Red Rooster III arrived at H&M Landing February 28 after a 16-day Izorline trip with a fly back option. Andy Cates skippered the trip, which garnered four tuna over 200 pounds.

“We had nice days until the end of the trip,” said Cates, “when the wind came up. Most of our fishing was drifting, after we found ‘em on bird schools.”

Izorline rep Ernie Seko fished aboard, winning the jacket given by the boat for the biggest fish caught on the troll. In Ernie’s case, it was a 59.7-pound yellowfin that beat out Nick Montilepre’s 48-pound wahoo. Both fish took trolled Marauders.

The trip’s best fish was ineligible, as it proved to be a toughie, hooked by Jin S. Chang of Koreatown in Los Angeles. Jin said the 258.8-pound yellowfin bit a sardine on a 4/0 ringed Super Mutu hook tied to 130-pound Blackwater fluorocarbon and 130-pound Spectra on a Penn 50 reel and a Calstar Baby Boomer rod.

“It fought for about an hour and 45 minutes,” said Chang, and it went around the boat three times. Two other people helped me to land it.”
Chang stood in with the winners as honorable mention, and gave Bill Roecker a written report of the adventure, portions of which will follow this report.

Joe Cho of Fontana and Cosmos Sports of LAA Tackle Store won first place for a 245.6-pound tuna he bagged with a sardine on a 5/0 ringed Super Mutu hook. He said he used 130-pound Izorline fluorocarbon, 130-pound Izorline mono and 130-pound Izorline Spectra on a Penn 50 VSW reel and a Boomer Jr. rod.

Joe, a regular on fly back trips, said he brought the big tuna to gaff in about 30 minutes.

Mike Zakar of San Diego won second place for a 206.6-pounder that stayed up on the surface and fought him for about 20 minutes. Mike said he got it with a sardine on 130-pound Izorline fluorocarbon, 100-pound Izorline and 130-pound Izorline Spectra. He used a Penn 50 reel and a Boomer Jr. rod.

Isto Pollanen of San Diego won third place for a 202.1-pound tuna. He hooked it after a long soak on a sardine and a rig borrowed from the boat: 130-pound Izorline fluorocarbon and Spectra on an Accurate 80 reel and a Calstar 760 H rod.

Bill Wirth of Bonsall was awarded the Izorline Sportsman’s Trophy.

Joe Cho told Roecker that next year’s trip will run from February 11 to 27, and will be sponsored by Cosmos Sports of LA. It will be limited to 23 anglers. The first 16 to book with full payment will each receive a new Penn 50 VSW reel.

The following is extracted from Jin S. Chang’s account of the trip, which he provided at the dock:

“While my friend Joe was fishing, his line became entangled. A deckhand helped him untangle his line. But as the deckhand was handing back Joe’s rod, Joe’s hand slipped off and let go of it. As it fell into the ocean Joe’s quick hands grabbed the line. But since his reel was in freespool, Joe had to keep pulling until it reached the end of the reel. He was then able to get his rod back, after a lot of hard work and effort.

“Among the Korean community Joe is the leading long range angler. He rounds up anglers within the community to encourage us to go fishing. His skills are superior and his knowledge is vast. This was evidenced by the fact he won the jackpot.

“Here is a once in a blue moon story. Bong hooked a fish. As he put on his harness, his rod and reel went overboard. Bong’s lost fishing gear probably cost well over a thousand dollars. But there’s no crying in fishing, and the show must go on.

“About 20 minutes later, Bruce hooked something. He thought it was a fish. When he finally pulled his catch up, lo and behold, Bruce’s two-ounce weight was caught on Bong’s reel. Bruce not only caught Bong’s rig but also the fish that was still attached.

“Bruce, a former NFL player, got a two for one special. Bong was so happy to get his gear back he bought a round of drinks for all.”

Jin Chang’s story ended with a hearty thank you to the Red Rooster III, its helpful crew and skipper Andy Cates, “…for his tireless effort in making sure we had a good time and a great catch!”

Frank LoPreste’s Royal Polaris returned to Fisherman’s Landing February 25 after the annual 18-day Accurate trip. Chartermaster Jack Nilsen was aboard with 23 anglers, and provided rods and two-speed reels to anyone who wanted to use them.

“It was a fun fishing trip,” remarked LoPreste, who said they fished at the Hurricane Bank and the Clarion Buffer Zone. “The fishing was better at the Hurricane Bank,” noted Frank.


The best fish of the trip was a 239-pound yellowfin caught by San Diegan Kathy Rounds on a flying fish under the kite.

“It took an hour,” she said to dock reporter Bill Roecker. “This fish had a lot of heart, and he fought hard to the end.

“The best part was watching the take. It was spectacular, and we could see the big sickles.”

John Jeffers of Shelter Cove won first and third places for tuna of 183 and 165 pounds. He said the bigger fish came on a sardine pinned on a 6/0 ringed Super Mutu hook. He used 130-pound Seaguar fluorocarbon and 130-pound Line One Spectra on an Accurate 50 reel and a Calstar 7455 XH rod.

Dick Emerson of Roland Heights won second place for a 169.8-pounder. Most of the tuna appeared to be from 80 to 160 pounds, and limits were common.

Wahoo fishing was also very good. Two of the biggest skins came to Jeffers, who got a 49-pounder (that one apparently won the Rollo jackpot) on a red Raider jig, and to Bob Ramirez of Costa Mesa, who got a 48.8-pounder on a Hopkins jig.

“I got mine on the new Accurate 600 Narrow Extreme,” said Bob. “I had the high speed gear to hook ‘em and the low gear to keep ‘em coming through the sharks, which was important, because the sharks were bad. I really liked the reel because it helped me to hook ‘em and bring ‘em in quick.”

On the boat for the first time in nearly ten years was “Scooter” Paul Silverman of Windsor, CO, who told Roecker he had been getting cancer treatments, and had the disease in remission for about a year.

“Good evening folks,” wrote Red Rooster III skipper Andy Cates February 22. “We had another decent day today. Most of the action came in the afternoon and biggest fish caught today was 197. We had a lot of wind today and looks to be that way for the next couple of days. It wasn’t too bad, but annoying. We will report.”



Correction For December Rollo Jackpot

The following story was posted last December, when it was incorrectly reported that Pat Doyle had won the Rollo jackpot aboard Shogun for a trolled 52.8-pound wahoo. Trolled fish are ineligible. Here is the corrected version:

The Seeker 13-day trip to the Hurricane Bank aboard Shogun with skipper Norm Kagawa returned to Fisherman’s Landing December 10 with 25 anglers.

Skipper Kagawa said, “Fishing was very good, and we spent four and a half days at the bank. Most of our fish came on sardines. Some were caught on very large jigs, like the PL 68 and the TNT, during the dark. We got some on big baits like small tuna or skipjack.

“The kite worked well,” Kagawa continued, “and we got a few big wahoo as well. Pat Doyle won the Rollo jackpot for a 52.8-pound wahoo. This was one of our better trips to the bank.”

Doyle told dock reporter Bill Roecker he caught the wahoo on an iron jig, and gave the jackpot money to the crew.

