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Support For A Local Hero
Son Was Severely Injured In C4 Blast In Afghanistan
Many of you know Captain Ray Montera who has been involved in sportfishing most of his life. In March, his 32 year old Chris son was severely injured in a C4 blast in Afghanistan. We are holding a fundraiser on October 8th at the Bali Hai on Shelter Island. He is one of our own and we are rallying to support him.
As an Army soldier, Chris Montera was often taken aback when people would thank him for doing the job he loved. On a fateful day in March, he came to face the sacrifice. He was on a dismounted mission and was hit with explosion of C4, which literally blasted and propelled him into a grape field. He suffered major issues with blast lung and severe burns over much of his body. For 9 days he was on ECMO (lung bypass) until he was stable enough to be transported to BAMC in San Antonio for the treatment of his shrapnel wounds and third degree burns. On April 2 a fungal infection set into the wounds on his lower extremities and Chris underwent bilateral AK amputation of his legs. He was further diagnosed with an incomplete spinal cord injury in the thoracic area of the spine at VA Polytrauma Center in Palo Alto.
Through all of this, Chris remains focused and committed to rehabilitation. It is estimated that he will remain in Palo Alto for 3-6 months while he works to regain his upper body strength, which will be necessary for the next stages of rehab in the C5 program at Balboa Naval Hospital in San Diego where he will be fitted with prosthetic legs and with determination will learn to walk again. There is no doubt in our minds that Chris will recover to live an independent life. The goal of this fundraiser is to be able to assist Chris with expenses he will no doubt encounter on his journey to independence.
The event will be held at the Bali Hai Restaurant on Shelter Island On October 8th from 6:00-10:00 pm. There will be food stations serving food from many San Diego restaurants along with a no host bar. A raffle, live, and silent auction will take place during the event along with live entertainment by Mango Bay and World Famous Jim Gibson. The outpouring of support of raffle and auction donations from the sportfishing community, tackle, fishing supply manufacturers, and local businesses has been phenomenal. The evening will be great fun for all and will serve to help a young man who put it all on the line.
There are several ways you can help:
• First and most important is attend the event.
• Tickets are $50 in advance or $450 for a block of 10
• Advance ticket purchases will include 3 raffle tickets and assorted swag
• Cannot attend but would like to help, make a cash donation in any amount.
• Donate an item for the raffle or auction. Anything from fishing items, art, gift certificates, clothing…anything is greatly appreciated.
We look forward to having you at the event. The sport fishing community has come together to take care of a wounded warrior of their own, and it promises to be a fun filled evening for all.
Please help us spread the word about this worthy Event. The Sportfishing Council and the San Diego Sportfishing fleet are asking for your help and support. The Montera family are one of our own. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact us.
Vic Gamboa
Event Coordinator
San Diego Sportfishing Council
2171 India St. Suite E
San Diego, CA 92101
(619) 234-8793 <‘}}}}><
Summer Sailor’s Days for the Whole Family
Maritime Museum is the Place for fun this summer
EMBARCADERO—The Star of India as well as other ships this spring will be having Sailor’s Days every Monday from June 18-Aug 20, 2012 from 9am-2pm. Adults and children alike can experience first hand various activities such as what it is like to make rope for sailing, move cargo, raise and lower huge sails, tie sailor’s knots, climb through a steam engine and many more fun things to see and do. Each child can participate in a scavenger hunt around the ships learning about history while having fun. Each child wins a prize of their choice from our treasure chest.
All activities are included with regular admission prices; adults $15 and children $8. Tickets may be purchased at the gate as well. Rides on the Pilot can be added to regular admission for only $3 more. For more information the public can call: 619-234-9153 ext. 101.
About the Maritime Museum of San Diego
The Maritime Museum of San Diego enjoys a worldwide reputation for excellence in restoring, maintaining and operating historic vessels. The museum has one of the world’s finest collections of historic ships, including the world’s oldest active ship the Star of India. The museum is located on the North Embarcadero in downtown San Diego at 1492 North Harbor Drive, San Diego, CA 92101. The telephone number for general inquiries is 619-234-9153.
October 2011
San Diego Report
By John Campbell
Fall local fishing in the ocean has turned to feature bottom fishing. The Sportboats have been very successful in the Full and 1 ½ Day trip bringing in 3 to 5 fish per rod of bluefin tuna, yellowtail, dorado and skipjack.
San Diego will be the first United States city to host an event in the new America’s Cup World Series leading up to the 2013 America’s Cup in San Francisco. An international fleet of America’s Cup 45-foot catamarans will race from Nov. 12-20 on San Diego Bay. The wing-sail catamarans will race on courses that start and finish off the Broadway Pier.
As San Diego County archery season for deer ends, rifle season set to open the first part of San Diego County’s split, A-22 archery season for deer ends Saturday, just in time for the start of the D-16 rifle season on Oct. 22 Every San Diego County deer hunt has been sold out. Quail and chukar seasons open Saturday and go to Jan. 29.
Mustad’s ‘Hook a Million’ program rewards anglers for record Mustad’s “Hook a Million” contest is open to all U.S. anglers, 18 or over, who sign up on the company’s website 24 hours before fishing.
Lobster season started Oct 1 and is in full swing, with local boaters hot and heavy with nightly hoop netting around San Diego and Mission Bays.
TrawlerFest will be held at the Kona Kai Hotel from Nov 8 to 12. Don’t miss seeing Maritime Institute President “Rags” Laragione atTrawlerFest, which is being held at the Kona Kai Marina from November 8th through November 12th at the Kona Kai Marina. “Rags” will be speaking on “Approaching Dangerous Reefs in Exotic Places” on Saturday, November 12th.
Fall And Winter Sailor’s Days for the Whole Family
Maritime Museum Is The Place For Fun This Fall
EMBARCADERO—The Star of India as well as other ships this fall will be having Sailor’s Days every day from November 21-27, 2011 and again December 19 thru January 1, 2012 from 9am-2pm. Adults and children alike can experience first hand various activities such as what it is like to make rope for sailing, move cargo, raise and lower huge sails, tie sailor’s knots, climb through a steam engine and many more fun things to see and do. Each child can participate in a scavenger hunt around the ships learning about history while having fun. Each child wins a prize of their choice from our treasure chest.
All activities are included with regular admission prices; adults $14 and children $8. Historic Bay Tours for 45 minutes on the Pilot boat can be added to regular admission for only $3 more. For more information the public can call: 619-234-9153 ext. 101.
About the Maritime Museum of San Diego
The Maritime Museum of San Diego enjoys a worldwide reputation for excellence in restoring, maintaining and operating historic vessels. The museum has one of the world’s finest collections of historic ships, including the world’s oldest active ship the Star of India. The museum is located on the North Embarcadero in downtown San Diego at 1492 North Harbor Drive, San Diego, CA 92101. The telephone number for general inquiries is 619-234-9153.
San Diego – 30th Marlin Club Small Boat Tournament is Open to the Public
THE MARLIN CLUB OF SAN DIEGO
Affiliated with the International Game Fish Association
2445 Shelter Island Drive – San Diego CA 92106
Office 619-222-8677
Fish Report 619-222-2502
For More Information Contact
John Campbell
619-991-5480
The Marlin Club hosts this contest, open to the Public for boats up to 26 feet. This is a two day tournament, Saturday and Sunday, October 1st and 2nd, 2011.
The entry fee is $60 per angler, which includes a Tee shirt and BBQ. Contact chair, Bill McLeod at (619) 301-4374 or pick up your entry form at The Marlin Club, any day between 1 & 5 pm, at 2445 Shelter Island Dr., the office ph# (619) 222-8677. Entry form and fees must be received by the end of day, Friday, 30 September. Check the Marlin Club website below for more info and you can find the entry form and rules of the contest as well.
Fishing is open to Marlin, Tuna, Albacore Yellowtail, White Seabass and Halibut. A side jackpot of $20 will be awarded to the two largest fish.
The final weigh in is at 4 pm on Sunday, October 2nd., The BBQ and Awards will start at 5 pm.
Festival of Sail Will Grace San Diego’s Waterfront in September
225,000 People Are Expected to Attend Tall Ships Event on the Embarcadero
SAN DIEGO — The 2011 Festival of Sail, hosted by the Maritime Museum of San Diego, will transform the North Embarcadero into a nautical theme park. More than twenty tall ships and other fascinating vessels from around the world will visit San Diego, Sept 2-5. The festival kicks off with a majestic parade of tall ships on San Diego Bay, Thursday, September 1. Parade begins at 11am and can be seen from the embarcadero, Harbor Island, Shelter Island and Coronado. Festival visitors will enjoy touring the ships, live entertainment at the Festival of Sail main stage, marvelous food and drink from dozens of restaurant booths, a family activity area, petting zoo and shop for one of-a-kind items among more than 150 festival vendors.
Parade of Sail
The festival will kick off with a grand parade of sail on San Diego Bay at 11:00 a.m. on Thursday, September 1. More than a dozen majestic windjammers, led by a vessel from the Unites States Navy, will sail into San Diego’s harbor in a magnificent nautical procession. The best spots to view from shore include the Maritime Museum, Cabrillo National Monument, local restaurants and businesses on Shelter Island, Harbor Island and the North Embarcadero. Please note that the list of ships scheduled to appear in the parade is subject to change. Ships should be docked by 2pm at the museum and open for visitation starting on Friday, Sept 2 at 9am.
The Festival Ships
The festival will include more than twenty tall ships and other extraordinary vessels from around the world. The official tall ship of California, the Californian, the Gaff topsail schooner Bill of Rights, Irving and Exy Johnson, twin ships from San Pedro, and many more. Please note that the list of ships scheduled to appear in the festival is subject to change.
Cannon Battles
Join the crew for a cannon battle at sea and experience naval warfare during the age of sail! Several ships will engage in cannon battle reenactments on San Diego Bay during the festival. Individuals can purchase tickets to be on board for the experience. Tickets are $65 for adults and $40 for children 12 and under. This is not recommended for children under 5. A 2011 tall ships ticket is also required. Tickets are for sale now on the museum’s website. Cannon battle sails will sell out so we suggest that people get their tickets early.
Kids Zone
Activities for kids will be open all four days with games with prizes and hands on activities. Petting zoo will be open Sat, Sun and Mon from 11am-4pm. All kids’ activities and petting zoo are included with admission.
Pirate Ship Adventures
Adults and kids alike can take a 60 minute adventure cruise on the bay aboard the Pirate ship, Treasure Seeker. Help the pirates find the treasure and fire “water cannons” at anyone who tries to capture the ship. Tickets for this activity are $49 for adults and $46 for kids and require a festival ticket for entrance as well.
Napoleonic Cannon Firings
The twelve pound cannons, known as Napoleons, are authentic Civil War cannons built in 1863, not replicas. The museum’s Shore Battery Artillery Team will also salute the ships with several rounds of fire as they pass by during the parade. The unit will demonstrate how the guns are cleaned and then will fire the 3 & 4 pound guns for a “noon salute” each day as well as firing volleys at the ships during the Gun Battles on the Bay.
Tall Ships Tickets
Visitors must purchase a tall ships ticket to tour the festival ships. Each participating ship has its own unique stamp and guests can get their tickets stamped at each vessel. Tickets are an exceptional value at only $15 for adults and $10 for children (12 and under), Seniors (62 and over) and active military (valid identification required). Tickets are for sale now on the Maritime Museum’s website and will also be for sale at the festival. Tickets include entrance to the Maritime Museum of San Diego during the event and the build site for the construction of the new ship the San Salvador. Tickets are valid for all four days. Entrance to visit the vendor area is free.
