Qualifier 105 - Big Hammer Skiff/Kayak Trips

What to Expect:

Long range trips such as the Big Hammer sponsored Qualifier 105 Skiff/Kayak trip can provide anglers with some of the best inshore bass fishing within reach of Southern California.  These trips can also be an incredible "classroom" for new bass anglers who are eager to learn more about their sport and seasoned bass anglers who want to refine their skills have lots of fun.  In addition to bass fishing, the yellowtail fishing on the mother ship and insane light tackle yellowtail on the skiffs will literally leave you breathless.

One of the best things about these trips is the company - the other anglers on board and the incredible crew.  The good fishing gives anglers the chance to fish as seriously as they want without it feeling like "work".  Whether you are in search of that elusive double digit calico or just want to catch as many quality calicos as possible, you can do so and have lots of fun doing it.  There have been many occasions when I have literally laughed myself to tears while, at the same time, catching quality calicos one after the other.  No clicks, no inflated egos, no "members only" groups.  From those who have never caught a calico bass to those who have been targeting them for years - everyone is on the same team.

Experimentation:

If you are the type of angler who likes to experiment with different types of baits and still catch fish this is the trip for you.  We have seen plenty of quality caught on a wide range of lures no one would ever think of throwing to calico bass or yellowtail.  These trips are perfect for the freshwater bass angler who is curious about the saltwater bass scene.  For example, the picture to the right is of a 34 lb. yellowtail caught using an Owner Tango Dancer topwater largemouth bass lure.

Big Calico Bass:

Big calicos are common and huge calicos make an appearance every now and then.  The largest calico I have seen on these trips tipped the scales at exactly 9 pounds.  I didn't get the pleasure of catching it but I did get the pleasure of watching it being caught and weighing it.  When I saw that massive thing surface I would have bet money it was over 10 lbs.  I would say the average fish range between 2 and 4 pounds with many 5 and 6 pound fish caught each day.  If you don't have a scale the weight of a calico can be approximated by it's length.  What we've discovered on these trips is that a 20 inch bass will be just under 5 pounds, a 21 inch bass will be just about 6 lbs. and then a pound an inch from there.  The largest bass I have caught on one of these trips was 8.5 pounds on the Boga Grip and was just over 23.5 inches long.  Of course, there can be abnormalities such as extremely fat or extremely skinny fish but most of the time this measuring method is surprisingly accurate.

Kelp Calicos:

One of the most common types of bass fishing on these trips is fishing kelp beds.  This is done by either fishing the outside edges of the kelp beds, fishing open areas in between stringers, or flipping/pitching into small holes in thick mats of kelp.  It can be extremely productive - especially if there is good current.

When fishing the edges or clear areas in between stringers try casting and reeling, then try casting and counting down and reeling, then try letting the bait sink all the way to the bottom then reeling.  You may also try slight pauses during the retrieve or even free-spool the bait back down periodically during the retrieve.  Once you find a pattern that is working stick with it.  Be alert - a good percentage of strikes will happen while the bait is falling.

When flipping/pitching into small holes in the kelp you can cast to a hole up ahead of the skiff, pitch into a hole just ahead of the skiff, or even just drop down into a hole right at the skiff.  Let the swimbait free spool to the bottom with a little pressure (thumb the spool) and be ready for a strike on the fall.  A reel that engages back into gear by turning the handle is a must for this type of fishing.

If the bite is slow and there is no current, try dropping down a heavier head (1.5 oz.) and a smaller swimbait 4 or 5 inch and load it up with Pro-Cure or other fish attractant.  The smaller bait and heavier head will get the bait to the bottom quicker (which seems to be where the fish are when the bite is slow) and the fish attractant will help trigger strikes.

Reef Calicos:

With good current fishing the shallow reefs along some of the shorelines of Punta Eugenia (Chester's Rocks) and Isla de Cedros can provide some of the fastest wide open action on the trip.  This is the place to use large swimbaits (5˝ to 6˝ inch) on lighter jig heads (3/4 to 1 oz.).  Most of the time if the bite is good it is simply a matter of casting and winding.  Most of the strikes will be on the retrieve and will feel like the fish is trying to tear the rod out of your hand.  These areas can usually be found by light and dark patches in the shallow areas with little or no kelp.

One of the best skiff runs I have had for bass was at Chester's Rocks.  We were in about 15 to 20 feet of water a little ways off the coast.  There was good current and it was pretty windy.  It was as insane as a bite can get as the bait wouldn't be in the water for more than a few seconds before it got slammed.  Fish after fish with massive "bait balls" of follower fish trying to rip the swimbait out of the hooked fish's mouth.  This went on for a little under an hour before we decided to take turns filming.  The bite slowed a bit when we started filming but you wouldn't know it by the footage!

