The rod responded confidently and the
winching power of the Shimano Calcutta D 300 was more than enough to gain
control of the Halibut. It was at this point that both the dogs onboard ran
right up to the rails and started barking vociferously.
Ahi and Mochi bark loudly at an
approaching Sea Lion
They had spotted a sea lion making a bee-line for the boat. While
the sea lions are a beloved sight among San Francisco Bay tourists they are not
a welcome guests among party boaters that are weary of fish stolen right off the
end of their lines.
The halibut goes ballistic once it
is netted
I remember the
first time I went mooching for Salmon and I was taking my time reeling the fish
in when a sea lion grabbed the fish from behind. I continued to reel defiantly
and actually managed to get the fish back to the boat, well…. at least half of
it, as the sea lion had shredded the fish not far back from the Salmon’s head.
What's for dinner? Halibut.
Cal wasn’t
about to let the sea lion get our first halibut of the day and quickly picked up
the pace, guiding the fish into range of the net. The second the net hit the
fish on the surface it went ballistic but within seconds it was safely secured
on the deck of the Tigerfish. "I like big "buts" I cannot lie," I sang as Cal
held up his catch triumphantly and exclaimed “it looks like we were going to get some halibut
for dinner.”
Fishing for halibut on the other
side of the bay with the Golden Gate in the distance. Inshore scenery just
doesn't get much better than this.
After that
drift Captain Al head to the Northern part of the Bay and we ran a tight deep
drift as the tide was changing. The fast currents made for a fast yet very
exciting drift where we averaged another fish or two on each drift for the boat.
We stayed out almost until 4:00 that afternoon, and while many of the other
party boats had gone long ago Captain Al was convinced that with the tide change
and the currents slowing we would have one more shot at catching a few more
halibut. The extra time out there paid off as three anglers, myself included,
picked up some quality halibut to finish the day.
Thanks to Captain Al and a little
extra time on the water we bag one more halibut
Our day on the
Tigerfish was a vastly different experience than fishing on the deck of my bass
boat, but certainly a nice change of pace, and it was great to see the fishery
delivering plenty of quality fish. While we didn’t catch any giant stripers
Captain Al explained that both quality and quantity of stripers in the Bay this
season was the best he has seen in years. Judging from our haul for the day I
think most anglers would agree. We had 15 anglers on the boat and we finished up
with 15 limits (2 per day) of stripers and also 12 quality halibut. A pretty
productive way to spend the day out on the water, all with the beautiful milieu
of the San Francisco skyline, Alcatraz and the Golden Gate in the distance.
The Tigerfish back at the marina
This is my
third trip on the Tigerfish and this operation is quickly becoming one of my go
to charters when it comes time to test inshore tackle. Captain Al not only knows
how to find the fish but he and his crew always seem to go that extra mile to
make sure that everyone has as positive an experience as possible.
The Tigerfish delivered with a
limit of stripers and plenty of quality halibut. This is what party boat fishing
is all about
On this
particular trip there was a mix of individuals from the seasoned saltwater
hardened anglers to rookies just wetting their line for the first time, and
everyone went home with a smile on their face and a fish in their cooler. There
were plenty of saltwater fish stories swapped and plenty of laughs to go around,
and even when the fishing slowed down everyone was still having fun, which is
exactly what being on a good “party boat” is all about.
If you want to
get in on some San Francisco Bay fishing give the Tigerfish crew a call at (650)
455-9599 or visit their
website,
and just tell Captain Al you want the TackleTour treatment.
