Story by David Kodama, Photos by Barry Wiggins

It’s still well before dawn, and the anticipation that started building months ago, when I put down my deposit for this long-range trip, has peaked. In a few hours, we’ll be boarding the Independence, one of many long-range sportfishers based in San Diego. I slide quietly out of bed and carefully make my way down the stairs. I go over my checklist twice as I load my gear into my SUV. I’m ready to leave well before the appointed time.

No matter how many trips I take, it’s always the same, but I’ll have plenty of time to catch up on lost sleep while we travel south into the waters off central Baja. It’ll take almost two full days to reach our destination. Fall trips (October and November) are my personal favorites because of the variety of species available. Although the main targets are tough yellowfin tuna and speedy wahoo, you also can count on a shot at other game fish including dorado, yellowtail and grouper. And these trips are popular with anglers, some of whom reserve their trips as much as 10 months in advance.

I’m not the first to arrive, and the Indy is just returning from its previous trip as the sun clears the horizon. Passengers wait at the rails to unload both gear and catch. Tuna up to 200 pounds are unloaded and weighed, with a good number of wahoo and yellowtail in the mix. When the boat is unloaded, cleaned and prepped, we board in an organized manner. We make our way to our assigned staterooms (imagine a nice college dorm room), and the banter between new friends begins. As always, expectations are high.

After a stop at the bait receivers, where we pick up hundreds of scoops of live sardines, we leave the harbor, and the bow of our 100-foot sportfisher turns south. Live bait is the lifeblood of West Coast fishing. Captains Jeff DeBuys and Paul Strasser announce that our first stop will be Alijos Rocks, an outcropping some 480 miles south and 160 miles off the Baja coast. The plan also calls for us to spend some time closer to the coast fishing a series of high spots collectively known as “The Ridge.”

I’m fortunate to have my good friend Mac aboard. It’s his first long-range trip, and he’s as anxious (understandably) as the rest. As much as I enjoy getting to know new people, it’s always easier to bunk with someone you know, even if he has to come all the way from New York.

When everyone is settled, we’re summoned to the galley for seminars on tackle, rigging and, most of all, safety. DeBuys tells us a couple of boats are already fishing the “Rocks.” He also tells us the fishing there has been good. If I’ve planned things right, I’ll have plenty to do over the two travel days so I won’t be bored.

Heading South

The next few hours are filled with anglers setting up tackle and learning new rigging techniques from the crew and veteran long-rangers. The world of long-range fishing changes rapidly, and the fish always put tackle to extreme tests. We do all we can to make sure our gear is ready for the challenges to come.

Custom rods fill the rod racks, most built on proven Calstar or Seeker blanks. Popular reel brands include Avet, Penn and Shimano, although a few old-school Newells also find their way aboard. Braided Spectra lines are standard with this style of stand-up fishing, giving anglers the ability to pack plenty of line on relatively small reels. After dinner, we all watch a little satellite TV before going to bed, leaving the terminal rigging for the following morning.

Most boat operations have Web sites that offer tackle recommendations. Don’t worry if you’re missing something on the list. Just check with the boat and they’ll be able to help complete your arsenal. A number of companies also will process (fillet, smoke or can) your fish upon your return.

Land Ho

Early in the afternoon of our second day, the Rocks appear spectacularly on the horizon. It’s quite a sight seeing the pinnacles rising tall in what seems to be the middle of the Pacific. The bottom rises from more than 1,000 feet to the bank, and the fertile upwelling is what draws both bait and predators to the Rocks from spring through fall, depending on water conditions.

With a couple of boats already anchored on the alpha spots, DeBuys chooses to troll around the Rocks looking for prowling packs of wahoo. In short order, trolling outfits rigged with braid and Yo-Zuri Marauders-type plugs, Catchy Magnum lures and Ballyhood Banchees all are put into action. Trolling teams of five stand at the rail waiting for a strike while the rest of us hug rods loaded with metal jigs made by Raider, Tady, Salas, Catchy and Hopkins or wahoo bombs. A few others wait at the bait tanks with hooks on short wire leaders hoping to catch one of these toothy critters.

’Hoos Your Daddy

It doesn’t take long for the first wahoo to attack. The anxiously awaited shout of “Hook-up!” is sounded, and a dozen jigs fly through the air while the boat slides to a stop. One crew member tosses live sardines as chum, and anglers now attached to speeding wahoo race to keep up. Lines hiss through the water leaving roostertails and tiny trails of smoke. Crew members shout three words of encouragement to all: “Wind, wind, wind.”

