We had a chance to go out one more time this year before all the closures of bottom fishing and before I had to get back to work at the beginning of the year. So myself, my cousin Jason and my son Jonathan decided to go out on the Victory out of Pierpoint Landing in Long Beach because they were running a kids ride free with one adult special. Saved me $55 taking Jonathan up. So we made a reservation for Monday and got down to the landing right after 5am.

Picked up our tickets and parking pass in the office and gathered up on gear from the car. Got right on the boat around 5:30 and got all our stuff stored away. Got Jonathan to work tagging and hanging our bags. (Side note, this was the first boat in a long time where we did not have to buy our bags. I gave Jonathan $5 to give to the deckhand for the bags and he said no, bags are free.) Only had 14 on the boat, half were regulars. Great group to fish with, friendly and we all had fun all day.

From 28th Trip: Victory 3/4 Day Trip

From 28th Trip: Victory 3/4 Day Trip

Jonathan liked the galley on the Victory.

From 28th Trip: Victory 3/4 Day Trip

Got underway, Captain George said we were going to head out and try for some sheephead and other assorted bottom fish. Only dead frozen, the bait receivers did not have any fresh dead and only sardines that were a foot long. The weather was great all day, a little swell in the morning, and flat the whole day. We’ve been lucky the past few trips, beautiful weather.

From 28th Trip: Victory 3/4 Day Trip

Spent about 25 minutes getting out to the spot on the outside of the horseshoe, west of the oil rigs. Rigged up with a standard 2 hook dropper look, #1 hooks and 4oz of weight. We had stern spots, Jonathan was red 7, but we moved around the boat all day. Easier to fish the sides with the kids.

From 28th Trip: Victory 3/4 Day Trip

From 28th Trip: Victory 3/4 Day Trip

First spot was slow, only one or two fish came over so we pulled anchor and moved. Next stop was slow but started to produce a little. I got the skunk off with a small Starry Rockfish.

From 28th Trip: Victory 3/4 Day Trip

Jonathan got his stunk off with a sheephead.

From 28th Trip: Victory 3/4 Day Trip

From 28th Trip: Victory 3/4 Day Trip

From 28th Trip: Victory 3/4 Day Trip

We started to pick away at the sheephead at this spot. The guys fishing with shrimp they brought were killing them, but the cut squid and squid heads were working as well. We also switched over to a sliding egg sinker with about a one foot leader. Worked much better than the dropper loop. I also switched over to a circle hook and started doing better as well.

The cook was great with Jonathan, he was fishing with shrimp and would have Jonathan bring them up. Here is one of the big ones. He ended up getting three with the cook.

From 28th Trip: Victory 3/4 Day Trip

Jason with a nice sheephead.

From 28th Trip: Victory 3/4 Day Trip

My bigger one on the day and Jonathan’s big one.

From 28th Trip: Victory 3/4 Day Trip

We almost limited out at the spot on sheephead, ended up with a total of 70 on board for limit by the end of the day for 14 of us. Some sculpin, whitefish and perch came over at this spot as well. Some big males came over the rail all quality fish. Spent about 2 hours on the spot working away. Pulled anchor and went looking for some other species to fill the bags. Got lunch while we moved, cheeseburgers and grilled cheese. Moved over to the green buoy near the entrance to LA Harbor and anchored up.

From 28th Trip: Victory 3/4 Day Trip

The perch were here, along with a few more sheephead and sculpin.

From 28th Trip: Victory 3/4 Day Trip

More Blacksmith Perch

From 28th Trip: Victory 3/4 Day Trip

The pelicans were going after our catches as well

From 28th Trip: Victory 3/4 Day Trip

While at this stop we had another deja vu moment. Last week while we were out on the Native Sun (see report here) my friend Chauhan dropped one of my cousin Jason’s rods in the water. We’ll it happened again this week, only it was Jonathan’s turn. Jonathan had got caught up in the rocks and lost his rig. I also had the same issue, so I was rerigging up my rod, and Jason was doing Jonathan’s. Jason had him hold his rod, which was a Seeker with a Newell reel. We don’t know exactly what happened but someone fighting a big sheephead was moving along the rail and they asked Jonathan to step back and he just let go of the rod. In it went. The deckhand grabbed the gaff but not in time. I was just walking back when they told me. At first I thought it was someone elses rod, but I realized it was Jason’s. Damn another rod lost. Jason was not mad at him, neither was I. Accidents happen, no reason to get mad. Jonathan was upset, but we got him back into the day. One of the guys on the boat named John (who is also a teacher) let Jason use one of his setups and thinks he can get a good deal on a new setup for him (which I get to pay for, yaa!) but everything worked out. Two times in two weeks, I told Jason he should just keep going out, eventually he will get all his equipment replaced! Captain George was also great, he gave Jason a pass for another trip for next time at the end of the trip for the lost rod. THANKS!

