Reports From the Bridge

OKUMA and the BIG GAME have teamed up on a 6 day trip over the 4th of July weekend.

It’s trip #25 departing June 29. The regular price is $1799+ permits and taxes

 We are offering this special sponsored trip for $1199  including all food,permits & taxes.

There will be great give a ways and raffle prizes from OKUMA, Eagle Claw  and A A lures
There will be loner outfits onboard. Come try out OKUMA’S newest reels

The grand prizes will be from OKUMA

MK-20II-  Makaira 20 Two Speed

CA-15II-  Cavalla 15 Two Speed

CLD-15S  Cedros Leverdrag 15

The BIG GAME will also be raffling off a free fishing pass for all open party trips departing from   Long Beach marina sportfishing next spring.

Call now to book this one it will fill fast 858 270-7525

NEED TACKLE OKUMA RENTAL PACKAGE IS 1/2 PRICE

 
tight lines and good times
IRV

ATTENTION ALL STATIONS

THE BIG GAME 90 WILL BE RUNNING  1 DAY OPEN PARTY TRIPS THIS WEEKEND FROM LONG BEACH MARINA SPORTFISHING.

THE TRIPS DEPART AT 10pm ON FRIDAY NIGHT FOR SATURDAY’S FISHING AND AT 10pm ON SATURDAY FOR SUNDAY’S FISHING.  TRIPS RETURN ARROUND 6pm.
THEY WILL BE FISHING FOR WHITE SEABASS , YELLOWTAIL AND  MUCH MORE.

THE PRICE IS $135 PER PERSON AND IF 2 PEOPLE BOOK AT LEAST 24hrs. INADVANCE THEY GO FOR $199CALL                                                                      THE MARINA OFFICE AT 562 598-6649 TO BOOK

FOR INFO ON OUR 2 AND 2 1/2 DAY TRIPS DEPARTING FROM                                   LONG BEACH.CALL US AT THE BIG GAME OFFICE 858 270-7525. 

MIKE AND THE BOYS HAVE THE OLD GIRL LOOKING  AND RUNNING GREAT.       JAKE WILL BE SERVING UP SOME OF THE BEST GRUB ON THE COAST AND THE BEER IS COLD.

 WEATHER IS GREAT AND THE WATER IS WARMING ALL WE NEED NOW IS FOR YOU TO COME ON DOWN AND JUMP ON A TRIP .

tight lines and good times
IRV

Mike, Jake, and Myself;

Would like to thank everyone who stopped by the booth last week at the Fred Hall show.

It’s very gratifying to see so many old friends and to meet the youngsters that are just getting started fishing.

We all have HI hopes for the coming season. The reports of large schools of Yellows moving up the coast and the first catches of Sea Bass had everyone excited.

For those of you who thought that OKUMA reels where just another second class offering from over seas. You got to see and handle their new offerings. Most of you we talked to after handling them where quite impressed with the quality of workmanship and innovation showen in the entire line.  Mike and the crew can’t wait to give them a try.

For those of you who didn’t make it up to Long Beach we will be at the Del Mar show                              March 24 to 28. stop by and say hello and we can exchange sea stories.

Remember if you purchase $200 worth of OKUMA tackle at the show you will receive a 50% off coupon for any BIG GAME 90 2010 trip and be entered into a drawing for a  trip. on the BIG GAME.

If you can’t make it to the show you can still save 50% on selected trips if you book one before April 15 see our show special add on  biggame90.com

tight lines and good times
IRV

Anybody who has followed the MLPA process shouldn’t be surprised that these shenanigans are coming to light.  It’s mostly surprising that the arrogant SOBs thought they could get away with it.

Here’s something written by Jim Matthews that you should read and share.  Jim is a well known and respected outdoor writer (and apparently investigative journalist too).  Jim gave me permission to post it in its entirety here.