Entertainment
The 2011 Festival of Sail will feature continuous entertainment Friday through Monday on the stage onboard the ferryboat Berkeley. Performers play and sing a variety of musical styles including island sounds, Mariachis, steel drums, folk music, jazz and of course, traditional sea chanteys. There will also be dance troops, theatrical performances and the museum’s Maritime Dancers celebrate the international theme of the event. Featured performers include Eve Selis, Rondstadt Generations, Navy Band Southwest and Chicago Six Jazz.
San Salvador Village
Admission to the village where the museum is building a replica of Juan Rodriguez’s ship, San Salvador, is included with festival admission. Watch the ship take shape as master shipbuilders create this magnificent galleon. Village also includes demonstrations by the Kumeyaay, blacksmithing, sailing making, and much more. Site is located at 4126 N. Harbor at the intersection of Spanish Landing Way and N. Harbor Dr across from the airport.
Location, Parking, Etc.
The Festival of Sail will be located along the North Embarcadero between Ash and Grape Street. Parking will be extremely limited, we urge festival visitors to use public transportation. The County Center/Little Italy trolley station is only 3 blocks from the festival. For those that must drive their cars, nearby paid parking lots are available.
Festival of Sail 2010
will be here September 2 thru – Fun For The Entire Family
The Festival of Sail is an annual event with something for everyone. The event is held over Labor Day weekend each year and starts with a bang! Cannon fire will salute the entrance of the tall ships from all over the world as they parade around San Diego Bay passing by Harbor Island, Shelter Island, Seaport Village and the Coronado Bridge ending up at the Maritime Museum’s docks.
IGFA Youth Tournament On Shelter Island, San Diego
The 8th annual IGFA Young Anglers tournament was a big hit. 162 kids from 6 to 15 showed up to fish. They fished from 10am to 1 pm in a catch and release format with scoring on 6 different species of fish. Every angler received a goodie bag to start and at the raffle, they all received more prizes. There were prizes for each age group and overall winner whose name will be on the Perpetual Trophy. Issac Norfolk at 15 was the overall winner.
There were a host of volunteers from the United Pier and Shore Anglers of Calif., San Diego Anglers club, San Diego Rod & Reel Club, plus moms and dads who had kids involved. It was great day were the marine layer disappeared before noon and the fish were biting, including halibut, smelt, mackerel, rockfish, and bass.
The tournament was promoted by the IGFA Reps of California and the San Diego Sportfishing Council and the Port of San Diego.
John L Campbell
Campbell Pacific
3960 W. Point Loma Blvd, Ste. H 347
San Diego, CA 92110
cell: 619-991-548
The Int’l Yellowtail Derby Added Yellowfin And Dorado
The Yellowtail Derby committee met with the San Diego Landing Managers today and have added, at the Landing’s request, the Fall Favorites both Yellowfin Tuna and Dorado to the contest. Each species will have prizes for the largest fish caught. This decision was made to attract more anglers in the fall to the San Diego Sportfishing Landings.
The Derby this year will have fishing on private and open party vessels. It will run for 20 days, Sept. 4 to 26 with a fish-off on Sept 25 for the top anglers. The fishing area is limited to 80 miles south and west of Point Loma and the Orange County Line. Only one fish of each species can be weighed in daily, multi-day trips are not allowed.
The Derby is sponsored and supported by the Port of San Diego, Sunroad Resort Marina, Sunroad San Diego Boat Show, the Maritime Institute, Seatow Services, West Marine, Ballest Point Brewery, San Diego Marine Exchange, CFB Marine Group, AFTCO, SportClips, The Bali Hai, To the Point Café, Everingham Brothers Bait Co., Arizona Boating and Watersports, BlueSkyNews.com, Fisherman’s Landing Tackle, Boyce Image Pacific Coast Sportfishing Mag, The Log Newspaper, Precision Marine Hardware, Angler’s Choice Tackle, and San Diego Port Tenants Assoc. Fisherman’s Landing, H&M Landing, Point Loma Sportfishing, and San Diego Sportfishing Council.
Derby Headquarters is located at the Outboard Boating Club at the Trailer Boat Ramp on Shelter Island Drive in San Diego. The Derby mailing address is 3960 W. Point Loma Blvd. Ste
Two New Maritime Museum Exhibits Open
May 25, 2010
Maritime Museum of San Diego
Contact: Robyn Gallant
619-234-9153 ext. 123
Enlightened Voyages and Mapping the Pacific
Enlightened Voyages-What links the tropical island paradise of Tahiti and San Diego? The answer is to be found in the Maritime Museum of San Diego’s newest exhibit, Enlightened Voyages. This is a story told thru the tale of two ships and the destinies of two nations – Britain and Spain – as each tried to outsmart the other in a quest for maritime empire in the 18th century Pacific. The ships in question – the British Navy frigate HMS Dolphin and the Spanish Navy packet boat San Carlos – tell the story of how Europeans attempted to carve out new colonial empires in the Pacific in the last decades of the 18th century. This is now a permanent exhibit displayed at the museum on the HMS Surprise.
Mapping the Pacific Coast; Coronado to Lewis and Clark-This world class exhibition showcases 45 magnificent maps, books and illustrations dated 1544 through 1802, the very first explorations of the West Coast by Europeans. Many of the documents included in the exhibition tell dramatic stories with references to explorers such as Juan Rodriguez Cabrillo, Sir Francis Drake and Captain James Cook; all of whom left their mark on the Pacific Coast. These historic stories are told through original maps of the time and illustrations-the earliest being woodcuts and the majority being copperplate engravings, many in original hand color. This exhibit is enhanced by an audio tour and catalog and is on display through Mach 30, 2011.
A Father’s Day Celebration at the Maritime Museum
May 25, 2010
Maritime Museum of San Diego
Contact: Robyn Gallant
619-234-9153 ext. 123
Bring your Dad, Grandpa, Uncle or Big Brother to commemorate their special day
Embarcadero North?The Maritime Museum of San Diego invites you to the Father’s Day celebration aboard the 145′ schooner Californian or America on Saturday, June 19th or Sunday, June 20th, 2010. The sail begins with a souvenir group photo of all in your party. Upon disembarking, all Dads will also receive a goodie bag of gifts. The three hour sailing trip will begin at 12noon and returns at 3p.m. The museum’s experienced crew will make your Father’s Day celebration unforgettable while working the lines and handling the sails; as you sail around the beautiful calm waters of San Diego Bay. Tickets are $70 per adult and $35 for children 17 & under. Tickets also include admission to the museum so come early or stay after your sail, as we are open from 9am-9pm.
Formal Announcement of the arrival of Portuguese Tall Ship, Sagres
June 3, 2010 – Press Conference
Formal Announcement of Foreign Ship Arrival
EMBARCADERO-The Maritime Museum San Diego and Sagres Captain, Commander Pedro Proenca Mendes, will be holding a press conference to announce the ship’s arrival in San Diego.
Date: Monday, June 7, 2010
Time: 10AM.
Place: 1492 North Harbor Dr, just north of the Maritime Museum
The Sagres is expected to arrive at the embarcadero at 9am. Media interested in going out on the museum’s boat Pilot to escort the Sagres to the dock, may do so to accompany her into San Diego Bay while under full sail. Pilot will be departing the Maritime Museum at 7am and returning approximately 9:30am. Please contact Robyn Gallant at 619-246-1075 for additional details or to ride on the Pilot.
Bill Roecker for FishingVideos.com & the San Diego Sportfishing Council – Net Update June 3, 2010
Unpredictable Bite
“Yesterday when we arrived, it was for the most part an afternoon-type of a day,” wrote Sam Patella aboard American Angler June 2, “and so today, guess what happened. Yep you got it – Morning time. We all thought and planned on the big push that never came late in the day. Go figure.
Anyway, we had a good day on Yellowfin and Yellowtail regardless of what time during the day we caught them. The photos of the day are anglers Joe with the Jackpot of the trip so far and a beautiful Yellow. We are going to hang tuff for another day and see what surprise we get in the morning.”
Bluefin & Albies
“The guys had another good day on the Bluefin and Albacore,” said the report from Independence June 1. “The weather has been flat calm for the last two days which has been key to the good offshore fishing. With an excellent start to the trip they are headed south and will be at the stones (Alijos Rocks) tomorrow to mix things up a bit with hopefully some of that good grade yellowfin and yellowtail.”
Skipper Jeff DeBuys talked with Brandon Hayward by telephone from 250 miles. “We logged 100 fish on the bluefin the first day to go with 50 albacore that were those nice, big jumbos,” said DeBuys.
Day-5 Big Hammer Swimbaits Eight-day
“Another great day here on the Q. We were able to fish the weather side of Cedros today. It was a nice change, the weather was fantastic and the fishing was as well. First thing, the bass were all over anything thrown at them. They had probable never seen a boat or any kind of artificial baits so they were easy to catch. Lots of big fish also, a five-pound bass was common today. No yellows today but the bait in the water would indicate some yellows around soon.
“We will be over at Benitos tomorrow and that can be an awesome place. There is a small fishing village on the island and we are spending the night in calm water there. We had some rib eye steaks for dinner with twice baked potatoes that were about as good as it gets!
“Our pictures today are the kayak gang, Scott Mckay, Dave Klein, Bob Falkenberg, Kenny Andorfer, and Mike Sapp after the afternoon run waiting to be picked up. Scott and Bob said ‘the funniest fishing ever out in the kayak’s’ and both these guys have done a ton of kayak fishing so that will tell you something. Also a picture of Joshua Gerson with a five-pound bass, one of many he landed today. As far as the fish go, all the bass are released unharmed to be hooked another day.”
Rooster’s First Report
“We started off a little on the down side today,” wrote Andy Cates from Red Rooster III June 2. He is on the annual June Heat trip, the last long trip of the big tuna season. “We had 25 tuna from 50 to 90 pounds. Not too bad on the sharks but really not all that great all around. Although we have had worse, that’s for sure. The weather is great and we are hoping for some bigger fish tomorrow.”
Historic Event on San Diego Bay – Rare Edwardian Steam Yachts To Race
Historians of yachting regard the great steam yachts of the Edwardian era (1901-1910) as the most elegant powered vessels ever constructed. As a class, they are also the most rare – though numerous in the gilded age, only three Edwardian steam yachts are known to exist today: the Ena, built in Sydney in 1901 and currently operating there, the Medea built on the Clyde in 1904 and currently residing at the Maritime Museum of San Diego, and the magnificent Cangarda, built in Wilmington, Delaware in 1901, recently thoroughly restored and currently steaming her way to San Diego to meet Medea head to head in what will be the race of the century – or two centuries. Not even in the days of John Spreckles and his spectacular Venetia, has anyone in San Diego seen the like.
On May 15th at noon the two great steam yachts will be in Glorietta Bay with the Hotel Del Coronado as a backdrop waiting for the signal, a rolling broadside salute from the State tall ship Californian, to begin their race. From a standing start they will steam down Glorietta Bay, under the Coronado Bridge, past the Embarcadero to the west end of Shelter Island and then back to what may be a photo finish in front of the Maritime Museum, signified by a salute from the Museum’s pair of 1847 Napoleon 12 pounder cannons. Viewing this once in a lifetime event can be obtained from various Embarcadero locations, most prominently the Maritime Museum, and also Harbor Island, Shelter Island, and the Museum vessels Californian and Pilot, which will accompany the steam yachts as they run their course. Cangarda will be open for boarding between the hours of 2:00 and 4:00 by Maritime Museum visitors each day she stays at the Museum (excepting May 15th), tentatively scheduled from May 13th to May 20th. Medea will be open to Museum visitors during normal Museum hours from 9:00 AM to 8:00 PM.
