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2005 Top Ten Private Anglers
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Every year Western Outdoors (the magazine version of WON) comes out with
lists of something, someone, anything, and, occasionally, everything.
The trouble with lists is that inevitably something, someone, or who
knows what gets left off. I suspect a prime motive is to promote
controversy and reader response because their opinions and choices do
not necessarily coincide with the rest of us. Therefore, if you haven't
discovered the latest edition ( August, 2005 ) you will be surprised
that you are now in touch with one of the "Top Ten Private Anglers" in
all of the Southland. Wow! To be in the company of Bill Kingsmill, Barry
Brightenburg and Greg Stotesbury is quite an honor. With my Chicago
political background I must seriously suspect that the ballot boxes were
stuffed. (Remember Richard Daly's slogan - "vote early and vote often.")
Actually, there was no vote. It would appear that the selection of these
tried and true, hard core individuals are a figment of Rich Holland's
fertile imagination. Just think how happy my Mother must be up there.
Yes, there will be an autograph signing session of the edition during
the Make-A-Wish Tuna Challenge Awards Banquet on Sunday, Sept. 25th. But to tell the truth, if I were Harry Okuda I would demand a recount. And Bobby Woodard, Sr. must be mumbling under his breath. But, such is life and next year maybe you, too, will get the "ink." So now to the matters at hand. If you are keeping up with the local fishing you will see that more and more marlin are being seen and hooked amongst the sport fleet as well as individual private yachts. Currently, there has been very little activity close to the shore and it looks like the fish are sliding in from the south-west. They are being seen off the East end of Catalina with the usual underwater spotter plane sightings. But tailers and a few biters (one taken off Church Rock) are showing. Down here they have regularly popped up in the albacore grounds - recently between the Airplane, Mushroom and Dumper. Looking at the Terrafin charts there seems to be a temp break leading up to the 43 and parts beyond, hopefully more to the East. Can the 289 and Ridge be far behind? And lots of GR8 B8 can still be found in the Shelter Island harbor. (I pulled in a dozen tonight in 45 minutes.) In the past few days the Albacore fishing out at the Dumper and even the Airplane has fizzled. Today, Alan Sheridan (Comanche) and Tom Shaver (Osprey) had a good bite a few miles below the 390. Mark Henwood on Top Hatteras got in there late (it was a mid afternoon bite) and got 5. He tells me that they were "toads" with one going "50" and a couple about "40." I don't know if that is eye ball or scale measuring. He tells me they lost at least 6 or so. This may mean that these larger fish that were described on one of the Sport boats further south a few days ago might possibly represent a body of these larger fish moving up while everyone was out running around the Dumper and Airplane. This week-end will tell a lot. Sorry, no reports from the K-D, but we are busy catching Mackeral and gearing up for a possible trip next Wednesday (to celebrate our return to the newly rebuilt docks on "D" dock of the Kona Kai Marina). And, yes, the raise in rates is coming right behind. So pay attention to Pete Gray and Bob Vanian for the latest week-end reports and maybe, just maybe, I'll have an "official" Wednesday Report for all of you "Less than Top Ten Private Boat Anglers." M |
