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Bob Vanian

Fishing Reports for: Freebie Reports

Wednesday, September 25, 2024 @ 1:49 pm

The International Game Fish Association (IGFA) is hosting the 2024 SoCal Swordfish Open on November 8-10, 2024 and you are invited to participate! 

The big news about the change in this year’s tournament is that it is returning to the former format of being a swordfish only tournament.  The fishing days are Friday, November 8, 2024 and Saturday, November 9, 2024 with the Awards Ceremony being at the Dana Point Yacht Club from 1 PM to 5 PM on Sunday, November 10, 2024.

      There are awards to be given in an Angler Category, a Top Junior Angler Category, a Biggest Fish Category and a Top Team Category.  The awards are highlighted by the First Place Team Prize of a fishing trip out of Newport Beach with Badco Fishing Adventures and Team Bad Company aboard their custom 92 foot Jones-Goodell yacht.

       Boats may depart from any port and the tournament boundary is a 115 nautical mile radius from the Newport Beach Bell Buoy.  It is not a line class tournament and the maximum line class allowed is 60 kg.  All the rules and details about the tournament itself, the tournament entry and on line registration are available at the IGFA website at: https://igfa.org/socalswordfishopen/#1571924032808-d0ab6270-c14e

      I hope you can come out and participate in the event and that you enjoy the 2024 SoCal Swordfish Open!

Friday, July 12, 2024 @ 7:25 pm

Friday, July 12, 2024 at 7:25 PM —Marlin Report

      It was a nice day out on the water today with some breeze and chop. It was a mostly cloudy morning that turned into a mix of clouds and sunshine during the afternoon.

     The NOAA Coastal Waters forecast for Saturday covering the area from Point San Mateo to the Mexican Border and out to 30 nautical miles calls for a variable wind of less than 10 knots.  “Seas” are projected to be 3 feet.

    The NOAA Outer Waters forecast for the same sector but out between 30 and 60 nautical miles offshore including San Clemente Island calls for a variable wind of less than 10 knots that will become a 10 knot southwest wind during the afternoon.  “Seas” are projected to be 3 feet. 

     As always, be sure to check the latest marine weather forecast before you go boating or fishing.

    The Mexican authorities have recently been checking boats for proper paperwork and licenses at the Coronado Islands. I recently heard something on the radio that made me think a couple of private boats might have been towed into Ensenada but I do not know that for sure. As always, make sure all your paperwork is in order and that you are in compliance with all fishing and boating regulations in Mexico and elsewhere.

       When fishing in the region of a tuna pen in Mexican waters anglers need to keep in mind that Mexican law prohibits recreational fishing activities within 250 meters (820 feet) of commercial fishing vessels, and fixed or floating fishing tackle.  The Mexican law specifically mentions that tuna pens are considered to be commercial fishing vessels that are covered by this law.

   Marlin Report Update:

     There was a boat that has been out looking for marlin in the Catalina Channel region for the past couple of days and he has not found any marlin activity in the places where marlin were seen last weekend such as the 14 Mile Bank and the 267 Spot.   This afternoon he was looking around off San Onofre and said he might go looking for marlin outside of Palos Verdes tomorrow.

     I have not heard any recent marlin sightings in the San Diego area.

Wednesday, May 15, 2024 @ 2:45 pm

!     I want to let you know that The Marlin Club is putting on their 22nd Annual Spring Shootout Tournament this Saturday, May 18, 2024.  The tournament is open to the public with an angler entry fee of $75 per angler.  The tournament’s target species are tuna, yellowtail, white seabass and halibut. There is also an optional $500 entry fee per boat for the High Boat Jackpot and an optional $100 entry fee per angler for the Big Fish Jackpot.

     The event is open to the public and you can get the Entry Form and the rules at The Marlin Club web site at www.themarlinclub.com .

     The registration deadline is 5:30 PM on Friday, May 17, 2024 at The Marlin Club located at 2445 Shelter Island Drive in San Diego.  At this date, the best thing would be to drop off the registration form with the payment at The Marlin Club prior to the 5:30 PM registration deadline on Friday, May 17, 2024.  There is also a Captain’s Meeting at the Marlin Club at 6:00 PM on Thursday, May 16, 2024.

