Catalina Mole 6/6/2017. Loong with pic.

[Mahigeer]

The Catalina Express ferry has changed its policy of free round trip on your Birthday promotion, so it is now a two for one deal. In the past five years I had gone alone and took advantage of the offer. This year I did not; since I could not ask anyone to pay full (even senior discount not allowed) price, so I can go for free. The companion of the BD person has to also go and come back with the BD person.

However; when my good friend Ken Jones decided that he wanted to go on his birthday, I volunteered to go with him.
After all Catalina and more so Avalon is my “paradise”.
On this trip as we used to do during our yearly get-together trips in the past, we would stay at the Hermosa Hotel for two nights and fish for three days and one night.


Here is an account of the outing:



Tuesday, June 6th (D-day)


We were on the island by 7:30 AM after a fairly smooth ride. I wanted to fish the Mole, but Ken wanted to fish the Green Pleasure Pier (GPP) as it was his tradition to do during our past yearly GTG.

With the installation of the platform in front of the GPP during the summer months, the fishing space is very limited and the ropes that hold the float present hazard of line tangle while fish wiggles to get off.
Ken has a spot that he likes, so I thought he should have it. After all it is his birthday. So we departed and I fished the Mole and he caught a lot of ocean whitefish at the GPP.


1-First order of the business was to clean the cutting board with wire brush and scraper.



Next was to set up one rod with cast-a-bubble for bonito and one for bait fishing with market shrimp as bait.
A rig for barracuda was setup too with a large Krocodile and steel leader.
I have caught my share of bonito, but I wanted to target barracuda.


I tried to use a little different tactic this trip as well too, to add some new dimension to the outing.
There are no mullets that I have seen in Catalina, but what the heck? I figured, when I chum with bread crumbs, I get a lot of fish
rush over to eat, so why not a large piece of bread.

2-This is a rig used in Turkey to catch mullet with bread. I added the sinker when I used it there.



3-I could not find the ones that brought over after my last trip, so I made one similar.

The only attention that I got was from the seagulls. When I got worried thinking that all those hooks could snag the bird in the face and beak, I gave it up.


4-There was some fog when we got there and not much wind.



The first day was mostly overcast and cool, but the second day we had a lot of sunshine and even hot weather.
As usual for Avalon, we had verity of weather conditions during the outing.


5-The cruise ship was there, and I think it was perhaps one reason that the bonito did not show up close to the Mole.

I have a theory that the bait fish seek protection under the cruise ship, and bonito is there to chase them.
It has also been noted by me that bonito does not play during overcast days. Just my theories.


6-The fact that there is a lot of kelp growing again at the Mole, indicates cooler water temperature.

Perhaps cooler water is another reason for no show on the bonito.


7-Today there was a lot of Garibaldi caught on market shrimp. Usually I catch them on peas.


8-Lots of calicos on market shrimp too. Although none were of legal age!



We met up later for dinner and although we wanted to do night fishing, we were both too
tired and decided to rest instead.
We are not as young as our mind thinks. The mind wanted to go night fishing, but the body said.
NOT TONIGHT!
Ken went to bed and I spent some time watching the crowd on the main street before going to bed.






Wednesday, June 7th, 20017



After breakfast at our usual place; Jack’s, we both headed to the GPP. There were a lot of fish responding to fish food sold at the pier.
However, the opaleye were off the bite on peas. I caught only one good one.

The calico bass and the ocean whitefish made up for the opaleye indifference to our offerings. We caught a lot of them. I think ken who keeps record of fish caught had landed close to (300) fish in three days. Although I don’t keep track, a number along the line of (200) for the three days is not too farfetched.

I was using market shrimp while chumming bread crumbs and peas. I also used cut anchovies.


9-A new water toy has been added to the beach and it was popular with kids.



10-There was even a race for cardboard and duct taped vessels.




11-The birthday boy, Mr. Jones and yours truly with newly installed fishing regulations.


I had gotten permission from the soon to be retiring Harbor Master and installed (4) of them at the Mole. It was very well received, so I installed two more at the Green Pleasure Pier.


12-Not too easy to see, but there were a lot of fish responding to fish food that is sold on the pier.



13-There was lot of ocean whitefish caught on this trip by everyone who was there.



14-We met this young man who was polite, quiet and knowledgeable angler to boost.

It turns out that his was a member of Pierfishing.com website which Ken Jones started.


15-He had caught a nice triggerfish at the Mole already.



16-Some of the fish caught. Ocean whitefish, sheephead and opaleye.



17-Double hookup on calico bass at the green Pleasure Pier.

The second fish regulation plate can be seen under the yellow F&W strip at the railing behind.



This day we decided no matter how tired we were, we would do some night fishing. Thus, in the afternoon, I moved to the Mole, where Ken had already gone to fish. He had fished the GPP for a day and a half and had enough of GPP. A sea lion was also harassing him, since he was the best angler on the pier.

If we had gone to the hotel for rest, chances would have been good that we would have cancelled the night fishing.



18-Mr. Jones at his happy place. Bending over a pier railing. We caught some fish at night too.



We caught various fish from Scorpion fish to treefish to bass. I even used a lighted stick on the barracuda rig, but no takers.






Thursday June 8th, 20017


This would be the last day of the outing, so we spent it at the Mole next to where passengers line up for departure on Catalina Express for Long Beach.

Same as usual, no bonito even though the sun was out. Calico bass was caught, but no ocean whitefish if I recall correctly.

As usual for Avalon, we experienced a verity of weather conditions. But since we were prepared, it did not bother us too much.


19-At times we had wind up to 20 mile per hour. Since at that time I was fishing at the GPP, we had the building to block the wind.




The ride home was smooth and we were content with our experience.


The End.