2004 Fishing News Archive

October 18 - Final Report

"It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas ..."

What the heck is this wet stuff coming out of the sky? Could this be rain? Being from SoCal, I've never actually seen rain, but I've heard the stories ...

Wasn't it just a couple of weeks ago we were trolling for tournament fish wearing nothing but short pants? Now, seemingly overnight, it's winter. The first band of a major storm has rolled through Southern California, and the main body of a big Aleutian storm is expected to hit tomorrow.

You know the old saying - the marlin clear out with the first winter storm. This is pretty early, but it is a big, cold storm. I don't think it bodes well for anyone hoping to pad their count or compete for last fish of the season.

In spite of the impending weather, several boats actually took a shot at the marlin this weekend. As you might imagine, they didn't find any success. The "fleet" - such as it was - tried to work off of Carlsbad, but the weather was tough enough to pin several of the smaller boats in Oceanside and Dana Point. Just wait until the usual cast of characters file their Trip Reports - they should be interesting ...

Wow ... I'll tell you one place that is hot right now - the baseball playoffs. I just saw David Ortiz win the game for the Red Sox in the 15th inning to send the series back to New York, then a couple of minutes later saw Jeff Kent hit a three-run walkoff homer for the Astros. Not as good as watching the Fish battle the Cubbies last year, but pretty amazing anyway!

Our season might be winding down, but down Cabo way things are just getting started. The Bisbee's Los Cabos Offshore Invitational ended yesterday, and the Black and Blue starts tomorrow. SCMO will be well-represented in the big one, and we should have some great reports in the War Room - if any of them can make it past the bar ...

 

October 14

Ah ... ah ... ah ... CHOO!

This will be a pretty quick report, in part because there's not a lot happening, but also because I'm catching a cold ...

As you might expect for this time of year, there isn't a lot of boats out during the week. We talked in the last report about the "hardheads" who are still working at it, and one of the most dedicated - PESCADOR - scored again today, releasing another fish with a satellite tag. They had to go a long way to find it though - they were 5 miles off the beach at Carlsbad. Several San Diego boats reported catching fish in the same general area today.

Further north, there was a report of marlin seen southeast of the 270 (basically, in the shipping lanes between Palos Verdes and Catalina). Several boats pounded the area pretty hard and, while there was good signs, no fish were caught. There have been recent reports of marlin seen on most of the inshore high spots, including the 14 Mile Bank and the 267, but the only other action I heard of was one hooked near the 209.

I mentioned a while back that I was starting a new job. I'm three weeks into the new assignment now, and I'm discovering a whole new level of stress in my life. I'm the lead manufacturing engineer for the Spaceway 1 satellite, a $175 million bird scheduled for launch early next year. Basically, that means it's my job to document the processes necessary to build the thing from scratch. I've been an ME for quite some time, but this is by far the largest project I've ever had. Naturally, as the size goes up, the amount of time you are given to develop the manufacturing processes goes done. Add to that the fact that just last week NASA released their final report on the accident at Lockheed where a future weather satellite was dropped. Who did the blame for the $138 million accident? The satellite's ME. Like I said - just a little stress.

I'm sure that's playing a role in why I'm catching this cold. Well, that and the fact that ever since marlin season arrived, I haven't been following my Atkins plan as strictly as I should. Just goes to show you - don't cheat! Because of the cold, I've been slow on some of my duties, such as answering email or participating in the forum conversations. But the important stuff - like this update, and processing new MNAC memberships - are getting what little attention I can muster. Hopefully, I'll shake this bad boy by the end of the weekend.

The success found by the few boats out this week should insure that there'll be a fleet this weekend. If you're part of it, be sure to let us know what you find!

October 11

"Here, fishy-fishy..."

It was a mighty quiet weekend on the water, and the reports are down to a trickle. With the kids back in school and the tourney boats off to Cabo, the only folks left on the water are the hardcore and the hardheads. I'll leave it to you to decide which is which ...

What fishing there is is occurring off Oceanside. Several boats, including PESCADOR, released marlin there Saturday, and Dave Pfeiffer and Barry Brightenburg released two of the three fish they had hooked simultaneously off Oceanside (13/33). Note to you newbies - having more fish hooked than you have people on the boat is not necessarily a good thing ...

By Sunday, the water had cooled and the bite had as well. Those boats still fishing were searching for the happy hunting grounds, but had not as yet found them. I talked to the HOOKER crew a couple of hours ago; they said it was looking pretty depressing down there.

We received very few reports of action from the other marlin spots; the only other fish I heard of was one that was released on the Avalon Bank on Saturday. I'm still convinced that you could spend all season pulling plastic on the AB and do better than most.

I had a wonderful sighting this weekend. Not a marlin - I was on the beach. No, I saw an old friend - the Goodyear blimp. Ten months removed from a crash landing into a mulch pit, the airship Spirit of America returned this weekend to the skies above Los Angeles, it's familiar drone a welcome reminder of its presence. So many things change these days ... the blimp is about the last thing left from my childhood and, frankly, it's good to have it back.

Unfortunately, this weekend also meant saying goodbye to a courageous man. Christopher Reeve was seen by most - myself included - as your typical spoiled actor until a riding accident left him paralyzed from the neck down. Faced with the decision of giving up or fighting back, he became a tireless advocate for research into spinal cord injury. He always said that he felt his injury was simply God's plan for him ... perhaps now his job is done.

It's tempting to assume that the season is over, but remember that in each of the last few years there was a late season blast of fish - last year at the 499 and the season before in the lee of San Clemente Island. Will that be the case this year? Stay tuned!

October 7

"Buy me some peanuts and Cracker-Jacks ..."

I'm feeling a little better. Shawn Green and Milton Bradley just hit home runs to tie Game 2 of the Dodgers-Cardinals series at 3 all. We'll see if it's still tied by the time I finish this report ...

With the tourney season behind us and the weather getting a little nip to it, the end of the season is on the horizon. But just how away that horizon is remains to be seen. Tradition says the marlin will han g out until the first serious winter storm, and I haven't heard of anything resembling storm clouds as yet.

The bite off San Onofre continues, although the small number of boats makes it a bit of a trickle and., therefore, difficult to quantify. At least a half-dozen fish have been caught there this week, with ONO and COMANCHE among those scoring. If it continues into the weekend, you can bet there'll be a lot more boats, since the spot is equidistant to both north and south boats and nice and tight to the beach.

Well, that didn't last long. The Cardinals just scored three runs to take a 6-3 lead. Damn ...

It's definitely heading into winter. The surest sign for me here at the Home Office is having to relight the pilot on the wall heater. Living at the beach, you wouldn't think you'd need a heater often. But living in a beach house means no insulation, so the inside is just like the outside. Normally, that's no problem. But there's one or two days each winter when the temperature drops down and you need a little fossil-fuel driven help.

Of course, if the winter is coming, it must be about time for me to start thinking about those off season SCMO projects. Number one among them is the Marlin Tutorial. In between time on the water and time at the site, I have 8 chapters in various states of completion - some roughed out, and others ready for final proofing. Thus, my first task will be to get those online for your winter reading. I'm still accepting suggestions on what chapters you'd like to see next.

Another winter project is scheduled to be the forum upgrade, but I'm having second thoughts. As you might recall, we upgraded our server about 6 months ago in preparation of future projects. Chief among those was to upgrade to the latest version of the software package that runs our forums. Recently, Allcoast upgraded to the same software (with all their traffic, they had no choice), and the reaction has thus far been mixed at best. So since I don't really need to upgrade, I'm adrift on the concept. Here's where you could help. Let me know what you want to see - upgrade or remain the same. Email me with your opinions.

Great ... now it's 8-3 ...

So did you see the flight of SpaceShipOne? If you did, then you know why I think Burt Rutan is a genius. Remember, he's the guy who designed Voyager, the first plane to circumnavigate the world unrefueled back in 1986. It's hanging from the ceiling at the Smithsonian in Washington now, and you can bet they're clearing out a space for SpaceShipOne as we speak ...

Oh well. Cards win, 8-3. At least we're coming back to LA, which is more than the poor Angels say. Watching the local teams take it on the chin the last few days makes me appreciate just how great it was when my Marlins won it all last year.

So ... got any theories on where the swordfish all went? The last couple of years everyone whined about the lack off marlin while the swordfish - both commercial and recreational - had a field day. Now the marlin are here and the broadbill are scarce. Go figure.

I'll probably be on the beach this weekend, as the new job has me working long hours. If I were out, though, I'd be down off San Onofre. It shouldn't be hard to find - just look for the boats trolling among the surfers. If you're in one of those boats, let us know how it goes!

October 4

You want fries with that?

This is our super-sized catchup/recap update to try and cover what's been going on while I've been away. We'll look at where the fish are (and aren't) as well as review the end of the local tourney season. All in an attractive low calorie, low carb product!

I had mentioned before that it would get tough to provide decent updates once I started fishing the tournaments in which I was entered, and that has certainly been the case the last few weeks. I've been in Avalon three and a half days of each of the last two weeks (as the bartenders at Luau Larry's and the Marlin Club can attest) and been struggling the rest of the time to adjust to a new job (which I technically started on Day 1 of the Pesky). I've been providing War Room updates via laptop and participating as I could in the forums, but it's been limited.

To the collective credit of the MNAC membership, most of you understood and were supportive of my efforts. Some, however, were less than pleased with the lack of updates, particularly of the Fishing News. For those of you who took the time to email me your displeasure - in some cases, repeatedly, let me say that I understand your frustration. If I was so lazy that the only way I knew where to fish was to wait for someone at a website to tell me, I'd feel pretty lost, too. Of course, you're only paying $25 a year for access - a small price compared to the $30 a month for that porn site you hang out at when you're not here. But, hey - if you're all that irritated, simply find your news elsewhere. Oh, that's right - there is nowhere else to find all this stuff. My - such a dilemma.

Now that we've dealt with those boneheads, let's get down to business.

We're still looking for that late-season concentration of marlin we've enjoyed the last few seasons. Unfortunately, thus far the fishing has remained scratchy, with only single fish being caught for the most part. Both Peter Babros on NORSELAND and Doug Daniels on PESCADOR got baitfish near the 277 on Saturday, and HOOKER released one Sunday northwest of the 14 Mile Bank. That's me dancing with it to the left. Releasing this one for my father almost makes up for the one I lost Friday ... almost.

The closest thing to a concentration right now would seem to be down south near Oceanside. KAWAKAWA worked an area off Las Pulgas Canyon this weekend with good success. They lost a pair of dropback fish on Friday before landing the baitfish half of a dropback/jigfish double on Saturday. Just for good measure, "Dropback Dara" released another on Sunday. If you want to check out the action yourself, work between these numbers: 14/33 and 22/34. That last pair is so close to shore off the powerplant that it's practically in the surfline - 211 feet deep, according to Greg. Just goes to show - you go where the fish are.

Most of the KAWAKAWA action came as part of the King Harbor Marlin Club's annual event, and is a nifty segue to talking about tourney action.

The KHMC event, running last Friday and Saturday, faced the challenge of a dwindling fish supply. Without a clear indication of where to look, the sixteen boat fleet was spread out over a large area as each team hoped to find the glory hole. That can lead to interesting communication challenges for the tournament organizers, and that was certainly the case for this event.

Most of the tourney boats headed to the west end of Catalina on Friday, where some success had been found the weekend before. Unfortunately, the fish had moved off by then. Worse still, they were so war away that they had no idea that HOOKER and KAWAKAWA, which along with CRACKER JACK had headed south, were finding success. KAWAKAWA was finding - but not catching - fish off San Onofre, and HOOKER was having the same kind of a day off Laguna. It wasn't until I hooked - and lost after an hour and 45 minutes - a jigfish 3 miles outside Avalon that the rest of the boats even knew there had been any action in the event. Dara Stotesbury's dropback fish on 12-lb - taking a full 3 hrs, 10 min - won her first prize in the event.

Many of the same boats that fished in the King Harbor event also participated in the Pesky the weekend before, including both KAWAKAWA and HOOKER. Most of the 36-boat fleet worked off the West End of Catalina, where EGG-CESSIVE and CORONA EXTRA each released a fish - properly bagelled, of course. FOXY LADY added a release off Cat Harbor to conclude Friday's Day 1.

The Pesky has always been about irreverence, and this year's Jimmy Buffett theme might have seemed a little tame compared to some of the recent selections. But all you need to do is listen to the radio to realize the Pesky is unique:

"Ah, Tournament Control, this is Scott on the Laci P with an angler substitution. Laci is no longer on the boat; her replacement is Amber Frye ..."

That and the PVC tailers (one of which was spotted - and cast upon - this weekend off Oceanside) make the Pesky ... well, the Pesky!

It was looking like it would be a one-fish-to-win event until Mike Shroesbree on EUREKA released a pair of marlin to sew up first prize. ONO, WREN's NEST, ESCAPE ROUTE and PESCAHOLIC each released a fish on Saturday, the latter by 8-yr old angler Robbie Espinosa on 20-lb tackle.

I'm happy to report that everyone appeared to survive this year's afterparties at the Descanso Beach Club, Armstrong's and the Marlin Club - no "Chip" or bachelorette parties this year. But a lot of good times and great memories. Drop by the tourney web site in a couple of weeks and we should have the most embarrassing photos available for your perusal.

OK, that should have everyone up to date for now. Good news - no new hurricanes to report. Looks like our friends in south Florida will finally have a chance to dry out. Now if we can just keep them out of Baja for a while ...

Speaking of idiots (as we were earlier), let me take a moment to talk about hookup etiquette. When another boat is hooked up, everyone wants to get close to them, either to catch a fish of their own, or just to see what's going on. That's understandable, but so is the frustration and anger the hooked boat crew feels when you do this. I saw this first hand on Sunday when a fellow boater decided it made sense to make a pass right off HOOKER's stern while we were fighting our fish.

Anytime a boat is fighting a fish, it's easy to tell where the angler is and, therefore, where the fish in in relationship to the boat. If you're going to pass close, always choose the opposite end of the boat from the angler, and never pass within 100 yards. There's plenty of water and plenty of fish out there - give the guy a break!

With the local tournament season over, a lot of boats have headed south to continue in the events based in Cabo San Lucas later this month. Other boats have hung up their rods for the season and gotten on with their lives. That pretty much leaves the hardcores and idiots - and sometimes, it's hard to tell the difference between the two.

Being one (or both) of those, I'm still looking for more. But that's good news for you, because that means more straight from the water information will be available - and with the tourneys behind me, it'll be a quicker process to get it on the site!

September 20

Fritz said it's be like this ...

The bad news is that the nasty weather we had predicted in our last report materialized, and both the Santa Monica Basin Buoy (above Santa Barbara Island) and the San Clemente Basin Buoy (below San Clemente Island) recorded sustained winds above 25 knots and gusts as high as 50. The good news? The worst of it waited until Sunday, when most of the boats that had been fishing had returned to port for the MABT awards banquet.

Weather offshore is nothing to trifle with, and I spent the weekend working on my roses rather than fishing because of it. The irony is that after I was told to cancel my trip over to catch up with HOOKER at the island, the crew decided to stick it out and fish the weekend. The result? My father indicated that the weather leaving Cat Harbor Sunday morning was the worst he'd seen in the half-century he's been working these waters.

Remember when we were talking about lessons learned? Here's another one - when in doubt, go with your first instinct ... :-)

You know, I pride myself on my writing skills. but after reading one of the Trip Reports, I clearly have competition. Since he was there (captaining the second place boat, no less!) and I wasn't, I'll let MNAC member Greg Stotesbury describe the action Friday and Saturday in the BAC's Masters ...

"Friday morning we started the tournament at daylight just below the Osborn. Punky Langston’s DOUBLE HOOKUP found a sleeper early and Eric Grennan hooked the fish on 12lb tackle. Later in the morning Bob Hoose on Mike Blower’s PACIFIC PIONEER and Aaron Grose on Bill Urone’s BILL JOY caught fish on 16lb tackle. Eric Grennan finally landed a tough 12 lb fish after a 3 hour battle. All of these fish were caught near the Osborn Bank, but the FIGHTING LADY soon reported in with a 30lb release down on the East End of Catalina.

"I had tacked down 4 miles below the fleet on the Osborn at 10am when Dara spotted a fish in our jigs chasing the #1 mean joe EAL on the starboard outrigger. The fish knocked the jig out of the rigger just as Dara dropped back a bait on 12lb tackle. The fish disappeared as I slowed the boat for the dropback. Dara tried to come tight on her dropback bait, but only recovered slack line as I punched the boat back up to speed to help set the hook. Another marlin appeared in the wake and grabbed the mean joe EAL just as Dara came tight to her dropback fish! For a short time we had the jig fish on 16lb tackle and the dropback fish on 12lb. After the jig fish jumped and fell off we fought the 12lb fish from the bow and released it an hour and forty minutes later. It was nice to get on the board early with a 12lb release!

"The fishing was slow for the rest of the afternoon, but CORONA EXTRA and OSPREY both released fish to end day one. Most of the boats in the fleet caught small yellowfin tuna on their marlin jigs late in the day as the tuna were thick on the many meatballs of anchovy.

