It was a fishing expedition today. And truth be told we were excited at the prospect of prospecting. New country to look at, and good water conditions fueled and inspired our venture into the unchecked realm. The next thing I would have preferred to detail wasn't. No fish. No significant sign of gamesters anyway. A few yellowtail were the culmination of our efforts. Aside from some dandy bass dedicated to the stew pot, and ridiculous late afternoon action on jumbo "stove pipe" California Barracuda, the fishing report falls short of anything worthy of mention.

I could go into great detail about the scenic splendor, the beautiful coastal weather, or any number of additional stimulating features that actually made a fine day of the overall venture, but today I'll spare you. It was a good relaxing time for the group who took the marginal fishing in stride, relaxed in the calming sunshine, and took in the sights with attention and appreciation as I acquainted them with my tidbits of local knowledge accumulated over twenty four years of fishing this stretch of coast. Actually I was just scratching the surface. It was pretty cool to revive memories of spots discovered in days old when countless hours were spent poking along the coast in search of mackerel for bait. We found plenty of zones ripe with potential this way; though, as reported, none of that potential was realized today.

As the sun dipped in the west the beckon call of home resonated like the clarion bell. As has been the case most of this season, altitude must be earned. No big bomber seas or daunting passages were encountered, we simply bumped and bucked as we worked up the line pleased with the overall voyage result. Tomorrow's weather forecast promises significant improvement as we climb providing optimism at least for a better ride ahead.

Photo today features charter master Mike Ross a.k.a. "Sterny" who has been an exemplary fisherman and charter master on Royal Star going on fifteen years. Mike does it right with a no nonsense approach to assembling fantastic groups of anglers every season. This voyage is no exception. Mike is featured with a school size yellowtail landed today in one of our ancient fishing zones.

Tim Ekstrom

Photo Here...