Meanwhile, Shogun is nearly finished with her boat work, said skipper Kagawa, and will begin making her traditional three-day rock cod trips the first weekend of March.



Halibut Derby Put On Hold

(Press Release From Larry Brown)

Marina Del Rey Anglers announced the annual MDR Halibut Derby has been put on a one-year hiatus for 2010.  

"This is one of the most difficult decisions our board has ever made," said MDRA President Ken Raymond.  "After 35 years of successful MDR Halibut Derbies and months of painful discussion and soul searching we have decided to take this action." 
 


"We want make sure our MDR Halibut Derby is good for our thousands of loyal participants as well as our beloved halibut," added Josh Gerson, MDRA incoming president.

"Our first obligation is to the Santa Monica Bay, the marine environment, our local halibut fishery and the communities we serve.  We hope to be back in full force in 2011."


MDRA has hosted the MDR Halibut Derby for tens of thousands of anglers.  The money raised from the derbies has funded the club's well-known and respected MDRA Youth Fishing Program, its White Seabass Pens in Marina Del Rey and various other critical marine environmental and conservation programs.
 
Although the health and sustainability of the California halibut is good across the state, the club's board of directors is concerned about the local Santa Monica Bay halibut and the health of the Santa Monica Bay, including the Ballona Creek and associated wetlands.

“It was another sunny nice day here at Hurricane Bank,” said the report from Frank LoPreste’s Royal Polaris February 19.


“An absolutely beautiful sunrise and an amazing sunset. Fishing was best in the afternoon. We caught 15 Yellowfin tuna and 14 Wahoo. We also released quite a few 50 to 100-pound fish during the day. The largest fish of the day was caught by Kathy Rounds, and weighed 239 pounds.

“We are now headed for Cabo San Lucas where all of our passengers will be flying home.”

Royal Polaris is scheduled to arrive at Fisherman’s Landing February 25.



Excel Getting Maintenance

“Boat work continues here on the ‘BIG X,’ wrote skipper Justin Fleck February 21, “with lots of projects going on. First things first though. We had our annual Coast Guard inspection this week and I am glad to report that the Excel is in good shape and we passed with no problems. ABS also made a stop by this week to check the quality level of our steel hull and fuel tanks and they too were impressed. While we are in the boat yard, our focus is on painting the hull, the transom, the bottom paint, zincs, and the through- hull valves. All of these things need to be completed before we go back into the water. As long as we do not have too much rain in the forecast, we should have most of this done by the end of the week.”



Rooster Fights Tuna, Sharks

"Good evening folks,” wrote Red Rooster III skipper Andy Cates February 20. “We had a similar day here as yesterday. Good sign but a lot of moving around and no much biting. It looks like most of the fish are closer to the Island. Biggest fish today about 170 pounds. Sharks got some and made it a little tough. The weather came up this afternoon as well.”



In The Slop

“Not a whole lot to report today as we punch our way north in what so far has been a consistently unpleasant sea condition,” wrote Royal Star skipper Tim Ekstrom from his spray-drenched bridge February 21.

“I know I have already mentioned it, but if there is ever an occasion to emphasize the potential negatives in riding the boat home from Cabo, this is it. In fact, for a change of pace in the photo department today I will send a special series for all of you to enjoy. I would not characterize this weather as anything other than sloppy and uncomfortable, but it did make for a few decent photos from the bridge.

“Otherwise the trek continues with another full day of continuing joy in the forecast. Fortunately we got a good jump in the beginning so we are on schedule for our 0900 arrival at Fisherman's Landing on the 24th. With no fish to tangle with it should be a swift unloading then, not being the types to let the grass grow underfoot, we will proceed directly to Driscoll boatyard to haul out Royal Star for our annual hull inspection and maintenance.”

“In full contrast to yesterday again the ocean was completely different today,” wrote Royal Star captain Tim Ekstrom February 18, who reported fish erupting “...all along one side of the island…we pieced together two excellent, day-making drifts that significantly added to our total score of eighty two yellowfin tagged and released today. As the afternoon progressed into evening, the size average also increased with the majority of the fish landed easily entering the 120 to 150-pound category.

“A remarkable side note, to me anyway, is the performance of the Thai anglers using high grade spinning tackle to land these spirited 100 to150-pound class yellowfin tuna. By mentioning this I am far from attempting to begin a new trend, but I have to admit that I am fascinated by the success ratio on the big spinners that defies just about every idea of big yellowfin tuna fishing that west coast tuna fishermen entertain. With the Shimano "Stella" 2000 series reels loaded with one hundred thirty pound spectra and mono top shots, and short, beefy rods, time and again these incredibly capable fishermen made short work of yellowfin tuna in a size class that most southland anglers would hardly believe possible, or assign to the pure luck category.

“Over the past few days I have witnessed at least twenty five battles with yellowfin tuna over one hundred pounds on the spinning tackle that last an average of five to ten minutes.

“Today took the cake however as a couple of anglers threw down against yellowfin in the one hundred forty to one hundred fifty pound class using the spinners and again commanded the outcome dishing out straight punishment against their opponents that were landed in about ten to fifteen minutes. Amazing.

“I have to admit that I am really hoping for a few giants to latch on tomorrow as my skepticism has been soundly rebuked in every respect thus far. Now I really want to witness the outcome of a skirmish with a 200-pound class tuna on the spinning tackle. I know what my idea of the outcome is. But, like I said, thus far my notions about the capability of this tackle have been authoritatively proven wrong.

“On that note that is really the final missing element, if one wants to dig for something missing, that would launch this voyage into the category we hope all voyages attain. With the amount of time we have spent scouring this entire island obviously there are very few giants in the vicinity, but tomorrow may certainly surprise us as we have all seen just how profound the day-to-day conditions can change. The final day is now upon us. With that in mind at the very least we hope to keep the ball rolling and end this already successful voyage on a high note.

“Today's photos feature the action at the rail that entered the hot and heavy category on a few occasions. Also, in support of today's theme, the spinning rods are seen in action alongside traditional, west coast style tuna gear. What a contrast.”



Nice Day, Big Fish

“We had another nice day today,” wrote Red Rooster III skipper Andy Cates February 18, “with great fishing on 80 to 120-pound fish. There were more fish in the mid-100’s today and two fish over 200 pounds caught: a 220 and a 256-pounder. Those were the two biggest fish of the day. The weather is still nice and we are looking forward to another day tomorrow.”



Releasing Starts Next

“It was another great day of weather and a good day of fishing,” said the account from the Royal Polaris February 18.

“We kept 11 Wahoo and 22 Yellowfin tuna. We released approximately 15 fish from 80 to 130 pounds. The heart-breaker of the day came to Dr. Peter Douglas, who lost an estimated 250 to 275-pound Yellowfin tuna at color.

“Winner of the Accurate BX2-600 was Forrest 'Gump' Bell, with a 140-pound Yellowfin tuna caught on a sardine. We will start tomorrow morning with all fish under 120 pounds being released and see how the day progresses. Enjoy the photos.”



New Look For Landings

Construction is proceeding for the new buildings at Fisherman’s Landing and H&M Landing. Framework for Fisherman’s seems to be mostly up at this point, along with exterior walls and some of the new roof.

