2006 Fishing News Archive

October 30 - Final Report

"Happy trails to you, until we meet again ... "

No news on the home front is ... no news, a record-breaking performance in the B&B, and we wrap up another SoCal marlin season. All that and so much more in this final 2006 edition of the Fishing News!

(cue theme song)

HOOKER was working just inside and below the Mid-Channel Oil Islands when they got a blind strike yesterday afternoon. The marlin hog-tied itself in the leader, but they were still able to get it in and successfully revive and release the fish. There's a whole lot to be said for persistence. Unlike that other website, where the numbers posted put the fish on the backside of Catalina, we have the right ones: 31/05.

Several other fish have been hooked, including one today, but the only other fish I've heard of being caught was a marlin on Tuesday by HAULIN ARC. We'll have to wait and see this weekend to see if our fish holds up as the last for the season.

I'm feeling less than creative tonight, but it's with good reason. Now that I have a few years of these reports under my belt, I like to include a blast from the past with each Thursday report. But when I went back to see what had happened during this week in the last five years, I found that only once - in 2003 - was I even writing reports this late in the season. We may be getting the fish in drips and drabs, but at least we're still getting them!

After drama of both the meteorological and political type cost the first day of fishing, the Bisbee's Black and Blue tournament finally got underway today. Hurricane Paul threatened Cabo San Lucas earlier in the week, and the tourney committee took a wait-and-see attitude towards the first planned day of fishing on Wednesday. While the storm ultimately swung south of Los Cabos and caused little more than rain on the fleet, the Port Captain took the preemptive action to close the port for Tuesday and Wednesday. Now whether this was due to a legitimate concern for the anglers or simply a way to exert power over the gringo fishermen is open to debate. The net effect was to shorten the event from three to two days of fishing, meaning those would be some mighty expensive fishing days.

When the action finally got started this morning, a few blues and one black marlin were caught, but none met the 300-lb qualifying weight. None, that is, until Tournament Control got a call from BAD COMPANY's Steve Lassley to say they were on their way in with what they felt was a qualifying fish. Their eyes were good, and angler Randy Parker's fish tipped the scales at 361-lbs. As the only qualifying fish for Day One, Team BC swept the dailies and walked ... make that staggered ... away with an amazing $1,740,015! Of course, that's before taxes ... :-)

Well, that's a wrap. It's been a great year for the site, a great year for marlin, and hey - I even got a few. That automatically makes it a pretty good year. This is the end of the Fishing News, but you can find me over at the MarlinBlog all winter long - hope to see you there!

October 26

A concise and humor-free report, since I have the migraine from Hell and need to get to sleep.

Last time, I whined about having to keep writing reports because people keep catching marlin. I guess I can't complain this time, since it was our own boat that got the fish.

HOOKER was working just inside and below the Mid-Channel Oil Islands when they got a blind strike yesterday afternoon. The marlin hog-tied itself in the leader, but they were still able to get it in and successfully revive and release the fish. There's a whole lot to be said for persistence. Unlike that other website, where the numbers posted put the fish on the backside of Catalina, we have the right ones: 31/05.

Several other fish have been hooked, including one today, but the only other fish I've heard of being caught was a marlin on Tuesday by HAULIN ARC. We'll have to wait and see this weekend to see if our fish holds up as the last for the season.

I'm feeling less than creative tonight, but it's with good reason. Now that I have a few years of these reports under my belt, I like to include a blast from the past with each Thursday report. But when I went back to see what had happened during this week in the last five years, I found that only once - in 2003 - was I even writing reports this late in the season. We may be getting the fish in drips and drabs, but at least we're still getting them!

After drama of both the meteorological and political type cost the first day of fishing, the Bisbee's Black and Blue tournament finally got underway today. Hurricane Paul threatened Cabo San Lucas earlier in the week, and the tourney committee took a wait-and-see attitude towards the first planned day of fishing on Wednesday. While the storm ultimately swung south of Los Cabos and caused little more than rain on the fleet, the Port Captain took the preemptive action to close the port for Tuesday and Wednesday. Now whether this was due to a legitimate concern for the anglers or simply a way to exert power over the gringo fishermen is open to debate. The net effect was to shorten the event from three to two days of fishing, meaning those would be some mighty expensive fishing days.

When the action finally got started this morning, a few blues and one black marlin were caught, but none met the 300-lb qualifying weight. None, that is, until Tournament Control got a call from BAD COMPANY's Steve Lassley to say they were on their way in with what they felt was a qualifying fish. Their eyes were good, and angler Randy Parker's fish tipped the scales at 361-lbs. As the only qualifying fish for Day One, Team BC swept the dailies and walked ... make that staggered ... away with an amazing $1,740,015! Of course, that's before taxes ... :-)

As I mentioned earlier, I'd normally be done with reports for the season. At some point in the near future, I'll decide the fishing's done and handg up my scribe for another winter. It'll probably happen pretty quick, so this might be my last opportunity to say something very important - THANK YOU. Everyone who reads this is a paid member of the site, and I greatly appreciate your support. Yeah, it's only $25, but that helps keep the servers running and the software updated and my Red Bull stocked - all essential tools for making SCMO the resource it is. I couldn't do it without you, and I never forget that I do it for you ...

October 23

I'd be perfectly happy to stop writing the reports and get on with my offseason, but you people just keep catching fish ...

The fishing is better than it should be up here, worse than it should be down there ... oh, did I mention the hurricane about to shuffle the Bisbee deck? Just another day for ... the Fishing News!

(cue credits)

We talked about the swordfish sightings, and several anglers were able to convert opportunity into success. On Friday, Randy Wood, fishing with Bob Akers and their families on OFFSHORE, spotted one between the Avalon and 14-Mile Banks. It was hungry, and was soon on the swimstep. The fish weighed 178-lbs on the BAC scales in Newport.

Not to be outdone, SHOWDOWN angler Reed Miller hooked one in the same region Saturday. After an hour's fight, the fish was also on it's way to the scales at the BAC, where it weighed 156. We won't discuss the rumor that OFFSHORE put them on the fish ...

Both of the successful anglers are members of Los Pescadores, and we do maintain the club's tourney site for free, so it would have been nice if they sent us the pics so we could show them in their high resolution goodness. But they didn't, so you'll just have to go over to that other site where they have grainy lo-res versions. But I'm not bitter ... :-)

There was marlin to be found as well, as boats continue to search further and further offshore hoping for that last fish of the season. Several were seen and a couple hooked, but the only one I heard being caught was released by AGITATOR Friday just north of Pyramid Head.

The talk leading into the Los Cabos Classic was of the variety of fish that were available. What they forgot to mention was that there weren't any large ones floating around. The two days of fishing saw 311 anglers release 25 striped, 24 blue and 1 black marlin. Unfortunately, most of the marlin were on the small side - in fact, this 401-lb blue taken by REELAXE would have won the event had they been enered. Two small blues were boated, but no one got any of the big girls that can win the cash. Anglers are certainly hoping that'll change in the Black and Blue.

Of course, that's assuming the B&B takes place. Wednesday is scheduled to be the first of three fishing days, but that will be less than 24 hours after Hurricane Paul blows through the region. Currently, it looks like the storm will pass south of the tip of Baja, but you can bet it'll impact the fishing at the very least. Bisbee management are watching the storm closely to see if any modifications to the schedule will be required.

Say what you want about SoCal anglers - they're an optimistic bunch. I guess you have to be when you fish on the very edge of a fishery the way we do. But our recent InstaPoll shows that a lot of you think there's life left in this season. While only a quarter thought there was still a glory hole to be found, over half of the respondents felt there'd be at least a few fish caught in upcoming weeks. For the last few weeks, that's been the case. Will it continue? Stay tuned ...

October 19

The season that refuses to die lives on, at least for a few more days ...

We mentioned that the hardcores would still be trying for last fish, and this nice weather we're having only gives them incentive. Both PESCADOR and FIRE HATT released marlin off the back side of Catalina, and several more were lost. But don't confuse this with a "bite" ...

The same weather conditions are making things pretty sweet for the stickboats as well. The marlin may have run, but the swordfish remains and are getting picked in large numbers. The area inside the Avalon Bank is said to resemble a golf course. Now if only they'd start taking baits ...

Tomorrow begins the Los Cabos Classic, first of the back-to-back events that includes the big daddy, the Bisbee's Black and Blue. Sounds like the fishing conditions are pretty good, with good numbers of blue marlin and striped marlin available based on which way you nose out of the harbor. A few blacks are being found as well, along with some monster tuna, which count in the first event. Should make for a great week in CSL!

October 16

Clear! ... THUMP ...

The season's on life support, but a few well-placed shocks this weekend might let it live a little longer.

Another quiet weekend on the water, as only the hardcores were out in search of the last fish of the season. As we predicted, the search moved out into the channel between Catalina and Clemente, and both LITTLE BILL and OFFSHORE released marlin off Salta Verde point on the backside of Catalina. Not a lot of other action though, in spite of the weather being a whole lot nicer than forecasted.

Since there's really nothing to show for our local fishing, here's a little reminder that there are still fish to be caught to the south. In this case, it's as pretty a dorado as you'll ever see, caught from the waters off Puerta Vallarta. On Thursday, we'll preview the upcoming Mexican tourney season - good thing, since I doubt there'll be much else to talk about ...

As the season winds down, thoughts move to the offseason. For me, that means two things - a solid month away from the site to recharge, and what big projects I have planned to improve SCMO.

Each year, I like to add at least one new feature or provide a major overhaul to some element of the site. Two winters ago, we introduced the new and improved Galeria del Pez, which lets us display pictures like this one in their full glory. Last year, it was the new MarlinBlog, which initially started in the Member's Section but was moved outside the firewall to garner a few more views. It's a fun addition, although I'll confess I wish it was attracting a few more eyeballs ...

The question now is what to do this year. I have some ideas, but I want to know what you think. After all, I may run the joint, but it's you guys who really matter. I want to know what you would do to the site if you ran it - what you would add, or delete, or modify. Tell me what you like or don't like, and what you'd like to see in place before that first marlin arrives in 2007. Just drop me an email, or post something over in the War Room. This is your chance to change SCMO for the better ...

One more week for our latest InstaPoll ...

October 12

Mi ... mi ... mi ... mi ... mi ...

Yeah, the fat lady may not be singing just yet, but she's loosening up her pipes ...

We're on StormWatch™ here at the Home Office, but don't expect me to get all breathless like those dorks on the local news. We do have a storm rolling into SoCal that's expected to bring rain starting tomorrow afternoon. It's supposed to be the worst mid-morning Saturday - just about the time you were hoping to pull on a marlin.

We've talked before about winter storms and the effect they have on the marlin bite. This one isn't one of those that rolls out of Alaska, so I don't know just what the impact will be. I'm reasonably sure you'll get wet, though ...

The bite action has been stone cold, but that's mostly due to the small number of folks on the water. We keep getting reports of fish seen, particularly by swordfish boats, but I don't know how much value it is. All season long, we've been hearing about all the marlin being seen by the spotterplanes between the west ends of Catalina and Clemente, stacked up along the temp break that's been there for the last few months. But very few fish have been caught there, even when the best marlineers have given it their best shot. I have enough faith in the stickboat guys to believe their reports, though. It's not that the fish aren't there - the fish just don't care.

The most interesting report I got all week was from a stickboat working up by Santa Cruz Island who saw a few marlin. Again, I don't know what that will mean for our fishing, but hey - it's your fuel ...

A lot of fishing decisions are based on the sea surface temperature charts available from NOAA and several commercial sources. As you probably know, the satellites gathering the data don't actually measure the temperature of the water but rather the reflectivity of the surface. That data is run through a formula that results in a predicted surface temperature. Several times in the last few weeks there have been pockets of water where the charts predict 70-deg plus water, but when I talk to anglers who were actually there I find the actual temperature to be as much as seven degrees cooler. I've never really looked into the science behind the data; sounds like a good offseason project to research and write about. Well, as soon as I finish the EAL autopsy report ...

We did hear from several of the SoCal tourney boats as they arrived in Cabo San Lucas for the upcoming tourney season. The ride down was smooth, with the only hiccups being in the fuel situation along the way. What else is new. Next Thursday's report will include a preview of the Los Cabos tourney slate, so be sure to check it out.

'Fraid that's it for now. Was hoping to spend some quality time in the garden this weekend, but it looks like I'll be dodging raindrops instead. If you venture out, be sure to file a Trip Report and let us know what you see!

October 9

I'm nursing the mother of all migraines tonight, so if I seem a little less witty than usual, that would be why.

The good news is that there are still marlin in the pipeline. The bad news? It's down to a slow drip ...

A lot more than just the air is getting cooler, as most of the waters in the Catalina Bight have dropped below the magic 67-deg surface temperature that the marlin like. That doesn't mean the marlin won't be there if you go out this weekend, but it could accelerate their departure. It also doesn't bode well for those hoping there's a late season rally waiting to happen. More on that at the end of the report ...

The weekend's action - what there was - was centered on the same basic spots as the last few weeks. Most of the usual hardcore suspects were working around the Avalon Bank, with the trolling patterns stretching from Long Point down to the East End. Several fish were released on Saturday, but I've not yet heard who got them. Sunday saw SPRAE IT and WILD BILL each release a fish near Catalina, and LOYAL T caught one on the 14-Mile Bank that weighed a bit over 156-lbs.

Call it the JD Curse. On Sunday, SHOWDOWN scored near the Avalon Bank and celebrated by flying a huge marlin flag dating back to the 1960s. John Doughty shot a picture of the boat and flag as they passed his Balboa Island shop and ran it on his website. Last night, the flag was stolen. If you know anything about this pathetic act of desperation by an obviously frustrated marlin fisherman, you can email me at stan@marlinnut.com. No names required.

MNAC member Steve Mras pulled off an interesting variation on the double as he caught two fish in one tournament - from two different boats! Saturday, he was fishing on TUNACIOUS when he released a dropback fish near the Avalon Bank. He returned to the region Sunday on his own skiff SALSIPUEDES and released a jigfish between Hamilton Cove and Long Point. With the fishing as slow as it was, it was more than enough to take top honors in the DAC event. Well done!

Most of the action is moving south, as the Cabo tourney season is just around the corner. The big dogs from the local tourney season have already paddled south, and we'll have a preview of the action beginning on Thursday. Should be interesting, as there are two new storms forming that could impact the Baja tip ...

I had this grand plan. I was going to spend the final weeks of the season hitching rides on different boats, sharing what I know with the crews and learning new ways of doing things at the same time. Unfortunately, my work schedule has shot that idea all to hell. I'll be lucky if I even get close to the water before Christmas. All the more reason for you to file a Trip Report when you get back from your trip. Let me know what you did, what you saw, what you heard. I'll blend them together into this wonderful smoothie we call the Fishing News ...

Speaking of the end of the season, sounds like a perfect topic for an InstaPoll ...

October 5

Change is in the air ...

Welcome to fall fishing in SoCal - a world of long pants, dew on the deck in the morning and dodging the occasional rainstorm. But it can also be a world of great late-season marlin action.

This time of year, it's always a challenge to be successful. There are fewer boats on the water, fewer tournaments, fewer sources of information. You drive around all day unable to find the fish, and you ask yourself, "Am I just in the wrong place - or have the fish headed south." Fear not, dear reader ... as my friend here might say, the prize remains in sight if you only know where to look ...

The weather is starting to play a bigger role in our fishing, and you can only expect that to grow in coming weeks. Common thought is that the marlin are chased out of Southern California by the winter storms that sweep out of the Gulf of Alaska. Whether it's the first, second, third or tenth storm of the season that triggers the migration is open for debate, but the impact of the storms is not. We haven't had the first big storm yet - it was actually predicted for yesterday, but stalled north of here. But they're certainly coming, so get that fishing in while you still can.

Most of our coverage is about the action in the waters surrounding Catalina, but just to our south is a very successful group of marlin anglers based out of San Diego. I've had a somewhat contentious relationship with the San Diego fleet, primarily based on my belief that they simply kill too many marlin. But you can't deny the success they've had this season.

Much like the local action we've seen on the 14-Mile Bank, San Diego-based anglers have only needed to travel out to the 9-Mile Bank for much of their action. The 178 has also produced a lot of fish, and has seen some of the best multiple fish days of the season. It must be a gratifying experience, after some of the barren seasons we've seen on the southern banks in recent years.

As of the end of last month, the San Diego Marlin Club had recorded 150 marlin caught, with 95 of those released. For you data freaks, the average weight of the landed marlin is 118.5-lbs, with a low of 81.5 and a high of 196.9. High boat at that point was SEA TREK IV, with 15 marlin - 14 released.