"Saturday’s fishing started early on the Osborn with Jim Kingsmill landing a sleeper aboard his dad’s WILD BILL on 12 lb tackle. Many of the boats left the Osborn and ran back to the beach where a concentration of fish was found 5-10 miles off Laguna. COWBOY, MOORE FUN, and OFFSHORE all released marlin in on the beach. We stuck it out up at SBI in deteriorating conditions and found a couple of jumpers up by the 117 where Larry Stanley’s SENOR MOMENT released a fish late in the day.

"59 boats ended up releasing 12 fish in 2 days of fishing The Master’s. Eric Grennan aboard DOUBLE HOOKUP was master angler and their boat was top boat for releasing the first 12lb fish. Dara Stotesbury aboard our KAWAKAWA was 2nd place angler and boat with her 12lb marlin, and Jim Kingsmill on WILD BILL with his 12lb fish was third angler and boat.

"The top club team was Balboa Angling Club team #1 with KAWAKAWA, WILD BILL, JOKER and EMPRESARIO with 480 points. Tuna Club and Los Pescadores were 2nd and 3rd clubs.

Man - I gotta put that guy on the payroll! He's set a high standard for me in coverage of the Pesky ...

I don't want to sound like I'm trying to replace your favorite weather girl, since, frankly, that may the only guilty pleasure some of you are allowed. However, I feel it is my obligation as a dedicated reporter to remind anyone planning to fish the Pesky this weekend that there is a good chance of a large Santa Ana blowing into the region later this week. You remember Santa Ana's, right? Strong, hot winds out of the northeast? The kind that have a nasty habit of blowing boats on the rocks when they're poorly anchored outside of Avalon while their crew is at the Marlin Club ...

We talk about our little weather woes, but they're nothing compared to what our friends on the East Coast have faced. Last time I checked, they're up to Hurricane Lisa. That's twelve named storms, and half of them have hit the States.

We have several MNAC members who live in the region hit by the most recent - and most destructive - storm, Ivan. Today we received a message from Hal Lovato, who lives near Pensacola, relayed through Paco Saca:

"I am in New Orleans dropping my wife and baby Lucie off so they can have power and air conditioning. My house is almost a total loss. There is a clear view of the sun from my bed and the lower floors caught the water. It's a 100 yr old historic house and all the plaster is ruined as is the old slate roof."

"My Pensacola store, which is downtown and only a block from the site you've seen on the news as Pensacola Bay Bridge, was spared. There was no damage while the surrounding buildings were either destroyed or severely damaged. My other two stores are in Destin and Ft Walton Beach and we can't get to them to check yet, but the managers of both stores say they're only minor damages. We have no power at any of the stores and no water at home so I had to get the wife and kid out. According to the local utility company, it will be 2-3 weeks for water and electricity. The beaches are totally destroyed and 80% of the homes on the barrier islands are severely damaged or gone. Damages are more serious than Opal or Erin and from what the old timers say, they're similar to Camille in that there is total devastation in the effected areas."

"The only bright side is that I now have a totally unobstructed view of Pensacola Bay (and the damaged bridge) from my house where I used to see forest!"

"I will be heading back in the morning with a trailer full of ice and supplies donated by my brother's church and I'll be trying to help those around us who can't help themselves. As you may know, I am a general contractor specializing in large insurance disaster claims by trade, so business is good, but things around here will never be the same."

"Thousands of trees and homes are destroyed. Several of the oil rigs we fish were lost and/or misplaced. One was found intact and floating several hundred miles from its base. Luckily, I sold XANADU 2 months ago as the marina is trashed and basically all of the boats are ruined. You may have seen Bahia Mar and Harborview Marina on the news. They are both on Bayou Chico which is where I kept XANADU. JADED LADY is alright, but most of the other boats around here are in bad shape! Beware used boats from Florida."

"In the morning I'll be heading back to Pensacola and won't be on the computer for a while, so please tell the SCMO folks I said hello and that we're alright. I appreciate your concern and hope to be back to normal as soon as possible."

We're still waiting to hear from Frank Herrington, who lives in Mobile. Hopefully all is well with him and the other MNAC members in the Gulf Coast region. the last few storms after Ivan have petered out before reaching us ... hopefully that trend will continue.

Today was the first day of fishing for the Catalina Classic, the second of the pair of local big money events. As Greg indicated above, the fish are much closer to shore, and I heard that there were at least 1 released and 3 landed marlin. Most of the action is between the 267 and 14.

Well, it's that time - Pesky Week! I'll certainly be at the Pesky Kickoff on Wednesday, if for no other reason than to see what in the famous bucket of crap. It's that last opportunity to tell lies and try to fake people into wasting half a tank of fuel running over the horizon after marlin that don't exist. All in all, a don't miss event. There may or may not be a Thursday report, depending on when I head offshore. But, hell, you wouldn't (or shouldn't ...) believe anything I told you right before the Pesky, anyway!

September 16

"Danger, Will Robinson ..."

Our topic this week is "lessons learned". But before we get into the report on tournament action, both past and present, a quick public service announcement from the National Weather Service:

It's only a fish. It's not worth getting your ass beat up over ... or worse.

Let me introduce you to a friend of mine. His name is Javier, and right now, he's a hurricane. By this weekend, he'll probably only be a tropical depression, but he's still going to be enough to make a real mess of our waters. The last dot on the picture at left is where he's supposed to be on Sunday morning, but we all know from the last few weeks in Florida just how inaccurate a science hurricane prediction is. One thing you can guarantee is that there'll be some nasty swells out of the south very soon.

The lesson to be learned? If you're going to go out this weekend - and I'm not - keep a close eye on the weather and check in with the weather channel on your VHF at least every couple of hours. That's particularly important for anyone chasing the marlin out to the Osborn, since there's damned little protection out there.

What's that you say, Stan ... marlin on the Osborn Bank? But I thought they were off Church Rock??

Time for lesson learned #2 - you gotta be where the fish are to catch the fish. It comes with a pair of corollaries - don't leave fish to find fish, and don't fall in love with a patch of water.

As you'll recall, last weekend there was a pretty awesome marlin bite off Church Rock at Catalina. But by Sunday, it was clear that the fish were on the move. When that happens, the only way you'll catch the fish is if you figure out where they went.

The early clue was a report from of a marlin being caught on the 499, and that was enough for the experienced captains in the Zane Grey event to know where to go. And since they were where the fish were, they caught the fish - a bunch of them. Or, at least the hot boats did ...

When it was all over, the 35-boat fleet had released 42 marlin and boated 5. Among the release leaders (and it was hard to keep up with all of them, so I may be a bit short ...) were TRAUMA with 5, C-BANDIT with 4, BAD DOG II with 3, and GAMBLER and AFTER MIDNIGHT (last year's winner) with two each. The biggest of the weighed fish was a 229-lber caught by NIRVANA.

Most of the action came off the west end of Catalina, as the fish moved from near the 125 at the start of the event on Monday to the Osborn Bank by line's out on Wednesday. Those boats able to adapt to the moving fish continued to catch them; those that didn't move didn't catch.

While I'm never a fan of any event that kills marlin, I do want to recognize the organizers for creating a set of rules that seemed to do as they hoped and minimize the number of undersized fish taken. There was only one marlin taken that was under the 165-lb minimum weight, and even this fish met the 84" minimum fork length. And, fortunately, this year they didn't cave and lower the weight minimum half way through the event to increase the number of taken fish. Now if they'd just make the point system a little more release-friendly, or - gasp - step up and become a release-only event. Ah, perchance to dream ...

While our local weather focus os on the breakup of Hurricane Javier, our friends on the east coast are reeling from his cousin Hurricane Ivan. Sounds like it took three hurricanes to do it, but Florida finally got hit hard, and the panhandle from Tallahassee to the Alabama border got smacked but good. Our hearts and prayers go out to everyone in the region and those flooding into the area to help.

People always ask me how I can live in SoCal with the earthquakes and fires. Frankly, I'll take those random freaks of nature over the regular destruction caused by tornados in the midwest and hurricanes in the east. At least an earthquake is something you don't know is coming until it gets here ...

The tournaments, they just keep a' coming ... Next up are the Balboa Angling Club's Master Angler Billfish Tournament and the Catalina Classic. The MABT is Friday and Saturday, while the Classic starts on Monday.

While I have a certain fondness for the Pesky, the MABT is probably the most prestigious of the SoCal club events. It's a team event, with three-boat teams fishing for their home clubs and fighting to be the "master angler". Of course, since most of the leading anglers in the area belong to more than one club, the allegiances are a bit tenuous ...

If I was on the water this weekend, I think I'd be following one last Lesson Learned: Fish have tails. We don't know why they're moving so fast, but they're definitely moving. Don't be surprised to find the fish up at the 175 above Santa Barbara Island, or even at the Santa Monica Basin Buoy. And if I was based in Channel Islands, I'd be checking out the south side of Santa Cruz this weekend - Footprint, 153, 48 ...

Since I find myself in the unusual position of being on the beach this weekend, I'll be depending on you guys more than ever for information. If you catch something, add it to the Release Reports, and even if you don't file your Trip Report. As for me, I'll be puttering around the house wondering what might have been. At least my roses will get some much-needed attention ...

September 13

"'Til those lights come up, and we hear that crowd, and we remember why we came ..."

Jackson Browne, "The Load Out"

 

In case you hadn't heard, there was a pretty good marlin bite this weekend. How good was it? Huh-huh-huh ...

Every once in a while, a reporter gets a little too close to the action and becomes a part of the story he's trying to report. My personal favorite is the local NYC reporter doing a live shot from the base of the burning Twin Towers. He was saying, "This is as close as the police will let us get" when his cameraman panned upward to see the first tower falling on top of them. Somehow, they survived.

I've been at this marlin game a long time, but I see myself as a chronicler first and an angler second. I want to catch fish, but it's more important to me that I convey the excitement of the sport and pass along knowledge. I know what I'm doing out there, but no one is going to write tributes to my mad marlin skills.

This weekend, though, I became my own story. Somehow, I caught three marlin on Saturday. I won't bore you with the details, since by now you should have read the Trip Report - because you should have been there writing your own - or heard the story. It was an amazing day, but just part of the bigger picture.

The real story was the movement of marlin into the waters around Catalina Island. HOOKER found them 3 miles off Church Rock Friday, and was able to get a pair of releases. In addition to my three HOOKER releases Saturday, ISLAND PRINCESS released a pair and several boats got single fish. Further off the island, KAWAKAWA released a pair on the 152, and FREIGHT BEGGAR was among those who found success on the Avalon Bank.

The lesson to be learned from this weekend is that where there is bait, there might be marlin, but if there's no bait, there's no marlin. By Saturday, the abundant bait seen earlier off Church Rock (300 feet of solid bait at some places) had moved on, taking the marlin with it. Initially, the fleet found marlin on the Avalon Bank, but the majority of the fish slid up the backside of the island.

Finally, it appears that the San Diego bite has petered out, particularly the one off Pukey Point. Of course, it's been so warm, it may just be that the stripes are moving out to make room for the blues ... :-)

So ... which one of these guys looks more like a leader to you?

You may recall that we reported a "healthy population of marlin" seen off the west end of Catalina last week. Part of the surprise of the weekend was the lack of fish caught there, although AGITATOR did release one near the 499 on Sunday.

The tourney guys pay too much to be surprised, so when the Zane Grey kicked off Monday, they knew where to go. While some fish were taken on the Avalon Bank, the majority were caught between the 499 and 172 spots between Catalina and Santa Barbara Islands. On Day 1, 12 marlin were released, with TRAUMA, BAD DOG II and C-BANDIT leading the way with two released each. fortunately, only one marlin was killed, a 181-lber by C-BANDIT.

I haven't seen the final results yet today, but I believe there were 15 more fish released, with the only weighed marlin being a undersized fish by CHASER. It should be interesting to see how the results shake out, since the point system used in the event gives 378 points to the one legal weighed fish and 100 points to each release. How sweet would it be for released fish to win ...

Sportsmen are a superstitious lot. Many athletes have their own special rituals they perform to insure their success (or so they believe). Fishermen are no different, I suppose, and many of us have our own little superstitions.

I wouldn't necessarily call it a superstition, but we do have a little victory ritual we perform when we catch a marlin, and we've been fortunately enough to do so several times this season. Anytime we catch a marlin during the day, we play the Jackson Browne tune "The Load Out/Stay" on the way to the anchorage. I have no idea how it started, but none of us would dare mess with it. For the longest time, I wondered why that particular song seemed to resonate so with the team. A couple of years ago, though, it dawned on me that it is a perfect description of the challenges a marlin crew faces. The song describes the life of the touring musician, moving town to town and killing time between shows. The reward, of course, is the all-too-short time spent on stage.

That gypsy life has a lot of parallels with the marlin fisherman. We spend a lot of time on the water, often away from family and friends, in the singleminded pursuit of marlin. People who have not lived the life don't understand it, and it is not something you can explain easily. Like the character in the song, there is a lot of long, empty hours, punctuated by those sweet moments when you fight the fish.

When I hear that song on the way in, I am reminded of all that has gone into the moment - the work and luck, success and failure. I don't know if I could ever really explain why I consider this sport so special; all I know is that I was incredibly aware of just how special those moments are this weekend ...and I remembered exactly why I came ...

Remember when the Los Angeles Times Outdoor section used to be a great source of fishing information? I used to love Pete Thomas' column. I was reading the Generation-X version it has become today - all I can say is "pathetic" ...

Often, SCMO is much like the Kingdom of Oz - so much so, in fact, our motto ought to be "Pay no attention to the man behind the curtain." We work very hard to make things look smooth and professional, and most of the time, we succeed.

But the reality is that this is a one-man operation - me. If it's going to get done, I have to do it, and if I don't, it won't.

It's always a challenge for me to keep up with the site at this time of year, but this season is particularly tough. We're getting a lot of new MNAC members, each of which must be manually added to two different computer systems, and this is the busiest season for the Fishing News. Making things even more eventful, I'm right in the middle of a particularly contentious job change at Boeing, and the hours are particularly long as I transition from one assignment to the other. And, now that I've found myself in the middle of the race to catch the most fish, I'm spending a lot more time on the water than I'd imagined.

The point? I understand that things aren't getting done, and wanted you to know that I understood. I get a lot of emails from members with questions that don't get answered quickly; membership applications that aren't processed quickly; and tutorial chapters that aren't getting published quickly. The reality is that it won't get much better in the next couple of weeks as I prepare for two tournaments, but I'll do all I can to minimize the inconveniences.

September 9

Ah, tourney season ...

This week, we start into the hardcore money tournaments and anglers lips are tighter than Angelina Jolie's ... well, lips. Wait a minute ... what did you think I meant ...

All the big guns - you know, those boats you never see or hear of until tourney time - are pre-fishing this week, and aren't about to tell anyone where they are or what they find. Thank God for the MNAC!

We do have some new stuff to report. Tuesday, MNAC member Jim Bygrave on AMANTE released a marlin on the 125 off the west end of Catalina. Dope Alert - he reported seeing a "healthy population of marlin" up there.

Today, I know of two fish being released. Gary Massamino, fishing solo on ANDIAMO, released one on the 277 after detouring over the high spot on his way down the coast. I'd say that detour paid off, Gary! Also, Kathy Ecklund released a marlin this afternoon on HOOKER. The crew reports they were on their way into Cat Harbor when a marlin "tried to commit suicide on the short corner." Fortunately, we believe in tag and release, and the fish was sent on it's way with nothing more than advice to get counseling.

With the tight lips in the fleet, info is pretty hard to get until the events start and boats are forced to report. (As an aside, when HOOKER was bit, they promptly put the numbers (08/33) on the air. I'll bet you could hear the a$$holes pucker throughout the Catalina Bight ...). Of course, we're different. If I hear anything, I'll post it in the War Room, and you should do the same. This is particularly true for those of you fishing the events who have access to the daily statistics.

First up is Rosie's Marlin Tournament, followed on Monday by the Zane Grey. Of course, if you know Avalon, then you surely know Rose Cadman. She's been a fixture at the end of the pleasure pier in Avalon for more years than I've been on this planet, and I suspect she'll be there after I'm gone. Her event is a small one, with usually only 20 or so boats, but is a great way to honor a great lady.

As for the Zane, this is big money all the way. They still only pay lip service to releasing marlin, but it's as big an event as you'll see on the west coast. In years past, I've been able to provide daily updates in the War Room; I'm hoping to do the same this year.

Our thoughts and prayers are with our friends in South Florida as yet another hurricane bears down on them. This time, it's name is Ivan, and he's a Category 5 packing 140-mph sustained winds. This is a serious, no-screwing-around storm. If they tell you to go, go - you can always keep up with us on your laptop.

A lot of great fishing grounds are in the path of this behemoth storm - Islamorada, Marathon Key, Key West and many more. Here's hoping Ivan takes the long way getting there. Remember - chin up, and head down!

I'm on the 2:00 boat out of Long Beach for Avalon tomorrow afternoon, so if you see a lost looking fisherman wandering the streets of Avalon, it'll probably be me. No laptop this weekend, so I'll be out of touch, but look for all the latest and a weekend wrapup right here Monday!

September 7

When I say anyone can do it, believe me ...

This weekend turned out to be good for some, bad for most, and shocking for at least one. The marlin didn't arrive in the numbers we had predicted (hey, I can't be right every time ...), but there were some to be had.

