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.

Point Loma, San Diego – anglers anxiously

wait as winter gives way to spring in SoCal.

Point Loma - I remember the first time my older cousin Teddy invited me to go fishing in the middle of winter. Up until that point, the only time I had ever been out on the water was when the sun was hanging hot in the summer sky, and you had at least three of the Five S's (surface irons, sardines, sun block, someone to grab the gaff, and of course, strong drink) present. That was more than 15 years ago...

Sure, winter fishing in southern California is a lot less taxing than say, fishing in the frigid waters on the East Coast in late January, but all the same… when my cousin first asked me to go rockfishing with him, I had no idea what he was talking about. In fact, I thought he wanted me to fish with him off the local jetty.

Fast forward a decade and things have changed; winter fishing keeps gaining in popularity and as a new generation of anglers carry on with old traditions as well as break new boundaries in our sport, many SoCal sport boat skippers have taken notice and are making more of an effort to get them on the water (and bigger fish) smack dab in the middle of winter.

Captain Joe Philips who owns and operates the Constitution (out of H&M Landing) has been putting anglers on the taco meat all winter long and believes that it only keeps getting better. In a recent report, Captain Joe shares his 2009 SoCal winter experience fishing Punta Colonet:

“We cleared Point Loma a little before 9pm and with the price of fuel so low we 'harnessed the third mule' and headed south. We made the high spot on Colonet at sunrise only to be driven into deeper water by some huge whitefish. We then headed to our ling area, but decided to try a deep drift first, where we found reds... lots of 'em! They were big too – up to 10 pounds. By 11 a.m. we still had not made it to our coveted ling spot, but had plenty 10- to 14-pound lings on deck. We made a strategic move an hour and a half back up the line, where slaughter broke out - cows, big reds, green spotted, and more! The Northeast is freezing right now, and we have had 3 great weekends of fishing in a row... you cannot beat that!”

Brett Kopitz of Simi Valley proudly displays two staples of the

winter bite in Baja aboard a 1.5 day trip with the Constitution.

Philips has been taking the Constitution out to Colonet for one and a half day trips every Friday night all winter long. He claims that with some subtle changes on the business and bureaucratic end of things, it's now a little easier (and makes more sense) for skippers that want to make that winter trip.

“Last year there were fewer sport boats that tried to make a go of Colonet during the winter. Two things clearly changed this year: the price of fuel is much lower than before, and Mexico no longer charges the Monthly Boat Permit for sport boats. In our case last year, the cost for that permit was almost $1,500 per month. Who wants to pay that for 1 or maybe 2 trips? My case in point is that sportfishing in SoCal has survived and weathered all of the changes thrown at it since it's humble beginnings. The industry and those who participate will adapt and probably thrive...”

Philips hits it dead-on in regards to the changes we've seen. With that in mind, there have also been several advances to the winter-segment of our sport and the industry in recent years. With the advent of braided lines which allow anglers to feel even the slightest nibble at deeper depths and of course additions to our winter toolkits, such as Shimano’s Lucanus system, which caters specifically to the angler seeking out a more exciting way to catch those lethargic winter fish, there’s no doubt that while once dubbed boring (save for the bass bite), winter fishing has attained a considerable following and makes up an ample part of our good times on the big pond.

Sheepshead like this 33” beast that Travis Ray of Long Beach took on a live

sardine that make up for the days when the yellows and seabass are shy-to-show.

Whether you blame it on our new toys, our forgiving climate, or the sweet deals anglers are getting on the one and a half and two day trips out of SoCal landings, one thing is for certain – we are definitely out getting our rocks off (no pun intended) in the California winter and steadily on the hunt for big reds, beagle-sized lings, toothy goats, and delicious starry eye...

“If the ocean was outer space and long range anglers were astronauts, then winter fishing would be considered space camp.”

