Fish Sniffer On Demand Digital Edition Issue 3819 Aug 30-Sep 13 | Page 30
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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.
The most value-packed offshore rods on the market.
time, but this was
Rock & Ling Cod and Sturgeon
all about to change
Reservations & Information
DEALER INQUIRIES ARE WELCOME
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Within minutes,
FISH SNIFFER
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by
Dave Hurley
THE ULTIMATE
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