The northern fleet started Saturday between the 14-Mile Bank and the 267. There had been some action earlier in the week, but nothing to write home about. So it's no surprise that when the fish didn't show, the fleet split. Those with the "secret dope" headed to Catalina Canyon on the backside of Catalina Island. The rest of us DF'ed them and wandered up later.

The canyon bite wasn't red hot either, but THREE SEAS did managed to get a tailer to go for angler and MNAC member Si Taylor. It was successfully released. More boats arrived on Sunday morning, but the only one to find success was again THREE SEAS, who released a marlin taken on a dropback bait.

Bill DePriest and the crew of 1 HOT TUNA showed they do marlin as well, as they released one on an EAL east of the 289 on Saturday. This might have caused a fleet shift had not the Navy been using San Clemente Island for their own private Labor Day party all weekend ...

Sunday saw a second bite open between the 152 and 277, courtesy of PESCADOR, who got a jig double. The good news is that one of the released fish is now carrying a satellite tag. Unfortunately, you apparently could only catch fish there if your name was PESCADOR, as their released fish later in the afternoon was the only other one caught.

Monday was a short day and the fleet wasn't too adventurous, a fact made worse by a nasty south swell courtesy of Hurricane Howard. At least the bite was a little more democratic, with DREAMER and HOOKER each releasing a jig fish, with your humble host the angler on the latter. Proof positive that anyone can do this ...

Late in the day, there was a bit of a tailer show, but only Jim Madden's ONO was able to score, as they released a baitfish late in the afternoon.

There continues to be some swordfish seen, but none that will bite. The freezer crowd is happy, though, because there are still yellowtail and dorado under many of the kelp paddies.

To the south, the San Diego fleet continues to enjoy one of the best seasons they've had in years. The La Jolla bite is still popping out a couple of fish a day, and the bite off North Coronado remains red hot.

Ross Stotesbury apparently didn't get the secret dope and launched south. It paid off with a marlin release on Saturday. MNAC member Costa Haramis took his skiff out Saturday to see if anything was left off La Jolla. He got his answer in the form a marlin caught and released using a cut-down black and purple Collector. As he put it in his Trip Report, "Not a boat in sight. No camera, no passengers, no witnesses, only my own unforgettable memories." It just doesn't get better than that.

Many of the usual characters found success in the waters off Pukey Point, as GADGET III, SEA TREK IV and GROWLER all scored. More on those last two in a moment.

I'd like to pass along my thanks to everyone who's registered their released marlin using our Online Gamefish Release Reporting System. Not only does the information help us all and provide the angler with some much deserved recognition, but each marlin listed sends the message that releasing fish is important. Considering the behavior of some anglers in SoCal, it's a message that needs to be heard more often. Remember, the marlin you release today could be the one I catch tomorrow ...

Having provided recognition to our release anglers, I'd like to provide appropriate recognition to the actions of another group. As I've said before, if you catch a marlin, it's your right to kill it if you so choose. But there are limits to anything, and people who go far beyond any reasonable limit.

This weekend, GROWLER caught and killed three marlin, and SEA TREK IV caught and killed two. I'm sure I don't have to tell you their home port. For those keeping track - and I'm one of them - that puts their season totals for dead marlin at 5 and 4 fish, respectively. I understand Neanderthalic tournament rules and big egos and even a taste for marlin flesh, but there is absolutely no excuse for behavior like this. I can only describe it in one way - fucking obscene. End of story.

Charley, Gaston, Frances and now Ivan. I'm thinking that Floridians must be really sick of this hurricane season.

Some of my best - and worst - ideas come when I'm on the bridge alone. You have time to think, and sometimes, the mind wanders.

On Sunday, an angler throwing an iron jig on a kelp paddy hooked a marlin. He lost it, but it got me thinking there on the bridge. I looked back and two of my rods sitting side-by-side in the rocket launchers - the one I use for casting iron and the one I use for casting mackerel. Both are 8-ft, both about the same action. Could you actually target marlin with an iron jig? The more I though about it, the less silly it seemed. After all, the lures are about the same size and shape as the small mackerel we use as pitch baits, and the hooks very similar to those on a marlin lure. And I can certainly throw iron a lot further than a mackerel. It's just wild enough to work, so I'm going to prepare to try it. I'm going to find a 6 to 8 inch jig with mackerel colors and rig it with a free-swinging stainless hook and a 15-ft wind-on leader. Next time someone on HOOKER casts a mackerel on a marlin, I'm going for the iron. I'll let you know how it goes ...

HOOKER is heading back out tomorrow morning, so I should have some decent info for updates on Thursday. We may also have early coverage of Rosie's tourney, which starts Thursday. I'll be shuttling over to Avalon to meet up with the boat on Friday night ... and I'm bringing iron!

September 2

A quick report because I'm packing to head offshore and, frankly, there's not a lot to pass on ...

Right now, I'm sipping a Shiner Bock and thinking how glad I am that I don't live in Florida.

I don't know what cosmic laws those guys broke, but they're about to get their ass kicked for the second time in three weeks. Hurricane Frances shoud come ashore somewhere in central Florida in about 24 hours. Like Charley, it's a big one - only bigger, and a slow one - only slower. Hell, they haven't finished picking up the debris from the last hit. Lay low, friends ...

The Chicago Cubs were supposed to fly into south Florida for a three-game series with my beloved Marlins starting Friday. This would be a really big series, because the Marlins have won seven in a row, and the Cubs are the wild card leader. Now, the first game has been postponed and the others are at risk. Instead of a 3-game home series, we're looking at a double header at Joe Robbie and a single game in Chicago. As a Marlins fan, I'm pissed at this hurricane ... does that make me a bad person, or just shallow ...

Strange ending for the Churchmouse. Eight marlin released the first day, and five more on Tuesday. Only one boat - BROADBILL - released two, so they're looking good for the win. One problem, though - they're 4 minutes late getting to the dock with the camera recording their feat. The result? DQ'd. Harse, but respectable nonetheless. I haven't heard yet what if any action will be taken to settle the now-11 way tie ...

Fleet reports were pretty quiet, particularly after the tourney ended. The 289 appears to have cooled off (action-wise), but it's still my best bet. It looks like the south end of San Clemente is hot this weekend, though, which might make fishing out there a challenge.

Closer inshore, there was a little action at the 181, but further south I'm told the water has rolled from the Finger Bank up through the inner banks off San Diego, ending that run. The 209 looks good, and there appears to be a fresh flow of warm water coming from the south. One place that looks particularly warm is the lee of San Clemente Island just off the Dome. Worth keeping in mind, since that part of the island is open. Of course, it could also be that an aircraft carrier pumped their holding tanks overboard ...

You'll recall that last report we mentioned that Greg Stotesbury had been given the task of planting a couple of sonic marlin tags courtesy of the Tuna Club. I asked Greg what he thought of the challenge. "We are very excited to be involved with the program," said Greg. "Many years ago I was one of the first to sonic tag a marlin off Catalina and the experience helped shape the way I look at striped marlin and their ability to survive capture and release. I am indeed honored to be chosen to place the tags, and you can bet I'll fish hard to get the job done!"

It should go without saying, but I'll do it anyway. These tags are expensive (around $4,000 each) and the data they provide is priceless in helping to learn more about the marlin we all love. But we only get the data if the fish stays in the water. If you catch one of these fish after it is tagged, treat it with the respect its role demands. Take good care of it, and for God's sake don't kill it. You'll be able to use the data one day to have plenty of other chances to kill a marlin ...

As I mentioned at the beginning of the report, I'm off in the morning for four days of fishing on HOOKER. Not sure yet where we'll be - the SCI closure will probably play a role. Hope you get out on the water this weekend as well!

August 30

"Be vewy vewy quiet ... I'm hunting mawin ... huh-uh-uh-uh-uh ...

Based on everything we saw last week, we put out the bold prediction that the striped marlin would arrive at San Clemente Island sometime next week. Little did we know they'd travel so fast.

Good news must travel fast, because there were a lot of boats pounding the island this weekend. The combination of tantalizing fish reports and good weather tempted much of the fleet to head offshore. On Saturday, KAWAKAWA and JOKER teamed up to work between the 381 and 267 (the real one), east of the Tanner Bank. They saw marlin, swordfish and yellowfin tuna, with JOKER releasing a sleeper. PROSPECTOR and PIZZA MIND worked the 289, also seeing both marlin and swordfish, and PROSPECTOR successfully released one of a group of 5 sleepers.

The fleet was bolstered by the boats fishing the Cabo Yachts tourney. Nineteen entrants fished the event which was won by EL PATRON, which released two marlin. Most of the fish in the tourney came between the 289 and 181.

Sunday saw the weather start to turn, and I think that affected the results. Boats continued to score, including WILD BILL with a pair and AMANTE with a dropback fish that was teased in. Unfortunately, the end of the weekend and a general snotting up of the seas cut short the day for a lot of anglers.

Not everyone ran offshore, and we got reports from many of the inner banks. The 181 was a good place to work as was the 209 with quite a few fish being seen and several released. The 277 and other banks closer to Catalina were quiet, although there was a minor tailer show off Church Rock.

Let me take a moment to talk about how strong our MNAC members brought it this weekend. Not only did they get out there and get the job done, but they came back and reported on it! As tourney season progresses and information becomes more and more difficult to acquire, it's good to know who you can count on ...

Today was the first day of the two-day Churchmouse Tournament, and most of the 90+ boat fleet worked near the 289. There were 8 fish released (out of 16 hooked), with FIREHATT, SEALECT and DAWN PATROL amongst those scoring. That's still less than 1 fish for every 10 boats, so it's not quite a hot bite yet.

Some good news from the conservation front - MNAC's own Greg Stotesbury and Team KAWAKAWA have been selected by the Tuna Club Foundation to deploy a pair of satellite popup tags. Certainly with their success so far this season, they're a good choice! The PAT remains on the fish for a fixed amount of time before detaching from the fish and "popping up" (hence the name) to the surface. Once their, it relays the information it has recorded to a passing satellite for analysis.

These tags can provide the kind of hard data that we just cannot get any other way. A tip of the SCMO cap to the Tuna Club for funding this effort, and best of luck to Greg and crew. We'll continue to follow this story, and let you know about the tagging and the data, once it becomes available.

Of course, not everyone is as enthusiastic about billfish conservation as we are at SCMO. We received an interesting entry in our Guest Log earlier tonight ...

"I understand your passion for releasing Marlin. But I think it is absurd to make an agenda out of it. Marlin tastes good, why do you spread lies, I release all types of fish and I also kill them and consume them. Why is a Marlin any different than a Bluefin Tuna. Are you overly infatuated with Marlin. They are not endangered, alot are released, why do you fish at all?"

It was signed by "Dave from SanDiego" - seriously; I couldn't make this up.

I applaud Dave - or anyone from San Diego - for taking the time to visit our little site. He was obviously here long enough to get a flavor (or was warned in advance). Apparently, though, he never made it to our statement regarding the killing of marlin. Frankly, I think I've become quite reasonable over time. I used to consider those who killed marlin to be ignorant assholes. Now I just consider them uneducated. That's why so much of our focus at SCMO is about education. If you haven't read the position statement, I encourage you to do so. And I want your feedback on it as well - those who know me or have been here for a while know I'm a reasonable man who responds to reasonable opinions.

Well, the Olympics have ended, and the only fireworks were at the closing ceremonies ... well, that and the gymnastics judging! I don't think I'm the only one to breathe a sigh of relief. I understand that we live in a new world, but how did we ever reach a point where something as innocent as a sporting event has become a target for someone willing to kill people just to attract attention? Whatever happened to "all I needed to know about life I learned in kindergarten" and the Golden Rule? I guess they forgot to teach that at the Tiny Turbans preschool ...

For the Thursday report, we should have the final results of the Churchmouse event, and hopefully some more details on the satellite tagging program - we're gonna grill Greg for all the details! Oh, yeah - our fearless predictions on where to fish this weekend. Tune in then!

August 26

Sshhh ... top secret ...

Tournament season arrives next Monday with the Churchmouse Invitational in Avalon. Each year, I hope that the lip latches that usually appear about this time won't, but I'm always disappointed. MNAC members, of course, are better than that, and now that we have a healthy number of members, I'm hoping we'll still have a solid stream of information in the coming weeks. Time will tell ...

It's hard to tell, with as few boats out midweek as there traditionally are, but it appears that we can write the obituary for the La Jolla Canyon bite. Several fish were seen, but I don't know of any being caught. I'd say something about the SD guys bringing it on themselves, but I promised myself I'd give them a week off.

All the talk this week has been about the possibility of a new "stream" of striped marlin entering the region from offshore. As first reported in the Trip Reporter by MNAC member Bob Melville, a lot of marlin were seen on the eastern wing of the Butterfly Bank on Sunday. This, along with other reports of marlin seen further offshore, has folks thinking we could be in for a real season this fall - not the "hit and miss" affair we've seen the last few years.

Our reports got a pretty wide distribution, including several print media outlets, and it was inevitable that someone would have to check it out. That someone turned out to be MNAC member Kenny Knight. KK drove Doug Daniels' PESCADOR offshore Wednesday and by Thursday they had released a marlin on the west wing of the Butterfly - on 12-lb Dacron, no less! I'd expect more boats to head out towards San Clemente Island Friday, although it sounds like the Navy might be active on the island this weekend.

If you check out the SST chart to the left, you'll see it's no surprise that there are marlin offshore. The clouds make the chart look moth-eaten, but you can clearly see hot water inside of San Clemente. Whether the fish will make it that far by this weekend is problematic, but give it another week and it's going to be a sure bet.

Of course, the first people to benefit from this new school of fish should be those fishing Monday and Tuesday in the Churchmouse Invitational Tournament, which kicks off a busy month of local marlin events. I guess that makes this the perfect time to remind you that we're still taking entrants for The Pesky. If you've fished it, I don't have to sell you - you're already hooked! for the rest of you, however, it's hard to explain. I mean, how to you explain tag-and-release tattoos, PVC marlin, the Watermelon Bank ... you just have to try it. Check out the official tournament website for entry details and some great pictures of our past winners. As you will see, we hold them in the highest of honor ...

It was a slow week on the inner ridge, with a little action happening just about everywhere. I heard of at least one marlin released outside the 209, and another between the 209 and 181. If you aren't game to run all the way offshore, a good bet will be the 267 and 209, where the water is still warm enough that they're catching dorado.

Our girls part two - soccer! The US women's soccer team won the gold medal today, beating Brazil in extended time. That was their second straight overtime game - not bad for a bunch of old broads. For the five senior members of the squad - dubbed the "Fab Five" by the media, this was a cap to a career that included two World Cup championships and two Olympic gold medals. I guess not Mia Hamm can finally just be Mrs. Nomar Garciaparra, and she's certainly earned it. But there are a lot of young girls on the team who will ably fill those large shoes, including Shannon Boxx from right here in beautiful Redondo Beach, CA!

I hear there's a dead whale drifting off Mission Bay. Whale carcasses are God's own FAD, and will often be holding fish underneath. Whatever you do, however, approach from upwind!

Tourney time will make the process of gathering information tougher than ever, but this is where the MNAC can shine. When you get off the water, head for the War Room and tell us what you saw, what you didn't see, and what you heard. Working together, we can defeat all the scramblers, secret channels and code words. Go Team MNAC!

August 24

LCACs and TVs and marlin ... oh my ...

The Monday Report is a day late because my return to port was a day late. Time on the water will always take precedence over time at the keyboard. Deal with it.

The La Jolla bite we first reported on Thursday continued unabated over the weekend, in spite of the best efforts of the Sandy Eggo fleet to shut it down. More on that later. A half-dozen striped marlin were released there on Friday, another dozen or so on Saturday and a 6-pack on Sunday. While it appeared that the action-per-boat rate seemed to decrease each day, the fish were still there as of Monday, when Jim Madden on ONO reported unsuccessfully baiting 10 different fish.

The action was centered near La Jolla Canyon, just offshore of the torrey Pines Golf Course and UCSD. The bite was very tight to the beach, averaging 5 miles offshore and centered on the numbers 56/24. The combination of nearness to shore and a San Diego-based tournament insured there would be a lot of boats, as even much of the northern fleet made the downhill slide to get a piece of the action.

MNAC members certainly did themselves proud over the weekend. Member Greg Stotesbury's KAWAKAWA scored again Saturday when first mate Dara (she of chickswhofish.com) released a marlin near 59/36 (inside the 312). If KAWAKAWA isn't high boat so far this season, then it must be PESCADOR, which member Kenny Knight was driving when they released yet another marlin at the La Jolla Canyon bite (56/24). And member Rob Espinosa proudly reported that they released a marlin that was both the first for his son Robbie and his boat PESCAHOLIC. Well done all!

Lest you think that all the talent belongs to the MNAC (that which doesn't should ...), others found success this weekend. With as much action colliding with as many boats over La Jolla Canyon, you'd expect there's be a lot of released, and you'd be right. Among the scoring Friday were PACIFIC PIONEER, WILD BILL, CHRISTINA LYNN, CHICOLEEN (I still can't spell it ...), and JERAMAR.

Saturday saw a lot more boats as the locals joined the effort. OUR TOY and WILD BILL (again) were among those releasing fish, but quite a few were killed as well.

