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Whale-ista
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662.6-pound blue marlin caught off San Diego - thanks El Niño!
Wow! Is this size also observed SOB? And would it be released?
(I have mixed feelings about taking such an incredible animal out of the gene pool...)
San Diegan lands 662.6-pound blue marlin
Angler Matt Santora, left, shows off his 662.2-pound blue marlin that he landed on his boat, Finbomb, just nine miles off Point Loma on Wednesday
morning. Andy Vo, right, drove the boat as Santora fought the big blue for an estimated three full hours.
POINT LOMA — In what has been an ocean fishing season filled with thrilling catches of big, exotic fish from Southern waters, Matt Santora’s landing
of a 662.2-pound blue marlin Wednesday morning nine miles from Point Loma tops them all.
So far.
Santora, 34, was fishing from his 21-foot Wellcraft center console boat, Finbomb, with his friend, Andy Vo at the wheel, when a fish hit his trolled,
custom-made marlin lure made by Brett Crane of Crane Lures. It was tied to 100-pound test line. The line went screaming off, and they knew they had a
good fish.
“We were fishing for marlin and wahoo, especially marlin, when it hit the lure,” said Santora, who owns Finbomb (www.finbomb.com), a fishing apparel company. “We had a good feeling we were going to get a marlin, and when it bit, we knew it was a marlin. We
just didn’t dream it was this big. But once she jumped, we knew.”
RELATED The big hook-up: Sportfishing's superb season | Spearfisherman lands 413-pound marlin
The man vs. billfish battle started at approximately 8:15 a.m. and lasted two hours before Santora reeled it to the boat. But it was too green, so he
let it run another 45 minutes to an hour before he and Vo tail-roped it and used a pulley system to drag a specimen of a fish that measured
three-quarters as long as the boat over the transom.
Angler Matt Santora, left, shows off his 662.2-pound blue marlin that he landed on his boat, Finbomb, just nine miles off Point Loma on Wednesday
morning. Andy Vo, right, drove the boat as Santora fought the big blue for an estimated three full hours. — Courtesy photo
Santora weighed the big blue in at the San Diego Marlin Club, where members just celebrated the historic club's 84th year of being a public weigh
station for local anglers. Santora’s blue is the heaviest ever weighed at the club that was founded on Sept. 15, 1931. The weigh-in was a car-and
pedestrian-stopping event on Shelter Island Drive.
“Cars stopped, people came from all over to see the fish,” Santora said.
There’s only one fish recorded that was bigger, and that’s a 692-pound blue marlin caught by an angler identified as A. Harmann in the California Fish
and Wildlife fishing records page. He caught it on Aug. 13, 1931 and weighed it at the Balboa Angling Club on Balboa Island.
The San Diego Marlin Club's weigh-in board tells the story of Matt Santora's 662.2-pound marlin he landed Wednesday morning just nine miles off Point
Loma. — Courtesy photo
Santora was getting the fish processed at Point Loma Seafoods early Wednesday night so he could share the bounty with family and friends.
“This is my fish of a lifetime, and it’s Andy’s fish of a lifetime,” Santora said. “I fought it by myself with 45 pounds of drag. Andy drove, and when
he wasn’t driving, he fed me crackers and energy drinks. It was absolutely an epic experience.”
\"Probably the airplanes will bring week-enders from Los Angeles before long, and the beautiful poor bedraggled old town will bloom with a
Floridian ugliness.\" (John Steinbeck, 1940, discussing the future of La Paz, BCS, Mexico)
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AKgringo
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I have no problem with Mr Santora taking his fish of a lifetime, it looks like he earned it thriough years of preparation. Good job!
If it was on my line, it would probably still be swimming, we would only be able to guess at the weight, and I would be happy with a video of the
battle. No judgement, just a personal thing.
The record holder was from 1931, anyone know if that was an El Nino year?
If you are not living on the edge, you are taking up too much space!
"Could do better if he tried!" Report card comments from most of my grade school teachers. Sadly, still true!
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motoged
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My first trip to Baja was 1989....and when walking around the marina in Cabo San Lucas, a boat came in with a 800+ lb marlin....some guy from Alaska
apparently caught it....the pelicans were having a party when they started cutting it up right there....
Don't believe everything you think....
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AKgringo
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I released my first marlin fishing from Cabo in 1986, about 10 seconds after he took the bait. DAMN IT!
