Catalina trip 8/17/2021. Long w/pic

[Mahigeer]

It was time to hit the Cabrillo Mole (a public pier) in the city of Avalon, on the island of Catalina for a couple
of days of fishing. Since the hotels were all full and expensive, I decided to spend the night at the Mole fishing.

Fish Ninja decided to join my outing as well. It would be his first marathon fishing at the Mole and he
was excited about it.

Below is the report for the outing.
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We took the 6:30 AM boat from the Catalina Express terminal in Long Beach. We sat upstairs in fresh air and saw some dolphins.

After cleaning the bait cutting board and setting up my “camp” at the corner near the flag poles, I had my first cast for bonito
around 8:30 AM.

Skies were overcast and cool. Later as sun came out it was hot enough that I fished under my umbrella!

We were the only fishermen at the Mole for long periods. Some other visitors and perhaps locals would fish for a while, then disappear.
We met some of them and had a good time talking to them.

Although it was a weekday, the town was busy. May restaurants had lines waiting for a table.


I tried my launcher and feather rig for a while in hopes of bonito. Having read reports here about some being caught.
No bonito was caught during the entire time by me.

However, I hooked, farmed (due to single hook) and landed several barracuda. Perhaps the “cuda” was keeping the bonito away.

When I saw Fish Ninja do so well with a lure similar to Megabait, I switched over.


1-A legal barracuda for me while trying very hard to catch bonito.


Between casting for bonito and catching cuda, I was bait fishing. I made a chum consisting of bread crumbs, dried meal worm,
frozen peas, old pieces of anchovies. I used 1/3-1/2 sections of anchovies with a single hook dropper loop rig.
Many a calico bass were caught. Some as small as 4” to even legal ones. The big ones came during the night fishing session.


The weather at night was pleasant, but with some periods of drizzle. I took some catnaps while had a conventional reel with clicker
on and in free spool.

I caught one legal bass and some short ones.

I set up an Ahi light stick rig for Fish Ninja to try catching mackerel, but only a calico bass got caught.



2-We had two lobsters come up with baited hook, but some may have taken our rig into their holes.
Lost several rigs due to snags.




I also caught three short sheephead which were released. With exception of on legal bass all also were released.


3-One of three short sheephead that I caught. Did not know that some “group” before us, had caught all the legal ones.




4-As it is usual to Catalina Mole, we had periods of windy, overcast and hot, followed by quiet, sunny and even cool (at night) weather.




We fished the sunset as well as the sunrise. I farmed one cuda at sunrise.



Another usual occurrence for me at the Mole was meeting so many people. Some local and many from other states.

After I hooked a cuda and before seeing it, I handed the rod to a visiting angler.
He was surprised at my offer, but started to reel in the fish. When he felt the pull of the fish he was grinning ear-to-ear and his fellow travelers were taking pictures and video.

When the fish got close, I took over and landed the legal barracuda.


5-Another legal barracuda.



I was bait fishing, and suddenly the short and somewhat soft rod went bendo. Then it got stuck. I released some line and fish
worked itself out of the snag. Then I saw it.


6-A first for me at the Mole. A trigger fish. It was released.


I had to be careful since the line was perhaps an eight lbs. strength. I was alone, so I had to land fish with net myself.

I had big bendo once more, but this time the line broke before I had a chance to deal with it properly.



Fish Ninja was a great companion and made the trip a pleasant one. Hope to fish with him more often.
He took the 10:30 AM boat home, but I was on the 7:30 PM boat.

My bed felt ever so good.


The End.

Next big trip, Cedros Island with Stoked On Fishing. Later in December…….Panama City, Panama.