After all that fun was over the bite was slowing down, just lots of perch going at everything. So Jason and I have an idea, we put a sabiki rig and a 3oz sinker on Jonathan’s little rod and drop it down. Boy did it work too good. First pull up he was fighting hard to get it up, and he had 5 blacksmith perch.

From 28th Trip: Victory 3/4 Day Trip

Now we already had some in the bags from all the other stops, and threw most back. My mother in law loves these cooked whole, but we can only eat so many. We dropped it back down 2 more times and let him fight them up. Second trip up he got 4 more blacksmith, and his first Spanish Mackerel, also known as a Jack Mackerel.

From 28th Trip: Victory 3/4 Day Trip

While helping out Jonathan I got hit hard and another nice Sheephead

From 28th Trip: Victory 3/4 Day Trip

Dropped down the sabiki rig one last time and brought up a full string of blacksmith and one other perch I need to figure out what it is.

From 28th Trip: Victory 3/4 Day Trip

From 28th Trip: Victory 3/4 Day Trip

Enough of that fun (and work) and we put Jonathan back on the dropper loop. Moved again a little more inshore at one last spot. Captain said they had pulled out some Sand and Calico bass the last time. Dropped down and got a good bite. Up came a nice sculpin.

From 28th Trip: Victory 3/4 Day Trip

Jason got a nice surprise at this stop as well. A very beautiful Red Cabazon. The photos do not do the colors of this fish justice. Took a few and back home it went.

From 28th Trip: Victory 3/4 Day Trip

From 28th Trip: Victory 3/4 Day Trip

Jason also got his last nice sheephead of the day at this stop.

From 28th Trip: Victory 3/4 Day Trip

Jonathan got one more species for the day, a nice Treefish his first one ever.

From 28th Trip: Victory 3/4 Day Trip

Called it a day around 3:30ish or so. Weather stayed great all day, and over all it was one of our better days out on the water. Jackpot went to one of the regulars, nice big male sheephead.

From 28th Trip: Victory 3/4 Day Trip

From 28th Trip: Victory 3/4 Day Trip

Jonathan with his bag of fish.

From 28th Trip: Victory 3/4 Day Trip

My catch for the day

From 28th Trip: Victory 3/4 Day Trip

Jason’s catch

From 28th Trip: Victory 3/4 Day Trip

Great boat, crew and fellow anglers out there! Thanks again to the captain for working hard and hunting (and Jason thanks you again for the pass), the deckhand for helping everyone out and having to clean our fish at the dock (had a lot to clean), and to the cook for helping out with Jonathan. Loosing the rod did not make it a bad day, and I’ll take care of getting a new rod and reel for him here soon. They told us that the Victory is going in for dry dock here at the beginning of the year, but will be back in a few weeks. We look forward to getting out there again with them again.

Totals for the day

Sean
Sheephead 5 (Kept)
Sculpin 1 (Kept)
Starry Rockfish 1 (Kept)
Blacksmith Perch 5 (Kept)

Jonathan
Sheephead 5 (Kept)
Jack Mackerel 1 (Released)
Blacksmith Perch 20 (13 kept, 7 released)
Perch 1 (kept)
Treefish 1 (kept)

Jason
Sheephead 5 (Kept)
Red Cabazon 1 (released)
Blacksmith Perch 5 (2 kept, 3 released)

Landing Totals

3/4 Day

14 Anglers

1 Sand Bass 70 Sheephead 12 Whitefish 39 Rockfish 10 Sculpin 101 Perch

One last shot some of the perch cleaned (I did these at home) and some of all the nice sheephead steaks that got packed away and frozen for the next few weeks to come.

