1983-84  continued...

    Down here everything closed down for the winter. At Xmas time a lot of boats like to spend the holiday at Pyramid. One of these boats, Phil Hoffman's "SOJOURNER," was one. After the holiday they returned to San Diego dragging jigs as they went. Someplace between Pyramid and the 43 they got - a double Marlin hook-up! This set off a frenzy of everyone trying to get the last fish of the year (1983) and first fish of the year (1984). This they did and some 50 were caught in those waters the first 2 weeks of January. We were already tucked away in MDR and not ready to go chasing down there.

    But Daniel and I had the opportunity to go fishing with Ed Sweet on his "REEL SWEET." As fate would have it we got bit, Daniel ran the boat and Ed got the fish. This fish was caught on Jan. 14 and proved to be the last of the 1983-84 season. Or so we thought.

    On Tuesday, January 31st I got a call from Ron Costa who told me that one of the local boats, while rock-codding on the "43" had seen a group of "feeders." This was a bona fide report from a reliable source. What the hell! I called a long time regular from our albacoring, Bud Perkins, and he, Kenneth and I decided to give it a try. We left in the late afternoon, tried to make some bait in San Pedro Harbor (we failed, but I think I had one deceased Mackeral on board), and headed out at 8 knots in the direction of Pyramid. I mis-calculated thinking that the fish were still on the canyon from Pyramid to the "43." That's where we were at dawn and headed East for the "43." Nothing happened, but we arrived on the spot close to 0900. We trolled there for only a short time before the black and purple sable-fish clone got yanked from an outriggger. We let Bud take the rod, even though he had never caught a marlin. He and fished albies and tuna for many years, but never fought one of these. Kenneth made sure he didn't touch our drag setting (they are always afraid of getting spooled) and we managed to get that fish.  

    We trolled for another hour for naught, took off for the Balboa Angling Club in Newport Beach where Helen Smith weighed us - 193 pounds! - took the photo - and then back to MDR. What a day. A check of the records of all the club's will show that this has been the only Marlin caught in southland waters - in the month of February! And that was the end of the season.

    1984 brought us more of an El Nino year with rather spectacular fishing for many. Rather than sliding up past San Diego in a normal migration a great wad of fish came outside of Clemente's Northwest Harbor. They slid up to Catalina's East End where, for a couple of days, a lot of fish were taken, many of these on bait tight to the slide. They then moved rapidly up the back side of the Island and this brought some excellent fishing for a couple of days off the West End. This took place just before the (then) annual North-South tournament. By tournament time "they" found the fish further to the northwest in the deep water west of the "ridge" including the 17 fathom "Hidden Reef" area. In the tournament several boats had 5, 6 and even 7 fish for the day. As you might say - wide open!

    We had fished in the N-S tournament out of San Diego and not attempted to make the long run up there. Instead, we fished off Pyramid cove on San Clemente island and actually saw several fish in the area, but no takers.

    Therefore, we moved the boat back to Marina del Rey and scheduled a trip "out there." Harry Okuda drove up to MDR and Kenneth, Geoff, Harry and I set out for the deep water area. We saw perhaps one fish, but no excitement. But on the radio came a report that the fish were biting somewhat north of us in the drop-off area south of Smuggler's Cove on Santa Cruz Island. We promptly got bit, got one (Geoff), got bit again (Kenneth), and had a third bite, but Harry's fish didn't stick while we headed towards the Channel Islands Harbor.

    We weighed the fish at Cisco's Landing (Geoff's 125, Kenneth's 127), got a slip, called Carolyn to come pick up the six of us, returned to civilization, took Harry to MDR for his car, and headed home to ice down the fish. The next AM I took them to Henry at our local fish market for smoking.

    A few days later Harry returned - he, I and Carolyn returned to the harbor and fished with Harry releasing a fish just off Santa Cruz Island. Carolyn returned home and then Harry and I took the boat back to MDR - hooking a double  10 miles north of Santa Barbara Island - we took one and tagged and released the other.

    A few days later Carolyn, Daniel, Geoff and I returned to the "17" and got 2 more. Daniel's fish was tagged and released. 26 months later we were notified that the tag had been recovered by a Japanese long-liner off Mag Bay in Mexico. 26 months! Tagged fish do survive.

    This was followed by the Balboa Angling Club MABT (Master Anglers Billfish Tournament). We fished in it - Sanbo released one the day before the tournament - he and Geoff released fish during the tournament down below the "gap" (between Anacapa and Santa Cruz). There were lots of fish caught during the tournament and we were far out of the money.

This was in mid September and the fish then slowly faded away, presumably going west and then ???? However, when the Avalon tournament came along we felt there were still fish up there - see the report of the big winds  (and win).

    Carolyn has a world record for her 136 1/2 pound. Bigeye on 30 pound tackle, but it is not a family record. On Oct. 21st we (Carolyn, Melody, Daniel and I) fished off the East End of Catalina. We got bit on a marlin lure and I worked what proved to be a 137 1/2 pound Bigeye on 30. Sorry - no picture. What the hell - a tuna is a tuna is a tuna. But I do have the weigh slip signed by Rose Cadman.