There were scattered reports of marlin seen and/or caught elsewhere during the weekend, but they were few. At least one was released on the 289, and another on the 277. The earlier bite off Coronado del Norte petered out, but a couple were taken. The only swordfish reports I got were of several seen off the west end of San Clemente Island. It's been a tough go for our swordfish-hunting brethren ...

This week's Thing That Makes You Go Hmmm: An angler fishing Sunday on in the La Jolla fleet reported hooking a marlin that spooled his outfit using 60-lb test line and a Penn International 16S two-speed reel. Monster striper or far-ranging blue marlin? All together now ... hmmm ...

I could (and probably should) go off on the large number of dead marlin that were hauled in past Point Loma this weekend. But I think everyone is already aware of the situation - and my feelings. Besides, SCMO has always been about education rather than finger pointing. So, as a public service to our San Diego brethren, I'm including this picture of a tag flag, since most of you have probably never seen one close up.

While marlin were certainly the stars of the weekend, there were also a lot of dorado and yellowtail taken, particularly on the kelp paddies. Several boats reported catching all the fish they wanted and leaving paddies with the bite still going. In several instances, the fish were thick enough to allow spearfishermen to go over the side and nail a few.

Further south, big albacore and bluefin tuna are still being caught, and the Butterfly Bank is still holding yellowfin tuna. It was from one of those returning boats that MNAC member Bob Melville reported seeing 22 marlin in a 4-hour period. This may be the beginning off something very big ...

For a change, we have a real competition for Dumbass of the Week. I could give it to the genius who dumped a 27" TV overboard in the middle of the La Jolla bite (the sealed picture tube means it'll float forever, dumbass) or the angler who bemoaned the fact that he was "forced" to release a big marlin Saturday night because they wouldn't keep the scales at the Marlin Club open until his expected 9:30 pm arrival time (sucks when circumstances force you to do the right thing, eh dumbass?).

But I'm going to present this week's award to the most deserving clown who got on the radio Saturday during the tournament for which so many fish were being harvested. Knowing that a lot of boats had made the trip south, and that the rest of the world has a decidedly different view on billfish conservation than his own, he got on channel 65 and announced, "It must really be tearing you northern guys up that we're killing all these fish." This is probably the same guy who's been complaining that there's been no San Diego marlin season to speak of for the last few years. Congratulations, asshat - keep it up and soon there won't be any more San Diego marlin at all ...

As if there wasn't enough chaos off La Jolla, a big yellow weather buoy was seen drifting through the bite zone, and the Marines were running the LCAC hovercraft just to the north. Amazing visuals everywhere!

Have you ever noticed how some guys can get away with the whole bicycle shorts look and others can't?

Our girls have done it! Kerri Walsh and Misty May completed the most dominating run in Olympic volleyball history by defeating the Brazilian team in the final match to win the gold medal. May and Walsh failed to drop a single game in the tournament, and were never really challenged in the finals. Making things all the sweeter, the other American team of Holly McPeak and Elaine Youngs won the bronze medal; their only loss came to May/Walsh in the semi-finals.

You'll recall that several weeks ago I wrote about watching May and Walsh at the Hermosa Open just before Misty had to pull out after reinjuring her abdominal muscle. At the time, it seemed that they had made a colossal mistake by entering the event and risking their Olympic chances. I'm sure they're thrilled to prove us all wrong. Way to go, girls!

It will be interesting to see what kind of action happens during this week. With tourney season just around the corner, lips will get tight and plans secretive. If I had to guess (and that's why you're here, right?), I'd expect the La Jolla bite to slow to a trickle and the next big batch of fish to show near San Clemente Island, either near the 289 or inside the Mackerel Bank tight to the island near the Dome. Stay tuned!

August 19

Go fishing ... now ...

That's about as simple as I can make it. Everything I say after this will simply reinforce the point - drop what you're doing and go fishing NOW.

You know, I hate to use superlatives - the best, the most, the greatest. But this is rapidly turning into a season to remember, with albacore, marlin, yellowfin and bluefin tuna, dorado and more all available at the same time. The word I keep hearing used to describe the action: epic.

Normally, the marlin bite slows during the week, as the lack of fishing pressure makes it hard to locate the fish. While the number of boats might have been down during the last few days, the amount of activity per boat remained amazingly high. Just today, HOOKER, KEN-DAN, WAIT-N-SEA and PESCADOR all released marlin, and many more boats saw action.

Probably the best quote of the week comes from my own father, who's not normally the most quotable. "I had so many bites today I lost count," he said, describing the action today. "I've never had a day like this - every time I started up out of a jig strike, I had more action. I've had days when we caught more fish but not the action we had today."

The twin bites at the 181 / 182 and off Pukey Point stretched into the week, and both areas produced marlin releases in the first half of the week. The big news in the last 48 hours was a thick pack of fish roughly 8 miles offshore over La Jolla Canyon. This is the area where the 4 releases mentioned above occured. I wouldn't assume, though, that this means this is the only place where the fish are. It sounds like pretty much every high spot from Catalina south is holding at least some marlin, even though there aren't enough boats fishing to tell for sure. An example occured earlier this week when JOKER got an excuse-me release on the 277. They were only there because they were transiting to Avalon. I think that if you pick an area and work it this weekend, you'll do ok. That's important, since once the word gets out that the marlin are within 10 miles of the coast, every guy with a panga will be pounding the inner banks pretty hard.

I know that dorado are still being caught as bycatch by the marlin trollers, so I'd assume that the yellowtail are still available as well. Still no real action on the swordfish, but, interestingly, there was a large number of swordfish boats working this week on the 14-Mile Bank, even though there did not appear to be any great number of fish there. But they don't work an area without a good reason ...

As part of our grudging acceptance of the Sevenstrand Electronic Acoustic Lure (EAL), we're putting together an EAL knowledgebase. Hey, if you're gonna shell out $200 for the lure and $10 a day for the power, the least we can do is help you out. What we're looking for in particular is any information regarding fishing with the lure (tips and tricks, where it works best, colors, sizes, etc) and information about the best deals for both lures and batteries. We've got a couple of threads going in the Marlin Club; you can post your information there, or email it to me.

The last few years have been tough for the Olympics. Drug scandals ... bombings ... terrorists. The Athens organizers were justifiably worried about the travails that could befall the 2004 Games, considering the issues in the world today.

I'm sorry to say, the first major controversy of the Games has arisen: volleyball dancers.

At the Olympics, each sport is managed by the international sanctioning body for that sport, with the international olympic committee as the overall controller. For volleyball, it's the Switzerland-based Federation Internationale de Volleyball, or FIVB.

The FIVB recognized that it has one of the most TV-friendly events in beach volleyball, and wanted to capitalize on that by making the event as exciting as possible. To the FIVB, that meant including the same kind of on-court entertainment you find between points at any FIVB (or AVP, in America) event - hot, sexy dancers.

Unfortunately, not everyone sees things the same way, and the scantily clad dancers have found themselves at the center of a firestorm of controversy. The FIVB, to its credit, has held it's ground. As a regular viewer of Olympic beach volleyball, I'm grateful.

Perhaps the most telling comments have come from the competitors themselves, particularly the women. They don't have any problem with the dancers - they just want men dancers, too. Hey - fair's fair ...

Those of you who were with us last year know of my love of the Florida Marlins, and the joy I experienced when they won it all last fall. This season has been a little tougher, as the Marlins have slowly slid from front-runner to also-ran.

None of that mattered Monday night, however, as I shared the Marlins first (and only) local appearance with my brother and nephew. I'm happy to say the Marlins rallied to win with a pair of late-inning runs, and I was able to revel in the victory with new Marlins catcher Paul Lo Duca and those who still love him in LA. As you can see from the red circle at right, we had some pretty good seats, too! (Click on the picture to see it full size). The frosting on the cake came last night when a Lo Duca walk off Eric Gagne' set up the game winning hit for the Marlins.

I'm happy to say I'll be on HOOKER this weekend. I say that because I really thought I was going to be watching this one from the beach. When you're retired, have a 46-ft Hatteras and 600 gallons of diesel, the clock and the calendar have little use. But through some combination of luck and begging, the boat's coming in tomorrow to resupply - just long enough for me to jump on. I guess releasing a pair of marlin this week makes it easier to leave the fishing grounds for a while. So if you see us out there, or hanging somewhere on the hook, shout howdy!

August 16

Gettin' betta ...

We'll return to our report of the weekend marlin activity, but I've just been handed a bulletin ... Kathy Ecklund, fishing on HOOKER, released a striped marlin about 2 hours ago (noon Monday)! I'm sure I'll hear the details later tonight, but I'd assume it came from the "Tanker Bank" near the 182. More on the TB in a minute.

I'm just thinking ... today's Dumbass of the Week has to be me for not taking the day off work and staying on the boat ... ouch!

Let me take you now back to those thrilling days of yesteryear, when marlin were plentiful and ate plastic. This weekend was something right out of the '80s as there were lots of fish, jig strikes galore and not a baitfish in sight.

There was some question on Friday where the best place would be for the weekend, as several areas showed signs of action. A fish was released near the 267 (16/45), another near the 209, and still another on the 181. Outside, several marlin were baited unsuccessfully near the 289, while there were rumors of activity just outside the Coronado Islands just below the Mexican border and further south on the Banda Bank.

By Saturday morning, the picture was quickly clarified as Greg Stotesbury's KAWAKAWA found themselves in the middle of a quadruple jig strike just inside the 181 (57/46). Two got off on their own, but two were successfully released by son Zane and dad Ross. Needless to say, the hunt was on for KAWAKAWA with a ferocity that would make al Qaida shiver.

Once the fleet started forming near the 181, it was just a matter of dragging the jigs and keeping track of the hookups. Among the many boats scoring: BIG EASY, JIDONA, MY-TIE, SHOWDOWN and KAWAKAWA for a third time. Notable was a singlehanded fish taken by Jerry Austin on GERONIMO, who assured the fleet that it was not a shark.

An interesting feature of the day was the presence of a pair of tankers rafted together at the edge of the fleet. The supertanker PHOENIX VOYAGER is apparently too large for the ports, and was offloading cargo to a "smaller" supertanker while both paddled south at about a knot. What I found interesting is that the fleet seemed to drift south with the tankers, as though they were being used as a navigational aid. I've always said that when the fish are plentiful, you'll catch them wherever you are. I can't help but think the fact that the fleet could slide with the tankers and still catch fish must be evidence of this.

Several boats reported being shooed away from the tanker pair by a crew boat that was out in front of them. While researching the ship on the internet, I may have stumbled across the reason: the PHOENIX VOYAGER's cargo was loaded a month ago ... in Basra, Iraq. Conspiracy theorists rejoice!

Sunday was a carbon copy of Saturday, with a few more boats and perhaps a few less fish. However, many boats still released marlin, including JOKER, BIG EASY again, and a pair for PROSPECTOR. The hottest thing in the water both days was the EAL, and I guess I'm ready to surrender. I may not agree with the cost and may question the secrecy with which Sevenstrand applies to the concepts on which it is based, but it clearly works. As Greg Stotesbury told me, "Don't leave home without it!" I'll painfully have to agree.

The San Diego marlin fleet finally got the break they were looking for this weekend as a second bite opened up off the Coronado Islands. The fleet was located several miles west of North Coronado near 32.04 and 117.35. Several boats had great weekends, including Mike "The Beak" Hurt's new employer CHIROKAI (or however you spell it!) with 4 fish and DOS HERMANOS with two. All told, it's starting to look like it'll be an epic season ...

Lest you think this was a strictly marlin weekend, it's worth noting that many of the boats also reported that dorado were hitting the marlin lures, particularly the bigger males in open water. Also, the paddies remain packed with both school dorado and yellowail - so much so that I heard of several cases of spearfishermen going over the side to work the paddies.

So ... the Olympics have started. No one's been blown up yet, and that's a good thing. The Dream Team got it's a$$ handed to it by Puerto Rico, and that's probably a good thing, too. Personally, I tend to follow a certain type of Olympic athlete. Not based on what sport they play, but how they look playing it. Sorry, but I'm a single guy - that's just how we think. Misty May and Kerri Walsh won their first match, but we highlighted them when they were in the Hermosa Beach Open last month. So instead, here's Jennie Finch, star pitcher of the USA softball team. Not only does she look dynamite, but she has a 120-MPH riser that major league baseball players are afraid to face. Hey, if you're gonna get beaten by a girl, this would seem to be the one to be beaten by ...

As you might imagine, this is a busy and exciting time here at the Home Office. There's news to keep track of, new MNAC members to enroll, and pages to update. But it's important to step away periodically for the important things.

Tonight, I'm taking my 5-year old nephew to his first Florida Marlins game. His father would tell you that he's actually going to his first Dodger game, but we all know what the real attraction is. I'll be attired in a fresh Marlins jersey sure to attract a lot of love from the local fans. They only shoot Giants supporters, right? We've got seats right behind the Marlins dugout, and it should be a great time. Oh, to be 5 again with the simple love of baseball ...

August 12

Batten the hatches ...

This'll be quick, because I'm packing to head out in the wee hours.

The good news is that there was significant midweek action along the same ridge that produced well last weekend. Certain unnamed websites have stated that the fishing has slowed, but there's just to little data to make any kind of judgment. And, from what i can see, there's still plenty of action to go around.

The primary action was centered around the spot where SLEEPER got two striped marlin earlier in the week. The numbers were 21 and 47, which is NE of the 267 or 279 or whatever you want to call it. Being so close to shore, it got pounded harder than normal during the week. BLUE CHIP released their second of the season yesterday, and DONNA C landed one late (7:30). The latter fish was taken, and I'd probably rant, except that I'm short of time.

If you look at the temp chart (courtesy of our friends at Terrafin), you can see what's going on. that's a mighty big finger of warm water that's hugging the coast, bringing the fish with it. It's worth noting, though, that a branch of the finger extends towards San Clemente Island. We're still getting reports of marlin out there as well. If the fleet gets to you this weekend - and it'll be a hell of a fleet - you might want to check out in the lee of SCI.

No Dumbass of the Week ... well, not yet. I guess whoever gets stuck on the beach this weekend wins ... :-)

It's going to be a long weekend for the residents of Tampa, Florida, as Hurricane Charley bears down. I'm told this is the first time in something over 80 years that Tampa will take a direct strike - amazing considering it's location. All I can say to SCMO's friends in the region is "duck and cover" ... and let us know how you do ...

As I mentioned earlier, I'm heading out on HOOKER tomorrow for three days on the water. After listening to Jim Kingsmill talk marlin fishing for three hours last night, I'm pretty fired up to get out there. It's always a little melancholy when the first trip of the season rolls around. I get to enjoy one of my passions, but another pays the price. I have a rather extensive rose garden, and take a lot of pride in the blooms I produce. But having 60 roses is like dating 60 women - each has their own needs and moods, and there's no way you'll please them all. Now that my weekends are booked through thanksgiving, the roses will not get the attention they need. there are few things as depressing as having to cut down a bunch of diseased roses after a long marlin season. I tell myself this will be the year where I find a balance between the two - I'll let you know how it goes!

With the action so close to shore, cell reception should be good and I should be able to post some On-The-Water reports in the War Room. If you get out there, be sure to let us know you do. Good luck to all!

August 9

"Liftoff, and the clock has started ..."

So this is how it goes trying to chronicle life in the SoCal marlin fleet - last week, I'm waiting an extra day to get dope ... now, I have so much I don't know if I can fit it all in one report!

If you are an amateur seer, this past weekend's explosion of marlin action came as no surprise. After all, in our last report we told of a striped marlin being released on the 302 and PESCADOR releasing one somewhere warm enough to catch dorado. We now know that they were north of the 182, near the 138 (but you knew that ...*smile*).

Apparently a lot of people figured out where the action would be, because the inner banks were like parking lots. On Saturday, BLUE CHIP released a marlin that hit a dropback bait off San Mateo Point, and BILLJOY released another inside the 182. It appears that there were at least 6 fish taken for the day. Sunday continued the fun, as JOKER and WILD BILL each released one, and again, at least a half dozen were caught. So far today, the boats that are out report the action is continuing, and Vic Sommers on SLEEPER has released two.

Unlike recent years, where the first signs of fish were further offshore, the bite is occurring closer to the beach. To the north, the 267 is seeing action, as the fish are being caught as close as 8 miles out of Dana. Further south, the ridge from the 181 to the 138 to the 182 is producing as well. It is strictly a jig bite, with the only "bait" fish coming on the dropback. Black and purple, and Mean Joe Green are the colors of choice, in both beeping and non-beeping styles. It's still not a screaming bite, but at least it's something ...

I have a fresh candidate for Dumbass of the Week. While cruising of of several sites that have popped up in the wake of the demise of Moment of Fame, I ran across this picture. All I know is the angler's name is Tony, and the picture was taken in Mexico. As you can see, the fish is clearly alive and hot (look at the stripes), and they're about to release it, thinking they've done a good thing. All together now ... bend over and spread 'em boys!

Speaking of the DoW ... this is the point in the season where I usually have to take the San Diego Marlin Club to task for their seemingly kill-heavy policies. I say "usually," because it seems to be a yearly occurrence. I'd like to think that this would be the first year where I could end this tradition, but I'm afraid not. I was actually impressed when I saw that the first fish of the year by a SDMC member was a release ... until I saw that this weekend the "first capture" flag was presented. Now, I can understand where traditions might die hard, and the club could want a dead marlin to still count for the first flag for the club (thus competing with a released fish). But to have two flags - one for first release and one for first landed - is at best unenlightened and at worst a word I can't use in a family-friendly site. As a result, a fish that might otherwise be released could be killed, just because that "first dead" flag was still there for the taking. So now, SEA TREK IV can proudly claim the flag for a 90-lb peanut ... not a real surprise, I guess, considering they killed 4 last year ...

