Stat Recap 2023, Goals for 2024

[jrodda]

Things got spottier in the last few months for me as far as fishing opportunities go, but overall it was a surprisingly good year where I met a lot of goals that I've been trying to hit for a while. Thresher, bluefin, and finally a corbina were the highlights for me. 35 species for the year and 12 of them were new.

The 12 new species:

1. raucous grunt
2. slender croaker (not confirmed)
3. speckled sanddab
4. fantail sole
5. swordspine rockfish
6. pink rockfish
7. chameleon rockfish
8. mexican rockfish
9. blackgill rockfish
10. thresher shark
11. bluefin tuna
12. california corbina

Some numbers from my logs:

42 boat trips. 297 total fish, 342 including baitfish. Only 6 skunks! Sand bass were caught most at 133.

26 surf trips. 28 total fish. 13 skunks. More croaker than perch which I found odd at 13 YFC to 9 BSP, though the perch were mostly great quality.








Looking to 2024...

As I was typing this I started rambling a lot. I wanna catch everything but I'll probably be the most motivated for these:

- legal halibut from the surf and the boat
- start using snails for sheeps
- full send for sablefish this winter
- CNR kite bluefin
- hit the surf at least once a week, it's just plain good for the soul


Aight, ya'll chime in. 2023 recap/highlights and 2024 goals??

[Latimeria]

I have to revisit this post in the morning, but I thought you picked up more than 12 lifers this year?  I think I picked up about 2 dozen which isn't my usual M.O.

[Tim524]

 You have been quite busy on the water, hopefully 2024 will be even better 

[jrodda]

I have to revisit this post in the morning, but I thought you picked up more than 12 lifers this year?  I think I picked up about 2 dozen which isn't my usual M.O.

I just got the 12, but that was more than I expected. Well, more than I expected for the year after nearly skunking in Puerto Vallarta.

My memory was foggy but then I remembered you hit Baja for all those new species.

[Latimeria]

So, I'll just chime in in small posts since I'm running around like crazy and trying to convince myself on getting out fishing right now as it's trout weather.

Here is my 2023 New Species List.  I realize that I have 4 undetermined Rockfish species that I know are new, but haven't figured out exactly which ones.  I need to take better pictures of them without my hand in the way.

Here's what I have, but also feel like I'm missing one or two.  No matter, it was still a decent year for new species.

   2023 New Species   
1   Mojarra, Pacific Flagfin   
2   Lookdown, Mexican   
3   Jack, Green   
4   Herring, Pacific Flatiron   
5   Grunt, Spottail   
6   Grouper, Pacific Graysby   
7   Grouper, Leopard   
8   Eel, Panamic Green Moray   
9   Deepwater Serrano   
10   Scorpinfish, Stone   
11   Scad, Big Eye   
12   Pompano, African   
13   Rockfish, Greenspotted   
14   Rockfish. Green Blotched   
15   Cow Cod   
16   Snapper, Amarillo   
17   Snapper, Colorado   
18   Snapper, Pacific Red   
19   Stingray, Longtail   
20   Tilefish, Pacific Goldeneye   
21   Tuna, Black Skipjack   
22   Hake, Pacific   
23   Rockfish, Green Striped   
24   Rockfish, Mexican   
25   Rockfish, Bank   
26-30   (4 Unidentified Species of Rockfish still to determine)   


More posts to come as the day moves on.

Happy New Year Everyone!

[jrodda]

Put up the mystery rockfish in question and we'll figure them out together.

Looks like my banky from the other day is my first confirmed pic of one but i counted it a long time ago.

[Chris]

I really didn't catch much....

