Official Newsletter of Marina Del Rey Anglers fishing club May 2012

April Member Meeting

(and fishing) aboard the Betty-O

Club Members and Guests enjoyed a private charter and discounted rate to fish aboard

the Betty-O. As evidenced by the turnout, members were anxious to get out on the water,

and the setting was ideal. Great company, nice weather, and smooth sailing. Just look

at all the smiles! Everyone aboard enjoyed the opportunity to do what a fishing club is

supposed to do. Hang with old friends, make some new ones, and snag a few fish

between beers. Excellent tune up for the Halibut Derby now just around the corner.

Special Thanks to

Captain Mike

for making the price nice,

Stan Zisser for organizing,

and the crew of

the Betty-O

for the excellent service.

They worked hard to keep

everyone smiling.

Thanks to Keith Lambert

for capturing it all.

Marina Del Rey Anglers

will host the famous pre-derby

fishing seminar on May 10, 2012,

at 7PM at Burton Chace Park in

Marina Del Rey.

The MDRA Board is pleased to an-

nounce Captain David Bacon will

be the guest speaker and leader

of this important fishing seminar.

This year the derby has expanded

the eligible species to include

halibut, white seabass, calicos

and other fish and Captain Bacon

is a top pro with acclaimed exper-

tise in all of these species.

Several winners of the last 5

years of MDR Halibut Derbies

have attended the pre-derby

seminars because of the vital

information shared by speakers

and fellow derby anglers so

attendance is strongly recom-

mended.

Captain David Bacon is well

known to all Southern and Central

California anglers. He is the

owner and captain of Wave Walker

Charters in Santa Barbara, owns

Hook, Line & Sinker Bait & Tackle

in Santa Barbara, is Staff Writer

for Western Outdoor News, Senior

Editor for Pacific Coast Sportfish-

ing magazine, Columnist,

Noozhawk on-line news service

and is a frequent guest personal-

ity and speaker at regional fishing

conventions, club meetings and

radio and TV talk shows.

May 10th Membership Meeting & Halibut Derby Seminar

May 31st Free fishing class on Shimano Rods/Reels June 9th and 10th 37th Annual MDR Halibut Derby June 24th Youth Fishing Day at the Docks July 10th – August 15th Youth Fishing Program July 29th Annual Club Tuna Trip aboard

the Ocean Oddyssey

Member Fish report

Steve Santen and his limit of

2lb trout at Crowley lake

Richard somers and his snook

out of florida bay

YOUTH FISHING AT IT’S BEST

On April 29th I had the pleasure of taking my

daughter as well as my neighbor’s daughter out on

the water for a ½ day of fishing on the New Del Mar

out of MDR Sportfishing. My daughter, Madeleine,

is the glorious age of 8 while Charlotte (pictured be-

low) is a wonderful 9. This was Charlotte's first deep

-sea fishing adventure, a special day indeed.

Though I’ve been in love with fishing since I was a

young lad, I realized that a day on the water with kids

should be all about the kids. If I was able to get

some fishing in, well, that would be a bonus.

On the way to the docks, we stopped by our local

Ralph’s (one of our many generous YFP sponsors last

year) near dock 52 and let the girls pick up some

snacks. Allowing the girls to eat what they want,

when they want, just added a special feeling to what

would hopefully be a memorable day.

We arrived at the dock and got in

line with the rest of the throng. Rick

Oefinger, the owner/operator of

Marina Del Rey Sports-

fishing greeted the girls

as well as other passen-

gers. He exuded positive

energy and told the girls

how much fun they

would be having on the

water. I showed the girls

where to stow their bags

and rods and explained

the two rules of being on

a boat. Rule 1, “no run-

ning." I explained if

they fell and hurt them-

selves or another person,

it would be a long way

back to land and this

could end the trip and

ruin the trip for every-

body. Rule 2, do not en-

ter the Captain’s area

without permission of

the captain. Other than

that, enjoy, eat what you

want and explore.

