2008 PFIC/UPSAC Mud Marlin Derby, Berkeley Pier

Date: June 15, 2008 — To: PFIC Messsge Board — From: northern boy— Subject: Mud Marlin Derby 2008             

All right, all right, no one else is going to do it are they? An AMAZING night at the Mud Marlin Derby 2008. 75+ folks entered and by the looks of it plenty of them showed up. Between us, in 6hrs, we caught…… one Mud Marlin.

Congratulations to Red Fish. I guess he took first, second and third place!? James G-Dude lost one early on and I saw one other break-off. Incredible to think last summer there was more bat rays than water in SF Bay.

There were a few smoothounds caught and I lost a good sized shark that looked like a soupfin. That was quite a surreal experience, it zipped line back and forth like a bat ray, then when we finally saw it and discovered it was a nice shark, I was disappointed it wasn’t a bat ray. Not a feeling I ever thought I’d have. It did the death roll and that was that.

Good company tho’, nice to finally meet Captain Sir Ken Jones and Tinle for the first time. I bought along my friend who wants to catch fish. I told him the safest bet in the world is bat rays at BP. He’s 0 for 2 now.

 Posted by salty nick  — Yeah, fishing was slow – but the food was great. Thanks to G-dude for lugging all that out there and cooking. Here are a couple pics of the sunset. Salty.

Sunset — picture by Salty Nick

Posted by mel  — Well, I guess it was just one of them days. Still, I’d do it again in a heartbeat. The trophy eludes me once again but what the heck. What a great tradition the MMD is. Congrats Red for taking home the bacon.

Posted by cheddah — That was my first time fishing BP… needless to say I wasn’t prepared for the cold and windy conditions! Thanks G-Dude for the great food for me and my friends! Saw a really big guy and thought, ‘wow that must be BigRich’ and indeed it was. Nice meeting ya! My friends and I had a good time though I think it would have been better during the day at a less windy pier but of course I know that it’s traditional to have it a BP at night.

West Coast Dave — picture by Salty Nick

Posted by raidersfan1 — Congrats to Redfish as well… was good to see folks I hadn’t seen in quite awhile once again at least since the MMD of 2007. Thanks to Brian (Illcatchanything) for the hot coffee, chili and first time try of leopard shark. Was funny to watch the folks who used the hot sauce like it was tabasco. Also to G-Dude for the pulled pork sandwiches he brought for everyone.  Also to Bob (SSC) for giving me a back support for my chair, that really helped get me through the night. Thanks Bob! Hope your surgery on the 27th goes well and that it takes away your pain. I envy you! Last thing, one of my friends who came out from Oyster Pt, had caught a baby mud marlin around 2lbs at about 15 minutes after the start, but figured it was too small and splashed it without getting it recorded. I called him today to tell him that he would have had 2nd place, he was not the happy fisherman to hear that since he came in 4th place last year missing it by ironically, 2 lbs. Thanks to everyone!.

Posted by illcatchanything — Another great MMD. Lots of fun, if only a few more marlins would have shown…. well… It was nice to see everyone and to meet some new people.

Posted by drudown — Good to see ya’ll out there and congrats to redfish. Was nice to finally meet some pier rats on the board I haven’t met. My bad I didn’t say peace Mike, my hommies were freezing their tails off.

Posted by red fish — Grammar Police wrote: Congrats Red! Sounds like a slow night but good times with friends. I wish me and the family could have made it. We all pretty much came down with a cold thurs/fri of last week. I was looking forward to more photos documenting the night?

I guess that’s how things happen, when you least expect them to. Seven years of being there every year since MMGT #1. There have been at least two years in the seven when there were no more than (4) rays total caught. Only one caught 2008. I remember not even getting a bite the year Baitchucker and his wife came and my girlfriend and I fished. Another year fishing next to Patrick333 before he got married, I broke off a good one on 15# and a sticky Penn drag before Phishinpat brought it to Alantani (the year SteveO got a nice cash prize)… my only bite of that night. 2005, I got 3rd only by 1# more than JohnTheFisherman! Every year Monte showed up, he had a big snap-off… And, of course, as you know, some years the biggest ray of the evening came after midnight… I remember freezing on almost half the events including #1 where I was huddled around the coals on the fire of Bigrich’s BBQ where we really first got to meet… 2008 is the first year I didn’t see MikeJonesJr at the event… 2nd time in (7) I didn’t really fish in the area I usually fish in. Rockfish has been there all seven years and has placed first on two. I think modesty prevented G-Dude from landing the winning fish that he snapped off this year..It was really anybody’s ballgame this year, and I thought anyone would win..I was thinking Minnow perhaps.. Mel, I got lucky this time…and, I think it was the unexpected offering that I dropped in the water to the “Fish Gods” that did it. The most memorable year for me would have to be the ray derby following the death of Stan Low where Tom Aurand purchased a special 1st place trophy that year about three and 1/2 feet tall that was won by a very talented freshwater fisherman from Mississippi, Twigger (he even told me his secret-bait, but that is not what worked for me) that caught the biggest ray to date at a mud-marlin event… The cold weather wasn’t really to my liking and could have kept me away… Event should be planned for late March or early April when spring first hits as a suggestion. Then you will see some mammoth sized fish weighed in. Time to think about other things like Tugboat and cow sharks… Thanks to the founder of the event and all that have put in time and effort to make this thing continue to happen for (7) years.. The emphasis was really on “Get-Together” this time… but, warmer weather must be the #1 priority in the future.. Bob, Jay, Theresa, and Ken ,I am glad you could all make it after prior commitments/arrangements allowed your participation… Huh, I was thinking more of the South Bay Crew would come in under-the-wire; maybe if it was shark fishing? Thanks to all that showed up on a cold summer night in the middle of June

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