From 28th Trip: Victory 3/4 Day Trip

From 28th Trip: Victory 3/4 Day Trip

Finally got to get out on the water again this past Monday. Took a look around and did not see too many boats going out during the week so we decided to head back to Long Beach Sportfishing and the 3/4 day trip on the Native Sun. We had gone out back in September on a twilight sculpin run (view the post here) and had a good time.

Called in for the tickets on the Friday before and got the $43 dollar special and reserved 4 spots, one for myself, my son Jonathan, my cousin Jason and my friend Chauhan. Got down to the landing around 6:20, and we were the first ones in. They told us in the office they had 11 on the reservation list, and a total of 14 showed up. Boarded up and left right at 7am. Ah, nice light day for everyone.

Got my son to work right away putting up and tagging the bags.

From 27th Trip: Native Sun 3/4 Day Trip 12/21

Captain got on the horn, no live bait today, frozen squid and shallow bottom fishing off of Point Fermin working our way up the coast. So we had about a half an hour or so to kill till we got out. Got us all in on the jackpot, which only 8 of us was in for $5 each. Felt bad for about 4 of the people who went out, they were sick and in the galley the whole time, so only 10 of us fished. Got rigged up with a two hook dropper loop set up on all of our rigs, 3 and 4 oz sinkers and #2 and #2/0 hooks.

Jonathan with his number, red 15

From 27th Trip: Native Sun 3/4 Day Trip 12/21

Very overcast and cool all day. No wind or current the whole day either, it was nice to have no wind in the afternoon and flat all day.

From 27th Trip: Native Sun 3/4 Day Trip 12/21

From 27th Trip: Native Sun 3/4 Day Trip 12/21

Pulled up to our first stop right past Point Fermin, right infront of the Korean Bell area. Got in near the kelp line between all the lobster traps, which were lined up all along the coast. We followed them the whole day as we moved north.

From 27th Trip: Native Sun 3/4 Day Trip 12/21

First stop was slow (all of our stops were slow all day) but a few fish started coming up.

From 27th Trip: Native Sun 3/4 Day Trip 12/21

My cousin Jason got the skunk off first with a Gopher Rockfish

From 27th Trip: Native Sun 3/4 Day Trip 12/21

From 27th Trip: Native Sun 3/4 Day Trip 12/21

A few more rockfish came on board, and some short calico bass and we moved on north a little way. Made a total of about 6 moves in the morning heading north, farthest we go was to the Trump golf course.

From 27th Trip: Native Sun 3/4 Day Trip 12/21

On the next stop I got my stunk off with a 13 inch Sand Bass that put up a good fight. Got to give it a kiss for good luck.

From 27th Trip: Native Sun 3/4 Day Trip 12/21

From 27th Trip: Native Sun 3/4 Day Trip 12/21

Jonathan got his skunk off as well with a short Calico Bass. First fish of the day made him smile. The deckhand was great with him through the day, and helped out my friend Chauhan as well.

Jonathan’s first fish of the day

From 27th Trip: Native Sun 3/4 Day Trip 12/21

I got a Gopher Rockfish as well at this stop. We just kept pecking away.

From 27th Trip: Native Sun 3/4 Day Trip 12/21

Right before we were pulling up on the spot Jonathan brought up his second fish of the day, a small Lizard Fish. Slimy little things. Amazing thing was he hooked it on a #2 hook.

From 27th Trip: Native Sun 3/4 Day Trip 12/21

Next stop Chauhan got his skunk off finally, short Sand Bass.

From 27th Trip: Native Sun 3/4 Day Trip 12/21

Jonathan then got his first rockfish ever. Copper Rockfish. Nice size fish for him on his light tackle.

From 27th Trip: Native Sun 3/4 Day Trip 12/21

From 27th Trip: Native Sun 3/4 Day Trip 12/21

We also caught about 10 mackerel that we released, mostly hooked towards the surface while checking for bait. Jonathan had a good time with them.

From 27th Trip: Native Sun 3/4 Day Trip 12/21

My cousin Jason got a nice Sand Bass at this stop as well. It was the biggest fish on the boat up to this point and was in the lead for the jackpot.

From 27th Trip: Native Sun 3/4 Day Trip 12/21

Chauhan with another short calico.

From 27th Trip: Native Sun 3/4 Day Trip 12/21

I got hit hard at this spot, finally had something with some meat on it. After a nice fight I got my largest white fish of the year, and one of the bigger fish of the day on the boat.

From 27th Trip: Native Sun 3/4 Day Trip 12/21

My son and me with our catches.

