Hello Everyone!

Excuse the lack of posts this last month - I should have been updating while on the road, but I was busy having too much fun.

I just got back from:

1. Florida (all over the state)

2. Vegas, Vegas, Vegas!!!

3. Lahaina, Maui

Here's some quick pics... and report from Lahaina, Maui with the Start Me Up Sportfishing crew on Memorial Day 2009 to come!

Houston Airport - you know that any airport with a Bass Pro Shops in it has got some fishy folks around... sad to say however there was nothing but ugly camo and red orange sweatshirts and old copies of Saltwater Sportsman in that shithole.

Awesome Guy Harvey mural at the Fort Lauderdale Airport. We flew into an airport 3hrs from our Orlando destination, so we kinda lived it up there for a night in Hallandale, then drove through and hung in South Beach with the rich bitches and pimps for a day. Great fish house in Hallandale called Flanigan's Seafood Bar & Grill... place is all decked out with tons of trophy saltwater fish as well as lures, rods, and terminal tackle throughout... Mahi chicken-fingers were delish, as were the ribs!

The richest of the rich in Miami/South Beach... Peep those yachts, right on the damn water - that's their front porch, and the first thing they see every morning when they go out to get the paper. Jesus make me rich - make me reeeyich!

Some of my people. The poor folk. Fishin' for the night catch off the side of the freeway on a bridge (still in Miami). Lots doing this. What the hell happens if boats are passing? Could you imagine getting smacked in the face by squid on a hook? Hey, a dude's gotta eat!

Some of the Mahi we caught with the Start Me Up Sportfishing crew aboard the "Ladat" on Memorial Day 2009!

Stay tuned people... Good stuff to come, along with a full fishing report and tons more pics. Going to go out this weekend as well, and then on a 2+ day June 30th or July 1st as well... Albies are on decks of many sportboats as we speak, as are the yellows - predominantly biting at San Clemente Islands, in the 30-40lb range - I gotta get me some, I got'sta turn it on!

With much love,

Sol

Jheri Curl Optional:

Fight the perils of the Swine Flu with gold,

rose gold, and diamond-encrusted big game!!!

Mahi-Money: if Slick Rick vomited after eating sushi, this is what it would look like.

Check out the girth on that rope!!! Anchor that shit, boat ho!

Doubles as a great shank for the random cop pullover after cocktails at Club Marina at 2:15am...

And finally....

For the guys that swear by Accurate, this is another must-have for the 2009 season.

collect them all here.

Mr. T would be proud...

I wonder if he salted it and then threw it in his mouth after the photo?

Though the blue marlin starts its humble life as small as a tadpole, it can grow anywhere from 6 to 10 feet, and can weigh anywhere from 100 to 1000+ pounds... Found in the Pacific, Indian, and Atlantic oceans, the blue marlin is a pretty formidable son-of-a-bitch and the ambition of many brass-balled anglers. Their stunning display of leaps and high-tail breaches are especially of interest to old and rich geezers and veteran anglers who can afford to spend the money being put on these fish, as well as upwards of $50-100 dollars on a single lure.

I'm headed to Lahaina Harbor in Maui next month to do some fishing with the Start-Me-Up Sportfishing outfit, and from what I gather - they are the best operation in Maui. I understand that weather is the key factor, as with all fishing; however, I believe we will be targeting ono (wahoo), mahi mahi (dorado), ahi (tuna), and blue marlin... which they catch/tag/release... As for the other fish - it's Hawaiian custom and considered aloha to leave your catch with the captain and crew of the boat you were fishing with; however with this crew, if you would like to get your shit fileted or mounted - you just let 'em know ahead of time.

I find it quite remarkable that something that starts its life as tiny as shown above, will one day grow into a savagely beautiful beast that will put up a fight that lasts for hours and require every ounce of an angler's strength and intelligence. I'm a fan of the blue (and black) marlin; however this is not to say that I am interested in "targeting" or going after them (at least not at this point in my life)... it's just not my thing, and I think they are too majestic and beautiful a savage creature to screw around with for sport... same goes for sharks. Not to mention the asian markets are severely destroying their precious population with their constant finning.

You've gotta admit, the sheer size of that thing screams black marlin.

George Parker caught the first 1,000 pound blue Marlin in the Pacific Ocean while trolling 5 miles off the shore of Oahu on his boat, the Mona H. The marlin struck a lure that George had made using a simple household towel rack! George battled the pelagic beast on just 80-pound test monofilament, and then fought the IGFA for over 5 years until they recognized the fish as a true blue, not black, marlin (which more often grow to this size). George's wife Mona was pregnant with their baby boy when George caught this monster, and once the baby was born - they named him Marlin.

That baby - Marlin Parker, ended up growing up and catching some granders of his own...

One second, he's about to have lunch... the next, he's got his bill through your wife's $2,500 diary pillow.

Looking into most marlins' eyes and expressions when they are photographed jumping out of the water after being hooked, leads me to believe only one thing: that although they are these massive creatures that take hours of brute strength, energy, on-the-spot planning, and finesse to pull-in... they are probably just confused and/or frightened. Strange as it may sound - it's that face and those eyes that kinda drive me away from wanting to hook one. I'd rather go for the supercows on a long range trip... 

I saw something recently on either Animal Planet or Discovery where a father and son were in Hawaii or south of the border and the son was yanking on a marlin for hours... when it finally got near the back of the boat, it started taking line out and then turned around - coming full steam ahead at the boat - making one last jump - with it's bill right into the boy's mouth. Karma can be a motherfucker sometimes... and as this video demostrates, Mr. Blue Marlin has also not been so kind to the ladies with the fresh implants either... spare us the tits, gatdamnit!

Artists such as Guy Harvey, who do a great job not only catching these bastards, but also tagging and working to save them, continue to give me hope that our children will one day be able to wrestle with them.

Weather is warming up (even though it rained out of the blue today). Fred Hall Show this week in Long Beach!

Taka Tanaka is building two three Calstar rods for me which I'll release details and pics of in just a bit... I think I'm going to interview Taka as well, which should be a pleasure.

Two new Accurate Reels in the works - a 665 2 speed (see next newest post for upgrade), and a B2-50 2 speed... My birthday is coming up this month...... and the big fish may be starting their prowl.