The official tall ship of California, the Californian, will accompany the yachts along the race course. Tickets for the four hour sail on the Californian are $50 for adults, $30 for children 6-12. Not recommended for children under six. Tickets also can be purchased to ride on the 1914 Pilot boat for a 2 hour cruise along the race course. Tickets for the Pilot are $35 for adults, $25 for children 6-12 years. Not recommended for children under 6.
About the Maritime Museum of San Diego
The Maritime Museum of San Diego enjoys a worldwide reputation for excellence in restoring, maintaining and operating historic vessels. The museum has one of the world’s finest collections of historic ships, including the world’s oldest active ship the Star of India. The museum is located on the embarcadero in downtown San Diego at 1492 North Harbor Drive, San Diego, CA 92101. The telephone number for general inquiries is 619-234-9153.
Day At The Docks
IGFA Will Present Bob Fletcher Award At Day At The Docks
One of the highlights of the Day at the Docks, Sunday, April 18th, will be when International Game Fish Association (IGFA) presents Bob Fletcher, retired President of the Sportfishing Association of California and Recreational Fisheries, with an award in recognition of the many contributions he has made and continues to make to recreational fishing.
After graduating from Stanford University in 1965 and serving a four-year tour of duty as an officer in the US Air Force, Bob returned to San Diego, where he owned and operated two 65′ sportfishing charter boats, both named CAT SPECIAL. In 1983 he was appointed to the California Department of Fish & Game and spent the next six years as Deputy Director, and later became Chief Deputy Director of the Department. In 1989 Bob returned to the private sector as President of the Sportfishing Association of California (SAC), a non-profit association that represents the interests of the commercial passenger fishing vessel fleet in southern California. As SAC President, he represented the interests of over 135 commercial passenger fishing vessels (CPFVs) berthed between the ports of Santa Barbara and San Diego, along with twenty SAC Landings and the majority of the live bait harvesting fleet. Bob retired one year ago this month, and now acts in an advisory capacity, representing the CPFV fleets’ interests on the Regional Stakeholders Group (RSG), which is part of the Marine Life Protection Act (MLPA). He is still active in the MLPA process.
Bob was Chairman of PFMC from 1991 until 1997. He still serves as a fisheries advisor with PSMFC. Bob was the Chair of their Recreational Fisheries Working Group until he retired due to term limits and still serves on the Marine Fisheries Advisory Committee (MAFAC), a nation-wide fisheries advisory committee Chaired by the head of NOAA and Co-Chaired by NOAA Fisheries Director.
In May of 2003 President George W. Bush appointed Bob as a U. S. Commissioner on the Inter-American Tropical Tuna Commission (IATTC), an international body that manages tuna and tuna-like species throughout the eastern tropical Pacific, where he served until spring of 2010. Upon retirement, he was appointed by NOAA Fisheries to be a member of a newly created national committee called the ‘Recreational Fisheries Working Group (RFWG). This group of twenty anglers from across the nation will provide advice to the Fisheries Service on recreational fishing issues of national importance.
ADDITIONAL AWARDS of Bob Fletcher
1970 – Bronze Star with United States Air Force in SE Asia.
1993 – San Diego Oceans Foundation Roger Revelle Perpetual Award.
1996 – United Angers of Southern California – Bill Ray Memorial Award.
2008 – NOAA Fisheries Sustainable Fisheries Leadership Award.
Waterfront Undergoing Major Facelift
The waterfront is undergoing a major facelift. The sport fishing landing will have a new look and H&M will be the first company to move back into their brand new offices. But preparations for this year’s Day at the Dock’s festival are ongoing and almost complete. The spaces for nearly 175 exhibitors are marked off and many of the boats that make up the most modern sportfishing fleet in the world are being prepared to be open to the public where Captains and crews will discuss the prospects and schedules for the upcoming season.
Many of the sport fishing industry’s leading manufacturers are set to display the latest in fishing tackle, as are marine artists, local fishing clubs, tackle retailers and food vendors.
There will be plenty of West Coast’s well-known experts and manufacturers’ reps presenting seminars throughout the day. Subjects will include boating safety, cooking, sushi preparation, fishing techniques, rigging, knot tying, kayaking and rod selection.
As usual, throughout the day, live bands will provide entertainment; in addition, tackle and trip giveaways as well as casting and knot tying contests will add to the excitement.
Tommy Gomes and his crew will be manning his Taco Stand with all the proceeds go to San Diego’s Monarch School. He has also invited some of San Diego’s leading, award-winning chefs to share their talents, time and resources providing some gourmet dishes for sampling.
Kid’s Fishing Adventure sponsored by West Marine & Okuna will allow children to fish free on the docks with the expert assistance of local clubs, including San Diego Rod and Reel Club and San Diego Anglers.
Captain Andy Cates will have his popular “Dunk the Captain” tank set up again this year. Proceeds from the dunk tank, taco sales and raffles will benefit the San Diego Burn Institute, Monarch School, and Friends of Rollo.
With entertainment for everyone, Day at the Docks is the West Coast’s largest public celebration of sportfishing. It is a must-attend, free all day event for anglers and families. Next Sunday on April 18th, join us at the waterfront at the San Diego Sportfishing Landings from 9:00 a.m. until 5:00 p.m.
The Official Event Guide which includes a complete list of exhibitors, activities, seminars, competitions, celebrities and entertainment is now available online.
Songs of the Sea, Family Day and Honoring Moms
18th Annual Sea Chantey Fest and Family Day in May
San Diego, CA – For centuries, sailor’s have honed their shipboard skills to the cadence of songs recounting the adventure, tragedy and romance of life at sea. These “sea chanteys” and the sailor’s life they describe, come to life aboard the Star of India. The Maritime Museum of San Diego, along with San Diego Folk Heritage, presents the 18th Annual Sea Chantey Fest on Sunday, May 9, 2010. The Music begins at 11:00 a.m. and ends at 4:00 p.m. with a group finale. Best of all-the whole event is included with Maritime Museum admission at no extra charge! Kids 12 and under get free admission with paying adult and will have a special craft project to take home. Kids get to make a craft for themselves and one for Moms too!
Visitors will enjoy sea chanteys and traditional folk music performed by popular local and national artists such as The Jackstraws, Raggle Taggle, the Westlin Weavers and more. See the museum’s website (www.sdmaritime.org) for the complete performance schedule. The Star of India sail crew will demonstrate various shipboard skills traditionally accompanied by sea chanteys and visitors will have a chance to join in and raise the sails of the historic ship.
About the Maritime Museum of San Diego
The Maritime Museum of San Diego enjoys a worldwide reputation for excellence in restoring, maintaining and operating historic vessels. The museum has one of the world’s finest collections of historic ships, including the world’s oldest active ship the Star of India. The museum is located on the North Embarcadero in downtown San Diego at 1492 North Harbor Drive, San Diego, CA 92101. The telephone number for general inquiries is 619-234-9153.
Net Update March 5, 2010
Bill Roecker for FishingVideos.com & the San Diego Sportfishing Council
Go Catch A Cow
Go Catch A Cow
Skipper Andy Cates and owner Linda Palm said a couple of spots are left on the Red Rooster III trip leaving March 9. The boat will head deep into southern waters looking for giant yellowfin tuna and wahoo. The trip is 15 days, of the ride home variety, and with only a couple of long rangers out during the period, should offer a wide-open shot at whatever’s biting. The period is during the dark of the moon, and will return on March 25. Contact the boat for more information.
Going Back In The Water
“A few more shots today,” noted Royal Star owner-skipper Tim Ekstrom March 3, “of the boat ready for launch following what we consider a very quick haul out. Thanks to Wilmington Propellers for a quick tune up on the “wheels” that turned out great.
“Now we shift gears and transform into well-appointed businessmen as we head up for the annual Fred Hall Show for the next five days. Brian and I will be manning the booth through Friday then Randy will join us for the weekend. We have seminars planned for each day and look forward to the opportunity to meet all of you and talk shop over the next five days. Enjoy the photos and look for reports and photos to resume next week.” Searcher’s At The Show
Celia Condit posted this on the boat’s web site March 2:
“Capt Art Taylor will do an informational seminar on three to five-day fishing trips at the Long Beach show this Saturday at 4:30 p.m. See you there! Searcher Sportfishing will have a booth too; number 611.”
Breezing Through the Whales
Royal Polaris is out on a nature trip, just lately spending some time with the calving gray whales in the lagoons of Baja. Here’s skipper Billy Santiago’s latest report.
“We had a little wind today, but not enough to make a difference. We started early with our first group going to the Mangroves, then the rest went whaling. Today was a good for photo opportunities, with lots of whales put on a great show. Not much of hugging today, and very little kissing, but it was still a great day. After a long day, it was time to leave and head north to Cedros Island. The tide was low, and so was the bar. With very little sea, it was easy going out.”
“We are now headed to Cedros Island, and our ETA is 0900 hours. With that note we will keep you posted on our daily events.”
Bill Roecker for FishingVideos.com & the San Diego Sportfishing Council
Good News: Spring Yellowtail Bite’s On
Remember the good old days when yellowtail used to bite in April at the Coronados Islands? Crisp, breezy, sometimes sunny spring days when 15 to 20-pound yellowtail would storm through behind the San Diego sportboats anchored near Pukey Point or on the Middle Grounds? Remember how you’d set the hook on a biter and line would just whiz off your reel and your hard-bent rod until you thought you’d be rocked in the shallows for sure?
Right now, the fish are back! “Mikey” Schmidt of the Malihini raised his catch numbers by double for each of the last three days, starting Monday with a couple of dozen fresh forkies. Tuesday, his anglers got 55 nice spring yellows of 15 to 20 pounds. Yesterday, Wednesday, they wrenched in 103. He’s out there again today, fishing ‘em on one of those famous spring days, said Martha at H&M Landing.
The word from Pt. Loma Sportfishing is much the same. Morning manager Don Deering said that yesterday, Wednesday, Steve Peterson and the Mission Belle came up with 115 yellows for 23 anglers. The Mexican limit on yellowtail is five per day. Today the Belle went out with the Pt. Loma, and 68 stalwart anglers are out there fishing. At noon, manager Robert Falcone told Bill Roecker the Pt. Loma had 40-plus and Mission Belle had put more than 20 yellowtail aboard and were still fishing.
“What color iron are they eating?” I asked Falcone.
“Doesn’t seem to matter,” he replied. “Just about any color.”
When yellows bite on the yoyo jigs it usually means the fish are holding deep. Even so, you can bet bait anglers are getting some fish, too, probably on slip sinkers or Baja loop rigs dropped to the bottom with a torpedo weight.
At Fisherman’s Landing, Buzz Brizendine’s Prowler is scheduled to make her first overnight trip March 12, departing at 10 pm for a price of $115. Overnight trips put you on the grounds well before dawn, giving anglers a chance for some time at the rail or in your bunk until they start to bite. Yellowtail often bite in the dark, so the option is a good one.