From 27th Trip: Native Sun 3/4 Day Trip 12/21

Pulled anchor again and tried another spot. Chauhan got his big half moon perch of the day, one of the bigger ones I’ve seen in a while.

From 27th Trip: Native Sun 3/4 Day Trip 12/21

From 27th Trip: Native Sun 3/4 Day Trip 12/21

After a few more fish we pulled anchor around 1pm and headed back to the entrance to Angles Gate and did some drift fishing. First drift was good getting about 6 or 7 whitefish on the boat. Jonathan lost one right at the boat then the mackerel came in.

From 27th Trip: Native Sun 3/4 Day Trip 12/21

Lunch!

From 27th Trip: Native Sun 3/4 Day Trip 12/21

Tried a few more times drifting with no love so we headed out to the Horseshoe. It was slow there as well, same as the morning just picking away a little at a time. I got a Johnny Bass at the first stop. We had a few come on board earlier.

From 27th Trip: Native Sun 3/4 Day Trip 12/21

I also snagged a Pacific Jack Mackerel at the stop as well. He went into the bait tank, I think someone tried using him as bait at the next stop.

From 27th Trip: Native Sun 3/4 Day Trip 12/21

We also caught Blacksmith Perch at all our stops. We ended up catching about 8 of them. At one stop I went to a small hook to catch some for my mother in law. She loves these, cooks them whole with just the head and guts cut out.

From 27th Trip: Native Sun 3/4 Day Trip 12/21

My son caught on to doing his own bait this trip. All afternoon he took care of it himself. Proud of the little guy, he’s catching on. Now we need to teach him how to tie up his own tackle.

From 27th Trip: Native Sun 3/4 Day Trip 12/21

From 27th Trip: Native Sun 3/4 Day Trip 12/21

We moved spots one more time and something happened to my friend Chauhan that I had not see in a long long time. We had just finished dropping anchor and he went to cast out (don’t know why) next to my cousin. The next thing I know I see a splash and the rod and reel are sinking to the bottom. He is new to all this, and we think the reel backlashed on him and tied up his finger (he had a cut) and he just let go.

Now this was not his rod, it was my cousins. The deckhand saw it and ran with the gaff but it was long gone by then. The best part was Jason just laughed it off, saying that was the funniest f***ing thing he ever saw. I could tell Chauhan was upset, Jason just said it was fine because he was getting a new rod and reel now at the Fred Hall show in March! It was an older rod, with a Penn 310 reel on it. Jason did say if it was his Calcutta he would have dove in after it. Ah the stories we can tell now, and never let him live it down.

With all that fun over with someone on the other side of the boat brought up a big sheephead at this stop. We all looked at it and said there’s the jackpot. It was really slow at this stop, which would the last of the day. During the slow time one of the highlights of the trip happened. Jonathan was sitting on his crate (it gets him to stand over the rail better) with his rod in the water but sitting to his side and it went bendo. I grabed it and handed it off to him and he started to crank. Whatever it was it was big enough to pull his WalMart rod with 12lb test to its limit. Working it hard we saw color, Sheephead, male with color. He was very proud and called him mom to tell her from the boat.

Video of Jonathan fighting the sheephead.

Jonathan and his first sheepshead.

From 27th Trip: Native Sun 3/4 Day Trip 12/21

From 27th Trip: Native Sun 3/4 Day Trip 12/21

From 27th Trip: Native Sun 3/4 Day Trip 12/21

One side of the sheephead was lighter than the other. Here it is from the other side.

From 27th Trip: Native Sun 3/4 Day Trip 12/21

Things slowed down again, one of two fish coming over the rail. One of the other anglers on the boat had brought a bag of shrimp from the market with him and put it in the bait tank. I had just lost another 4oz sinker in the rocks and went to a 2oz egg sinker and #2 hook to keep it simple and maybe hit up a sheephead for myself. Put a big shrimp on it and dropped it down. Soaked it for about 5 minutes and got hit hard and fast. Fought it up and it turned out to be a big sand bass.

From 27th Trip: Native Sun 3/4 Day Trip 12/21

Both of our bass.

From 27th Trip: Native Sun 3/4 Day Trip 12/21

From 27th Trip: Native Sun 3/4 Day Trip 12/21

We wrapped it up around 4ish and it was starting to get cold. Time for jackpot. Both my cousin and I expected the big sheephead someone else had caught was coming out, when we asked they said he was not in the jackpot. So it came down to my bass vs Jason’s bass.

