Episode 7: SWORDGE. Tales of a 440lb monster Swordfish.

In this weeks episode I recap the 2021 International Masters Sailfish Tournament that took place, March 2-4. I caught about the tournaments unique format and scoring as well as share some tips and thoughts on success. Other topics include the Seaspircacy documentary and aftermath. Also the controversy surrounding the World Surf Leagues endorsement of 30x30 and the fallout from that. 

This week, Chase recap's what it takes to go toe to toe with a Swordfish solo.  The battle included losing multiple gaffs, a tangled leader and radioing in a friend for help at the end. The second half of the podcast is about Chase's recent trip on the Malolo research vessel as they hoped to deploying satellite tags in Swordfish and also deploy a new prototype SPOT tag in a Striped Marlin. 

Im joined by Geoff Hersch, Owner/Operator of fishing vessel HOOKED, out of Dana Point. We discuss the Balboa Angling Club's 2020 Masters Billfish Tournament. Geoff captained the winning team this year and we discuss strategy, tactics and tournament techniques. I also force Geoff to relive his agonizing 2019 Deep Drop Swordfish season and recount his several near misses with the KING (Broadbill Swordfish). 

Joined by Surge Vasquez and wife Bim, to recount their recent battle with a monster Swordfish. Surge already has a few big swords to his name in his short deep drop career, but the 440 is as big a rod and reel Sword as we've seen in recent memory. Enjoy the first hand recap on this memorable battle! 

Captain Steve Lassley is a legend in Southern California. He has had success at all levels of his career. From starting out as a commercial fisherman at 17 to running the largest sport fishing fleet ever assembled. Get an insight into what it takes to build the winningest teams in saltwater fishing history from one of the greatest of all time. Success in fishing is not a matter a luck, rather it's long, long hours and preparation.  

In this episode I'm joined by Michael Fowlkes, Executive Producer of the Inside Sportfishing television series. We talk about how he got into making a fishing show, the effects Covid-19 are having on the fishing world, deep drop swordfishing  and his new project, The History of Sportfishing. 

How can you know how old a white sea bass is? What can the sounds that white sea bass make when they’re spawning tell you? How does the sea bass population in a given area relate to squid nests in the area? Today’s episode focuses on White Seabass. Today’s guests are Chugey Sepulveda and Scott Albers of PIER, the Pfleger Institute of Environmental Research, who has appeared on this podcast previously. Listen in to hear today’s guest discuss commercial and recreational fishing of white sea bass, and hear what they have to say about studying recordings of white sea bass sounds, where white sea bass go when they’re not spawning, and why fishing for sea bass in Mexico is different from fishing for sea bass anywhere else.Topics Discussed in This Episode● Studying white sea bass spawning patterns by recording the sounds that they make● What the frequency and intensity of sound a sea bass makes can tell you● How the recordings are recovered● The purpose of listening for sounds that indicate spawning● Where white sea bass go when they’re not spawning● Why sea bass are often found near squid nests● Why the really big sea bass found along the coast aren’t usually found by the Channel Islands● How the squid’s population relates to the white sea bass population● Why sea bass may be following sardines● The methods of commercial sea bass fishing● How commercial gill net operations work● How much commercial fishers catch as opposed to recreational fishers● Bluefin fishing● Whether the squid spawning coincides with the sea bass spawning● What is known about how sea bass age● The difference in size and maturity for male and female white sea bass● How length growth slows as sea bass get older● What the otolith can tell about sea bass● How fishing for sea bass in Mexico differs from other methods of sea bass fishing● Plans for sea bass fishing this year● What kind of year this will be for sea bass fishing

The thrill of victory and the agony of defeat. Fishing the worlds RICHEST fishing tournament. Getting tested for mercury and uranium from fish consumption and what it means. What’s it like to build your own boat? In this episode of The Offshore Explorer, Ryan Griffin shares his experience with designing and building his own boat –both the good parts and the bad parts, and would he do it again? Topics Discussed in This Episode●Ryan’s hair analysis for toxic metals ● Why big fish carry the most metals ● What chelation therapy is and why it might be needed ● How to get hair follicle tests for toxic metals●How Ryan got the idea to build his own boat ● Ryan’s inspiration when he was planning what kind of boat to build ● How long it took to finish Ryan’s boat ● Solo fishing ● How Ryan got temporarily blinded while welding on the boat ● How Ryan named his boat ● The fishing tournament scene in Cabo ● Ryan’s first swordfish with a rod and reel (it was a pig) ● Trolling for marlin ● Tournament fishing 

In this episode I sit down with Ryan Griffin and discuss his experiences in the outdoors and his incredible 2019. Ryan is one of the local heavies when it comes to Seabass and Bluefin. He also was one of the few who managed to score big on the deep drop frenzy last year. We also discuss his passion for Steelhead and the importance of protecting our secret honey holes. Various other topics include state fishery management, Insta-fame and building your own boat. I also dive into Ryan's sushi expertise and how our consumption of large pelagic's could be affecting our health. Lastly we recap the 2019 Bisbee's tournament and his experiences in the big game money scene. 

The Offshore Explorer Podcast – Episode 1How long does a swordfish live? What are the best methods to catch swordfish? Where do they go when they are not here? How old is a 50lb. Seabass? These are some of the topics that will be covered in today’s episode.Today’s guest is Chugey Sepulveda of PIER, the Pfleger Institute of Environmental Research. Chugey is a fisherman and research scientist who holds a Ph.D. in Marine Biology from the University of California San Diego. Listen in to hear what Chugey has to say about his work studying white sea bass and swordfish, the importance of applied science in fisheries, and the deep dropping method of fishing for swordfish.Topics Discussed in This EpisodeDeep dropping in 2019Chugey’s background in marine biologyWhite sea bass population cyclesThe age of a 50-pound sea bassWhat led to the transition in focus from sea bass to swordfishWhy there aren’t a lot of swordfish near the surface in some yearsHow to tell the difference between female and male swordfishThe reason for importing swordfishWhat mousetrapping meansIntegrating deep dropping into a fishing communityWhy deep drop fishing is so effectiveWhat swordfish eatWhat to look for when choosing a swordfishing spotWhat the tagging shows about which fish leave and which fish stick around all yearThe distribution of weight in the swordfishStudies on aging swordfishHow long swordfish can liveHow the mythos of the swordfish applies to the deep drop techniqueWhether swordfish school upMinimizing discardsFishing for opahWhy it took so long for California fishermen to start deep droppingQuotes From the Show“Any fish that gets together to spawn and spawns in a small little aggregation spot, makes them real susceptible to commercial gear. Also recreational gear.”“Understanding how old a fish is at its maturity, that’s a real important question. That’s applied science.”“When you’re harpooning when they’re not finning, I mean, that’s painful.”