It will be interesting to see the results of this week's fishing. I suspect that there will be several boats that will take a chance and start to explore the outer spots that traditionally produce late in the season - the Dome off San Clemente Island, the 499, the 267. Whether they find anything is another story ...

Of course, this is the tough time of the season for me as well, as I have to decide when it the right time to end these reports for the season. I don't want to spend weeks talking about nothing if the marlin are gone, but I don't want to get burned like I did a couple of seasons back when I ended the reports and the second season broke open a couple of weeks later.

But you can help - file those Trip Reports! So long as I know there are boats out there, I'll keep the reports going. Let me know what you see, where you see it, and just how bad it sucks - or doesn't. The Fishing News update you save just might be your own ... :-)

October 2

Is there anybody ... out there ...

If your hear strange noises in the background, or I seem a bit distracted, it's because I currently have three guys with chainsaws running round in my back yard cutting down trees. I'm just sure we're moments away from having a piece crash through my roof ...

This will probably be a short report - not for lack of time or effort, but lack of information. It was a verrrrry quiet weekend on the water - the transition weekend marking the end of the tourney season. I think a lot of folks are just fished out ... nah, that can't be it!

Not a lot of boats on the water this weekend, with many of us trying to catch up with all we missed for the last two months. I'll bet more honey-do's got done during the last few days than were done all summer. But for those who risked the wrath of their honey - or took her along - there were some fish to be found.

At the head of the list of found fish would be this nice swordfish caught by Marv Garrett on the beautiful new JERAMAR. Jerry Garrett - who has a little swordfish experience of his own - was along when they hooked the beast off Long Point Saturday. It tipped the scales at 260-lbs.

It's still early, but I haven't seen any Trip Reports yet for the weekend. Rumor has it WILD BILL released two fish this weekend somewhere in the shipping lanes, but they run so far under the radar it's hard to know. With their record, though, I'm betting it's true. I hear KAWA KAWA released a couple of marlin off the Slide Sunday, and a boat running from Dana to Newport for fuel released one on the 14-Mile Bank. Considering most people are running from Newport to San Pedro for cheap fuel, it scares me to think what they must be paying in Dana Point!

What marlin action there was over the weekend was in the same places pounded during the tourneys - off the Slide, off Long Point, and the 14-Mile Bank. I keep waiting to hear of fish being taken out by San Clemente Island, which is typical of late season action. But with the water cooling offshore, it may be that the fish are going to stay close to the beach. Could we be on the verge of a cut-off warm water pocket that will trap the fish locally? Time will tell ...

The dorado seemed to have cleared out a few weeks back, but now we're getting reports of yellowfin tuna sliding into local waters. Most of the inshore banks are said to have football-sized tuna, although I haven't heard of any of the larger ones ... yet.

Writing is a creative skill, and like all creative skills some got it and some don't. As for me, sometimes I've got it and some times not; today is a not. So I'm stopping right here ... see you Thursday.

September 28

Let's hear it for the bills ...

The Pesky is but a memory, but those who can't remember it can't seem to forget it. They needed an extra day for the Classic, and still didn't have not enough dead marlin to go around. It's Thursday night, and that can only mean one thing ...

Live, from the SCMO Home Office in Redondo Beach, CA - it's the Fishing News!

(cue theme music)

The Hatteras Catalina Classic, last of the season's big tourneys, was held in Avalon beginning on Monday. This one traditionally has a big fleet, and this edition was no exception, with 420 anglers scheduled to fish on 70 boats. The fishing had been tough during the weekend leading into the event, and unsettled weather left a lot of skippers wondering where to start and pundits wondering if they would find the suddenly missing marlin. We shouldn't have worried ...

Just about the time the Pesky fleet was slipping their cans Sunday morning and starting to paddle home as quietly as possible, the Classic fleet was out doing a little pre-fishing. Several boats caught and released marlin that were well over the 165-lb minimum used by the Classic, including Bill DePriest Sr. of 1 HOT TUNA, at left. If only they knew how hard it would be to repeat over the next three days ...

The shotgun start marking the beginning of the event Monday was largely ceremonial, because the fishing ground was only a couple of miles away. Most of the action was close to the island, with the fleet working between Long Point and the ridge off the East End. Thirteen marlin were released, with BAD COMPANY leading the way with three.

Day 2 saw the fleet spread out somewhat, apparently growing tired of sucking on each other's exhaust. Boats were scattered the lengths of Catalina, with some running nearly as far west as the 286 to get their fish. The fishing was better as well, as 25 marlin were released. GAMBLER was high release boat with four.

Because no qualifying fish had been caught in the first two days - and apparently you can't end a kill tournament without a dead marlin - Wednesday was designated as an extra fishing day. In an attempt to find a new "vein" of hopefully larger fish, the tourney boats headed out in all directions at the start of fishing. Some of the boats ran inside to the 14-Mile Bank and the shipping lanes just outside the oil islands, while others tried the same spots off the East End that had produced in the previous days. The more adventurous boats headed up the backside of Catalina, and found success off Church Rock and Salta Verde point. While several marlin were caught and many more released, none met the minimum weight.

In the end, it was the marlin that were the real winners, as no qualifying fish were caught. Four fish were boated that taped out at the minimum but did not weigh the 165-lb minimum. Another fish came up dead, and one clearly undersized fish was killed because it was the angler's first marlin. I could write an entire editorial about that last fish - and probably will. The award money that would have gone for the largest fish will be rolled over until next year - I guess Anthony can use the interest to fuel up BAD COMPANY ... :-)

With the final day designated for boated fish, the release awards were presented on Tuesday night at the regularly scheduled banquet. BAD COMPANY took the Day 1 jackpots with their three releases and GAMBLER the Day 2 pots for their 4 released marlin. Among the notable catches were a 242-lb swordfish by BAD ATTITUDE on Day 1, and all three fish from a triple by GAMBLER on Day 2.

Overall, BAD COMPANY led the event with six releases during the two official days and several more on the final fishing day. I tend to bash the Classic for only giving cash awards for dead fish; in the past they referred to the release winners as receiving "fabulous prizes", which always reminded me of Carol Merrill smiling in front of the curtain just before it opened to reveal a gag prize. However, in looking at the tourney photos I saw at least one pair of Fraser-Volpe binos, so I'll cut them a little slack. I think they missed a real opportunity by not simply awarding the prizes to the top release boat and instead trying in vain to find one big enough to kill, for which I won't cut them slack. Change comes slowly, I guess ...

Probably the best line of the tournament came from John Doughty of JD's Big Game Tackle. "It doesn't seem there are many older larger fish left - the smart big ones left after the Masters. Just too much pressure; on top of that school of fish the ones left are a three and four year old class 120-150 lbs - they were just born a few years ago. Maybe if they survive the long line hooks off Mag Bay and the wear and tear of Cabo this winter season they'll be big enough next year to kill."

While there are still a few club events to be run, the Catalina Classic marks the traditional end of the tournament season. Of course some folks aren't so happy to see the tourneys ending, like our friend here. Certainly among those would be the merchants of Avalon, since this pretty much means the end of the tourist season. It's not as bad as it was before the cruise ships started making port calls in Avalon, though. Back then, if you rolled into town after September, you'd be lucky to find an open store ...

One person who probably is glad to see the end of the tourney run is MNAC member Bill Morris. He fished the CABO / Hatteras shootout on MAGELLAN, the Masters on PESCAHOLIC, the Zane Grey on TUNACIOUS and the Catalina Classic on AFISHINADO. He'd have fished the Pesky, too, if he hadn't seen his wife with the business card of a divorce lawyer ...

I caught a grief - a lot of grief - last year for skipping most of the festivities after the Pesky. This year, I made a plan to remain coherent for the entire evening, and it worked well - maybe too well. You see, I was one of the few folks still sober by closing time at the Marlin Club, and I was snapping photos of the various crowds at the various events all evening long. Apparently, the flash of a camera is something that even the most intoxicated mind can remember, because I let it known that I had a lot of pictures I started getting the calls and emails. "Dude - all I can remember is seeing a flash ... you didn't get a shot of me doing something stupid did you? My girlfriend/boyfriend/wife/husband might see it on your site ..."

Fear not. While I got some amazing pics of really stupid things, I have no intention of burning my friends by posting them without their permission. Of course, that doesn't mean I wouldn't email them to you, so be careful when you check that Inbox ...

The end of the tournaments certainly doesn't mean the end of marlin fishing. In fact, some of the best fishing traditionally occurs during October when the tourney boats have long sense packed up and headed south. Look for the bite to move further offshore between Catalina and San Clemente in coming weeks.

If you're headed out this weekend, there's an added incentive - lobster. The season opens on Saturday, and you can bet most of the boats have a hoopnet - or two - stowed aboard. Of course, the divers will have all the best spots staked out well in advance, but chances are pretty good that you can pull a bug or two from just about anywhere you'll be anchored. Rumor has it one of the best lobster spots on the island is the Avalon moorings just outside the gas dock along the Casino. But you didn't hear it here ...

I'm on the beach this weekend, and frankly, it'll make for a nice change. But that doesn't mean I don't want to read your Trip Reports! Good hunting ...

September 25

"It's great to be alive, isn't it, folks?"

- Ron White

The Pesky is in the rear view mirror, and I can remember the whole thing - which is victory itself. I'll talk softly for those of you who haven't reached the far side of your hangovers yet ...

Friday and Saturday saw the contesting of the 17th Annual LPNTAINSLTBFT (Los Pescadores Next To Avalon Invitational Not So Light Tackle Billfish Tournament, better known as the Pesky. 48 boats - and a couple of fakes - took to the water under unsettled weather conditions to try and find the marlin which so suddenly disappeared earlier in the week.

Tourney boats honing skills between the money events had found a few fish on the Avalon Bank, and that's where the few Pesky boats pre-fishing the event concentrated. SCRAMBLER got two of three in a triple hookup, and HOOKER and HAMMER each released one. For HOOKER, I was the angler on a dropback fish - that's him swimming away at left. For those taking notes, this is what you want to see after you resuscitate the fish - swimming fast, dorsal up. You don't have that - keep towing.

Friday morning marked the start of the tournament, and with the ceremonial playing of "The Chicken Song" the fishing was on. The fleet was split between the Avalon Bank, the East End, and the 152, and many boats made the circuit between the three. Fish were taken on each, but none had what would pass for a hot bite. At the end of the day, SPRAE IT lead the field with a pair of releases, with PESCAHOLIC, AGITATOR, EXTASEA, SECOND TIME AROUND, HOT SPOT, GERONIMO, TYEE (wearing the bagel at right) and SURVIVOR all releasing a single fish. Best line of the day went to Jerry Austin on GERONIMO, who said he couldn't bagel the fish since his dog had eaten the bagels - and he was serious.

Saturday morning saw a big change in the weather, with a stiff breeze out of the east that was rumored to become a nor'easter before noon. Fortunately for those anchored in Avalon, that never happened, but the strange weather seemed to send the fish running. Boats seemed to make a rather leisurely start, perhaps because of the proximity of the fish or perhaps a casualty of a night in town. In any case, SHOWDOWN got the day started with a release off Long Point, and many in the fleet slid down the island in the hopes of repeating the feat. It was for naught, however, as the only other fish caught during the day were by HUKILAU on the 277 and JUDY ANN on the Avalon Bank.

In the Pesky, it's not enough to just catch fish - you gotta take a few extra steps. In this year's event, the theme was "A Pirate's Life For Me," and the VHF emanated with "arrrr"s all day. Points could be accrued - or lost - for the wearing of official tourney garb, making the call to Tournament Control the right way and, of course, the correct placing of the bagel. One obscure bonus point source was the use of a Sevenstrand EAL lure - but only if presented for review to the tourney committee at the banquet ... with fresh batteries. No one had ever used that one before, but those points made the difference for Marylin Stephens of EXTA SEA and gave her the title. The lure, of course, was raffled off to the crowd.

Second place went to Jenny Armstrong, fishing on TYEE, who caught her first ever marlin on Friday and lost a second - and potential event winner - on Saturday. "I'm still not able to talk about what happened" she said in her Trip Report. Welcome to the exciting world of lure fishing for marlin, Jenny.

Third place was awarded to Tim Brockaway for his bagelled marlin released from SECOND TIME AROUND. Prizes were awarded to the top ten anglers and, in typical Pesky fashion, when the sixth place angler from SURVIVOR skipped the banquet, his award was raffled off.

The post-tourney celebrations were relatively tame by Pesky standards, but still had their moments. To read about the best of the best - and the worst - check out my MarlinBlog entry, The REAL Pesky Awards.

While a lot of folks nursed post-Pesky hangovers on their cans in Avalon, some people actually caught marlin on Sunday. PESCAHOLIC found one lazing near the Avalon Bank, where it was caught and released by Rob Espinoza. WILD BILL, while not fishing the tourney, was still out and active, and released a marlin near the 14-Mile Bank. And KAWA KAWA, who drew the collar in the tourney, redeemed themselves with a release on the 152.

As usual for the Monday report, I have Monday Night Football going in the background. Tonight is the big return of the Saints to New Orleans, and they're rolling out the red carpet - U2, Green Day, George H. W. Bush. Tony Kornheiser just gave a great little speech about how before you can rebuilt the buildings, you have to rebuild the symbols. It doesn't matter if we believe the return of the Saints is important, because the residents of New Orleans believe it's important. And, Kornheiser said, that's reason enough for it to be important to us. I've given TK grief in the past for his MNF gaffes, but this was good enough to earn him a pass for the rest of the season ...

The streets had barely been swept of drunk Peskys before the next event started. Today was the first day of fishing for the Catalina Classic, and 70 boats headed out this morning to give it there best shot. As of 4:30 this afternoon, there had been 11 releases - led by BAD COMPANY with two - and one fish boated. Most of the action continues to be around the Avalon Bank and off the east end, as the tourney fleet searches for the "honey hole". They'll get two more chances tomorrow and Wednesday. We'll have the wrapup on Thursday; keep an eye on the War Room for updates.

That's it for now. A pretty good tourney season is winding down, and now it'll be time for the private boater fleet to find the marlin we know are out there somewhere. For me personally, the Pesky probably marks the end of my season, unless I can bum a weekend ride or two from a friend. If it ends now, though, I can't complain - I got two, which is two more than last year!

September 18

Holy freakin' hell ....

If there's ever been a better day of marlin fishing north of the border than last Friday, I'm damned if I know when. You'd have thought it was the Golden Gate Bank ... but I digress.

Friday and Saturday saw the Balboa Angling Club's annual Master Angler Billfish Tournament take place, and there was an amazing amount of action. 71 marlin were released by the 59 boat fleet, with over 100 fish hooked. This will be a hard one to top.

There was talk of a new pocket of marlin being found on Thursday, but unless you were part of the right clique ... er, code group, you'd have probably driven right by them - they were on the 14-Mile Bank! For a tournament based out of Newport, this is a gift from the marlin gods - no doubt because it was an all-release event.

Friday found most of the MABT fleet pounding the high spot pretty hard, and the proximity added an extra challenge to the event. I'm not even going to try and list all the boats with fish - there were 47 releases, 1 that died, and 65 reported hookups. There were lots of long hookups, which you might expect considering the light line. Most of the fish came on light tackle - 12-lb or 16-lb.

On Saturday, boats returning to the spot found the water cooled and the weather clearly changing. Some continued to pound the bank, while others ventured out to other spots. The only other area that produced on Saturday was the 277, and the 24 fish released were split between the two spots.

Lately it seems the only other boats marlin skippers have had to worry about were blowboats that didn't understand the whole single anchor thing. But with the fish thick and tight on the 14-Mile Bank, and everyone fishing really light line, we heard things on the radio we haven't heard for years: "28 Topaz - turn off, turn off - you're gonna run over our line" ... "46 Bertram can you give us some room, please ... Bertram, please turn!" When they said it was like Mexico, they meant in the bad ways, too. Ah, fleet fishing at its finest!

In the end, it was KAWA KAWA, with anglers Greg, Mike and Dara Stotesbury, that took the high boat honors, having released four marlin on 12-lb tackle. Mike was Master Angler with three releases on 12-lb, and the Light Tackle Marlin Club, represented by KAWA KAWA, PACIFIC PIONEER, WILD BILL and JOKER, was the high club. The four boats released ten marlin - all on 12-lb tackle. An amazing display of light tackle prowess on a day when you needed your best to rise above the others.

