1/2 day cattle boats - any tips?
 

So my future FIL is taking me out on a 1/2 day tomorrow. I'd rather just hit the water on my own in the yak but what're ya gonna do. Not sure which boat we're going out on but any suggestions as to what gear? Only party boats I've been on were up north out of Monterey for rockfish or salmon. I've got some various iron, picked up a few 5oz weights and shrimp fly rigs. Not sure if they've switched over completely to bottom fishing or are still going for surface stuff. How do you fly line on a cattle boat with 40 other people? Seems like a recipe for a tangle. I'm assuming the usual shrimp fly tipped with squid knocked on the bottom would work for the rockfish/lings? Thanks for any tips besides tipping the deckies. :cheers1:

Take yer Dramamine!!!

Get some 8oz sinkers. Most boats are fishing bottom right now.

Be sure to take one of these :jig:

New Seaforth or The San Diego would be my 2 top picks

I would bring a dropper loop setup for live bait and a yo yo. If u do fly line tho just cast farther and keep your angles good. And stay away from the people with rental rods

It's gonna be really nasty tomorrow like today, have fun!

Check the recent fish reports for the trip you're going on and plan for that. I usually take 2-3 rods, light, med/light, med. Take weights 4oz-12oz and match what everyone else is using if you want to avoid most tangles. Straight braid for bottom fishing on cattleboats is a tangle waiting to happen because your line will drag sideways at a different rate than most everyone else with mono and it's harder to untangle the mess. The deckhands will set you up, have fun.

Seaforth sportfishing on the Sea Watch it looks like. Count from Monday was just rockfish/lings basically. Looks like it's all bottom fishing for me so I'm just bringing one rod, switching out iron and shrimp flies. I'll post a report tomorrow PM.

Semi-decent day. Swells were up a little in the morning it felt like but died down. Weather was the usual chill then warm up. Cap'n tried anchoring on one spot but we missed the rock. Rest of the 1/2 day was spent on drifts with everyone on one side. Fast drifts, more than a couple tangles with lots of new guys on board. Impossible to drop a live bait more than 20' before seal/sea lion robbed it. Ended up picking up 7 various sized rockfish on a shrimp fly rig tipped with squid and an 8oz sinker. Not great, but not bad. 2 yellows were hooked then lost, apparently to fur bags. Total count, 34 anglers 112 fish all rockies.

Thanks for all the tips guys. Hope to see you on the water in a yak, no more of this cattle boat business.

Kayak fishing is so much more rewarding, isn't it?

Nothing wrong with sport boats, they have their place. I do avoid the 1/2 day trips though and always opt for at least the 3/4 day. The overnights are great. They put you on fish you can't normally get to on the kayak, and you can learn a lot.

Yeah don't get me wrong. I grew up on party boats so I know their worth. But spending $$for a half day rockfish trip to local waters isn't my thing. Long range on the other hand...