IGFA Reps…Sportfishing Advocates

Kramer's appearance immediatley dispels the notion that the IGFA is some kind of ‘old boys club’ where the members sit around sipping something brown and reminiscing about the good old days.

Recently, I had the privilege to sit down with Rob Kramer, President of the 70 year old International Game Fish Association (IGFA).
Kramer’s appearance immediately dispels the notion that the IGFA is some kind of ‘old boys club’ where members sit around sipping something brown and reminiscing about the good old days. He is young, personable and possesses a remarkable knowledge of the fisheries and the issues that confront them throughout the world.
IGFA is best known as the official keeper of world fishing records for the recreational angling community. However this non-profit organization is also active in game fish conservation and in the promotion of responsible, ethical, angling practices through science, education and rule making. IGFA’s mission is accomplished by enlisting the voices of 300 official IGFA representatives in over 90 countries and more than 30,000 angler-members around the globe.

When asked the number of Representative appointees that IGFA currently had in Mexico and Baja, Rob replied, “There are seventeen representatives in Mexico, four in Baja and thirteen in mainland Mexico, the largest number of appointees in any country other than the United States.“

The IGFA Reps are not a ceremonial appointment. To qualify, each one must demonstrate a passion for sportfishing, integrity and local fishing knowledge. Once selected, they serve as the ‘boots on the ground’ liaison between the local angling interests in their respective areas and IGFA Headquarters in the United States. The IGFA Representatives also encourage conservation and supervise and confirm the weigh-ins of world record claims.

During Kramer’s tenure, IGFA and the Billfish Foundation have found a common ground which allows them to work together throughout the world, specifically in Mexico and Baja. Their combined efforts have produced both economic and scientific data which continues to influence fishery conservation issues on both federal and regional levels.

Another area of their cooperation has been to improve the method of tagging billfish by promoting the use of satellite tags in lieu of the more familiar, yet less effective, conventional method that provided limited data.
IGFA, under Kramer’s leadership, is constantly developing innovative new methods to protect marine resources and sportfishing internationally. New initiatives are expanding educational opportunities using curricula developed with the 20,000 students who come though the headquarters facility annually. He hopes to be able to provide direct feeds into the classrooms in Mexico using Internet technology.

Throughout the world sportfishing and the protection of Marine resources is a high-stake game. Mexico and Baja are no different. The politics and players are constantly changing. Huge sums of money are derived from Mexico’s marine resources by both commercial interests and sportfishing. The ongoing advocacy provided by the IGFA and its Representatives, not only in Mexico but throughout the world, is a constant reminder to the importance of preserving marine resources for generations to come.

Kramer is hopeful that the Mexican Government will heed the overwhelming evidence of the damage to marine resources caused by commercial overfishing. It is imperative to understand that the commercial interests are deeply entrenched. In many cases, fishing businesses have been handed down from father to son for many generations. Their businesses provide income and bread on the table for their families and they are frightened that any change in the law will affect their lifestyle.
For the most part the recreational angler’s livelihood is not connected to the fishery. They simply recognize the importance of establishing limits to prevent the current irreversible trend of ignoring the continued depletion of marine resources until they simply disappear.

Kramer is working to bring the recreational sportfishing interest and the commercial fishing interest together in Mexico and Baja. It is important that all of the groups resolve their differences and get on the same page.
The names and contact information for all the IGFA Representatives are available to members both online and in the World Record book published annually. They provide a valuable local resource for current sportfishing information IGFA members.

IGFA Representatives

Baja
David Jones, La Paz
Gary C. Graham, Baja California
Felipe Jesus Valdez, East Cape, Baja California Sur
Minerva Saenz-Smith, Cabo San Lucas
Mexico
Alberto Madaria H., Tampico
Angel Luis Requejo, Veracruz
Ed Kunze, Ixtapa-Zihuatanejo
Eduardo Perusquia Moran, Mexico City
Enrique Caraza G., Monterrey, Nuevo Leon
Enrique Laviada Cantrell, Merida
Javier Padilla, Mexico City
Luis Fernando Adachi K., Manzanillo
Monty Padilla, Mexico City
Moray Applegate C., Puerto Vallarta
Nassim Joaquin Delbouis, Cozumel Island
Ricardo Hernandez Carrasco, Oaxaca
Stefan Kneffel, Cancun

Talkin’ Trash

Ladyfish often called sabalo by the locals and a ‘poor man’s tarpon’ by some Baja visitors, is a species that is usually found along almost any sandy beach in southern Baja.


