I have loved fishing my entire life for some strange reason. It started when I was two with my dad taking me to a creek down the street, for some small trout. After that I was hooked. I became a young boy bugging his father to take him back to the stream to catch some more trout. From that to lakes, from lakes to the pier, from the pier to half day boats and so on and so forth to where I am today an 18 year old kid trying to get on the 15 day fishing trip "June Heat". The trip of a life time. It is funny how I came to learn about this trip. It was before I was in kindergarten walking through a tackle shop with my dad. As I was looking at everything, something caught my eye. A VHS video that had a picture of the biggest tuna I have ever seen on the cover. I stared in awe at the picture as my eyes wandered up the cover I then saw it. "JUNE HEAT". Not knowing anything about what "June Heat" was I begged my dad for the movie. He finally gave in and got it for me. The second we got home I popped it in the VHS player and was amazed at everything I saw from the Wahoo in the beginning to the huge tuna that seemed to be the toughest thing to catch in the ocean. Huge tuna requiring the toughest gear, from new hooks, to fresh line. No other fish have I seen, could convince a person to throw their outfits worth thousands of dollars over the rail into the ocean just for a shot at landing one of these fish. Images of those fish have been running through my imagination for over 10 years now.
I have just completed my first year of college and have been on the "June Heat" waitlist for some time now. The trip is in four days, I have pretty much accepted the fact that I am not going to make it on the trip this year. This day in particular I am going to lunch with my father. He and I are in a heated argument about my living situation next year. My phone rings to silence the argument. It's a 619 area code number that I have got to know all too well. It was a call from Christina at the Red Rooster III Office, she called and said "do you know why I'm calling?" I said "I have an Idea". "Do you still want to go on June Heat ?" she said, I said "I need to get some things together but hell yes, I still want to go!".
A few short days went by and I found myself waiting to check in at Lee Palm Sportfishers. After the check was written and I was on the boat we made a quick stop at the bait receiver and were on our way to Hurricane Bank. The four days of travel south were a combination of stories from the previous trips told by the seasoned veterans and the anticipation that has been building up in me since the day I saw that video. A little rigging done here and there and before I knew it we put the jigs out at the bank for our first shot at some Wahoo. A seasoned Wahoo veteran, Bob Cherry, gave me a general rundown of Wahoo fishing. He basically told me that these are a frustrating, fast fish. You will get bit a lot and not land even more, due to their bony mouths, high speeds, and powerful jaws. I found this out first hand, landing only 1 Wahoo for the morning while Wahoo Bob Cherry living up to his name landed 13. We dropped the hook around 10:30 and started tuna fishing. As the first lines went in the water the people fly lining were immediately hooked up with shark or other miscellaneous junk fish. The kite was the first to bring in a tuna of notable size (80-120 lbs). The first day we had consistent small tuna and Wahoo fishing until dark. The previous trip to the bank before was the Excel, their report was Wahoo during the day and tuna at night. Knowing very well that conditions can change overnight, we all fished through the day and into the night until the crew tried for flying fish for bait.
During the four days of travel down to the bank, I was given more advice than I could ever use. Yet one piece of advice for big tuna stuck with me. Junkyard Bob Michener told me his number one rule; "if you want a big tuna, always keep your bait in the water!". So with this in mind I was ready to put in my time at the rail for a shot at some big tuna. With that in mind and the Excels report of early biting tuna, I set my alarm for 4 am. A night filled with dreams of missing "the bite" plagued my mind. Until my alarm woke me up at 4. I quickly got dressed, went up the stairs grabbed a piece of fruit to eat and got my bait in the water. A nose hooked sardine and a four oz. sinker took my bait out in the current. Wild Bill Walsh was the first to hook up, shortly followed by me. He brought in his fish relatively quickly, a solid fish around the 180 lb mark. A while after I finally landed my fish, a near cow that taped at 197 lb. Not quite a cow yet but we had many days ahead of us. A few more fish were landed that morning from 100-150lbs. As light came the bite stopped. The day was spent watching big fish just out of our striking range boil around the boat. The bigger fish came within kite range only once during the day. Junkyard Bob and Wild Bill had a double cow hit on the kite, these were the first two official cows of the trip. That was about it for the day. A slow day with the big fish staying well away from the boat.