Pt. Loma Sportfishing is changing, too, with scaffolding up to bring along a change of appearance, and new roofing is being added.

H&M’s building seems to be getting its interior. The windows have been installed. These photos were taken February 16, so they are already somewhat behind the times, in terms of the present state of construction.


The new landing buildings will be greatly appreciated by those who work there, and by anglers hoping to use them for the upcoming albacore and yellowtail season.

“It was another day of beautiful weather and a good day of fishing,” noted the report from frank LoPreste’s Royal Polaris February 17. We caught 38 yellowfin tuna and 13 wahoo. The largest fish was caught by Walt Howard, and weighed 197 pounds. It also bit a sardine. Walt won a Boss Accurate reel for his efforts.

"The next-largest fish was caught on a sardine by Jonathon Jeffers. It was a 169-pounder. There were a few a 175 pounds, caught on the kite. Larry Eilbot lost an estimated 250-pounder after a long battle.

“Unfortunately there were at least 5 anglers who never got a bite today. We hope there luck changes tomorrow.”



Rooster’s Evening Report

Andy Cates has Red Rooster III fishing down south. Here’s his report from February 16:

“Good evening folks. Our first day we found some better size fish and struggled most of the day trying to get bite with fish boiling around the boat. We had what looked to be three chances at big tuna and managed one fish 241 pounds. With the sign and hopes of hooking more we gave it the whole day and picked at fish from 100 to 150 pounds. Big numbers were not had but everyone had a chance. Tomorrow we are going to be on the hunt for more action and hoping it comes our way.”



Tag Trip Going Great Guns

“Just what the doctor ordered today,” wrote Royal Star skipper Tim Ekstrom February 16, “with consistent action on 90 to 100-pound yellowfin tuna keeping anglers engaged and motivated from just after daylight through just after dark. As fortuitous is the reprieve granted by the local "grinners" (sharks) that made their presence known, but only occasionally taxed our efforts. Best of all, and likely the key to our success on the outside, are flat calm seas and a variable, gentle breeze that made for heavenly fishing conditions, perfect temperatures throughout the day, and a festive atmosphere all around. Standout yellowfin of the day were in the 150-pound class though we did have at least one opportunity at a tuna in the "cow" category that we could not make good on. No one is complaining about steady action on one hundred pound class tuna however. All anglers are at the rail, fully engaged in the effort, and ecstatic to be pulling for all they are worth on these spirited opponents.

“So, with 99 of these beauties captured, tagged, and released in the name of science today, we are highly motivated by the potential for more tomorrow and beyond. We have no plans to relocate, as this island presently offers everything an angler could hope for and then some; the some referring to giant yellowfin that I am certain are lurking around here somewhere.

“For our day's photo I pulled a shot from a few days back featuring angler Somkit Anukulauthaiwong doing some business at Roca Partida. Demonstrating the perfect form all the seven anglers from Thailand are presenting, Somkit, or 'Jew,' as we know him, put his skill to good use today on numerous 100-pound class yellowfin tuna. Look for more reports of good fishing to follow.”



An Open Letter To The Sport Fishing Community

(February 4, 2010)

To our fishing colleagues:

By now, you have likely heard that a new partnership between Frank Lo Preste, Sean Sebring, Tim Ekstrom and Randy Toussaint has formed to bring additional fish processing capacity to the San Diego Sport Fishing community. The new venue, "Fisherman's Processing,” will feature full filleting and smoking services, will be available to all returning long range and multi day vessels, and includes dock side service for private and charter fishing vessels. Sean Sebring will be the managing partner with oversight and assistance from Frank, Tim, and Randy.

By offering this new fish processing option to anglers, it is our belief that the overall service for returning anglers will significantly improve. Shorter wait durations for same day customers, a state of the art facility conveniently located in Liberty Station, 1.2 miles from the sport fishing landings, and expert administration from individuals who have invested their lives in the San Diego sport fishing industry will deliver a professional experience that customers expect. We believe that all San Diego sport fishing customers, and the vessels that carry them, will benefit from the addition of "Fisherman's Processing.”

As always, rumors tend to surround such introductions so please feel free to reach out to anyone of us with questions or concerns. We will be working alongside Five Star Fish Processing, and Sportsman's Seafood fairly competing for business. No abuse of influence or unscrupulous arrangements will be made to the advantage of "Fisherman's Processing". We will however market every advantage, and utilize our experience in San Diego sport fishing to encourage anglers to select Fisherman's Processing for their filleting and smoking services. To this effect we ask for your support, as we are confident hat this new service will compliment your businesses as a professional extension of the customer's overall sport fishing experience.

Construction of the new facility began Friday, January 29th and is expected to continue until April 15th - May 1st.  2010. Our intention is to be fully operational in advance of the 2010 summer season. We are tentatively planning an open house sometime in April to introduce anglers and colleagues to the new facility. In the meantime we are happy to answer any and all inquiries. Please feel free to contact Frank, Sean, Randy, or Tim by phone or around the waterfront. We are very enthusiastic about this new venture and the significant improvement this represents for the San Diego sport fishing community.

After a good day of wahoo fishing that also produced a few tuna, Royal Star skipper Tim Ekstrom made a move to a different island in the Revillagigedos archipelago. There he found willing biters and plenty of work for the scientists who are tagging and releasing the fish. Ekstrom posted this report February 15:

“Arriving at a new island this morning, we got off to a quick start with a handful of 70- pound yellowfin that were implanted with archival tags. After full daylight the life dissipated and we went into search mode. By mid morning we found another area and enjoyed good action on school size tuna with a few wahoo in the mix. After lunch we searched for some larger models. We found them and had excellent fishing on 70 to 120-pound fish for the rest of the afternoon. We are anchored up for the night and will be here in the morning looking forward to more good fishing.

“Today's photo is of accomplished Thai angler Boi with a 100-pound model.”



Rooster’s Close To Grounds

Andy Cates has the Red Rooster III out on a 16-day Izorline trip. His first report indicated prospects for good weather, and he said he liked the look of his load of bait.

His second report was posted February 15:

“Good morning folks. We will start fishing tomorrow and everyone is more than ready for that to begin. The weather is great and looks to stay for a little while. Tomorrow we will have something to report.”



"The Beat Goes On!"

"It is so amazingly beautiful on the ocean right now," read the Royal Polaris report February 15. "The sunrises are spectacular and the sunsets are filled with so many colors. Our weather consists of eight to ten knots of breeze, sunshine and flat seas. Our fishing today was pretty descent. We scratched nicely at the wahoo and caught 19 yellowfin tuna. The tuna actually started to bite well in the afternoon when we had to quite fishing or release fish.


"We are filled in the two wells and have emptied the bait out of our starboard and we are now chilling the water for RSW. We have three to four days of fishing left, depending on where we finish our trip. Enjoy the photos and wish us luck."



Polaris Supreme Newsletter

“Hey Anglers and Friends!

