Fish Sniffer On Demand Digital Edition Issue 3819 Aug 30-Sep 13 | Page 30

28 Aug 30 - Sept 13, 2019 D SALTWATER VOL.38 • ISS. 19 Patience and the Right Vibrations Combine for Salmon Success Along the Marin Coastline rifting for salmon in the ocean is one of my favorite methods of fishing, and when the conditions are right, it is the time to get out there to watch the rod load up and get set for a fight. The conditions were right on Sunday, July 21st, and I have been patiently waiting for the right day to make it out with Captain Trent Slate of ‘Bite Me’ Charters out of Loch Lomond Marina in San Rafael. Slate is one of the only six-pack operators to consistently seek out the technique known as ‘mooching,’ and he has had tremendous success over the past several years – first out of his operation in Shelter Cove in Humboldt County and now upon his return to his hometown three years ago. Slate found the magic on Thursday, July 18, with five limits of salmon to 22 pounds along with a bonus 7 striped bass to 25 pounds drifting either a dead anchovy or herring on a sliding Brown let loose with ‘Get sinker rig. When I heard this, Up Offa That Thing,’ and my excitement level jumped up Slate was hooked up in a few notches to high alert, and the front of the book. I I couldn’t wait to make the trip responded by running to the on Sunday. bow and lifting up the net. Joining us onboard Slate said, “Take the rod, Slate’s 27-foot Boston you can’t net a fish,’ and Whaler was Mark although my fishing abilities Andronico of San were rightfully being chal- Rafael, general manager lenged, I faithfully grabbed of the Golden Gate Meat the rod and went for a wild Company. Andronico is ride. This was an active an accomplished angler, salmon, and I made a couple but he wanted to learn of trips around the boat, Dave Hurley, Fish Sniffer staffer, holds up a fat, beautiful king salmon the mooching technique that he caught outside of the Golden Gate while mooching with Captain slipping, sliding, falling, from the master. After Trent Slate on July 21. but yet keeping the rod Photo by DAN BACHER, Fish Sniffer Staff. tight enough to finally bring leaving the harbor, we made the right turn past the salmon to the deft net the Golden Gate in pretty chunky handing of Slate. cooperative during the morning hours. conditions with the outgoing tide After a few more tunes during which After a few moves, we ran over to the fighting the incoming winds. After Andronico, who grew up in the Mission edge of a sandbar where the stripers had round Point Bonita, the ocean District in San Francisco, impressed us come previously, and I couldn’t even get settled down to some point, and with his knowledge of 60’s/70’s R&B, it my anchovy out more than 10 feet before we motored up in search of bait balls, was time for him to be on the hook with I had fish on with a 6-pound lineside. We stopping first inside of the Duxbury Buoy. had a few more hits with one large fish another salmon. Almost simultaneously, However, despite the amazing condi- during ‘Hot Pants’ by Brown, my rod coming unbuttoned, it was time to focus tions with bait, birds working the surface, doubled over, and we had two hanging. on salmon again, and Slate searched and brown water, the salmon weren’t Of course, the wild fish chose to hit again for bait. But this time, the bait my herring, and it immediately took off had scattered out across the surface, leading me on another so we decided to adventure to and fro and around the boat fish ‘blind’ without with several runs before Slate once again finding bait. put the net to the 23-pound beautiful I have ultimate chrome ocean salmon. Brown didn’t have faith in Slate’s to sing, ‘I Feel Good,’ because I did. abilities after many, The ice was broken, and soon Andronico many successful trips had his limit of what Slate refers to as out of Shelter Cove, and although we had ‘Mega Hawgs,’ and Slate finished off the day with a 22-pound salmon in which I only one salmon in had the opportunity to prove my worthi- the box by 12:30 ness by netting. It only took one try to net p.m., I felt strongly that there were better this fish, but I did tangle the net on a rod holder and trip once before I was able to times just ahead. get to the rail so Slate did have some legit- There were around imate concerns about my netmanship. one hundred private So the combination of patience, faith, and party boats in and the right music was the winning the immediate area, combination for this day, and on our and they were all trolling with few nets way home, Slate said something very flying throughout the profound, “There is always the pressure to switch over to trolling when they aren’t morning. biting on the mooch, but I have learned Slate made a to wait it out and look for the right depth, couple of key changes in technique, and your results will be just as good or better if you stick it out. Mooching is my and at least one of favorite way since the success or failure of them made all of hooking the fish is all in your hands, and the difference. He it is great not to drop the heavy weights to moved his bait up the bottom of the ocean.” to only 15 feet from LINE WINDING SYSTEM Slate followed up our Sunday trip with the surface while 6 early limits of ‘Mega Hawgs’ by 11:00 most of us had been ICAST SHOW WINNER targeting depths from a.m. on Monday. He will be focusing on ZERO LINE TWIST! GLS1 mooching for salmon as long as the condi- 25 to 40 feet, and he very fisherman knows that counter rotation is the secret to filling a spinning reel tions allow, and there is a limited window switched the Pandora without introducing line twists. It is the fisherman’s enemy which causes un- on this enjoyable type of fishing. station from rock wanted loops and tangles that decrease casting distance. Our revolutionary line Slate can be reached at (415) 307-8582 winding system with its rotating carriage automatically eliminates twists by turning the to James Brown. A line spool as the line is transferred to the spinning reel rotor spool. It works exception- or Bite Me Charters on Facebook. Loch feature of Slate’s ally well with both spinning and casting reels. With bushings that come with it, this tool Lomond is one of the cleanest marinas boat is the addition holds flat spools, 1/4 lb. spools and 2 1/2” wide 1/2 lb spools in perfect alignment with the reel. This amazing tool won THE BEST FISHING ACCESSORY AWARD IN NEW of music on the deck, around with easy highway access, an PRODUCT CASE AT ICAST 2012 and received enormous industry praise. upscale market on site with a full deli, and and nothing is better It is so innovative that it is patented by USPTO, Patent No: US 8,925,855. B1. easy parking and access to the boat. than grooving to sweet tunes while New Easy Rider Sportfishing drifting on the ocean. The bite didn’t start Departures from Berkeley Marina immediately upon Offshore Rod Series the change in music, 3712 and Brown sang GOLF CLUB HANDLE! ‘Bewildered,’ which we all were waiting raphite and glass reinforced blank for strength and durability. for the salmon to Fast tapered actions with outstanding fighting power. start chomping. This Tungsten Carbide tip top to stop any line grooving problems. N ow B ookiNg was followed by Superior gunsmoke guides with double lock aluminum reel seat on heavy models. AFTCO rollers on trolling model. New golf grip composite material is used on ‘Super Bad’ which is SALMoN, HALiBUT, BASS handles for excellent gripping comforts. Extra long foregrip on rail rod models. what we thought the LiVE BAiT TRiPS Metallic thread double wrapped guides. Hand-drawn art greatly enhances eye action was up to this catching in the store. 15 models to choose from. 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