No contest, and I got my second jackpot of the year (both winners were bass this year).

From 27th Trip: Native Sun 3/4 Day Trip 12/21

We had to check to see if Jonathan’s sheephead was in the running, his first jackpot he was in.

From 27th Trip: Native Sun 3/4 Day Trip 12/21

Jackpot was $40 so I gave it to the deckhand for helping Jonathan out today. Ended up with a good mix of fish to take home.

From 27th Trip: Native Sun 3/4 Day Trip 12/21

From 27th Trip: Native Sun 3/4 Day Trip 12/21

Totals for today

Myself (Sean)
2 Sand Bass (Kept)
1 Johnny Bass (Kept)
1 Whitefish (Kept)
1 Calico Bass (Released)
4 Blacksmith Perch (Kept)
3 Mackerel (Released)
1 Jacksmelt (Kinda released)

Jonathan
1 Calico Rockfish (Kept)
1 Calico Bass (Released)
2 Blacksmith Perch (Kept)
1 Sheepshead (Kept)
6 Mackerel (Released)
1 Lizardfish (Released)

Jason
1 Sand Bass (Kept)
1 Gopher Rockfish (Kept)
2 Calico Bass (Released)
2 Blacksmith Perch (Kept)
3 Mackerel (Released)

Chauhan
1 Halfmoon Perch (Kept)
1 Johnny Bass (Kept)
1 Gopher Rockfish (gave away)
1 Sand Bass (Released)
1 Calico Bass (Released)
1 Blacksmith Perch (Released)
4 Mackerel (Released)

Only about 84 fish on the boat for 10 real anglers, like I said about 4 people were sick the whole time. The crew was good, the deckhand helped out alot and the captain tried hard to find fish, but they were just not biting. Water was cold in the bait tanks and with the cold front and storm moving in mixed with no wind or current I think we pulled out a good day. For those who stuck with it (like my son) it paid off. Chauhan learned to hold on to a rod no matter what, and Jason will get a new rod and reel out of it.

Last picture of the days kill

From 27th Trip: Native Sun 3/4 Day Trip 12/21

Final Totals from the landing…

I had planned to go out on the 3/4 day on the Enterprise out of Long Beach Marina Sportfishing with my cousin Jason, but my alarm did not go off in time and after a “Where are you” text that woke me up at 5:30am finally we decided to get a few more hours of sleep and hit an afternoon 1/2 day run. Decided to go out of a landing either of us had not been out of in a long time so called down to Long Beach Sportfishing at Berth 55. I also was trying out a new fishing shirt from Ap3xPr3dator today as well. http://www.ap3xpr3dator.com/

Got down to the landing around 11:45 and they took care of us in the office. Looked like a lite load all the way around, and the Icon was a bit late coming back in with a very light load (I counted about 14 or 15 on board). The morning bite was bad, only a handful of fish on the boat for everyone. Loaded up quick with a total of around 35 or so and we headed out.

From 23rd Trip: 1/2 Day Afternoon on the Icon 8/8/09

From 23rd Trip: 1/2 Day Afternoon on the Icon 8/8/09

Captain got on the horn and said the fishing was bad in the morning, but hopefully the afternoon bite would make up for it. We went straight out with bait left over from the morning to the fleet that was sitting off the green buoy outside Angels Gate. The Matt Walsh, Sport King and a bunch of other moo-moo’s were there, and a fleet of personal boats. Lots of birds and action in the water so we hoped for the best.

From 23rd Trip: 1/2 Day Afternoon on the Icon 8/8/09

From 23rd Trip: 1/2 Day Afternoon on the Icon 8/8/09

From 23rd Trip: 1/2 Day Afternoon on the Icon 8/8/09

Dropped anchor and we rigged up with a dropper loop with 5oz torpedo sinker. Even with 5oz we were dragging a little on the bottom. Water was clean and the wind was not whipping up yet. Got a good hit and fish on. Thought it was a nice calico the way it was fighting but it ended up being a grumpy treefish. Biggest one I’ve ever got, his coloring was very dark as well, almost black.

