7/8: After the mad rush to get my tackle box in a primo location, I, along with the 27 other people on the boat, loaded up the rest of out gear, got lunch on shore, then left right on schedual. Went to the bait receivers for a nice mix of some nice healthy 'dines and some rather smallish 'chovies, but perfect size for number 2 hooks. I threw a fish trap while we loaded up, got hit on the surface, but I yanked it out of it mouth, oh well. Headed out a couple hours later. Steak was for dinner, but some how I managed to get rather queasy, so I had to chill outside for a while. Jeremy said it was really good too, durn it. Went to bed after a weather report of snotty seas up ahead.

7/9: Jigs in the water after breakfast (waffles, eggs, and bacon yummy) shortly after a jig strick and one or two bait fish. Second team up (which included me and jeremy) we both got bit, a few more bait fish. This happened all day, jigstrikes with a few bait fish. We also came upon a few bait balls which didn't produce much. We finished with 135 albies, three YT, and one BFT, which apperently was a slow day by LR standards, but we were the high boat in the fleet (the fleet being us, the excel and the Q). I got 3 that day. Lunch was sandwiches, dinner was pork chops. During the night we would run the 120 miles to the Cedros!

7/10: After gobbling down my eggs benidict, we came to some spot somewhere just off the shore of Cedros where Capt. Jeff saw some birds. I run up to the bow with my 700M and 454 with a scrambled egg 6X, drop it down and crank crank crank boom hook up. My first YT on deck, them guys fight hard. We made another drift and picked up a few more. We then moved to chester rocks on the anchor, boy what a mess, tangles, CFs, stern hogs, you name it. I think the crew got tired of that, and the lack of fish, and we moved back to where we were the first drift. We then proceded to knock the hoowa out of them (at least to me, i dunno, could have been an OK day, but to me it was killer). I personally got 12, high stick got 20 or something, but having never been worked by a dozen YTs I had to quit. Lunch was stir fry shrimp, dinner was lasagna. During the night we would run to the albie grounds (picture me rolling my eyes when he said that).

7/11: Nothing tooooo spectacular, just your standard albie fishing, troll fish, slide fish, bait fish all day. Total for the day was 136 albies and one YT. Hit the sack early, but got up to take a leak and look on deck to see people fishing. I stumble out to find a few people squid fishing. Alright, something new to try out. Caught a few, released a few, and then went back to sleep. Dinner was chicken, I can't remember for the life of me what we had for lunch.

7/12: More albie fishun, but this time Jeff saw some BFT on the screen. Still just albie fishing, picking up the odd bluefin on dines, one on the troll. At 11:30 we packed up everything, and put it up stairs for the ride home. We had 71 albies, two YT, and eight BFT for four or so hours of fishing, not too shabby. But the albacore were small, after landing another fish barely pushing 8 pounds, I said that's enough and started packing. Buritos for lunch, prime rib for dinner.

7/13: Got in at 8:45, unloaded gear and fish. Jackpot were 50 someting#, 34#, and 32# bluefin I believe. After eating about 1/4 of the smoked yellow tail Fillet Co. had set up, I knew exactly what I wanted with my fish, well some of it anyway.

Notes: Crew was excelent, Jeff was captain, Dave was second ticket, Dan, Sean, Jeremy, and Jimmy were the deckhands. I'm glad I don't work down here as a deckhand, far too much work. Although one of the deckhands could take a lesson in gaffing, I mean it took him at least four shots to finally stick one of my fish in a good spot, never mind the missed shots, but hey, nobody's perfect.

Food was good, Jorge and Nacho worked their butts off, but Nacho never seemed happy about anything, I'd say thank you for taking my plate and he would just murmer thank you under his breath and shrink off back into the galley.

Never in my life have I seen so many trinidads in one place, wow. I need some heavier tackle though, them YT's kicked my butts. Also don't forget the to bring chapstick, I want to rip my lips off right now they hurt so much. Not to mention my overly red face.

Weather was kinda lousy, 5-12ft seas, howling wind, made alot of people queasy, even the hardcore guys, not me (except the first night), maybe I'm just used to fishing in that at home.

So that was my first LR trip, and I must say, I thoroughly enjoyed myself, and have to say I will be taking another trip given the chance.

-Leif-