Massive Great White Caught at the Sea of Cortez

A great white shark nearly 20 feet long and weighing 2,000 pounds was reportedly hooked by commercial fishermen in the Sea of Cortez in northwestern Mexico.

The massive catch, according to local reports by Milenio News, would be one of the longest great white sharks ever recorded if verified at a length 19.8 feet, or 6 meters.

The shark, which was dead when it was brought to the surface, was netted by fishermen named Guadalupe and Baltazar, according to reports.

"We were amazed and immediately realized that we had a huge, dead, great white shark, and then we thought 'what are we going to do?'" Guadalupe told Pisces Sportfishing in Cabo San Lucas.

The fishermen towed the shark's carcass 2 miles to the beach while aboard their 22-foot-long ship. Dozens of people then helped drag the animal onto the sand, reports say.

New Arkansas largemouth bass record set....

Almost 36 years to the day, Arkansas’s largemouth bass state record has finally been broken. On Tuesday, Paul Crowder of Forrest City set the new record on Lake Dunn near Wynne. Crowder’s lunker weighed 16 pounds, 5 ounces, breaking the old record by just a single ounce.

Aaron Mardis of Memphis had held the state record since March 2, 1976. Mardis’ 16-4 fish was caught on Mallard Lake near Manilla in Mississippi County.

Crowder broke the record on the afternoon of Feb. 28 using a plastic 6-inch Mann’s jelly worm with a bullet sinker and plastic rattle in tequila sunrise. He was using an Enigma rod and reel combo purchased from Bass Pro Shops. Crowder caught the fish on Trilene 14-pound-test line. Arkansas Game and Fish Commission Fisheries Biologist Lee Holt certified the fish on a certified scale at Hayes Market in Wynne.

The fish measured 26 1/2 inches in length and was 22 3/4 inches in girth. Crowder said that he had been fishing all day for catfish without any luck.

The 80-acre lake is located in Village Creek State Park in Cross County. The AGFC is going to test the fish to see what genetic strain of bass it is, whether if is a pure northern strain of if it has Florida bass genes.

Kayaker lands record yellowtail off La Jolla...

Kurt Hoffman celebrated the recent lunar eclipse in a really big and memorable way.

Hoffman, an avid waterman who fishes from his kayak, landed what is believed to be the heaviest yellowtail ever caught by a kayak angler. His 55-pound yellowtail that he caught off La Jolla tops the 50.65-pound yellowtail landed by kayak angler Larry Laumann in November of 2005. Hoffman was fishing from his Hobie peddle kayak.

Hoffman said he was about to call it a day around 8 a.m. when he noticed a fellow kayak angler he had launched with at 4 a.m. The angler was fighting a fish, so Hoffman slid by. He had used his glow light to land 10 or so squid for bait, but he used them up on sand bass and calicos. He picked up a few more squid baits from the other kayaker and sent one down.

Hoffman said the yellowtail caps off an incredible fishing year for him from his kayak and his Boston Whaler. He and his son, Lucas, caught big yellowtail, white seabass and a 120-pound thresher shark from their Whaler.

Hoffman said he fished infrequently, but his trips were productive and produced 20 white seabass, including a 63-pounder, and 19 yellowtail that included the 55-pounder. He also caught and released black seabass, including one that he hooked the same day he landed the record yellowtail.

Paul Lebowitz, an editor with Kayak Angler Magazine, said he believes Hoffman’s catch is the best ever by a kayaker for yellowtail.

Hoffman checked with John Campbell, an International Game Fish Association representative who runs the annual Yellowtail Derby, and Campbell told him the largest yellowtail on record in the Yellowtail Derby was a 53-pounder.

Hoffman believes that this catch is a testament to the fact that the fisheries are very healthy and the current regulations are working very well to protect our great local resources.

Local Angler to Lead U.S. Team in International Fishing Tournament

Local kayak angler Morgan “Roosta” Promnitz of Carlsbad will lead a group of four from the Hobie Fishing Team as they compete Oct. 27-30 in the inaugural Hobie Kayak Fishing World Championships in Australia.

In addition to Promnitz, who is Hobie Fishing’s product manager, the U.S. team includes Keeton Eoff, Hobie’s marketing manager, Jackie Smith, Hobie’s team ambassador and Jose Chavez, Hobie’s fishing team regional manager. They will be part of an 18-team competition, representing five countries that include the U.S., Singapore, Thailand, South Korea and Australia.