“Hope this New Year is starting off great for you and yours. It’s all going good over here with the family and crew.  This year we decided to do a couple of mailers. First will be this quickie one.  And then our regular color brochure will be out at the end of April or so. On our web site, we will also do a monthly update to keep you informed as to what is happening on the water, in the maintenance yard, and at the dock. 

“We are excited to be putting in new custom made windows in both the galley and wheelhouse.  And of course that will mean new painting. Fishing News, like our last trip with the George Davis charter.  And Noteworthy Stuff, like a sport boat has already caught the first three albacore this year in early January. El Nino Updates!  There is one. I’m still waiting to see how long it will continue.  Update on Guadalupe Permits. No resolution to the closure at this time. And we will address anything else you might have questions about. Just email Susan with your question and we will do our best to respond on the Polaris Supreme web site.

“The main reason we wanted to do a quickie mailer this year is so you will have some dates to think about before the upcoming Fred Hall Show in Long Beach on March 3-7.  Come by and see us. This year it will be myself, Captain Tommy, Captain Drew, and Captain Rich. Captain Dave Mack won’t be here this year. He is on to a new adventure running the motor yacht Lady J. While we will miss him, we are all very happy for him and hope he has a successful yachting career. 

“Thanks to all of you who supported us last season through a tough economy.  Your good attitudes and thoughtfulness make our jobs so much more exciting, fun and gratifying when we see the smiles on your face with the great catches you had. We can’t wait to have you on board again, or perhaps for your first time. Give us a call to make your reservation or if you have any questions or concerns.”



Solvent Tanker Aground At Clipperton

Although San Diego sportboats haven’t fished there in a couple of years, Clipperton Atoll has produced some excellent yellowfin catches in the past. The following is a Pacific Islands Report (posted on Bloodydecks.com)

(Original Link)

Pacific Islands Development Program/East-West Center

With Support From Center for Pacific Islands Studies/University of Hawai’i

CHEMICAL TANKER RUNS AGROUND ON CLIPPERTON
No leaks detected, crew safe

PAPEÉTE, Tahiti (Tahitipresse, Feb. 11, 2010) - The Maltese chemical tanker "Sichem Osprey" ran aground on the uninhabited tiny atoll of Clipperton, the French High Commissioner's reported in Papeete, Tahiti.

The ship's British agent alerted the MRCC (Maritime Rescue Coordination Center) Papeete Wednesday. The 170 meters-long ship was going from the Panama Canal to South Korea. The tanker contains xylene but there is reportedly no links (sic) on the hull. The crew of 19 is safe.

French authorities have asked the ship's owner to tow the "Sichem Osprey" in the next 48 hours. A French Navy ship should also soon leave Papeete and go to Clipperton. Clipperton Island is a French possession with an economic ocean zone of 425,000 square kilometers (164,093 square miles) that is rich in tuna.

It is located above the equator 1,120 km (700 miles) southwest of Acapulco, Mexico, and 2,623 km (1,630 miles) south-southeast of San Diego, Calif.

It is a circular coral atoll, the only atoll in the East Pacific, spread over six square km (2.3 sq. miles). There is no pass through the coral reef into the lagoon. The only structure on the atoll is the ruins of a 19th Century lighthouse. The High Commissioner in Papeete is responsible for Clipperton, although the island is located than 6,000 kilometers (3,728 miles) northeast of Tahiti.

Tahitipresse: 
Copyright © 2010 Tahitipresse. All Rights Reserved

Sam Patella docked American Angler at Pr. Loma Sportfishing February 16 after the 14 ½ day Ken’s Custom Reels trip with 18 anglers aboard, including chartermaster Ken Corwin.

“We had tough conditions,” said Ken, "but everyone had a great time.”

Jackpot winner Ron Kaufman of San Diego agreed.

“We fished at the Hurricane Bank, off Clarion and on the southern banks,” he said. “The sharks were real bad on the outside. It was hard to get a tuna up sometimes. But we enjoyed the fishing, and it was a nice group of people.”

Kaufman had a cow, a 212-pound yellowfin tuna for his win. He said he got it with a sardine on a Mustad 6/0 ringed Hoodlum hook, tied to 100-pound Blackwater fluorocarbon and 130-pound Blackwater Spectra. He used a Penn 30 reel modified by Baker, Cofe and Sheets, and a Super Seeker 2 x 4 rod.

“The stick was a killer on the rail,” he said, adding that the fish fought for 20 minutes.

“He stayed outside, mostly. He came up on the portside bow. “

John Metcalf of Danville won second place for a 191-pound tuna. Dale Pruett of Oceanside won third place for a 143-pounder, noting he got the fish with a “small” Penn 12 W reel modified by Baker and Sheets.

American Angler now goes in for boatwork, and will resume fishing May 15.



“Withdrawing From The Bank”

"We started fishing today at 11:30 hours,” said the report from Royal Polaris February 15, “in beautiful gorgeous weather. We had a very fun day with decent Wahoo fishing. We also landed 24 Yellowfin tuna from 115 to 185 pounds. Most fish were in the 120 to 140-pound bracket.

“We had good sardine fishing and we also scratched some fish on the kite. We had to work at it until 2230 hours, but we picked up 65 flyers. We will have to see if they help us tomorrow.

“The crew and all the passengers want to thank Rae and Nancy for all the great desserts prepared for this trip. Frank and Jack want to thank Katie and Kristin for the great Valentine cards. See you at the dock.”



Supports Insurance

“Hi Bill,
 Noted your brief piece re medical evacuation insurance.
It is also available from Medic Alert along with their other services. 
It’s a good idea for folks like myself with medical issues and/or unusual medication requirements. 
Cheers to you for all of your great reporting. 
See you at the docks in July and November if not before.”
 Don in Sunny Sylmar (by email February 15, 2010)

Intrepid docked at Pt. Loma Sportfishing February 14 (Valentine’s Day) after a 15-day trip with 16 anglers aboard. Kevin Osborne skippered the adventure and chartermaster Steve Volkers of the Rod Rack was also aboard.

“Some of the weather we hit was sloppy,” said Volkers. “We fished on The Ridge, up inside a little, and on the southern banks. We scratched a bit, for lots of 60 to 100-pounders and some from 100 to 200 pounds.”


There were two couples aboard: Bud and Marilyn Ruschhaupt of Fresno, and John Whitley and Valene Garrison, and they scored very well. Bud and John made it into the jackpot, and the gals each got more than one good tuna.

Valene had a story to go with her best tuna, one she hooked on 80-pound gear.

“It was harder than childbirth,” she remarked. “It was the hardest thing I’ve ever done. I fought the fish for three hours. He took me around the boat five times. He weighed 180 pounds."

Marilyn’s fish was smaller, but her story was also compelling.

“My knee replacement fell apart,” she remembered. “I had to fight my fish on one leg.”

Bud Ruschhaupt of Fresno won first place for a 218-pound tuna. He fought it for 50 minutes, until it came up in the port corner. He said it bit on the kite on a squid. He used the boat’s kite rig: a 10/0 Mustad 7691 hook and a Mustad 16/0 circle hook, tied to 130-pound Line One Spectra on an Avet 50 reel and a Super Seeker 6463 XXXXH rod.