Boiler Calicos:

Boiler fishing for calicos is one of the most exciting way to target these strong fish.  Calicos that live near the rocks in the extreme inshore environment are the toughest and hardest fighting of the species.  Strikes are usually fast and strong followed by a literal tug-o-war as the brute calico tries desperately to get back to the rock it came out of.

Surge on the rocks is what gets these fish in the mood.  While you can get boiler bass to strike in little or even no surge, the thrashing white water around the rocks is the thing to look for - and the more the better.  Because of this boilers can also usually provide some action even if a lack of current is causing other areas to not bite.  When there is no current, finding a good rock with even a little bit of surge on it can turn a dead bite into good bite.

For more information about boiler fishing read David Fong's article "Calico Combat".

Mother Ship Yellowtail:

Most of the mother ship yellowtail are taken on jigs (surface or yo-yo) or bait because that is what people tend to throw.  I believe overlooking swimbaits is a mistake.  It's funny how so many people seem to be surprised at the end of a good bite when I tell them most of my fish came on swimbaits.  There are times when swimbaits will not only work as good as jigs but I have been in bites where the swimbaits were definitely getting bit better.  Give each, along with any other lure you want to try, some good time and you will discover what they want and have a great time doing so.  In a good yellowtail bite of the mother ship I will typically throw the jig at first and catch one or two on the jig because it's a fun change from throwing the swimbait.  Once I have a couple on deck I will usually switch to the swimbait because of my confidence in them and the enjoyment I get catching fish on them.

Skiff Yellowtail:

Most of the time skiff yellowtail are caught by surprise while targeting bass.  There is nothing like fishing a nice patch of boilers in tight and having a yellowtail rock your world.  In the past most of these fish would never be landed but ever since we started using braided line straight tied that has changed.

When purposely targeting yellowtail from the skiffs the best way to locate them, as boring as it may be, is to troll for them.  Rapalas and large swimbaits seem to be the best lures to use.  While Rapalas do seem to catch the larger yellowtail when trolling, swimbaits seem to get bit more frequently.  For me, trolling is a way to locate them so I prefer trolling a swimbait.

Once yellowtail are found, either by trolling, locating them using birds, or getting called in from another skiff or the mother ship, throwing swimbaits or jigs is the way to get them.  The skiff is the place to try the light tackle (bass gear) if you want a fun challenge.

Other Species & Surprises:

Even though they aren't too common, surprises such as large halibut or white seabass can be a pleasant surprise.  Seabass are almost always caught by accident while targeting bass or yellowtail.  Halibut are caught sometimes targeted but are also caught when targeting other species.

What I Bring - Rods & Reels:

My basic gear consists of three rod and reel combinations.  These are the "bare minimum" setups I use the most on the trip.  I will typically also bring one extra bass reel and one extra bass rod that will not be used unless one of my "first string" setups gets destroyed.  In hind sight, next time I want to try filling my Curado 300 with 50 lb. Spectrex to get more line capacity.

Medium Bass Rod: Shimano Calcutta XFA815/Shimano Curado 300/65 lb. P-Line Spectrex
Heavy Bass Rod: Shimano Calcutta XFA820/Shimano Calcutta 400te/65 lb. P-Line Spectrex
Jig Stick: Shimano Teramar TMC-90H/Shimano Trinidad 30/50 lb. P-Line CXX

The other two setups I bring on the boat are not necessary but more for the fun of fishing them.

Light Bass Rod: Shimano Crucial CRC-C711ML/Calcutta 50/10 lb. P-Line CXX

I have always been a fan of using light tackle and it doesn't end when I am on the skiff trip.  There have been times when the fishing is a bit slow due to lack of current, lack of surge on the rocks, or some other factor.  Instead of laying down the gear and waiting for the bite to pick up I have had many fabulous runs heading in tight and using 3 or 4 inch swimbaits on this light setup.  Most of the fish are in the 1 to 2 lb. range but when you tie into a good 3 or 4 pounder it can really take you for a ride.  Not to mention the very good chance of hooking into a small (5 to 10 lb.) white seabass or halibut.

Extra Heavy Bass Rod: Shimano Teramar TMC-X80H/Calcutta 700te/80 lb. P-Line Spectrex

I started using this combination when I wanted to fish for calicos but knew there was a very good chance I would hook a yellowtail.  It's also a great combination for throwing swimbaits for yellowtail on the mother ship.  I usually use a jig head with a large (7/0 or 8/0) forged hook to avoid the hook bending out when putting a lot of pressure on the hooked fish.  It is also a perfect setup for locating yellowtail by slow trolling swimbaits from the skiffs.

