San Diego & SoCal Fishing Forums

Today is the morning after a successful offshore trip out of Newport Bay. I worked hard and searched and found tonnage of Yellowtail that wouldn’t bite up off Huntington Beach. I left fish to head offshore in a “ swing for the fences move”. We headed out toward the Ridge and found a Mother Paddie, loaded with Dorado and a Mola the size of my Skiff. We landed three good size Dodos and lost a few more before they just started killing our Sardines before leaving them alone. The wind came up and we made the long run home. The fish were in my brand new Cold Fish Bag surrounded with 20 pounds of Ice. They filleted like butter and we had so much fish. Now the Rub. I was up at 4 am, got the Boat hooked up, and filled with $140 of fuel plus $120 for the Truck. The ice was $20, plus some waters and Gatorade’s for another $20 . I texted my Buddy and wrote “I’ve got plenty of drinks, can you make a couple sandwiches and we will be golden, I’m on my way”. Now this trip has been planned for a week. As far as sandwiches I would have been good with PB&J. Not real picky. I get to his house to pick him up and nobody. I knock and ring the bell. Did he run to the store? I start rigging rods and pull the ice from my big ice chest in the truck and load up the Cold Bag. 25 minutes later he pops his head out of the front door. Then I don’t see him for Fifteen more minutes. He shows up wet from a shower with four 9 foot rods. He has plenty of rods, 9 footers are tough in the Skiff. Whatever, he lays them in the Boat and sits in the Truck. Hey buddy, did you make any sandwiches? No, why? He didn’t read the text. We get to the Dunes Launch Ramp, $20 to launch, no offer to help. OK. $17 dollars for two breakfast Sandwiches and Coffee. We get on the water, I ask him are we making Bait or are you getting it. He points to the Bait Barge. We get $40 of Bait and Tip, all we were allowed and he looks at me and says he doesn’t have his wallet. No money, no fishing license. The ‘dines are frisky and there are five Mackeral in there. While trying to get on the Yellowtail he grabbed all five Mackerel for no fish. Hey buddy where are the
Mackerel ? I used them. So we head off shore and find the mother of all Paddies out on the Ridge. It is loaded with Dorado. Each Mackerel would have been a guaranteed Dorado. Instead we get a few to bite the Sardines, they mostly just beat them up and left them. So we land three and dump two more when the wind picks up hard and we make the long run back. The fish are nice and cold and it was like filleting butter. Great looking meat, I split the take with him and he asks if he could get one of my bags because his neighbors would like some. Sorry, 15 pounds of fillets will have to be enough. 1 1/2 hours of traffic and I’m home at 6 pm, pretty worn out but the Skiff is soaked in blood and slime. I’m done scrubbing at 10 pm. It’s 10am the next day, and I’m just getting the Motor a fresh water flush.
I hope you are a little more helpful with your boat owning friends. We don’t expect much, but a little help is sure appreciated. By the way, when we got back, no wallet showed up. Guess who’s not going again?

What a clueless idiot. Sounds more like ex-buddy than buddy to me. Passengers should offer to pay at least their fraction of the trip expenses which is still a bargain considering the cost of the boat is not included.

I have never understood people who don't carry their wallets on them.

F*ck that guy!

Nice dorado! Not a ruined day getting a dorado in SoCal in early August is pretty great

You know Foul Hook, there was a lot of good in the Trip. We had a beautiful Day on the water. Dude put some fish on the deck, me too. We saw Fish, we caught Fish. It was just disconcerting.

We call those dudes, "Crocodile Arms" in our group. The one where the check comes and they suddenly have crocodile arms and can't reach their wallet.

That's why as a boat b!tch, I'm straight up with my boater. Where we going? How much fuel we burnin? What do you want me to bring? And yes, I can back down your trailer.

We already have an anchor on the boat. Don't need a 2nd one.

DarkShadow wrote: Tue Aug 18, 2026 8:59 am We call those dudes, "Crocodile Arms" in our group. The one where the check comes and they suddenly have crocodile arms and can't reach their wallet.

That's why as a boat b!tch, I'm straight up with my boater. Where we going? How much fuel we burnin? What do you want me to bring? And yes, I can back down your trailer.

We already have an anchor on the boat. Don't need a 2nd one.

Thats the way it should be. Back when i was still fishing tournaments and in a club, I was shocked at the amount of times my back seater was clueless. Our club had a rule that the back seater at least supply lunch. With a couple of the guys I was lucky if I got a granola bar! guys that would just grab their gear and take off after weigh in and didnt help clean the boat really pissed me off!

Moose wrote: Thu Aug 20, 2026 8:03 am

DarkShadow wrote: Tue Aug 18, 2026 8:59 am We call those dudes, "Crocodile Arms" in our group. The one where the check comes and they suddenly have crocodile arms and can't reach their wallet.

That's why as a boat b!tch, I'm straight up with my boater. Where we going? How much fuel we burnin? What do you want me to bring? And yes, I can back down your trailer.

We already have an anchor on the boat. Don't need a 2nd one.

Thats the way it should be. Back when i was still fishing tournaments and in a club, I was shocked at the amount of times my back seater was clueless. Our club had a rule that the back seater at least supply lunch. With a couple of the guys I was lucky if I got a granola bar! guys that would just grab their gear and take off after weigh in and didnt help clean the boat really pissed me off!

Yep, to avoid the drama, our club has co-angler fees that are paid to the boater day of. We vary the fee depending on how far the lake is. That way, nobody is left wondering why the co-angler brought 20 rods on boat, but only 5 bucks for gas and lunch.

Quick update. Today I got a call. “We had a great trip, why haven’t we gone again?” If you know you know….

I feel your pain and understand. Those folks are NEVER ever invited again. They always ask when the next trip is. I just made an appointment for my engine's 100 hour service.......$875.......Plus Parts.............My boat holds 120 gallons of gas and my truck hold 40.....Last trip burned 53 gallons of gas......you do the math...........tight lines.........good luck finding new friends who get it.....

Maybe full disclosure before the trip would be the best policy. Tell the passenger(s) what the trip is expected to cost and what their share is.

Back in the 90s was my first time on a private boat at sea. I had never been out on a private boat before, and my friend asked for fuel cost split up front and help wash the boat afterwards, and to bring my own snacks and drinks.. For saltwater trips, that was certainly reasonable. And i was glad to pay and help clean up for the privilege. We had some fun and productive fishing trips back in the day.

GOTFISH. You are absolutely correct. In this case it was 100% on me. I understand that I am going anyway and I’m willing to shoulder most of the expenses. It’s the $40 for Bait, $30 for extra Food and Ice, costs that I would expect some help on. Relying on Common Sense bit me in the ass..