What a great day!!
We had a blast doing the weighing & beverage control. I'll post pics as soon as I can locate a cable, my wife decided to road trip mine to Seattle. If you have good photos (particularly of the big fish) please email them to
paul@kayakfishingzone.com ASAP so that they might be included in an article. He's got a tight deadline!
Highlights & stats:
Big fish looked like it might be a photo finish at first when Tyler & Jasmin paddled up with twin yellows. Without a stable platform (land) it was tough to get a 100% accurate weight...it was close and I haven't been to a gym in years so hoisting two 35# class fish on a balance beam wasn't in the works.
Greg then paddled up with a trump carpet in the hatch. Once on the weigh boat the magic carpet balanced out around 42 pounds - until Duane pointed out that 'dude, the fish is still on the ground'.
Scrambled up to the casting deck and tried again - thanks for giving me the opportunity to sport my double chin - and we got a better idea on how big we were looking at. Bounced in the high 40's to over 50#. We marked down 48# but hopefully you got a certified weight on that beast Greg. MONSTER halibut! Congrats.
It was all over unless somebody found a ghost...weighed more big fish from Joe T., Jesse, Toby & Eddie...but no one found a fish that could take Greg's halibut glory. Eddie ended up weighing a 34+ halibut right at the end to bookend the 35# yellows that started it all.
The spearos showed up with a couple of yellows & a nice goat. I have no idea how you freedive for those yellows guys...I've seen 'em before freediving, but we're talking about pure ability when it comes to the hunt! Congrats to Ben Hendricks (biggest YT) and Mike Portolese with the big goat and overall big fish! Scott Defirmian also found a yellow. Right on.
Big calico honors was settled early on - we picked up a 5# class fish from Mark Lakamp and minutes later a 6.15# slug from Kevin Harvey...appropriately taken on the MC Slug. Kerry Peeler brought in healthy calico that edged Mark for second biggest but could not touch Kevin's big one. Nice work Harv Dog!
Duane & I did a lot more weighing, chatting and handing off beverages than fishing, but Duane the magician managed to find a 4# calico & I mustered a 2.6#. We had sidepot gifts to hand out for the closest two fish to ours, and Margarita Mike weighed one closest to mine...and Mike Graham found one a lot like Duane's...so they took home some goodies & tourney tee's.
80+ beverages were caught & released as well, many of them coming on the hook & hand once the sun came out.
All trash seen on the water gaffed & filleted. Moyer got naked and jumped in the water. Once the weighing was done we made our way back to MB, stopped for a drift and saw some
on the inside...tons of sargo, packs of calico, opaleye...the only bad sign was a dead starter battery once we got in. Just another reason to kayak!! I was late to the park but in time to see most everyone with their raffle items & big smiles.
Thank you everyone for coming out and supporting the cause. HUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUGE thanks to Paul who has put in a MASSIVE amount of effort to stand up for our fishing rights throughout the MLPA process and put this great event together.
Do your part and make sure everyone comes to the meetings on Monday & Tuesday...lots of grassroot effort (Kiyo and the boys had a stack of flyers for the effort north of San Diego, many of you are really putting forth a great amount of effort locally) but we have to keep our foot on the accelorator. Days like today should be available for everyone to enjoy in the future...long live the Jewel!
TL, Andy