From 23rd Trip: 1/2 Day Afternoon on the Icon 8/8/09

It set the tone for the day, quality fish for us coming aboard, but not in huge quantity. Few minutes later got another good hit and bring up a large sculpin. One of the larger ones I’ve ever caught on anchoives. Always a pretty fish, and one of the few fish I really like to eat.

From 23rd Trip: 1/2 Day Afternoon on the Icon 8/8/09

From 23rd Trip: 1/2 Day Afternoon on the Icon 8/8/09

I farmed a few fish at this spot, the fish were just pecking at the baits, either pulling them off or leaving only half an anchovy but everyone around us was pulling up a few calicos, sandbass and barracuda as well. Ended up moving spots as the bite slowed down. Shawn our captain worked hard all day moving and finding fish to scrape up, it was never a huge wide open bite but fish came aboard all day long.

Next stop my cousin Jason finally stopped farming fish (he lost a few at the first stop) and pulled up a very nice sand bass then an equally big calico on the next cast. Both good looking fish with great coloring.

From 23rd Trip: 1/2 Day Afternoon on the Icon 8/8/09

From 23rd Trip: 1/2 Day Afternoon on the Icon 8/8/09

From 23rd Trip: 1/2 Day Afternoon on the Icon 8/8/09

Jason also pulled in a few short barracuda on this stop off the bottom. I lost 3 as well getting bit off by them and loosing a few hooks. Only lost two 5oz sinkers today between the two of us.

From 23rd Trip: 1/2 Day Afternoon on the Icon 8/8/09

The whole time barracuda were coming on board on iron and off the bottom with anchovies. As the bite slowed down again on this spot we moved around the fleet and anchored on the west side of them. Once again the barracuda started coming on board again. We continued fishing the bottom with live bait. On this stop we kept getting pecked away at on the bottom. Try to set the hook then nothing, either bait gone or all torn up. I thought I had lost my bait again after some pecking and started to reel and wam, it started to pull back. No hard hook, just pull and go. Fought it up, knew it was a cuda from the fight and it was a big one. Got her gaffed and brought aboard.

Largest barracuda for me this year.

From 23rd Trip: 1/2 Day Afternoon on the Icon 8/8/09

From 23rd Trip: 1/2 Day Afternoon on the Icon 8/8/09

From 23rd Trip: 1/2 Day Afternoon on the Icon 8/8/09

Same spot a few minutes later and my cousin gets hooked up the same way on the bottom. Another cuda gaffed and brought aboard.

From 23rd Trip: 1/2 Day Afternoon on the Icon 8/8/09

We both farmed a few more fish, all barracuda at this spot. Died off again and we moved one more time. Another drop down, and going up to a 6oz sinker and got another nice treefish. Not as big as the first, but pretty colors.

From 23rd Trip: 1/2 Day Afternoon on the Icon 8/8/09

Jason also pulled up another bull sculpin on this stop.

From 23rd Trip: 1/2 Day Afternoon on the Icon 8/8/09

From 23rd Trip: 1/2 Day Afternoon on the Icon 8/8/09

Made one last stop for the day and the cuda were being pulled on board once again. Jason got in on the action with some iron and hooked 3 shorts (most missed by an inch or so). Not much going on at the bottom, got a few more small hits and we called it a day.

From 23rd Trip: 1/2 Day Afternoon on the Icon 8/8/09

Came in second for the jackpot with my cuda. The winner was just a bigger model.

From 23rd Trip: 1/2 Day Afternoon on the Icon 8/8/09

Great day on the water out there. I would highly recommend Long Beach Sportfishing. Easy to get to, great crews and fun to go out with. They also had some good specials going on right now from the looks of things in the office http://www.longbeachsportfishing.com/. The Icon is a good boat and has seen some years but like most of the other ships in the SoCal 1/2 day fleet she does her job well.

Final count for the day, all large quality fish kept here.

Jason:
Barracuda: 1 kept, 5 released
Sand Bass: 1
Calico Bass: 1
Sculpin: 1

Myself:
Barracuda: 1
Tree Fish: 2
Sculpin: 1

Another great trip. Been lucky the last few times out, no big crowds and good fishing. The twilight boat was looking very crowded that night (big crowd when we got in), hope they did well. Liked the new shirt that Ap3xPr3dator sent out to me, comfortable and had a few people ask me about it on the boat. My full review will be on my site under product reviews. Got the first blood on it today with the cuda as well, not tuna, but still a good test.