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| White marlin are an enigma. They're scrappy, they're bullies, they're inquisitive, and stealthy." -H. Hindmarsh. Fleet ready for deployment. Busy registration day- Harbor Island, 8/6/2023. |
50th Anniversary WMO. Qualifying White Marlin a no show. Say it ain't so. Must've been practicin' their stealthiness. Yet, seems like the WMO was a reflection of my year on the water. Like Whitey- a bit of a no show. Weather has made opportunities for in shore fishing scarce. Storms. Muddies waters. Off currents based on work vs. weekend schedules. Although I did catch a couple of the largest flounder in recent times. Offshore storms, beach replenishment, and resulting shorebreak has severely limited surfing on the OC. Assateague has been firing from time to time, but I cannot take advantage during the week due to starting a new job, and I have not gone after the swell available during weekends. Poor effort to grab the Assateague opportunities. SUP - paddleboarding? No excuse. been out...not enough. Even set up racks for ease of access. Great core workout- lost! Yep. Looking back on this summer... a season of no shows. And, I've felt it clear to the bones. Everyday. No Bueno when you don't get wet.
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| Angler Restaurant WMO Watch site. 8/11/2023 |
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| Shrimp, Oysters, and homemade Old Bay Chips. |
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| 33 RPM rockin' the catch. |
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| Hail the procession, 8/11/2023. |
Synopsis of the WMO: Tuna ruled the scales with a 265lb. Big-eye taking in over $1 Mil! Billfish? They were the inspiration for this post... 605 caught, 602 released. A White Marlin, too lite at 67lb vs. required 70. A Blue Marlin, too short at 114" vs qualifying 116". And the grand prize winner for the tournament, last day fishing, 118" Blue Marlin, 640.5lbs., $6.2 Mil! The Floor Real outta OC. Surveyed the last day's train of contenders from the Angler. Dinner. Wife loves the WMO. Wherever we watch it. The competition down to the wire again. Exciting. It's what makes the WMO irresistible year after year. Even if Whitey was bein' stubborn. Like me. Gotta get back. No mo no show.
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| 247lb. Big Eye Tuna |
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| Not so stealthy, and not a qualifier. Lone White at the weigh-in. 8/10/2023. |
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| Weigh-in traffic. Harbor Island, 8/10/2023. |
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| Winning Blue Marlin. 640.5lb. $6.2 mil! 8/11/2023 |
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| Ready to go again... |
Keeper brew. A fishing yacht with a marlin on the line in the graphics. How can you go wrong? Five Knots Session India Pale. 4.4% ABV makes the 16oz. 4-pack hard to put down. Hazy, yellow-gold pour. 1-finger, white, fast dissipating head. Brewed with a 3x hop variety. Citrus, and light pepper in the nose. Flavors of pine, guava, lemon, orange, and grapefruit. Nice hop bitterness of bigger beers without tasting watered down. Estimated 50 IBUs. Deserving of the B+/A- rating. Great for WMO week. Nice beer and graphics work from Big Oyster Brewing.