This isn’t about exotics or bragging rights…it is about having a bend in your rod. To paraphrase a country western song, “they like their fish just a little on the trashy side”. You know, kinda’ like the fish caught and recorded in the miscellaneous column on a party boat tally sheet.

Even when the fishing is off the charts and everyone has limited out when the boat returns to the dock, believe it or not there are some hardcore anglers who, after pausing for a cold one and a dip in the pool, are ready for more fishing.
To the extreme, I have walked out on a moonlit beach in front of a hotel after a late dinner and found a handful of enthusiastic fishermen behaving like they were in the middle of an East Coast striped bass frenzy…running up and down the beach whooping and hollering while flinging their lures into the froth of “trash” fish - in short having fun.

Ladyfish, often called sabalo by the locals and a ‘poor man’s tarpon’ by some Baja visitors, is a species that is usually found along almost any sandy beach in southern Baja. They can provide countless hours of entertainment for an avid angler.

What is there not to like? They charge a lure ravenously, strike with reckless abandon, go airborne like a rocket, and perform acrobatics like their larger cousins, the tarpon. They are, indeed a perfect, willing candidate for your light tackle of choice, including a light weight bass outfit, spinning tackle or even an 8 weight fly rod.

In the lure department, small one-ounce shiny lures are appropriate, and for the fly guys weighted Clouser minnows are good for starters. If the lure that you are using has a treble hook, cut off two of the hooks to improve your hookup ratio. If the bites don’t come, begin experimenting with different lures.
Working the beach for the “trash” is not a ‘stand in one place and cast until you get tired’ kind of thing. Keep moving. It is the old cast 1…2...3, step 1…2…3 until you get a bite. Like someone once said to me “they’ve got tails, keep moving”!

After you have made your cast, keep the line tight and let the lure or fly sink for a few seconds. Try a five count. If that doesn’t work, try a little longer. If you don’t get a bite, sweep the rod to bring the lure or fly near the surface and then let it sink again. If there are any ladies around, they can seldom resist this presentation.

Once hooked, ladyfish are usually airborne the instant the hook is felt and you need to be prepared. When you feel the bite, set the hook immediately and stick the rod tip into the water. The purpose of this maneuver is to have as much wetted surface on your line as possible so that when the lady goes ballistic, the friction of the water on the line will hold the hook firmly in its mouth. They are strong fighters and they require steady pressure; they will not settle down and will still be leaping at your feet when you release them.

Like most trash fish, they seem to feed both day and night. Once you locate a school of ladyfish you can expect to have some non-stop action. In daylight hours, watch for the telltale black tails of schools swimming close to the surface. At night listen and watch for the telltale splashes when they are feeding.

If you consider yourself a 24/7 kind of fisherman and are looking for more fishing and less sitting when you visit Baja, the Baja beach may satisfy that need with its long list of species which includes ladies, triggerfish, Cortez grunts, needlefish, cornet fish and many more that are a little on the trashy side.

PESCADORES VIGILANTES… Solution to an Old Problem?

More than a decade ago “Parque Nacional Bahia de Loreto” was established. The park covers a large part of the local fishing grounds off Loreto nearly half a million acres including islands of Coronado, Carmen, Danzante, Monserrat, and Santa Catalina.

Frustrated with the lack of enforcement, the Loreto fishing community decided to turn to an old solution with a new name.
More than a decade ago, “Parque Nacional Bahia de Loreto” was established. The park covers a large part of the local fishing grounds off Loreto…nearly half a million acres including the islands of Coronado, Carmen, Danzante, Monserrat, and Santa Catalina.

The initial plan was to control commercial fishing and sportfishing. Special permits for those entering the park would be issued. PROFEPA, the enforcement branch of SEMARNAP (Mexican Fish and Game), would supply the staff, who would supervise and enforce the rules, issuing citations, confiscating property, and arresting anyone who violated those rules.

However, resources allocated to protect the area were limited causing sporadic enforcement. Mainland fishing fleets repeatedly appeared inside the park during peak season, without permits and ignoring the regulations. Additionally, while local park users paid the required fees, visiting sportfishers were often overlooked. Park staff seldom responded to the frequent complaints.