It was a different Cabo back then, no hotels or condos around the harbor, I miss it.
If you are not living on the edge, you are taking up too much space!
"Could do better if he tried!" Report card comments from most of my grade school teachers. Sadly, still true!
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Mexitron
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Sorry but IMHO the ocean and wildernesses will be better off when humanity's appetite for trophies is diminished. Those are the ones we should be
keeping in the gene pool, as earlier stated.
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motoged
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I might humbly suggest that "trophy" hunters and fishers be eliminated from the gene pool......
Just sayin.....
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WDVrTfFgzPk
"Poor people hunt for food , rich people kill for fun..."
[Edited on 9-24-2015 by motoged]
Don't believe everything you think....
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chuckie
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They likely feel the same way about beer swilling knuckle draggers in or on off road vehicles destroying the environment....(jest joshin
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motoged
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Cool....I'll meet them out back .
Their head would look good on someone's wall....
Just sayin' ...
Don't believe everything you think....
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SFandH
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Quote: Originally posted by chuckie  | | They likely feel the same way about beer swilling knuckle draggers in or on off road vehicles destroying the environment....(jest joshin)
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good one chuckie!
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motoged
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Yep...Chuckie is full of chuckles....
The critter isn't laughing...
http://linkis.com/N87Sa
[Edited on 9-24-2015 by motoged]
Don't believe everything you think....
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chuckie
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Motoged needs some sensitivity training....Classic case of a pot calling a kettle black....
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motoged
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Chuckie,
It is my sensitivity that leads to such a position against "sport killing"...all joking aside.
I tried hunting years ago....killed a few deer....stopped after the last kill that was simply murder....
I would hunt if I needed the food, but I am fortunate enough that I don't have to hunt to eat. I have no problem with subsistence harvesting of
critters....I just don't get it as a "sport".
When a grizzly kills a hunter, I figure it was a fair contest (bear doesn't get a gun to kill from hundreds of yards away)....
I will end my mini rant here and won't pursue the issue further.
Just sayin'.....
Don't believe everything you think....
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dtbushpilot
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| Quote: Originally posted by motoged | Chuckie,
It is my sensitivity that leads to such a position against "sport killing"...all joking aside.
I tried hunting years ago....killed a few deer....stopped after the last kill that was simply murder....
I would hunt if I needed the food, but I am fortunate enough that I don't have to hunt to eat. I have no problem with subsistence harvesting of
critters....I just don't get it as a "sport".
When a grizzly kills a hunter, I figure it was a fair contest (bear doesn't get a gun to kill from hundreds of yards away)....
I will end my mini rant here and won't pursue the issue further.
Just sayin'..... |
I didn't see anywhere in the article that they were trophy hunters looking a big fish to kill to hang on the wall. I think it said that it was being
processed to be enjoyed by many.
I typically release bill fish that haven't been mortally wounded during the fight. If I think they won't recover or are already dead I process it and
it is enjoyed by many. Big blue marlin take a long time to get to the boat especially if your gear isn't suited to go up against a 600lb+ fish. Many
if not most really big blues end up dead after a long fight, that's just the unfortunate truth.
Nothing wrong with catching a fish and keeping it to eat, people have been doing it for a long time....
"Life is tough".....It's even tougher if you're stupid.....
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chuckie
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Good! this thread was about a guy who caught a big fish and kept it...His choice...I would have released it. Not about whose environmentally
unfriendly hobby is better or worse. At this point in my life, I don't have much respect for either one. Times are changing, we must change as
well.....
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Whale-ista
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I was born across the street from La Jolla kelp beds (former Scripps hospital, now condos) and grew up at the beach, hearing stories about huge, 300
lb. groupers etc. Have eaten my share of local caught fish, abalone (now gone  )
lobsters etc.
Now... not so many big guys around, of any species.
So when I read of catches like this, well... hope they fed a lot of their friends. But as I said: I have mixed feelings. Big, healthy fish are needed
out in the big blue to keep making other big, healthy fish.
Fat, fertile females of various species are essential to keep that species going. (even us human types!)
Was this a male or female? Doubt anyone knows, but in the long run: it does matter.