Stud of the weekend was clearly Dara Stotesbury, who hooked a particularly nasty marlin on 12-lb at a little after 8AM on Saturday. It was an 80-lb rat, but it had the heart of a lion. At 2:45, they were finally able to leader the rascal - a battle of 6 hours and 45 minutes! Only a woman would have the patience to do that - the rest of us would have gotten frustrated and done something stupid after about an hour and a half ...

I have my own tale of Masters woe to tell. I was bummed to not be fishing the event already when I had to see the Friday fish count come in and feel that much worse. That night, I got a message via the forums that I was needed to serve as a substitute angler on one of the MABT boats after an another angler took ill. Great opportunity, but I never got the message because I didn't bother to check my email. I ranted about it in detail in the MarlinBlog, but, clearly, I still have some frustration to work off ... :)

Out of the corner of my eye, I'm watching ABC ... er, ESPN Monday Night Football. Wondering if Big Ben is rusty, what with the accident and the appendicitis and all? Two plays, two passes, two first downs. I'd say he's feeling just fine, thanks ...

The next big event has already started, as today was the first fishing day in the Zane Grey Invitational. There was a consistent pick, but nothing like Friday. At lines out, seven marlin had been released, one boated, and one boat (C-BANDIT) was still hooked up. Most of the action, such as it was, was around the 277.

For those of you who like to keep score, we've included a copy of the grid map used for the ZG and the upcoming Catalina Classic. Click on the image for the big version.

Last comment on MNF ... I love Tony Kornheiser on PTI, but they need to get him out of the booth ... now!

Ah, the Pesky ... what can I say that hasn't already been written on a police blotter somewhere? No two words can put such fear in to the hearts of the innocent, particularly if they work at Armstrong's Seafood. Normally, I'd run a picture of some unnamed Tattoo Team member licking an unsuspecting breast in preparation for application, but the last of the lawsuits from previous events are still outstanding. Check out the tourney website - there's plenty of evidence there. This year's theme is pirates - you can just imagine the carnage. Shiver me timbers ...

I'll be offshore by Thursday night, so no report then. If I learn anything before I leave, it'll be in the War Room. Until next time, keep those Trip Reports coming, and pick me up if you see me under a barstool at the MC on Saturday ...

September 14

Change is in the air ....

The days are shorter, there's dew on the car in the morning, and I'm having to reach for the long pants. Fall's a-coming, my friends. That can mean great fishing, or great disappointment - and only time will tell which.

Before we start, some sad news. For those of you who hadn't heard, Steve Reschke, better known to the marlin community as "Capt. P-Bod", died last week of a heart attack. He was only 49, and leaves a wife and 4 teenage children. Only a few days earlier, P-Bod has captained a boat in the Churchmouse - one that got a fish. His Vista tackle store was a favorite stop for San Diego anglers.

I never met the man, but on two occasions saw first-hand the respect he garnered from his peers. The first time was when I was invited to appear on Fish Talk Radio with Ron Baker and Mike Gardner shortly after starting this site. Once Capt. Ron realized I was a marlin guy, the first thing he wanted to know was "Do you know P-Bod?". To Ron, marlin meant P-Bod. Several years later, I ordered some lures from an online store, and in the email traffic back and forth I mentioned that I was looking for secret lures for SoCal marlin. When the package came, it included a special gift - a small lure with a note attached. The note simply said "This is the lure P-Bod used to win the Churchmouse." You could feel the reverence in the words.

A memorial fund has been established to support the Reschke family at this difficult time. Checks can be made to "Joyce Reschke" and mailed to 1275 South Santa Fe Ave, Suite 101, Vista, CA 92083. That's the tackle store, and you can drop checks off there as well.

Just what our friends in BCS need - another storm. This one is Tropical Storm Lane, and he's currently beating on Acapulco. By the time he gets to Cabo, though, he should be Hurricane Lane - probably not a big one, but big enough. They haven't finished cleaning up the East Cape from the last one ...

This week marked a milestone in our local marlin fishing history with the first big money all release marlin tournament. I've been ranting for years about the need for someone to step up; finally the folks at Offshore Tournaments took the bait and established the Avalon Classic. Now, truth be told, I think they were shamed in to arranging this event in response to the incredible success of the World Championship Billfish Release Tournament last spring, and the low turnout reflects the hastiness of the preparations. But, hey - it's a start.

As we reported last time, local favorites BAD COMPANY led the event after the first day, with three marlin releases. In fact, eight of the nine teams released a total of twelve fish on Monday. But if you felt bad for KNOT FOR RENT - the one boat shut out on Day One - save it. They scored four releases on Day Two to take the daily side pots. Unfortunately, BC decided to fish anyway, and released two more to give them six for the event and the overall title. KFR's 4 was good for second place, followed by C-BANDIT with three. Most of the fishing was off the East End down to the 277.

In an incredible gesture, the BAD COMPANY team donated their entire winnings - over $35, 000 - to the Reschke Family fund. The KNOT FOR RENT crew made a significant donation as well.

The overall vibe I'm getting is that this event ran somewhat under the radar, with little publicity and no title sponsor. In fact, it didn't even make the publication date for the tournament series program. But the success of the event, as well as the successful use of circle hooks, should ensure a return next year.

If nothing else, it should give folks a good idea of just how hard it can be to catch marlin in SoCal. The same team that released 30 fish in the WCBRT could "only" manage 6 releases up here. Of course, they were paid a lot better for the Mexican fish - nearly $200K after taxes!

Going back to last week for a moment, the Oceanside Anglers Club event was won by angler Steve Carrol fishing on BLUE FIN II. That's the winning fish being released at right. A total of five fish were caught, with four released.

Why looks who's back - it's our old friend El Niño! They say this isn't going to be a major event, and that it's actually past it's peak. That would explain that rash of 78-degree water and dorado by the dozen ... but not why the suckers won't bite! I'm sure we'll have more to say about this event in upcoming weeks.

While speaking of weather ... I don't want to alarm anyone, but have you seen the satellite images lately? The storm bands out of the Gulf of Alaska look to be starting to form. Once those things get big enough to impact our weather, it usually means bye-bye marlin ...

Next up on the marlin calendar is the Balboa Angling Club's Master Angler Billfish Tournament. This one has an interesting format in that groups of boats compete against each other while representing a single club. Making things all the more intriguing is that most of us all belong to the same group of clubs, so some interesting alliances form - along with "clubs" that only seem to surface for this event! There are a lot of MNAC members fishing in this one, so we should get some great reports. I, unfortunately, am not one of them - a situation I intend to correct next season!

After the MABT, comes the Zane Gray on Monday and Tuesday. We should have a wrap on it in next Thursday's report.

That's it for today. I'm on the beach this weekend, dammit, so I'll really be depending on a batch of great Trip Reports. It might be just as well, since my roses are crying for attention. But I just hate burning weekends when there are marlin offshore. I gotta get a ride ... or a boat ... or both ... aaaaargh!

September 11

This was a big tournament weekend, or rather, a big weekend for small tourneys, and there were a half dozen club events contested between Friday and Sunday.

Before we talk the results, let's talk about the bite.  For the past few weeks, there's been a very consistent pick of marlin off the Slide on the east end of Catalina.  During the middle of the week, the boats that worked the area continued to have success, including HOOKER, which released one on Thursday. 

With the tournament drive in full swing, though, fishing in the comfort zone isn't good enough for many anglers.  As a result, quite a few boats headed for different areas where the fish were supposed to be.  Several made the long run down to the 178, which had been productive for the San Diego fleet, while others chose the 277.  Both proved successful for some, but not all.

The Tuna Club event ran on Friday and Saturday, and from the outset it looked to be a three-horse race between JOKER, PROSPECTOR, and DONNA C – well, at least half the boat.  PROSPECTOR drew blood early on Friday, as Greg Ragatz released a 20# fish hooked on a goatfish beeper. Shortly thereafter, DONNA C's Jeff Wood matched the feat with a 20# fish of his own.  Both of these boats had made the 60-mile-plus run to the 178, and it paid off again for PROSPECTOR just after noon when Bob Hoose released a jigfish caught on a Kogahead, of all things!

DONNA C found themselves in an interesting position, since some of their anglers were Tuna Club members and others were not.  As a result, they were able to hold their own “mini-tourney”, with the non-TC members releasing two marlin on Friday.

Meanwhile, back at Catalina, JERAMAR released a dropback fish near Avalon, and JOKER was working east of the 277 and released a fish just before lunch.  KELSEY LEE gets the award for most amazing fish, as they released one late in the day while fishing for bait right outside the buoy line at Avalon.

Saturday saw the lower fleet boats facing the prospect of the long ride uphill to Avalon, and they had to decide when to cut and run.  Both DONNA C and PESCADOR found success on their way back to the island, with PESCADOR releasing one on the 277 and DC on the 209.  JOKER scored again with a release mid afternoon, and the “original” AFISHINADO closed out the day with a release just before 4PM.

In the end, JOKER took High Boat, and Tuna Club president Mark Behrens high angler with three releases.

Of course, while everyone else was tourney fishing, BAD COMPANY was pre-fishing for the Avalon Classic.  All they did was release 4 on Friday …

In other tourney action, the King Harbor Marlin Club event was won by SCRAMBLER, which saw both ends of the spectrum with their two releases.  They had a jigfish that took 2 ½ hours to release, and a baitfish that only required six minutes to leader.  Both fish were caught down the ridge from the Slide.  Just for good measure, they released one more on Sunday on the way home off the Isthmus.

BIG MAMA had the only other fish in the KHMC event, a small fish that came in quick but couldn't be revived.  Taking the fish would result in a significant loss of overall points, but they took the high road and didn't turn it into a “mud dart”.  The crew of BM deserves praise for reminding us that no matter how competitive the event, there is still a place for honorable behavior.  The fish resulted in a second place finish.

The San Diego Marlin Club's Invitational Light Tackle Tournament saw twelve boats catch twelve marlin – and release eleven.  High Boat was ENCOUNTER with five fish.  Most of the action came between the 178 and the north end of the Nine Mile Bank.

If you feel your event got the short end of this report, you can fix that in two ways - 1) email it to me next time so I can get it in the Tournament Calendar and 2) file a Trip Report so we can see what happened.

Lest you think the fishing ended with the conclusion of the tournaments, think again.  Sunday saw several boats release marlin, including AGITATOR 5 miles off the K-20 kelp, HAMMER on the 277, and KELSEY LEE above the 209.

Just an aside ... is there any more beautiful boat on the west coast than KELSEY LEE? We left Avalon side by side and I got a good look before they lit the jets ... wow ...

Today is the fifth anniversary of the terrorist attacks in New York City and Washington, and I'm sure all of us at some point today stopped to reflect on the meaning of it all.  I've written about it at length in the MarlinBlog, but felt it deserved a mention here as well.  I find my emotions pulled in opposite directions on 9-11.  On one hand, it represents the darkest day in the portion of American history that I've been privileged to witness, and it will be the moment that will be used by all who saw it as the measuring stick for all future tragedies.  At the same time, it was on 9-11 two years ago that I released three marlin off the east end – my best fishing day yet.  In the end, I believe today – as I did on both of those other days – that the best way to honor the memory of those lost is to exercise those rights and liberties that the terrorists try so hard to deny us.  And for me, there is no better way to do that than spend it on the water.

The new Avalon Classic tournament had their first day of fishing today.  This all-release, all-circle hook event was a late addition to the money tournament calendar, and was (IMHO) a response to the success of the Cabo-based WCBRT.  Whatever the motivation, it is a welcome addition.  I was disappointed to see that there are only nine boats in the event, which I'm going to attribute to the late addition and not the cheap prizes ($16K for first place).  Knowing what a professional organization Offshore Tournaments has traditionally been, I'm sure they'll correct this for next year …

The field may have been small, but the fishing was large, as 12 marlin were successfully released on Day One.  To no one's real surprise, the leader at the halfway mark is BAD COMPANY with three releases.

In Thursday's report, we'll have the full wrap on the Avalon Classic, as well as previews of next weekend's BAC Masters and the Zane Grey.  Thanks for all the great Trip Reports – keep 'em coming!

September 7

As part of the whole “give the people what they want” thing, this is the Thursday edition of the Fishing News, uploaded as late as possible.  Right now, it's 3:15PM; I'll be on the 5:05PM boat to Avalon so I can't wait any later.

Couple of good news items to report.  Item #1 – the weather.  The reports have been favorable, with most people reporting conditions better than last weekend.  The NWS reports indicate that there should be relatively mild conditions on the inshore banks and inside Catalina.  But conditions further north and offshore are less appealing, and we know they got the forecast wrong last weekend.  I'm hopeful for calmer seas, but if it snots up, don't say I didn't warn you …

Good news item #2 – the bite.  Sounds like it's still very good in that same patch of water east of the Slide out to about 4 miles.  Not a lot of boats working the area, but those who are have scored.  There were probably 8 – 10 marlin released in the area yesterday, and with the first Tuna Club tourney starting today, that number should go up.  Of course, this is the antique tackle event, so there'll probably be more hooked than landed …

Hmmm ... sounds like HOOKER may have released one today ... guess I'll find out in about 3 hours ... :-)

I was just browsing the SST charts and - whoa! Check out that little spot of action outside of Avalon. you don't suppose that's why the marlin are hanging around, do you? Naaaaah ...

I like to consider myself something of a marlin scholar, so I'm always interested in theories of how and why things happen in marlin fishing.  John Doughty of JD's Tackle has an intriguing theory on his site, and I'd be interested in your thoughts.  Basically, he thinks that marlin slap at bright colored lures, while trying to swallow darker ones that mimic baitfish.  As a result, he believes that the Mustad 7732-style hook, with the turned-in point, works better on the bright lures, and the more open Mustad 7691-style works best on the darker ones.  An interesting thought, and one I'd use if true.  What do you think?  Post your comments on the thread over in the Tackle Forum.

Don't tell anyone but - lots of swordfish being seen inside of Catalina ... ssshh!

For those of you anti-social types who were thinking of running further out in search of your own pocket of fish, I have some bad news.  I just checked the San Clemente Island site, and it looks like they'll be chewing up the south end of the island this weekend.  That means no anchoring at Pyramid, China or Fishhook.  Guess you boys will just have to fish in the fleet with the rest of us …

I'll be fishing in the King Harbor Marlin Club tourney this weekend.  I'm no longer a member of the club, but it's a fun little event – and one thing they really do right.  Look for me at the Marlin Club - the real one - Saturday night … I'll be on – and hopefully not under – one of the barstools …

September 5

Back in the high life again ...

It might have been a weekend normally reserved for rest, but the marlin fleet got the job done over Labor Day, as many marlin were caught over a wide area of ocean. The big story, though, was the weather.

It takes a lot to push such a successful weekend of marlin fishing back to Item #2, but that's just how nasty the weather was this past weekend. It was rough on Friday morning, and it was still rough on Monday night. There were ups and downs, but for the most part, much of the Southern California bight was damned near unfishable.

If you listened to the offshore weather reports on Friday, you'd have thought it was going to be a calm, peaceful weekend on the water. But five miles out of the harbor - any harbor - and you knew that wasn't going to be the case. By noon, the reports had been updated to include Small Craft Warnings in the Catalina Channel. A big, short period swell was coming out of the northwest, accompanied by unusually stiff breezes that created whitecaps by 10:00. The net result was that there was essentially no lee at Catalina, and the banks to the south were totally exposed. A lot of boats made the wise decision to not mess with Mother Nature, and as a result the fleet was much smaller than you would imagine for the last big holiday of the summer.

I'm not a meteorologist (although I play one on the Internet), but I'm going to hazard a guess and place the blame on Hurricane John. You remember John - big, ugly, and supposed to smash up Cabo San Lucas last week before making a sharp left and heading out sea near the 25th Paralled. Well, a funny thing happened on his way to Cabo. Instead of a left hook, John made a right fade. The storm slid east of CSL, bringing the brunt of the storm to the East Cape before continuing north into the Sea of Cortez. RAther than dying far out in the Pacific, John made it all the way up to the north end of the Gulf of California before disappating. As a result, the storm was much closer to SoCal than any had initially predicted. I think the vacuum created by the low pressure system created the big northwest wind we say.

For those brave souls who ventured out - and didn't get chased home - the reward was some great marlin fishing.

The hot talk on CH 65 on Friday was that a group of boats had made the run to the 43 despite the nasty going (can you say "secret dope"?). PESCADOR and JOKER had gotten fish there on Thursday, and it didn't take COMANCHE long to do the same on Friday at 33/51 - south of the 43. Several others, including WILD BILL stuck it out long enough to get a fish despite the fact that Pyramid Cove was scheduled to be closed that evening.

