FREE! SUMMER 2007 Tune in to “Let’s Talk Hook-Up” every Saturday and Sunday 7am to 9am on XX Sports Radio 1090 AM/105.7FM ZEN AND THE ART OF ALASKAN FISHING By Steve “Goldy” Goldblatt within me. At the ripe young age of 31, I quit To avoid being shutout, I immediately tele- my job in New York City and moved to San phoned (it was September 2006) and reserved my Did you ever want to become one with your Diego. For two and a half years I cooked for spot for the June 2007 Lets Talk Hook-up Alaskan fishing tackle? Do you dream of your rod and reel fisherman (mainly on the charter with Kingfisher becoming an extension of your fishing conscious- Sportfisher Prowler out Charters and Lodge. ness? Do you long to feel that primordial fish-the of Fisherman’s’ Landing), As a CPA, the timing result of hundreds of millions of years of survival eagerly fishing on my own would be perfect for me. evolution-bow your rod and build that exquisite on precious days off. Even The tax season insanity tension in your arms? Do you seek that rarest of though my dream was in ended in April, followed moments in which the perfect convergence of air, suspended animation it by a precious month of sea, and fish allows one to literally bond with all lived on and I was getting decompression. Then... who have fished before? closer. off to Alaska! It would I hadn’t... until I fished Sitka, Alaska. Then about five years be perfect. (As an aside The seeds of my Alaskan fishing dream were ago, while listening to the here, allow me to suggest actually planted on my fifth birthday when my radio program Lets Talk early booking of flights uncle gave me a Penn reel and Kingfisher rod. Hook-up, I rekindled and to obtain the best deals For an entire tortuous year after that, my parents re-discovered my child- on tickets. In September forbade me from using a real hook... sighting hood dream. During the 2006, my tickets were less safety concerns (for others). Undaunted, I spent show, I listened to callers than $400.) the better part of two summers casting and retriev- re-live their Alaskan fish- The first leg of my ing a sinker, until I could hit piling at 50 yards ing experiences. Fly-fish- Alaskan Airlines flight with amazing accuracy. With or without a hook, ing was not my thing, so took me from San Diego to I was hooked! those stories didn’t really Seattle... the second from As a boy I further fanned the flames by gaz- grab me. But when they Seattle to Sitka, Alaska! ing at endless photos of trophy fish, reading all of talked about Alaskan deep Just the approach to the Jack London’s stories, and even reading James A. sea fishing... all my pent The “Sitka Halibut Crew” of Gary White, Sitka airport alone was Michener’s “Alaska”... twice! up fascination rushed to John Heston, Richard Maxa and Rick Time passed, I grew up, but the dream lived the surface! Maxa are shown with a days’ catch See ZEN, Page 4 EAST CAPE A PEEL By Carlos Gaudier Team Gefilte Fishers, Whiskey Tango and Huevos Grandes. During our 4 days of fishing we were ● Fred Hall shopping spree - lots of able to catch and release 3 marlin. We also caught dollars! 8 nice sized dorado, the biggest at 36.5 lbs. We ● Air fare to Los Cabos - $300 boated 19 tuna total ranging from footballs to a ● One day fishing on a super cruiser - nice 42 pounder, we were able to share these with $400 our crew. My friend Drew won the daily jackpot ● Bait - $20 on his birthday with the 36.5 lb dodo and I won ● Cervezas and burritos - $6 the jackpot on another day with my 42 lb. yel- ● No Bananas - $0 ● Catching a fish of a lifetime and See EAST CAPE, Page 3 fishing with great friends – Priceless There’s something magical about the East Cape that appeals to fishermen and INDEX non-fishermen alike. I guess this is why my friends and I have been coming back for the Hot Bites Page 2 past 6 years and counting. Every time we Protected Areas Page 2 visit there is always some new fish story and Kids Corner Page 6 wonderful memories. This year proved to be Good Science Page 7 no different. LTH Guests Page 8 The highlight of this trip was when Hookup1090.com Page 10 my friend Drew Varos and I went from No Shimano Seminars Page 11 Bananas to Top Bananas. After 6 years of Carlos Gaudier and Drew Varos of team fishing the Let’s Talk Hookup Tournaments “No Bananas” with a pair of beautiful dorado LTH Sponsors’ Trips Page 12 in the East Cape, Team No Bananas finally LTH Club Card Page 12 finished as Top Bananas of the 2007 11th An- We