\"Probably the airplanes will bring week-enders from Los Angeles before long, and the beautiful poor bedraggled old town will bloom with a
Floridian ugliness.\" (John Steinbeck, 1940, discussing the future of La Paz, BCS, Mexico)
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dtbushpilot
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| Quote: Originally posted by Whale-ista | I was born across the street from La Jolla kelp beds (former Scripps hospital, now condos) and grew up at the beach, hearing stories about huge, 300
lb. groupers etc. Have eaten my share of local caught fish, abalone (now gone )
lobsters etc.
Now... not so many big guys around, of any species.
So when I read of catches like this, well... hope they fed a lot of their friends. But as I said: I have mixed feelings. Big, healthy fish are needed
out in the big blue to keep making other big, healthy fish.
Fat, fertile females of various species are essential to keep that species going. (even us human types!)
Was this a male or female? Doubt anyone knows, but in the long run: it does matter. |
Female.
"Life is tough".....It's even tougher if you're stupid.....
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Whale-ista
Super Nomad
Posts: 2009
Registered: 2-18-2013
Location: San Diego
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Mood: Sunny with chance of whales
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| Quote: Originally posted by dtbushpilot | | Quote: Originally posted by Whale-ista | I was born across the street from La Jolla kelp beds (former Scripps hospital, now condos) and grew up at the beach, hearing stories about huge, 300
lb. groupers etc. Have eaten my share of local caught fish, abalone (now gone )
lobsters etc.
Now... not so many big guys around, of any species.
So when I read of catches like this, well... hope they fed a lot of their friends. But as I said: I have mixed feelings. Big, healthy fish are needed
out in the big blue to keep making other big, healthy fish.
Fat, fertile females of various species are essential to keep that species going. (even us human types!)
Was this a male or female? Doubt anyone knows, but in the long run: it does matter. |
Female. |
Definitely? I read they called it "she," but was that based on fact or...? (all other references are non-gender specific, "it" etc.)
[Edited on 9-25-2015 by Whale-ista]
\"Probably the airplanes will bring week-enders from Los Angeles before long, and the beautiful poor bedraggled old town will bloom with a
Floridian ugliness.\" (John Steinbeck, 1940, discussing the future of La Paz, BCS, Mexico)
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dtbushpilot
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Posts: 3288
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Location: Buena Vista BCS
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| Quote: Originally posted by Whale-ista | | Quote: Originally posted by dtbushpilot | | Quote: Originally posted by Whale-ista | I was born across the street from La Jolla kelp beds (former Scripps hospital, now condos) and grew up at the beach, hearing stories about huge, 300
lb. groupers etc. Have eaten my share of local caught fish, abalone (now gone )
lobsters etc.
Now... not so many big guys around, of any species.
So when I read of catches like this, well... hope they fed a lot of their friends. But as I said: I have mixed feelings. Big, healthy fish are needed
out in the big blue to keep making other big, healthy fish.
Fat, fertile females of various species are essential to keep that species going. (even us human types!)
Was this a male or female? Doubt anyone knows, but in the long run: it does matter. |
Female. |
Definitely? I read they called it "she," but was that based on fact or...? (all other references are non-gender specific, "it" etc.)
[Edited on 9-25-2015 by Whale-ista] |
I'm sure it is, male blue marlin don't grow that big.
"Life is tough".....It's even tougher if you're stupid.....
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DawnPatrol
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Just an aside....
I have caught a number of Blue Marlin over the years in different countries. I always release.
However (and it wasn't answered anywhere that I've seen), its possible that this one came up dead.
Many times the Blue Marlin fight so hard they basically die on the line after a couple hours and have to be planed up from the depths, dead on the
line.
I had this happen to me in New Zealand. The fish fought like a tiger for an hour, then went dead on the line way deep.
I am not saying that this happened here, but maybe not all of the story is told.
Alan from San Diego
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msteve1014
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| Quote: Originally posted by DawnPatrol | Just an aside....
I have caught a number of Blue Marlin over the years in different countries. I always release.
However (and it wasn't answered anywhere that I've seen), its possible that this one came up dead.
Many times the Blue Marlin fight so hard they basically die on the line after a couple hours and have to be planed up from the depths, dead on the
line.
I had this happen to me in New Zealand. The fish fought like a tiger for an hour, then went dead on the line way deep.
I am not saying that this happened here, but maybe not all of the story is told.
Alan from San Diego |
Good info.
Understand that most people are clueless about what happens with a 600# fish on the other end of the line.
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