Nucking futs part 2 ... add this to the list of things I just can't fathom. Six people were beaten to death with baseball bats in Deltona, Florida, last week in what a 33-year law enforcement veteran called "the worst thing I've seen in my career." The reason for the attack? One of the victims wouldn't return an XBox game system she took from the lead suspect. It gets better. Seems the victim's grandparents own a vacation house in Deltona, and she dropped by to go swimming. Instead of finding the house empty, it was full of partying squatters. When she refused to return the XBox, left behind when the squatters were kicked out, the suspect threatened to beat her to death in her sleep. He lived up to his boast.

Perhaps the worst part of the whole affair is a quotation from the obviously clueless parent of one of the thugs - "He was a good kid, he just got with the wrong crowd." I'm just glad Florida still uses Old Sparky ... "Colonel, I'd like Extra Crispy, please" ...

It's probably just as well that the marlin finally made their appearance, because the albacore are just about out of range. The number of yellowfin tuna seems to have waned as well, but the dorado and yellowtail seem to be pretty well distributed, with dodos being found as far north as the 209.

My favorite exotic report of the week comes from central Oregon, where a jigboat trolling for albacore had a run-in with a school of 200-lb yellowfin. Needless to say, they weren't expecting such large fish, and the tackle paid the price. Apparently, the jiglines snapping sounded just like shotgun blasts ...

Every once in a while, you come across a picture that's so silly, words would just diminish its value. This is one such photo. Of course, if you have a funny caption, let me know ... :-)

With all that happened over the weekend, and the great weather we're having, I expect that a lot of folks will be playing hookey and hitting the water. If you do, be sure to let us know what you find. And, of course, if you should score, I expect to see it in the Release Reports (just like the new PESCADOR fish).

I'll be on the water this weekend, so the next report might be a little rushed, especially if we take off on Thursday night. But since the bite looks to be in cell phone range, you know what that means ... On The Water reports! Stay tuned ...

August 6

Things that make you go hmmm ...

Before I start ... no, you're not going nuts - this report was written on Friday rather than Thursday. There just wasn't enough dope to release it yesterday.

This offshore season is not starting off like normal, and the strange things just keep coming. It's the end of the first week of August, and the water is warmer than normal (in fact, they just issued an El Niño alert). We're seeing dorado and yellowfin tuna enter the counts, and there's even a report of a black (not striped) marlin being seen on the 14 Mile Bank. And yet, only a handful of striped marlin have been caught.

Now it could be that it's just a strange year, and we'll soon be hip-deep in marlin. It could be that they're all just hiding. But it could also be that the nets and longlines that the marlin are forced to face between here and Cabo San Lucas have finally taken a real toll. It's not a coincidence that the arrival of all these boats from Hawaii occured at the same time as the colossal Mag Bay marlin bite dried up. Next was the fishing off Marina Coral near Ensenada. Perhaps, now it's our turn. If so, we have no one but ourselves to blame for not taking a more proactive role in fighting the menace ...

Just in case you needed a little visual stimulation, I've included this photo from longtime SCMO regular Marko Alcaraz. The angler is Youssef Barquet, and he's walking his pet blue marlin ... :-) If you're going to take a picture with a billfish, this is the right way. More on the wrong way in a minute.

As I said earlier, I delayed this report a day in hopes of trolling up some new information. My patience was rewarded by way of MNAC member Kenny Knight and PESCADOR. Owner Doug Daniels released a marlin this afternoon after it hit a dropback bait. Unfortunately, I don't have the location yet, but it's somewhere warm - they caught a dorado just before the marlin. I also heard of one being released near the 302 this morning, but that's all I know.

Scott Peterson ... Kobe Bryant ... Mary Kay Letourneaux ... Michael Jackson. Has the whole world gone nucking futs??

Perhaps the worst part of the whole affair is a quotation from the obviously clueless parent of one of the thugs - "He was a good kid, he just got with the wrong crowd." I'm just glad Florida still uses Old Sparky ...

The latest entry is the sad saga of Mark and Lori Hacking. Mark's dad and brothers are doctors and lawyers, so he's feeling the pressure to succeed. How does he respond? He makes up stories about graduating from college and being accepted to medical school. And when his newly pregnant wife sees through the lies? He flips out and knifes her. As I write this, they're still looking for her body, which her loving husband stuffed in a dumpster.

I understand that the pressure of living gets harder with each generation, but it sure seems that more and more of those at the low end of the scale are going off the deep end. I'll say this, though - I respect the heck out of both Mark and Lori's parents for the way they are remaining supportive of each other, understanding that each couple has suffered unimaginable loss.

If you just can't wait for the marlin and need to catch something right now, things look pretty good for the weekend. They're still getting some of the larger albacore out at the Butterfly, but now were starting to see yellowfin and dorado appearing in some of the partyboat counts in decent numbers. Even better is the news that several marlin were seen on a couple of the southern banks. I have a hunch it's just about to break open ...

You'll recall that several weeks ago, we reported a marlin release by a unnamed boat July 24 between the 14 and Avalon Banks. Well, this week's WON included the picture at left and a writeup about angler John Conrad of FINADDICT and his catch between the Avalon Bank and 14 Mile Bank on a black and purple Zuker. Our congratulations to John and crew but ...

... we are proud to award them our first SCMO Dumbass of the Week award! Look closely at the photo - there are the angler and fish in the cockpit, where the fish was dragged just for the picture, even though we know from the first report that it was later released. John's probably feeling pretty good about himself right about now because he released the fish, but we all know better, right? What do you think are the chances of survival after you drag the fish six feet across the cockpit sole? I've said it before ... if your ego is so fragile that you need to risk the fish for a picture, you have much bigger things to worry about than whether the photo turns out ...

Oh, and just in case you don't know better, turn around and bend over so I can plant my boot between your cheeks ...

This is going to be a "work on SCMO weekend" for me, so look for some new things next week. I'd tell you what, but then the pressure'd be on to perform, and we already talked about the strange ways pressure works. You wouldn't want me to attack my dog or something, would you?

August 2

You have no idea how I'd like to tell you about the marlin bite, but I can't ...

... because there isn't one.

Actually, there has been a little marlin action down south. On Friday, Doug Rodger, fishing on FULL COOLER, released a striped marlin south of the 425. It hit a Mean Joe Green lure late in the day, and as you can see, was released healthy after about a half hour.

I did hear of two marlin hooked and lost, one on the 209 and another on the 182. That's not a lot of dope for the first week of August, I'm afraid. Good thing the exotics are starting to show ...

For those of us on the northern fringes, it's tough hearing of all the action to the south, when none has moved up here. San Diego boats continue to get albacore, albeit further from port than before. Both the 295 and twin 220's are holding albacore, and it's a nice grade - up to fifty pounds. The down side is that it's a scratchy bite - you pretty much need to be there sunup to sundown if you want a limit. Expect the bite to slow between 10 and 2.

If there's good news to be had, it's that the rumored exotic species may finally be ready to come out and play. Yellowfin tuna and dorado are appearing in decent numbers on both the 371 and 302. The dodos are in the kelp, and the tuna are running in schools both with porpoise and breezing separately. There is even some bluefin tuna - a traditional cold water tuna - being caught along with the large albacore down south. Of course, there's still lots of yellowtail just about everywhere. Topping all the exotic species, three - count 'em, three! - opah have been landed in the last week, the largest being an 80-lber. Fire up the barbey, baby!

I'm not sure what pleases me more ... Paul Lo Duca playing for the Marlins, or the fact that he hit a 2-run home run on the very first pitch he saw as a Marlin. The Dodgers are certainly getting a lot of heat in the media for the trade, and it's understandable. After all, it was supposed to be the opening salvo in an effort to get Randy Johnson from the Diamondbacks, an effort that ultimately failed. But you have to respect anyone willing to take a chance. The Dodgers could have simply sat back, won their division, and gotten swept out of the playoffs. Now, they'll probably have a very real chance to win a series or two. Of course, Lo Duca was the team leader, and it remains to be seen what his loss will do to team chemistry. All I know is that I have seats 6 rows behind the visitor's dugout for the Marlins first game in LA in two weeks, and a new Lo Duca Marlins jersey on order ...

You might have noticed that there's no pictures of hotties in this report. Hey, if all you want gratuitous sexy women, hit the Pic O' The Day ...

I'm very disappointed ... I didn't get a single feedback on my request about the SCMO Marketplace. Of course, I did sell three shirts - maybe that's the real feedback! Do drop by and let me know what you think.

It's so slow right now that very few people will be doing the midweek thing. Even HOOKER is on the beach (not literally, lunkhead!). Isuspect the only people who are out will be looking for dorado, yellowfin tuna or bluefin tuna. Of course, they could stub their toe on a marlin - if they do, you'll know it first!

July 29

Winds of change are blowing ... wait a minute - that's just the smog ...

I have so little to report that I feel embarrassed even calling this an update.

One striped marlin was hooked on Tuesday near the 209 on a black and purple lure, and I got two different reports of sightings on the 277. Nothing on swordfish. That's pretty much it.

The albacore fishing remains scratchy, although we are hearing more and more reports of dorado being seen and, more often, caught. There was even an opah caught outside of Newport Beach.

This is really the toughest part of the season, as we burn diesel fuel and plow the waters wondering when all those marlin that are being seen will decide to bite. All I can offer is the certain reality that if you're not on the water when they do, you won't be the one doing the catching ...

Rumor has it that my beloved Florida Marlins are about to pull the trigger on a potential megadeal with the Dodgers and maybe the D-Backs. The Fish would have to give up fireballer Brad Penny and up-and-coming Hee Sop Choi, but would get All-Star catcher Paul Lo Duca, outstanding setup guy Guillermo Mota and outfielder Juan Encarnacion, who was a member of the World Champs last year. The Dodgers are hoping to package Penny in a deal with Arizona for either Steve Finley or Randy Johnson. God, I love the trading deadline! All I can say is that we just took a big step towards returning to the Big Dance ...

Did I mention that two days after Lance Armstrong claimed his sixth consecutive Tour de France title, he bopped up to Belgium and won a 62-mile criterium? Tell your critics to shut up ...

We all have heard about the various controversies that have dogged the Tour de France - doping, rivalries, etc. - but I have a deep respect for anyone who can complete a 2,000 mile bike race. Like you, I often wonder what could possibly motivate men to drag themselves onto a bike for 21 days. Well, I managed to get a super-secret photo of the official TdF pace rider ... now, it all makes sense ... :-)

I'm not going to hype a section of the site this weekend, but I am going for a little audience participation. Earlier this year, I rolled out the SCMO Gear line, and, frankly, thought it would do well. After all, everyone kept clamoring for it. So far, though, the results have been less than spectacular. That worries me, since the goal was to give the people what they want. So if you have a chance this weekend, drop by the SCMO Marketplace. You don't have to buy anything - I'm just looking for feedback. Do we have too many products? Too few? Are they priced too high? Any thoughts are welcome. Post them in the War Room, or email them to me. All constructive criticisms will be welcome.

It looks like it'll be a great weekend - a little breezy, but a lot of sun. Not sure yet if I'll be on the water, or watching the 6-man volleyball in Manhattan Beach yet. Both sound like pretty good options. If you get on the water, be sure to file that Trip Report or drop a note over in the War Room - this is the time of the year where we start to put together those intelligence reports, and we all know what happens if you try to operate without decent intelligence (Dateline: Baghdad ...).

July 26

The dawg dayz of summer ... woof ...

Actually, that howling sound you hear in the background is probably the local marlin fishermen crying for the marlin to show up, fercrissakes. As one of my contacts stated glumly, "No reputable marlin fisherman saw anything this weekend." While that's a little bit of an overstatement, it was a pretty bleak weekend. The marlin right now are a lot like your high school girlfriend - they tantalize and tease, but if you reach for them, they're gone.

We did get a couple of new reports. Down south, IMPULSE released a striped marlin Thursday while fishing at the the 230 spot (32.14/117.40). It's in the Release Reports if you want the details. Closer to home, a marlin was released Saturday between the 14 Mile and Avalon Banks. Gotta love those inshore fish! I'm told the boat was the old FIRST THINGS FIRST (as opposed to the current FTF), but I don't know the boat's current name or owner. If you do, let me know!

The tuna remain relatively scarce. Boats fishing the BAC alby event had to run all the way down to the Twin 220's to scratch out a couple of albacore. There are yellowtail under the kelp paddies and along the tide lines, but we're not seeing the influx of warm water species you'd expect considering the water is over 70 in a lot of places.

What more can be said about Lance Armstrong. He wrapped up his sixth consecutive Tour de France victory yesterday, placing him above the greats of cycling who had 5 - Antequil, Mercyx, Hinault and Indurain. Not only did he win, he pretty much stomped the field. He earned five individual stage victories (six, if you count US Postal's domination of the team trial), and in the end led the second place finisher by over six minutes. Students of the Tour are already calling it the most dominant performance since Bernard Hinault's victory in 1981.

Lance picked up a nickname in this year's Tour (The Boss), and it was clear that he would get exactly what he wanted from the Tour from the outset. He dominated both the flats and the hills, and simply outclassed a field of mostly younger riders. The only real question now will be if he will go for a seventh victory next year.

The Discovery Channel will take over next year as the primary sponsor of Armstrong's team, and it is reasonable to assume they'd like the publicity generated from his presence. At the same time, one of the biggest criticisms of Armstrong has been his single-minded focus on the TdF while ignoring other significant races. Coincidentally, the Discovery Channel owns the US broadcast rights to the Giro d' Italia, a tour second only to le Tour in popularity and cycling significance. Of course, should the new Discovery Channel team - and Lance - choose to ride the Giro next year, which race do you think will get the publicity? Only time will tell ...

Remember last time when I talked about the great "Our Land" parody of the Woody Guthrie tune? Well, no good deed goes unpunished - the publisher of the song is suing the filmmakers. Never mind that the Woodster has been dead for nearly 40 years, or that parody is Constitutionally-protected free speech. Shakespeare was right - "first, we kill all the lawyers ..."

I don't know how it is in your part of the world, but it's been hotter than anything here at the Home Office. Apparently, it's been hot in other parts of the world as well, gauging from some of the opinions demonstrated lately in the Offshore Fishing Forums. Now, I believe in free speech more than most, and I encourage people to speak their mind - even if it's not necessarily popular or politically correct. i always figure that if someone says something really stupid, facing the slings and arrows of their posting peers is far more painful than anything I could do.

Lately, though, it seems that the vitriol has been running particularly deep, and I've had to gently reprimand a couple of posters in recent weeks. Guys, we all have opinions (just like assholes, right!), and all opinions are welcome. But be sure you understand the difference between opinion and defamations. I don't want to read any more postings questioning sexual orientation or any similarly degrading comments in the future. We're all big people here - can't we all just get along?

I was off the water this weekend, but that gave me a chance to enjoy the beach living I pay such a high price for. In between a couple of intense bike rides, I caught a couple of matches each day at the AVP Hermosa Beach Open. I saw Misty May and Kerri Walsh on Saturday, and Karch Kiraly and Mike Lambert on Sunday.

Unfortunately for Misty (and maybe us all ...), a pre-existing ab strain caused her to forfeit the title match Saturday afternoon. what to do - you have a full beach stadium of booze-soaked VB fans, and no match. Step in my newest attraction - Rachel Wacholder. Having lost her match earlier in the day, she stepped in on 30 minutes notice and took Misty's place in an exhibition match for the crowd. Not only did she look fantastic, but she and Kerri came within a couple of points of beating the Athens-bound winners, Holly McPeak and Elaine Youngs. Unfortunately, Misty is also an Olympian, and it remains to be seen if she'll recover in time for the Games, which begin in two weeks.

The combination of warm water, warmer weather and the chance at midweek glory should get a few boats out on the water this week, If they score, you'll score because I'll post it in the War Room. Until, then, stay cool!

July 22

The calm before the storm ...

Well, we're heading into the weekend, and all offshore fishermen in SoCal - regardless of their targeted species - are thinking the same thing:

"Where the hell are my fish???"

The tuna guys are crying, because the albacore have moved out of range of the private boaters (unless you launch out of Morro Bay ...), and the billfish guys are crying because the first of the season has gone for both marlin and swordfish, but no one can find the second! It's so desperate that the Balboa Angling Club's Albacore tourney, set for this weekend, is now the "albacore, tuna, and pretty much anything else that swims and will keep us from being skunked" tourney. As for me, I'm crying because the coastal fog has moved back in and hosed our SST charts ...

With the fish still MIA, we all need to demonstrate a sense of humor. For me, few things are as funny as election season. Obviously, I'm not the only one who finds it disturbing that something so serious can be so messed up, as the folks at JibJab Films have created "This Land", a hilarious parody of John and George singing the Woody Guthrie classic. Whether a conservative who'll chuckle at the description of Kerry as a "liberal sissy", a liberal who'll enjoy seeing Bush called a "right wing nutjob" or a Nader independant who'll just shake his head at both of them, you'll find this thing is hilarious!

