Escondido buddies Dennis Hytinen and Mark Stoneking headed southto Puerto Vallarta, Mexico for four days of fishing aboard the”Pacifico” and came home with bragging rights for the biggest tunaof the year from the area.
Hytinen was trolling a 5-pound skipjack when he hooked a323-pound yellowfin tuna. It took over an hour to wrestle themonster close enough for the gaff.
Stoneking wasn’t about to be blanked, so later in the day hehooked into a 247-pound yellowfin and horsed his fish for more thanthree hours before it was landed. Both of the yellowfin were takenon 100-pound line with a 200-pound leader and No. 11 hook.
You might think that a day of fishing like that would be enough,but not for this pair.
“We also caught and released six blue marlin up to 600 pounds,”Hytinen said.
By any measure, that was a good day of fishing.
Special hunts
The California Department of Fish and Game will be offeringspecial public hunts for dove and quail in September and November.Hunters must apply for a random public drawing by Aug. 7 for achance to participate.
The special hunts are part of the Game Bird Heritage Program andare free to those selected. The hunts will be conducted at theRancho Jamul Ecological Reserve southeast of San Diego and at PeaceValley in Los Angeles County.
Applications for the hunts are available on the DFG Web site atwww.dfg.ca.gov. Hunters may apply once and can make up to nine huntselections. Dates for the Rancho Jamul hunts are Sept. 1 and 2,morning and afternoon for dove. Quail hunts at Rancho Jamul will beall day on Nov. 18 and 19.
For additional information, call the Game Bird Heritage hot lineat (562) 342-7145.
Surf fishing
The hot weather has brought out not only large numbers of shoreanglers, but also large numbers of assorted beachgoers as well,which sometimes makes fishing the best spots a bit challenging.Early mornings and late evenings are usually productive for fishingand, right now, better to avoid the crowds.
Andy Saraspe of Pacific Beach has grabbed the lead in PacificCoast Bait & Tackle’s corbina derby, which ends July 31,according to owner Hugh Cobb.
Saraspe’s 3-pound, 15-ounce fish is respectable, but not themonster that should be turning up this time of the year, Cobbsaid.
Corbina of all sizes are showing up at most beaches with sandcrabs, mussel, bloodworms and Asian sea worms proving the best baitchoices. While the croaker bite also continues unabated, Cobb addsthat anglers should attempt to cast a bit farther out to maximizetheir prospects.
Sierra report
Avid High Sierra trout anglers who have not made the trip norththis season should begin packing their rods. Conditions are nearlyperfect, with all but the highest elevations free of ice and snow,water levels nearing the peak and fishing conditionsoutstanding.
The Bishop Creek Basin has been good for North County anglerswho have turned up this week in the weekly fishing reports.
Kirk McHale of Oceanside was fishing off the dam at Lake Sabrinawhen he hooked a 5 1/2 ñpound Alpers trout with a crappie jig. TheLake Sabrina report said McHale “very carefully” hauled in hisheavyweight trout from his high platform above the water. Sabrinais nearly full after being almost completely drained formaintenance during the winter.
At the south end of the basin at South Lake, Gary Olson fromBishop Creek Lodge reports that Bill Lewallen of Escondido landed asolid 3-pound Alpers trout using a Thomas Buoyant spoon.
“The backcountry is beautiful now with the trails clearing upnicely,” Olson said. “The main trail is clear to the Tarns and thenstill a lot of snow from there on. The fishing has been wonderfulwith Panther Martins or small Mepps Lures. Nightcrawlers have beenfantastic in the Tyee Lakes.”
Fishermen wanted
Rabid big-game fisherman Steve Crouch of Vista is planning his13th annual Outer Banks Tuna run aboard the “Daiwa Pacific” out ofSan Diego, and he is looking for a few good anglers to join him.The cost of the trip is $250.
“We leave at 9 a.m. on Sept. 4 and return the next night, andthe first 14 who have paid can go with us,” Crouch said.
Crouch is the founder of “Tag & Brag,” an effort toencourage bill fishermen to tag and release their fish. He can becontacted at (760) 727-9876.
Ernie Cowan is the outdoor writer for the North County Times. Ifyou have an outdoor story of interest, call (760) 518-8050, ore-mail toernie@packtrain.com. To comment,go to nctimes.com.
With photo supplied by Dennis Hytinen…He’s hard to see becauseof the size of this 323-pound yellowfin tuna taken by DennisHytined of Escondido. Posing in the photo are deckhands from theboat “Pacifico.”
