Kids Limit On Yellowtail
Bill Poole went along on the Allen Sackman Charter aboard the Excel with skipper Justin Fleck. The boat returned to Fisherman's Landing June 19 with limits of yellowtail and assorted rockfish.

"We had 15 kids and six adults," said Poole, "and plenty of yellowtail. Some of the kids would catch one, and then go in and play cards before they'd come out and catch another."

Chartermaster Allen Sackman seemed to enjoy the trip as much as the kids, who posed with some of the catch. Sackman knows Poole from various hunting expeditions, and set up the seven-day trip with all the tackle and gear needed.

Rooster Back From Hultgen Memorial
Skipper Andy Cates docked Red Rooster III at H&M Landing June 19 after the annual eight-day Thom Hultgen Memorial Charter with Bill Roecker and Paul Sweeney of Oceanic Productions and numerous anglers from Bloodydecks.com. including chartermaster George Daniels.

The group found limit fishing on yellowtail at Thetis Bank and Cedros Island, where a day was devoted to skiff fishing for calico bass at Augustine. Bassing with plastics was stupendous, as might be expected from fishing the kelp at the tip of the island's weather side.

Yellowtail fishing at Thetis Bank was about as good as it gets on fish of 20 to 40 pounds. The best ???tail was a 41.9-pounder caught by Bill Havens of San Diego, who didn't enter the jackpot. He fishes locally year-round from his own boat, he said, and eats fish daily. He got the big one on 25-pound line.

Another notable fish was the 32.4-pound bluefin tuna caught by 15-year-old Alec Robbie of Tesoro High in Santa Margarita. Alec plays football and wrestles there, and got his tuna on a 94150 Mustad hook ringed by Gary Teraoka, 20-pound test Mustad line, an Accurate 197 reel and a 660 XF Seeker Black Steel rod, an outfit lent to him by Bill Roecker. It was Alec's first tuna on light line.

Corbett Paulen of San Diego won the jackpot for a 38.5-pound yellowtail he got with a Salas 7X jig in scrambled eggs color, on 60-pound Seaguar fluorocarbon, a Torsa 16 N reel and a Calstar 100 J rod. He also won a Peter J print of the Rooster from FishingVideos.com, presented by skipper Cates.

Ted Crane of Costa Mesa won second place and a Peter J print for the Sportsmanship Award for his 35.2-pound yellowtail.

Jay Ho of Buena Park was on his first-ever multi-day trip, and won third place for a 34.9-pound yellowtail.

The trip visited all the spots from offshore Jeronimo Island to Thetis and Alijos Rocks. A story detailing the many events and high points of the adventure is forthcoming in the next day or two.