- Anonymous Angler

Enter the Spring Equinox; March 20th 2009. Rumors of white seabass starting to stack up at Catalina are no longer dismissed as lies on Internet fishing forums, giving spark to vicious cyberspace debates and “flaming wars” between two otherwise normal adults. Hopeful kayak anglers have home run days and start bringing home yellowtail while taking advantage of the live squid bite on a slider sinker at La Jolla. Giant calicos bask in the warmer weather and are once again hitting the large swimbaits they passed up on when it was too cold. Bonitos caught with blue-and-white feathers on the troll in local waters are slammed and stacked on bloody partyboat decks and left to dry up and curl in the cherry afternoon sun. The 2009 Fred Hall Show in Long Beach is commissioned a huge success, even in today’s heartbreaking economy. Yes, ladies and gentlemen, it just doesn’t get much better for anglers than spring in southern California.

Eric Gonzalez of Sylmar with an 8 pound calico that took a strong liking to his

7 inch swimbait once water temps started warming up near Palos Verdes.

While it's true that sometimes early spring in Cali is so hit-or-miss that we often feel like we need to hurry up and wait, it is also a time when anglers all across the southland put away their hoodies, beanies, and 16 ounce leads in exchange for t-shirts, tanks, ball caps, wraparound sunglasses, and lightweight surface irons. Out come the 9-foot cork taped jigsticks, the Newell reels with their sweet casts, and the cuffed-down deck boots – all making way for our warmer weather...

Travis Ray of Long Beach makes the most of the spring days when the yellows may be playing cat & mouse with the slow-to-warm waters, and the white seabass are doing what they do best – staying elusive. “I'll still go out every chance I get,” says Travis, “whether we're tracking yellows, white seabass, or just big rockfish, I find that when you're out there doing what you love, and staying in the game – you rarely come home unhappy.”

Many anglers swear by the same philosophy when it comes to that transition from winter to spring here in southern California. Whether you're out there getting eaten alive by the swells you thought (or had hoped) had dissipated with the winter, or enjoying grease-calm conditions on the backside of Catalina with something heavy pulling on the other end of your squid-tipped iron – you have to be “in the game” if you want to get the full spectrum of California fishing at its finest.

It's yellowtail like this bad boy that took fresh squid on a ¾oz leadhead

at the bait grounds on the backside of Catalina that are the envy of all anglers.

One guy who has spent an awful lot of time in the game, raking in the Cali spring bite over the years is SoCal angler Eric Gonzalez, of Sylmar. Eric, who has brought quite a few monsters over the rail of his boat, On One, was kind enough to spend a few minutes with me over the weekend, discussing exactly what that transition to spring fishing means to him.

“Spring to me, is a time to put away the hoop nets, respool your reels, and pray to the weather gods. You have to be patient and hope that the weather stays down and allows the water temp to stabilize and warm up. The candy bait begins to stack up at the islands, and bait schools begin to flood our local waters with migratory species and birds following. The bass start feeding throughout the water column, and the white seabass begin showing. This all creates a certain anxiousness that is hard to explain, but I'm sure is felt by many anglers.”

And after I spent Easter weekend in Point Loma, battling the same ocean that gave way to great numbers of yellowtail, bonito, seabass, and huge lings just a few days prior, I can't agree more with Eric... Stay patient, pray to the weather gods, get out and fish as often and as hard as possible, and keep an eye out for spring fever as it starts to make its way back into the California waters at full-force…

Many anglers get excited about the strong halibut bite that takes place during

our winter-spring transition, and Jessica Escalante of Sylmar is no exception.

Until then, veteran angler David Choate of Torrance gives us all something to think about when it comes to our transition from winter to spring fishing. I recently caught up with David, who is also known as “Wahoodad” to anglers that frequent Internet discussion forums for updates on the latest bite, and he had the following to say:

“I love the springtime fishing, but don't get me wrong. It's not like I don't like catching bass or rockfish, I do. In fact, out of all the exotic places I fish around the world, my second favorite kind of fish to catch is calico bass. I really like fishing them on leadhead and fresh dead squid or live squid, and that's why I go on a 3 day San Clemente Island trip come every spring. I do a freezer trip first, then a month or so later, I take the SCI trip.”