The next morning the individuals who were willing to put in the extra hours got an even earlier wake- up call at 2 am because of crew member, Nick Maurers', first cow hit the deck caught on a live skip jack. The 2 am rush ended with a bunch of shark bites and a cow reality check for me. This morning was truly a humbling morning for me. I lost 3 fish due to several reasons. My first fish bit a fly lined skipjack and through the sharks a tuna took a liking to my bait. After a 20 min battle the hook pulled and the fish was given another chance. I'm a fisherman, I realize that sh*!t happens and hooks pull. My second fish was hooked on a sardine a 4 oz sinker. Same deal as the first fish, fought him to the bow and as the fish circles up he got snagged in a loose line that was tangled in anchor line and came unbuttoned. I was given yet another chance at tuna that morning. This time it wasn't a random hook pull or a tangle, I got to witness a hook fail on a big fish. I brought up a hook that couldn't stand up to the test of one of the most powerful fish in the ocean. The straightened hook was also a signal for me to change, I switched over to mustad demon circle hooks. There were no hook failures from then on out. After this loss the morning bite was over and fishing again became slow and tough.
Fishing these fish you cannot get discouraged. No matter how many fish you lose, no matter how many sharks you catch, you just need to push on. As late morning came around, a school of small foot ball sized yellow fin came through, just small enough for bait. I quickly pinned one on during this seemingly dead time. I let the little guy out and slowly worked him back in multiple times. Sharks were staying away from the bigger fish, but loved the skipjack and the baby yellow fin. There were many people that said I was just throwing away 2 dollars to the sharks when I was soaking this big bait. Sometimes you just have to risk it for the big fish. After letting the little guy run and retrieving him slowly I finally got a pronounced bump. I knew this was either a big tuna or a shark. I let him eat and let the line come tight. Whatever I hooked played it cool like a shark, not running just kind of sitting there until I saw the tail beat in the rod. That was what we were all looking for. After a short battle on a 150 lb top shot I brought in a fish well over 150lbs. A nice way to shake off the 3 fish losing streak of the morning. After that fish, similar fish from 100-160 lbs moved into the fly line zone. It became a steady pick on fish of that size until dark.
With the 2 am wakeup call that morning, most anglers went to bed. I went up top to see what's going on before I called it quits for the night. As I walked in the wheel house I over heard Cates say "those are some big fish under us". I thought to myself just because there here doesn't mean they're going to bite, but I wouldn't know unless I tried. So along with crewmembers Nick Maurer and Tom Ferrari we tried for the fish on a sardine and 8 oz sinker. I managed to bring 2 fish one in the 175 lb range and the other in the 130 lb range in the little night flurry. I went to bed late and the next morning got up early, again up at 4 am for the bite that seemed to be happening consistently. The bite slowed from the previous day. I managed a decent tuna in the 130 lb range along with 2 other people who caught fish of similar size. After the morning bite Cates Pulled the hook and trolled for Wahoo for a half day and then decided to head to Clarion.
After checking in with the camp we headed out to the buffer zone. I started the morning out with a 176 lb tuna. As the tuna hit the deck seasoned deckhand Fernando said "Nino, welcome to Clarion". As I stared at the island, miles in the background, with 3 big fish hanging in the stern I realized, I am now in the waters of giants. World record fish could be swimming below us at that very moment. The next three fish were all solid cows. Wahoo Bob Cherry caught his personal best tuna out of the 20 years he has been coming on the June Heat trip, with a 260 lb cow. Jessie Baker also caught a cow that morning taping at 219 lbs. Wild Bill Walsh got his second cow of the trip taping out at 267 lbs. Later on that day, bigger tuna moved in closer to the boat but were hesitant to bite among the sharks. All we could do is push on. I was one who kept pushing on and eventually hooked another personal best of mine. A yellow fin Tuna that taped out at 282 lbs on a Salty Dawg Seeker 6463XXXXH with an Accurate 50W. It bit a live mackerel pinned on a 7691 mustad J hook. Moments later Bob Goka hooked into a similar fish that bit a sardine fished on a bobber balloon. The fish went 286 lb back in San Diego giving Bob his personal best also. The rest of the day we had big fish around the boat but a shark problem that forced us to go through hook after hook, bait after bait, top shot after top shot. We were only at the Island of Giants for a few days, that thought alone was the thought that kept us going. This thought kept us fighting an endless battle that seemed that we could never win. With this adversity upon us, our first day at Clarion came to an end. The second day seemed to have a similar start but instead of cows we had