     “Lines In” is at 3:00 AM on Saturday, May 18, 2024 and “Lines Out” is at 6:00 PM on Saturday, May 18, 2024.  Weigh in is at The Marlin Club located at 2445 Shelter Island Drive in San Diego between 3:00 PM and 7:00 PM on Saturday, May 18, 2024.  All fish must be brought to The Marlin Club by water for official weighing in the boat in which they were caught.

     The Awards Celebration is on Sunday, May 19, 2024 at The Marlin Club, 2445 Shelter Island Drive, San Diego, CA.  A meal is provided to tournament anglers as part of their Tournament Entry and meals are also available for purchase for non-participants.

      I hope you can come out and support The Marlin Club, have some fun, enjoy the tournament competition and catch a winning fish!

Monday, April 1, 2024 @ 2:00 pm

Day At the Docks is on Sunday, April 7, 2024!

     I am happy to let you know that one of the top fun events of the year is back as the San Diego Sportfishing Council’s and Port of San Diego’s Day at the Docks is scheduled to be held on Sunday April 7, 2024. I hope you can attend!  Day At the Docks is always a fun and festive outdoor celebration in anticipation of the fishing season that lies ahead and it offers lots of things to see and do.  Lots of specific information about Day at the Docks can be accessed at http://www.sportfishing.org/.

     One of the great things about Day at the Docks is that admission is always free!  The Day at the Docks festival will be held at the parking lots where Point Loma Sportfishing, H&M Landing and Fisherman’s Landing are located in Point Loma.  The street address of Fisherman’s Landing at 2838 Garrison Street, San Diego, CA, 92106 will get you there. There is free parking on Shelter Island and free parking shuttles between Shelter Island and the event will be running between 8:00 AM and 6:00 PM.

     There will once again be lots of exhibitors at this year’s event and 976-Bite Fish Reports will be one of them.  The exhibitors will include tackle manufacturers, marine artists, fishing clubs, tackle retailers, food vendors and more. 

     I hope you can attend and enjoy the celebration of the upcoming fishing season and if you can be there, please stop by the 976bite.com booth and say hello.  We still have bargain pre-covid era pricing on our web site subscriptions, t-shirts, men’s tank tops and women’s tank tops. It gets even better as in addition, we will also be offering show specials on 6 month and 12 month web site subscriptions and renewals. If you have time remaining on your existing web site subscription, we can add the renewal on to the end of what you have remaining on your existing subscription so you can take advantage of the show promotions.

     I am told that our booth will be in the parking lot near Point Loma Sportfishing and that we should be facing the Point Loma Sportfishing office.

     In addition to all the exhibitors, many of the boats of the San Diego sportfishing fleet will have open houses so you can go aboard and check them out and talk to their Captains and Crews about their boats and about the upcoming fishing season.  Some of the boats will be offering rides around San Diego Bay for $4.00 per person.     

     Fishing and boating seminars from expert speakers will be going on throughout much of the day.  The seminars usually cover topics such as fishing techniques, knot tying, rod selection, rigging techniques and much more.

     There are plenty of fun things for kids to do that include free kids fishing area for kids from 4 to 12 years of age that is sponsored by Okuma Tackle and Everingham Brothers Bait Company with expert assistance provided by the San Diego Rod and Reel Club and by the San Diego Anglers.

     There will be contests for casting and knot tying. 

     The Catch, Prep and Cook Center will be presenting ideas and techniques to improve the enjoyment of your catch.  The cooking seminars will be aboard the vessels Ocean Odyssey and Horizon at H&M Landing.

      Live bands will be playing throughout much of the day and there will be some great giveaways via raffles.  There are thousands of dollars in prizes available that usually include fishing trips and fishing tackle.

     There is free parking on Shelter Island and buses will be running free shuttles between 8:00 AM and 6:00 PM.