4 BFT,
1 YFT
one sword,
a couple rat yellows,
couple legal cudas,
more than a dozen sand bass but not two dozen,
A tree fish on the jig and one in a hoop
Half a dozen calicos, one legal I remember
25 or so assorted rockfish,
5(?) threshers,
blue shark on the mad Mac
1 baby mako I leadered
16 total lobsters
Over a dozen white fish in one day and never saw them again

Including my sons catches we can add
Another dozen sand bass
3 halibut (one almost legal)
2 Petral sole (I've still only ever caught one).
Several bones and countless lizard fish

This year will be focused on white seabass and halibut more and chasing a 200+lb bluefin from the inflatable, Will probably be a kite fish. I get out of the Marines in June and going to dedicate some time to getting a much larger sword up in the Channel Islands area.

[Latimeria]

I really didn't catch much....

4 BFT,
1 YFT
one sword,
a couple rat yellows,
couple legal cudas,
more than a dozen sand bass but not two dozen,
A tree fish on the jig and one in a hoop
Half a dozen calicos, one legal I remember
25 or so assorted rockfish,
5(?) threshers,
blue shark on the mad Mac
1 baby mako I leadered
16 total lobsters
Over a dozen white fish in one day and never saw them again

Including my sons catches we can add
Another dozen sand bass
3 halibut (one almost legal)
2 Petral sole (I've still only ever caught one).
Several bones and countless lizard fish

This year will be focused on white seabass and halibut more and chasing a 200+lb bluefin from the inflatable, Will probably be a kite fish. I get out of the Marines in June and going to dedicate some time to getting a much larger sword up in the Channel Islands area.

I was fishing with Dan from the Shearwater (Sword boat for over 35 year) and got some great intel from him.  He only got 18 this year, but I definitely want to get my sword next year! 

I think the marine weather had a lot to do with some of our fish counts in 2023.  I don't remember so many rough days on the water in the past 10 years.

[KogaHead]

Don't forget "Beat KogaStud in the football pool."

[Latimeria]

Don't forget "Beat KogaPud in the football pool."

That would fall under "Goals"... More like "A Given".

[Latimeria]

Well, that Lightning Trout was a hell of a way to start 2024....

My plan is to get back out surf sharking again.  Probably not as much as we used to go, but really shooting for, at minimum, once every fortnight.

[KogaHead]

I have one goal, to repeat as PS Football Champion.

[Chris]

I really didn't catch much....

4 BFT,
1 YFT
one sword,
a couple rat yellows,
couple legal cudas,
more than a dozen sand bass but not two dozen,
A tree fish on the jig and one in a hoop
Half a dozen calicos, one legal I remember
25 or so assorted rockfish,
5(?) threshers,
blue shark on the mad Mac
1 baby mako I leadered
16 total lobsters
Over a dozen white fish in one day and never saw them again

Including my sons catches we can add
Another dozen sand bass
3 halibut (one almost legal)
2 Petral sole (I've still only ever caught one).
Several bones and countless lizard fish

This year will be focused on white seabass and halibut more and chasing a 200+lb bluefin from the inflatable, Will probably be a kite fish. I get out of the Marines in June and going to dedicate some time to getting a much larger sword up in the Channel Islands area.

I was fishing with Dan from the Shearwater (Sword boat for over 35 year) and got some great intel from him.  He only got 18 this year, but I definitely want to get my sword next year! 

I think the marine weather had a lot to do with some of our fish counts in 2023.  I don't remember so many rough days on the water in the past 10 years.

Dan sold Miss Dublin to my buddy Andrew and I'll he fishing with him next year to get my toes wet in the commercial industry. Everyone has their own opinion on how swords work but the only consistent thing that works is having a bait in the water

[Latimeria]

I agree on the opinion stuff Chris.  He gave me some solid scientific study intel on SoCal Swordfish that I wasn't aware of which I was probably more stoked about knowing.  He also gave me his reasoning behind some of his methods which I appreciated since I have little to no experience with swords and I enjoy hearing the "Why" part to get a good understanding of the thought process.

[Latimeria]

I have one goal, to repeat as PS Football Champion.

Yeah, that'll never happen.  lol