LAST EDITED ON Jul-08-01 AT 10:33 PM (PST)
Short version: Fished with Dan and Ivan Saturday on his 21 Bayrunner.
54 miles out of MDR on a 201 we saw boiling fish and put out the jigs. Instantly went wide open on quality Albies.
http://www.momentoffame.com/snapshot.html?id=7587
Called in Roj but the fleet had shown, and it had already slowed by the time he got there.
His rig looked great:
http://www.momentoffame.com/snapshot.html?id=7588
He was either fishing with his grandparrents or Sparks and Heymon I really coudn't tell 
All and a a very good day.
Long version:
Ivan called up Friday and told me we had to get out there. Dan saw my post and threw his hat into the ring as well. Figured it woud be a blast as several guys I knew were taking there rigs as well.
Hit the ramp at five or so and filled up on deans at Larrys. Larry told us it was wide open and that he was envious, always a good sign.
If the fish Gods were co-operating the mechanical ones were not. near the ridge we found a huge patty. When we slowed down it was pretty evident the boat was stuck in gear. We could throttle down but coudn't go to neutrel or shut down. Not good. I'm a mechanic by nature. First thing I pulled the hood to see if it could be shifted by hand. It could. Ivan said he'd just run it in gear, motor running all day. Since I knew I could still work it manualy if we stalled I had no objections.
About then I heard "Jim Day Jim Day" on the radio. It was my old fishing buddy Mike on MAX. Something was wrong and his prop was rubbing the housing. By the time we got there I'd figured it out. The prop was spun and had slid foreward binding itself up. Bad break just ten mies short of the tuna. Since he didn't have a spare there was absolutely nothing I could do. If he had I would of jumped ship and helped out. The only thing I could do was tell him to call VA and fish for Mako's (they got one I heard)
What a bummer, at least WJW got some fish before he went down.
Got to be hard listening to others nail the tuna just a short ways away.
I'd in-put'd Freddies numbers (thanks Freddie) before leaving. Since the numbers were fresh and closer we figured that was a good place to start. About three miles short I saw a nice boil right of our bow. We put in the rigs and hooked up.
Now I like to think ahead: Dans Daisy chain went off and I grabbed my pre rigged bait rod. Tossed a dine and was on. Ivan hooked up as well. One problem we could'nt get the boat out of gear. How do you hold the school when your trolling away from them??? Then there's the fighting probem. You have to lift the fish up from behind then plane him to the gaff. Fine on heavy gear, but what about my twenty five bait rod? I knew I was in trouble.
Dan got his fish to color and it was Niiiiiiccccceeee. We're talking Morro bay quaity well over thirty. Even on troll gear he couldn't get it too the gaff against the foreward motion of the boat. Finaly we got the leader but then snapped 80lb fluro just short of the gaff AAAAAaaaarrrrrrrggggg...... I hate that.
All this time I was on, but with that quality of fish I figured it was just about pointless. The fish were following us foaming around the stern. I turned up the drag and popped the fish off, then tossed a dine on forty. Instant hookup !!! I've done this before at Morro, and it's great when it works.
Dan was thinking the same way. He rigged up a chrome single hook 6x dropped it ( he was fishing a 30sw) and hooked up as well on 60lb. I'm telling you these fish were hungry
Now we had a fighting chance. We both worked our fish up and decked them.
This ones mine: http://www.momentoffame.com/snapshot.html?id=7623
Ivan was still on his first fish, with 25 he wasn't making much ground. The fish had finaly split (after following a hundred yrds or so) we turned into a tight circle and Ivan managed to work his to the boat. First stop three fish on deck. Two on bait one on the iron. Losses aside...Outstanding!!!
I got on the radio and called in JollyRoj from the board. We boxed the area for more Jig strikes and fish. Daisy chains and brite Zukers were the hot ticket. All day long the motor problem hampered things but we still managed 8 fish in the thirty pound class. I've no doubt we could of easily doubled that if we just could of gotten the motor out of gear.
Great day with great guys. It was also good seeing some of the locals out there. I want to thank Ivan for taking me and Dan for the great Tuna sandwiches. Man I'm going to have to start canning that stuff was good.
Ran back in fairly rough conditions. One good thing: the pounding knocked the shifter loose for docking
Synp:
Lots of fish out there. Though we were almost always within five miles of our first strike there were lots of fish all around. I'd try North and West. Toward the end (we fished late) we were passed by almost a dozen sport boats that had fished further west. Sounds like Whaler 27 was out there as well.
I feel the bite was early. Get there as soon as you can. As another guy suggested the fish are on little squid the brighter the day the deeper they go. We only took two fish after the sun came out, so try and get there before it gets too bright.
They want daisy chains and bright jigs well back from the boat. Several fish were taken behind birds so they iked a lot of noise. Not line shy so fish heavy gear. I only lost two: one intentionally another when I pulled the hook right at the gaff, but was fishing forty and sixty all day.
If you have a local slip boat Now is your chance. I've never seen this quality of fishing short of Morro or Mexico. This is the best shot for local tuna you may ever have. Take some time off and go NOW!!
Tight lines Jim
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