Show Could Be A Boomer
The first afternoon at the Fred Hall Show at the Long Beach Convention Center was a dandy, as far as I could tell. The crowd was good, at times making for slow walking in the main aisles. Many of the tackle vendors said business was good to very good. The floor was full of well-manned booths, and on the first day everyone always seems fresh, and eager to talk.
I talked with many of reps at manufacturer, landing and long range boat displays. They told me things were going well, that reservations are being booked at a better rate than last year’s. Let’s hope this pickup for the fishing business reflects the improving economy. The scene as a whole was one of friendly busyness, with the center of the big building the most active as usual.
That’s where Fisherman’s Landing, representing Royal Polaris, Royal Star, Shogun and Fisherman’s Landing Tackle are located, along with the Exvel, Accurate and Daiwa, the Friends of Rollo, AFTCO and partner Guy Harvey (he’s got two gorgeous new coffee table books for sale), Pt. Loma Sportfishing, and H&M Landing. Red Rooster III, Vagabond, Independence, American Angler and Rancho Leonero were all found in the same zone.
Along the main aisles Paul Sweeney and I located Searcher, Polaris Supreme, Intrepid and Qualifier 105, along with Calstar Rods, Ken’s Custom Reels, Mustad, Seaguar, Seeker Rods, Fish Dope and dozens of others, like Alaskan resorts Sure Strike Lodge and Frontier Charters. We saw resort reps from Mexico and Panama as well.
The tackle vendors are offering some very good deals on new gear. Turner’s has their usual giant store set up on the side, and Bill Boyce has his fantastic array of photos and art in the hallway as you enter the main building.
Dennis Braid showed us his latest and maybe one of his greatest inventions. He’s bringing out a new handle for his short tuna sticks, a “bendable” handle that can be fished straight up or locked into a bent-butt position. He said he’d tested it with 65 pounds of drag, which ought to be enough for anything but orcas or white sharks over 20 feet. The device offers anglers a choice of rod tip up or tip down, making rail use optional as well.
The center building is loaded with fishing craft of many sorts. The adjacent building has vendors, campers and fishing-related items, and the kids have their fishing pond outside. If you get there, don’t forget there are many other displays and events like lectures on the how-to aspects of fishing, from bassing to super long range. I saw Frank LoPreste returning from one of those with a fistful of heavy-duty rods and reels, on his way back to the Fisherman’s Landing counter.
No matter if you’re a panfish fanatic, a basser, trouter, inshore angler or long ranger, you’ll find lots of information and enjoyment at the Hall Show in Long Beach. Now’s the time to sign up for your fishing trips this upcoming fishing season, which has already started in San Diego with a yellowtail bite. Better get down there, and bring the family. You won’t need a sack lunch; there’s plenty of food and drink at the big show, too.
Net Update December 10, 2009
Bill Roecker for FishingVideos.com & the San Diego Sportfishing Council
Shogun Gets 14 Over 200
The Seeker 13-day trip to the Hurricane Bank aboard Shogun with skipper Norm Kagawa returned to Fisherman’s Landing December 10 with 25 anglers.
Chartermaster and Seeker pro staffer Brian Porter of Downey remarked, “We had steady fishing with lots of new people. The fish got bigger as the days passed. We got one fish that broke off on a kite, double-sardine rig and then was caught again the next day, hook to hook, on the one hook that was still dangling from its lip.” Skipper Kagawa said, “Fishing was very good, and we spent four and a half days at the bank. Most of ourt fish came on sardines. Some were caught on very large jigs, like th4e PL 68 and he TNT, during the dark. We got some on big baits like small tuna or skipjack.
“The kite worked well,” Kagawa continued, “and we got a few big wahoo as well. Pat Doyle won the Rollo jackpot for a 52.8-pound wahoo on the troll. This as one of our better trips to the bank.”
Dennis Groat of Redondo Beach won first place for a 233-pound tuna. He also had a 213-pounder. “This one ties for my best,” said Groat. “He was a tough fish and stayed on the stern corner with another one, so we had to keep passing our rods. He came up to gaff in the other corner.”
Groat fished sardines on 6/0 ringed Super Mutu hook, with 100-pound Blackwater fluorocarbon and 100-pound Line One Spectra on an Accurate 50 reel and a Super Seeker 6463 XXXH rod.
Mike Kaneen of Hunting Beach won second place for a 218-pound tuna. He got it with a double sardine rig on the boat’s kite rig: 7/0 Super Mutu hooks on 130-pound Izorline and 130-pound Izorline Spectra, with an Accurate 50 reel and a Super Seeker 6463 XXXH rod. He also had a 213-pounder.
Scott Freeman of Huntington Beach won third place for a 217.8-pound fish that ate a chunk on an 8/0 Super Mutu tied to 130-pound Blackwater fluorocarbon and 130-pound Izorline Spectra. He used a Penn 50 W reel and a Seeker 6455 XXH rod.
All three winners got Seeker trophies for the largest fish caught on that make of rod. Steve Warner of Tillamook got a 217-pound tuna with a sardine on a 6/0 ringed Super Mutu and a one-ounce slip sinker on 130-pound Big Game line and 130-pound Line One Spectra, on a Tiagra 50 reel and a Calstar 6465 XXH rod. His fish scrapped for an hour and 15 minutes.
“He’s my best fish,” said Warner. “He fought for an hour and a half.”
Brian Porter of Downey bagged a brace of cows at 214 pounds each. He said he used 5/0 ringed Super Mutus on 130-pound Big Game fluorocarbon and 130-pound Big Game line with 130-pound Big Game Spectra on an Avet 30 reel and a Super Seeker 2 x 4 rod.
Zach Sewell of Bellevue, ID caught a 209-pound yellowfin and a 203-pounder on sardines and 7/0 ringed Super Mutu hooks. He said he used 130-pound Blackwater fluorocarbon and 130-pound Izorline Spectra on a Penn 50 VSX reel and a Calstar 765 H rod. The fight lasted an hour, he said and the fish beat his previous best tuna by “…about 140 pounds.”
Chad Moody of McMinnville, TN took two, at 204 and 203 pounds. He fished sardines on 6/0 ringed Super Mutu hooks tied to 100-pound Izorline and 130-pound Izorline Spectra. He fished with a Penn 30 SW modified by Cal Sheets and a Calstar 6455 XH rod.
John Miller of Huntington Beach took a 204-pounder with a sardine on a 7/0 Super Mutu hook on 130-pound Izorline and 130-pound Izorline Spectra and the boat’s kite rig.
Craig Werley of Hailey, ID got a 200-pounder in 35 minutes, on a sardine pinned to a 6/0 ringed Super Mutu hook on 100-pound Izorline on a Sheets-treated Penn 50 reel and a Seeker 6460 XXH rod.
Another 200-pounder was caught by Neville Piper.
Trip Correction – Yesterday’s trip aboard the Royal Polaris with skipper Frank LoPreste was wrongly reported as a 10-day Accurate trip with Kevin Leong as chartermaster. Skipper LoPreste told Bill Roecker December 10 that it was Bill Nakaki’s trip, and that it lasted 12 days, with a nine-day flyback option. We apologize for the error.
Net Update September 26, 2009
Bill Roecker for FishingVideos.com & the San Diego Sportfishing Council
Father-Son Trip
An open-party trip of six days aboard the Intrepid with skipper Kevin Osborne turned into a family outing when three father-son teams signed on. One of the teams was Osborne’s father and grandfather. The boat docked at Pt. Loma Sportfishing September 26, with a good catch of yellowtail and miscellaneous species. There were also several large tuna, and two of those took the top spots.
Cedros Island was awesome for yellowtail,” said skipper Osborne. “They bit everything. They liked the blue and white yoyo jigs and surface iron, and they even bit on poppers! There were lots of bird schools.” Eric Parsons of Santa Barbara won first place for a 66.2-pound yellowfin tuna. He said he got it with a sardine on a 2/0 Flyliner hook and 40-pound Seaguar fluorocarbon leader. He said he fished with 50-pound Ande line and 65-pound Power Pro Spectra on an Trinidad 40 reel and a Calstar 765 L rod. “It took 20 minutes,” said Parsons. “He’s my best fish ever.”
Lew Hurlbutt of Tehachapi won second place for a 57-pound tuna, and Francisco Flores of Santa Barbara won third place for a 33.8-pound yellowtail.
Searcher Finds Big Yellowfin
A couple of days at Guadalupe Island produced some dandy yellowfin in the grande size for Art Taylor and his 17 Searcher anglers, who also fished for dorado on kelps and for yellowtail on the Baja coast. Fishing was pretty good, and they got near-limits on the yellows, and “great dorado fishing” in between, said Art.
Tim James of Westminster got the big one, a fine 111.6-pound yellowfin tuna he described as a “butt-kicker.” “He took 200 yards of line and then gave me a lot of trouble up by the bow,” said James. “He came up there, too.” Tim said he baited a sardine on a 3/0 ringed Super Mutu hook tied to 40-pound Seaguar fluorocarbon leader and 50-pound Ande line. He said he used 80-pound Izorline Spectra backing on an Avet HX reel and a custom Calstar 700 H rod by M&M.
Matt Bruce of Mission Viejo bagged an 83.4-pound tuna for second place. Ron Bryan of San Clemente used a new Accurate rod and reel combo to win third place for a 75.8-pounder, and John Curtis of Oxford, England came a long way to catch his honorable mention 74-pound Guadalupe Island yellowfin tuna.
Fishing In The Aquarium
“We decided to try and get even with the kelp area that treated us so poorly the first day,” read the American Angler’s report for September 25.
“We woke up to beautiful weather and the visibility was in our favor. It took us awhile but right before lunch we saw “the one”. There were flats jumping over a large area and when we started getting semi-close to the kelp, the sonar was lit up. The fish were there and they wanted to bite in a big way.
“The dorado were all 15-20lb fish – just about as good a grade as one could ask for and the majority of the tuna that made it to the box were 18-30lb fish. It was pick-your-type-of-fish because it was aquarium style fishing and the bite was as good as it gets.”
Report From Independence September 25
“Today was another very productive day of yellowfin tuna fishing. The fish again were in the 18 to 39 pound range with most being 22 to 35 lbs. We also caught some big dorado, Wahoo and yellowtail to spice up the day. Our weather was sensational; no wind at all the entire day and very little seas. The air temps continue to be in the 90’s. We are now headed to fish yellowtail for the tomorrow, which sounded good, by the reports from the other long-range boats that did that today.”
Big Dodos For Supreme
“We had a phenomenal day fishing quality grade yellowfin tuna,” said the report from Polaris Supreme September 25. “We fished daylight to dark for a really beautiful grade of fish. We also had good numbers on the yellowtail and a good grade of dorado that had some pushing 50 pounds. And our weather, well it has improved considerably. Flat, slick, calm, really nice.”
She Won The Masters
The following account came to FishingVideos.com from Greg Stotesbury of AFTCO, one of the southland’s most respected anglers. We appreciate his insider’s account.
“Knock Down” Masters Report September 14, 2009
by Greg Stotesbury
We fished the Balboa Angling Club’s Master Angler Billfish Tournament (MABT) concurrently with the King Harbor Marlin Clubs Billfish Tournament (KHMC) on Friday and Saturday aboard “Knock Down.” My brother Mike and wife Dara were aboard our 31-foot Contender as crew.