John Whitley of San Jose won second place for a 210.4-pound tuna that bit a sardine on a 6/0 ringed Super Mutu hook. He used 130-pound Blackwater fluorocarbon and 130-pound Izorline Spectra on an Avet 50 reel and a Super Seeker 2 x 4 rod, to beat th4e fish in a half-hour.

Art Green, Newport CPA, won third place for a 202.2-pound yellowfin he caught with the kite and “double trouble” sardines. He said he used 130-pound Izorline and 130-pound Izorline Spectra on a Tiagra 50 reel and a Super Seeker 6463 XXXXH rod.

“It was a pick bite,” noted skipper Osborne. "We had 51 tuna on our best day and 43 the next.”

“Our weather today was perfect,” said Frank LoPreste aboard his Royal Polaris February 13.

“We had a six to eight-knot breeze, sunshine and no swell. Fishing continues to consist of a nice scratch on the Yellowfin tuna. We caught 33 fish today from 90 to 165 pounds. Dick Emerson won a new Accurate reel with a 145 pound fish on the sardine and Dave Cavaness got his first ever kite fish at 165 pounds. We did lose a few fish to the sharks today. At times they have been pretty aggressive. We also continue to have a slow steady pick on the Wahoo. Enjoy the photos and we will report again tomorrow.

“P.S. The crew of the Royal Polaris wishes you all a Happy Valentine Day.”



Anywhere Insurance

Some years ago Accurate reels founder Jack Nilsen (who’s fishing now aboard the Royal Polaris) told me his wife had bought him an insurance plan that would cover him anywhere in the world. If he was injured, he said, the company would extract him by air from wherever he was hurt and get him to proper medical care.

I didn’t think much about it, since I assumed the cost would be far beyond anything most anglers could afford. After reading Don Causey’s account in the latest issue of the International Angler, the official news organ of the IGFA, I see I made a wrong assumption.

Causey didn’t have the insurance, and when he fell from a broken tree stand some 35 feet to the ground on an African safari, he broke his back, which he said left him unable then to stand or sit up. After some long painful days, he succeeded in getting medical air transportation out of Cameroon.

“In the end,” he wrote, “I had to come up with $124,000 to pay for this service.”

Causey also noted that if he had a policy from Global Rescue (at a cost of $119 a week or $329 a year) he could have bought a medical membership “…that would have performed the entire evacuation from forest floor to the home hospital of my choice at no additional cost.”

I know many anglers who might benefit in a big way from such an insurance plan. I’m not advocating for any particular company, but this one might well be worth looking into.

If you’d like to see the whole story Causey wrote, it’s in the January-February issue of International Angler.

Tag Trip Is Fishing

Royal Star is on a tagging trip to the Revillagigedos. Here’s a report from skipper Brian Sims about the first afternoon of fishing. None of the fish caught are brought home in the holds; everything’s released, with an appropriate tag, allowing for important data to be obtained later.


“We traveled down throughout the morning to our first fishing destination in breezy weather. The guys finished all of the rigging in preparation for our arrival after lunch. Upon arrival we tagged a few small tuna while getting things figured out. By mid afternoon we were enjoying good action on 40 to 110-pound Yellowfin Tuna. Everything went very smoothly with two to four fish going for the remainder of the day.

“The first picture of the day shows three of our new Thai friends 'bendo' on butterfly jigs. The second is of Greg De Selice with a 105-pound tuna.”



On Her Way Home

American Angler has finished her ongoing fishing trip and is heading for the barn. Here’s her latest report, posted by skipper Sam Patella February 13:

We ended up on the beach the last couple of days to finish up the trip and things aren't what they used to be. Again we did the whole Lower Banks tour, each day we were there to only find some 50 to 60-pound Tuna for the effort. We are now on our way up the line in nice traveling weather and the forecast looks to be in our favor, and we like that. I'll post the ETA in a couple of days for all the family folk; until then...”

The warm water conditions that have kept good fishing for giant yellowfin tuna going far longer than usual on the southern banks have been felt all the way up the Pacific coast. It could mean an early albacore season this spring. Encounters with longfin have been reported in January and February.

Heading south on a 16-day trip, second skipper Bruce Smith reported the catch of albacore on the boat’s second day of travel.


“We left yesterday on the annual January 16-day and par for the course on the second day out of San Diego (January 3) we came up with the first albacore of the year. Mr. Dave Hensley and the infamous 'beer' Bob Dosek were the persistent anglers that had their trolling rigs in the water when we went by the willing tunas.”

When Shogun returned to San Diego January 18, owner-skipper Norm Kagawa told dock reporter Bill Roecker that there were four albacore caught that day on the way south, all on the troll and all weighing 18 pounds.

Now a second encounter has been reported on 976 TUNA. Skipper Terry Clayton of the Sea Adventure II was commercial fishing for blackgill cod when he saw jumping albies pass by alongside the boat just last week. He described them as 15-pound albacore.

When a tuna jumped out of the water, Clayton said he could see its long pectoral fins, its “wings,” perfectly.

Such sightings and catches are unusual but not unheard of. Commercial skippers fishing west of San Clemente Island used to see albacore during the winter season. This latest sighting was said to be only 50 miles from San Diego. If the water remains warm and the fish stay near, albacore season could begin in April or May, as it has sometimes done in the past.

Heading North To Fish

“It’s a long way to the 17th Parallel,” observed the report from skipper Sam Patella aboard American Angler February 10.

“We have made the Full Tour down here to the Southern Zone and now it's time to gain some Latitude. The fishing has been fair with a few bigger ones and a mix of others and we are running up to spend the last part of our trip on the beach.

“The photo of the day is "Rain on the windows.” We have been in this Rain Cloud for over 200 miles for the last two days.

“As you can see, it is nice weather to travel in and we will be on the grounds day after tomorrow.”

American Angler is due back in San Diego February 16.



Travel Time’s Over

Frank LoPreste has his Royal Polaris fishing far to the south on a long winter Accurate trip, with chartermaster Jack Nilsen aboard.

“We arrived at our destination in the early morning,” he reported February 11.


“Weather was a bit breezy throughout the day, but laid down nicely about 16:00 hours.

“We managed to pick away at the Wahoo and Yellowfin tuna, mainly on the sardines. Our largest Yellowfin was about 160 pounds, caught by Jonathan Jeffers. Gail Lynch won a beautiful pair of Accurate pliers for landing the first fish in the morning over 100 pounds.”



Fishing Valentines

“Hi Bill,
 Thanks for the nice write-up!  Would you be able to send me the full sized photo file of Floyd and me to my email?
 Thanks,”
Jan Abbott (via e-mail February 8, 2010)

This shot was nice enough to put it up for Valentine’s day, so here it is.

“Well gang,” reported American Angler skipper Sam Patella on Super Bowl Sunday, February 7, “we have been doing some looking on this trip, but you know how we roll, don't stop until you find fish. We have had good scratch fishing on 80 to 100-pound-plus fish with a few bigger, which will at least settle the jackpots for the time being.

“We still have a few more days to fish and all the gang is doing well, everybody is healthy and for the most part we have had good weather.

