1983 Season
 

   Geoff and I kicked off the 1983 season on July 27 with 2 Marlin. Goeff got bit again, but it turned out to be "only"  a 76 pound Bigeye.


 On August 20 another trip in local waters produced a double on Bigeye with Kenneth pulling in an 82 pounder and Carolyn an 84 pounder.


   Mid-week late in August the entire family of 6 (5 Morris + 1 Geoffrey) went to San Clemente. We went late in the day and anchored up in the cove. First thing in the morning we headed straight out and got bit barely three miles out of the anchorage. Daniel did the honors and took the fish in. The area looked real good with lots of life, but before we could put the lines back out the Navy drove up and pushed us outside of the 6 mile limit. No life, no bites, no fish. It was like kicking a kid out of the candy store and letting you stand outside looking through the window.

I had already scheduled to take the entire following week off, the week before Labor Day. Thus, Carolyn, Melody, Kenneth and I took off on early Saturday AM. That was the week-end that the North-South tournament was being held. Thus when we got to San Clemente we found a sizable fleet working. We kind of slid inside of the fleet and working off China Point hung a double. While they all watched we were able to get both of them - tagged and released.

 


    From San Clemente we worked our way up the island and anchored at Santa Barbara Island. Interestingly,  I had never been stopped by Fish & Game for license checks. But we were checked at the bait receivers in San Diego on our way out and then again at the Santa Barbara Island anchorage. Twice in one week! Not before and not since.

    The next AM we slid out to the Osborn Bank, only 6 miles away. But the wind had come up and it was down right awful out there. There were like 8 to 10' swells with the wind building. I started trolling down swell as they all slept and looked up to see marlin behind the lures, but afraid to leave the wheel. Shortly thereafter, we hung a triple which, in that weather was almost a nightmare. Kenneth's fish shot forward and cut off under the bow. I followed mine to the bow and hung on while Carolyn fought hers. Unfortunately, hers unbuttoned and we were then able to get mine. Later, we got another bite and Carolyn was able to bring hers in. Both fish were weighed at Avalon and after a day or 2 stay - back to SD.   .


  Next came the LABC Avalon Tournament. Harry, Geoff and I ran the boat up to Avalon a couple of days before the actual fishing. On the way Geoffey got one. We then decided to go prospecting and the next day ran up to the Osborn. Sure enough - we found them and got two fish. As in the tournament summaries, we blanked out up there in the tournament which was won by the "SEAMARK" with 2 fish by the late Don McAdam  

   

   

The season then slowly ended and the last reported fish was at the end of November. There were also reports of Marlin being seen off San Francisco and albacore jig boats up and down the coast reported problems of keeping the marlin off their jigs.

 Continued in 1984

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