It looks like a chilli but definitely could be a Bocaccio. It's hard finding good reference material on these juvies.

Golly, you've been through it Tim. I'm glad you can stay positive through all that. Here's to many more Cyclops trips!

Love seeing owls, now I'm glad I don't have one nearby...

Commitment to the game, Tom!

Bluefin being bluefin!

Some real nice barn doors, glad you got some more. Then ghosts will be ghosts...

Holy smokes Tim!  Keep us posted boss.  Happy Red White and Blue to you too!

Please do Tim.  My buddy is pretty stoked to have them in his box.

Well, the last day to make it happen.... Day 3.

Waking up at Graylight means it's starting to get light at 5:00am.  I was up first since I didn't really sleep for 3 days.  Between anchoring up and rocking all night in the swell and wind had me keeping from falling off the small bench.

I put two rods out while the guys slept, but they knew I was up to something so quickly awoke and set their rods out.

It didn't take long before Scott got the first bite of the morning!



Third legal butt of the trip which was a great sign!

Then my rod went off!  I grabbed it and it felt really heavy and made some blistering runs.  I thought for sure I had my 65# WSB!  It got to a point in the fight that we weren't sure what I hooked.  Matt yells gaff, but as we looked over, we realized it was a 90-100 BSB... UGH



We didn't catch it deep, so a push to the head with the butt of the gaff and off it swam down.
Scott was next with a big bite and the fight looked awfully familiar.  Scott finally got it up and another BSB, around 80#.  I couldn't get a good pic since Scott wanted it gone so we could catch some WSB.



Then Matts rod went off on the bow and his long fight happened!  It was spot on to the last 2 fights, but he was cautious anyway.



These things pooped us all out.  Back-to Back-to Back BSB..





The release...  It was cool, but not what we wanted.





There gotta be more fish here!



We got a radio call from Matt's bud to move since the BSB scares all of the other fish off.  All three of us looked at each other and laughed...  This dude's friend on the other boat really didn't know quite a bit.

We stayed and Scott's rod got slammed again!  We could tell this was a biggun!  His PB was only 26# over a span of fishing for 60 years... before this.

We got a gaff in it, and it was 45" long and 36.9#!  Now that's a butt!





As Scott was admiring his catch, my rod goes off and I lose it.  Then Matt's 20# mackerel rod goes off and he on another big flatty!   



His PB was less than 20#... Well, he beat it by 5#!!!



Scott and Matt showing off their back-to-back beauties!



No WSB yet... but the flatty's kept coming.

Then Scott's on again and my rod goes off right away.  Double Flatty's on!  I knew mine was a big one and actually got it to the surface before Scott.  Matt sunk a perfect gaff shot and ran to get Scotts!
Well, a 36# to add to the kill bag.



Scotts was another fantastic one and we got some double shots here.



Well, it was time to go.  We had a long run back to the dock and then another long run back to SD from VC on a Sunday Afternoon.  We got a shot of us and our legals.



I filleted Matt's fish for him, but Scott and I kept ours whole to really tighten up in the ice.



Soon as we get back to the ramp, DFW rolls down and checks all of our coolers, kill bags and licenses.  Thankfully we had our 3-day permit otherwise it would have been a mess, but they were satisfied with our catch and sent us on our way.  The funny thing was they said that was more fish than they'd seen in a few days put together.  Hahaha, that felt good to hear.

Well, it was one hell of a "Second" trip to the Channel Islands, and I hope to do it again soon.  That is one special place up there.

Thanks for reading and until the next tide!

I put one up about 5 years ago, they come and go and yes they do screech at night but they are good Rodent exterminators I find Owl Pellets under the box all the time and it's fun to see all the sculls and bones in them, I guess I should gather some up and share the pics