Remember ... you can laugh, but you still have to get out and vote!!

Remember when I said Lance Armstrong would be in the yellow jersey by the time this report was written? Well, even I didn't imagine just what an ass-whipping he would lay on the field! With the last mountain stage completed earlier this morning, here's how he did in the Pyrennes and Alps: 2nd, 1st, 1st, 1st, 1st. He's so far out front, he'd have to fall off the bike - and not get back on - to lose. Just goes to show that there are still sporting heroes to be found out there ...

I feel bad, because I know that a lot of you read this report to see where to go for the weekend, and I just don't have all that much information to go on - you'd think it was tourney season! If I were going out on the water this weekend, which I'm not, I think I'd have to start off the Dome at San Clemente Island. Not only was this the location of the first marlin of the season (and not all that far from the first swordfish), but it has been a very fertile spot over the last few seasons - one of the few places that has gotten its share of fish every year. Wherever you go, be sure to file that Trip Report, even if you aren't successful. The fuel you save might be your own ... well, not your own, but maybe someone you care about ... :-)

When the billfish are hiding, it's hard to think about tournament season, but it is right around the corner. So this week's site feature highlight is our Tournament Calendar!

We don't always have the best marlin fishing here is SoCal, but we have some first class marlin tournaments. From the little events run out of bars in Avalon to those organized by the local fishing clubs to the big money World Billfish Series events, there is a full slate of events to fit anyone's experience level and threshold of financial pain. Our Tournament Calender lists them all, along with contact information and links to tourney web sites.

Each year, I fish in two events - the King Harbor Marlin Club tourney and the Pesky. Both are great events in their different ways. I also maintain the Pesky tournament website, where we not only provide info about the event, but memorialize the lunatics who've won in the past years. I highly recommend both tournaments.

Take the time now to check out the Tournament Calendar, and get your entries in early. That'll leave you with plenty of time to practice the essential skills required, such as jostling for position at the Marlin Club bar. The Tournament Calendar can be accessed by selecting "Tourneys" on the "More Content" pulldown menu on the left side navigation bar.

I have a certain ... fondness ... for younger women, although I try not to be too fond if they're too young. Man, that was a bad joke. Anyway, as I get older, there are more younger women and fewer older women - that's just simple math.

My point? I give you Sharon Stone, from the current issue of Rolling Stone. That would be forty-six-year-old Sharon Stone. Finally - an older woman even I can appreciate, and reason enough to see "Catwoman" just for the ... catfight ... between her and Halle Berry (who I'm sure will make this column at some point ...). Sharon has agreed to make the sequal to "Basic Instinct" and is said to be excited about recreating some of the character's "bold behavior". And, as you'll recall, she was mighty bold ...

I know it's tough heading offshore when the fish just don't seem to be there, but remember - it beats being on the beach. Well, unless it's Hermosa Beach, which is where I'll be watching Holly McPeak and the other volleybabes of the AVP this weekend. OK, I'll be watching the guys play, too, but it's just not the same. So if you can't be on the water, come on down and check out the VB action. If that doesn't work, get out on the bike and take a lap in celebration of Lance and his impending victory.

July 19

He's baaaaack ...

I'm back at work, having returned from my self-imposed "time-out" a little early. Hey, there was just too much going on!

While I certainly didn't deserve it, I was showered by nice sentiments in the last week. Thanks to each of you who took the time to post your comments or send an email, even the guy who said I was acting like a cross between a diva and a martyr ... :-)

I was able to use the time away for productive reflection, and I believe both I and our visitors will benefit. So now, back to the show!

Even though I was gone, you shouldn't have been, so you should already know that the first striped marlin of the season was released Friday night by Jason Blower fishing onboard father Mike's PACIFIC PIONEER. The fish, a bait fish caught on 20-lb test, was hooked on the inside of San Clemente Island off the Dome. Just in case you want to see if the fish is still there, here are the numbers: 32 deg 53.338 min by 118 deg 23.105 min. Hey, when we give numbers, we give numbers!

SCMO veteran Bob Hoose, who along with Jason owns the PROSPECTOR, reports that Jason's reward for the fish was a gift of the casting outfit he caught the fish on. Bob hopes to put it to good use in the next few weeks as more marlin flood into the region. Looks like we picked the wrong weekend to be on the beach, eh Bob?

As you might imagine, we're getting a lot of marlin reports, some more reliable than others. Probably the most interesting was word that someone had lost a marlin Saturday off the Head - even if they caught it in their own mind. Apparently, this unnamed boat was checking out a kelp paddy for dorado when they hooked a marlin. My report indicated that they intended to keep the fish, but that after getting a hand on the leader the fish was lost in the running gear. There was chatter on the radio that this should be considered a released fish, but as we all should know, you must declare your intention early in the fight. So sorry ... thanks for playing.

One nice thing that happened while I was away from the keyboard is that the cloudiness that has enveloped the coastline the last few weeks seems to have broken, letting us run some good SST charts. I've been able to generate good data for three days in a row, which must be some kind of record.

Another thing I remember before I left was that Lance Armstrong was 9 minutes back in the Tour de France and people were starting to talk. Well, they ain't talking anymore! After back to back days of kicking the backside of the field up two brutal Pyrenean summits, my boy Lance is within 22 seconds of the leader and has dashed the hopes of all but a handful of his rivals. By this time tomorrow, he should be in the maillot jaune - this time for good. See you next Sunday on the Champs Elysees, Lance!

I got a followup message from George Landrum of Fly Hooker Sportfishing in Cabo regarding the 1,110-lb black marlin reported caught at Palmilla a few weeks back. "These scales (Palmilla, Playita and Cabo) are not certified, and most times are not even close to accurate. Here in Cabo a tuna weighed 122-lb at the hanging scale and 2 hours later 87-lb at a certified (semi) butcher scale," said Landrum in his message. "I have not caught a grander myself but have angled and lost one, have captained on several and have seen a few up close and personal at the docks and scales, and I believe that this fish is in the area of 700 - 800-lbs." That's pretty much in line with what most of our SCMO experts has said upon seeing the fish. Of course, it'd look a lot bigger if it was still in the water ...

For those of you who just aren't ready for the torture that is our local marlin season, things are not looking good. The northern albacore bite has tailed off, and several boats spent the weekend making the Great Circle Route - 381 to Dumping Grounds to Mushroom to Butterfly - for nada. Similarly, we haven't heard too much about the swordfish, although the boats have been working inside of San Clemente - it was a swordfish boat that tipped PACIFIC PIONEER about the marlin they subsequently released. There is talk of dorado under the paddies, but I've yet to see it.

If you were afraid that my week of reflection might somehow radically change me, fear not. I still favor biting humor, and I still appreciate beautiful women. This week's example: Summer Sanders - 1992 Olympic Gold Medalist (200-m butterfly), TV host, smokin' hot mama. Gotta love those swimmer's shoulders ... sigh ...

Now that Jason Blower has taken local honors for the first released marlin of the season, this is a good time to talk about our SCMO Feature O' The Week - the Online Gamefish Release Reporting System, or OGRRS for short. OGRRS was developed a couple of seasons ago out of my desire to provide some kind of recognition for those who choose to release their marlin that would mimic the catch boards you see in the various weigh-in stations. Anglers can register their fish, providing the pertinent details, and they'll be entered into our system and displayed for all to see.

The best part of our OGRRS board has been how many worldwide fish have been registered. Our hope is that others will see the released fish, be suitably impressed, and choose to release their next billfish. By providing recognition for the released fish, recognition that otherwise would not be given, OGRRS serves as a positive reinforcement for conservation. If you are fortunate enough to release a marlin this season, take the time to register it with OGRRS, and tell those you know to do so. Anyone can register - you do not need to be a member. If we get enough participation, our goal is to develop a release certificate that can be presented to the anglers.

The Online Gamefish Release Reporting System can be accessed using the "Release Reports" button on the lefthand navigation bar.

OK, that's it for now. Hopefully I'll be on the water this weekend, but I'll be here on Thursday with my best guess ... er, scientific prediction on where to try. Until then, be good to each other!

July 12

"'Pay no attention to the man behind the curtain ..."

I love my Mac, I really do. Using it can be a real joy, especially compared to the beige cow of a Compaq I use at work.

Unfortunately, it can have it's moments. Much like a Tour de France rider wheeling over rain-slick cobblestones, it periodically crashes - and usually at the most inopportune time. This time, it was in the middle of writing the latest Fishing News update.

Rather than toss something through my monitor, I decided to take a step back and try again tomorrow, which is now today. But the crash, along with other things I'll cover in a moment, has left me somewhat humorless ...

The news has been very thin so far since our last report. The albacore bite that had been going so well between the 43 and Butterfly Bank seems to have dried up, and there's only been a few swordfish sightings (although C Bandit did hook and lose one). The only recent marlin sighting we've had was a single jumper seen of the condos off Hamilton Cove just outside Avalon.

There was one amazing report of a 1,110-lb black marlin being caught out of Palmilla near Cabo San Lucas on Saturday. You can read about it, and see the picture, in the Trip Reporter. Lord knows I've never been near a grander (other than in taxidermy, but this one looks a little on the thin side. See what you think.

Good news - for a change, there's been a break in the gloom and for the last few days we've been able to run decent SST charts. They show what we already seem to know - the water's warming up. Unfortunately, they still haven't invented the satellite that'll show if there is bait - or marlin - in the area.

What's good news for us, though, is bad news for others. Anytime the weather is nice on the beach - and the skies clear enough to get good charts - it usually means the weather offshore is nasty. This past weekend is a perfect example. The run to the tuna grounds on the 43, Butterfly, and 60-Mile Bank, which had been so benevolent just a week before, seemed like a scene out of "The Perfect Storm." I received several reports of boats that lost antennas, tops, hatches, windows and more as they pounded their way out and back, only to find the tuna had moved on. Fishing can be a cruel game ...

And now, for the mea culpa portion of our report:

I love to talk marlin fishing. As much as I enjoy the fishing itself, I might enjoy talking about it even more. I have been privileged, through this site, to establish a community where I can share what I know with others who do the same, often to my great benefit. I also participate in conversations on other sites, in the hope that the gift of knowledge I've been lucky enough to gain here could be shared with others.

In a posting on one of those other sites, I spoke admiringly about the dedication and talent of the crew of the local SoCal boat WILD BILL. At the end of the posing, I mentioned that I had heard that they were now using a scrambler to mask their communications, something which I've described with disdain in the past. It wasn't meant to be hurtful; rather, I was expressing my surprise that a group of individuals who had in the past freely shared information might now be using the same tools other, lesser talented fishermen sometimes use.

Well, word got back to the crew, and they made it known to me through several sources that not only did they not use a scrambler but that they were upset that I would make such a statement. It was never my intent to upset or irritate anyone, certainly not a group I respect as much as Team Kingsmill, yet here I am.

I serve as a chronicler of the local marlin scene and, as such, I want people to believe what I say. I put a lot of effort into verifying the things that I report here and in the War Room, because reputation is a very important thing. I want people to respect this site and the information they find here, and I certainly don't want to damage the opinion of others.

Admittedly, I don't always hold myself to the same standard when involved in the kind of off-the-cuff conversations that occur in chat rooms or forums, particularly when on other sites. If I'm posting elsewhere, I feel like I'm doing it as Stan Ecklund, Individual, rather than Stan Ecklund, MarlinNut. The problem is, no one else realizes this.

Unfortunately, I forgot the most important part of running a site like this, and of trying to establish myself as someone whose statements people can trust: You are never "off-duty". People will see your words and assume, no matter where they are found, that they carry the same validity because they received the same careful research - even if they didn't.

In this case, I mentioned a tidbit that I had heard sometime over the past winter. I have no idea who told me, and I never made any attempt to verify it - it was just one of those little things that sticks in the corner of your brain until it decides to come out - in this case, in a most unfortunate manner.

For the record, I have no direct knowledge of WILD BILL using any kind of scrambler, now or ever. Jimmy Kingsmill of WILD BILL has stated such, and I have no reason to doubt him. It was not my intention to besmirch anyone's reputation, and I humbly apologize, both to the crew of WILD BILL and anyone who reads these words, for my lack of journalistic professionalism.

This is the second time in the last few weeks that I've been forced to reevaluate things I've said because of the unintended impact they have had on other people. That is not good, and I need to take action. If your kids did it, you'd give them a "time out", and that's exactly what I'm going to do to myself.

For the next week, I'll be staying out of the forums and basically letting the site run itself. Our next report here in the Fishing News will be next Thursday, July 22nd. This will give me some much needed time to think about some of the things I've been doing, the approach I've been taking towards things, and the opportunity to speak freely with several people whose opinions I respect. hopefully, I'll return realigned and reinvigorated.

If I hear anything that I think you need to know, I'll sneak in and post it in the War Room - once it's been properly verified, of course!!

July 8

"'Cause I'm just a soul whose intentions are good ... oh, Lord, please don't let me be misunderstood ..."

Somehow, I've managed to get dragged into arguments on three different posting boards all at the same time - not counting my own - and I'm a beaten man. Combine that with the fact that only two days have passed since the last report and it means we're a little thin in the news department. I'll try to make up for it with the old standby - women.

I've heard that the albacore bite has slowed somewhat, and the boats are having to make longer runs to get limits. But I've also heard that some boats are still scoring on the eastern edge of the butterfly Bank, so I don't know who to believe. No more reports of dorado or any other warm water species, but i expect those to come. It really looks like it'll be a good warm water season.

I have no new marlin reports, but did hear that at least one swordfish was hooked and lost. This is good, considering the broadbill seemed to have all gone down at the end of the weekend.

I was going to run a picture of Lance Armstrong in the yellow jersey he earned when he took the lead in the tour de France yesterday. That was until I found this shot of his girlfriend, singer Sheryl Crow, trying out her new LA-edition Trek bicycle. Lance who?

As I'm writing this report, AMC is running "The Natural" in the background. When Roy Hobbs looks down at batboy Bobby Savoy, holding the broken pieces of Hobbs' beloved WonderBoy bat, and tells him,"Go pick me out a winner, Bobby ...", well, if you don't get choked up there's just no hope for you ...

I know you've heard this a lot lately, but we really are going to have decent SST charts someday. This is just the time of the year when fog socks the coast in for about 22 hours a day. You should see the charts I'm getting - I couldn't get full coverage of the area if I stitched a week's worth of images together.

I've been checking Terrafin, TempBreak and other SST sites, and they're having the same kind of problem. Add to that the bum AVHRR sensor on one of the two satellites, and it's a real mess. As soon as we can get images worth seeing, you'll see 'em

Speaking of images worth seeing, I'm including in this week's report a picture of actress Keira Knightly - not because it has anything to do with fishing, just because I can ... :-)

I know - you're dying to find out what part of the site I'm going to highlight this week, right? Well, we have a highlight, but it's not part of the site - it's the SCMO Marketplace, which is actually part of the CafePress.com site. As long as SCMO has been in business, folks asked me when there would SCMO merchandise. Unfortunately, that sort of stuff has always required a significant upfront capital outlay and, running this thing on a shoestring as I do, it just wasn't possible.

Enter the creative folks at CafePress. They combined the advances in digital technology and printing equipment with the on-demand concept of the internet to create a way for even us little guys to get in the game. We design the product, they fulfil the orders - no advance purchases, no minimums, no hassles! They even let us integrate the pages they provide with our own sites to create a seamless experience - the only way you can tell you're there is the small logo at the top of the page.

We have created a full line of products, all bearing the slick SCMO logos. So far, our biggest sellers have been the t-shirts, hats and sweatshirts, but lately there's been a run on the ladies items - not sure why! Eventually, I'd like to have a suitably hot woman model the items, but for now we'll stick with the stock photos (if you consider yourself to be a suitably hot woman and always wanted to break into modeling, let me know ...)

I've been wearing the caps, tees, and sweats all year, and can vouch for the quality. They use a slick ink sublimation process that results in a much better result than traditional silk screening. This is a good thing, because our logos are pretty complex. So far, we've received nothing but complements - hopefully, we'll get some from you, too!

OK, I've got to head out now to defend my character ... again ... grr! Wish me luck ... and buy some shirts!

July 6

Closer ... closer ...

Well, did we all survive the big holiday weekend? Let's get a quick show of hands ...

Here in SoCal, the weather was hot and the fishing is getting hotter, as the war water species continue to push into the region. But while albacore are being caught as far north as Morro Bay, they continue to hold on in the southland even as the water warms.

Another sign of the impending marlin season was received this weekend with word that the San Diego Marlin Club weighed in a striped marlin on Saturday. The fish was caught by angler Gary Lamoureax while returning from the southern tuna grounds onboard EN FUEGO. The hookup occurred deep in Mexican waters, between the 213 and 390 spots (54/39) - I think of it as a Marina Coral marlin. I was emailed a picture of the catch, but will not be posting it for obvious reasons. I will say that the 190.5-lb fish had amazingly blue stripes (although I'm sure that were much better in the water). You can check the Marlin Club site if you want to see the dead fish.

While there were reports of others seen further north, that was the only catch. The VHF was buzzing with stickboats captains all complaining about the swordfish being down over the weekend. Considering how well they've done so far, they probably need the time to get their gear back in shape ...