The event is by invitation only and will be held in Port Macquarie along the New South Wales coast. The competition will be on Australia’s tidal rivers, where the kayakers will fish for golden bream. They’ll be outfitted in identically-rigged Hobie Mirage Pro Anglers.

Plastic debris found in 1 out of 10 fish sampled....

Source: SD Union-Tribune

Scientists from Scripps Institution of Oceanography at UCSD found evidence of plastic in more than 9 percent of the stomachs of fish collected during their voyage to the subtropical gyre, a giant swirling water mass in the middle of the north Pacific. Study authors Peter Davison and Rebecca Asch detailed their findings in the journal Marine Ecology Progress Series.

Of the 141 fishes spanning 27 species dissected for the study, Davison and Asch found 9.2 percent contained plastic debris, primarily broken-down bits smaller than a human fingernail. They said the number understates the true ingestion rate of plastics because fish may regurgitate the pieces, pass it through their digestive systems or even die from eating them.

Plastic debris can kill marine life and could have more insidious effects, such as concentrating poisons in larger species. The majority of fish examined in the study were myctophids, commonly called lanternfish because of their luminescent tissue.

Scripps officials have talked about another plastic-sampling voyage, perhaps to the southern hemisphere, but they said that none are planned.

Plastic pieces in the ocean are from garbage discarded on land and sea -- everything from plastic grocery bags to fishing nets. It eventually converges in an area known as the North Pacific Gyre, where trade winds can trap it for years.

The north Pacific gyre is rarely visited by ships and it has been understudied by scientists, leaving many open questions about marine debris in the area and its long-term effects on the marine environment.

IGFA approves 405 pounder world-record yellowfin tuna

IGFA president Rob Kramer has made it official on Monday, that Angler Mike Livingston's 405.2-pound yellowfin caught on Capt. Mike Lackey’s Vagabond on Nov. 30, 2010 is now the all-tackle, world record. The fish shattered what is the most coveted record of all for long-range anglers who take multi-day voyages for big fish on San Diego-based boats. It broke the mark of 388 pounds, 11 ounces set by Curt Wisenhutter on the Royal Polaris on April 1, 1977 at Clarion Island of the Revillagigedo Islands.

The official announcement will be made at at a press conference Thursday at the Vagabond booth at the Fred Hall Fishing Tackle and Boat Show in Long Beach from Wednesday through Sunday. It also will be at the Fred Hall Show in Del Mar from March 24-27 and at Day at the Docks in Point Loma on Apri 17. Also, the IGFA plans to honor the two Mikes at a reception Friday night when the IGFA will honor new IGFA Chairman of the Board Paxson Offield, the first Californian to be named to that position.

Aquaculture Plan to boost fish-farming in oceans

Federal ocean officials on Wednesday released draft policies designed to increase the supply of domestic seafood, generate jobs, spur innovation and boost coastal ecosystems. They have implications for the coastal waters of San Diego County, where a major fish farm was proposed about two years ago but since stalled.

The Department of Commerce said Wednesday that it aims to:

1) Create a business climate and technological base for industry to develop sustainable aquaculture in the United States that provides domestic jobs, products, and services while conserving aquatic resources.

2) Support environmentally sound and sustainable aquaculture innovation that increases the value of domestic aquaculture production and creates American business, jobs, and trade opportunities.

3) Advance scientific knowledge to develop and refine aquaculture technologies and methods to improve production, safeguard the environment, and sustain local food and cultural benefits.

4) Support the development and application of aquaculture technologies that provide economic and/or ecological value by enhancing or restoring depleted, threatened, and endangered wild fish stocks and restoring habitat (e.g., oyster reefs).

33-year-old tuna world record shattered with a 405-pounder

Source: San Diego Union Tribune

Long-range fishing’s most coveted record, one that has lasted more than 33 years, was shattered Monday.

Pending approval by theInternational Game Fish Association, Mike Livingston’s 405.2-pound yellowfin tuna caught Nov. 30 on Capt. Mike Lackey's 80-foot sport boat, the Vagabond, will be the IGFA’s new all-tackle, world record. The previous record was the 388-pound, 12-ounce yellowfin caught April 1, 1977 by Curt Wiesenhutter aboard the Royal Polaris, owned then by Capt. Bill Poole.

