OUTDOOR NOTES / PETE THOMAS : One Big Yellowfin Makes Fight Tough
When Mark Gasich returns from his journey at sea two days before Thanksgiving, he will have enough tuna for a holiday feast--all packed inside a single fish.
The Costa Mesa resident, who is in the middle of a 16-day trip aboard the Polaris Supreme, on Sunday landed a yellowfin tuna estimated to weigh between 350 and 380 pounds.
Gasich’s is the first 300-pounder taken in a long-range season that has recently begun, according to skipper Tommy Rothery, who added that Gasich’s wasn’t the only giant yellowfin to bend the rod of one of his passengers.
Sharing in the fun--if you call an arm-burning, back-breaking battle with one of the ocean’s strongest and more stubborn creatures fun--were Pat Kennedy of Costa Mesa, who won his fight with a 250-pounder, and Forest Hudson of La Jolla, who boated a 240-pounder.
Whether or not the the 388-pound, 12-ounce all-tackle world record--which has stood for 15 years--will be broken on this trip or even this season remains to be seen.
Gasich’s fish, should it somehow top 388-12 when it is hoisted onto an official scale, will not be considered a world record because a backup rod and reel was attached to the original rig when it became apparent that the fish was not going to be stopped with one spool of line. The monster tuna will be on display when the Polaris Supreme returns to San Diego on the morning of Nov. 25.
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It appears the long, consistent tuna season local fishermen enjoyed in the summer and early fall is over and it’s back to bonito and bass and rockfish.
The transition from top- to bottom-fishing has already been made at landings north of Marina del Rey and is forthcoming elsewhere.
The San Diego overnight fleet, however, is still finding a steady yellowtail bite in Mexico. But only one boat got out Monday and Tuesday, an indication that interest in such trips has waned. However, those traveling a little farther south, on three-day trips, are still reporting excellent catches of yellowfin tuna and dorado.
Steve Giffin, owner-operator of the Holiday, said his 16 passengers returned Sunday with 189 yellowfin, 162 dorado, 75 skipjack and 49 yellowtail.
Briefly
BAJA FISHING--Cabo San Lucas: Marlin activity picked up significantly in the days after last week’s full moon, with several blues and a few small blacks showing at the scale. Striped marlin activity is picking up. Dorado, however, remains the prevalent catch, concentrated in a large area a few miles north of Land’s End on the Pacific side. Limits are easy to come by. Yellowfin tuna and wahoo are fair, at best. East Cape: There are periods of strong wind, but the fishing is generally good, with dorado providing the most action. Wahoo and sailfish are providing some variety. Near shore, anglers have reported an increase in sierra mackerel activity, which is particularly good news for ceviche lovers.
La Paz: A steady dorado bite is found outside the bay and south of Cerralvo Island, where sailfish and marlin are occasionally being hooked. Some sailfish and dorado are biting inside the bay. Loreto: It’s been windy and generally not worth the trip, as most of the migratory fish have moved south toward the Pacific. However, yellowtail season is forthcoming and fishing is starting to pick up. Mazatlan: The Star Fleet reports a steady sailfish bite. Its count from Nov. 7-13: 66 sailfish, 35 dorado, 29 tuna and five blue marlin.
FLY FISHING--Bob Marriott’s Fly Fishing Fair, featuring clinics and seminars as well as such celebrities in the sport as Lefty Kreh, Gary Borger and Dave Whitlock, will be held Saturday and Sunday at Marriott’s store in Fullerton. No cost. Details: (714) 525-1827.
CONSERVATION EVENTS--A falconry exhibition and hawking meet will be held Saturday beginning at 7 a.m. at Raahague’s Pheasant Hunting Club in Norco. Birds will be flown on live game. Admission is $6. Details: (714) 735-2361. . . . Quail Unlimited’s Antelope Valley Chapter is sponsoring the United States Sporting Clays Assn.’s Pacific Coast Regional Championship on Saturday at the Antelope Valley Sportsman’s Club in Lancaster. Shooting hours are from 9 a.m.-noon and from 1-4 p.m. Details (805) 724-1291. . . . Southern California Ducks Unlimited will hold its Thanksgiving Turkey Shoot Sunday from 9 a.m. until dark at Raahague’s in Norco. Shoot tickets cost $3. Details: (714) 735-2361.
BOATING--The San Diego International Boat Show begins a four-day run Thursday at the San Diego Convention Center and adjoining Marriott Marina. Hours are 9 a.m.-noon Thursday and Friday; 10 a.m.-9 p.m. Saturday and 11 a.m.-6 p.m. Sunday. . . . Gene Carapetyan and Louanne Peck will present a show on their 20,000-mile voyage to Pitcairn Island, Tahiti, Hawaii and Japan Saturday from 7-9 p.m. at the BOAT/U.S. Marina del Rey Marine Center in Culver City. Details: (310) 391-1180. . . . BOAT/U.S. is in the midst of its Toys for Tots campaign and is accepting new, unwrapped toys at its Culver City center. The toys will be donated to the Marine Corps Reserve for distribution to needy children.
HUNTING--Southland duck hunters have been found the San Diego City lakes good to poor, depending on the lake hunted. At Barrett, 60 hunters took 91 ducks last week, mostly ruddies and ringnecks. Otay: 42 hunters took 47 of a mixed variety. Sutherland: four hunters took five ducks. . . . In Kern County, large coveys of quail are being located in the desert area east of Kernville. Chukar hunting is good, but requires lots of work.
Northern California: Pronghorn antelope in the northeast corner of the state have not only survived the prolonged drought, they have multiplied beyond the capacity of their high desert ranges. As a result, the DFG has been steadily increasing the number of tags for hunters, who this season recorded a record kill of 1,151 animals. Pronghorn antelope reached a modern-record high of 7,908 last January.