“I'll try to keep y'all up to date so you can call Lori and book your trip of a lifetime.”



On Her Way Down

“We departed at 08:30 hours on the Accurate reels charter with 22 anglers and Jack Nielsen as our charter master,” noted the Royal Polaris report for February 7. "We have a beautiful load of bait and are presently headed south. Our weather consists of 15 to 18 knots of breeze out of the west.

“Our excellent group of passengers pretty much took it easy today, with most taking naps and then getting up to watch the Super Bowl. Our galley crew prepared lots of goodies for our group to pick from, followed by an excellent dinner after the game. We will keep reporting daily throughout the trip.”



Isla Ildefonso Yellowtail

WON saltwater editor Brandon Hayward is just back from a trip to Loreto. He hit it just right, and wasn’t bugged by the north wind that can make fishing in the Cortez tough during winter months.

“The yellows were an honest 38 to 30 pounds for the most part,” he told Bill Roecker. “I had a good yellowtail eaten by a mako. That’s a lot less common down here than it is up north.


“We fished at Isla Ildefonso, about 40 miles north of Loreto and about three miles off the beach. The water was 66 degrees and a green yellowtail color. We got most of the fish on Salas 6X Jr. jigs in scrambled eggs finish.”

For more details about Brandon’s Baja trip, make sure to check out his blog at Western Outdoor News.

Skipper Roy Rose tied up Frank LoPreste’s Royal Polaris at Fisherman’s Landing on a rainy Saturday morning February 6. Chartermaster Jerry Brown of Line One and 16 other anglers were aboard for the annual 18-day trip, as were a brace of cows, tuna over 200 pounds.

Weather and sharks made fishing difficult at times, said Brown, making for an unusual trip.

Skipper Rose weighed the best fish on the dock, on Fisherman’s certified scales. Steve George of Ventura won first place, for a 238.6-pound yellowfin he caught on the kite. He said the fish was eligible because everyone had a full turn on the kite.

George said he used the “double trouble” sardine rig, with 7/0 ringed Super Mutu hooks on 130-pound Momoi line and 130-pound Line One fluorocarbon. He fished with a Penn 80 N reel modified by Baker and Sheets, and a Calstar BTG 6460 XXH rod.

“I got him in 45 minutes,” noted George. “He came up on the bow.”

Royal Polaris regular Joe Amagrande of Monrovia won second place for a 189.6-pound tuna. Art Yoshida of Las Vegas was right behind Joe with his third-place 189-pounder.



Conditions “Still Beautiful Down There”

Excel was next to dock at Fisherman’s Landing February 6. Justin Fleck brought the boat home with ten cows, caught by 23 anglers on the 15-day trip.

Asked about the conditions on the lower banks, Fleck observed, “It’s still beautiful down there. The water’s holding up at 74 degrees. The guys who put their time in at the rail did well.

“On the way home,” Fleck continued, “we had good yellowtail fishing on The Ridge. They were biting on yoyo jigs and the dropper loop with mackerel.

“One more thing that’s kind of new,” added Justin, “is that we had some good chunking down there on the banks.”

Vince Otani of Port Hueneme won first place with a sardine-caught tuna, and also got a 222-pound cow on a chunk.

Otani’s big fish weighed 243.4 pounds. He said it bit a sardine on an 8/0 Eagle Claw hook tied to 130-pound Yo-Zuri fluorocarbon, 100-pound Big Game line and 130-pound Line One Spectra on a Penn 50 reel and a Calstar 6460 XXH rod.

The fish behaved oddly, noted Vince. “He stayed on top the whole time. He never sounded. He came up in the starboard corner after an hour.”

“Big Al” Scow of Rancho Palos Verdes won second place for a 212.8-pound tuna. Al said it came on the kite, on a double sardine rig.

“He pulled hard for an hour and 20 minutes,” remarked Al. “He was a daytime fish.”

Al used 130-pound Seaguar fluorocarbon, a Basil wind-on leader, and 130-pound Line One Spectra on a Penn 70 VSW reel and a Baja Boomer rod.

Bill Sands of Valley Center won third place for a 208-pound tuna, and also got a 203-pounder. He said he got his winner with a sardine on a ringed Super Mutu hook tied to 100-pound Blackwater fluorocarbon and 130-pound Line One Spectra. He fished with a Penn 50 W reel modified by Ken’s Custom Reels in Oceanside, and a Calstar Baby Boomer rod.

Bob “Bubbles” Maugh of Apple Valley took an hour and a half to land a feisty 232-pound tuna. It was non-eligible because he thought it was a shark and passed it off. He said he fished with a sardine on an 8/0 Eagle Claw hook. He used 100-pound Seaguar fluorocarbon on 130-poundSpectra, an Avet 50 reel and a Calstar GG 6455 XXH rod.

Curt Wiesenhutter of Cour d’ Alene, ID caught a 200.5-pounder. Curt remains the IGFA world record holder for yellowfin tuna, for his 388-pound giant caught back in 1977 at San Benedicto Island aboard Royal Polaris.

Wiesenhutter said he got this one on a sardine and an 8/0 Eagle Claw hook. He used 100-pound Blackwater fluorocarbon and 130-pound Line One Spectra on a Sheets-treated Penn 50 reel and a Calstar 655 XXH rod.

Al Merrick got a 205-pound yellowfin tuna. Augie Roberts had a 201-pounder.



Couple Scores Big: She’s “Torqued”

Randy Toussaint docked his Royal Star at Fisherman’s Landing February 6, after the 15-day Braid trip with chartermaster Dennis Braid of Braid Products. Skipper Toussaint noted that Braid handed off some good fish, including one to young angler Brandon Zimmerman. That fish weighed in at 222 pounds on the deck. There were 15 cows aboard.

A pair of 251-pound yellowfin won first and second places for Floyd and Jan Abbott of Hobbs, NM, a couple who are regulars on the boat.


“I finally tied her!” said Floyd to dock reporter Bill Roecker.

“We got identical fish,” remarked his wife Jan.

Floyd said his tuna bit on a sardine and a 9/0 Eagle Claw circle hook. He used 100-pound Blackwater fluorocarbon and 130-pound Spectra on a Penn 50 SW reel and a Calstar 760 H rod.

“It took 45 minutes,” added Floyd. “At first, he acted dead. But he was plenty tough, and he took me around the boat twice, before he came up on the port stern.”

Jan Abbott said she fished a sardine on a 9/0 Eagle Claw hook tied to 100-pound Izorline monofilament and 130-pound Izor Spectra. She used an Avet 50 reel modified by Cal Sheets and a Calstar 760 H rod.

“He was a very quirky fish,” remembered Jan. “I was torqued to a pretzel in the corner.”

She also had a 205-pounder.

Marius Coetzee of Klerksdorp, South Africa won third place for a 232-pounder. He said he fishes Braid products at home and this was his first cow.

“I got him in 45 minutes,” he remarked. “My best fish before was a 190-pounder.”

Marius fished a sardine on an 8/0 Eagle Claw hook tied to 120-pound Ande fluorocarbon and 130-pound Power Pro Spectra. He said he used a Penn 70 VS reel and a Calstar 6455 XXXH rod.

