It was a day of incremental successes as benchmarks were set, then achieved, then set, then achieved until we finally crested that shifting magic threshold and cruised into sun down fulfilled, satisfied, and grateful; grateful not only for the fishing but the doors now opened by the surplus of yellowtail chilling in the number one RSW tank. It was a good day of fishing, and a good day to be stopped while fishing riding out the sloppy sea state fast to the bottom in relative comfort. Mind you there was still plenty of motion, but it was easy to work with and far more predictable with the bow held into the oncoming wind and seas by ideal downhill conditions.

And when it came to the fishing the consistency of the action all the way through early evening was the real standout. For a fisherman it was ideal. The combination of time at the rail and well presented baits was a surefire ticket to success that was fairly distributed throughout the morning scratch action. The ones, two's, and occasional flurries for a handful or two of fifteen to thirty five pound yellowtail were punctuated by the odd, plump eighteen to twenty pound yellowfin tuna that were comically almost as big around as they were long; no doubt there is some good eating going on around here; that goes for the yellowtail also - fat and sassy; certain to be delicious.

Culinary pining aside the big action commenced as mid day melted into afternoon and a ball of obvious new comers hit us with all the vigor of their hunger. We were ready. As the new wave of twenty five to forty pound yellows churned around the boat in some epic showings there were no surprises for this group of seasoned anglers - out came the surface irons and wax wings and the games began. For quite awhile it was every cast as the big, aggressive yellows piled on the surface presentations chasing many lures right next to the boat before hammering them amidst plenty of whoops and hollers from the crew and anglers alike. Between that and the fly lined baits being readily consumed it was hot and heavy with as many as a dozen to fifteen of the big yellows hanging at any one time.

And after a couple of deckloads were thoroughly cleansed and stashed in the 30 degree RSW tank, and the climactic big action again slowed to a moderate scratch, the aftermath was classic of such occasions. Anglers sated and still riding high on adrenaline took five to catch a breath, quench their thirst with a few suds, and share a few yarns while reorganizing rigs taken out of action in the fray. That bite did it. The pressure relief valve was tripped. As such the remainder of the late afternoon and evening was passed in high spirits as the number of anglers at the rail dwindled with the fishing. Minus the driving stress of production for the vast majority of anglers the timing was ideal for a handful or two that were more tentative early in the day to put some time in and even the score in significantly diminished company. It worked out beautifully; by the numbers; almost as if we had planned it this way. Right.

Thanks to the fish gods we are exactly where we want to be with close to a glut of yellowtail in the tanks and a wide open door to the offshore grounds between here and home. We plan to do a little more prospecting in the lower zone before committing to the sole pursuit of tuna and albacore on the back end of the voyage as there may be a yellowfin tuna or two to catch right here under our nose. We will find out tomorrow. Otherwise we are content as one can imagine with the good fortune we have enjoyed. Photo of the day features Royal Star veteran Cliff Joralman with a standout, 38 pound class yellowtail taken during the mid afternoon melee on the surface iron; a day maker for sure.

Tim Ekstrom

Photo Here...