      Day at the Docks is put on by the San Diego Sportfishing Council and their web site provides more information about the event at: http://www.sportfishing.org/  

     I hope to see you there!

     Bob Vanian

    976-Bite Fish Reports  www.976bite.com

Thursday, February 15, 2024 @ 9:58 am

       Re: The Bart Hall Show at the Del Mar Fairgrounds Starts Today, February 15, 2024!

      Hello All,

      Just a quick reminder that the Bart Hall Show in Del Mar starts today and runs through Sunday, February 18, 2024.  I hope you can attend and want to let you know that the 976Bite.com booth number is #414.  We are adjacent to the double wide sized booth for the Dan Hernandez show and are across the isle and not far down the isle from the large space occupied by Costa Sunglasses. 

     I am expecting another great Bart Hall Show and hope you can come out and enjoy the show.  If you can attend, please stop by the 976bite.com booth to say hello, take advantage of the show specials on web site subscriptions and maybe pick up a t-shirt or two.  It is a chance to get show specials on our goods and services that are still available at pre-covid era prices.  I have a brand new insulated fish bag for sale as well.

     All the details about the show are at the Bart Hall Show web site at https://hallshows.com/ and you can buy your tickets on their web site as well.

     I hope to see you at the show!

     Thanks very much,

      Bob Vanian

Saturday, February 10, 2024 @ 1:09 pm

The Bart Hall Show in San Diego is at the Del Mar Fairgrounds from Thursday, February 15, 2024 through Sunday, February 18, 2024!

     The Bart Hall Show in San Diego at the Del Mar Fairgrounds is back again in 2024!  The show begins on Thursday, February 15, 2024 and runs through Sunday, February 18, 2024.  Show hours are noon until 7:00 PM on Thursday and Friday, 10:00 AM until 7:00 PM on Saturday and the show goes from 10:00 AM until 5:00 PM on Sunday. 

        The Hall Shows have traditionally been the greatest fishing and boating shows in the San Diego area and there is every reason to think that this year’s Bart Hall Show will live up to that same high standard. I hope you can attend and share in the fun!  The Del Mar Hall shows have been known for a casual and relaxed atmosphere where exhibitors have time to talk with customers in a non rushed atmosphere.

    The Bart Hall Show has something for the whole family with plenty of things for kids to do including a free trout pond.  Kids 15 years old and younger get into the show for FREE with a paid adult ticket and can fish for free at the Mammoth Lakes Kids Free Trout Pond!  Other great kid’s activities include the Ultimate Air Dogs presented by Turner’s Outdoorsman, the Jon Petty Goldsmith and Convict Lakes Resort American Duck Races and the Okuma Bass Tank.


     I hope you can come to the Bart Hall Show in Del Mar and if you do, please stop by the 976-Bite booth to say hello and take advantage of the show specials on web site subscriptions, pocket t-shirts and men’s and ladies tank tops.  We offer a fantastic deal prior to factoring in the show specials as we have maintained our pre-covid era prices on all we offer!

      A tip to help you avoid a possible ticket line is to get your tickets ahead of time over the Internet at https://hallshows.com/ . Their web site is loaded with information about the show including directions.

     The cost is $17 for a regular adult ticket and as stated above, kids 15 years old and younger get in for free with a paid adult.  A ticket for someone with a valid military identification is $15 and it is also $15 for a senior’s ticket (62+years).  The military and senior’s tickets must be purchased in person at the ticket window showing valid identification.


    The Hall Shows are always fun and informative and this year should be no exception.  Come see the latest in fishing tackle, boats, RV’s, vacation offers and much more. 

     There are numerous free seminars during the show and there is information about seminars on the Bart Hall Shows Facebook page at www.facebook.com/barthallshow. As the show approaches they may also be posting a schedule of seminars on the https://hallshows.com/ web site. The four seminar stages are the Accurate Stage, the Okuma Bass Tank Stage, the Daiwa Stage and the Mammoth Lakes Stage.

     At the 976bite.com booth I will be offering special incentives on web site subscriptions and renewals that are still at pre-covid era prices. I will also have high quality 976-Bite pocket t-shirts and men’s and lady’s tank tops for sale at bargain prices.  Included in the t-shirt offerings are a limited number of the “old school” 976-Bite logo only shirts.

