Straight West Out Of San Diego - Over 100 Nautical Miles To The Cortes Bank - 1.5 Day Tuna Trips
We went out there on an overnight trip (which was kind of crazy in itself) many years back and had the most miserable experience. The ocean picked up that day and the swells started rolling in. We rode those swells all the way home for approximately 90 miles before the sea calmed down. Captain Jodi has some skills for sure, and he was on high alert as he navigated the crests and valleys of each swell that day.
I can't begin to tell you how relieving it felt to set foot back on to solid ground much later that evening.
The trip out was fine. It was comfortable sailing (or propelling to be more precise) as we made our way so far out to sea. These trips leave the night before, giving the vessel time to reach the fishing grounds while the passengers sleep. It requires two vessel operators with 100-Ton licenses. The Captain typically operates during the day while the fishing is on, and the 1st mate steers at night.
So the situation wasn't dire or anything like that, but it definitely wasn't optimal for safety and it makes fishing tough with no fish finder. Captain Jodi was ready to turn tail and head home when a couple electricians (that happened to be on the trip) offered to take a look. It was just a corroded terminal to the generator stopping the circuit and everything was running normally again after a thorough cleaning.
So we started fishing...
It took about 5 - 10 minutes before we had our first two hookups and these were nice grade tuna. Understand this is the Pacific Ocean and we rarely see those monster bluefin on the TV shows (at least in our location). I'd say these two fish were pushing the 60-pound mark easy. Nice tuna nevertheless.
By the time the mess of the second fish was over (and I eager for another chance), 45 minutes had passed and the sea was no longer calm. Not one minute after that second fish came aboard, Jodi was outta there. He had heard the report of big swells coming in and didn't want to wait for them to get worse.
Cool Facts About The Cortes Bank
Most of the trips that fish the Cortes Bank start at the day and a half range, minimum. Some go 2, 2.5, 3 days or longer. Other nearby locations like San Clemente Island also offer prime fishing. As I was saying before, these trips leave in the evening and travel in the dark.
Imagine the world of the ocean as you travel by night. It's dangerous out on deck when no one else is out there. If by some chance a swell caused you to lose balance and go over, no one would know where to look. When did they go over? How far back was it? In the dark. Anglers learn to be wary of this and the crew will get pissed off if people aren't being careful at night.
Once you arrive at the Cortes Bank with the sun up, you can tell it is full of life. Seagulls and turns are all over the place along with various other saltwater avian species. It doesn't take long after the fishing begins for a few sea lions to show up, waiting to steal the catch right off your hook. The Captain will have to move spots and try to shake their tail before stopping again.
Jeffrey Markland who runs the Thunderbird and Rick Slavkin on the Oceanside 95 know the area well. The O 95 runs out of Helgren's Sportfishing and the Thunderbird up north out of Davey's Locker. Check the link to Davey's Locker for some incredible offshore fishing video clips.
Other Cool Facts About The Cortes Bank:
- - The Cortes Bank is an underwater mountain range that at one point comes as close as three feet from the surface. Captains must be aware of the high spot to avoid from running aground. Yikes! That's a long way out to be sitting in a lifeboat!
- Divers and spear fishermen brave the depths of the Cortes Bank, sometimes at night. I think they are crazy but there are reports of enormous tuna coming through to feed. There are also just about every local species of shark down there swimming with the divers.
- Surfers pay close attention to the Cortes Bank and the waves that develop when conditions are right. In fact, my old boss who runs the Electra out of Oceanside brings a group of surfers (jet skis in tow) out to Cortes each year.
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The image right below the 'Cool Facts' subheading is so so beautiful. Did you take that photo? It's surreal! Wow, your experience was such a cool but yeah frightening too. Glad you came out fine. :)
Hi @sharoonyasir. I wish I could take photos like that. Haha. It's from Pixabay.
Yea alot of people got sick that day. I was able to keep the contents of my stomach, but I didn't feel too good. :)
Have you seen Jaws on any of your trips?
I've seen some 12 - 16 foot Hammerheads but never a white. Someone got a video one day of a sea lion that was taking angler's catches on the Oceanside 95. Middle of the video a Great White comes out of nowhere and nails the sea lion. Gone in seconds.
HOLY SHIT never going in the water again, lol.
Really great article on deep sea fishing. I used to have a few guys I would use out of Fernandina Beach, FL. Now a few guys from work will go out of Panama City every couple of years or so.
Dang @papacrusher. That sounds like so much fun. I'd love to be able to travel one day and fish different offshore destinations. Fishing the tuna and jack off those oil rigs has always been something I've wanted to do. :)
Super cool!
I have never been "Deep Sea" fishing, but really enjoyed the few offshore trips I have taken.