Even if it’s not approved by the IGFA, Livingston’s tuna, which was weighed in at Point Loma Sportfishing on Monday, is the largest ever landed on rod and reel.

“This is a fish of a lifetime for Mike, for our crew, for me and the entire fleet, really,” said Capt. Lackey after the giant yellowfin was weighed in on Point Loma Sportfishing’s certified scale that was checked on Dec. 2 for certification. “When I think of all the captains like Bill Poole, Frank LoPreste and all the others who paid their dues down here, it’s just an honor to be part of catching such an incredible specimen. The whole fleet shares in this. I’m still in awe of this fish. It just sets the bar that much higher.”

Livingston, 63, of Sunland, Calif., north of Los Angeles, is a long-time angler who retired recently as a school superintendent. He called the fish “a fish of a lifetime,” and thanked Lackey and the crew for the job they did.

“It was my moment, my time,” Livingston said. “I’m certainly not the best angler, but I had enough skill to reel this one in. It was just my day.”

Could Be A New World Record Blue Catfish!

The 130-pound Blue Catfish caught by Greg Bernal in Missouri will not only break the world record by 6-pounds, but could break 3 other records.

If the report was correct that Bernal caught this big monster on 40 lb monofilament line then this big fish will break the IGFA's (International Game Fish Association) Blue Catfish all tackle world record, line class world record and the Missouri State record.

According to Bernal, he fought the big monster for 30 minutes and took him another 30 minutes just to get it in the boat. The big blue catfish is awaiting confirmation by the IGFA, Bernal said that he would mount it on the wall next to the 74 lb blue catfish that he caught previously.

KVD Wins The Bassmaster Classic

Source: ESPN.com

Kevin VanDam puts on another clinic; he started big and finished big as he wins his 3rd Bassmaster Classic title. With the great career that he has built, there is no doubt that he will go down in history as the best angler ever.

Kevin VanDam grabbed the lead with a limit weight of 19 pounds, 8 ounces. KVD said that he was using a trio of baits to effectively cover the range of water in the area he was fishing. With the lake temperature remaining in the low to mid 40s, KVD said he found the fish mostly concentrated in small areas, which explains why he fished that same area in all three days of the tournament.

Congratulations KVD, you really are the greatest.

Japanese Angler Ties World Record Bass

Source: ESPN.com

The IGFA has officially certified and approved Kurita's application for record status a little more than six months after the catch. The IGFA's regulations require that a record fish weighing less than 25 pounds be surpassed by two ounces or more. Technically, Kurita's 22-pound, 4.97-ounce largemouth bass from Lake Biwa in Japan is tied with a bass nearly 1 ounce lighter that was caught 77 years ago in Georgia.

Many believed that a world record will be coming out of California, all were stunned to learn of Manabu Kurita's catch in July of 2009.

The largemouth bass is native only to the eastern United States and transplanted to every state except for Alaska as well as other parts of the world including Japan.

The previous record was caught in 1932 by George Perry in Lake Georgia. It's one of the longest standing records in the IGFA, lasting over 77 years.

Congratulations Manabu Kurita on a great catch.....

Humboldt squid wash-up!

Weird happenings Saturday morning in the shores of La Jolla, Calif.

Dozens of dazed Humboldt squid, which were roughly in the 40 lb range, were found flapping around on La Jolla Shores beach after a 4.0 earthquake hit just 19 miles off the coast of San Diego.

Whether the earthquake cause them to wash up shores, nobody knows. But it didn’t take long for the seagulls to swoop in and start feeding on the squids, when some good semaritans saw what was happening they were quick to try to help the squid back in the water.

A spokesman for Scripps Institution of Oceanography said that they do not see a connection between the squid and the earthquake, but plan to look into it.

Is It A New World Record Largemouth Bass?

Certified weight: 10.12 kg. = 22 lb. 5 oz
Length: 29.4 inches
Location caught: Lake Biwa, Japan

Congratulations to Manabu Kurita, 32, who reportedly is the fortunate angler. Early reports are that the fish was caught just before noon on July 2 on live bait (either a bluegill or a native fish similar to a bluegill).

There is sure to be a lot of controversy over this fish. If it really weighed 22 pounds, 5 ounces it will be considered a tie with Perry's 22 pound, 4 ounce bass since the International Game Fish Association requires a fish to outweigh by 2 ounces one it beats.

A 25 1/2 lb. bass was also reported netted by a fisherman earlier in the year, so many thought it would be just a matter of time before a record size fish was taken from Japan's largest natural lake.

