Well we got about as much out of our day of yellowtail fishing as we could ask for and then some as the 15 - 22# class fish were up in droves and ready to bite. From our arrival first thing to departure mid afternoon the action was near nonstop with a combination of long drifts and quick hits on acres and acres of surface feeding yellowtail producing as many fish as anglers chose to take and plentiful releases thereafter. In particular the surface show was off the scale as sheets of yellowtail would pass through in seemingly endless waves aggressively crashing on baits and following surface jigs in groups of ten, twenty, fifty, and sometimes more before one would inevitably dart forward and grab the well presented lures. Even the live baits produced numerous mind blowing strikes as the frenzied yellows would chase fleeing sardines right under anglers? feet before crushing them in a maelstrom of aggression. There is nothing like competition to kick up the action a few notches. In today's case I can only describe the competition as extreme as the quantity of yellowtail around Royal Star, and at times as far as our eyes could see, was almost too great to believe.

Not a boat in sight and railing quality yellowtail in the middle of miles and miles of fish - today's experiences and results definitely defined long range fishing. The caliber of fishing we regularly experience in the long range arena is honestly in a category of its own. When one hears the old timers spin yarns about the good old days, gets to pining about how it used to be, and wishes he/she could have been there to live it, I have to recommend you book a long range voyage of four days or more. The unspoiled regions accessed on these voyages will regularly take you back to those days fifty or one hundred years past when the fishing was nearly beyond imagination. It's another one of those bold claims I have a tendency to make but as in the past the results back my claims. The results we regularly experience and of course the thousands long range anglers who choose these vessels to live their fishing dreams again and again.

Now that we are fat and happy with yellowtail it is back to the offshore grounds where we will spend our final day in search of albacore and tuna in an all out effort to round out this beautiful catch of yellowtail with any and all of the coveted pelagic species. Much better weather on the grounds has us optimistic about our chances but we aren't under illusions as the catching has been off for the past couple of days. We won't catch them without trying however and if there is any time to look it is definitely best as sloppy conditions abate and the fish have been down for a few days. So the northward trek begins and we are ready to take it to them tomorrow in whatever form they choose.

Tim