Both tournaments are light tackle, all-release events, which award points for released marlin. We trolled all 16-pound tackle and would be casting and dropping back with 12-pound. I caught our bait Thursday evening in Newport in very sloppy conditions, and we planned to leave at 0300 and head as far west as the conditions would allow. We heard of some fish caught at Clemente and also up near the west end of Catalina, but we knew the weather would probably force us to be at Catalina. We put the jigs in at 0630 just outside Ribbon Rock and planned to work back toward Cat Canyon and the Farnsworth. The water was 69 degrees and blue, with lots of life. There were several boats in the area, and marlin started biting almost immediately.
Dara hooked our first 12-pound tackle fish at 0730 and we had the fish to leader after a one-hour fight. The fish was partially wrapped in the leader, and Mike was reaching for it when the line broke just above the double. We were all very disappointed, but we put the lures in and had a fish in the jigs within 20 minutes. Dara dropped back again just as the flat line jig got bit. Mike had the fish on for a second and Dara hooked a second fish on her 12-pound drop back rig. Mike’s fish fell off, and we released Dara’s 12-pound fish at 0900 at 21/35. Boats all around us were hooked up, and there were many doubles, tailers, feeders and fish being fought in all directions!
The bite went on for almost four hours, and we hooked our second marlin at around 1100 on 16-pound tackle and a mackerel-EAL jig. Dara was on the rod and Mike leadered and released the fish in 35 minutes. Pescador and Reel Time were on doubles, and many boats were pulling on fish in the fleet around us, including: Bandit, End of the Line, Blackfin, Sound Investment, Joker, Pioneer, Hooker, Vertigo and a dozen other boats I can’t remember. It was game on!
We stayed in Cat Harbor, had a great party aboard Mike Blower’s awesome 54-foot Custom/Bertram “Pioneer,” and decided to start out Saturday morning out on the 499. We arrived in the dark and found the life and the warm water, but couldn’t raise a fish. The bite started to pop back in the same area between Ribbon Rock and the Farnsworth, so we ran 10 miles back into the fleet, where Mike immediately found a couple tailers, which didn’t bite. The crowds were heavy and we decided to make a move out to an area at 17/35 where we heard there were some fish.
We made the nine-mile run and immediately found two boats fighting fish in the area. Mike gyroed up a group of tailers and we had a bait picked off on 12-pound tackle. With two hours left in the tournament we had a double on 16-pound on the jigs and Mike’s fish fell off. We released Dara’s third fish for the tournament 30 minutes later, and she was now in the lead for Master Angler. We had another jig double and lost both fish to pulled hooks, and we baited several groups of tailers before lines out, but didn’t hook any more fish. The Offshore, Bounder, Tiger Spirit and Vertigo were all on fish and there were tailers everywhere just before lines out at 6 pm!
When the dust settled, “Offshore” ended up with 5 fish for the tournament, ”Bounder” had 4, “Vertigo” had 3 or 4, “Pescador” had 4 and a bunch of other boats had 2 or 3. There were 69 fish released in the Masters, and well over 100 hook-ups. Randy and Jeff Wood’s “Offshore” was top boat, our Tuna Club Team #1 with “Knock Down”, “Pioneer”, “Joker” and “Charisma”, was top 4-boat team with 9 releases on 12 and 16-pound tackle. Dara Stotesbury was Master Angler with a 12-pound release, and two 16-pound tackle releases. She was also the first woman ever to win Master Angler in the BAC tournament, and was very happy to be on top!
“Knock Down” was top boat in the KHMC Tournament, and Dara was high angler in the event with her three marlin on 12 and 16-pound tackle.
Star Of India Returns To Embarcadero
Robyn Gallant
Sent: Thursday, Sept 10, 2009
Maritime Museum of San Diego
619-234-9153 ext. 123
Historic American Icon Comes Home
EMBARCADERO— After over three weeks in dry dock for mandatory repairs and US Coast Guard inspections, the Star of India will be tugged back to her berth on the embarcadero tomorrow.
A Welcome Home party is planned for September 11 in front of the Maritime Museum. Anticipated arrival time of the Star is between 11:30am-12:30pm; however, festivities begin at 11am.
The Star of India was launched when Abraham Lincoln was President 146 years ago and is the oldest active sailing ship in the world. Welcome Home party will include a special appearance by “Abe Lincoln”, patriotic music by the United States Navy Band, photo ops with historic costumed characters, flag waiving, food specials and much more. The public is welcome to come down to the museum and participate in the festivities. Adults can tour the Maritime Museum for the price of a child’s ticket of $8. Kids 12 and under get in free. Discounts on admission valid until 1pm only.
A Star of India picnic special of a hot dog, chips and drink available for $5 from 10am-1pm. Discounts for items at Elephant and Castle restaurant available as well. The public can call 619-234-9153 ext. 123 for more information.
About the Maritime Museum of San Diego
The Maritime Museum of San Diego enjoys a worldwide reputation for excellence in restoring, maintaining and operating historic vessels. The museum has one of the world’s finest collections of historic ships, including the world’s oldest active ship the Star of India. The museum is located on the Embarcadero in downtown San Diego at 1492 North Harbor Drive, San Diego, CA 92101. The telephone number for general inquiries is 619-234-9153. Additional information can be found on the museum’s website at www.sdmaritime.org.
Net Update September 5, 2009
Bill Roecker for FishingVideos.com & the San Diego Sportfishing Counci
Bluefin Out The Window
Justin Fleck found biting bluefin near dusk on two evenings at the end of his seven-day Pat Gallagher trip, and scored big on both bunches of 30 to 50-pounders.
“I looked out the starboard side last night and saw about a school that looked like more than 500 bluefin turning just under the surface,” the Excel skipper told dock reporter Bill Roecker September 5 at Fisherman’s Landing. “I spun the boat around and we went right to work, and caught about 100.
“We went to Cedros, Guadalupe Island and offshore,” he continued. “We got some fish everywhere, and we got this one big dodo.”
The dorado proved to be the new (2009 to 2010) season’s best, at 52.8 pounds, caught by Stan Seal of San Francisco, on a sardine, a ringed 2/0 Super Mutu hook, 40-pound Seaguar fluorocarbon and 40-pound P-Line. Stan used a Sealine 50 W reel and a seven-foot Ugly Stick rod.
“He’s my best dodo,” said Stan. “He jumped four times, ran to the stern and back up the side twice.” Another large fish, a 39.2-pound halibut, was caught by Randy Dixon of San Dimas, on a sardine and a 5/0 ringed Super Mutu tied to 40-pound Big Game line. He used a TLD 30 reel and a Seeker Black Steel 6060 rod. Dixon brought his flattie into the jackpot lineup.
Chartermaster Pat Gallagher of Ventura brought his first-place, 77.4-pound yellowfin into the lineup, too. He said it bit on a double sardine rig under the kite. The ‘dines were hung on 5/0 Eagle Claw hooks, on one of the boat’s kite outfits.
Kirk Buteyn of Santa Monica won second place for a 68.5-pounder, and Jon Scobey of Memphis, TN won third place for a 62.2-pound Guadalupe Island yellowfin tuna.
Lots ‘O Skins
Twenty anglers aboard Polaris Supreme with owner-skipper Tom Rothery returned to Fisherman’s landing September 5 after the nine-day Gary Roberts annual charter. They had a good catch of wahoo and yellowfin tuna, along with over five dozen dorado.
“We released a lot more dorado,” remarked Rothery. “Most of them were big enough to keep, but the guys decided to release them.”
Jason Campbell of Long Beach won first place for a 66-pound yellowfin. He said he bagged it with a sardine on a 2/0 Mustad hook tied to 30-pound P-Line on a Pro Gear 540 reel and a Terramar six and a half-foot rod. Peter Gutierrez of Monrovia won second place for a 65.8-pound tuna, and Mike Baynes of Mission Viejo got third place for a 64.6-pound yellowfin tuna.
Three-Day Gets Shortfin
“We are back from the 3 day open, read Intrepid’s report for September 4.
“Jackpot winners are:
1st Place Marcus Boutros, 98.2 lb BFT
2nd Place Larry Applegate, 95.2 lb BFT
3rd Place Chris Ben, 93.8 lb BFT
“There were 13 other Bluefin tuna landed on the trip, from 73.6 pounds to 89.4 pounds. Great job! We left this morning on The Anglers Choice Eight-day with Luc and his gang, heading South.”
Red Rooster III Roundup
The five-day trip skippered by Joe D’Aquisto returned September 4 after fishing at Guadalupe Island. Chartermaster Arnie Cohen was aboard, and the trip scored over 100 albacore as well as bluefin, yellowfin, seven wahoo and an opah of just under 100 pounds.
1st Place: Wayne Sebern of Grover Beach, 71.7-pound yellowfin
2ND Place: Ed Scheenstra of Ontario, 69.4-pound yellowfin
3RD Place: Sam Levin of Prescott, AZ, 69.2-pound yellowfin
Net Update August 24, 2009
Bill Roecker for FishingVideos.com & the San Diego Sportfishing Counci
Sliding Down
“Pulling them back and not taking the Guadalupe Express, we decided to stop short with the local fishing on the upswing,” reported American Angler August 24.
“Waking up to great weather and yesterday’s hot spot, we found out today we had to go looking somewhere else. By lunchtime we found ourselves in a new area scratching nicely at premium grade albacore and yellowfin. Giving it as long as we could before having to slide down to the big island – our trip is off to a great start.
Richard Orosco and star crewmember, Cameron, show off one of these beautiful grade albacore.”
Albacore Limits
“We had an amazing day, with limits of albacore,” said the Royal Polaris report August 24, “and also some nice dorado, yellowfin and bluefin to 50 pounds. Tomorrow we will try again offshore.”
Quality Yellowfin For Star
“We had a very enjoyable day of fishing today,” reported Brian Sims for the Royal Star August 24.
“We had steady scratching from morning through the late afternoon on beautiful 55 to 70-pound yellowfin tuna. We finished up with 56 fish for our experienced anglers. With the potential here for a really big day, we are spending the night and will be hard at it in the morning.”
Cedros Yellowtail On the Nibble
“The fishing here at Cedros Island continues to hold steady,” said the Shogun report for August 24.
“We targeted the school sized yellowtail and they bit well early this morning. Sardines and yo-yo jigs were a sure thing. A few moves with each stop resulting in a few more yellows in the 18 to 20-pound range until Norman pointed us toward the lee, targeting those premium grade fish. Well they bit for us once again, crashing around the boat giving great sport for those throwing surface iron. Now we are anchored up island fishing bass with a few yellowtail still grabbing plastics, dinner in flat calm conditions and then we’re running toward home.”
Net Update August 7, 2009
Bill Roecker for FishingVideos.com & the San Diego Sportfishing Counci
Making Of A Fisherman
Tim Ekstrom backed Royal Star into her slip at Fisherman’s Landing August 7 after the five-day Jason Hammond fifth annual trip. The 24 anglers aboard fished offshore and at Guadalupe Island, where Ekstrom described catching yellowfin by all normal methods during a protracted scratch.
“We saw lots of fish,” he told dock reporter Bill Roecker. “Some bite, some don’t. We had a good night bite for big yellowtail. They were 30 to 40-pounders, and they bit well on scad slabs, but Whitey (white sharks) took his share.
“Fishing offshore the first day, we came on a school of bluefin at the surface and crewman Greg Tanji threw a surface jig on them as we slid up. An 80-pound bluefin jumped out of the water and did a complete flip and came down on the jig. Wow!”