    Even if you do not need to renew your subscription to 976bite.com right now, we can add the time to your existing subscription so you can take advantage of the pre-covid era pricing and the show specials.  If you are not ready to fish right now, you also have the option of buying your subscription at the show to get the show incentives and having me activate the subscription for you at a later date of your choosing.  Even if it is just to say hello, I really enjoy seeing you in person!

     The Del Mar Bart Hall Show will symbolize the beginning of the new fishing season as anglers gather to gear up for the fishing season that lies ahead.   It is time to think about and prepare for the upcoming fishing season and I hope to see you at the show!

     Sincerely,
     Bob Vanian
     976-Bite Fish Reports
     www.976bite.com

Friday, June 30, 2023 @ 6:48 pm

Thursday June 29, 2023 —Notice From Port of San Diego concerning Shelter Island Launch Ramp’s West Side Floating Docks Being Closed Due to Structural Damage

    Today I got notice from the Port of San Diego that the west side floating docks at the Shelter Island Launch Ramp are closed for repairs.

     Below in italics are cut and paste sections from the notice:

West Side Floating Docks at Shelter Island Boat Launching Ramp Closed Due to Structural Damage

Port is Expediting Repairs, Requests Patience as Boaters Use Boat Launch Over Upcoming Holiday Week

For public safety, the Port of San Diego has closed the west side floating docks at the Shelter Island Boat Launching Ramp due to structural damage. The Port of San Diego’s engineering department and consultants are working quickly to assess the cause and extent of the damage, determine what repairs are needed, and to schedule repairs

In the meantime, the Port urges boaters to use caution when using the boat launch ramp. The Port also requests patience as only the east side floating docks are accessible at this time, which may cause backups and delays, especially over the typically busy 4th of July holiday.
 
The Port will release additional information as it becomes available and will keep the public posted on when the west side floating docks are anticipated to reopen.
 
There are four boat launching ramps on San Diego Bay provided at no cost to boaters. In addition to Shelter Island, they are located at Pepper Park in National City, at Bayfront Park/J Street Marina Park in Chula Vista, and at Glorietta Bay in Coronado. For more information, go to portofsandiego.org/boat-launching-ramps.

Friday, March 17, 2023 @ 8:30 pm

Day At the Docks is Back and is Happening on Sunday, March 19, 2023!

     I am happy to let you know that one of the top fun events of the year is back as the San Diego Sportfishing Council’s and Port of San Diego’s Day at the Docks is scheduled to be held on Sunday March 19, 2023. I hope you can attend!  Day At the Docks is always a fun and festive outdoor celebration in anticipation of the fishing season that lies ahead and offers lots of things to see and do.  Lots of specific information about Day at the Docks can be accessed at http://www.sportfishing.org/.

     One of the great things about Day at the Docks is that admission is always free!  The Day at the Docks festival will be held at the parking lots where Point Loma Sportfishing, H&M Landing and Fisherman’s Landing are located in Point Loma.  The street address of Fisherman’s Landing at 2838 Garrison Street, San Diego, CA, 92106 will get you there. There is free parking on Shelter Island and free parking shuttles will be running between 8:00 AM and 6:00 PM.

     There will once again be lots of exhibitors at this year’s event and 976-Bite Fish Reports will be one of them.  The exhibitors will include tackle manufacturers, marine artists, fishing clubs, tackle retailers, food vendors and more. 

     I hope you can attend and enjoy the celebration of the upcoming fishing season and if you can be there, please stop by the booth and say hello.  We will be offering show specials on 6 month and 12 month subscriptions and renewals and will also have pocket t-shirts and tank tops available for sale at reasonable prices.  If you have time remaining on your existing web site subscription, we can add the renewal on to the end of what you have remaining on your existing subscription so you can take advantage of the show promotions.

