Independence 11-2-06

Independence Skipper Jeff DeBuys docked the rig at Pt. Loma Sportfishing November 2 after a good ten-day Purfield's Tackle trip with 29 anglers. Chartermaster Dick Schaffer was aboard, and complimented DeBuys and his crew for making food decisions, and for performing well.

"Today we had great fishing for wahoo, and dorado," wrote DeBuys October 29, "along with some yellowtail and tuna. The action at times was hectic on the wahoo, as they tried to free themselves, and succeeded half the time. Good grade fish; 40 to 70 lbs. The weather is absolutely gorgeous fall weather, hot and sunny.

On Halloween, he wrote, "Good afternoon everyone, here is what happened this morning. We had a good sample of better grade tuna 70 to 85 lbs. and some more of these big fat wahoo we have been catching this trip. This was the perfect way to end a great trip. We are now under way back to port, and will be back sometime the morning of the 2nd."

Robert Pohl of Sun Valley won first place, for a 91-pound tuna. He said it bit on a sardine and a 4/0 Mustad hook. He used 40-pound Izorline on a Newell 533 reel.

Bill Hopkins won second place and moved the bar for the season's best wahoo up to 83.4 pounds. He got that whopper skin on a gold Raider jig, 40-pound line, a Trinidad 30 reel and a Truline seven-foot rod. The beast fought for 35 minutes, impressing the skipper, who was watching the fight.

"That fish trashed my drags," said Hopkins.

Mordy Kay of LA won third place for a 77-pound Alijos yellowfin tuna.

Indy Bags Skins

Some five dozen wahoo in the catch for Independence helped make the ten-day Young's Tackle charter trip skippered by owners Mark Pisano and Paul Strasser a good one for 29 anglers who returned to Point Loma Sportfishing November 12. Tuna swept the jackpots, however.

"We fished The Ridge, the southern banks, and looked at a lot of paddies, too," said Strasser at the dock, "and we got some fish at Alijos Rocks, too. There were some real good yellowtail biting there."

"Today we had great fishing on big wahoo and dorado," read the Indy's report for November 9, "in good weather. The wahoo were up to 60 lbs. and the dorado up to 30 pounds. The hot ticket was to sink some type of jig down deep and turn the handle fast for the wahoo; the flats on the other hand bit anything with a hook. Today Lee Robertshaw would like his wife Kathy to know he caught his first wahoo and she can pick any spot in the world for their next vacation. We plan to fish for yellowtail on the coast tomorrow."

Mike Nagao of Whittier took first place, for a 116-pound yellowfin tuna that mistook his sardine for something like a free lunch. It bit on a 1/0 ringed Mutu hook, 40-pound Big Game line and 65-pound Izorline Spectra backing. Nagao used a Cal Sheets-treated Penn 12 T reel and a 765 ML rod. He said the fish fought him hard for 45 minutes.

Larry Amboy of Oceanside took an 88.4-pound yellowfin, good for second place, and Phil Meckley of Fullerton won third place for an 82.8-pound yellowfin tuna.

The Indy Report

"Here we are our fist day of fishing on our 15-day trip," read the report from the Independence November 28. "I must say it was quite decent. We ended the day with a good grade of tuna most were 180 to 185 pounds. In addition we landed three tuna over 200 pounds, two of which were over 250 lbs. Our weather hasn't been cooperating with us; it's rather windy and choppy. When we're sitting on the anchor it's not bad. If we keep up this pace of fishing we should end up with a great trip."