With regards to timing the white seabass bite, David says, “to get a white seabass, my feel is you need to go at least 3 times. I've only been once, and we missed them by just one day!”

So as the weather and water temps warm up here over the next couple months, keep in mind that if you’re out there doing what you love, then you’re golden. Sometimes we all forget that it’s simply getting away from the everyday hustle and grind that makes fishing in SoCal such a great escape for many of us. David confirms this, and leaves us with some parting words about this transition that ring as loud and clear as the clicker on my trusty reel when I’m on the troll…

“I truly enjoy the cod trips and bass trips. I get to see the sights – the whales and porpoises, smell the sea breeze, and get some fishing exercise. I get sore after these trips, so that tells me I'm not in my finest fishing shape. It’s truly these trips [at this time of the year] that help me get ready for summer and the Puerto Vallarta trips.”

So there you have it – time to pick up some new line, grab your rods and terminal tackle, kiss the work and economy worries goodbye, and get on the water with some good friends… Spring is coming to SoCal!

As the weather warms up in May, white seabass trips really begin to yield good numbers.

These lucky anglers aboard the On One, picked theirs up at the east end of Catalina

*This article appears in the Western Outdoor News "2009 Spring Sportboat Guide," which hits newsstands on April 22nd.

Mark Smith over at Charkbait hooked us up AGAIN - meet the newest addition to the addiction!!! It's the SKB-7100 Tackle Box, created by world-renown SKB Corporation hailing from my (second*) hometown of Orange, California. I guess that the owner/president, Dave Sanderson, who founded the company in 1977 is an avid fisherman (what would you do with your time if you were that rich?), and created these virtually indestructable hardcase tackle boxes due to his own need for something that fit his "hard" style...

Let's face it, SKB has been the authority for years - making the illest hardshell cases for everything from amplifier heads and guitar/bass cases to your not-so-little nephew's band trombone. They are phenomenal, and I've stood by their product for as long as I've been a touring musician and local producer. What I didn't know (and I may not be alone here), was that SKB has an entire line dedicated to the sportsman - from fishing rod cases (as seen directly below) to something heavy-duty enough to store your on-the-hush Russian-made Kalishinkov automatic.

The specs on the SKB (flagship) Tackle Box read as follows, straight from the horse's mouth:

The 2SKB-7200 Large Tackle Box is made of indestructible rotationally molded construction with stainless steel hardware and fasteners. The lid opens 90-degrees or 180-degres to access time through a clear acrylic door. Four storage boxes with dividers keeps everything organized. A hanging jig area accommodates over 40 jigs and includes a padded cover to keep them in place. Two large pleated soft exterior pockets for various accessories and a removable shoulder strap makes for easy, convenient transport. Meant for the dedicated fisherman, the 2SKB-7200 is backed by SKB's Unconditional Lifetime Warranty.

You can't downplay that fresh Tady coffin!

For me, the healthy mix between the old school long-range heavy (and heavy-duty) wooden tackle box with tons of storage that could stand up to whatever you throw its way, and the new-school tackle bag with removable trays and eye-popping features like built-in rod rocket launchers and a 40+ jig hanger made this purchase a no-brainer! That, coupled with a history of using quality SKB products, their close-to-home location, and their lifetime warranty, definitely made me feel good about my purchase.

Visit Mark and his team at Charkbait today and grab yourself something that will last a lifetime... Oh, and maybe even double as a step ladder so you can reach those Hustler mags you stashed behind the top bunk in the stateroom of the Royal Polaris for when everyone's asleep aboard your next trip!

*My first hometown being the sweet stench that is Hollywood, CA

Hi all! Went to the Fred Hall Show in Long Beach and hooked up some fat new gear for the summer and the great trips I'm headed on in the near future!

