non-Yak trip - never again!

Spent the money to get out with some friends today. we booked a trip on the V
Velocity (Stagnaro's)

Awful experience.
We spent more time hopping from place to place than actually fishing. I bet we hit a dozen spots all about 15 to 20 minutes apart with no more than 15 min of fishing at each. It felt like we were putting the captain out and he wanted to be somewhere else. we never spent more than 15 minutes at any spot and he would say "reel em in, they're not biting" then off we went again.
sometimes we even had fish on and he was ready to go already. Even a novice like me knows you find the good structure and fish it for a while. If you spend all your time moving instead of fishing, you're not gonna get much.

7 hours on the water with less than 2 hours of real fishing. I caught a few small rockfish, but it was a bad experience. and we never got any deeper than 50 feet, just stayed along the coast from the Cement plant to the mile buoy.
Everyone on the boat was unhappy. It was a huge waste of $70.
Made me glad I got a Yak, so I can enjoy the day even when it is slow.

Stoggie

Sorry you had such a bad deal. That is why I only fish from the yak now. I have never had a bad day in the yak, fish or no fish.

Bummer, Stoggie.  Sounds like that captain needs a video-wakeup-call!   

Query.....and it's an honest/earnest query......

The "captain" surely had the best in fish-finder radar...
If he didn't see any on the finder...
Isn't it certain you-all'ud caught Nothing?

Judd

Made me glad I got a Yak, so I can enjoy the day even when it is slow.

Stoggie

Perfect reminder of why we do this! 

Bummer, Stoggie.  Sounds like that captain needs a video-wakeup-call!   

         

I go out on charters and cattle boats about once a month and have been doing so for 11 years.  Although, I have been going out less and less since I bought my Yak in 2002.

Not all boats and operations are the same.  Some boats and operations suck.  I have been out twice with the group you mentioned and had similar experiences both times.  I have my favorites, but I don't want to sound like I am plugging anyone.  Your best best is to go during the week (less people and the fishermen are generally guys that go out a lot and know what they are doing).  Get out to the Farallones if you can.  Point Reyes can be killer if it is not too rough.   Livebait trips are best or a boat that makes bait (like sanddabs) on the way out to the grounds.  Either way, bring a couple of bags of frozen anchovies, they always work.  Fish on the bottom for Lings and you'll usually still get enough rockies to limit out.

-Danman