Brian, Eric and I fished on the Condor on Sunday. We left at 11pm from SB. I flylined one bait at the reciever and immediately caught a short seabass. That was one of the highlights of my trip.. Doh!
6am found us putting out the jigs at cruising speed as we headed towards Arguello Canyon. 10am found us still trolling without a single hookup, birdwork, or fish sighting. A meter mark near where the Seahawk LXV was got the skunk off the boat with 3 smaller fish. We repeated that same routine several times for a couple fish per meter mark. Around 2pm we had a double jig strike and a good bait stop. 8 or 10 fish probably came in on that stop. Fish were crashing on the chum way back in the chum line and it was happening for about 15 minutes. After that more picky bait stops. Brian had one bite that dropped it early in the day. Eric had one hooked but lost it. I had one fish on that got knocked off the hook when the stupid rubbercore sinker slid down the line. I had another fish on during the best stop of the day on 20lb for about 3 or 4 minutes. It surged and broke me off. Fred Benko himself was driving the boat and we were in for the duration. Right at dark we made a list ditch bait stop. Nothing happening for the first maybe 10 mintues. I threw out on the corner with 30lb and got bit but it dropped it. Freespooled and it ate it again. Fresh one! The fish took me half way down the rail and I didn't gain an inch of line. All of a sudden it woke up and burned probably 70 feet of line of in about 3 seconds straight towards the bow and through about 15 lines. I got my ass kicked and got sawed off. That fish was no little guppy. Most fish were 15 to 30lbs. A few over 30. Final count for the boat was 21 fish. Bait was perfect small sardines. Hot rig was 25lb with a 1oz chrome torpedo and a 3 foot leader. I got bit on 20 and 30 with a rubber core. Joel got 2 fish on the megabait but that was all for the jigs. Swell was big but a long interval and it wasn't too windy. Captain and crew did a good job but the fish just didn't bite for us. I got the feeling they were around, but maybe they were just stuffed with bait or not in the mood to feed on the backside of the moon. This is my 3rd overnight albie trip and I have yet to put one on the deck. So until next year (or maybe the year after) my season is done.

Did I mention that we got into SB harbor at 12:45am on Monday morning? Did I mention that I didn't get home (SB) until 1:30am. Did I mention that I got in the car at 7am Monday morning with Summer and got to work at 12:30 and got on the phone.... Sleep is a good thing, I hope to get lots of it tonight.

-Rob