Wahoo typically hunt in small groups, and Mac is one of the fortunate while my jig goes untouched. Wahoo can be difficult to hook because of their extremely hard mouths; only about half the strikes result in solid hook-ups. They also have an impressive set of small, sharp teeth that work like scissors to make short work of most lines. During our afternoon, 20 wahoo are put into the hold, including one with my number on it.

Toward the end of the day, one of the other boats sets a course to the Ridge, and we’re quick to set up on the vacated spot. Tonight, most will take the opportunity to sleep. A few plan to fish through at least part of the night. DeBuys recommends sleep as tomorrow night is slated for catching bait – hopefully, jumbo flying squid. We have one tank of the beasts left from the previous trip. Most of the bigger tuna have been caught on these baits fished on the kite.

On The Hook: Yellowfin Tuna

At gray light, one crew member climbs atop the bait tank and starts a chum line. The action builds slowly, with a few yellowfin hitting the deck for anglers flylining sardines. This type of fishing is simple; just tie an appropriately sized J or circle hook on the end of 40- to 50-pound line and you’re ready to roll. Most of the early tuna weigh less than 60 pounds – perfect for getting warmed up. Determined jig fishermen make cast after cast, and their efforts result in a few more wahoo in the hold.

The tuna at the Rocks are tough, keeping most anglers occupied for up to half an hour. After a first line-peeling run, most choose to slug it out in the depths. Rods bend deeply under high drag settings, and these early fish expose less-than-sano tackle. More than a few are lost before we hit our stride.

Kite Flying

The morning breeze is just enough for us to suspend baits on the surface under our two kites, with an assist from large helium balloons. With all terminal tackle out of the water, we can go heavy with 200-pound Spectra and 200-pound leaders connected to the 2- to 3-foot squid. Rods are short and stout with 50-pound-class, two-speed reels securely mounted. A quality belt and harness complete the angler’s attire. Baits are set 50 feet or more behind the boat, and we all watch for the explosion that accompanies most strikes. We don’t have long to wait.

Within minutes, the first squid is inhaled by a tuna that ends up weighing about 125 pounds. The next bait is crushed on the way out, leaving a hole the size of a bath tub in the surface just 30 feet off our stern. Soon the 90-pounder is gaffed and hauled aboard. Tuna, yellowtail and wahoo come to those waiting their turn on the kite. Most larger fish come via the kite. Many of the smaller fish are quickly released. I was fortunate enough to connect with a tuna about 150 pounds. Mac is on the board with one about 100.

During our two-plus days at the Rocks – with the occasional (expected) lulls in action – everyone has a shot at a quality tuna. Many have landed their personal best, with the largest weighing just less than 200 back at the docks. With other boats due to arrive, and the Ridge awaiting our arrival, we set a course due East in the afternoon and travel through the night.

To The Coast

In the fall, the Ridge is home to large schools of 30- to 50-pound tuna, as well as wahoo and resident yellowtail. We find the tuna immediately, and everyone gets in on the action. Most anglers are hooked up constantly during the 2-hour melee. Many tuna are caught, with almost as many released either intentionally or in the inevitable tangles. By the end of the onslaught, most have plenty of tuna for their freezers, and we turn our attention to other species.

In the afternoon, commercial panga fishermen tell us they encountered a large school of wahoo just a few miles south, and we head in that direction. We locate the school and it’s game on. Four of the five trolling lines are bit and every sardine in the water consumed. This is the biggest concentration of wahoo I’ve ever experienced. I make two casts for two wahoo, then sit back to enjoy the action. Just about everyone is running the rail attached to a ’hoo. When all is said and done, we add 30 wahoo to our running totals. We lose just as many – or more.

We finish the trip by working our way north, adding a few more yellowtail and grouper from high spots along the way. These two species are tough, and we lose many to the rocky bottom they call home.

When DeBuys finally calls it a trip, we all settle in for the long ride home. We break down and store tackle before we catch up on lost sleep. Everyone goes to bed satisfied.

Homecoming

When we hit the dock, everyone pitches in to unload gear and fish. Most have their fish weighed and processed, while a few take them home whole. Phone numbers as we all go our separate ways, vowing to return next year to do it all over again.

Contact Information

Independence Sportfishing

(619) 226-6006

www.independencesportfishing.com