The albacore bite that's been going on the last few weeks is still going strong. Many private boaters hit the spot west of the 43 (roughly 30 and 09) and most got at least a dozen longfin. Once again, it was a time-of-day thing, with the bite going strong from daylight to around 9AM, then picking up again late in the afternoon. We picked up 9 on Sunday in about an hour and a half, and I know PESCADOR and SHOWDOWN both did well, also.

Further south, the bigger albacore are still being caught, with the hot spots being the 390 and the east edge of the Butterfly (some numbers: 15/55, 00/40, 01/48, 00/38). These are a larger grade of fish, running in the mid-20-lb range. It, too, is a morning bite, although limits are being caught so quick, the bite might be still going but the boats are running home.

The interesting news tidbit of the week was the report of a 30-lb dorado being caught on the 390. That's a good sign that warm water is near, and warm water species are on their way. While I've heard reports of dorado schooling under kelp paddies, this is the only catch I've heard of.

As we wait patiently (or not so patiently ...) for the marlin season to fire up, there's a lot of great sporting events going on. Chief amongst them, IMO, is the Tour de France, which started last Saturday and runs for the rest of the month. If you've been living under some kind of rock, let me remind you that Lance Armstrong - cancer survivor, ad pitchman, Sheryl Crow boyfriend and all-around stud - is attempting to become the first cyclist to win six Tours - and he's won the last five in a row. Today was the third stage, and it included two nasty sections of cobblestones. As someone who spends a good amount of time in the saddle, I can tell you that these guys are clearly the greatest athletes in the world (and ESPN.com agrees). It should be fun to watch as things roll along in the coming weeks.

Of course, it's also baseball season, and this time last year, my beloved Florida Marlins were starting to look like the World Champion team they would become in the fall. But that was last year, and I'm forced to report that they currently are lagging in third place and sinking faster than a Danforth anchor. Oh, well ... we'll just have to polish those two World Series trophies ...

Who was it who said that a tennis player can't look like Kournikova and play like Navratilova? Let me introduce you to the 2004 Ladies Champion at Wimbledon, Maria Sharapova. Before we start to make asses of ourselves, guys, let me remind everyone that she's only 17 ...

You may have noticed that I did not refer to the marlin caught over the weekend as the "first of the season", nor did I when the report was received of a possible release last week. Several folks have emailed me asking what I consider the true "first" marlin. Every season, there are a few marlin that are taken as incidental catches, either by charter or party boats, or, as in this case, by someone who stumbled on the marlin while fishing for something else. I consider the first marlin of the season to be the one caught in the traditional Southern California marlin grounds by someone who is targeting marlin as their primary goal. That fish will come soon, but it hasn't come yet ...

I said last week that I thought it would be a good idea to check out the warm water off the west end of Catalina. A couple of us made the run, but, other than the warm water, there was no action. I was looking at the latest SST charts in a desperate attempt to provide you with some data, but there's just too much cloud cover (I am, however, getting good at seeing images in the clouds ... "ooh - that one looks like a horsey!"). I am a persistent bastitch, however, so whenever charts can be produced, I'll produce them!

This week's underutilized site feature is the SCMO eCards. One really good reason to highlight them now is that I just discovered that they have been broken ever since the server change a couple of months ago. This tells me two things - I'm lagging as a programmer, and no one is using the eCards! C'mon, we've all had those moments when we need to send someone a message, and a boring email just won't cut it. Our eCards let you customize that message with pictures and color. It's a great little idea that I use often - you should, too!

I was surprised at how few of the marlineers were on the water over the holiday, but I guess a lot of folks were building credit with the family so they can burn it later during the season. I think this upcoming weekend will look a lot more like normal, with a lot of folks burning fuel in search of that first marlin ... we'll see!

July 1

"You're gonna realize, some of my lies are true ..."

OK, I know I promised all the tuna guys a big update today, but what can I say ... I lied. Actually, I just ran out of time. I'm leaving tomorrow for a long weekend offshore, and I need to focus on tackle and stuff. Hey, if I get the first marlin of the season, all will be forgiven ...

Seriously, with this being the Fourth of July weekend, and the weather being, well, Fourth-of-July-like, is there anyone who isn't going to be on the water?

Here's an interesting snippet from a Trip Report filed by George Landrum of Fly Hooker Sportfishing in Cabo ...

"Kudos to both Marco Ehrenberg and Tony Berkowitz this week for their actions in having a long-liner apprehended in the act of fishing on top of the Outer Gordo Bank. Briefly, one of Marco's boats observed the long-liner in action. Marco called the Navy and was told they did not have a boat available to enforce the law, and had no fuel for a private boat. All Marco's boats were fishing or being worked on. He called Tony who said that he knew of a boat available and ended up getting two. They loaded on the Marines and a guy from the fisheries department went out to Gorda Banks and found the boat pulling in one line, filleting a Striped Marlin on the deck, two more Marlin jumping on the line still in the water and their small boat setting another five mile long-line at the same time. The boat was confiscated and there is legal action ensuing. Thanks to everyone involved. So why is the high speed Navy boat anchored off of Medano Beach in front of the beach bars every day."

The really nasty part of this is that the boat (a converted shrimper - guess they'd already dried that species up) was fishing with a legal permit - just not for the species it was taking (I believe it was on a squid permit).

As I recall, then current Mexican president Vicente Fox was running for office, he pounded the then-president and his administration for their scant efforts to protect and preserve the environment. He was said to have taken a page from the Clinton/Gore playbook and positioned himself as the environmental candidate.

Well, it doesn't say too much for his environmental policies when the only way the existing laws to be enforced is for the public to use their own boats to transport the marines. And isn't this the same Presidente Fox who had to be nearly kidnapped by the environmental lobby at the Los Cabos airport last year before he would take action to enforce the fishing laws? Of course, considering he married his press secretary, maybe he's reading the wrong chapters in Clinton's book ...

If you're looking for an interesting place to check out this weekend, you need look no further than the sst chart to your left (click on it to see it extra-large). As is typical for this time of the season, the warm water from the south is spilling into the Catalina Bight, hugging the coast until it collides with the Palos Verdes Peninsula and is forced out to sea. As a result, there's a nice mass of warm water off the west end of Catalina.

I think that if I had a boat and wanted to run without the pack, I'd start off the west end and play connect the dots towards Anacapa - 125, 152, 172, 17. Rumor has it Bob Hoose will be up there this weekend, so we should find out if the place is holding - hopefully while there's still time to run up there!

It sounds like HOOKER will be heading south to snag a few more tuna, while keeping an eye out for the first marlin of the season or perhaps the big brother to Greg Stotesbury's swordfish. Supposedly, there's dorado being caught on the 390, so perhaps we'll see the warm water fisk like yellowfin tuna in the fish counts soon. We'll probably be in Pyramid Cove on Saturday and Sunday, now that the Navy corrected it's posture and opened the cove for the weekend. Be sure to holler as you pass - I'll be the guy trying to catch dinner on the aft deck! If I can get reception, I'll be posting on-the-water reports in the War Room, so if you're land-locked this weekend be sure to check it out.

June 28

The season is upon us ...

Unless you spent the weekend in a coma (or weren't checking in at the War Room - bad dog!), you should already know that Greg Stotesbury is the proud owner of the first SoCal swordfish of the season. Returning in KAWA KAWA from a successful San Clemente trip, wife Dara spotted the sword on the surface just east of the 289 (57 and 10, for you detail-oriented types). Greg cast a Spanish mackerel on the beast only to have it sliced in half by the bill. Son Zane picked up the fish and Dara, proving she's not only a Chick Who can Fish but a girl who can drive, put the boat back in position. Left with nothing but jacksmelt in the tank, Greg pinned the biggest and hoped for the best ...

The rest, as they say, is history. After a two-hour fight the fish was on the step and the boat on plane for the Balboa Angling Club, where the fish was weighed in at 118-lbs and change. For someone who's tried as long and hard as Greg has to bag a local swordie, it was a special experience. But he put it best in his Trip Report:

"All of us that do what we do out here should be blessed to experience what we did yesterday. Nothing like having my family aboard and my friends standing by for the greatest angling experience I could ever dream of! Unlike the previous 35 swordies and 3 hookups, everything worked perfect this time...Dara driving, Zane clearing the cockpit, David gaffing and a cooperative fish...what more could I ask for?"

Indeed. Nice going, GS!

Lest you think this was an isolated fish, Greg reports that they had baited two others earlier in the day. In addition, WILD BILL is said to have baited seven (and lost two)! The last couple of years has seen a real increase in the number of rod-and-reel swordfish taken locally. The stickboats seem to be doing quite well with the "brass mackerel", so clearly there are plenty out there. Hopefully there's one with my name on it ...

Lost in the flood of good wishes for the Stotesbury fish was a report that a marlin had been released over the weekend. If this report is true, then it would be the first local marlin of the season. The report surfaced Saturday night on another site when angler Joey Engel of San Juan Capistrano reported releasing a marlin near the 209 that afternoon. He had been pulling yellowtail out of a paddy when a marlin cruised by. Once the shock wore off, Joey fed it a sardine on 30-lb test and fought it for an hour before releasing her.

It's not uncommon for early marlin to be caught by those not necessarily targeting them, but this is remarkably far north for the first. Even more impressive is the fact that he released the fish. The only confirmation I have of this incident is the initial report, but there's no reason to disbelieve. If you've heard more, let me know.

Sharp-eyed readers will have noted that there was no Fishing Report last Thursday. The US Mail might get through no matter what, but I can get distracted periodically. The picture at left shows my distraction from Thursday. Fortunately, it wasn't the Home Office, but was close enough to make things interesting.

I am one of the first to take potshots at the "Let's Talk Hookup" radio show and it's blatant product shilling, but deep down we all love Marty Milner for being an icon of our childhood. His daughter is having a tough go right now, and is in need of a marrow transplant. The San Diego Blood Bank has scheduled a pair of blood and bone marrow testing drives in July to hopefully find her a match. "Finding a matching bone marrow donor for our daughter is my top priority", said Marty, who plans to attend both of the drives on his daughters behalf. "But, even if we don't find a match for Amy at these particular drives, the people who join the bone marrow registry could potentially save someone else's life and that is important." You can check out all the details of the drives here.

I'm not a real political guy, primarily (no pun) because I've found so few politicians I could respect. But I do consider myself to be a patriot, so when the decision was made to liberate Iraq, I was a supporter. This was not because I particularly agreed with the idea (although, if ever a despot deserved to be handed his head it was Saddam), but because once the decision is made, we should all support the troops. It's been difficult, of course, and made tougher by all those who don't support the decision, the leadership, or the troops.

So it was with some interest that I learned this morning of the decision to hand over sovereignty to the interim Iraqi government. Our government said they would return power to the Iraqis and they did - two days early. Probably a tough pill to swallow for all those who were counting on President Bush to go back on his word - not likely. Of course, there's still the issue of the insurgents and other asshats that keep kidnapping folks and decapitating them. Somehow, they think this will bring about whatever it is they are in favor of. I think not.

What we really need is for all the nations involved in Iraq to issue a join statement encouraging the dissidents to cut off as many heads as they like, and reaffirming that it will have absolutely no impact whatsoever on the decisions that will be made. Of course, what we really need is to take the attitude of Don Drysdale in his heyday - hit one of mine and I'll hit two of yours. This would be particularly easy, considering the number of "guests" we currently have housed at Gitmo. Oh, wait a minute - we're the good guys. We'll just have to take it - just like we always do. Sometimes, it's tough being the guy in the white hat ...

By this time next week (barring some emergency fishing trip), I should have the next chapter in the Marlin Tutorial online. I don't want to spoil the surprise, but I can at least show you how it ends (gee, I love a happy ending *smile*). In the meantime, I'm deciding which chapter to attack next - if you have a preference, let me know!

One of this site's best - and least used - features (IMHO) is our Fish Tales section. Once upon a time, we reprinted articles from prominent fishing magazines so that all could benefit. but a certain billfish magazine (who's name is the "M" in "SCMO") decided that we were siphoning traffic from their new site and shut it down. Faced with the daunting prospect of having to generate more new content myself, I turned to a (hopefully) prolific pool of talent - our visitors! Fish Tales is the opportunity for our SCMO visitors to share their words with the world. Some are humorous, some thought provoking, some educational, some just plain good reading. There are heartwarming stories of first catches, remarkable tales of amazing fishing accomplishments, and a few serious tutorials as well. I encourage you to check them out and, more importantly, consider submitting your own Fish Tale.

Oh, yeah - they're still catching albacore, yellowtail and thresher sharks. But do you really care - we're talking marlin and swordfish, fercrissakes! OK, I'll give those of you with space left in the freezer a full report (and forecast) on Thursday so you can plan for the 4th ...

June 21

Blood on the decks ...

I can vouch firsthand for the quality of the albacore run, more rants about thresher overkill, and rumors of marlin sightings ... all that and more in tonight's edition of the Fishing News!

(cue theme song)

OK, maybe that's a little over the top, but I'm always looking for ways to spice things up. If you have any ideas, I'm listening.

It's not often you can say, "wow - something really cool happened today," but "wow - something really cool happened today!" Mike Melvill, flying the Burt Rutan-designed SpaceShipOne over Mohave, California, became the first astronaut ever launched by a private company. SS1 rocketed up to nearly 100km in altitude, far above the 50mi limit required for the designation "astronaut". More important, this flight set them on course the collect the celebrated X Prize, a $10 million check to be given to the first group to successfully launch three people twice within two weeks. Rutan sees this effort as a big step forward in the process of opening up space travel for the common man. Remembering the reaction to the Wright Flyer and the belief that if a couple of bicycle mechanics could fly, anyone could, Rutan believes that others will take up the mantle and progress will quickly be made.

If the name Burt Rutan sounds familiar, he was the man who designed the Voyager aircraft that made the first unrefueled round-the-world flight in 1986. He's also designed just about every really cool airplane flown since. I am reminded of the scene in the movie "Apollo 13" where, after successfully saving the crew, an astronaut in the control room looks at one of the controllers and tells him, "You, sir, are a steely-eyed missile man." Hats off to Burt, Mike, and the entire Scaled Composites team.

You'll recall that last week - and a couple of times before - I had strong things to say about all the dead thresher sharks we've been seeing lately. I've heard from people on both sides of the argument and all I'll say is that I'm not embarrassed to be on the side of conservation - are you happy to be on the side of consumption?

Anyway, I have a fresh entry in the battle. This week, the latest edition of Pacific Coast Sportfishing arrived at the Home Office. Now, PCS is a favorite of the SCMO staff, and a large number of the PCS authors are regulars here. But it was a bit disconcerting to see the cover photo of a thresher shark laid out on the deck along with an article telling how to target this scarce species. Now the cover story did include a sidebar asking that anglers "Practice Restraint" along with some ways to facilitate release. However, that's a lot like the folks who make kits to convert guns to full auto then remind users that full auto weapons are illegal - they're not interested in the results, just covering their ass.

I've already written my letter - I'd suggest you do the same.

I hate to sound like I'm clairvoyant, since you'll expect the same thing every week. But I did predict that the albacore bite would explode over the weekend, and it did. At least 60 boats were working between the 43 and the new San Clemente Basin Buoy (moored at 32° 30'/118° 0'). It was a healthy mix of sportboats and private boaters, and the bite started pretty much right at dawn. Most of the fish were caught on jigs, although some small bait stops were reported. I know that PESCADOR got 21 (to go with 26 from Friday) and were headed home before noon. We got 24 Saturday on HOOKER, and frankly, I didn't hear of anyone getting more.

We started at the successful numbers used by AGITATOR and GERONIMO on Friday (30/09), and never strayed more than 3 miles in any direction. Others were saying that the black and purple minifeathers worked best, but we got fish on pretty much anything we towed - minifeathers, tuna clones, cedar plugs. They were a nice grade of fish, too, with the big one weighing in at 24-lbs. The fish were pretty widespread on Saturday - some numbers: 29/02, 25/57, 29/08, 31/09, 26/12, 26/14, 38/08. You could pretty much throw a bag over the whole bunch. The water was a brisk 64 degrees and clean.

There were reports of yellowtail under the paddies - including some pretty large ones - but we never saw any. Of course, we were pretty busy with the longfin ... :-)

This week's look at the SCMO site focuses on the Trip Reporter. You may not know it, but our Trip Reporter was actually the first board of its kind dedicated exclusively to fishing trip results. Others have copied the idea, of course, but only one can be first. Our Trip Reporter is a lot like our other boards in that it tends to be more quality than quantity. Normally, I'm thrilled with that tradeoff, but the success of the Trip Reporter depends on the users actually using it.

Whenever I have to travel by freeway (thankfully seldom), the first thing I do is tune in the news channel to get a traffic report. They'll tell me that one tipster has reported a Sigalert on the 405, but another has let them know the 91 is open. That's the kind of information that makes their reports work, and it's the same stuff we need. Not only are we interested in your successful trips but your failures as well. It's the total picture that the information creates that makes the Trip Reporter a useful resource for all.

Take the time next time you return from offshore to file a trip report. It doesn't have to be much (although we do have a tutorial for those who want it), just what you saw and where you saw it. If everyone filed a report every time, there'd be a lot less wasted fuel - and hey, that's good for everyone!