are honored to at last join the ranks of previ- nual Rancho Leonero Spring Tournament. ous legendary winners such as Team Malolo, HOT BITES UNDERSTANDING MARINE PROTECTED AREAS IN CALIFORNIA By Tom Raftican above, one would see two camps fornia (SAC) and the Southern of extremes. On one side we California Marine Association The nature of sportfishing in find the protectionists, those who (SCMA) to ensure a vibrant fu- California is in for some dramatic would be all too happy to close all ture for recreational fishing. In PETE GRAY & RICK MAXA changes, in particular from the fishing and access to our ocean. the north, Coastside will lead Hosts of Let’s Talk Hook-Up implementation of marine pro- On the other side, we find the the team taking a conservation tected areas (MPAs). The driving polar opposite - unbridled com- based approach to the MLPA My dad taught me how to fish force behind this use of MPAs is mercial exploiters who assume that will risk the ire of not only when I was 6 years old. One of the Marine Life Protection Act anything in the ocean is rightly the protectionists, but also of the the key lessons he taught me is (MLPA), a law passed in 1999 that theirs and fair game. Here’s the trawlers, gillnetters and longliners fishermen need to be patient. Fish requires California to reformat its rub: perception is everything who make up camp number two. bite when they want, not when current array of protected areas. and, in the public’s eyes, if we’re But there is strength in numbers you want. This was a great lesson for a young angler that quickly For better or for worse, the end against the MLPA, we’re against and our coalition members are became addicted to fishing. Pa- results of the Marine Life Protec- conservation. We are equated with working tirelessly to reclaim tients played heavily into the 2007 tion Act will not be determined the exploiters who created these sportfishing’s rightful conserva- summer fishing season. We had by the actions of recreational problems in the first place. tion heritage, that middle ground plenty to catch, great yellowtail anglers, but rather by the general Today, sportfishing is at a between protectionism and exploi- action, phenomenal white sea bass public’s perception of what is best crossroads. We recreational an- tation. We can and will balance and plenty of other good fishing to for the ocean. While fishing is glers are perceived as being in this the need for a healthy ocean with keep us busy. But everyone was important, a decade of beating up second camp. In fact, UASC (and the light footprint of recreational waiting for the albacore season. on the problems of the ocean by I personally) can take responsibil- angling— and most importantly at Some were almost panicked that recreational anglers (that’s right ity for much of this public percep- the same time maintain the widest they would never come. We had –us!), followed by environmental tion. Leading “red shirt rallies” possible access for us to pursue such early arrivals of the longfin groups singing the same tune, has through the Channel Islands and our passion. tuna in years previous, but here left California citizens with the initial MLPA process, we gar- we were in late June and still no sizeable counts of the prized tuna. impression that our ocean is on nered support from thousands of Seasoned captains reminded us the verge of collapse. Remem- anglers. At the same time, we that a typical albacore season ber that we led the fight against fueled the ire of the extremists and starts around the 4th of July. Leg- gillnets, longlines and bottom alienated millions in the general This Let’s Talk Hook-Up newslet- endary captain Bill Poole always trawls, highlighting their highly public who —through the eyes ter is published three times per said “shoot the fireworks, and then destructive nature. The enviros of the LA Times and other me- year by Let’s Talk Hook-Up, Inc. go albacore fishing”. Well, that is came later! Then, we took them dia—saw us as spoiled children Let’s Talk Hook-Up is a radio exactly what happened. The fish- on as we had taken on industrial mad about losing their toys. program that is broadcast every ing really busted loose June 29th, fishing excesses. But, as Yogi Berra so elo- Saturday and Sunday, 7 am to 9 and it’s been fantastic ever since. For recreational fishing to quently put it: “it ain’t over ‘til am on XX Sports Radio Now is the time that we really ap- prosper, we need to understand it’s over”.