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Mission Belle 3/4 Day 4/06
#1
[cool][#000099][size 2]CFO cancelled out on Sunday halfday so I opted for my first trip on the Mission Belle 3/4 day out of Seaforth for a go at Coronados YT & rockfish. [/size][/#000099]

We left the dock at 0530 with 20 tanglers and baited up with some pretty nice medium to large dinos.

Weather was not bad. Breezy & a little sloppy in the AM but it layed down somewhat in the afternoon. Turned into T shirt weather!

Our first stop was North Island for a looksee with the meter. Water was green & 55.5 degrees. No joy on the YT. We tried a couple spots for bottom fish & found a slow pick on whitefish & smaller rockfish. Skipper Ryan wasn't having any of this & after a fair number of mostly whitefish & a few others came over the rail we pulled the hook & headed south for deeper water. We spent the rest of the morning & early afternoon drifting rockpiles a couple miles or so south of the southernmost island in about 300 ft. for a nice pick on Bocaccio & assorted red species of quality rockfish. JP was a toad Bocaccio that looked around 8 lbs. Surprise of the day was a Sheephead around 6 lbs. that ate a dino in 300 ft of water! [Image: shocked.gif] Not caught by me, unfortunately...

On the way back we patrolled Pukey Point area again for about an hour with the meter & looked under a couple areas of bird activity. We stopped on a few deep meter marks and threw bait & iron but nobody wanted to play. Skipper said they were probly just big balls of bait. Ah well... maybe next time. [Image: wink.gif] It was a good day on the water.

We got back to the dock about 6:00 PM.

I like the Mission Belle. Not as large as the other Seaforth 3/4 day, the San Diego, she's an excellent fishing platform nonetheless. Low to the water & the bow is roomy & the rail height is just right for me to throw the iron from. Nice wide walkways along the superstructure, too.

The crew were great to fish with. Very professional & helpful to the several newbies on board. Deckhand Danny kept busy doing deckhand stuff and Skipper Ryan also helped out on deck & kept us well informed on the game plan & what was working at the moment. And I could actually understand what was being said over the loudspeaker! [shocked] The boat coffee was excellent (I like it STRONG! [Wink]) and Mikey in the galley kept it fresh all day. I didn't try the chow but it sure SMELLED good!

OK, OK. The wife is making trips with me now, so I gotta mention this. The heads. HUGE! No steadying yourself with a shoulder on each bulkhead here, no sir! And spotless! These are the flagships of ship's heads! [sly] The wife is going on a charter in June with me and she is gonna be PLEASED!

Edit: Here's a link to her website. I'm not affiliated, etc.... [url "http://www.missionbellesportfishing.com/"]http://www.missionbellesportfishing.com/[/url]

Fishslayer
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#2
Thanks again Fishslayer, we appreciate you keeping us in the loop. I will look forward to hopefully meeting you at day at the docks and for sure killin' fish with you on one of the charters that are happenin'.

What new toys did you pick up at the Hall Shows?
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#3
[cool]I didn't find much at either LB or DM Hall show. Mostly I bought T shirts & a few hooks. Dude! I work a 5 minute walk from Squidco! [sly]

I'll see ya at [url "mailtoBig Grin@D"]D@D[/url]. I'll be loking for a NIB stock 506HS Jigmaster and hopefully I'll find a blank or two that appeal to me. CFO will be touring the multi day boats...[shocked]

I hear the YT went off at the Coronados today... and I gotta work![Sad]

edit: The Belle's website sez she IS going tomorrow regardless of load. If I didn't have to work I would be SO there... [Wink]

Fishslayer
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#4
Which Blanks are you interested in?

GUSA?

You sound like you might have a cough.

Feeling Feverish?

[url "http://www.callinsickandkillfish.com"][/url]
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#5
[cool]I might go graphite when I'm too old to drag my heavy wall Sabres up & down the rail.[Wink]

I'll be looking for an 8 to 9 foot 20# bait rod & if I find a good deal on an Ulua 93...

I usually buy a blank by feel. Not much into the numbers...

Fishslayer
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#6

Dude I got lucky and got my Ulua for $50!!!![cool]

Its factory wrapped and its the Heavy, Do you know if there were different models or just the 93heavy? If there is a Medium or a light I want a light for local fishing. Teh heavys dont throw the 45's very far. Then again I have a 540-5.5 Newell on mine w/ 40lbs. That is the most kick ass set up.

Big and small kill em all

Aaron
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#7
[cool]I've only ever seen the 93H model. They have an Ulua 100, a ten footer with a whippier tip. That might be better suited for the really light iron, though I think you might be limiting yourself with a big reel & 40# for casting surface iron. The 93H should do just fine. The Newell 329 is pretty popular with deckhands & serious iron guys. I like my 506HS Jigmaster with 25# on a Seeker CSJ 100 for surface tossing. So why do I want to build an Ulua? First, it's a cannon! Second... "because!" [sly]

Fishslayer
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#8
Damn!!

10 foot!!!

I might have to look for one, but Id get it cut down to like 9 foot. 10 foot is just way too long. That would be a bad stick if it was 9 foot with a semi whippy tip. except I would get mine custom wrapped.

Big and small kill em all

Aaron
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#9
[cool]What ya might try is a smaller reel & lighter line on the Ulua for surface casting to the far boils & maybe a stout 8 footer for the 40# yoyo since you're using heavy iron & not generally casting for distance anyway. A friend of mine fishes a Quantum levelwind on his Ulua & sends his 7X lights a frightening distance! [shocked]

The 10 footer is a handful but I figure ya can't catch 'em if ya can't reach 'em. After years of making do with a 7 footer for my iron stick I built the CSJ when I got tired of watching the guys with 9 & 10 footers counting their JP cash! [Wink]

Fishslayer
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#10
I know

But the Sl 50 and my 545 wont fit on it!!!!

i got it double corked and its just too big. I think I will cut out some of it and then put in shrink tape. That might work.

I only got the 540 because the 338 wouldnt fit.

I need to find some one with the Ulua 100 or get another 93.

Big and small kill em all

Aaron
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#11
[cool]AAARGH! Double tape on an ULUA?[shocked] I can almost palm a basketball & that would be too much for me to grip. The gals at Cheetahs must hand YOU tips![sly] The Ulua's got one FAT butt. I would put a reel seat on it if I was starting from scratch, but how bout cutting out a few inches of tape where ya want the reel & using seine cord for the reel to sit on? That's a pretty popular way to go. Good protection for the blank & minimal diameter. I use 10# mono & rod finish to wrap the ends of my cork tape.

Next time yer on a boat have a look at how the deckhands & serious iron guys are set up. I steal their ideas all the time! [Wink]

edit: The Ulua 100 seems quite a different animal than the 93H. You might want to have a pull on one before ya buy one. I could be wrong, but it seems a lot like the SJ100H which is a bit less bucks. Try both & see what ya like.

Fishslayer
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