By Pete Thomas
The most exotic season of saltwater fishing in modern times has featured catches of yellowfin tuna, wahoo, mahi-mahi, and many other subtropical species of game fish.
Now we can add blue marlin to the list.
Anthony Hsieh on Monday stated on Facebook that his crew aboard Bad Company caught a blue marlin at 8 a.m. between Santa Catalina Island and San Clemente Island.
“Strange fishing blue marlin in long pants,” Hsieh wrote, referring to the location of the catch: about 1,000 miles north of typical blue marlin range.
The billfish, caught after an 18-minute fight in 130-pound line, weighed 462 pounds.
It’s believed to the first local blue marlin catch of the summer/fall season–and the first in years.
Said Phil Friedman of PFORadio.com: “We’ve been waiting for this to happen all year. One was fought for four hours last month, but lost at the last minute. There have been a few others hooked. Finally someone has landed one.”
The tropical and subtropical fish species have been lured to Southern California by unusually warm sea-surface temperatures. A prolonged absence of westerly winds off Baja California and Southern California during the summer is credited for the spike in temperatures.
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