     In addition to all the exhibitors, many of the boats of the San Diego sportfishing fleet will have open houses so you can go aboard and check them out and talk to their Captains and crews about their boats and the upcoming fishing season.  Some of the boats will offer rides around San Diego Bay for $4.00 per person.     

     Fishing and boating seminars from expert speakers will be going on throughout much of the day.  The seminars usually cover topics such as fishing techniques, knot tying, rod selection, rigging techniques and much more.

     There are plenty of fun things for kids to do that include free kids fishing area for kids from 4 to 12 years of age that is sponsored by Okuma Tackle and Everingham Brothers Bait Company.

     There will be contests for casting and knot tying.  The Catch, Prep and Cook Center will be presenting ideas and techniques to improve the enjoyment of your catch.

      Live bands will be playing throughout much of the day and there will be some great giveaways via raffles.  There are thousands of dollars in prizes available that usually include fishing trips and fishing tackle.

     There is free parking on Shelter Island and buses will be running free shuttles between 8:00 AM and 6:00 PM.

      Day at the Docks is put on by the San Diego Sportfishing Council and their web site provides more information about the event at: http://www.sportfishing.org/  

     I hope to see you there!

     Bob Vanian

    976-Bite Fish Reports  www.976bite.com

Thursday, February 16, 2023 @ 9:55 am

       February 16, 2023

       Re:  Bart Hall Show at the Del Mar Fairgrounds

      Hello All,

     Just a quick reminder that the Bart Hall Show in Del Mar starts today and runs through Sunday, February 19, 2023.  I hope you can attend and want to let you know that the 976Bite.com booth number is #615.  A good landmark is that we are across from and up a couple of booths from the Costa Eyewear display.  Please stop by the booth and say hello and I hope you take advantage of the show specials on web site subscriptions and maybe pick up a t-shirt or two.  It is a chance to get things that are still priced at the same price they were before runaway inflation hit the economy.

     All the details about the show are at the Bart Hall Show web site https://hallshows.com/ and you can buy your tickets on their web site as well.

     I hope to see you at the show!

     Thanks very much,

      Bob Vanian

Tuesday, February 14, 2023 @ 11:30 pm

     The Hall Shows in San Diego at the Del Mar Fairgrounds have been the best fishing tackle and boat shows in the San Diego region and the Bart Hall Show begins on Thursday, February 16, 2023 and runs through Sunday, February 19, 2023.  Show hours are noon until 8:00 PM on Thursday and Friday, 10:00 AM until 8:00 PM on Saturday and the show goes from 10:00 AM until 5:00 PM on Sunday. 

    The Bart Hall Show has something for the whole family with plenty of things for kids to do including a free trout pond.  Kids 15 years old and younger get into the show for FREE with a paid adult ticket and can fish for free at the Mammoth Lakes Kids Free Trout Pond!  Other great kid’s activities include the Ultimate Air Dogs, the Jon Petty Goldsmith  American Duck Races, the San Diego Ford Dealers Paul Bunyan Lumberjack Show and the Okuma Bass Tank.

     976Bite.com will have a booth at the Del Mar Bart Hall Show and we hope you stop by the booth to say hello and take advantage of the incentives we are offering on web site subscriptions. We will also have quality t-shirts and tanks tops for sale at reasonable prices.  Current subscribers can take advantage of the show specials and have the subscription add on to what they have remaining on their current subscription.  You can also purchase a subscription at the show to take advantage of the show specials and have me start the subscription for you at a future date.

    You can get all the information about the Bart Hall Show on their web site at https://hallshows.com/. The web site is loaded with information including show times, directions and a schedule of seminars. You can also purchase admission tickets on the web site and save yourself the possibility of waiting in a ticket line.  Ticket prices for Adults are $20 with a ticket for someone with a valid Military ID costing $15 and a Senior ticket (62+ years) also costing $15.  The Military and Senior tickets must be purchased in person at the ticket window.  Kids ages 15 years and younger get in for Free with a paid Adult ticket.

     Come on out and see the latest in fishing and boating gear and let’s talk about the upcoming fishing season. I hope to see you at the show!

    Sincerely,

   Bob Vanian

   976Bite.com