What I Bring - Fishing Tackle:

One main tackle box/bag and a tackle bag (backpack) for the skiff runs is what I bring.  The main question everyone always asks is, "How many swimbaits and jig heads should I bring?"  Even when I have tried to keep track it is difficult to come up with an exact number.  My best guess is that on average I go through about 125 swimbaits per trip.  On the Big Hammer sponsored trip you will receive a variety of 50 swimbaits the first day.  So, an additional 75 baits would probably be enough.  Of course, glueing the swimbaits to the jig heads will make them last longer.  The number of jig heads you need depends on whether you are going to be mostly fishing with braided line or monofilament.  For monofilament my best guess is about 60 jig heads (10 per day - 6 days), for braid I would say 12 to 18 jig heads (2 or 3 per day) is what you need but coming prepared with at least 30 is probably not a bad idea - you never know what could happen.

Another thing to keep in mind is the size of the swimbait.  The smaller baits (4 and 5 inch) will catch just as many if not more fish than the larger ones.  They will also have a much less likely chance of getting torn up by follower fish and you will probably go through fewer swimbaits over the course of the trip.  Of course, if you are someone who believes in the "big baits = big fish" theory and you are looking for that double digit fish you will want to stick to the 5˝ and 6˝ inch baits.  I am not sure how much of a difference the big baits really make but I do know that they get torn up quicker.  Mostly because the tail gets ripped off by the follower fish.  They are, of course, fun to fish with which is why I tend to use them for a majority of the trip.

When it comes to color selection specific colors aren't too important.  I view my color selection by "categories".  Most of the swimbaits I bring on these skiff trips fall into the following three categories.  "Brown & Red" - Red Calico Hunter (#52), FishChick (#42), Redrum (#100), etc.  "Baitfish" - Keylime (#4), Rainbow Trout (#9), Green Sardine (#34), Blue Shad (#38), etc.  "Calico Bass" - Calico Hunter (#45).  "Sardine" - Sardine (#11), Silver Sardine (#89).

I don't fish jigs (iron) too much - probably a little less than the average person on board.  I enjoy catching fish on jigs but I am more confident in swimbaits (for both bass and yellowtail).  I bring about 12 to 15 jigs.

My main tackle bag is filled with the same tackle I typically use at home when fishing for bass.  4 trays of swimbaits & jig heads: 4, 5, 5˝, & 6˝ inch, 1 tray of 3 inch swimbaits, 3/8 oz. jig heads, and "other" bass lures to play with - crankbaits, topwater baits, etc., and 1 tray of jigs - mostly surface iron in bass & yellowtail colors, a few yo-yo irons, and a couple of large Krocodile spoons.

My skiff bag usually contains two trays.  One large (3700 size) tray filled with 5˝ and 6˝ swimbaits and jig heads and a smaller (3600 size) filled with 3, 4, & 5 inch swimbaits, matching jig heads, and a couple of surface irons.  Other items in my skiff bag include a pair of Bluefever shortpump gloves which are great for lip landing the larger bass, a Boga Grip which is ideal for landing the smaller fish and weighing all of the fish, a small bottle of Pro-Cure Super Gel, pliers, and clippers for cutting line (especially important if you are using braided line).

Other tackle:  Fighting belt, cyanoacrylate glue, rod wraps for transporting rods, colored plastic tape for marking rods, and extra fishing line.

What I Bring - Clothing and Personal Items:

Coming prepared can make or break a long range trip.  The skiffs can get wet at times and the weather is not always sunny.  The following is what I bring on the trip - hopefully it will help you pack for yours.

Item	Qty.
Shorts	4
Pants	2
Waterproof "Offshore" Pants	1 or 2
Short Sleeve T-shirts	6
Long Sleeve T-shirts	2
Underwear	8
Socks	8
Hats	2
Jacket	1
Water/windproof Jacket	1
Sweatshirts	4
Shoes	2
Deck Boots	1
Towels	2
Bathroom Supplies (shampoo, soap, deodorant, etc.)
U.V. Lip Balm	2
Sunscreen	1
Advil, Dramamine, Antacid, etc.
Camera	1
Sunglasses	2
Earplugs

Conclusion:

If you are interested in going on this trip we would love you have you join us.  If you are interested in going please contact the Qualifier 105.  If you can't make it out with us next year we hope to see you on one of the Big Hammer sponsored trips in the future.

Questions - Click here.

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