases to amaze me how each day can be so vastly different from the previous or next. After our fine morning of yellowfin tuna tagging action, we followed the traditional format spending a few hours targeting the Wahoo that were again ready and willing when we happened across them. Thus far we have only made one pass through or traded areas each day to keep the Wahoo that are around in the right mood when we pass by. So far the strategy appears to be working as they were still plenty eager today during the proportionally small amount of time we dedicated towards targeting them.

I have to also relate an amazing part of this day that although does not fall into the fishing category, definitely qualifies as a unique, incredibly profound spectacle we all shared in. While taking about an hour from the fishing pursuit to treat anglers to a spectacular scenic tour of the island's north side, we were fortunate enough to happen upon a small pod of Orcas that made short work of a humpback whale calf within our easy range of sight. Although it was a brutal demonstration of our callous Mother Nature, it was unforgettable to see these magnificent animals living up to their reputation in their natural habitat.

After the unscheduled natural history portion of the voyage ended, we set our sights again on the afternoon tuna, but today was vastly different than yesterday late with virtually no sign of fish after 1600 and the one or two spots we did see showing very little interest in being tagged and released. So be it. Altogether we enjoyed another productive day at Clarion in marvelous weather with plenty of good fishing on both large yellowfin tuna and Wahoo in ideal sea and weather conditions. As such we will be spending another full day here on the outside tomorrow hoping our good luck and success continues.