sharks. Eating every bait going out and the few fish we were so fortunate to hook, came up a half eaten carcass or simply heads of the fish we have been fighting for so long. As late morning rolled around, the sign of big tuna was there in between all of the sharks. All it takes is one bait in the right place to get the attention of one of the big tuna to hook that fish of a life time. This was the case of my breast hooked sardine dangling from a 6/0 mustad demon circle hook to 130 backwater fluorocarbon. As I walked away from the bait tank the reel went into free spool. I approached the rail with my rod loaded up ready to cast. The gentle lob sent the bait into the prime zone. The bait took off and soon was out of sight. The next things I felt and saw will be stuck in my memory for ever. I felt the bump and saw the flash and swirl. As if it wasn't clear enough I was bit, 2nd license Joe D’Acquisto put his two cents into the situation. "That's you kid, your bit!". As the topless ATD 30 went into gear the spectra sang through the guides. Line was pouring off the reel as if it there wasn't 24 lbs of drag pulling on this monster. This was one of those fish, the kind that spools reels as if it was nothing. The 700 yards of spectra came off the reel in a matter of seconds. The buoys came out and the setup was ready to go in the sea and I was ready to go for a skiff ride. With less than 30 wraps left on the reel the bend in the calstar 770XXH seemed to finally have stopped the beast. From then on it was a battle to get the 700 yards of spectra back on the reel, still hot from the enormous run. With constant pressure and a relentless attack on the fish, he drew closer. The slow tail beats you hear and read about, I saw at the ends of my rod. At this point you can only hope your knots hold, your connection wont slip, that the hook is in a solid place in the mouth and won't pull. All you can do is trust and pull as hard as you can. At the beginning of the trip Cates said "you can either pull as hard as you can and bring the fish up or pull as hard as you can and break him off". "You won't bring in a big fish just sitting there". As this ran through my head it became clear, It was time to pull. As soon as the spectra to mono connection was in sight you know the fish is close. Seeing the fish swimming up right this far into the battle lets you know that you are dealing with the toughest fish in the ocean. As that final circle comes around and I saw the deck hands reach the gaff and pull back with something on the end, it all settles in, it's over and its mine. The time at the rail, all the sharks you've had to go through, the 2 am wake up calls for nothing, the 3 consecutive hook pulls, the perseverance all paid off.
Big fish make a huge thud on the deck when being drug over the rail, but even bigger fish quietly slide through the gate with four gaffs in them. My fish went 314.8 back at the docks, truly a fish of a life time. People can't wrap their mind around why I willingly spend all this money and go out on the ocean for so long. Honestly there is no strait answer, it's just a combination of a love for fishing and a desire for adventure. I got a call 3 days before a 15 day trip to ask me if I'm still up to go. It is very clear in my mind why I without hesitation I said "Hell Yes".
Aside from my super cow, Laurens Rhinelder landed a personal best shortly after my fish. His went 315.3lbs. His first super cow, he thought he would be chasing the 300 lb mark for the rest of his life, yet he checked that off his list this trip, early in his life.
The rest of the day was spent again trying to weave fish through the sharks. Mostly fish from 80-150 lbs.
We finished off the trip with more of the same, battling the sharks and trying land the fish that were in the area. Wild Bill Walsh added yet another cow to his collection with one taping out at 220 lbs.
As Capitan Cates pointed the Rooster north towards San Diego, Clarion faded in the background. The Island of Giants was disappearing in our rear view mirror now, as well as another June Heat trip. After spending all this time with the seasoned veterans of the long range world like Bob Cherry, Bob Michener, Ralph Cox, Larry Martin, Al Jackson, and Bill Walsh I learned that this fishery is constantly changing, from the technology of the equipment being used to the styles of fighting fish. It is all constantly changing, and those who adapt with the conditions are the ones who catch the fish and do well. I am far from a seasoned veteran, but I now have a solid grasp on the game being played.
Its funny to think that a single call gave me an opportunity of a life time. Being ready at a moment's notice gave me the chance to chase giants. With this opportunity came a huge risk or reward. The chance of catching a world class tuna at one of the most prestigious locations on the face of the earth, or flushing over $4,000 down the drain for a two week boat ride. It is the same with many things in life, "you gotta risk it for the biscuit". So I wrote that check and risked it, and this time I got the Biscuit.
From my child hood of watching a VHS tape to me as an 18 year old fishing on this late spring cow tuna trip . The words "June Heat" will never be the same to me.
