2003 Marlin Catch Reports

Wednesday 9/10 Report
Almost back to full speed - down to only 5 pills a day. Ahh, the patient side is getting back at me after all those years - as long as Bard-Parker doesn't get involved.
Harry Okuda, Geoff Halpern and I decided to give the carp another chance. We pulled a few mackeral out of the bait receiver, ran up to Crystal Pier to make some bait - didn't - and headed out from La Jolla in the general direction of the 181. Ugly water until about 12 miles out. Cleaned up some - lines in the water - stayed in the water up to the 312, down to the 181, down the ridge to the 182. Saw hundreds of those small black "tuna birds" near the 312, but, possibly time-of-day thing, saw nothing else the whole trip. I wanted to head back towards Oceanside, but was out-voted. Pulled the lines - ran to the 224 - back in the water - started chasing porpoise - 1 18 pd yft, 1 maybe 8 pd yt and several skippies. The water at the 302 ("kidney bank") was 72.3 and the cleanest, bluish water he had seen this summer (the gospel according to Okuda - don't ask me, I'm colorblind). We saw very few bait marks on the meter the entire trip.
On the radio sounded like there was scatterred action of all 3 down near the 371 and, apparently, the 390. Skippies everywhere. Vanian reports good fishing at the Mushroom.
The ocean was flat in the morning, glassed out at noon, wind picked up a little later and then laid down. 5-10 knots of wind in the pm and mostly out of the south in the AM. Temp was 69+ on the ridge.
Marlin? Carp? Stripers? Convict fish? None of them were in evidence today.
And yes, you can't wait to ask who Bard-Parker is. Any surgeon would tell you that that is the company that makes - scalpel blades. As in s-u-r-g-e-r-y! To be avoided if at all possible. going fishing tomorrow? this hasn't helped you, I'm sure.
Marty Morris

Wednesday 8/20 report
Here we go again, but not much to report;

Granted permission to go boating, but no pulling or heavy lifting I went along for the ride with Kenneth and Geoff Halpern. Not quite ready for the weather excesses or 40 pd. BFTs. So we decided to work the 302 area with reports of one Marlin bite there and one feeder sighting there yesterday as well as reports of lots of breaking tuna. First we hit Scripps Pier for next to nothing - actually one decent drop-back bait and two "minis."
On the way, covering the 182 and heading southest the amount of bait in the number and size of meatballs is extraordinary. The water is off color until we hit the 182 and outside the 302. Lots of breaking tuna all over the "kidney" bank, but all small and no biters. Never saw anything that resembled a marlin. Found one kelp paddy - loaded with YTs. Ken and Geoff caught about 30, releasing all but 5 that were in the 12-15 pd. range. I hooked a couple and gaffed a couple - but no lifting or pulling.
Ray Lussa's "Great Escape" traveled in much of the same area heading 6-8 miles west of the bank and experienced more of the same. They did manage to fly fish a couple of 'tails off the kelp.
Water looked good back there and temp approx. 70. Listened to the radio and heard nothing from up above, but lots of scattered catches of albies, YFT and BFT from the 425, 371, 390 areas. Didn't sound like any bonanzas, but fish here and there.
Sounds like it won't be long before we start hearing about BigEyes as well. The Tuna Challenge tournament should
be something awesome. 3peat??????
Marty Morris

8/6- Another Marlin was released on Wednesday by Lynn Jasper on the "WAIT-N-SEA" (caught on a Steve Elkins jig). ...- Marty Morris

