Dream Fish
It's June 2, 2002, and we drop-anchor on a spot called "Johnson's reef" off Catalina Island. There are four of us in Gerald Lim's boat the "Inet". Ernie Schultz, a long time Fathomier, my buddy Eddie Ota, Gerald and of course me. I manage to jump in first with Ernie and Eddie following close behind. Gerald stayed in the boat to catch up on his sleep. The condition inside the bed is murky but good enough to see things. I started my dive working the inside. Without seeing any game, I then worked my way outside to the boiling rock. The kelp is laid down and I move up against current. Working on a rhythm I hang midwater waiting in ambush. While "hanging" I watch as the bait move erratically around me and notice that several have chew marks.. a good sign!! This makes me scan even harder. Left, right, top, bottom, trying to see any sillouhette of a fish but to no avail. Finally, on one dive at midwater, and about 20 feet infront of me, I see a shadow. Something's coming… I extend my gun, finger on the trigger and a few seconds later, a school of Barracuda comes into view, bunched up like a big log and swim by. I'm out of air but I extend my time waiting for the yellowtail that's usually trailing these fish… NADA, ZIP, NOTHING!!!.
I swim back to the boat where I meet up with Ernie. I tell him about the bait and Barracuda. We decide to give it another try. By this time, a party boat shows up and starts fishing close to the rock. I move in closer to the rock with Ernie staying near the bed. The bait and Barracuda are still there but no yellowtail. I look over to check on Ernie and it looks like he's heading back, so I follow. While leisurely kicking and enjoying the scenery, I notice about 25 feet down, a big head emerging from a kelp stringer. It was so big I thought it was a black seabass. I watch it swim slowly and it's getting longer, and longer. Hmmm, this can't be a black seabass? When the fish cleared the kelp stringer, I notice it's yellowish tail and it's shiny glow on the side. "Ooh... my.... God, A GIANT WHITE SEABASS!" My heart starts pounding!!! What do I do? Shoot it from the surface? Dive after it? What? I've never encountered these giants before. My mind is working in over-drive. The only thing that keeps popping in my head is "Don't blow it, Don't' blow it!". The fish is coming in my direction…I lay very quiet…I even think I quit breathing…will he see me and this be just another fish story??
The head of the fish slips under a kelp stringer, and I punch down positioning my gun where I think he will come out. It seems like forever. Finally, his head slides through the kelp and I fire for the middle of it… Thwack! …. I'm so excited I'm out of air!! I grab my line heading for the surface expecting to be yanked down by the big fish at any second!! . NO!…. It can't be!..NOTHING!!! … Once on the surface I give the line a little tug fearing the worse… "Bzzzzzz"… my reel starts stripping line almost smoking. WHAT A RELIEF!!! I yell for Ernie…. "Ernie! Ernie! I'm on, I'm on!". "What did you get?" he yells back. "A big White". I put my head back in the water and look for my fish. The line arcs down under the leaning kelp and there is no sign of the fish. I start dive-bombing all over the area looking for my fish and I can't even find the line. I back track, find the line, and pull on it feeling tension.
Then I remember seeing a sea lion swimming around the area earlier and I'm afraid he'll get my fish if I don't find it soon. I try to relax, close my eyes and think … Finally, I dive down into the murk and my eyes adjust to the darkness and… There it is… I found it! "Whoa, it's big!" it is barely moving, hung up in the kelp. I shoot up to the surface with my chest pounding. "Ok, I keep telling myself, think, think!" The first thing I need to do is to dispatch it. Its struggles will "call" the seal over for a free meal and I'll be fighting a giant seal for my fish.
Breathing up, I head down again. I make it to the fish, wrap my arms around it (its as big as a person!!) and stab it in the head killing it…one worry out of the way…. It's not going anywhere…. Ernie, like a good buddy, is watching me, ready to respond if I get into trouble. The fish is secure but I still can't get that Seal out of my mind. I keep diving trying to get the fish untangled …But… can you believe it? Just as I reach the fish, I have to turn around and streak for the top thinking I'm going to pass out. I can't believe it. Its only 30ft and I can barely make it!!! My heart is pounding, I can't breath and I wonder what its like to have a heart attack. I tell Ernie, " Ernie, I can't dive, I can't dive. Too much adrenaline" It's funny now, but I remember Ernie like a seasoned coach, calm and cool, telling me to take my snorkel out of my mouth, lay on my back, shut my eyes, relax, and take big breaths.
I followed his instructions and with this advise and his calm manner, I finally started relaxing. This guy is really a "partner" in the true sense of the word. Pretty soon I felt normal again and turned over on my belly and focused on what I had to do next. Relaxing and breathing up, I punched down reaching the fish. I took out my knife and started acting like a "commercial kelp cutter" being careful not to cut my line. Once freed, I grabbed the fish in the gills and struggled for the surface. I've made some deep dives before, but this seemed a very long way back up. Breaking the surface, I'm still in shock… I can't believe I've actually landed this beautiful Trophy fish…. Ernie and I high fived and did some hooping and hollering…it was great!!! A time in my life that I will never forget!!!
As I swam the fish to the boat Ernie, always the "partner", gathered up my "stuff" and insured I made it back. Once in the boat, we took pictures and celebrated some more. We weighed the fish and it pegged at 55 ½ lbs. on the spring scale. Later, I cross-calibrated the scale with the US Post Office certified scale and it weighed 58.52 lbs. Yeah!! My first "White" over 50 lbs… My Dream Fish Come True!!!
A big thanks to Ernie for being my "coach" and good partner, Eddie for giving me the call, and Gerald for taking us out. And of course last, and perhaps most important, "King Neptune" for honoring me with such a gift.
Article by Fil Labastida
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