Bruce Lozekar of Homer, AK got an ineligible 295-pounder and a 216-pound yellowfin. He got the big one on a sardine and a 9/0 Eagle Claw hook. He said he used 100-popund Izorline and 100-pound Power Pro Spectra on a Penn 50 S reel and a Calstar 7460 H rod.

“It took an hour,” said Bruce. “He came up tail wrapped in the starboard corner. These are my two best fish; my previous best was a 156-pounder, also on the Royal Star.”

Jerry Nguyen of Glendale had a brace that weighed 228 and 217 pounds. The big one came on a sardine, he said, on an 8/0 Mustad hook. He fished with 130-pound Blackwater fluorocarbon and 130-pound Izor Spectra on a Sheets-treated Accurate 30 reel and a Calstar 7460 H rod wrapped by Bob Sands Tackle.

Brandon Zimmerman of Scotts Valley is 17, but he got two cows on the trip. One was a 222-pound tuna handed him by Dennis Braid. The other was a 212-pounder he bagged with a sardine on an 8/0 Mustad circle hook, 100-pound Blackwater fluorocarbon and 130-pound Power Pro Spectra. He used a Penn 50 reel and a Calstar 655 XXH rod.

“This is my first long trip,” he told Roecker on the dock. “I’ve been on a couple of five-days before, but my best fish was a 35-pound bluefin.”

Brandon goes to Costanoa High.

Chartermaster Dennis Braid of Palmdale brought in a 203-pound yellowfin on his own four and a half-foot tuna stick, after a 20-minute tussle. It bit a sardine on an 8/0 Eagle Claw hook, and Dennis said he used 130-pound Seaguar fluorocarbon and 130-pound Spectra on a Penn 50 VSX reel.

Greg Fox caught a 216-pound tuna. Jack West had three cows. They weighed 226, 207 and 205 pounds.

February 6 will be a big day at Fisherman’s Landing. Excel, Royal Star and Royal Polaris will be arriving after longer winter trips to the southern banks and the Hurricane Bank. All appear to be carrying catches of large yellowfin tuna.

If you plan on visiting the dock to see the fish, you might want to bring an umbrella. The weather prediction made February 5 calls for scattered thunderstorms, with a high of 60 F. Winds are predicted to be south at 9 mph. Friday’s predicted rain may not be quite finished.

Royal Polaris will be first in tomorrow. She has posted an ETA of 5:30 AM.

Today, Sam Patella has the American Angler down south, fishing. He should be posting a report soon.

Homecoming For Big X

“We spent the day traveling up the coast in flat calm weather,” observed Excel skipper Justin Fleck February 4. “There were a few short stops along the way where guys were able to goof around with their light gear. Not much action on the yellows today, but plenty of bass to be caught. Tomorrow we will make a quick stop before calling it a trip and heading for home. Our ETA to San Diego is 0700 on Saturday morning.”



Moving Off Mediums

“For the third day in a row we had a blast catching Tuna in the 70 to 140-pound range,” said the report from Intrepid February 4.

“The sign of big fish still has not shown up here, although we did see a few spots that looked to be the bigger ones, but they had no desire in coming up. This is a light load of 16 passengers and they have put the wood these mid-range tuna, landing 121 of them in three days. With our fill on these fish we are making a move tonight to take a look in a different area. We have lots of time on our side and the weather is getting better, so we feel that the Cows will come up and play during the next week.”



Toussaint’s Trip Summary

“We finished up the trip with a decent scratch that produced 16 fish from 90-130 pounds by day's end,” wrote Royal Star skipper Randy Toussaint February 3.

“We did hook two better fish today that were unintentionally released, but overall I saw very little sign of big fish. It is not uncommon for this big fish to not show for days or even weeks. We've written this area off many times in the past and been proven wrong when it popped right back up and produced better fishing than we had previously seen that year.

“We are presently enjoying a nice ride up the line, feeling content with 15 over 200 and another 20 from 150-198 in the hatch. It was a tough scratch at times, but the decision to hang tough on the beach definitely afforded us the best opportunity at quality tuna.

“Many thanks to Dennis Braid for sponsoring this trip. He gave away tons of product and jump-started a few anglers with a timely hook and hand. Dennis has been one of the innovators during the evolution of cow angling and has been involved from the ground floor. I remember Dennis experimenting with circle hooks and wind-on leaders back when I was on the Excel in 1993; at the time, both were unheard of.

“Skipper Tim Ekstrom departs on our first Revillagigedos tagging trip of the season on Sunday, so look for his reports to start on the 8th.”



Last Day On Banks

“Today was pretty much a repeat of yesterday,” read the report from Royal Polaris February 3.

“We had 19 tuna from 80 to 150 pounds. We started for home in good weather, and will be home early Saturday morning.”



Saw The Site

“Hey Bill,
 I finally got around to checking out your website and I’m sure glad I did.  It got me away from work for a while but now I’m fired up for summer a little too early.  Great website!  Those video samples are intense.
 Regards,”
Mark M. (by email February 4, 2010)

“We decided to fish our way up the line starting with yellowtail on the ridge,” wrote Excel skipper Justin Fleck February 3.

“The wind was blowing in the morning making it difficult to find fish. Things calmed down in the afternoon and we were able to put together a nice day. Tomorrow we will continue up the Baja coast looking for more action on yellows and grouper.”



Persnickety

“It is proving to be a lot easier to find these fish than it is to catch them,” said the report from Royal Polaris February 1. 

“We were rewarded with 17 fish from 80 to 150 pounds, with the majority in the 100-pound class.  The weather is still as good as it gets, and with that said, we’ll have a go at it again tomorrow.”



Almost There

American Angler office manager Lori Patella said February 4 that the boat is nearing its fishing destination and should be on the grounds fishing tomorrow.



Some Better Fish

“We had a change in the weather today,” said the report from Royal Polaris February 2, “with some rain and SE winds.  We managed to boat 19 tuna from 80-150 pounds for our efforts.  Tomorrow will be our last day here and we have high hopes for a strong finish.”



10,000-Mile Message in a Bottle

Dennis Plog posting on Bloodydecks.com, February 3, 2010:

“We tossed this bottle off the stern of the Excel North of Cedros on a 5-day in 2007. Bob and I were the only ones in our group that went on the super long range trips. Looks like he went on the super duper long range trip.”


Our archive photo of Bob Dubcich is from the following trip, some years ago:

Winner Was Lucky

“We spent our first fishing day of the five-day trip catching albacore,” said Red Rooster III skipper Andy Cates after docking the rig August 19, 2004. “Then we went to Guadalupe for a day, down to Benitos for a day, and back to Guadalupe to finish up.”

Bob Dubcich of Los Gatos won first place for a 75.7-pound yellowfin.

“I was lucky,” he said. “There were sharks around, but the fish stayed away from the boat.”

Bob said he fished a sardine on a 2/0 Mustad hook, with 30-pound Seaguar leader and 30-pound Big Game line on a Trinidad 20 reel and a Calstar 700 ML rod. The fight lasted 30 minutes.