Inshore of this fleet, the San Diego boats were working a triangle between the 182, the 178 and the 9 Mile Bank. They were joined by some trailerboats from the north, including CRACKERJACK, which released a marlin between the 178 and 182 Friday morning (that damned flyingfish beeper again ...).

The northern fleet was hunkered down off the east end of Catalina, simultaneously looking for marlin and shelter. Only the marlin was found, as the small group has many chances.

By Saturday, the weekenders had arrived and the numbers of fish caught went up as well. STRIKE TEAM released a pair just inside the 152 at 15/09 to start the morning. They were followed in quick succession by AGITATOR (Avalon Bank) and JEWEL LURE (277). That's Warren Gunter smiling with his JL release above. There was a pretty consistent pick through the afternoon, with the bite centered around 4 miles off the Slide. PESCAHOLIC got one at 18/11.6, but unfortunately the fish died. How wide open was the bite, you ask? Even I released a baitfish on HOOKER at 20/13.5 - now that's open!

Both of the southern fleets continued to score as well, but the weather took a toll and several boats bolted for port or smoother waters. Naturally, WILD BILL got one back out by the 43, and GADGET got two working the inner bite near 34/48. Way to go, Carl!

Sunday was more of the same for the northern fleet, as HOOKER, EXTASEA, JEWEL LURE, SHOWDOWN, FINESSE, JO-LYN, OLD SCHOOL, AGITATOR, OFFSHORE and PROSPECTOR all released fish in the same general area off the Slide. Did I forget you? File a Trip Report!

Monday was travel day for a lot of boats, and frankly, most of us were tired of getting our asses beat anyway. That didn't stop the fishing, though, as PESCADOR and, yes, AGITATOR again released fish.

All in all, an epic weekend, and glad I could play a small part in it. Man, just imagine if this kind of fishing could stretch through the tourney season ...

The Marlins are at .500! The Marlins are at .500! Man, I just love saying that! The Marlins are at .500!

The local tournament season is entering it's peak in the next few weeks. The Tuna Club, Channel Islands Billfish Club and King Harbor Marlin Club all have events this weekend, followed on Monday and Tuesday by the inaugural all-release Avalon Billfish Classic. Not sure what even is when? Be sure to check out our Tournament Calender!

The votes are in, and the outcome is clear. For those weeks where my schedule prevents a full Thursday report, members would prefer a short, factual update on Thursday rather than a richer - but less timely - report on Wednesdays. And when the peeps speak, we listen! Since I'll be heading over to Avalon on the 5:05 boat Thursday night for the King Harbor Marlin Club tourney, look for a short but useful report Thursday afternoon around 3PM.

With all the joy we get from offshore fishing, it's easy to forget the dangers that can come along as well. We've all heard the stories of mates being speared or anglers pulled under, and it can only take a moment's inattentiveness to give tragedy a foothold. For those who choose to fish alone, the joys can be magnified by the challenge of singlehandedly battling a marlin. However, the solo angler walks a very fine line between triumph and tragedy - a line that can be suddenly and unexpectedly crossed.

Bill MacCorkell and his 24-ft Skipjack have been a fixture on the local marlin scene for over a quarter of a century (sorry, Bill!). Just look for the blue hull - you'll probably find it in the middle of the action. This weekend, Bill got a taste of the best and the worst that singlehanded angling can offer.

Bill came out on Saturday, and by 10:15 he breathlessly announced he'd released a fish on the Avalon Bank. With the fishing good and his luck running high, no one was surprised to hear Bill announce just before 3:00PM that he was on a double. Everyone in the fleet knew what must be happening on the Skippy - Bill would lock down one line, hoping for the best, and fight the second fish. Things seemed to be going well, until shortly after the picture at right was taken, when we heard Chris Badsey announce that he'd just seen Bill go in the water.

Unsure just what was happening, but fearing the worst, boats rushed towards AGITATOR. It was with great relief that we heard Bill on the radio a few minutes later - tired, wet, but thankfully unhurt. As he explained it to me later that evening, he'd done just as we thought and focused on the one fish. He had on a rod belt and harness, which left both hands available to hang on - important in the weather conditions we were enjoying. As the fish neared the boat, however, it attempted to dive under the hull. Bill was forced to take action to keep it from breaking off on the sterndrive and, later, the anchor. To facilitate manuevering around the obstacles, and because the fish was near the boat and the battle essentially done, Bill removed the harness. But this meant only having a single hand to dedicate to personal safety - a fact that became clear when trying to move back to the stern. The combination of fish pressure and an untimely boat rock lead to that momentary lapse - and he went over the side.

The list of things that could lead to one's demise in such a case is long. Fortunately, Bill came up away from the hull but still close enough to get back on board. He quickly made the smartest decision possible and let go of the rod, choosing to focus on saving himself rather than catching the fish. He swam to the back of the boat, where the sterndrive makes a handy ladder. In this case, however, he'd raised the drive earlier in the fight, making the climb out all that more difficult. But he made it, and was able to share the story with a laugh.

If you ask him, he'll play it off, but even Bill has to realize how lucky he was. An unfortunate set of actions lead to a circumstance that could have ended up far worse than it did. He's an seasoned solo angler, and he still ended up in the water - imagine how it must be for someone less experienced. I'm not suggesting that anyone avoid the challenge of fishing alone, but learn from this event. Take the steps to be as prepared as you possibly can for any potential event - because as this shows, if it can happen, eventually it will ...

It's worth noting that after drying out Saturday night, Bill went out and caught another marlin on Sunday - and another on Monday!

Whew - that was a lot to cover! All things considered, though, I'd rather have too much to talk about than too little. With the big tourneys just around the corner, you can bet there'll be no shortage of news in upcoming weeks - see you then!

August 31

This will be a short report, because I'm headed offshore first thing in the morning and I need to sleep! I know you've heard that a lot lately, and it's an issue. We'll talk more about that in a minute ...

The long Labor Day holiday weekend may mark the end of summer for some, but for the SoCal marlin angler, it means an extra day of fishing without having to sneak out of work. And with the bite hanging close to the beach, you can bet there'll be quite a few folks taking their shots over the next few days.

Speaking of the beach, you'd better pack some extra sunblock this weekend, because it's gonna cook. On shore, it will be well over 100 degrees, so if the breezes don't blow, you can expect it will hit at least 90 offshore. The only hope for pasty skinned guys like me is a thick marine layer.

Earlier this week we saw the completion of the Churchmouse Invitational, the first big Avalon-based tourney of the season. The winning boat was DIALED INN, which released two marlin - one each day of the event. For those of you interested in such things - like all of us - one fish came from the 277 and the other from the 152. Both were jig fish. A total of 17 fish were released by the fleet during the event. A member of the DIALED INN crew filed an enthusiastic Trip Report - you ought to check it out.

Hey, what a novel idea - filing Trip Reports. Everyone should do it!

I mentioned earlier that this would be a quick report. Lately, I've had more opportunities to fish than I had expected, and the trend will continue for much of the next month. I'll be fishing most Fridays, and many Thursdays as well. That's great for me, but it's a problem for anyone who reads these reports.

Historically, I've done two reports a week - a wrapup of the past weekend on Monday night, and a preview of the upcoming weekend on Thursday night. It seems to have worked pretty good over the years, since most of my fishing was done on the weekend. But I'm a slave to the schedule of the boat, and lately that's meant fewer weekend hops and more multi-day trips. This has forced me to compromise on the weekend update. I could update the Fishing News on Thursday night, which allows me to include the latest possible fishing and weather info, but could result in a short report due to the time crunch as I get ready to head out. The alternative is to update the FN on Wednesday night, which gives me the time to pen a complete and entertaining report, but means the information is one day older - and only two days newer than the Monday update. I just don't know what to do.

In SoCal, we like to joke about our weather - or the lack thereof. Sometimes, though, there's nothing funny in the forecast. This is one of those times.

Hurricane John, a nasty little bugger that raked the Mexican coastline earlier this week, is lined up for a direct strike on Cabo San Lucas. Currently rated a Category 2 storm with winds measured at 105mph, at 8PM this evening the storm was 170 miles southeast of the southern tip of the Baja peninsula.

This one could be bad. To quote from the latest National Hurricane Center report:

COASTAL STROM SURGE FLOODING OF UP TO 5 FEET ABOVE NORMAL TIDE LEVELS...ALONG WITH LARGE AND DANGEROUS BATTERING WAVES...CAN BE EXPECTED IN AREAS OF ONSHORE FLOW NEAR THE PATH OF THE CENTER OF THE HURRICANE.

RAINFALL AMOUNTS OF 6 TO 10 INCHES...WITH ISOLATED STORM TOTALS UP TO 18 INCHES...ARE POSSIBLE ALONG THE CENTRAL WEST COAST OF MEXICO WITHIN THE WARNING AREA AS WELL AS OVER THE SOUTHERN BAJA PENINSULA. THESE RAINS COULD CAUSE LIFE-THREATENING FLASH FLOODS AND MUD SLIDES OVER AREAS OF MOUNTAINOUS TERRAIN.

I've heard from several folks with boats and crews in CSL and they all say the same thing. They told the crews to tie the boats as well as possible, go home to your family, and pray for a safe outcome. Sounds like a pretty good idea.

I just realized I haven't said a thing about where the fish are. See what I mean about trying to write a report and pack for a trip at the same time?

Most of the action remains along the ridge from the east end of Catalina down to the 277. Most of the Churchmouse fish came from this area, and reports all week long have shown the area to be holding fish. It's been pretty flat, too - great for the little guys! To the south, marlin were released on the 182, the 302 and outside of the 43. If you're planning to make the long run to that last spot, good news - Pyramid Cove will be open this weekend. But if you're one of those antisocial types hoping to lose the fleet by running out to the 711, you might want to think twice - looks like Northwest Harbor is going to be closed by the Navy this weekend.

Again, sorry for the brevity, but at least there's a report. Use the poll to let me know what you think, and we'll find some way through this ... see you on the water!

August 28

Monday Night Football on ESPN? That's almost as distasteful as watching a way-too-old Brett Favre try to play football. Screw it - I'm writing the Fishing News instead!

Let me start with the new stuff first, and we'll work backwards through time. Today was Day One of the Churchmouse Invitational, the first tourney of the season based in Avalon. It's a big one, with nearly 90 boats competing. As you might imagine, most of the fishing was in sight of Catalina. Most of the fleet pounded the area off the Slide until reports came in of marlin on the 277. At last I heard, there had been ten boats releasing ten fish, with the majority coming on lures. SEA DANCER is the overnight leader based on first fish, but that will change tomorrow as soon as one of the ten catches their second fish.

Over the weekend, most of the marlin action was off the Slide, but it was clear that this bite was waning and, with tourney boats always looking for an edge, you knew that someone would be looking for a secret honey hole. Those "someones" included WILD BILL (actually, LITTLE BILL) and ONO, who both ran up to the 711 and were able to release marlin there. Bold move that paid off, but not sure I'd run that far just to get away from the fleet. But that's me ...

Back off the Slide, there were probably ten marlin released on Saturday, and another half dozen on Sunday before the weather dampened enthusiasm. HOT REELS released three over the extended weekend, and BITE ME and PROSPECTOR each released two over their multi-day trips. Unlike the last few weeks, the bite is more spread out, with marlin being caught all along the inside of Catalina and down the ridge. Several were released on the 289, as well.

To the south, the good marlin fishing is continuing. So many fish are being caught that they have no choice but to release at least some of them ... *wry grin *. The good news is that they're pretty close to shore, with the 182 and 9-Mile Bank producing good results, as demonstrated by the picture at right. One boat reported an epic three-fish day down on the 371.

Because I run a website about marlin fishing, I'm always on the lookout for good pictures. That extends to the time I spend on the water, where I'm constantly hoping to capture that one magic image that will make everyone understand why our sport is so special. Unfortunately, I'm still searching.

The good news is that there are some folks out there that are a whole lot more talented than I, and I'd like to share this example with you. It's a video shot over the weekend of a marlin caught and released outside of Oceanside. Click on this link or the image at right to share their joy.

For the first time in a couple of weeks, the weather played a role in the fishing selection. It was pretty nice on the frontside of Catalina, but you paid a price if you swung around the East End.

When you sit down to plan your trip for this weekend - you are going out this weekend, aren't you - be sure to drop by the Weather Center and get the latest reports. You can check the inshore and offshore weather predictions, see the 5-day forecast, view satellite images and even spy with the WeatherCams. You have no excuse for running into a perfect storm after a visit to the Weather Center.

As usual, we got a couple of reports of attempts to hook swordfish that had been spotted. As it has been in the past few weeks, though, the efforts were for naught. It seems like the fish just aren't interested - they'll ignore your bait until you give up and go away. Pretty discouraging, really ...

With the water temperature cooling somewhat over the last week, I would have expected the number of reports of dorado to decrease. If anything, though, the numbers went up, and for a change the fish seemed to be on the chew. Maybe they just got tired of whacking the bonito ...

It's still in the planning stages, but it looks like I'll be on HOOKER later this week and over the long weekend. If you check here on Thursday and there's no report, just smile - it means I'm out catching a marlin!

August 24

For those of you who worry that the information found in these reports isn't fresh enough, try this one on for size ...

I spoke with the HOOKER crew this evening not 10 minutes before writing this report. They released two marlin this afternoon fishing off the Slide near 19/13. One fish came on the stinger, and another on a black/purple #1 beeper. They mentioned that at least ten fish had been released today, with ONO, BRAVADO and several others all scoring. When I spoke with them, they were still trolling the spot, so the count may have gone up again.

Fresh enough?

I had planned to begin the report with some stunning prose about how wonderful it was to get back on the water earlier this week, but now that I hear the boat's scoring without me, all I want to do is sulk. But I can't do that, because it's time for ... wait for it ... the Fishing News!

Actually, I'm just glad to get through a week without a server crash ...

For the last ten days, the bite has been centered a couple of miles off the eastern edge of Catalina, from the ferry lanes outside Avalon down to the Slide. It's been the most consistent bite I've seen in this area in a couple years, and it shows no sign of stopping. There will be some savage pressure applied to the area in the next few weeks as the money tourneys arrive, so we'll have to wait and see how it lasts. I'm lovin' the fact that the fish are so close to home, though.

There are several other areas where marlin action is occuring, and boats prefishing the Churchmouse are sure to hit them in the next couple of days. MIRAGE was fishing between the 181 and 289 today and released three fish, prompting several boats to abandon the closer bite. There also continues to be chatter about marlin that have been seen along the string of banks behind Catalina from the 499 to the 267 to the 711. I haven't heard any great number of fish being released there, though, and since you have to pass the closer fish to get there, I'd seriously wonder about anyone to made the run.

There are still dorado and yellowtail under many of the kelp paddies, particularly as you head south. The numbers seem down, though - it could be the water temperature, or it could be the number of boats hitting them pretty hard. Best bet it to try and find your own kelp early in the AM, but be prepared to share.

Swordfish being still being seen, and a lot of boats and planes have been working the same general area as the marlineers. You could hear several examples of stickboats being called in on swordies that just wouldn't bite. They got the point, as it were ...

I mentioned the Churchmouse tournament earlier - it traditionally marks the beginning of tourney season. There will be several events each weekend from now through the end of September. You can always get the latest info by checking out our Tourney Schedule; there are links to the event websites if they exist.

I have this love-hate relationship with the money events. I hate all the money in the sidepots, as that seems too much like betting and makes me wonder if the entrants are here because they love angling or love money. I also have heartburn with the whole dead fish wins thing, although credit must be given to the event organizers for taking solid steps to minimize the number of marlin killed.

This year, the event organizer was purchased by Anthony Hsieh, who owns the tourney boat BAD COMPANY. It will certainly be interesting to see the dance he has to do when his own boat dominates the events, as it did with the WCBRT earlier this year.

A much bigger story, though , will be the introduction of a true all-release event based at Catalina. The Avalon Billfish Classic is a 100% release event requiring circle hooks for all baitfish. I've banged on the drum for years about the need for someone to step up and organize such an event, and I applaud Offshore Tournaments for putting this together (although they should be sending a check to Chris Badsey and The Committee for giving them a blueprint with the WCBRT and shaming them into doing this one). I'd be happier if the prize money was on par with the Zane Grey and the Catalina Classic, but hey - it's a start.

I'm on the beach this weekend, so when I'm not in the rose garden, I'll be snarking for news. Keep an eye on the War Room, 'cuz that's where I'll be posting anything I find.

August 21

Gone fishing - no report. Check the Trip Reporter for updates!

August 17

Just once I'd like to have a crisis occur during the winter when I have the time to fix it ...

By know, you all know that we had a server failure last Saturday night. Actually, to be honest, our web host had the failure, but we're all on the same team, right? Except that our teammate committed an error, booting a simple grounder and leaving us with a one-week gap in our data. I had hoped to recover it, which is why I kept the site down until Wednesday, but no such luck. The good news for MarlinBlog fans is that I was able to recover a copy of all but a couple of the postings from last week (thank you, Google page cache!), but unfortunately the forum posts are gone for good.

This has actually been a tough week here at the SCMO Home Office. It started with the server crash, then our new local servers arrived yesterday and need to be configured, and now crew health problems have put our weekend trip plans on hold.

Just no winning sometimes.

As you might imagine, my head has been elsewhere, so I haven't been following the action like I might normally. Plus, I don't have that wealth of Trip Reports to fall back on like I would normally. But I'll share with you what I know.

A week ago, it looked like the season was about to bust open as quite a few marlin were released both Thursday and Friday. Most of the action was on or around the 152, with a little happening off Church Rock and out towards the 289. But the water rolled Saturday, dropping several degrees, and it clearly impacted the fishing as only 4 were released by a fleet that had to number well over 100. The talk at the time was of several boats that ran up off the north tip of San Clemente island to scout the 499 and 267. The signs were good, but I've only heard of one fish being released up there. The fish traditionally shift that way later in the season, but I'm not sure if this is it or not. I think if I were heading out this weekend, I'd start back off Catalina, but be prepared to make the run if necessary.

The dorado are still pretty thick in the Catalina Bight, but the fishing pressure right now is amazing. There are also quite a few swordfish being seen, but I haven't heard of any new rod and reel catches in a couple of weeks. But it does make for a nice segue ...

I asked for pictures several weeks back, and two MNAC members provided some interesting shots this week of swordfish stickboats at work. For those of you who don't know it, the stickboat is the marlin angler's best friend. Not only are they the only commercial fishermen who practice a catch method with 0% marlin bycatch, they also can be a fantastic source of information on where the fish are. We may only get out on the weekends, but these folks make their living on the water and it's their job to know what's going on. Often you will hear of plankboats pointing out marlin for PBers, and marlin anglers calling in stickboats after their own efforts to catch a swordfish have been for naught. Next time you see a stickboat anchored near by, invite them over for a hearty dinner - or better yet, a warm shower. You just might tap into some great information.

I mentioned the server crash earlier, and I want to acknowledge the many folks who took time out to pass along their kind words of encouragement this week. I vented the experience in a colorful rant over at the MarlinBlog, but frankly, I'm not entirely over it yet. There are certain things you take for granted, like the competancy of your web host. I put a lot of time and effort into backing up my local files - I had a new backup server delivered just yesterday - and I depend on the web host to take the same care with the system-generated files under their control. Sometimes, though, you get let down. I've had several folks provide leads for a new web host, and once the season winds down I'll be getting with each of you to learn more.

That's it for now. I may or may not be on the water this weekend, but if I am you can bet I'll be filing a Trip Report. I hope you're out too - and file a TR of your own!

August 14

No report - Server crash!!

August 10

Notice that spring in my step? The lilt in my voice? The smile on my face? That's right - I'm finally going fishing. But first, we have to take care of that little thing I like to call the Fishing News!

Because I'm waaaaay behind on my trip preparation (I still have four reels to fill ...), this is going to be the Reader's Digest version of a report. That's easy to do, since I can sum up what you should do in two words:

Go Fishing.

Drop what you're doing, head for the boat, and go fishing. The marlin bite absolutely blew up yesterday, and it's even better today. I won't even try to list everyone who got fish (it's that "you should have filed a Trip Report" thing again ...), but I know that OFFSHORE released four, one at the Mackerel Bank and three at the 152. There were at least a six other fish released in the same general vicinity, and another half-dozen yesterday. Best bet is to box the area from the 152 to the East End to the Avalon Bank. Of course, that's assuming you can tolerate sharing the water with a couple hundred similarly-minded anglers ...

The dorado are still under the paddies, although they're not as hungry as they have been. That's balanced by several reports of yellowfin tuna at some of the offshore banks. I wouldn't be surprised to see someone get into those this weekend.

For now, I'm off to finish my rigging. Hopefully, you'll be joining me out there. If not, check out our report from three years ago. I'm once again interested in your feedback - more on that in our next report.

Wish me luck!

August 7

Man, the world's going to hell. People are yelling, people are fighting, people are shooting. And that's just on the kelp paddies ...

I thought the marlin bite might blow open this weekend, and it did pick up, if not as much as I had thought.

It was pretty clear that it was going to be a zoo on the water over the weekend, and quite a few boats snuck out early to try and get 'er done before the hordes arrived. Those with the secret dope - or who read our last report - knew to skip the inshore banks in favor of the lee of San Clemente Island. That particular tactic lead to success for both WAIT-N-SEA at the 289 Thursday, and JERAMAR , who got a pair of releases Friday at the Mackerel Bank. Of course, there was still action closer to the beach, as was demonstrated by HOOKER when they released a nice 200-lber Friday morning near the 125. BIG EASY and 1ST THINGS 1ST also released fish near the east end of Catalina on Friday.

The weekend brought the expected fleet, and the stories are still coming in about the behavior of the paddy hoppers. I will say this, though - the number of reports of good behavior from the weekend was nearly as large as the number of knucklehead acts. Hopefully, this trend will continue.

The weekend action was again split between the inshore and offshore banks. HOT REELS was one of several releasing marlin off the east end on Saturday, while KAWAKAWA, WILD BILL and BITE ME all released fish inside San Clemente Island at or between the Mackerel Bank and the 289. This region remained hot on Sunday, as WILD BILL added another release on Sunday morning. Back inside, several marlin were released near the Avalon Bank, and at least one on the 277.

While we haven't seen the same level of action to the south, they are starting to get in the game. One marlin was taken Saturday off San Onofre and another 12 miles off of La Jolla. Sunday, REEL E-ZE took one south of the 238.

Obviously, with a lot of fish caught over a large area, it's tough to keep track of them all. So, if I neglected to include yours in this report ... it's your own damned fault. You should have posted a Trip Report or Release Report.

A couple of things jump out of the reports. A lot of action came on flyingfish colored lures, both EAL and standard types. I'll have to confess - I don't have that color in my arsenal, but you can bet I will by this weekend!

The other thing might initially be seen as a migration of the fish to the northwest. The last few weekends, most of the action was close to the beach - the 14, the 279, etc. There's still a lot of action there, but also out at the 289 and Mackerel Banks. There was even one report of really nice signs at the 267 northwest of San Clemente Island. But what does this really mean? Yeah, it could be a migration, but I think not. Most serious marlineers I know abhor trolling in the fleet. Aside from a natural desire to find fish somewhere where they can hide the spot from everyone else, the high liners know that many of the guys in the fleet are newbies, as likely as not to cut off your jig spread or worse - your fish. So I think there are still plenty of fish inshore - it's just that a lot of folks are burning a little extra diesel to get out of the crowd. I'm sure I'll be one of them this weekend ...

Normally, I'd talk here about a different feature of the site. Not today. Nope - I'm sticking to talking about the MarlinBlog. C'mon - it's funny ... it's topical ... it's entertaining. It's safe for work - at least most of the time. Look, I'm gonna keep talking about it until you start reading it, so you might as well bite the bullet and head over there now ...

The stickboats continue to take swordfish - and pretty large ones, I'm hearing - but no new reports of rod-and-reel action. Dorado and yellowtail continue to be available under the paddies, and the dorado in particular are thick - so much so that they're becoming a nuisance to those pulling marlin lures anywhere near the paddies.

You might have noticed that this is report is a bit ... light ... on pictures. Most weeks, my inbox is loaded with big picture files - sometimes, so much that my email account will overflow and start to reject messages. Not this week, though - not a thing. I know you guys were all busy pumping and winding, but could you snap a pic or two?

The water is still amazingly warm - many places have water as warm as 77 - 78 degrees! Since it's been this warm for a couple of weeks now, you'd expect that we'd start to see more warm water species. Now admittedly, there has been a report of blue marlin seen out of San Diego, but no one's taking that one too serious. But I'm frankly surprised we're not seeing the warm water tunas - yellowfin and bigeye - showing up yet. We've had some great experiences with 100-lb-plus BETs crashing bait off the east end of Catalina - they look like VW's underwater! Keep your eyes open if this warm water lasts - and make sure you have that heavy gear along, just in case ...

Finally - I get to fish! Looks like I'll be out for a three-dayer this weekend. Now let's just hope the bite holds up ...

August 3

This'll be quick, because I have a huge presentation tomorrow I need to rehearse tonight. I've always heard it's tough to sell a concept to a hostile crowd - and I'm gonna find out tomorrow at 10 ...

As I write this, I'm toggling between the beginning of the Angel game and what should have been the end of the Dodger game (they're in a rain delay). Weaver-Fever or a no-hitter-in-progress by Greg Maddux in his first appearance for Los Dodgers. Not bad for a Thursday night ...

It was a busy week on the water, as the lure of exotics close to shore was just too much a lure for many private boaters to resist. The kelp paddies from San Pedro south remain plugged with dorado, and quite a few mid-week anglers were able to plug the freezer. Sounds like they're not as skittish as dorado usually are, either. Most of the reports I saw were from either the 14-Mile Bank or the 267, but that's probably due as much as those banks' proximity to the launch ramps as anything else.

One thing we keep hearing is about the manners - or lack thereof - around the kelp paddies. Remember - whoever gets there first controls the paddy. Slide up slowly, indicating interest in the paddy, and give the guy a chance to invite you in. That's just as true if you're there to spear them as angle for them - show a little patience and courtesy. There's plenty for all out there ...

I swear to God ... if Greg Maddux has his no-hitter rained out because those beanheads in Cincinnatti were afraid to start the game on time, I'm gonna write my congressman ...

The only confirmed marlin report we received here at the Home Office was one that was released near the 209 on Tuesday. One additional tidbit is a followup to last week's report, in which we mentioned several marlin caught outside of San Diego. The lucky boat was MIL-SO-MAR, and they were caught at the 390.

A couple of rumors to chew on ... we heard of several marlin caught on the Upper Finger Bank - the first we've heard from Coral this season - and of one seen on the north side of Santa Cruz Island. That last one certainly seems plausible, considering the amount of 75+ degree water we have in the area right now.

From a weather standpoint, it sounds like this should be a great weekend. Temperatures look like they'll be in the mid-80's, and there's only about a 10-knot breeze predicted - just enough to tease up the tailers. The moon will be full Tuesday - just in case you think it'll have an effect ... :-)

I spend most of the winter as far away from SCMO as I can get - a guy needs to recharge! As a result, one of the first things I have to do when I return is reaquaint myself with the site - cruise through just like I was a first-time visitor. Inevitably, I rediscover things I'd forgotten about - like our Interactive Hot Spot Chart. Long before anyone thought it could be done, we digitized a copy of the local SoCal NOAA chart and added all those hot spots we talk about. After all, you gotta know where you're going, right? Even now, I check it periodically to better understand the relationship between different spots. Check it out before you head out for your next trip, and be sure to let me know if there's a spot I should add!

Yes!! They just restarted the Dodger game ... we're gonna get to see just how deep down Greg Maddux can reach ...

Well, HOOKER is heading out again tomorrow, and once again, I'm left on the dock. It's finally going to be my turn to wet a line next weekend, though, so if you're out before then, be sure to get your share - but leave a few for me!

July 31

How you feelin'? Hot (weather) - hot (water) - hot (fishing)!

The weather on the beach is starting to cool - today was the first time it reminded me of a normal SoCal summer. But the ocean remains abnormally warm, and the fishing is starting to heat up, as well.

I figured that with the break in the weather and nicer conditions offshore that most of the fleet would head out, and I was right. Most of the major players were on the water, and several scored. With the action being so close to the beach, many of the smaller boats were in the mix as well, sometimes with ... interesting ... results. More on that in a minute.

This was a good weekend for swordfish anglers, but unfortunately a better weekend for the swordfish. On Saturday, Chris Badsey and Hal Williams were putting a few hours on the new engines in FINNSEEKER when they spied a fat swordie south of the 14-Mile Bank. They didn't have a real sword outfit, nor any of the "tools of the trade", since the boat was stripped for the yard. But a man's gotta do what a man's gotta do. Hal pinned a mackerel on a 40-lb outfit, fed the swordfish, and the battle was on.

Several hours into the event, Chris was able to have gloves, belts and - most importantly - a gaff ferried out. They got the fish to the leader several times and, after three and a half hours, were preparing to take a shot when the fish sounded suddenly and snapped the line. Hal was disappointed and is now no doubt black and blue. But I sure hope I can stand toe to toe with a sword when I'm 71 ...

Another sword was caught earlier in the weekend near the 267 and weighed just under 160-lbs on the scales at Dana Point. If that's not enough for you, another one was lost yesterday on the Avalon Bank. I'll have to talk to my swordfish contacts, but I thought that they really didn't like the warmer water. If they want to stick around, though, it's fine with me!

I got at least a half dozen reports this weekend that all went something like this: we were trolling along and decided to stop on a paddy. Before you could say "boo" we were hip-deep in idiots driving over the paddies, cutting off lines or spearing fish.

It's a big ocean, and you'd think we could all get along. Lord knows that right now, there's enough dorado out there for everyone. Unfortunately, kelp paddies are the offshore equivalent of dive bars, and they apparently attract the same clientele. You wouldn't think it'd be that hard trying to show a little respect and manners around other boats, but apparently that's asking too much of some folks. Personally, I think it's our own fault. We're raising a generation of assholes who think "it's all about me, baby." This is the price we pay for not paddling our kids' asses when we should have ...

Before I get into the marlin stories, let me give a shout out to everyone who filed a trip report, emailed me (sometimes from their boat!) or left a message on my machine. I'd like to think it was my impassioned rant a few weeks back that did the trick, but you're all probably smart enough to simply realize what a powerful tool information can be. Now all you need to do is shame the other guys into filing reports as well. If we could reach a point where we had a dozen offshore reports a week, in a forum where you don't have to cull through boasts about sharks, sanddabs or calicos, we'd have an awesome resource. Bloody Who? All Where? *smile*

As the number of boats goes up - and the talent of the folks on those boats goes up - so too do the number of marlin being caught. But while there were several released this weekend, it's still not really breaking wide open - it's more of a pick.

Greg Stotesbury had two things on KAWAKAWA this weekend that you won't usually find there - angler Del Marsh and a pop-up satellite tag from the folks at PIER. Fortunately they were able to put both to good use, as they released a marlin out by San Clemente Island on Saturday (after having to run away from the knuckleheads closer to shore - see a pattern forming?). WILD BILL, working the same general area, also released a marlin on Saturday.

I'm happy to say that HOOKER had another good weekend, as Kathy Ecklund released her first of the season Saturday near the Avalon Bank. It was a jigfish, on a non-beeper black and purple Zuker. According to Kathy, the fish was released "very very healthy" - my favorite kind!

As the fishing heats up, this is a good time to remind you that you still have time to stock up on all that good SCMO swag. Let's face it - you're gonna get your picture taken a lot this season, what with all the success you'll have with the great tips and dope you get here. You might as well give a shout out to SCMO when you do. Whatever you need to cover your body, we've got it - hats, tees, tanks, sweats - the works. Even some sexy goodies to stretch over your ladyfriend. And remember - every time you replace that camisole you tore off your girlfriend, you're doing your part to support SCMO!

We're reaching that part of the season where the tug of the fish makes us do strange things, like play hooky from work to head offshore. We here at SCMO support such healthy breaks from the stresses of the work week, and urge our members to go offshore as often as possible - but be sure to report in when you get done!

July 27

Thank God - the heatwave has broken! Maybe now all those people who should be wearing clothes will start wearing them again ...

Not a lot of news to report, since the weather and the lack of clear marlin direction kept a lot of folks off the water. So, I suspect, is the price of fuel - I heard reports of several lengthy conversations about it over the air during the week. But this weekend should be different, as the milder temperatures should be accompanied by more traditional (read: predictable) weather and, therefore, more boats out.

The warm water (as high as 78 degrees in some places) is really bringing the tropical species north. Dorado are being seen pretty much everywhere, and are hitting so many marlin lures as to nearly be a nuisance - albeit a very tasty one. There were also some thusfar-unconfirmed reports of really big tuna at some of the banks. With the warm water, it's possible that some 100-lb-plus bigeye may have arrived, so prepare your tackle - and your back - accordingly.

Surprisingly, considering the warmer than usual SSTs, there are a lot of swordfish in the area. No new reports of any taken, but many cases of privateers taking their best shots before turning the fish over to the pros. Several were seen as far north as the mid-channel oil platforms out of San Pedro.

Unfortunately, the marlin sightings remain scarce.

Please allow me a small self-indulgence ...

Where were you ten years ago? If you were in Atlanta, you were enjoying the '96 Summer Games, not knowing that someone had planted a bomb in Centennial Park. If you were Bob Dole, you were running for president, not knowing that someone had planted a bomb in your career. And if you were your humble host, you were in a programming class at the University of Redlands, praying you wouldn't bomb on your next assignment.

The task: To design and publish a website. No small feat, considering the point in time. Remember, in 1996, no one had yet heard of eBay or Google or MySpace. AOL members had only recently gained internet access. But there I was, wondering what to do.

The instructor said that creating a website was just like writing an article - you need to start with something you know. So I picked a topic with which I was familiar - marlin fishing - and ran with it. By the end of the day, I'd written a little page with some links about marlin fishing, a pleasant teal color (in honor of the Florida Marlins), and what I thought would be a catchy name.

Southern California Marlin Online.

Had you told me then I'd be here now, I'd have slapped you upside the head. But there's a new logo at the top of the page, so it must be true ... ten years of madness. Ten years of marlin. Ten years of friends. It's been a good ride.

July 25

Man ... am I glad to be back from St. Louis! The weather was horrible - it was hot and muggy and ... wait a minute ... am I really home yet? There, there was heat and humidity and power outages. Here, there is heat and humidity and power outages. It's enough to make you think that Gore guy is right about global warming. Heck, he must be right ... after all, he invented the internet!

Screw it ... cue the theme music ...

The funky weather continues to dominate the offshore fishing scene, as it has for most of the early billfish season. Most anglers stayed close to home, or, better yet, on the beach. But a few hearty souls scored in spite of the weather - and in at least one notable case, because of the weather!

Most of the action came from close to the coast, primarily from inside of Catalina, because it was just too snotty to go further. Those who tried regretted it - there was one report of a boater who thought he'd been hit by lightning! Several bites were reported off the inside of Catalina between Long Point and the Slide, but I think that's just because that was where the relatively calm water was found.

The mix of marlin bites continues to be about 50/50 between bait and lures, but a larger percentage of the baitfish are being successfully caught. I'm not sure if that's because of early season jitters or if the fish are just skittish. So far, it's looking like it's gonna be another EAL season, so you'd better get yours on order now - I understand most sources are backlogged ...

One marlin was released near the 209, and the first San Diego marlin of the year was taken Friday by Kris Kinsella of HALF SCOOP on the 182. But, hey - you know which marlin I really want to talk about.

No one puts more time on the water than my father and HOOKER. Long before the first marlin of the season is even seen, he and Kathy are out there, plodding along at trolling speed, looking to get lucky. Most of the time, all it gets them is a big fuel bill. Sometimes, though, they get a little bit more.

They had hoped to cover a large part of the Catalina Bight on a multi-day trip, but after poking their heads around the corner and getting pounded pretty good, they opted for the "quieter" waters inside of Catalina. That decision was reinforced when a call to friends in the swordfish fleet revealed that those hearty souls were all headed for port at flank speed. After arranging a dinner date with one of the stickboat crews, they thought they'd get in a little trolling before making the crossing.

That was a pretty good decision, as they had a knockdown off the Slide. Slipping a mackerel back into the wake, my father hooked what he thought was one of the many dorado that are in the area. Soon, though, the strong dive of the fish made him revise his estimate to "mako". Once it surfaced, though, it was clear - it's a marlin. Shortly thereafter, it was alongside the boat, properly tagged and sent on it's way. It is the first released marlin for both the Balboa Angling Club and Los Pescadores. As my father put it in one of his few moments of self-appreciation, "the legend of HOOKER lives on." You're damned right ...

Twice in the past week, billfish stories have entered the mainstream media. Parade Magazine is one of those middle-of-your-Sunday-paper throwaways that most of us only see if we're using it to wrap fish. However, in the July 16th edition, they ran an interesting article entitled "Beware Which Fish You Eat." The article talks about our tendency towards overfishing the planet and how you as a consumer can make choices that will support sustainable fishing methods. It's an interesting, if lightweight, read.

The second is a much more serious issue, and it has to do with an incident which Ian Card, a well-liked member of the East Coast billfish community, was gored by an 800-lb blue marlin while serving as a mate on his father's boat CHALLENGER off Bermuda. Miraculously, the bill, which caught Card under the collarbone, managed to miss any vital organs or vessels. However, the force of the blow carried him overboard, still impaled by the fish. He was able to free himself from the bill and was hauled back onboard CHALLENGER, which bent for port after cutting off the fish - which was still hooked! At last report, Ian is doing well, and we all wish him a full and speedy recovery.

There are some valuable lessons we can all learn from this incident. Once again, we see that even an experienced billfisherman can be caught off guard by the actions of one of these amazing fish. We all remember the incident last year, where a marlin flew through the cockpit of a boat and struck the mate a glancing blow. And it certainly takes no real imagination to see what kind of trouble could have come from the situation in this picture. The lesson for us all is to never lose respect or concentration when dealing with billfish, for it can only take a second to change a life.

An additional lesson has been learned from this incident, but this one is strictly for me. As I sit banging away on my keyboard, it's easy for me to lose sight of the fact that I'm actually talking to the world and not just myself. I live alone, and outside of work and fishing, I don't come in contact with a whole lot of people. It is what it is. But sometimes, I pay a price for not having a sounding board to bounce ideas off before I choose to air them on the site. The only filter is the one in my head, and sometimes, it fails me.

When this story first broke, one of our regular members posted it in the Marlin Club. I saw the mention of the intention to take the fish for a tournament, and, keying on the "dog bites man" element of the story, made a wise-ass comment about the karma of the situation. Now, had I taken the time to research the situation and learn more about it, I would have seen just how inappropriate a comment like that would be. But even with the limited information I had at hand, it should have been clear that it was the wrong thing to do. But my single filter failed, and I made the posting. Probably the stupidest thing I've done in 10 years of running SCMO, and I have to live with it.

I've said before that SCMO is a labor of love. I certainly don't get rich doing it. There is one thing that I hope to gain, though, and that is the respect of fellow lovers of billfish and billfishing around the world. I'm blessed to be able to say that I've done pretty good over time in that respect. However, today, I've lost the respect of several billfishermen whose opinion is very important to me, and it will take a long time to earn it back - if ever. No joke is worth that.

Earlier I mentioned the dorado. One thing we're seeing is a large number of dorado hitting the EAL lures. In the past, EALs have been popular with mako sharks - too popular, at times - and large catfish, of all things. Chalk up one more success for the EAL, I guess.

Could we please have our old weather back? I'm tired of sticking to everything ...

Wonderful. Another hurricane is spinning off of Mexico. This time, she's called Emilia. The good news is that it looks like it'll clear the peninsula without damage. The bad news is that we'll end up with her tropical moisture dumped in the Basin. Great ...

A dangerous side effect of all the hot weather we've been having is wildfires. Normally, we wouldn't talk much about that here (although there was the one time when the smoke from some massive fires blew offshore and made like fog ...). However, there is currently several fires burning on Catalina Island which were started by lightning strikes. The largest, the Empire Fire, has consumed over 1200 acres and is threatening several buildings. All of the firefighting resources needed to fight these fires must brought to the island by sea, and the Navy is pitching in by giving the fire trucks a ride over via LCAC hovercraft. If you're fishing near the island and see these guys coming, give 'em a wide berth ...

I have more I could say, but right now, I feel like I need to go sit in the corner and think. If you get out during the week, be sure to let us know how you do, and make sure to keep an eye on the weather ... I don't think we've seen the end of the strangeness yet.

July 17

Hot, humid and stormy - feels like I'm in St. Louis already. I wonder if I'll have balmy weather there ...

I know what you're thinking - cut the chit-chat and get to the billfish stuff.

It's funny how it goes some times. Those with boats based in San Pedro often have to watch and wait as the fish are caught off San Diego and Oceanside, hoping they'll make it this far north. Then there's times like this - when they appear right on our doorstep.

The predictions of nasty weather kept a lot of people close to the beach this weekend. Normally, that would mean having to sacrifice fishing opportunities for keeping your boat and contents in some sense of order. Not this time - the fish came inshore as well.

Coming into the weekend, there was a strong temp break running from Dana Point to the east end of Catalina, marking the edge of the north-moving current as it is forced offshore. These solid breaks are always great fishing zones, because the marlin hang on the warm side to grab the bait from the cool side.

For once, it worked just like you'd hope it would - the fish that were found were in the box between the east end and the 14-Mile Bank, with most of the action happening in the shipping lanes betwen the two. Several boats released marlin, including WILD BILL (who else) and FINADDICT on Saturday, and at least one more boat on Sunday (anyone want to volunteer?). A lot of boats were pounding the area, and quite a few hookups were reported. Beepers are once again the thing, so I'd expect Bob Hoose to be getting a bunch of phone calls this week.

In a happy coincidence, this same area is where the stickboats have been working for swordfish. Several private boaters reported taking their shots, but inevitably they gave up and turned over the fish to meet its tasty fate.

I know that all of you read the Fishing News and the MarlinBlog and the Marlin Tutorial and the postings in the War Room, Trip Reporter and Marlin Club. Basically, none of you have any excuse for not catching marlin this season. So this is a good time to remind you that when you do release that marlin, be sure to register it with our Online Gamefish Release Reporting System - the little application with the great big name! Aside from giving you a chance to show off a little with your catch, the OGRRS data gives us a historical record of who's caught what where over the years. That makes it a whole lot easier to predict how things will be next year ... or at least try ...

Speaking of historical data, here's an interesting chart I picked up over at the San Diego Marlin Club's website. It shows the number of marlin caught each year since 1952, along with the trendlines. You can see that while the catch rate is a cyclic phenomenon, both the highs and lows are getting lower with each cycle. There's a lot of things you can blame, of course, but commercial fishing south of the border is certainly high on the list.

This year, Cabo San Lucas reported great striped marlin fishing. Those fish are chased north as the water warms, and eventually end up in our local waters. At least, they will if they don't get caught by the many miles of longlines between here and there. We should know in a couple of weeks what kind of season we'll have, and will see just what impact the fishing is having.

Several folks have asked this week about the return of the custom SCMO SST charts, which I've been hinting at for a couple of weeks. The bad news, I'm afraid, is that it ain't gonna happen - at least not for now. I've been playing with the data from the new source for the last couple of days, and I'm just not satisfied that the quality of the charts is worth the effort. If you want to see one, drop by JD's - he usually has one from the same source on his news page.

I'll continue to search for a new source of free data, and when I find it I'll be back in the chart business. In the mean time, swing by Terrafin and sign up for their terrific service. Be sure to tell Jeff I sent you. It won't get you anything, but it might help insure he continues to advertise at SCMO ... *smile*

I'm watching the Dodger game as I write this, and I just saw one of the strangest things I've ever seen. Umpire Angel Hernandez, working third base, just threw out Dodger coach Mariano Duncan - who was in the first base dugout. You really gotta work hard to catch the attention of an umpire that far away, but he did it. What makes it strange is that when Mariano ran out of the dugout to see why he was tossed ("getting your money's worth", we like to call it ...), he threw his cap in the air out of frustration. Umpire Hernandez promptly picked it up - and tossed it to a fan in the stands! I realize that umps get a lot of grief, but that's no excuse to be a dick. If they fine MD and not the umpire, they're wrong.

I try to stick to billfish once the season starts, but one catch stands out and deserves mention. Marylin Stephens, fishing onboard their boat EXTA-SEA, caught a massive mako shark Saturday in a tournament out of Channel Islands. Look close at that scale and you'll see it says "1050.2" - a thousand pound shark. I've known Bob and Marylin for many years, and they are quite an angling team. I have an opinion about killing breeding sharks that big (which I'll save for the forums), but you definitely have to respect it an an angling achievement.

There are those who regret the killing of sharks for reasons other than conservation. Sharks eat seals, and seals can be a real pain in the swimstep for boaters up and down the coast. No where is this more true than in Newport Harbor, and KCET's "Life and Times" ran a segment tonight about the damage done by the seals.

I had heard about the problem, but I had no idea how big it was - nor how big the seals are. These aren't the cute little things you see periodically - these are massive, thousand-pound bulls filled with blubber and bluster and bark. The segment talked about the challenges of running of the federally-protected mammals, and showed some of the creative ideas people have used - mostly without success. My favorite was a sensor-activated sprinkler that would come on whenever the seals tried to climb onto a boat or dock. Seems to me all they really need now is soap-on-a-rope ...

At the start of this report, I talked about St. Louis. "How does that affect me?", you ask. Well, I'm flying out Wednesday morning for a three-day fact-finding trip to the Gateway City. If you've been following the Dodgers, you know they were just there after the All-Star Game, and it was hotter than hell. It was so hot, in fact, that the mayor declared a heat emergency and told everyone to stay home for the day! Sounds like just the time to fly into town.

Anyway, since I'll be there, I won't be here to file this report. I will, however, participate in the forums, posting anything I learn in the War Room. And, of course, I'll be making my entries over in the MarlinBlog.

So you're on your own this weekend. I have a lot of faith in you, though, and am confident you'll do just fine. And I'll be looking for the Trip Reports to prove it!

July 13

If your plans for this weekend don't include marlin fishing, you may want to change your plans - if the winds let you ...

Let's start with what you came for - marlin news.

Another marlin was caught this week, this time by Lynn Jasper on WAIT-N-SEA. Having been below the border when the swordfish bite started, Captain Tom Shanahan brought the boat north hoping to get in on the fun. They did, but not the way they planned.

Searching two miles off the Slide at Catalina early Tuesday they spotted a sleeping marlin who was presented a willing bait. He took it - big mistake. Forty-five minutes later, the fish was on board and they were headed for the scales.

Obviously, I can't show the fish, but you'll have to trust me - it weighed 120-lbs and took the first fish flags for several clubs. Currently, I'm writing an editorial about an appropriate first marlin flag policy - I suspect I'll talk about this fish more then ...

I'm having a lot of fun with the new MarlinBlog. Sometime in the next few days, I'll make my 100th entry, and I think I'm starting to catch my stride as a blogger. Still not getting as many comments posted as I'd like, but I appreciate the ones I get. I have learned one thing from the MB this week, though ... man, there are some bitter people in the world!

Having dispensed with the obligatory site plug, I can tell you that while no other marlin were taken, they were certainly seen - and hooked. One was hooked today just south of the 14 Mile Bank at 22/00, and another was seen jumping there. While quiet today, a double was fought yesterday off the east end of Catalina with both fish eventually lost. There's warm water in a lot of places right now, and the pathway to allow marlin to move into the Catalina Bight seems to be complete. With the warm weather we'll be having this weekend, I expect things could go off in a big way.

It's reasonable to assume that if the marlin are here, the hurricanes can't be far behind, and now here they are. Hurricanes Bud and Carlotta are churning off Los Cabos, fortunately in a direction that will keep them well clear of land. With the weather officials predicting a more active than normal storm season for both the Eastern Pacific and Atlantic regions, you should keep this in mind as you plan your fishing excursions. Don't forget to keep those affected by last year's storms in your hearts and prayers, as well.

I've talked a lot lately about our Trip Reporter, and the value of your information to the overall success of SCMO. I'm sure it'll come as good news to all when I say I'm done talking. By this time, there's nothing more I can do to convince you to share the results of your fishing trips with the rest of us - those who will post will post, and those who won't won't.

I do want to leave with one parting thought on the topic, though. I've said that this Fishing News results as an amalgam of news from a lot of sources - web sites, phone calls, emails, trip reports and my own time on the water. Historically, it is that latter source that has served the Fishing News best, and seasons where I spent three months of consecutive weekends inevitably results in the best updates for this page.

Last year, circumstances saw my time on the water curtailed significantly, and the quality of this report suffered as a result. I can already see that the issues are in place again and will likely cause me to spend even fewer days chasing marlin. That could have a significant impact on these updates ... unless the quality of my other sources increases. See where you come in?

Roughly half of our MNAC members fish in SoCal. If half of those members were to head offshore this weekend (which is quite possible), and even half of those who fished were to file a Trip Report or email me their results upon their return, we would have dozens of reports from which to craft together a comprehensive picture of the weekend's fishing. That's really how it should work, and all it requires is that you take a moment to put your experience into words. It's not that hard, but the impact could be significant. Think about it ... please ...

Spam ... God I hate that stuff. No, not the iffy pork product the Hawaiians love so inexplicably. I'm talking about the bane of the internet, unwanted junk mail.

Once, having a website meant getting a couple of unsolicited emails a week. Today, I get hundreds a day. Thank God for strong email filters. But Spam extends beyond email these days, as webbots seek out new opportunities for their devious advertisements.

At SCMO, we got slammed pretty good by the spambots last year as they filled our Guest Log with hundreds of bogus entries containing links to all kinds of ... interesting ... websites. Eventually, I was forced to shut it down. Several weeks back, I restarted it just to see what would happen. Within literally no more than an hour, the bots were back. This time, I took it offline for good.

Fortunately, I was able to find and modify a program that has given us a spam-proof Guest Log. The down side is that I lost all the entries that had been recorded over the years. Guest Log entries serve as a testimonial for new visitors to the site, and they're very important to the overall success of SCMO. I'd appreciate it if you could take a minute and swing over to the Guest Log to enter your own comments. As always, all I ask is that you tell it like it is ... thanks in advance.

I just got the latest BAC newsletter and read about Jim Kingsmill and his swordfish, which we reported several weeks back. The newsletter mentioned that this was his fourth career swordfish, and it got me wondering - at what point does it become reasonable to consider releasing a swordfish? Ted Nafzger caught 50-something in his career and I'm not aware of any of them being released, although that was a different time. East Coasters seem to be catching quite a few small ones now - do they get released. Dave Denholm has quite a few, and now Jim has four ... what's the right number? Is there even a right number? Let me know what you think. Me - I'm still looking for my first, which I'm reasonably sure won't be released ...

Things seem to be lining up nicely to make for a successful weekend of fishing. It's going to be windy, though (small craft warnings inshore, gale warnings offshore), so use your head when you plan your weekend. No, not that one - the big one.

So get out there, and remember the SCMO mantra - go fish, go home, go report!

July 10

I'm trying to write this while keepinig one eye on the All-Star Game Home Run contest, so if I seem a bit scattered, you know why ...

I actually had to send one of my computers out to be worked on this week. As someone who prides himself on computer self-sufficiency, it was a ... humbling experience. But since we believe in triple-reduncancy here at the Home Office, we should go on without so much as a hiccup.

Well, unless you were out of the country or under a rock, you already know the big news of the weekend. The first striped marlin of the 2006 SoCal season was released on Saturday.

Oh yeah ... Lance Berkmann just put the first ball in the Allegeny River ...

Where was I ... right ... marlin.

This is actually a really good example of the old Boy Scout motto, "Be Prepared". The crew of the 23-ft Parker AHI NUI are on their way out to cash in on the tuna bite, but they've heard that marlin have been seen so they have a casting out rigged ... just in case. Shortly after dawn, they spot a sleeper inside the 209 at 11/44. Two casts, the fish takes it and the battle is on. Forty minutes angler Marc Levine releases the first marlin of the season. Just goes to show - you can't catch what you're not prepared to catch.

My boy Miguel Cabrera of the Marlins just hit 9, including one off the foul pole. Not bad, considering this time last night he was trying to punch out his pitcher ...

Thw swordfish hunt continues, and while several were hooked, I'm not aware of any more being landed. One was lost today near the 209.

So far, the early season fishing looks to be mostly inshore, as we received several reports from the 181 and 209 of marlin seen and/or hooked. That makes sense, since the currents tend to hug the coast as they creep up from Mexico. They hang a left near Dana, though, so expect something to happen off the East End of Catalina soon ...

It's funny how things work sometimes. When I first started writing the news again back in 2002, I started adding little anecdotes and amusing asides. Initially, it was to take up slack when there was no fishing news and hopefully put smiles on faces. Naturally, I got a lot of complaints from people who didn't think the Fishing News was the place for it.

Fast forward to this year. I started the MarlinBlog, giving my little witticisms their own home. Of course, that meant there were fewer of them in the FN. The result? You guessed it ... I get complaints because it's not funny enough. There's just no winning. So if you like your Fishing News on the dry side, you're in luck. It's now FN Lite - all the news, half the tangents. Of course, if you enjoy the snide side of life, I'll see you over at the MarlinBlog ...

David Wright is just pounding the crap out of the ball ... wow ... doesn't he ever get tired? Oops ... he just cussed on TV ... tee hee ...

Now that the first marlin has been released, you can bet there'll be a lot more boats on the water. Normally, that's good news for me because more boats means more anglers, and more anglers means more Trip Reports, which are the lifeblood of this report. At least that's how it should work.

I mentioned in the last report ... OK, I ranted in the last report ... about the unexplained lack of information provided from our members. Unexplained, at least, to me. I asked the membership of the MNAC to let me know what they thought about why so many trips were made without reports, and I did receive a few responses. The good news was that the replies I got were well thought out and very useful to me. The bad news is that there wasn't many responses. In retrospect I should have predicted that, considering the number of reports ...

I make no bones about the fact that I want SCMO to the the one-stop-shop for marlin fishermen, so it's important to me to know what you, our most important visitors, want to see here. Lord knows if I can make a change that will improve the amount of interaction between me and you, I'm gonna do it. I just need to know what you are thinking.

To make things a little easier ... not to mention anonymous ... I've set up a poll over in the War Room that basically asks the same question as last week - why do you think people don't provide trip information more frequently. You can answer for yourself, or you can theorize on people in general - it's all good data. But please - take the time to tell me what you think. As a niche market site, it is essential that I do whatever is necessary to bring together all the resources possible - and that resource is you. But I can't if I don't know what you want ...

Jermaine Dye just his 7 with his teammate A. J. Pierzynski in the booth claiming his bat is corked and the ball is juiced. What a friend ...

OK, that's all for now. I'll keep an eye on the poll results, and will let you know what I see and the changes I plan. Stay safe until Thursday.

July 6

Your corrrespondant is in a foul mood today ...

I'll spare you the gory details, but a full 2/3 of the Home Office computing capability is currently spread out in pieces across my dining room table. Pulling the power supply out of a computer that hasn't been turned off in over a year must be a lot like working on a running engine - it's hot, and I keep cutting my hands on the sharp edges. At least I don't have the racket of the engine room to deal with.

Fortunately, we have three machines in the SCMO network, so let's get on with it ...

It looks like most of us survived the long holiday weekend. In my case, it was a particularly long one - it started last Friday and didn't end until yesterday. Nothing quite like the 5-day weekend - we should have them more often.

It would appear that billfish fever has finally infected the local fishing community, as several swordfish were landed in the past week, and more lost. I don't know what if any impact the recent swordfish seminar had on things, but you gotta say they nailed the timing!

The first sword report was received here at the SCMO Home Office on Sunday, when ONO lost one after half an hour while fishing south of the 43. That might have been dismissed as a fluke until not one, but two swordfish were brought to the docks on Tuesday the 4th.

To the south, Mike Mellow, fishing on BOUNTY BAY, weighed a 240-lb sword at Dana Landing. Further north, BONGOS 3 scored for the second time in recent weeks with a firecracker that weighed 101-lbs.

The real winner - so far, at least - came today, as the crew of the 6-pack charter LIMITLESS weighed in a 460-lb beast they caught on a bonito, of all things. That's as large a SoCal sword as I can remember in recent years. I'm not sure who the angler is, but if it's the hottie in the middle, I'll be happy to provide an exclusive interview ...

We received several marlin reports over the long weekend, but, once again, they're unconfirmed. One marlin was seen sunning itself in the lee off the Slide at Catalina, and a second was baited on the 302. The crew from the last report even sent in a picture of their fish; but it looks a little sword-like to me ...

Now that the swords are here - and the marlin not far behind - it's time to think about tournaments. I'm updating our SCMO Tourney Calendar, and should have it online by the next report. If you have an event you'd like to see listed, email me the details.

I could go on about the tuna and yellowtail, but I won't, for reasons you'll read in a minute. Maybe it's because I've spent the day tearing down and rebuilding my computers, but I need to get something off my chest. If I start to sound melodramatic, it's only because I understand what SCMO is, and what it could be ...

SCMO is a billfishing site. Yeah, we dabble in the dark side and talk a little about tuna and sharks, but that's just because we're bored waiting for the marlin and swordfish to get here. In the end, SCMO is all about educating billfish anglers, and providing them with the best possible information in preparation of their next trip offshore.

There are other fishing sites out there, including several great ones located here in SoCal. They're a lot bigger than we are, of course, because they're talking about everything - tuna, shark, yellowtail, inshore, offshore, kayak, surf, freshwater, saltwater - you get the picture. And yes, they also talk about billfish.

Because they're so large, and have reached the "critical mass" of posters, they're on the list of places I review regularly looking for tidbits of billfish news to weave into this report, along with our own posted reports in the Trip Reporter and a lot of other sources. Lately, I've seen a trend in the billfish reports I see posted on these other sites. Often - in fact, almost exclusively - the reports are posted by individuals who are regulars at this site. In fact, most are from MNAC members - people who have paid to belong to this site. Note that these are not crossposts of information that was first posted here - this is fresh billfish information being posted on these other sites instead of being posted at SCMO.

My goal with SCMO has always been to build a community where the local SoCal billfisherman can come to share and learn. We will never be as large as BloodyDecks or Allcoast, because there simply aren't as many hardcore marlin and swordfish guys as there are tuna, shark and calico bass guys. I came to grips with that fact years ago. But for SCMO to thrive - hell, for it to survive - our core community must work together to build the resource. We don't have other species to fall back on - if SCMO isn't the first place billfishermen choose to come with their information, then it has no relevance and no reason to exist.

So I ask these questions of our local billfishermen, who make up the majority of the membership of the MNAC: What do I, as the owner/operator of SCMO, need to do to make SCMO the first place you bring your billfish information? What changes can I make to insure that when I look on the web for marlin and swordfish reports, I see them posted at SCMO before I see them posted elsewhere?
I really want your candid thoughts on this, because I am committed to making whatever changes I need to make to achieve the goals outlined here. And, quite frankly, I put way too much time and effort into this site for far too little reward to allow it to continue if it becomes a marginalized also-ran.

I'm looking forward to hearing from a lot of you ...

June 30

Ah, yes ... the 4th of July weekend. A time of dreams ... of memories ... of time off!

I always have looked forward to this particular holiday weekend. As a child, the 4th meant a weekend spent on the family's runabout in Isthmus Cove at Catalina and cherry bombs exploding in the water under the boat. As I grew older, I began to appreciate the fact that the 4th was always a holiday, no matter what day of the week it fell on. With my birthday being the 3rd, it meant no matter how much I celebrated, I never had to go to work the next day ..

Now, of course, the 4th means the season is here - or damned near so. I tend to get pretty squirrly if the marlin aren't here by Independance day (although not nearly as nutty as the guy at left!). But even though they're not here yet, they're close ... very close ...

It's a long weekend (really long, for some of us ...), so there'll be plenty of fishing opportunities. But the weather continues to be ... strange ... and the wise mariner might take a look at the weather reports before they shove off:

...SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY NOW IN EFFECT THROUGH SATURDAY AFTERNOON...

.TODAY...N TO NW WIND 15 TO 25 KT...WITH LOCALLY HIGHER GUSTS THIS
AFTERNOON. COMBINED SEAS 5 TO 7 FT DOMINANT PERIOD 9 SECONDS. AREAS
OF FOG EARLY IN THE MORNING.
.TONIGHT...NW WIND 20 TO 30 KT...WITH GUSTS TO 35 KT. COMBINED SEAS
7 TO 9 FT DOMINANT PERIOD 8 SECONDS. AREAS OF FOG AFTER MIDNIGHT.
.SAT...NW WIND 20 TO 30 KT...WITH LOCAL GUSTS TO 40 KT IN THE
AFTERNOON. COMBINED SEAS 7 TO 9 FT DOMINANT PERIOD 9 SECONDS. AREAS
OF FOG IN THE MORNING.
.SAT NIGHT...NW WIND 20 TO 30 KT...WITH GUSTS TO 40 KT IN THE
EVENING. COMBINED SEAS 7 TO 9 FT. AREAS OF FOG AFTER MIDNIGHT.
.SUN...NW WIND 15 TO 25 KT...WITH LOCAL GUSTS TO 35 KT. COMBINED
SEAS 8 TO 10 FT. AREAS OF FOG IN THE MORNING.
.SUN NIGHT...NW WIND 15 TO 25 KT...WITH LOCAL GUSTS TO 35 KT.
COMBINED SEAS 7 TO 9 FT. AREAS OF FOG AFTER MIDNIGHT.
.MON...NW WIND 10 TO 20 KT...WITH LOCALLY HIGHER GUSTS. WIND WAVES 2
TO 4 FT. NW SWELL 6 TO 8 FT. AREAS OF NIGHT AND MORNING FOG.
.TUE...NW WIND 15 TO 25 KT. COMBINED SEAS 7 TO 9 FT. AREAS OF NIGHT
AND MORNING FOG.

So it sounds like the smart move is to BBQ Saturday, Honey-Do Sunday, fish Monday, recover Tuesday! Oh, and file your Trip Report Wednesday ... :-)

The aforementioned weather is really messing with my ability to get fish reports. After all, folks need to be on the water in order to have something to report! But this week, like the one before it, the hot and muggy weather we had on the beach meant unstable and stormy weather offshore. We even had one report of boats being chased off the 1010 Trench by thunder and lightning. Not surprising, when you look how it was here at the Home Office. On Tuesday, there was a thunderstorm that soaked Marina del Rey. I could look a couple of miles to the north and see it, but the sun was shining here in Redondo. Go figure!

There are some other things that the 4th means to me. If you are a long-time reader, you know that the Tour de France starts this weekend and that I traditionally cover it here. With the new MarlinBlog, that coverage will move over there where it can be addresses more than twice a week. I'm still working out the kinks of what should go here and what should go there, so if you have an opinion - and I know you do - let me know!

On Tuesday, the PCS Swordfishing Seminar was held. I was unable to attend, but I've talked with several people who did who thought there was some pretty good information regarding East Coast methods and West Coast migration patterns. I don't want to sound like a foghorn, but I'll repeat what I always say - lots of folks talk about methods that have worked elsewhere that should work here (remember Joe Singer?). But no one ever talks about how to get the swordfish to find the bait before the sharks. I've seen some data that talks about the different parts of the water column where swordfish feed versus marlin, but never anything about where they feed versus sharks. Until someone figures out the shark problem, there will never be a rod and reel fishery here like the one in Florida ...

Between fishing trips and Home Depot runs and barbecues and baseball games, it's easy to get caught up in all the activities of the weekend. At some point, though, take a moment and remember why it is we get the time off. Two hundred and thirty years ago, a group of men made a decision regarding their future - and that decision reverberates through our lives to this day. There's no way the Washingtons, Jeffersons and Adamses could imagine the impact their decision, and the actions that followed to make that decision a reality, could have on the world. Yet the dream their decision represents remains a beacon of hope in the world at a time when it really needs one. Be sure to stop and think about what you are doing to help keep that dream alive ...

A couple of admin items to close out this report. Since most folks get Monday off and will likely be offshore anyway, our next report will be next Thursday. It should be a doozy, though, as we cover the long weekend's results and get you ready for the next one. Also, based on the overwhelming preference of the members - or as overwhelming as our small data dample could be - we'll be restarting the SCMO SST charts. At least in the beginning, they'll probably run once a week just before the weekend (since that's when you really need them). If I can automate the process, you'll see more!

It's beautiful outside and I have the day off from work, so I'm off to ride the Strand. My advice is that you spend as much of the next four days as you can outside - preferably, on the water!

June 26

If you came here looking for info about where folks were finding fish this weekend, boy are you gonna be disappointed. I can sum up the results in one word: crickets. That's the sound you'll hear if you ask the fleet how they did this weekend. Most folks were sane enough to read the weather reports and stay on the beach, and those who didn't wish they did.

Seriously, the weather was nasty this weekend. We expected it to be snotty, and there was even a gale warning for the outer waters. But rain? Lightning? Waterspouts? No one expected that!

That said, a few reports did trickle in. Most of the fishing that was done happened in the lee of the islands, especially Catalina and Los Coronados. In fact, the lee of South Island is said to have looked like a parking lot. Considering how it was just offshore, that made a lot of sense. And the weather only got worse the further north you got ...

To our south, the transition to warm water marlin continues. The number of blacks and blues are rising, and a few large ones have been taken. For a while, storms had driven the water temperature down about ten degrees, but it's nearly back up to it's normal mid-80s. It sounds like most of the action is around the corner in the Cortez.

With a couple of reports under my belt for the new season, I'm noticing a couple of things. The first is that, as far as writing these reports goes, I definitely haven't found my groove yet. Mid-season, when there's a lot of news and a lot to report, writing these updates is a breeze. The words just flow from brain to fingers to keys to screen. That ain't happening yet.

The other thing is that these reports just aren't as interesting as they have been. Again, the lack of fishing reports leads to that, but I think the real cause lies with the new MarlinBlog. A lot of the things that I might stick in here between the fishing stuff now get published daily in the MB. Thus, when the time comes for these updates, a lot of my good stuff is already gone. I would hope that most of you are already reading the MB, so you're really getting the same content, albeit split between the two sources. I suspect that as the season progresses, I'll find both my groove and a happy balance between the Fishing News and the MarlinBlog that will keep all of us happy!

So were in sort of a transition mode here at the Home Office. We completed a computer upgrade last week, but half way through an offer came up that was just too good to resist and now I have to upgrade again. It'll be worth it, though. When we're done, we'll have a three-Mac wireless network - one serving as a web and music server, a second as the web development machine and a third just for my own screwing around, and that doesn't even include my PowerBook. All part of what we bring you a better product! I just hope I get it all wired up before the marlin arrive ... it's brutal trying to do graphics on my laptop!

Remember - tomorrow is the PCS Swordfishing Seminar - hopefully, they'll show us how to catch swordies without catching sharks!!

It's interesting to watch the results of our latest Insta-Poll. In a way, it's a barometer of how enthusiastic people are about the upcoming season. Thus far, I'd have to say folks are pretty optimistic! This is the last week for this poll, so vote now or forever hold your opinion to yourself ... :-)

June 23

I'm a little late with this report, and I'm sorry for that. We had a bit of a pet tragedy here at the Home Office I had to deal with ... you can read about it here in the MarlinBlog.

Let me cut right to the chase: I haven't heard so much as a sound regarding billfish since the last report. I know the stickboats are getting a few swordfish, but heaven't heard where. We know the marlin are on their way up the coast, but I've seen no sign that any have arrived yet. If that's all you are interested in, I guess you can stop here. I'm the same way, but I can't stop - I'm the reporter!

The real offshore action right now continues to be the coldwater triad of albacore, bluefin tuna and yellowtail. Those folks who did play hooky from work had several choices where they could go to get their fill - or at least a taste. Those who did sneak out paid a price, as the offshore weather continued the strange funk leftover from the weekend and made the trips uncomfortable.

The main target for the private boater fleet - not to mention partyboats and seiners - was the north end of the 1010 Trench where both albacore and bluefin were found in good numbers and grade. The fact that the seiners were there tells you that the concentration was pretty high, but don't count on it being that way once they finish. If you want to chase what's left, start at 31.38/117.41.

Since you'll probably need to find a new place to catch tuna this weekend, you might want to try the 220s or the 295, where a mix of albacore and BFT were found in 65.5-degree water. It's marginally closer than the 1010, but still a mighty long run. With as many boats running there as will likely be, though, you'll definitely have buddies to run with.

As you may have noticed, these last few reports have been graphics-light. OK, graphics-nil. While I still don't get as many pictures submitted as I would like, that's not the reason. Every so often, we upgrade the computer systems here at the Home Office. Now, a smart guy would pick a point in time as far removed from the busy season as possible so as to minimize the impact any of those changes might have on the product. Not your humble host. No, I always think of something I want to do right before the season starts and, tossing fate to the winds, dive in. In this case, it bit me in the butt, and my graphics capability is currently offline. The good news is that we should have graphics back by the next report. I'll tell you about the experience then, too - a good cautionary tale for anyone who uses a computer for a living ...

We've had unusual weather the past few weekends, and this one looks to be no exception. It's gonna bake on the beach, and that usually means the breezes can be pretty stiff offshore. Checking the reports, I see mention of "gale warnings", which is never a good thing. But I'm sure you'll use the SCMO tools to help plan a safe, intelligent trip and won't let the tuna fever drive you to do any thing silly, right? Right?

Speaking of this weekend, we received the following from the folks who run the firing range around San Clemente Island:

"On 24JUN06 and 26JUN06, 1100-1800 local the Navy will be conducting important and hazardous training exercises in the waters west of San Clemente Island. The exact oparea can be viewed graphically by accessing www.scisland.org, selecting the 24th of Jun and then the MSLX-4 event to the right. We respectfully request that all boats remain clear of the published oparea for their own safety and to prevent unnecessary delays of this Navy training exercise."

I don't know about you, but I don't want to be the one to stand in the way of the War on Terror ...

In our last report, I asked for feedback regarding the MNAC-only SST charts. The good news is that the feedback was clear - 100 percent of the respondents wanted the charts to continue. Unfortunately, that represented a single response, so I'm hesitant to call it conclusive. So I'll ask one more time - do you see value in the SCMO SST charts, and will you use them if available? Email me with your thoughts.

OK, I'm off to make a difficult speech to a 6-yr old and wrestle my computers back into shape - good luck this weekend and let us know how you do!

June 20

The good news is that I got out on the water this weekend. The bad news is that it wasn't for long ...

If you were hoping the early catch of a pair of swordfish was going to mean a wide open season ... well, keep hoping. There wasn't a lot of local activity over the weekend, although I suspect the funky weather had a lot to do with that. That and the price of diesel fuel.

This is the second straight weekend when we've had unpreditcable weather. Normally, the one constant in the local weather scene is how it functions. Different things happen at different times, but for anyone who's spent a lot of time on the water it's pretty easy to look at the signs and know what's going to happen with the weather.

Not this weekend. It was blowing in strange places and strange directions, the seas were coming from all over – it was a mess. Around Catalina, two different currents were colliding to make a washing machine effect off Church Rock, and the wind didn't stop blowing all night. Even worse, those who anchored in the lee of Catalina spent the night with the wind and currents offset by 90 degrees, making for a miserable ride.

We made the run to the island on Friday afternoon, but it was clear that running out to the 43 or beyond was going to be a sucker bet. After spending a rugged night on the hook, we poked around the afternoon for a couple of hours and called it a trip. A gallon saved today is a gallon you can spend trolling come marlin time, I guess ...

If you headed south, though, it was an entirely different scenario. Weather was relatively nice for the southern banks, and a lot of private boaters made the run out to get their share of pelagics. From the sound of things, they did all right.

If you planned a trip for this weekend, I'll bet you looked at a sea surface temperature chart. At one time, SST charts were only available for commercial fishermen, but over the years this data has become more accessible to the recreational fisherman. Today, you can subscribe to commercial SST websites for under $100, and can even run your own charts using the same CoastWatch data. But this growing availability has lead to a quandary for yours truly.

SCMO has always had a page of links to the best of the free SST charts on the web. But because there was a pretty big difference between those charts and what you could get if you were willing to pay, we also ran our own charts for the MNAC members. About a year and a half ago, our chart source dried up, and we stopped updating the charts. I always wanted to restart this feature, and I've now got a new source for daily charts. But I'm wondering if it's worth the effort. After all, I've only received a handful of comments about the lack of charts, so I don't know how many members will actually use them. As a guy who puts the "sole" in "sole proprietorship", I hate to put the time into creating the charts if no one is going to use them, particularly when there is so much else I need to be doing here.

So I'm asking the question – how many of you will use the charts? If even a fraction of the membership thinks they'll be useful, I'll restart them. But if all I'll hear when I go to the charts page is the sound of crickets chirping, well, there are other places I can put my limited resources. Email me with your thoughts.

It's hard to say if the bite that had been going out at the Butterfly Bank petered out or just wasn't hit hard because of the weather. Whatever the case, we got very few reports. I know that the weather kept a lot of the partyboats closer to shore, opting to fish Catalina instead of making the longer run in questionable conditions. The one report I did receive told of decent numbers of yellowtail in cool (65-degree) water.

Those fishing south of the border got a better deal all around, as the milder weather make the banks more accessible. Fortunately, the fish seemed to have cooperated as well. Boats working south of the 295 reported catching both albacore and bluefin tuna, and the same could be said around the 238, where they were catching yellowtail as well. Those heading to the 371 found bluefin tuna and yellowtail, although the BFT were said to be very skittish, with a lot of jumping and very little biting.

Closer to home, we got the usual early season billfish reports that you tend to take with a healthy grain of salt. Swordfish were said to be seen on 209 and 277, but they could just as easily been mako sharks, which have also been making an appearance. The stickboats are having success, though, so there are definitely swords in the area.

The one species we didn't get reports on this weekend was marlin. The water is up to 68 degrees in some places, which is definitely warm enough, but I don't know if the "warm water freeway" has formed that would allow the stripes headed up the coast to make it this far yet. I do know that the water in Cabo has warmed to the point that the season's first black and blue marlin have been caught, so it should serve to flush out the striped marlin and send them north.

As I mentioned earlier, SCMO is a one-man-show. I don't have a staff, or an assistant, or an editor (as much as I need one). I give it all I have, but that's all I can give. I'm always grateful to get the help of the SCMO community. As we prepare for the new season, it's time for my annual get-off-yer-ass-and-participate speech.

Actually, I was looking back at one of the first editorials I wrote for SCMO in July of '96. What was one of the key elements? Looking for people to participate. Clearly, it's not a new thing, but it's an important thing. I'm always grateful to everyone who takes the time to stop by SCMO, and even more so to those who pull out their checkbook. But sometimes, money's not enough – I need your creativity.

"So, Stan – how can I help?" Well, I'm glad you asked. Here's a list of things I could really use:

Stories – Every once in a while, I'll get a couple of new stories for our Fish Tales section. We've got some really great ones there, and I reread them to get fired up for the new season. But like anything, they get stale quickly. We can always use new ones. I know you're having the experiences – all you need to do is write them down!

Photos – We upgraded our Galeria del Pez last year to provide a better presentation but, like the stories, we're always looking for new photos. Fortunately, SCMO is blessed with some amazing anglers who are pretty good photogs as well. But we want to see what the rest of you can do!

Comments – Look, if you can't do anything else, just participate in our interactive features. Add your comments in the MarlinBlog. Record your released marlin using OGRRS. Post your Trip Report. If all else fails, tell someone else about SCMO and get them to participate!

We're blessed with some outstanding members, and I'm grateful for each of them. Each brings a lifetime of experience to SCMO, and I want everyone to benefit from it. But no one will if you don't participate!

OK, end of rant. Look for it again next year ... and look for another update Thursday!

June 15

This will have to be a very short report, because something unexpected has come up. However, since the "something" is leaving in a minute for a tuna trip, I knew you'd understand ...

This relatively early start for the offshore season has really snuck up on folks, catching them off guard. That would include your humble host, who had a whole stack of tasks to complete before the season began. I figured I had at least until after the Fourth of July. Shows what I know ...

As a result, the news is pretty thin. There just aren't a lot of boats out there yet, and the scary price of fuel is helping to keep the number down. My point? If you do head out this weekend, it's more important than ever that you take the time once you hit the beach to file a Trip Report.

A week ago, it was easy to tell you to head out to the Butterfly for bluefin tuna, and know that you were likely to run across spots of yellowfin tuna or albacore before you got there. The funky weather last weekend scrambled things, though, and now it's something of a crap shoot. The weather this weekend is starting off the same way - bright and sunny on the beach, gusty offshore - so I expect it to be like firing up the blender once again. To be honest, I haven't so much as looked at an SST chart yet, so I have no idea what the water temperature is doing. The best bet probably remains pulling your cedar plugs and stopping to look for yellowtail under the paddies.

While you keep your eyes peeled for marlin, swordfish, tuna and whatever this weekend, you might want to look for this guy, as well. It's called the SEA FIGHTER, and it's one of a series of experimental Navy ships that have been seen running around off SoCal. I saw it once late last season, and it went by at close to 50 knots. If you blink, you'll miss it!

Well, I'm off to the boat. Look for a new series of MarlinBlog musings starting Monday. Also look for my Trip Report - you know I'll be looking for yours!

June 12

Man ... I'm not ready to start this season. I'm not finished with my site upgrades, I'm not feeling very funny ...

What? We're on? OK!

Live, from Redondo Beach! It's the 2006 Edition of the Fishing News!!

Every year, I face the same dilemma. I try to time the start of the Fishing News coverage so it's as near as possible to the start of the marlin season without missing any essential information. Normally, I end up starting too soon, and have to spend a couple of weeks cracking jokes about all sorts of non-fishing related things. Now that we have the MarlinBlog, my rants and jokes have an alternative outlet, so it's a good thing that I nailed the start this year. Nailed it, you say? Damn right - we got the first report of a possible striped marlin strike over the weekend, and, oh yeah - two swordfish were caught!

Congrats for the seasons first broadbill go to angler Tony LeBlanc and the crew of Joe Barian's 6-pack charter BONGOS 3. They were working south of Pyramid Head Friday chasing yellowtail under the paddies when they spotted their second sword of the day. It gulped the mackeral on the first toss and was onboard an hour later. It weighed in at the BAC at 150-lbs.

That feat was topped Saturday by - who else - WILD BILL. Freshly returned from his team win in the WCBRT (more on that in a minute), Jim Kingsmill scored his swordfish near the San Clemente Basin Buoy. His was a bigger fish, topping out at 226-lbs. Well done to both crews!

Before these milestones passed ... ooh - that sounds painful ... we were already hearing enough good news to justify cranking up the FN for the new season. As is usual for this time of year, we've gotten scattered reports of marlin either seen or hooked. Normally, we attribute this to mako sharks and overanxious anglers. But at least one of the reports - of a marlin hooked on the 277 - sounds like the real deal. That, combined with mid-June landings for the swords, makes it sound like the season could come early. But does that mean it will last? Only time will tell.

The name of Jim Kingsmill came up in the first few lines of the FN this year, and that's hardly unusual. If we'd been running the reports over the winter, you'd have heard it there, too, since Jim was part of the winning BAD COMPANY crew in this year's inaugural World Championship Billfish Release Tournament. I really can't say enough good things about this event. For years, I've pushed, prodded and cajoled tournament organizers to develop a true big-money release event. When Chris Badsey and his "Committee" said in the wake of last year's Bisbee that they would try to be the ones, I was skeptical. With an over-the-top event name, very lofty goals and a damned short amount of time to make it happen, there just didn't seem to be any way it could be a successful world-class event.

Shows what I know. Twenty-four boats released an amazing 213 billfish over the three days of fishing, with big numbers coming for many of the sleds. Leading the way, to no one's real surprise, was the BAD COMPANY team of Anthony Hsieh, Pete Groesbeck, Jim Kingsmill and Steve Lassley. After the taxes were paid - via oversized check presented to the local officials - Team BC walked away with just under $200,000. Not bad for a first time event - not bad at all.

I enjoyed a lot more time away from the site during the offseason than I usually do. Winter is my recharge time, when I build up my strength and resolve for another year in the harness. Business kept me on the road a lot during the first few months of 2006, so I was unable to spend much time on site upgrades and the like.

I did find the time to add one new feature, though. If you are a long time reader of these reports, then you already have experience with my snarky sense of humor. It's never been enough to just tell you the fishing dope - I have to make it interesting, too. But here, I have to maintain some sense of ... decorum. I really wanted a way to just say what I wanted to say, and damn the consequences.

Fortunately, the constantly evolving medium that is the internet has presented me with just such an opportunity in the form of the weblog. Weblogs, or "blogs" as they are better known, started as a form of online personal diary but have evolved into a true form of communication - one that often rivals the more traditional news mediums. I figured I could combine the snark of the FN with the WTF of the "Stan's Take" forum and - voila' - the MarlinBlog is born. So far, I'm adding a couple of new entries every day, although I don't promise to always be that prolific. But there are so many things out there to poke fun at, it seems like and endless supply. Drop by, check it out and feel free to add your own comments.

Assuming the price of diesel fuel hasn't forced you to turn your boat into a boarding house, you'll probably be wanting to fish this weekend. There are yellowtail under most of the paddies, particularly off the Head and the 43, and they're catching some bluefin (up to 30 pounds) at the Butterfly. We'll have more on this when we talk places to fish for the weekend on Thursday.

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Note: These reports are copyright © 2006 by Southern California Marlin Online. They can be reproduced elsewhere provided they are not edited and credit is given to SCMO as the source.