ONTARIO — The first wave of hard evidence documenting the corruption and conflict of interest that has guided the implementation of the 1999 Marine Life Protection Act surfaced at the meeting of the California Fish and Game Commission at the Double Tree Inn adjacent to Ontario International Airport on Wednesday.

The Commission accepted public testimony again on the so-called Blue Ribbon Task Force’s recommended ocean fishing closures and protected areas along the Southern California coast before adopting a final plan. During this testimony documentation was provided that proved that two members of the Blue Ribbon Task Force, Bill Anderson and Greg Schem, lied to the Commission at a recent meeting about having a business association, and Bob Fletcher, former president of the Sportfishing Association of California who has been involved in the entire MLPA process, said there was evidence that both members agreed “to sign off on everything else” in return for not putting a reserve on the Rocky Point area between Redondo Beach and Long Beach where both had marinas and business interests.

Fletcher and others at Wednesday’s meeting say this is just the tip of the iceberg. Sportfishing groups are gathering evidence on three other issues that have plagued the process.

First, Michael Sutton, a member of the Fish and Game Commission and a key support of vast closures, has been charged with conflict of interest and repeatedly asked to recuse himself on all MLPA issues. Sutton works for the Monterey Bay Aquarium, which stands to benefit financially from Department of Fish and Game funding to help implement and monitor marine protected areas. But when a complaint was filed with the state Fair Political Practices Commission last year, it wasn’t investigated. Sportfishing groups are looking into tampering with the issue from the governor’s office.

In an incredible case of irony, Sutton is also on the FGC’s Marine Resources Subcommittee with Commissioner Richard Rogers, and recused himself recently when the issue was collection permits because his employer, the Monterey Bay Aquarium, has a vested interest in the collection permits.

Second, there is growing evidence that former Fish and Game Commissioner Cindy Gustafson, was asked to resign when she, along with two other Commissioners, questioned the science involved in some of the proposed MLPA recommendations. She was replaced by Don Benninghoven solely because of Benninghoven’s support of the most restrictive MLPA designations, giving the closure supporters a 3-2 majority on the Commission. Benninghoven came to the Commission after a two-year stint on the Blue Ribbon Task Force.

Third, at least 12 of the members of the MLPA science advisory team are fully or partially financed by grants from the Packard Foundation and Ocean Protection Council, both which have been outspoken proponents of the MLPA process’ most restrictive protections, including vast areas closed to all fishing. This is a massive conflict of interest that has led to egregious recommendations. For example, the science advisory committee refused to consider catch-and-release sport angling and sport take restrictions as a management option that was less damaging to the marine environment than unrestricted commercial fishing. A catch-and-release angler fishing barbless jigs for calico bass was the same as a commercial gill net to the majority of the science advisory team.

“They’re all pro closures. Of course they are, that’s the way they’re making their dough,” said one sportfishing industry representative.

Sportfishing interests have said the whole public process was a sham after the Blue Ribbon Task Force essentially ignored the proposals from the three volunteer study groups who labored for 18 months before forwarding their own recommendation to the Fish and Game Commission, which was a breach of what the volunteers had been assured would happen at the outset.

The Blue Ribbon Task Force has also refused to take into consideration the state’s economy and budget, and how closures will affect business and recreation in the region. Its members repeatedly exhibited a cavalier attitude toward the very real economic impacts.

Fletcher said it was likely, with the state’s budget crisis, there won’t be funding to finance the MLPA. Last year, the legislative budget office stripped all funding of the MLPA implementation out of the Department of Fish and Game’s budget, but its funding was continued by from the governor’s office by backfilling with Proposition 84 funding. This year, the budget office is again likely to recommend that funding be stopped — and that Prop. 84 are not used again.

“The whole process is rife with conflict of interest,” said Fletcher. “It has been hijacked.”

Hay Boys and Girls

Mike, Jake and I are off to the Fred Hall show In Long Beach

Stop buy the and say hello We will be next to OKUMA 

Check out some of the show specials we have.

tight lines and good times
IRV