Lobster Opener in Catalina 09-27-2013 to 09-29-2013

So I decided to go along with my friends Hashem aka Mahigeer and John aka Redkorn to Catalina for the lobster opener this year. Season opened at 12:01 AM on 09/28/2013. Mahigeer and I arrived around 7:30 AM on 09-27-2013 and John came in on the 9:00 PM boat. We all left on 09-29-2013, me on the 10:15 AM boat. Lots of fun was had, many fish were caught (including my first ever bonito from shore), lots of eye candy was enjoyed and most importantly I did come home with one lobster (thanks to John ;))! A very detailed report of the trip can be found here Catalina Mole, lobster opener 9/27/2013 which is the PFIC (Pier Fishing In California) website we all met on many years ago. Below are my pics from the trip and a few comments, but make sure to check out the link for the detailed report, it is a beautifully put together report of the trip. BTW, I was up for close to 90 hours straight between the day before and this trip, so I was a bit tired when I got home, lol.

09/27/2013

Cruise ship parked outside of the bay

 Mahigeer with triple Mackerel hook up above and double bonito below

 

My first ever Bonito caught from shore!

 

Tree Rockfish above, horn shark below

09/28/2013

 Casino at Night

 Sunrise

 Local Lobster Poacher in red shorts, called Cal-Tip on them, but no one ever showed up.

 Redkorn aka John fishing hard!

 Nice man named Bill we met on the trip with an Eel he caught

Lots of short lobsters below

09/29/2013

 My first ever legal that I actually pulled up!

 Another small tree rockfish

 Parting Shot

Days of work for this, but it was worth it :)

PFIC Catalina GTG 04/28/2012

This was the first year I attended the annual PFIC Catalina Get Together, and it was great fun. Day started super early Saturday morning with me leaving the house at 3:00 A.M. to drive and pick up my friend John in Whittier and get to the landing in time. After the wife dropped us off we waited for the boat and watched a huge school of sardines moving around inside the harbor. After a smooth boat ride over we arrived on the island at around 7:30 A.M. and set up shop in the SE corner of the Mole. Fishing started out pretty good with John catching a nice sculpin and whitefish and I caught a whitefish. Once the other PFIC people stared showing up around 10:00 A.M. we mingled a little meeting everyone and then the fishing derby started at 10:30 A.M.. Caught a 14" calico bass and a small rock fish (I think it was Boccaccio, but I am not sure) during the derby (I could have slaughtered the derby by catching my limit of pacific and spanish mackerel and blacksmiths and other assorted small fish, but being my first derby I did not want to show off, lol.). John caught a short calico during the derby. After lunch provided by a PFIC member (Gudude is the families PFIC handle I believe) and raffle trophies were given out  to the winners in each division (I got an "Awesome Angler trophy) and back to fishing we went. Caught a ton of small fish the rest of the day while watching schools of sardines, mackerels and other bait fish swim by, there was even a small school of juvenile squid cruising around.

All and all a GREAT day spent with AWESOME people on the best Island around for fishing.

Some fish and other pics below (I will add more when others post them on PFIC):

Pictures from Mahigeer - Catalina March 2012

Leaving Catalina 03/25/2012

After packing up and having breakfast the rain started to only Hasheem and I did any fishing. Neither of us fished much, but we tried to no avail. After getting soaked waiting for the boat we boarded and went home. This was a great trip, I can hardly wait to do it again.
Bison from day before and a few parting shots: