|
|
|
To many Southern Californians Cabo San Lucas is (that is, I mean
was) the mecca for sport fishermen (yes, I am a chauvinist). Year
in and year out would come the stories of the spectacular marlin fishing
to be had at "The Cape." And, of course, there was the East Cape (Rancho Buena Vista, Punta Colorada, et al). As noted above we did make several
trips to Rancho Buena Vista with varying results (as
pictured). But through the early years never went to Cabo.
But then there was a chance to make it to mecca. Bruce Kessler (and
Joan, nee Freeman) had their "ZOPILOTE" down there and Carolyn, Bob
Flamer, Al Epstein and I went down there to spend a week of fishing with
them. Those were the days of the old dusty soccer field, the Cabo air
strip handling the fleet of the DC-3, Bonanza and the other two-engine
plane. There was no marina or Hotel Glorioso. There was the fuel dock
next to the old cannery with the backing down and crossed lines tieing
you to the dock. Boats backed up to the sea wall where the Glorious is
now located and a truck (Victor?) backed down and pumped fresh(?) water
to the boats.
The day we arrived we first met "Doc" Ross who had been summoned to
stop a runaway generator on the "ZOPILOTE." That day we also met Kenny
Dickerson on the "EL TIGRE" who couldn't quite remember my name. His
mind told him there was an "M" on one end, a "Y" on the other, and an
"R" in the middle. He stammered for a moment and out came "M-M-Murray."
Bob and Al looked at one another: "Murray?" and they haven't stopped
since. "1,2 Murray!"
Another trip to Cabo was when Ed Sweet took his boat, "REEL SWEET," to the Cape with an old timer, Ed Holley, boat sitting and taking Carolyn and me out for some fishing. Ed didn't like using an outside mooring so we kept anchoring in various spots of the harbor. More and more we would also hear about the great fishing outside of Mag (i.e. Magdalena) Bay, but this area was not reachable from the Cape. In 1991 the late Jordy Weitzman decided to bring his boat to the Cape. By then, the marina had been built and slips were readily available. And so, the trip was set up with Geoff Halpern and I joining Jordy and Steve May, a member of the Los Angeles Billfish Club. Also along were Mark Henwood, Jordy's trusty boat MAVEN, and Russell Pond. The story of that trip is - just that - another story - for another time and place - and video, of course. But we caught a fair number of fish on the Ridge leading from Uncle Sam Bank to The Thetis Bank, stayed at Santa Maria, and arrived at the Cape. Along the way I slipped on the foredeck, twisted my right knee and tore up the medial meniscus. The diagnosis was obvious and as soon as we arrived I called home, scheduled surgery, and flew home earlier than scheduled with surgery immediately on my return. We took lots of pictures on all these trips, but, unfortunately, virtually everything is on video tapes. Somewhere in some hidden shoe box may be envelopes full of pictures and if I ever find them I'll end some pictures to this report. However, we do have one noteworthy picture for the end of the report. Having been exposed to the "mysteries" of making the trip - and having old tired engines on the boat, I re-powered the boat with new Caterpillar 3116 (300 hp) engines replacing the old Cummins 504s (205 hp). I put in a new microwave oven, a new upstanding refrigerator, and a freezer for the fly bridge. We made the 1st trip down in 1992 and again in 1995. The stories of those trips? - video tapes and perhaps another time. If I can figure out which details went with which trip, in the immortal words of our governor, the Terminator, "I'll be back." There was a trip to Mag Bay for Geoff, Kenneth and me with Kenny Cohen on his "WENDEBRA" and in 1998 we made the same trip on "KEN-DAN" for fishing there and return. Another video - another time But here is a nice picture. In 1995, with the boat at the Marina, Carolyn, Melody, Geoff and Marylee Halpern went down for a few days of fishing. One day out there, a little short of the Jaime Bank we found the fleet working tuna. We put out a slow trolled live bait with the trolling gears and shortly thereafter hooked a nice fish. Geoff pulled on it with 30 pd. line for over 5 hours. It finally succumbed (Geoff didn't), came up floating and we managed to boat it. That fish surely went over 200 pounds, perhaps not a record, but a darn good average. And the fillets? some of the best eating fish - ever. During the battle with Geoffrey huffing and puffing, grunting, groaning and moaning Marylee would wince at every sound. "Why does he want to suffer like that?" she would ask. Back at the Marina with everyone oohing and aahing at the sight of that magnificent fish, I pointed to the people and said: "That's why!" |
 |