Chartermaster Jason Hammond won first place for a 72-pound yellowfin. He said he got it with a sardine on a 6/0 Eagle Claw hook. He used 50-pound Balckwater fluorocarbon leader, 50-pound P-Line and 65-pound Izorline Spectra on a Penn 12 LT reel and a Calstar 760 L rod.
Roger Hegyi of Laguna Niguel took his 14-year-old son Kevin with him. Roger won second place for a 67.5-pounder. It was Kevin’s first trip, and he caught a wonderful bunch of mixed tuna.
The pair posed for pictures. Kevin goes to Aliso Viejo High, where he is a quarterback in football and also plays baseball.
“He plays lead guitar, too,” said Roger. “He’s got a wonderful life in front of him.” “I had a great time,” said Kevin. “I’ll be coming back again.” Todd Fraser won third place for a 67-pound Guadalupe
Brace of Heifers
“Guadalupe was good to us again,” says the American Angler report for August 6.
“The boat backed in this morning after a bumpy ride home, once again with a beautiful load of Yellowfin Tuna, two of which were over 100 pounds, and Yellowtail. Thanks to all who joined the trip, we appreciated you coming fishing with us!”
Jackpot winners
First place tie : Ron Hatada 105 pounds Yellowfin Tuna
First place tie : John Phillips 87 pounds YFT
Third place: Don Garcia 69 pounds YFT
Honorable mention: Tad Hirai 100 pounds YFT
Staying Out of the Wind
Royal Polaris was at Guadalupe Island, where most of the best fishing has been lately. The lee side of the island offers shelter from the northwest wind, and is also usually the best place to catch the big yellowfin tuna that hang out there in summer. “Well, all good things must come to an end,” said the report for August 6. “We had big change in weather. We had 18 to 22 knots of breeze, with clear skies, and sunny. Even though we had a change in weather, the fishing continues to be good at the loop. “We had steady fishing until it was time to depart for Cedros island. Quality of the Yellowfin continue to be excellent with most of the fish in the 45 to 50 pound category, with the larger ones in the 70 to 80-pound bracket. We had 43 Yellowfin for our efforts. With the lack of Yellowtail at Guadalupe in the area we were fishing, Aaron made the decision to move east and try our luck at some Yellowtail at Cedros and San Benitos.”
Net Update July 30, 2009
Bill Roecker for FishingVideos.com & the San Diego Sportfishing Counci
Cedros Jig Biters
Taka Tanaka’s annual five-day trip returned aboard the Royal Polaris with skipper Roy Rose on July 30. The 36 anglers got off at Fisherman’s Landing and Roy weighed the best of the catch.
“We fished offshore and at Cedros Island,” said Taka. “They were biting on jigs at the island, mostly on the yoyo jig. They also bit on the flyline.”
Zack Mouravian of Brea won the jackpot for his 30.6-pound yellowtail. He said it took a sardine in a 4/0 ringed Super Mutu hook. He used 40-pound Izorline on a Penn 4/0 reel and a Calstar 765 L rod wrapped by Luis at Taka Tanaka’s Tackle store.
Brian Fraser of La Palma won second place for a 24.4-pound yellow, and Keith Desroche of Buena Park took third place for a 20.2-pounder. John Woodward stood in with the group with his 20-pound yellowtail. 22 And Still Going
Excel docked at Fisherman’s Landing July 30, and skipper Justin Fleck tied her to the pier and offloaded his anglers and their catch. The five-day trip was the 22nd annual Sogioka-Stires charter, perhaps the longest-running charter of them all.
Beans Sogioka, the only man over 80 years old that Bill Roecker has met who can say he caught six cow tuna on one trip, was aboard, and other anglers said he was still the hot stick.
Don Sogioka of Ventura won first place for a 63-pound bluefin. That slugger bit on a sardine and a 4/0 ringed Super Mutu hook. He said he tied it to 40-pound pink Yo-Zuri fluorocarbon. He fished with an Avet LX reel and a Calstar 700 M rod. Don used a two-ounce rubber core sinker to het his bait down about 100 feet, where the tusker bluefin picked it up and then continued on its way into the depths.
Lee Erlandson of Rancho Mirage won second place for a 55.7-pound yellowfin. Steve Wenzel of Redlands won third place for a 50-pound yellowfin.
Chris Erlandson, 17, fished with his dad Lee and got a nice bluefin on 20-pound line, but had to earn the fish with an hour-long battle that tired him about as much as the fish. He posed for a picture with his dad. Chris will be attending Pitzer College in Claremont. He plays football and basketball.
Five Is Enough
Tommy Rothery brought his Polaris Supreme home from a five-day trip with 21 anglers on July 30. His fishermen had a nice catch of mixed tuna and yellowtail.
Paul Oates of Huntington Beach won the jackpot for a 58.6-pound yellowfin tuna. He said he bagged it with a sardine on a 2/0 ringed Super Mutu hook and 50-poudn P-Line. He used a TLD 30 reel and a Calstar 765 L rod. Cody Emerson of Victorville won second place for a 53.6-pound tuna, and Al Preschutti of Mammoth Lakes took third place for a 52.8-pounder.
There were three generations of Emersons aboard the Supreme, and they posed for Roecker’s camera: Cody, his dad Mark of Victorville and granddad Dick Emerson of Rowland Heights.
Unreal
“The day started out slower than the previous morning, as expectations were high,” said the American Angler report July 29, “but there was little sign of fish. It took a while but when we located the fish, it was quite the show, as the 30 to 60-pound fish were free swimming in the water and they were actually biting too good. They were eating heavy line right out of the gate, but there was so much going on we had some massive multiple fish tangles. Everyone on the boat would have one on and there was fish after fish going through the corner unmolested.
Gary Teraoka from Accurate reels put one of Jack’s new reels to the test, landing his 105-pound fish on the new B2-500 reel.
The dream continued when we left that stop and went fishing for yellows and had limit-style fishing on mixed grade yellows.
We understand that fishing is not normally this good but at least we now have a new high standard to always shoot for.
Luck Or Savvy?
“As we start our last day of fishing in the offshore grounds,” read the report from Intrepid July 30, “one has to think that we are extremely lucky or maybe we have some skill and some fishing savvy here on the Intrepid. We chose to hunt in an area where we knew the fish would be migrating through.
“At 6:30 am we found our temperature break and began working that edge. Textbook results! We got on a school of Bluefin Tuna at 7:00 am and are still drifting with them. The balloon is working well, along with a choice sardine on the flyline, without another boat in sight or within 20 miles of us and beautiful weather. What a great way to top off an already great trip!”
Net Update July 26, 2009
Bill Roecker for FishingVideos.com & the San Diego Sportfishing Counci
Excellent Albacoring
“Our fishing was fine, just excellent,” said Royal Star skipper Brian Sims July 26 at Fisherman’s Landing. He had just returned from a five-day trip with 25 anglers.
“The fish were down yesterday, but that’s okay. They be back up shortly.”
George Green of San Clemente won the jackpot. His albacore weighed 39.5 pounds, one of many in the jumbo size range taken by the Star’s anglers. Green said he got it with a sardine on a 4/0 ringed Flyliner hook. He used a 40-pound Shimano wind-on leader and 65-pound Line One Spectra. George had the first jackpot on the new Accurate B-2 500 reel and also used an Accurate seven-foot rod.
Baja Paddy Hoppers
The 16th anniversary of Sherman Lim’s charter group arrived July 26 aboard the Independence with skipper Jeff DeBuys at the helm. There were 29 Paddy Hoppers aboard the five-day trip with the boat tied up at Pt. Loma Sportfishing.
“We had good weather, and we saw some boomer albacore schools,” said DeBuys to dock reporter Bill Roecker at the scales. “We fished a bit at The Bush, Cedros and offshore.”
Mike Takaki of Torrance won first place for his 37-pound albacore. He used a sardine on a 3/0 Mustad hook, with 30-pound Izorline, and Avet JX reel and a Calstar 800 ML rod.
Takaki was tied by his brother Rick, also of Torrance. Rick’s 37-pound fish was a bluefin tuna. The pair posed with third-place winner Mike Giardino of San Pedro, who got a 36.8-pound albacore. Albacore Galore
Art Taylor docked his Searcher July 26 after a five-day trip with 24 passengers. He weighed the best of the catch on the certified scales at Fisherman’s Landing.
Kevin Weber of Cota de Caza won first place for a 40-pound albacore that took a sardine on a 3/0 Mustad hook, 30-pound Seaguar fluorocarbon leader and 30-pound Ande line. He fished with a Trinidad 40 reel and a seven-foot Calstar rod.
Gary Atkins of Palmer Lake CO won second place for a 39.6-pound albacore. Kim Day of Wilson took third in the jackpot for his 38-pound jumbo albacore.
Boy Cracks JP Lineup
Sixteen was a lucky number for at least one Intrepid angler when the boat arrived at Pt. Loma Sportfishing July 26.
“Another fun day on the Intrepid,” wrote skipper Kevin Osborne July 25. “Today was fun in a different way, as we chose to go kelp patty hopping around the ocean. We were rewarded with big bull Dorado and nice grade Yellows for our efforts. We found a spot of porpoise and picked up Yellowfin on the jigs as a bonus. We want to thank The Rod Rack and BloodyDecks.com for their support and a fun trip all around.”
Bluefin highlighted the jackpot spots. Joey Horvatch of Camarillo won first place for a 43.8-pounder, best fish of the day. Joey said he fished a sardine on a 3/0 Flyliner hook tied to 40-pound Seaguar fluorocarbon leader and 40-pound Izorline XXX mono, and Avet JX reel and a Calstar 700 H rod.
Glen Kennedy of Thermal got second place for a 42.4-pounder, and 16-year-old John Normoyle of Fremont tied him with an identical bluefin. John will actually turn 16 July 27, and he will be going to Washington High in Fremont.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Catherine Miller 619-889-4322
Or H&M Landing at 619-222-1144
FISHING STIMULUS PACKAGE FOR THE UNEMPLOYED
Stressed and out of work? H&M Landing is offering up a unique prescription, a “Fishing Stimulus Package” for the unemployed. Their advice, “Go Fishing!”. Not only will a fishing trip to sea help soothe worries, it can result in a bountiful return for the dinner table. H&M Landing is extending an unprecedented discount to make it affordable.
They are calling it H&M Landing’s FISHING STIMULUS $100 Mondays. On Mondays in July, people who have been laid off from their jobs can take a Full Day Outer Banks fishing trip for a ticket price of $100. That’s a savings of $85- $125.
The program, good for fishing on Mondays July 13, July 20 and July 27 only, requires showing an unemployment check stub and ID at the ticket office. Reservations are required and reference must be made to the Fishing Stimulus Package.
Q. Who is eligible for H&M’s special Fishing Stimulus Discount?
A. Those who are currently receiving unemployment benefits from the State of California, those whose benefits ran out within the last month, those who have applied for unemployment and have an award notice and active State of California employees who are on the state-mandated furlough program.
Q. What do I need to bring to receive H&M’s special Fishing Stimulus Discount?
A. Those receiving California unemployment benefits need to bring the stub from the weekly claim form, and a photo ID. Those who have been approved for unemployment benefits, but have not received a check yet, need to bring their award notice. Those who work for the State of California need to bring a state-issued employee ID, or a State of California paycheck stub.