Once the boat was loaded and head-

ing out, the captain announced we

would be targeting rock fish and I

started rigging up the girl’s rods. It

was a bit breezy and the girls loved

the adventure of the wind and spray

as well as the motion of the boat

once we cleared the breakwater. I

think some children might have had

some trepidation in such a situation,

but having 2 kids aboard, not one,

added some needed peer pressure.

At our first of three stops, I showed

the girls how the squid strips were

put on the hooks and how the reels

worked. In addition, I let the crew

know that the girls would need help

through-out the day. The crew

aboard our local boats really

worked to make it a great adventure

for all, but seem to give extra atten-

tion to children, understanding that

they will be the future of fishing.

Once down on the bottom the girls

waited patiently for something to

happen. Unfortunately the first stop

was a bit slow, with just a few fish

for all 50 passengers. The captain

quickly pulled anchor and moved on

to another spot.

The 2nd stop was pure magic with

most everyone aboard pulling on

fish including my two young an-

glers. They dropped down, felt the

bites and when the rod went bendo,

we reeled them up. The girls

screamed with joy and exclaimed

what a long way down it was. A few

times I had to help keep the rod

held to the rail so that it didn’t go

flying about when they reeled, but

that is part of hosting kids.

The look on the girl’s faces when

one and sometimes two fish came up

at a time was worth the money spent

and time dedicated; ad-

ditionally it vicariously

brought me back to my

youth when summers

were spent chasing fish

and dreaming of the

next big one to get

hooked up.

The girls did get a little

bored during the inevi-

table slow periods,

stopped to snack and

walk around the boat,

but always came back

for more fish. Addition-

ally the captain hooked

and handed a few larger

fish for the girls, and the

other anglers were very

accommodating when

the girls ventured out to

try new areas of the rail

for fishing.

After 3 hours of fishing we pulled

anchor and headed back. The girls

got patiently in line and waiting for

their turn to have fish filleted. They

each kept 6 of the fish they caught,

not bad for veteran Madeleine or

her new fishing buddy and first time

angler, Charlotte. I hope they will

both remember this day forever.

Seeing their beaming faces and

hearing their laughter will be for-

ever etched in my memory.

If you have kids, grandkids, great

grandkids, nieces, nephews, etc.,

MDRA has a free youth day aboard

the Betty O this summer on August

15th. I hope you will join us with

your favorite kids to enjoy a pas-

time so near and dear to our club.

-Joshua Gerson

YOUTH FISHING AT IT’S BEST continued

Member Fish report continued

Vintage Scoop

$450 NonMembers

$425 Member Price

New Club Shirts and Membership cards

will be distributed at the May 10th

Meeting/Derby Seminar.

Free to Members in good standing.

Ask for yours!

Your MDRA club membership card

entitles you to discounts at these fine

establishments. Show them we

appreciate their support.

Patronize and save!

8516 Lincoln Blvd. (At Manchester) Westchester, CA 90245 (310) 645-1220 www.Italyslittlekitchen.com 15% Discount

4915 W. Rosecrans Ave Hawthorne, CA 90250 (310) 679-1122 10% Discount excluding reels

Moving estimates call: Ted Cotter: 818-708-1890 or 818-515-0158 www.InsideMovesRelocation.com 10% off Labor for any move

4039 Lincoln Blvd Marina Del Rey, CA 90292 (310) 305-1001 www.shermangallery.net 20 % Discount

Alaska Legacy Fish Camp LLC, Guide Alan Tappan Toll free (800) 620-3474 Mobile (907) 252-5907 www.AlaskaLegacy.com 10% off June 1-8 & 15-20 and Aug 29-Sept 10 for up to 4 anglers

Notice to Members We are currently participating in the Ralphs Rewards Community

Contribution Program. Register with the program, and a percentage of your purchases will be donated to the club. Donations are growing thanks to mem-

bers that participate. Do your part. It’s easy! Follow the instructions below:

Marina Del Rey Anglers 4230 Del Rey Ave. Box 530 Marina Del Rey, CA 90292

To: