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FROM THE DECK
by Captain Jack
What did you do in the war daddy?
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Mike Wilkinson of Redondo Beach displays his wartime 40 lb. Halibut taken while guarding the Hermosa Pier with his trusty underwater spear gun. |
Well Mates, this last week is one for the history books. At 5 a.m. September 11, I gets me’self-up and go down to the marina for a day of fishing. There weren't a cloud in the sky and the air was unusually warm; water temperature 69 degrees. It had all the makings of a wonderful day. Wit the boat all ready to go, I call me buddy Captain Kirk and tell him, "Fifteen minutes and we're out of here." "Not so fast Jack," he sez. "Better take a look see on the TV." "Holy Mackerel," I sez. "What the Sam Hell is going on?" "Looks like somebody has declared war on New York City," he replies.
War it was. For an hour we was glued to the box; every now and then looking at each other in unbelief. How could this be happening in America? Here's how folks, and you better sit down. Captains of their own ships cannot defend themselves or those on board. Many Captains no longer carry any means of defense. For example, two weeks ago a boat was illegally boarded in Baja by two banditos up the Sea of Cortez. The Captain was slit from ear to ear, robbed of all he had and left for dead. He was unable to protect himself.
However, the New York massacre is another matter. Not since the closing days of World War II in the Pacific has the "Kamikaze War Mentality" been used to produce such mass destruction. Airplanes were filled with explosives, flown by a kamikaze and crashed into a US target. Like twin towers, thousands upon thousands of GI's died. The rest is history...AArg...
Captain Kirk and I realized there was little we could do here in Califrisco so we decided to sit the rest of the day out on them waters thinking we would be a little safer. We have the radio tuned to the events while keeping an eye on our poles. But alas, even the fish were in shock and not biting. That's when a news bulletin over the airwaves sez, "All inland, inshore, offshore, any shore waterways, all harbors and marinas are closed for traffic by order of the U.S. Navy and Coast Guard!"
Then out of the mist comes a Coast Guard War Ship, like only 100 times bigger than our little cork bucket. They were sent to keep an eye on the oil tankers offshore from the Chevron Refinery in El Segundo. Captain Kirk sez, "Hey Jack think we better go in?" "Yep," I sez. "No need to have our catch impounded for illegal fishing. Hell, we're rite in the direct flight path of some nuke plane that could be headed for LAX. Let's get #$@# out of here!" We made it back safely and thank God so did LAX.
The next morning I called the information officer for the coast guard stationed in San Diego. I had just read to my surprise the fish counts for Diego up to Marina Del Rey. "Lieutenant, I thought the waterways were closed to all traffic. Why for, the fish counts?" "Well, Jack. We don't consider fishermen a threat to society. And, if they do get in the way of a war effort; well, you know what." "What," I sez. "No further comment," click... I tell ya what folks, that don't need no further comment...
The bottom line when asked, "What did you do in the war daddy." Forty one fishermen out of Marina Del Rey, 33, plus two dummies, out of Redondo Beach, 100 out of San Pedro and L.A. Harbor, 25 out of Long Beach and 45 out of San Diego went fishing.
AArg sez the Captain...
For those who still want to get out on them waters this "Week One," the Albacore are still biting along wit Bluefin Tuna and some Yellowtail. South of the border is great fishing. However, it's getting back and forth across the border that's the problem.
Inshore from Marina Del Rey to Rocky Point the fall Halibut bite is off to a good start wit nice counts and decent size fish up to 30 pounds. Proof is in the pictures...
Hey, keep sending those fish pic's and fish tails to the Easy Reader, c/o Captain Jack, P.O. Box 427, Hermosa Beach, CA 90254 or Email easyreader@earthlink.net. ER