I have gotten several reports of marlin sightings in the last week. Now the basic statement for this early in the season is that it's early, and a lot of people are a little enthusiastic. Add to that the number of thresher sharks in the area (famous for jumping), and you really need to take any sightings with a grain - or three - of salt. However, several people who should know the difference claim to have seen marlin (one even claimed to bait one), so I guess it's better to be safe - and prepared - than sorry. The water does seem to be a bit warmer than usual, so perhaps we'll see an early season.

June 17

Storm clouds are gathering ...

I try to by entertaining and amusing when I write these reports, but sometimes the news of the day just sucks the humor out of me:

From the most recent issue of International Angler, published by the IGFA ...

"Number of Striped Marlin taken by two Mexican longliners in nine months off Magdelena Bay - 11,743"

And people wonder why the marlin fishing at Mag Bay took a dump? Eleven thousand marlin - damn!

This is why it is so important to release the marlin you catch. This is why it is important to release all fish you catch that you do not intend to eat. This is why it is important to decide what you will eat first, and let that dictate what you keep and not the other way around.

We can pull our heads out of our asses now, or wait for someone to do it for us. Of course, there'll be no fish by then ...

From the Orange County Register earlier this week ...

"The Dana Point Fuel Dock weighed in 50 threshers up to 350 pounds. The Balboa Angling Club weighed 14 ranging from 160-290 pounds."

As I reported earlier, there's been (and still is) a phenomenal thresher shark bite off of SoCal the last few weeks. Threshers are a wonderful gamefish, so I can certainly understand wanting to catch them. They're even decent to eat, so some will make it to the table.

But we all know how sharks reproduce. Most of us who've fished the offshore scene here in recent years also remember when you couldn't catch a thresher if your life depended on it. Now, for whatever reason, they're back. But if we scoop them all up like it's a run on the bank, the vault will soon be empty. How many years will the resource take to recover this time. Will it recover at all? One more reason to extract that head ...

From the Honolulu Star-Bulletin this morning ...

"U.S. Coast Guard and Honolulu Fire Department officials were searching for a fisherman whose beached 25-foot boat was found running on a North Shore golf course last night. Coast Guard officials said the boat was unmanned, the engine was still running and a marlin that the fisherman had caught was still tied behind the boat."

I love the ocean, and can't imagine my life without it. But I understand that you can never let love and familiarity with the ocean lead to complacency and a failure to respect what it can do to you. With a full crew and the best equipment, the ocean can still be a dangerous place. If you choose to fish alone, you reduce the margin of error to a razor-thin line. Richard Shiroma made that choice, and has now paid the ultimate price.

The lesson here: Never let enthusiasm overrule common sense. Don't take stupid chances with the ocean - the fish will still be there ...

OK, enough preaching. Let's talk fishing!

It looks like this will finally be the weekend the tuna fishing goes off for the rest of us. While our San Diego brethren have been working southern banks like the 425, 238, and the 1010 Trench, the rest of us have had to settle for the periodic stray jig strike. No more! I have already received a couple of nice reports from south of the 43, and I know of at least a half dozen LA/OC boats that are headed down there. Expect this to be a big weekend, especially since San Clemente Island will be closed over the fourth of July. You didn't hear it from me, but I'd start trolling 6 miles south of the 43 high spot (nudge-nudge, wink-wink) ...

This week's site highlight is our Knot Guide. If you're lucky (or dedicated!) enough to fish all year round, you can probably tie all the knots you need in your sleep. I, on the other hand, tend to be a seasonal angler. Once the offshore species start to appear on the horizon, I dust off the equipment and head for the boat.

Unfortunately, that means I have to dust off the fishing knowledge as well - including how to correctly tie the various knots we use. Fortunately, I can rely on the Knot Guide to get me through. The Guide includes fifteen of the most popular fishing knots, along with step-by-step instructions for tying them and full illustrations. I print out the half-dozen I regularly use and spend a couple of hours practicing; soon, it's like I never left the water!

I will admit that the Knot Guide is not the easiest part of the site to reach, but it's worth the effort. You can reach the Guide by selecting "Knot Guide" from the "More Content" pulldown menu in the left side navigation bar. If you have a knot you'd like to see added to the Guide, let me know!

I will finally be spending some time on the water this weekend, as I will be fishing with my father on Sunday. Whether you celebrate as a father or a son - or both - have a wonderful Father's Day.

June 14

Here, fishy fishy ...

This is a tough time of year here at the Home Office. Summer is in full swing, as evidenced by the wonderful weather I see outside the window. But the local billfishing season is still months off, so you really need something to whet the appetite. Fortunately, relief came today in the form of a DVD from Australia via El Salvador (and Miami!).

Several months back, Peter Pakula held his annual Pakula Friendly Tournament in eastern Australia to raise money for breast cancer research and have a lot of fun (the event is billed as "no prizes, no trophies, so no room for egos"). As it turned out, Peter and his wife Jo found themselves in El Salvador fishing the now-world wide event with longtime SCMO supporters Paco Saca and Marko Alcaraz. From all accounts, the sailfishing was outstanding and the camaraderie was even better. Not satisfied with simply documenting the outstanding fishing, sightseeing and hospitality, Pete had a wonderful DVD put together, complete with soundtrack. I was fortunate enough to have Paco forward me a copy of the DVD, and after watching it, I'm ready to hit the water! My thanks to Pete for the wonderful job with the DVD, and Paco for being kind enough to share it with me. You guys obviously have a little slice of paradise down there ...

As difficult as it is to admit, I've reached that point in life (44) where the little aches and pains of age are beginning to set in. I'm a little slower getting out of bed in the morning, I've certainly lost a step, and that which passed for my athletic years ended at least a decade ago. So it was with some interest that I watched as the AVP beach volleyball tour passed through Manhattan Beach last weekend, since Karch Kiraly (43) is not just still competing but is competitive. he and partner Mike Lambert worked their way through the draw and won the final, giving Karch his eighth victory in a tourney he first won back in 1980. Damned if they didn't go out and win again yesterday in San Diego. Sounds like I need to get off my ass and back on the bike ... :-)

Thought I was going to forget about the fishing news, weren't you? Well, I probably could and it wouldn't be missed, but that's the nature of early season action. Albacore are being caught, but you need to be in the right area. There's not enough mass in the schools yet, and if you miss the hot spot, you'll go hungry. Over the past weekend, the 238 and 425 were the best bets for longfin, with bait stops happening at both spots. Some were caught closer to home at the 302 and even as far north as the 43, but the quantity was much lower. Most of the fish are running in the 15 to 20 pound range, with some 25-lbers being caught. Yellowtail are being caught both under the paddies and, rarely, in freeswimming schools. No word yet on dorado or the warm water tunas.

Further south, the striped marlin continue to run, although it's just about time for them to pack up and head north to make room for the blue marlin, dorado and other warm water species. The best bet has been the Gorda Bank, where the cool Pacific and warm Gulf waters mix, although there has been some action on the Pacific side as well. Pretty soon, we'll see them at Mag Bay, then Coral, then here!

Like a lot of folks, I watched the recent week of tributes and services for the late President Reagan with interest. I came of age during the Reagan years, and he was the first president I ever voted for. It was interesting to see people who didn't really care for the man get all teary-eyed in their tributes, but I guess maybe that's the power of the office. Frankly, I learned several things by watching the coverage. First, my how far we've fallen. We've gone from a president who held the Oval Office in such high esteem that he wouldn't take off his jacket in the room to a president who received sexual favors in the hallway leading into the Oval Office. Now we have a president who spends as little time in the Oval Office as possible, escaping to his ranch whenever possible (although I guess you can't fault him for that - at least I couldn't if I wasn't paying the bill ...).

The biggest thing I learned, though, was the power of love. Nancy Reagan, criticized for her zealous protection of her "Ronnie" when president and dedicated caregiver for the last ten years as the lights slowly went out for her husband, managed to make it through most of the week. Finally, though, at the interment, she broke down. Anyone who didn't choke up at the sight off her weeping on her husband's casket just doesn't understand love. God bless her.

About once a week, I get an email that goes something like this: "I just spent X hours cruising your web site ... man, I didn't know you had so much cool stuff!" As a web designer who spends a lot of time trying to make the site navigation as easy as possible, this can be mighty frustrating. But, rather than beating my head against the wall, I've decided to use the slow time before the fishing heats up to highlight an area of the site each week, one that you might not know about but would be glad if you did.

I find that in my life I need certain diversions to lighten things up. For me, the two best are good jokes and sexy women. Maybe it's just me, but I'll bet it's you, too. Fortunately, SCMO has you covered with our Pics O' The Day. Accessed from the main page of the Men's Room (near the bottom on the menu to your left), each Pic changes every day. The funny ones are little gems I've picked up as I cruise the web - some political, some patriotic, some just plain stupid. All of them should make you laugh, or at least smile. The sexy pics are just that - attractive young women in various states of undress frolicking in or near the water. Recognizing that this is a family site, there's no nudity and the most they'll do is raise your blood pressure a notch or two. But they, like the funny pics, should help break up the stress of daily life. Click here for today's funny pic and here for the sexy pic. Try it and see!

I've received several new submissions for the Fish Tales section, and should have those (along with a couple I've been sitting on for a while ...) up later this week. A big thank you to those of you who sent along your stories - now I'm just waiting for the rest of you!

June 10

The signs of summer are everywhere ...

I love the early part of summer. All those little sights and sounds that let you know it's right around the corner ... the smell of the barbecue ... the minimal coverage of a new bikini ... the crashing of my computer. I don't know what it is, but all I have to do is thing about starting up the Fishing News for a new season and my computer takes a dump. This year is no different - as I sat down Sunday night to get started on Monday's report, bang - there goes my hard drive. Fortunately I back everything up, but it's still a colossal pain in the a$$ rebuilding 160 gigs of data. Here's hoping that's my only crisis of the season, since I got it out of the way early!

Unfortunately, I'm not the only one having computer troubles. One of the two satellites used by NOAA to record the sea surface temperature data we all treasure so much is having troubles as well. The AVHRR sensor on NOAA-16 has been acting up for the last few weeks, leaving us with less data to work with. Combine that with the fact that this is the time of year when the cloud cover is worst (clouds block SST measurement), and you have quite a predicament. We'll keep checking on the data, though, and will print new SST charts whenever good data is available.

If you were with us last year, you'll recall the little boo-boo Lockheed had while developing another NOAA satellite. Now, I'm not saying the two failures - on on ground and the other in space - are related, but you never know. And of course, my feelings have nothing to do with the fact that I build satellites for rival Boeing ... :-)

I don't usually pimp other web sites, but I'll make an exception here. TempBreak.com is a site run by Eric Meins that takes the same SST data we all use and presents it in a unique fashion. With a limited amount of data available, the only that sets different presenters of that data apart is how the data is crunched and displayed. Eric uses some pretty fancy javascript code to add interactivity to his charts (similar to our Hot Spot Chart) as well as adding an overlay combining the SST data with the various fishing spots. We've talked about his methods, and hopefully I'll be incorporating something similar soon. For now, check out what he has - before he gets smart and starts to charge for it!

OK, now for the fishing. The albacore are coming (good news), but they're still a ways off (bad news). Private boaters from San Diego are starting to get into them, and I've heard of one report of tuna within 25 miles of Point Loma. By the next report, there should be some solid numbers to report. The thresher shark bite off the Orange County coast, while slowing, is still present. Please think twice about keeping them. Many of the paddies are holding yellowtail, and the water is clearly warming (check out the patch off the front side of Catalina in the latest chart!) Good things must be right around the corner.

They say that deaths tend to come in threes. OK, we had Ronald Reagan and now Ray Charles. Who's next? I'm guessing Jack Nicholson, considering how the Lakers are doing against the Pistons right about now ...

I'll be busy this weekend putting together the Rigging Trolling Lures section for the Marlin Tutorial. Ron Akana, master lure craftsman, has kindly donated a beautiful Big Reidee for use as a demonstration model. As you'll see from the photos, they're a real work of art. Fortunately, they catch fish too, which I hope to prove in a couple of months! Look for the new chapter next week; until then, check out what's already online and let me know what you think.

June 3

"Summer's here and the time is right for trolling in the deep ..."

First, let me welcome all MNAC members, old and new, back for another year of the SCMO Fishing News. I'm still looking for a catchier name than that (and if you have one, let me know). For now, I guess I'll just have to focus on content rather than appearance.

Hopefully this time of year finds you well, and ready for another great season of billfishing. Of course, for our international friends, the action has long since started, and the rest of us can only read with envy the Trip Reports from Madeira, Kona, Bermagui, Cape Verde ... jeez, I'm starting to depress myself . But our time will come, and when it does we need to be ready.

Along those lines, I'm happy to report that the first few chapters of our Marlin Tutorial have been posted. I appreciate the patience shown by most of you, as well as the kick-in-the-ass emails I've received from a few of you. The truth is, it's turning out to be a lot harder to write this tutorial than I had imagined. Frankly, I just thought I'd regurgitate what I know into the computer and that would be that. However, I find that I need to research everything to insure that the way I've been doing things isn't just plain dumb (don't want to look like too much of a fool on my own site!) along with processing pictures to go with each chapter. And seeing how long the relatively simple chapter on binocular usage turned out, I fear for how long the really serious ones will be! I hope to have a new chapter every week or so, with the goal of having at least the critical chapters all online before the first local marlin is caught. For now, check out the stuff that's up and let me know what you think!

If you're like me and can't wait for the start of the season, you should check out the article on page 56 of the latest issue of "Marlin" magazine. Titled "Back to Catalina", the article is a light review of the SoCal marlin scene, including a first-hand report of last September's Catalina Classic tourney. There's no real news here, but it's always interesting to see the reaction of an outsider to our fishing.

I'm happy to report that I'm in feeling mighty good as we enter the summer. As you might recall, I was pretty much a mess when the season wrapped up last November. My back was trashed and I was looking at surgery to fix it, and I was sick all the time. The truth is that I was just doing a really crappy job of taking care of myself. I've never been terribly active, and with two jobs both tied to a keyboard, my weight went up as my fitness went down. 200 ... 220 ... 240 ... you get the picture. I'm not sure what the real wake-up call was - either nearly getting my ass kicked pulling in a peanut marlin last August or getting the "get-your-act-together-or-start-digging-a-hole" speech from my doctor in November. Whatever the cause, I decided to take action.

One of the women I work with had not-too-gently nudged me about the Atkins Diet and how wonderful it was. Of course, she's one of those accursed women who look fantastic with no effort whatsoever, so I was slow to take her advice. Finally, though, I'd had enough. I did the research to verify it was safe (although truthfully, I felt so bad by then that it probably wouldn't have mattered) and, on December 1, I started Atkins. I forced myself to step on a scale that morning - 272-lbs. Not bad, if it was a striped marlin, but pretty pathetic for a 6-foot male. Though difficult at times, I stuck with it through the holidays, adding exercise to the mix as the weight went down. When I weighed in this morning - slightly more than six months into the program - I weighed 228. For those of you keeping track, that's 44 pounds. I plan to be at 200 by the time the season starts, and if anyone's ass gets kicked during this year, it'll be the marlin!

Truth be told, I'm not sure if the results are really due to the Atkins Plan itself or to the changes it forced me to make to my lifestyle. Being something of a lazy bastard, I was tending to live off of fast food - 2 or 3 meals a day came via drive thru. Obviously, on a regimented plan like Atkins that's just not possible. Somewhere between eathing the right things, and having a little portion control, it worked. My weight is down, my cholesterol is down, my energy is up ... life is good!

As you might imagine, I have a lot of new ideas and features in the works for SCMO. Key amongst them is the plan to upgrade our forums and incorporate a photo posting board similar to "Moment of Fame". The first step of the process was completed a couple of months ago with the migration of the site to a new server. The remainder is just waiting for me to bone up on PHP programming. Hopefully, it will all be in place soon, so start dusting off those photographs!

Of course, we always want to know what you think, so if you have any ideas for new features or improvements to old ones, let us know!

I see where the Recreational Fishing Alliance has filed a motion in federal court to block the possible listing of white marlin as an endangered species. This is in response to the lawsuit files by the Center for Biological Diversity and the Turtle Island Restoration Network against the National Marine Fisheries Service that seeks to force the agency to list the Atlantic white marlin as "threatened" or "endangered". Hmm ... RFA versus our old friend Jim Chambers ... and I hear the drift longline industry is lining up on the side of the environmentalists! Needless to say, we haven't heard the last of this ...

As you might have guessed by my complete lack of discussion of fishing conditions thus far, there's not a whole lot happening on the local scene. Most folks are getting their share of eatin' fish by loading up on white sea bass at the island or a few yellowtail under the kelp paddies. There has been some albacore action, but it's still too far off for any serious private boater action. Perhaps the most interesting fishing so far has been the string of thresher shark catches in the last month. A lot of threshers were caught off the Orange County coast, and the Balboa Angling Club weighed in over a half-dozen in one day. Unfortunately, some folks seem to have forgotten just how rare thresher sharks have become in our area, and were seen with as many as three dead sharks on the swimstep. Sorry, but there's just no excuse for that kind of greed. If we keep that up, pretty soon they'll be gone for another decade. Think, people ... think!

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Note: These reports are copyright © 2004 by Southern California Marlin Online. They can be reproduced elsewhere provided they are not edited and credit is given to SCMO as the source.