Congratulations to the angler on a great catch.

87lb Blue Catfish Caught On 4lb Test Line

Congratulations to Adam Hinkle of La Mesa, who caught a 87-pound Blue Catfish with 4lb test line in Lower Otay Lake. Adam was fishing for bass when the big blue hit, in which apparently took him over an hour to land.

At 87lbs, this fish exceeded the breaking strenght of the 4lb rated test line by over 20 times. It also shatters the current International Game Fish Association line-class world record for that test line. Adam could have applied that record, but chose not to because he said that the fish was caught accidentally.

Tournament Schedule

Tournament director John Cassidy has announced the preliminary dates for the 2009 San Diego Saltwater Bass Showdown. The dates are not finalized yet, as Cassidy is inviting anglers to bring forth concerns of conflicts before firming it up.

Unfortunately, I did not get to fish any of the tournaments last year because of schedule conflicts. I sure hope that I get to fish at least one of the tournament this year. My buddy Doug and I fished it in 2007, the tournament that had a 5 bass limit in the combination of spotted bay bass, calico and sandbass. Although we did not win, we caught our limit with some nice fish and it was a lot of fun.

So once the schedule is finalized, I'll work it out with mine & my teammate's schedule and will look forward to the competition.

Lake Barrett Opening Day!

My congratulations goes out to the approximately 100 anglers that got to fish Lake Barrett on opening day this past weekend. The first anglers of the 2009 season to have a chance to fish for those fiery northern-strain largemouths.

Fishing reports are out on sdfish.com and looks like an epic day on the opener. I was reading reports on 2 anglers in a boat catching & releasing over 200 fish. It sounded like the anglers who were fishing on boats were averaging over 100 fish a boat. I have not read the reports from the float tubers but I'm sure they did well.

Anyways, I was not fortunate enough to get a ticket for opening day, not even the opening month. I guess I'm just not skilled enough with the touch tone phone or just plain not lucky enough. But hopefully I can get a reservation for June, tickets for that month goes on sale on May 12th so can be sure I'll be on that phone at 7:00 pm.

Again, congratulations to those fellow anglers who got to fish opening day. I can't wait to get back to Lake Barrett again and hopefully I will next month.

Can't Wait To Fish Lake Barrett Again!

It is now March, 2 more months and Lake Barrett will open. Ending months of waiting to fish it again. I fished Lake Barrett for the first time last year and fished it once more after. First time I fish it, caught a few fish only because I was not familiar with the lake. The second time was so much better, found some great spots. We found a cove that was just loaded with fishes. We were pitching plastics (lizard, worms, creatures, beavers) next to tullies. We were fishing them texas rigged with weights & weight-less on the Senkos. But the most productive was the dropshot rigs with roboworms in margarita mutator color.

Lake Barrett is unique among publicly operated reservoirs, located in locked gates in a remote area of San Diego County. It is one of only two reservoirs in the region that operates under strict regulations to protect both the quality of the fishery and fishing experience. The fishing regulations at this "zero kill" fishery calls for the use of barbless hooks and artificial lures only with all fish release.

This is a great place to fish if you are able to get reservations. Ticketmaster handles all reservations for Lake Barrett fishing. The lake is open only on Wednesdays, Saturdays and Sundays during the fishing season of May through September. Reservations are available a month in advanced, always beginning on the second Tuesday of the month at 7:00 pm. One reservation is good for up to four people and boat & motor included. I found it to be a good idea to bring in a trolling motor & battery with it. The boats are your regular aluminum lake boats which is really not ideal for four anglers, so what usually happens is that 2 people with fish on the boat & the other 2 fish from float tubes or from shore. Also, due to the fact that road to the lake passes through private property, all parties must be escorted on and off the premises. To find out more about Lake Barrett regulations visit http://www.sandiego.gov/water/recreation/barrett.shtml

Springtime is probably the best time to go and also the toughest to get reservations. You will get quantity in the spring (30+ days), but quality in my opinion is during the summer when you get the bigger fishes. The only thing about summertime that people have to deal with is the heat. Temperature can get very hot during the summer season, so we usually go at first train in and out at noon-2pm. There are no concessions at Barrett, so make sure to bring your own food & lots of water.

If you've never fish Lake Barrett before, try it. I guarantee that you'll fall in love with it just as I did!