Feb. '01
In recent years there hasn't been much of a write up on yellowtail in the long-range reports. Usually the "tuna" take top billing in the fish counts and "Tails" are an after thought. Why is that? Well catching tuna is something that cannot be done year round in southern California. And well yellowtail can be, so they do not get the anglers attention.
Well this month yellowtail gets top billing. Yellowtails are members of the Jack Family and are one of the best fish to target on long-range trips for novice anglers. They are easy is hook, give a great battle and are excellent table fare. So how does a novice catch yellowtail? The easiest way is on a dropper loop. The dropper loop has fooled more "tails" than any other method. Every long-range vessel uses some version of a dropper loop when fishing for 'tails. The main thing about a dropper loop is that you get your live bait down to where the 'tails are and you just wait for them to come by and engulf your offering. If the 'tails are running on the small side, say 12 to 25 pounds, a Penn 114H loaded with 60lb. Mono and a rod to match will be the ticket. If the 'tails are of the bigger variety, then it is time to bring out the "Gold" reels like a Penn 30SW or larger and fish with at least 80 lb. Mono.
The one trick about fishing for 'tails in the rocks is getting them out of the rocks after the initial bite. Try to get them up off the bottom as soon as they are hooked. The first few seconds are critical. Get they away from the structure and you have them. Fish with a very tight drag and just pull as hard as you can the first few seconds. Once you get their head coming toward the surface you should have no problems landing them. Just remember 'tails have a large mouth and a very strong jaw so do not treat these fish like you were fishing for a salmon. Show the fish that you are the boss and rip some lips as we say.
Another easy way to start with is fly line live bait for 'tails. Once again this is a low cost method for catching 'tails. You just need a 40 lb. Rod and reel with hooks the proper size for the bait on board. The standard combo for years has been a Penn 113H and a Calstar 670 and it still works today. This combo is great for lobbing the bait away from the boat and yet has enough power to subdue most yellowtail. You can always up grade to a top of the line outfit after a few trips but please still bring this classic combo on your trip. Fly lining live bait is as easy as it sounds. You let your bait, sardine or mackerel, pull line off your reel until a yellowtail eats it and then you set the hook and the battle is on.
A few tricks to improve your success when fly lining are to keep a taut line so you can tell what your bait is doing and where it is going in the water. The old saying "No Angles - No Tangles" still rings true today. When fishing a dropper loop you can use dead or slab baits but not when surface fishing. Be sure that you have an active bait when fly lining. The frisky bait usually gets bit first and more often.
One thing that I have found with 'tails they are one fish that you can catch and release and not hurt the bite. Unlike tuna where if you lose the troll fish you may lose the school yellowtail will continue to charge the boat even after you release them. With this in mind I recommend that you release all of the small fish and only keep the larger ones. With your 3-day limit of 15 'tails in Mexican waters why not take 10 larger ones home and leave the smaller ones for next season. Most of the long-range boats will leave a school of small yellowtail just for this reason. If well all continue this practice the 'tails will always be there for the next season. Next month iron trick for 'tails