Q. My employment benefits have run out. Can I still get H&M’s special Fishing Stimulus Discount?
A. H&M Landing will accept an unemployment check stub issued in June or July 2009 from the State of California.
Fishing is full swing in San Diego this summer. Full Day Outer Banks fishing trips target Albacore, Tuna, Yellowtail and other migratory species. Trips depart at 10 PM and return between 7 PM and 9 PM the day of fishing. Sleeping accommodations are provided on board.
Established in 1935, H&M Landing is the West Coast’s Oldest Most Experienced Sportfishing Company. H&M Landing offers a full range of fishing trips including ½ Day trips to the Point Loma Kelp Beds, ¾ Day trips to the Coronado Islands, Full Day, 1.5 Day and 2 Day trips Offshore and multiday trips to the waters of Baja.
More information is available at www.hmlanding.com. For reservations call: 619-222-1144.
Net Update July 11, 2009
Bill Roecker for FishingVideos.com & the San Diego Sportfishing Council
Brown Sixer Gets Yellows
Rick Kelly docked Intrepid July 11 at Pt. Loma Sportfishing following a six-day Larry Brown charter that fished at Cedros Island and offshore with 14 anglers. The group had limits of yellowtail.
Sang Vo of Garden Grove won first place for a 37.2-pound yellowtail. He said he got it with a sardine on a 2/0 Super Mutu hook on 30-pound Izorline. He fished with a Trididad 20 reel and a Calstar 800M rod.
Mark Lievrecht of Woodland Hills won second place for a 20.2-pounder, and Chris Pollack of San Diego got third place for a 19.6-pound yellowtail.
Bob Gurbuz of LA bagged a 27.2-pound halibut.
Vagabond Limits On Longfin
Mike Lackey docked his Vagabond at Pt. Loma Sportfishing July 11 after a two and a half-day trip that got limits of albacore, along with a good catch of bluefin tuna for the 25 fishermen.
Anglers aboard said they released at least 100 albies, and that the boat had to keep driving away from schools of albacore in order to pursue bluefin. The trip was a Dick Rhinehart charter, and Dick took second place.
Scott Ocheltree of San Diego won first place for a 42-pound bluefin that bit on his sardine and a 2/0 Mustad hook. He told Bill Roecker that he used a25-pound Ande line on a Saltiga 20 reel and a Sabre six-foot rod. Chartermaster Rinehart got second for an albacore that weighed 40 pounds on the boat but was unfortunately cut for food, so there was no photo or dock weight.
Keith Byrne of Temple won third place for a 36-pound bluefin tuna.
Dockwork Never Ends
The surface fishing season is in full swing now, and the docks are mostly empty and quiet during the daylight hours. The redshirts that work for fisherman’s Canning at Fisherman’s Landing are busy, though, and lately they repaired the non-skid surface on the ramps.
The ramps got a new coat of paint with reflective material, as the boys worked to get it done between boat arrivals.
A Plethora Of Longfin
“Excellent, excellent, excellent albacore fishing!” said the report from Polaris Supreme July 10. “And fair hits on the 30-pound bluefin to go with it. Beautiful weather. Everyone is having an excellent time. This is probably the best albacore fishing in four to five years. This is a great time to get out. And just to mention it again, we are only a few spots away from making our 3-day on the 16th a go. Call Susan if you can come out with us.”
Mighty Big Wahoo
“We have changed our game plan for the remaining fishing time we have left on our 8 day adventure,” wrote Red Rooster III skipper John Grabowski July 10.
“Yesterday I reported seeing pretty good sign of wahoo where we are and we landed one fish around 70 pounds. Well, today the sign of wahoo went from pretty good to I would have to say very good. The amount of fish we saw today on the (sonar) machines was impressive to say the least, however, it did not bite all that well.
“The size is also very impressive, we had 35 wahoo today from 40 to 90 pounds (that 90 pounds is a guess, it could be bigger or a few pounds smaller) and we had a lot of fish from 50 to 70 pounds in the 35 fish that came aboard. It was regulation wahoo fishing; see the fish with the sonar, and if you did get a strike or they responded to the bait you got the chance for some. If what we saw today acts even the least bit right, we could be in for a fun day tomorrow, time will only tell. Needless to say the excitement level around the boat for what could happen tomorrow is high. If we can scratch what we had today we will be stoked.
“We also had 30 more of the 40 to 70 pound tuna today (we did not spend much time trying for tuna) and 40 dorado, it was an exciting, action-packed day. Our weather continues to be picture perfect, and we are waiting to see what this place has to offer tomorrow with baited breath. Water temperature 72.7 degrees, good night.” Red Rooster III will dock at H&M Landing tomorrow morning.
Sensational Weather, Fishing
“Weather was sensational,” said the Royal Polaris report for July 10. “Fishing was as good as it gets. We caught 90 Bluefin tuna and limits of Albacore in the 18 to 24-pound category. From 15:00 hours to 19:00 we actually ran away from large schools of Albacore.
“We are hoping for some Halibut in the morning and then a few Reds. Wish us luck and enjoy the photo.”
Net Update July 5, 2009
Braid Trip Scores First Bigeye
Jan Howard was the Braid rep aboard the Excel when skipper Justin Fleck returned to Fisherman’s Landing after an eight-day trip July 5.
“We fished at Alijos Rocks for two days,” said Jan, “and another day on The Ridge, where we had full-speed yellowtail fishing for three hours. They bit on bait or jigs, with all methods, and the fish were 18 to 35 pounds with a few bigger ones.
Don “Big Daddy” Burnside won first place for a 90.7-pound tuna he got with a double trouble sardine rig under the fishing kite. Don said the rig featured 8/0 Eagle Claw hooks, 100-pound blue Line One Spectra on an Avet 30 reel and a Calstar 7465 rod.
Roland Reesby of San Clemente won second place for a 72.8-pound tuna, and rod builder Jim Kastorff was breathing down the back of Roland’s neck with a 72.6-pound yellowfin.
A bluefin tuna was caught at Alijos Rocks, an unusual event, and the season’s first quality bigeye, a 50-pounder, came to Steve Alexander of Truckee at The Rocks.
Chartermaster Takes Second JP Spot
Chartermaster Mike Shirer of Chino Hills won second place in the jackpot on his eight-day trip aboard the Intrepid with 20 passengers. Skipper Kevin Osborne brought the boat in to Pt. Loma Sportfishing July 5.
Al Gardner of Grass Valley won first place for a 110.6-pound yellowfin tuna that slurped in the double trouble sardine rig on the kite. Osborne said the hooks were 6/0 ringed Super Mutus on the boat’s rig, with 80-pound Izorline Spectra on an Avet 50 reel and a Seeker 6463 XXXH rod.
Jess Drake of Westminster won third place for a 72.2-pound Alijos Rocks yellowfin tuna.
Spiders Woof At Rocks
Tim Ekstrom and Randy Toussaint took their 25 anglers to Alijos Rocks, where they spent four enjoyable days anchored on a spot that produced about ten tuna per rod. They also made a decent catch of better yellowtail.
The skippers were pleased with the trip, and Toussaint remarked that the water at the rocks was up to 68.5 degrees, and that another boat had made a fleeting contact with a wahoo, another season’s first. The trip was a combined charter that included members of a long-standing group known as the Barking Spiders.
John Warren of Ocean City, NJ won first place for a 112.5-pound tuna. He said he got that one with a sardine on a 4/0 ringed Super Mutu hook on 40-pound Seaguar fluorocarbon leader, 40-pound Ande main line and 65-pound Izorline Spectra backing on a TLD 30 reel and a Calstar 6460 rod. The fish fought for 40 minutes.
Jeff Cox of Westchester won second place for a 111-pound tuna he caught on 40-poundline, and Chris Hendrickson of Mission Viejo got third place for a 105.5-pound Alijos Rocks yellowfin tuna.
Steve Hill of Santa Ana stood in with the lineup for his 54-pound yellowtail, a fish that ate his sardine and lost a battle on 40-pound line.
Net Update June 26, 2009
Big Fish For Young Anglers
Roy Rose brought Royal Polaris home from the annual five-day family trip June 26. About half the 36 passengers were kids. Many of them caught the largest fish of their lives, yellowtail almost as long as the kids were tall. The trip spent time at Cedros Island and also offshore, where a few albacore were caught along with a couple of the season’s best bluefin tuna. The boat had limits of yellowtail, and anglers aboard said the smaller fish caught first were nearly all on jigs, while a batch of big ones caught the next day on the other side of the island were nearly all on bait.
Mike Darakjian of San Clemente found an 81.4-pound bluefin tuna with a sardine on a 2/0 ringed Super Mutu hook. He wrestled the first-place tuna for 30 minutes on 30-pound Seaguar flourocarbon leader and 30-pound blue Izorline, with a Penn 555 reel and a Calstar 870 rod.
Not seen is Kevin Wyman of Laguna Niguel, who got a 44.4-pound Cedros Mossback, which won second place in the adult jackpot.
Annie Vellonakis (daughter of well-known RP big tuna regular Stas) won third place for her 42-pound bluefin, decking it in 15 minutes after it took a sardine disguised with 35-pound Blackwater fluorocarbon leader. The kids posed for a lineup shot with some of their best fish. I say some because some fish weren’t available for pictures, having gone to the processors. The kids grabbed what was still there for a top of the dock shot. In the lineup shot are Hanna Hibbs, 12, with a 45-pound yellow, Dominic Mulay, 9, who got a 41.6 pounder, Anthony Mulay, 6, 37.8 pounds, Olivia Bohrer, 11, 34 pounds, Samantha Bohrer, 8, 35 pounds, and Conner Braun, 12, who caught a 37.2-pounder. That fish was fourth in the junior jackpot.
Alijos & Cedros
The annual Thom Hultgren Memorial eight-day trip aboard Red Rooster III returned to H&M Landing June 26 with chartermaster George Daniels. Several members of BloodyDecks.com were aboard, involved in a boat-to-boat contest with other members aboard Intrepid for the best fish. Winners will be known tomorrow when the other boat arrives.
“Another nice day of fishing with trophy size yellows,” reported Cates June 24, “and skiff runs for Calico Bass. We spent the day in various parts of the Island and everyone got a chance to fish from the little boats. The great yellowtail fishing was all done on the big boat. No yellows in the skiffs, although the bass fish was very good.”
The best fish on the Rooster wasn’t eligible for the jackpot. The 133-pound yellowfin tuna was caught by Rooster regular Hans Rueckert of Granada Hills on a sardine and a 3/0 ringed Super Mutu. Hans said he had 80-pound Spectra backing on a Trinidad 40 reel and a Calstar 700 H rod.
“He almost killed me,” said Rueckert. “He fought for an hour on 40-pound Izorline and took me around the boat three times. I’m lucky I got no hair; I couldn’t lose any more.”
Dave Malmberg of Encinitas won the jackpot for a 61.6-pound yellowfin tuna. He said it came on a sardine and a 2/0 ringed Super Mutu hook tied to 30-pound Seaguar fluorocarbon leader and 65-pound Spectra on an Avet JX reel and an unknown make of rod.
On his first long range trip, Chris Gault of Upland won second place for a 61.3-pound yellowfin. Alec Robbie of San Clemente took third place for a 59.1-pound tuna that he got with a borrowed 870 Accurate reel and 40-pound Blackwater Fluoro.
“I did better than I’ve ever done,” said Alec to Bill Roecker at the scales. “I got my best yellowfin ever on the kite with a double sardine rig.”