On June 1, 2009, Laura Escobosa, the Director of Eco-Alianza, invited local commercial and sport fishermen to a meeting to consider the formation of an organization, Pescadores Vigilantes (vi gilant fishermen). This organization, sponsored by Eco-Alianza, would protect the waters surrounding Loreto.

Pam Bolles of Baja Big Fish Company welcomed the attendees, expressed her gratitude to Eco-Alianza for hosting the meeting and introduced Laura Escobosa.

Ms. Escobosa emphasized the need for local fishermen to unite in order to protect Loreto’s Marine Resources and to improve fishing, an important part of Loreto’s economy. She stated that conserving the waters surrounding the area is simply good business for the entire community and she challenged the many fishermen in attendance to insist on solutions that would guarantee the future economic stability of Loreto’s fishing industry.

Indiscriminate dumping of trash, oils, paints and other waste products cause irreversible damage to its environmental integrity. If the waters off Loreto become over-fished and polluted, the impact on the ecosystem will be devastating. The consequences on local fishing and tourism will be a serious setback to the local economy. Only by uniting can the local fishermen influence the future of Loreto Marine Resources.

While all agreed that the protection of the resources in the park is everyone’s responsibility, in a practical sense, the fishermen who work in the park must assume more responsibility by taking a proprietary interest in protecting resources that provide their income. As fishermen, they need to understand their importance to the tourist economy. They needed reassurance, however, that Pescadores Vigilantes would provide them a collective voice which would be heard when decisions about the future of Loreto are considered.
Ms. Escobosa pledged that Eco-Alianza would provide the following administrative support:

• In the past anyone observing illegal activities feared identification and possible retribution. Now there is a system which provides complete anonymity. Individuals can either call or visit the Eco-Alianza office to report illegal activities, with complete assurance that their names will never be exposed.
• The organization would also create a clearly defined map of fishing zones and no-take areas and produce a simple version of current regulations and guidelines inside the park using the latest information published by the Mexican Government.

Many other ideas were discussed including having a booth at the Marina open from 6 AM to 6 PM daily where visitors could purchase FONMAR fishing licenses and CONANP bracelets. Currently, nothing is available until after 9 AM.
Many attendees voiced their enthusiasm to help with surveillance and to report violations.

Everyone expressed a hope that others from the Loreto fishing community would join the efforts of this young organization and that the group could develop ideas to improve the fishing sector and the resources.
Before the group adjourned it was announced that the next meeting would be held in three months.

PROFEPA, the enforcement branch of SEMARNAP (Mexican Fish and Game) appears to have aggravated another local community enough to require community reaction and action. Pescadores Vigilantes’ success will depend on the strength and character of its members. The resolution to this ongoing problem is a test of wills and the outcome will be determined by the group with the most tenacity and resolve.

Swordfish…A Magnificent Obsession

USUALLY SWORDFISH WILL be seen finning on the surface; their distinctive two-finner is easy to recognize.

Even in Baja, where billfish are commonly seen, a broadbill swordfish is an uncommon sight. Seldom seen, hardly ever hooked and heralded as the catch of a lifetime when landed, one swordfish caught on a rod and reel is a remarkable feat. Catching the second one qualifies an angler to belong to an elite group of anglers and the search for the second one can become an obsession.

Roy Edgar “Ted” Naftzger spent a lifetime accumulating a record number of 49 swordfish on rod and reel. When asked about his fixation, Ted replied, “The hunt for swordfish is absolutely magnificent! You take your boat and search the surface of the ocean for your quarry. If it were easy, I wouldn't do it.”

Admittedly not every angler is going to spend a lifetime searching for swordfish, but it is still a good idea to be prepared when one pops up.
Preparation begins with tackle. Gene Grimes, former Captain of the Legend, logged many rod and reel swordfish before his untimely death. “Don’t mess around with anything but a good 80 pound outfit,” he advised. Today, a swordfish outfit should have 80 pound spectra, short mono top shot and 300 pound fluorocarbon wind-on leader with a 10/0 hook.

Bait selection is pretty simple…bigger is better. Having said that, the choice is dictated by what is available. Swordfish have been caught on a variety of baits over the years. Including large, live green-mackerel as well as dead green-mackerel that was frozen and thawed many times. Spanish (8 inch) and squid have also produced fish.

Swordfish are often seen finning on the surface; their distinctive dorsal and tail are easily recognized. They will either be milling in a circle or swimming in a straight line. The presentation of the bait should be based on their behavior and the bait you have. If your bait is alive and the fish is milling, casting to the fish is the best option. If the fish is traveling and you have dead or half dead bait, then trolling is the best approach.

If casting, once the boat is close to the finning fish, approach it slowly. Cast the bait toward the opposite side of the circle of the milling fish. As soon as the bait hits the water, strip line from the reel so your bait is swimming free. The excess line prevents the bait from being knocked off the hook during a violent strike. The fish will often eat the bait slowly, spinning downward, which accounts for a high percentage of swordfish becoming body wrapped.

If trolling the bait, run the line through an outrigger clip, allowing the bait to be placed closer to the fish without spooking it with the boat wake.
When you have a bite, let the fish run until it begins to speed up. Then set the hook hard, numerous times. If you can’t knock the fish off with the hard set, odds are in your favor that you might actually land the fish. Once the fish settles down, apply as much pressure as you can keeping the boat in gear, idling forward. In the beginning the fish will break lead going off to one side or the other. But with the pressure of the forward moving boat, it will tire and settle into a pattern. (This technique also works well on large tuna.) The fish will often come up spinning in the wake.

Many years ago while fishing alone in a 23’ Blackman skiff off San Diego, I hooked my first swordfish. After hours of following the fish for miles, Captain Grimes counseled me by radio to lead the fish. Attempting to follow his instructions and fight the fish at the same time, I idled the boat forward. Inadvertently I was steering the boat in tighter and tighter circles and it wasn’t clear whether I was leading the fish or it was chasing me! An unskilled beginner, it took me 13 hours to land the fish. Since that first fish, all our fish have been caught using the leading technique.

If you are one of those anglers who want to try your hand at a swordfish, be prepared. Think through the wouda’-coulda’-shoulda’s before the event and increase your odds of being in that elite circle of anglers who have caught a swordfish on a rod and reel.



MY FRIEND, MARK Rayor, Vista Sea Sports,East Cape, is a good example of being prepared. Mark thus far has caught three swordfish in the Sea of Cortez.

Bay of Los Angeles Yellowtail Tournament

Padre Lucas earned his nickname after performing a “sham” marriage ceremony between members Fred and Ginger Harleman in the small Diaz chapel in Bahia de Los Angeles back in the seventies.

Over the years, Baja has attracted huge numbers of visitors seeking ‘fun in the sun’, but finding so much more. I suppose the highest percentage of these have flown to Los Cabos or La Paz, enjoying what they found there and returning time after time.

However, many have ventured farther into the unpopulated areas as the villages grew into towns and took on new personalities.
Some have not been able to resist driving the peninsula exploring the nooks and crannies until they find that certain place that fits them like a glove. Often they settle in that spot and make it their home away from home. This seems to be the real backbone of Baja.

Recently I received an email from Vagabundos Del Mar Boat and Travel Club announcing a tournament honoring one of their oldest members, Ralph ‘Padre’ Lucas, who had hosted the first event back in 1974 in Bahia de Los Angeles, (Bay of LA).

The email told about that first Vag Yellowtail Tournament which was held out of Papa Diaz’ Hotel over Memorial Day. Padre Lucas earned his nickname after performing a “sham” marriage ceremony between members Fred and Ginger Harleman in the small Diaz chapel in Bahia de Los Angeles back in the seventies.

Then Mama Diaz would charge $4 per person for rice, beans, turtle and Margaritas. If you wanted to get her on your good side, you would bring her gifts of candy, Motrin and cheese. She would always ask Padre to taste the clay bowl of Margaritas and of course he would say, “More tequila”!

Primitive by most standards, Bay of LA is still one of the most beautiful bays of Baja. It is approximately 400 miles south of the Mexican-U.S. border and is reached by traveling south on Transpeninsular Highway Baja 1 to a turnoff at Punta Prieta. The entire drive takes about ten hours.

Over the years, this small fishing community has spread along the shoreline to accommodate a population of approximately 700. Services include a handful of well-run trailer parks and small motels, a launch ramp, three Pemex stations, grocery stores, a pharmacy, a museum, a medical clinic plus two runways for small airplanes along with many places to camp.

Excellent yellowtail and bottom fishing and easy access to this remote fishing village has changed little from the way it was in 1974. Today’s residents and visitors to Bahia de los Angeles can still enjoy that ‘Old Baja’ ambiance and some of Baja’s most beautiful and varied coastal seascapes as well as some killer yellowtail action.

The prized yellowtail can usually be found farther down in the water column, roughly at 90 to 100 feet. The best nearby action is often centered at the northern end of large Isla Smith (also called Coronado), where double-digit sized yellows can be caught on iron and bait over sand/gravel bars. Any of the inner islands can be good as can the deeper water surrounding the many points dotting the shoreline on the inside the bay.

According to Jay Hammer, Vag member and Tournament director, the yellows are showing in big numbers this year. The tournament will be a three day tournament on June 26, 27 and 28, 2009, with awards each day at Casa Diaz. Awards for the top three yellowtail and the top three other sport fish each day. Grand Champion for the combined weight of yellowtail plus other fish. You will need a Mexican fishing license. For updates email Jay Hammer at jayshammer@aol.com .

For those of you who are nervous about driving in Baja, caravanning to Mexico has been the mode for the Vagabundos for 43 years. There is a Travel Buddies Calendar to connect those who wish to travel with a buddy. Call the Vag office at 800-474-BAJA, or 800-474-2252, for more details.

More Bay Of Los Angeles info
http://www.bahiadelosangeles.info

A Fishmonger’s Tale

Dan Nattrass explained how the sea urchin (uni) is processed, graded and then packaged in special containers before being shipped.

Dave Rudie, owner of Catalina Seafood Products, was a sea urchin diver in the late 1970s. He began selling sea urchin to sushi restaurants in Japan. Diving during the day, he and his wife, Kathy, processed them out of his garage at night, and he, his wife and his sister, Julie, delivered them the following day. Today he has one of the largest seafood companies in California, providing a product line that includes high quality fresh and frozen fish, abalone, scallops, lobsters, unagi, masago, maguro, hamachi and premium sea urchin with nearly 90 percent of the products coming from the waters off Southern California and Baja.

Catalina’s spokesperson and sales manager, Tommy Gomes, recently offered to show me the company’s processing plant, located on a small side street off Morena Boulevard.

It was there that I met the principal buyer of the fresh seafood from Baja, Dan Nattrass. Who explained how the sea urchin (uni) is processed, graded and then packaged in special containers before being shipped. It is one of Catalina Offshore’s most popular items accounting for a third of their sales. After hearing how much time Dan spent in Baja, I couldn’t resist arranging an interview with him.

Dan’s career with Catalina Offshore began when Dave Rudie sent him down to Baja in search of seafood products, in addition to the popular sea urchin. Dave had shown Dan a live fish that he called an Estacuda (grouper) and asked him to try and find them in the Baja fish camps.

Loading up a ‘clunker’ truck with Styrofoam boxes, Dan drove down the Peninsula, stopping at the remote camps which dotted the west coast of Baja from Ensenada to Todas Santos and then up the into the Sea of Cortez to Santa Rosalia. He only wanted the fish that could be exported to the United States, called “Primira” (number 1) by the locals. That included halibut, grouper (Estacuda), yellowtail, white sea bass, huachinango, tuna, scallops, shrimp, abalone, lobster and sea cucumber.

Once Dan found the fish camps, his greater challenge was to convince the fishermen that improper handling of their catch would reduce the value or conversely, careful handling could increase the value significantly.

Initially the fishermen refused to cooperate. Changing attitudes that had been handed down from father to son for generations was a formidable task. In the beginning, in many cases the fish would come to the scale dried out from lying in the brutal Baja sun in the bottom of a panga.

Convincing the fishermen that quality of fish is all about how it dies and keeping it cool until it was delivered to the scales was essential.

Slowly Dan trained these fishermen in the strict handling procedures necessary to preserve the freshness and optimum quality. Now most of the fish is wild caught, using hand-lines to protect the undersea ecosystem and minimizing the by-catch of other overfished species. Boats now contain chilled tanks to ensure exceptional freshness, and the fish is picked up immediately as it arrives on the beach. Frozen seafood is kept in -20 degrees coolers until exported.

Dan considers scallops to be one of their most successful ventures. Baja scallops today are preferred for their taste and size. Their first delivery was 2,000 pounds, but has grown into a market requiring 60,000 pounds a year.

With his background in environmental studies at University of Santa Barbara, Dan’s goal is not to overlook the by-products created. As an example, the shells from Lion Paw scallops were being discarded. After requesting his suppliers repeatedly to bring shells to him with no success, he finally went to the city dump at Guerrero Negro, and shoveled a load into his truck. After cleaning them, he now sells them to Sushi restaurants as serving plates.

Dan Nattrass is one of the “New Breed” of fishmongers who is making a difference in Baja. With an education anchored in environmental studies his goal is to identify resources that can make a difference to the local villages and fish camp economies. With his tutelage and encouragement, local fishermen are learning how to increase their income by improving the quality of their catch delivered to the scale…not by increasing the quantity.

For more information http://www.catalinaop.com

The complete audio interview with Dan Nattrass is available http://www.bajabackroom.com

Insider Insights with Peter Groesbeck

Recently I had the opportunity to sit down with Captain Peter “Pete” Groesbeck to talk about bill fishing in both Southern California and Baja. Pete has spent over 30 years in pursuit of exceptional sportfishing in such spectacular destinations as Alaska, Hawaii, Tahiti, Australia, Costa Rica, Panama, and of course, Baja and Southern California. Currently, he is a member of the Team Bad Company, a professional sportfishing team fishing the billfish tournament circuit in Southern California and Mexico. He also works with Robert Ross, a Baja Developer of the new marina, Puerto San Cosme, http://www.puertodesancosme.com/Main.html just north of Agua Verde between La Paz and Loreto. Pete is considered by many to be one of the best Captains on the West Coast.

I began our conversation by asking how he thought the Southern California fishery compared to the Baja fishery. Pete feels that the volume of striped marlin in California has diminished while the below-the-border marlin population has remained constant or perhaps expanded somewhat. As an example, in the Los Suenos Tournament in Costa Rica last year, out of 18 marlin caught, 16 were striped marlin which are seldom found that far south.

In his opinion, the diminishing marlin in Southern California is cyclical, rather than overfishing.

Pete agrees that the fish caught off the coast of Baja, on average, are smaller than the fish caught in Southern California. The high boat totals recorded earlier this year on the Golden Gate and Finger Bank above Cabo San Lucas were mostly smaller fish in the 60 to 80 pound class, significantly less than the 120 pound average in California. Because of the warmer water and smaller size, Baja stripers are perceived to be less strong than their northern counterparts. However, he was quick to point out that during the Bisbee Cup, he had two fish, both hooked in the corner of the mouth with circle hooks, yet it took 1 ½ hours to subdue each of them.

He stated that another important difference between the two fisheries is that while Southern California marlin season is limited to a few months in the late summer and fall, Baja offers year round striped marlin fishing, giving anglers more opportunity to experiment with new techniques.

Even though the Bad Company Team has been extraordinarily successful, they spend much of their time experimenting with new techniques to improve their performance during tournaments. As Groesbeck puts it, “We are constantly mixing old and new methods that may provide that ‘missing piece’ of the puzzle in a given situation“.

Since the World Championship Billfish Release Tournament required circle hooks four years ago, The Bad Company Team has used them exclusively. Their preferred hook is Eagle Claw 2004 which has proven to be a plus. The wire hooks disintegrate quickly and have only broken in a few rare instances when buried in the bone and twisted. New anglers, unsure of setting the hook when they have a bite, can simply throw the reel in gear and wind. Another advantage to using the circle hook is when the fish sounds, the angler backs off the drag and the fish almost immediately returns to the surface allowing faster release times.

When baiting fish from the bow, star dragged reels are their tackle choice. When I asked why Groesbeck explained, “We prefer lever drags in the cockpit for drop backs. However, on the bow when we are casting to fish the star drag reel can be put in gear instantly and it works better with circle hooks. We are working with Penn on a mid-range casting reel with both a lever and star drag with detents, so that when the drag is backed off, say three clicks, it’s easy to return the drag to its original setting”.

Accurate temperature, chlorophyll and weather charts provide information that can save hours of time and gallons of fuel, eliminating areas where it is unlikely that conditions would attract either bait or marlin, allowing more time to fish the promising areas.

The team’s success can also be contributed immensely to their sophisticated array of electronics coupled with a crew equipped with stabilized binoculars.

What advice did Groesbeck offer to aspiring marlin fishermen? “Don’t fall into a rigid routine; try new methods. Mix and match techniques… don’t forget the old ones nor ignore the new ones. The one thing you can be sure of is that conditions are constantly changing. The angler who understands this and is willing to adapt will always be the one who is the most successful.”

If you would like to listen to the entire recorded interview. http://www.bajabackroom.com/