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07-07-2001, 01:50 PM

We all boarded the Champ at H&M Sportfishing in San Diego about 8:30pm. Everyone was filled with anticipation about this trip and the promise of Yellowtail and Albacore. You know the scene; everyone is hurrying about getting their room, getting their tackle box situated, putting reels on rods, tying knots, discussing jig colors, etc. The sign-ins were done and we were under way by 9:30. While at the bait docks, we could see nightly fireworks display from nearby Sea World amusement park. The evening was balmy and you could feel the excitement on board as everyone wondered about the fish counts and such. The bait loaded consisted of Sardines and Anchovies with a few Mackerel. While the boat was being loaded with live bait we had our get-together in the Galley. Mike Diamond, the owner of the Champ, welcomed all aboard and did the mandatory safety seminar and then turned it over to me to do my Tuna 101 and Rail Etiquette seminars. We all introduced ourselves, said hello, and dispersed to finish the assembly of our tackle for the morning’s fishing. The plan was to travel to the 110-mile area for Albacore and we put the jigs out at 6am while en route. Most of the day was sporadic jig strikes with a few bait hookups. The hot colors for the jigs were black and purple, even in the bright sunshine. Fishing the slide with a 1-ounce rubber core sinker and dead anchovy was the hot ticket for the day and accounted for about 10% of the total catch. Anchovy fly-lined with a size 1 Mustad 94150 or 10827BLN was the rig of choice with some using a ¼ ounce split shot. Day two found us further north, still fishing for Albacore with the occasional Kelp paddy. The weather was mostly flat and calm and the skies were broken cloudy. The temps were pleasant and the ride was smooth. All in all it was a good fishing trip. As usual, the galley pumped out some great food for all on board. Of course the meals were just about all punctuated by the “Hook Up” yell from the rail, which prompted the mad scramble from the Galley. The occasional help paddy with some exciting Yellowtail fishing broke up the Albacore hunt. It’s amazing how the Yellowtail instinctively knows to head for the bush and break your line. The grunting and such by anglers trying to guide the Yellowtail away from the kelp was entertaining. We had the usual good Champ crew on board. The skipper was Chris Flores and the second was Bobby hack. In the galley were Mary Anne and Mike; on deck were Greg, Steve, and Matt. There were several Father-Son/Daughter combinations on board with some experiencing their first try at an Albacore or Yellowtail. Even owner Mike Diamond’s 7 year-old son Joe got in on the action. Joe may be a little guy but he already knows how to handle a rod and land fish. <IMG SRC="http://www.momentoffame.com/snapshots/MomentOfFame/l7576.jpg"> Joe Diamond with his Bonito Other Father-Son combos were 14-year-old Daniel Redinger and his dad Gary of San Bernardino, 14-year-old Brian Craft and his dad Tim of San Diego, 9-year-old Hunter Hanst and his dad Dave of Cardiff, Danette Proctor was on board with her dad Russ from Tucson Arizona and Rick Finger and his dad Lee of San Bernardino were on board. Lee was on the water for the first time in 10 years and did very well. Danette Proctor leaves for Ireland next week to start work in the computer field. While the fishing was not the expected wide-open variety, there was enough to go around and all had a good time. Carlos Magallanes of San Diego won first place jackpot, Chuck Keyte of San Diego won second place and Rick Finger of Corona won third place. The next Fishing Academy trip is on the Native Sun out of Long Beach Sportfishing on July 18th. This is a 3/4 day special Jigs Instructional trip, cost $40. Call the landing for reservations at (562)432-8993. You can call me if you have any questions at (949)922-7664. Dan Butler Fishing Academy ---><A HREF="http://www.fishingacademy.com" target="_new">http://www.fishingacademy.com</A>

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