Alec was on last year’s trip, and after that started a fishing club at his high school.
Confirms Report
“Great report Bill I was on the Legend the same time you were and your report and mine are almost the same. Boy was it a blast seeing those jumpers all day.”
John Collis (by email June 25, 2009)
They Liked It, Too
“Bill, the girls and I wanted to tell you thanks for including us in your awesome article, you are a great journalist. It was quite a trip. We ended the trip with 106 pounds of filets, Mario did a nice job vacuum packing it in about an hour while we waited. We are about to grill our first batch tonight when friends come over.
Well thanks again for your company, if you ever make an appearance here at the Bass Pro Shops Rancho Cucamonga let me know the girls would like to say hi.
Regards, Steve Rodriguez, Alta Loma (by email June 25, 2009)
Polaris Supreme Kids Trip (by Larry Brown, Chartermaster)
After locating the fish at the south end of Cedros Island it seemed like every single bait or iron tossed or dropped was nailed ferociously by a mean hungry yellowtail. We were on our 9th annual kids themed trip and this time we had 10 kids, 3 grandparents, eight proud dads and a few other anglers.
At first we were focused on getting all the kids bendo, which was quite easy as the yellows were hungry and cooperative. Several of the kids were already veterans from our prior trips and needed no help at all and in fact had several fish before many of the adults got bit. Veteran teenage angler, Daniel Delgado, was on fire through out the trip and started helping the other kids and adults with advice, mentoring and hook and hands. These were the perfect sized yellowtail to start the trip; 15 to 20 pounds of solid muscle and fight. Jason and Daniel Davis, two eight year old twins from Bozeman, Montana joined their dad, Scott, and Grandpa Dan on the trip and had never tackled anything except their local trout and walleye. These kids were already addicted fresh water anglers and learned rapidly how to fight and follow their fish around the boat.
Although they accepted every hook and hand fish offered throughout the trip, it was really cool and very gratifying to see them pin on a bait, drop it in, get bit and land many of their fish all by themselves. These kids are fishing fools and will be back for many more trips.
Daniel Jacobsen (yes, we had 4 Daniels) was another veteran teen on board and had his way with yellowtail, after yellowtail. Both teen Daniels outfished most of the adults.
Proud papas, Fritz Jacobsen and Danny Delgado, along with all of the other dads were so happy and proud when their kids were at the rail trying to get bit or using all their muscle and wit to land these fish. Ian Campbell, also from Bozeman, joined his dad Clint and Grandma Kate on the trip.
After tagging beautiful grade yellowtail on our first day at the island, we started our hunt for quality. Captain Tommy Rothery wanted to give us a shot at the world-class, trophy yellowtail Cedros Island frequently produces. A 15-pound yellowtail is a very tough fighting machine. A couple new anglers were a little intimidated by the thought of 30 and 40-pound monsters. We were soon rewarded. Huge boils in our chum line caused our group adrenaline to jump start and we were shortly on to a new game.
Amazed and dazed during the action but sore and satisfied that evening we all shared stories of the gigantic yellows we conquered and all the ones that got away. Every angler earned one of these trophy fish and lucky or skilled anglers landed several.
Returning kids, Alex Bravo, Sydney Mack, and Annie and Alan Burgess, also had great trips retaining the skills from their prior voyages. Alex Jr was on fire for a couple of hours when he caught more fish than Alex Sr, although dad seemed to always kick off the bites and certainly was one of the hot sticks for the trip. Teenager Annie Burgess landed a 39.4-pound yellowtail to secure the first place in the kids division jack pot. Sydney Mack brought her cousin Dominic Ortiz along and they swept 3rd and 2nd with monster fish of 35.6 and 35.8, respectively.
Alan Burgess was proud of his kids, Alan and Annie, and also of his Dad, Bob, who got 2nd place in the jackpot for his 39.6-pound yellowtail. Fritz Jacobsen earned 2nd place with his 38 pound fish and lucky me came in first with a 40.2-pound yellow, one of eight caught on the Salas 7X and H/T Transition Jig surface irons. By the way, the best irons on the trip were the old standard Salas 7X for surface and 6XJr for yoyo and the new Transition Jigs by High Tide.
Even the guys without kids had a blast. Dean Hepp is a salmon and steelhead fishing guide out of Orleans, California and had never caught a yellowtail, albacore or bluefin tuna. He scored a grand slam on all species and was also totally surprised by the strength of these fish. Before the end of this trip Deano had booked two more long range trips and invited any of his fellow Supreme anglers to a free guided fishing trip in Northern California. My best friend of 30 years, JC Hardemion, put on a yoyo demo on day one, landing so many fish he had to slow down to manage his limits and leave room for a few trophies. Veteran anglers Rod Cavanaugh and Pete Villareal were new to this trip and had a great time with the kids.
Thanks to all of our generous suppliers for the many raffle items. Shimano generously donated a beautiful Tallus Rod and Tyrnos 2-speed reel. Lori Byron donated a beautiful limited edition print from the Chuck Byron collection for our charity raffle. Thanks also to Salas and High Tide for all the jigs they donated and Izorline for the free line. Thanks to AFTCO for the great shirts and hats, Big Hammer for the swim baits, www.SportFishingReport.com and 976Tuna for the T-shirts and our friends at Western Outdoors. We raised $500 for the MDRA Youth Fishing Program, See www.mdranglers.com.
Also, thanks to Captain Tommy Rothery and the awesome crew of the Polaris Supreme. Congratulations and thanks to Chef Dave for the incredibly awesome cuisine on his first voyage. The prime rib and marinated lamb chops was some of the best ever, the seafood fettuccine Alfredo is a signature dish and your turkey extravaganza was amazing.
Lastly, I want to thank all of our anglers. Seeing you dads and grand parents work and bond with your kids is inspirational. Thanks also to the guys who did not have their own children for their patience, kindness and help with the kids. For all of you reading this trip report, please consider introducing your kids, nephews, nieces, neighbors and grand kids to the joy of fishing. This is the only way our sport will survive. A five-day trip is the perfect venue as it provides the time for learning and developing the skills, the opportunity and time to find good fishing areas of biting fish and the comfort and space of a deluxe long range vessel.
Be sure to call Susan right away at 619/390-7890 to reserve your spot for next year’s kids long range fishing trip. Happy Fishing.
Net Update June 21, 2009
Big Fish Tackle Trip: “It’s Looking Good”
Bill Roecker
Oceanic Productions
P. O. Box 6033
Oceanside, CA 92052-6033
www.FishingVideos.com
760.941.2029
An eight-day trip sponsored by Big Fish Tackle with chartermaster Ron Hirao returned June 21. Skipper Jeff DeBuys docked the boat at Pt. Loma Sportfishing and weighed the best fish in the catch of yellowfin tuna and yellowtail.
“It was a very good trip,” said chartermaster Hirao. “We had good anglers aboard and some good weather, too. On our last day of fishing we got about 70 albacore.”
Gene Okita of Tustin won the jackpot for a 90.8-pound yellowfin tuna he got on the kite with one of the boat’s rigs.
“This is my first kite fish,” he told Bill Roecker at the scales. “It was amazing; he crashed on my squid, and they all screamed, ‘reel, reel!’ I love your website, I always read the reports.”
The kite rig (skipper DeBuys said the group went through three complete kite rotations) put the squid on a 10/0 Mustad 7691 hook, with 130-pound Izorline Spectra on an Avet 50 reel and a Super Seeker 6463 XXH rod. Okita got his fish in 30 minutes, he said.
Rick Berg of Saratoga won second place for a 59.4-pound tuna. He said he took that fish on 25-pound line. Paul Gaines of Colfax won third place for a 59-pound yellowfin he caught on 30-pound line. Wayne Honda of Oceanside got close with a 55-pounder. Anglers aboard the Indy said the surface iron was working well at Cedros Island, where the group stopped to fill out their yellowtail limits on the way home.
Skipper DeBuys said, “We enjoyed classic spring fishing at Alijos Rocks, on a nice grade of yellowfin tuna. The offshore tuna were up yesterday in the morning. I saw some bonafide schools of bluefin and albacore. It’s looking good.”
Scratching
“We started out the trip yesterday with a couple handfuls of bluefin within 1 day range,” said American Angler skipper Brian Kiyohara June 20. “There was decent sign of fish but previous local experience put the equation together. Close to home, good weather, Saturday, and the first good sign of tuna fish in local waters meant that we would not be there on a 3 day.
“We idled down during the night and in the morning with the help of a few other boats we were able to get on some fish. We saw pretty good sign of jumpers throughout the morning but a lot of the spots wanted nothing to do with us. We scratched a few here and a few there and ended up with a respectable 66 albacore and a couple of bluefin.
“Today’s picture shows the Japanese American/bluefin connection. Pictured is Takeuchi (gaffer), Takeshige (angler), Imai (angler) and Kiso (mast man) with our two bluefin of the day.”
Rooster At The Rocks
“We got to the Rocks just before lunch,” Red Rooster III skipper Andy Cates wrote June 20, “and had a decent scratch until about 3:00. Conditions took a turn for the worse and everything swam off. We made a couple of adjustments but nothing paid off after 4:00. It was a slow afternoon.
“We did manage 50 tuna and a dozen yellowtail that we kept. The tuna were 30 to 50 pounds with a couple just a little bigger. With a full day tomorrow we are hoping to have a bigger window of opportunity. If conditions hold up it looks like there is a chance.
“Good kite action for a bit but most fish were taken fly line with 40 pound test We will report again tomorrow.”
Royal Polaris Report June 20, 2009
“Happy Father’s day. We had a scratchy day of fishing offshore, but we end up with 17 Yellowtail and 14 Bluefin. The Bluefin were in the 23 to 30 pound range. The largest Bluefin was caught by Duane Malin.
“Weather today was cool, with overcast skies, and flat seas. We will arrive to Fisherman’s landing at 06:30 hours. We will depart on our annual 5-day family trip at 11:00 hours. Until tomorrow, wish us luck, the R/P crew.”
Royal Star Day And A Half (June 20)
“As the sun came up in the morning we were in beautiful flat calm, bait-filled, clean water, knowing that a great day of fishing awaited us,” said the boat’s report. “It took us until around 10 in the morning to get things located and when we did the bluefin acted like bluefin. Meaning that the visual show above the surface was well worth the ticket price and even though we were hitting spot after spot, it took the perfect presentation to elicit a strike. When all was said and done we landed ten 22 to 35-pound tuna. Our jackpot winner was young Sam Ernst with the 35-pounder.
“On another note in another area the albacore made a pretty good showing for a couple of guys. This other area is in 1 ½-day range. Unless things change substantially we will be chasing albacore on our next day and a half trip Tuesday night. There are still spots available.”
(Note: Bill Roecker and Paul Sweeney plan to be on the boat Tuesday night. Join us for a day of albacore fishing!)
Searcher Report June 20
“Today we are in a different area 140 miles from San Diego. Yesterday there were albacore and bluefin tuna caught by another boat here. We saw lots of fish on the surface but they wouldn’t bite that well.
“We managed to land 28 albies in the 15 to 20 pound range. Some of the other boats in the area had better luck on some of the spots, so they had a little better fish count. The encouraging thing is that this is a different area with what appears to be good signs of fish.
“Things have definitely changed for the better with more fish showing up all the time. There has been a lot of bluefin tuna seen in several different locations so there is hope for the upcoming trips.”
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