Wednesday 8/6 Fish Report - Marty Morris
If the truth were known - I love Albacore (or Tuna) fishing. It is you against the fish. No backing down. No chasing the fish. Just stand up stroking. However, as of 8-6-03 - I'm tired of albacore fishing. The fuel bills, now the crappy weather - day after day - the freezer is full; and no time to do some canning. There are charts to dictate and lots of Tuna Challenge work to be done. I really didn't need today. However, three weeks ago I committed to take a friend, one of our Tuna Challenge Team members, for a chance at the all too often WFO fishing. WFO? Sure, like we got skunked a week and a half ago. But who wants to run 95 miles?
       And so, with those dreaded words ringing in our ears ("NorthWest Winds), we (Geoff Halpern, Harry Okuda, David Thomas and Ian Orr and, of course, y.t.) decided to give it a go. The fish were reported at the 295 - 60-65 miles away and that's not 95. For several days the fish were reported in that area with good catches for the sport fleet. But I tried to out-smart them. That is, they must be moving to the west and northwest. So I decided to start above the 220/220 work down to the bank and check it out. And then, we could work back east going down swell. We found nothing above the bank, and nothing at the bank. No fish, no birds,, no bait, etc. And directly to the East was THE fleet - just at and over the horizon. So we hit the downs well trail and closed in on the boats, all of whom seemed stopped.

       We found a temp break of 68.2 down to 66.2. In that band there was a narrower band of 66.5 to 66.8 and that's where the fish were. A single jig fish, a double jig fish. Geoff didn't like the Rapala and put out a cedar plug. Instant bite followed by the WFO we were looking for. Started at 7:30 and full limits by 0822. That's the way it is supposed to be - I think. The Weather? Pure slop. 15 knot winds (NW, of course), 4-6 ft swells, and, as the late Gary Jasper once said: "Once you get bit the ocean seems to flatten out." And so it seems.
       WE were at 64 miles, 180. So we pointed north and had constant jig bites with only one bait fish over the next 4 miles. Finally, at 60 miles we pulled them in and headed for the 302.

The 302? A report was heard that yesterday a boat returning from the outside saw a large group of "feeders" just outside of the 302. So we took some naps and arrived about 12:15. Out went the jigs and back to the business of trolling. Bear in mind we had accomplished nil with this act over the past three years so it was almost a new experience. They (Geoff and David) didn't tell me this til later, but they had seen what looked like a couple of "feeders" back in our wake. So the turned and ran over the spot. Suddenly, the starboard outrigger dipped and then that sound we hadn't heard in these 3 years - a screaming reel. Up came a splashing marlin and we went through the necessary acts of cranking in lines. You never forgot such things - kind of like riding a bicycle. It all comes back. I motioned to Harry to take the rod and oh so very reluctantly, he picked it up. David got some great videos (digital, of course) so the fish went ballistic. But 33 minutes later I got my hand on the leader, David planted the tag at the base of the dorsal, we extracted the hook (the lower of a chain gang), practiced resuscitation and sent the fish on his way. It wasn't very large - possibly 110. The lure? A black and purple Collector, of course. It's one of our favorites.

       Then "we" (David, Harry and Ian) attacked the albies practicing the science of fillet. And then it is to the Marlin Club where we were honored with the MC's "1st Release of the Year" flag - with champaign and photos, of course. Sorry to disappoint all those Northern critics, but the Club does have a !st Release of the Year Flag. And, hopefully, there will be many more. But - another confession - I do love smoked marlin on Wheat thins with Miracle Whip - never mayo.
       One of the 6-pak charter boats on our dock was in that same area (295) at dawn and their first bite? a marlin that stuck and was released. More and more of these creatures are being seen all through the albacore grounds. It looks like time to start looking for mackeral which, of course, are no where to be seen in our local waters. Start fishing for bait - and let the albacore go visit Morro Bay.
       One last question: have you sent in your entry for the Make-A-Wish Tuna Challenge 2003 tournemant? Dont' forget the 1sr 100 goodie bags.

Private Boaters	AMS	Fishermans	H&M	Seaforth	Islandia
976-BITE		Eric Nelson	FinnSeeker	Bites On
JD's Big Game	Blue Marlin Chronicles		Historical Landing Fish Reports		Hot Bite
Southern California Marlin On-line			Southern California Offshore Reports

First Marlin to be weighed in at the Marlin Club came in on the MIL-SO-MAR run by Captain Rich Hamilton. (Millie was not on board) The fish was landed by Troy Fitzgerald (non-member) on 7/28. The marlin weighed 129# caught on 50# test. Photos by Barbara Horner.