• New Release Accurate BX2-600 TwinDrag 2spd loaded with 100lb Jerry Brown Hollow Braid & a short topshot Izorline First String. The reel was designed for those who like to fish heavier lines on smaller reels, such as putting 65-80lb test on the older 665 Magnum models. Oh yeah, the reel is in candy apple red special order from Mark at Charkbait. I've gotta give thanks to my fiancee for this one - she bought me this reel for my birthday this month (Kitty, you're the best!), as well as treated me to the Fred Hall Show (she was super-patient the whole time we were there to boot).
  

• New Accurate B2-50, loaded with 130lb Jerry Brown Hollow Braid & again a short topshot of Izorline First String. Got this guy in candy apple red as well on a great deal from Mark at their booth at the show... He's gotta be one of the most sincere and "real" guys I've met in a long time - always tells you like it is. They've currently got a special on these reels, which will give you your choice of a quality braid (JB Hollow, Izorline, Cortland, or PowerPro) and a topshot free of charge - that's hard to beat with free shipping and free tax if you're out of state! It's easy to see why folks keep coming back to Mark for all their angling needs.
  

Both reels are paired up with red/black/yellow (sounds ugly, right?) Taka Tanaka custom-wrapped Calstar rods; a (somewhat rare) 865xh for the BX2-600 extreme, and a 760h 6' troller with all-Aftco rollers for the B2-50. For those unaware, Taka is an amazing angler with a wealth of knowledge when it comes to "everything-fishing," and has one of the coolest tackle shops in North Orange County... he's really well known for his amazing custom-wrapped rods, his annual Royal Polaris Charter, as well as his off-the-charts knot-tying skills.

I'll have pics of the combos soon, as Taka (who is pictured above with his 293lb longfin on his Royal Polaris 17.5 day trip last Fall) says they are undergoing their 1st coat, so it should be just one more week (at least) before we see 'em!

I also picked up a ton of the new soft baits from Stefan Worth, owner of Kustom Kraft lures out of Nipomo, CA. They were operating out of the Charkbait booth as well, and their soft sand dabs and crazy painted/eyed leadheads are amazing and like nothing I've seen before... I picked up the natural sand dab and a set in indigo blue to kill the lings with in Colnett this Spring. For more info simply call them at (805) 489-5034 or email Stefan at kustomkraftplastics@yahoo.com for a quick response.

We also stopped by the Bloodydecks.com booth and got to meet up with Ali there... Their booth was fresh as all hell with tons of photos from the year's catch - all from us (the users). Gotta love Bloodydecks... Kitty grabbed me one of their "American Tradition" hoodies and one of their Skeleton Dorado T's as well - both were high-quality and looked great!!!

Last, but definitely not least... I got to meet Brandon Hayward of the Western Outdoor News, who I've been talking to via email for some time in regards to getting a copy of his long-awaited book, "The Southern California Angler," which focuses on California fishing... from the dayboats and landings in Long Beach to overnighters in San Diego to Baja, and even covering long range 10-17 day trips out of our native So Cal. Although Brandon himself is a wealth of knowledge and a great angler that we could all stand to learn something from, it's the TONS of great insight from Cali's top captains, scientists, anglers, and innovators in the industry that makes this book stand out from anything that's been done/written before...

You get other people's perspective - as opposed to just the guy writing the book, which more often than not is some angler in another state/coast with a completely different style, environment, thought process, and tool-set. I highly recommend grabbing a copy today - you'll thank him for it later when you're holding that jackpot forkie or yellowfin!

Notice that there's no guys with big fros, headbands or wristbands, rollerskating tube socks, or short ass gym shorts on the cover - it's a modern guide in every sense of the word, and I'm about 1/2 way through it... each night thinking to myself, how amazing it is that he got these guys to share so much with the readers (anglers and captains are usually pretty selfish with their secrets, right?). More on this to come, including a full-review of the book, but in the meantime - you can get your own copy by emailing Brandon himself, just click here!