(Press Release)

AFTCO Bluewater, the official licensee and manufacturer of Guy Harvey Sportswear, today announced the launch of a new online store for Guy Harvey fishing t shirts, fishing clothing and accessories at guyharveysportswear.com.

Guy Harvey, known as the world’s premier marine wildlife artist, a renown marine biologist and conservationist, teamed up with AFTCO Bluewater in 2004 to design and sell a line of “wearable fish art”; clothing featuring Guy Harvey’s lifelike, highly-detailed paintings of marine animals like marlin, sailfish, dolphin fish, tuna, sharks and more. Guy Harvey’s unique fish art is now worn by ocean and fishing enthusiasts everywhere and his fishing t shirts now rank as the most popular fishing shirts in the world.

GuyHarveySportswear.com will display a full line of high quality Guy Harvey Men’s fishing t shirts featuring his extraordinary paintings, in addition to other men’s fishing clothing like tech and performance shirts, fishing shorts, fishing hats, belts, shoes, and sandals. An example of the quality of Guy Harvey clothing is evident in their popular men’s print shirts featuring perfect alignment of the design pattern across button lines or pocket stitching.

There is also a complete selection of Women’s clothing including dresses, skirts, shorts, knits, tanks, and tops, in addition to a popular new Junior’s and Young Men’s t shirt line featuring more youthful designs and a slimmer cut. The Youth department includes fishing shirts, t shirts, and hats.

Guy Harvey fishing shirts and clothing have been traditionally sold through retailers across the US, and through a few approved online vendors. “It is not our intention to compete with our retail distribution partners,” said Bill Shedd, President of AFTCO, “but there was really no single store where our customers could go to view or purchase all of the entire inventory of 7,000 sizes and styles of Guy Harvey clothing. This is what influenced our decision to launch the official online store and we’re excited about giving Guy Harvey fans everywhere easier access to a great line of fishing shirts and marine art clothing.” A retail store locator link is prominently displayed on the home page and throughout the site.

The Guy Harvey Sportswear site also includes a fishing blog that will feature big names from the fishing and ocean conservation industries. Look for articles from Guy Harvey plus posts from Dr. Mahmood Shivji, director of the Guy Harvey Research Institute, Bill Shedd, President of AFTCO Bluewater and well-known fishing and conservation advocate, Peter B Wright, big game fishing expert and record setting fishing boat captain.

Guy Harvey Sportswear is not just a hit with fishermen. His fishing t shirts, clothing and sandals are being worn in ever increasing numbers by students on college campuses, especially throughout the Southeast and in coastal areas. The Guy Harvey Facebook page has over 100,000 fans, including a large majority of students, and Guy Harvey Facebook groups on college campuses continue to proliferate.

A portion of all sales of GuyHarveySportswear goes to the Guy Harvey Ocean Foundation, an organization of philanthropists, conservationists, scientists and educators focused on ocean conservation. Last year, Guy Harvey Sportswear’s licensee AFTCO Bluewater donated over $100,000 to the organization.

About Guy Harvey
Guy Harvey is an artist, scientist, diver, angler, conservationist and explorer, fiercely devoted to his family and his love of the sea. He graduated with honors in Marine Biology from Aberdeen University in Scotland in 1977, and earned his Ph.D. from the University of the West Indies in 1984. Though he gave up a budding career as a marine biologist for that of a highly acclaimed artist, Guy has continued his relentless pursuit to unravel the mysteries of the sea, traveling the world to better understand the habits and habitats of the marine wildlife he paints. Guy has been a member of the IGFA Board of Trustees since 1993. Most recently, he has helped establish the Guy Harvey Ocean Foundation to fund scientific research and innovative marine conservation educational programs.

About AFTCO Bluewater
AFTCO stands for the American Fishing Tackle Company and was established in 1958 in Newport Beach, California. A family-owned company that ranks among the world's most highly regarded saltwater fishing tackle manufacturers, AFTCO’s roller guides, fighting belts, harnesses, fishing gloves and more are found on top sportfishing boats world wide. It is that reputation for quality and complete customer satisfaction, along with AFTCO Bluewater's expertise in designing and manufacturing quality clothing and the Shedd family's longtime commitment to marine stewardship, that led Guy Harvey to partner with AFTCO Bluewater as his clothing licensee.

The first report from Intrepid came February 2.

“We started the day off right with Tuna on the corner for the first hour and then kept a pick bite going all day long. The fish were all in the 40 to 65-pound range.

“We did hook into one good one that chewed through the line after an hour fight in the evening. The weather today was very, very wet. The rain came down in sheets and squalls that were simply amazing.”



Up To A Buck And A Half

“Our beautiful weather continues as we sat on the anchor all day,” wrote Royal Star skipper Randy Toussaint February 1, “for a slow scratch on 80 to 150-pound tuna. No complaints after such a slow day yesterday, but we're hoping for a few cows in the mix tomorrow.”

“Today's shot shows Royal Star regular Jack West with one of his three cows boated this trip.”



Persnickety

“It is proving to be a lot easier to find these fish than it is to catch them,” said the report from Royal Polaris February 1. 

“We were rewarded with 17 fish from 80 to 150 pounds, with the majority in the 100-pound class.  The weather is still as good as it gets, and with that said, we’ll have a go at it again tomorrow.”

"Luckily for us the fish showed again today," read the report aboard Excel February 1st, "and we were able to scratch throughout the day. Once again it was not fast paced fishing, just one or two going at a time.

"I give a lot of credit to these guys, even when things were on the slow side they never gave up. There were always people at the rail putting in work. We are going to spend the night here and try it again tomorrow."

Trips that fish for giant yellowfin tuna often have days when fishing is slow, which was the case January 31. Excel, Royal Star and Royal Polaris are out fishing. All three are expected home at Fisherman’s Landing February 6, Saturday, and will have some great yellowfin tuna to show for their efforts. American Angler has left Pt. Loma Sportfishing on her way south.

Excel skipper Justin Fleck put it this way January 31:

“Completely different day here again. That bigger fish that we have been doing well on never showed up. We only managed to catch a few smaller grade tuna. The weather is still flat calm so hopefully we can relocate these cows again tomorrow.”

The Royal Polaris has left the outside and expected to start fishing again on the lower inside banks yesterday.

“No current and zero wind made for tough cow angling conditions today,” noted Royal Star skipper Randy Toussaint January 30, “but we managed to boat six fish, four of which were 205 to 251 pounds, with a couple 180's. We're spending the night hoping for better conditions tomorrow.

“With this warm water and consistent sign of fish I wouldn't be surprised to see good fishing here for at least another month. Uunfortunately we don't have any more trips to take advantage of this area. Tim leaves on our first tagging trip to the Revillagigedos the day after we get in.

“Today's shots show glass calm seas while Royal Star regular Floyd Abbott shows off a personal best at 251 pounds.”



Two Dozen Beauties

“Today was a little different with the tuna not showing up until almost 1100,” reported Excel skipper Justin Fleck January 30.

“We still managed to put together another nice day with 24 of these beauties hitting the deck. They really weren't into the kite today, most of our fish came on fly lined sardines. It is hard to beat this combo; good fishing and great weather to go with it.”