Junior Perez wanted to do something special for his Marine Corps unit.

"We've gone golfing as a group," Perez said, "but not everybody golfs. I've been trying to get a fishing charter going. Some of us don't know anything about the ocean unless it involves a Naval ship.

"I started a thread asking for help on a Bloodydecks forum, and Bob (Kern) jumped right on it."

"I challenged them on the forum board," Bob proclaimed, "and we got a wonderful response, we raised 31 donations in cash."

"It's people like these who make us appreciate where we live and what we have," Perez said. "I've been to the war three times already, and I'd go again for guys like these any day."

Karl Smith of San Diego has been with Bloodydecks.com from the beginning and has been helping organize military trips every year. Karl and Bob met the group in the Seaforth parking lot early Saturday morning.

"We are eternally grateful for everyone of you," Bob said to the 37 marines before boarding Sea Watch.

After loading fresh anchovies from Everingham Bait Co., we headed out. Captain Bryan Winn spoke to the group over the speaker, "Two days ago, there wasn't any fish. As of yesterday, there was a lot. Good Morning, good luck, we're all counting on you. We're going to start off by going where the fish were yesterday."

Prizes were aplenty aboard the charter. Bob and Karl got together numerous sponsors, too many to name. "Grab bag" goodies included Mp3 players, Guy Harvey dress shirts, and camo trucker hats from Fisherman's Landing and Seaforth. Everyone aboard the boat, including the crew was given a pair of Bloodydecks T-shirts.

Sea Watch cook Vinny Tobbarro had his hands full early morning. Vinny has been working the racket since 1967, and he's seen it all. Serving 37 Marines breakfast put him into high gear, but he had no complaints.

"It was a rush," he said after he got a break, "but the difference was like night and day. I know fisherman. They're rude. They'll come in barking orders from the moment they step on the boat. Not these guys though, they were polite and ordered one at a time. It was no sweat."

After breakfast, Bob Kern spotted some birds off the port bow although he wasn't sure. "My eyes aren't so good anymore, I thought I saw birds."

Second Captain Bob Williams quickly re-assured him with a head nod. "They're there," he said.

Unfortunately, the birds didn't amount to anything. No other sea life was present.

"Hold up," the skipper said over the speaker as crewman Matt Vilbas chummed small ???chovies. "I don't see any fish on it."

"We're gonna head south," he told the anglers, "and anchor up at the kelp. Let's wait for the sun to hit the water, warm it up a degree or two.

"I'm not joking, there was five miles of fish yesterday. They couldn't have left that soon."

Usually a big fish fight gets the initial screams of joy aboard a boat, but Joe Turchiano of Brooklyn, NY was the unfortunate reason this time. Being a good sport, Joe gave a little dance while he lost his breakfast over the starboard stern rail.

"I've done three days in the Philippines," said Joe, "and five days in Thailand, and I never got sick. We were on high-speed vessels carrying a bunch of aircraft, this is different."

In the wheelhouse, Skipper Winn already foresaw the day's future. "It'll be an afternoon bite, I bet. How could the barracuda be gone overnight? I swear there was a ton of them yesterday."

We headed south to a kelp bed off "The Tanks," where we saw a few calicos boil off the stern.

No bass were hooked, but Russell Sudweeks of Reno, Nevada snagged a couple of vermillion red rockfish. "They make great fish tacos," he was told.

A few smaller sculpin were caught and released before we got word that bonito and barracuda were showing well back up the line.

"They're flying out of the water," the skipper said over the speaker. The anchor was raised and we were quickly under way.

"Full speed ahead!" yelled the marines.

Before long, we joined sport boats Premier and the Dolphin a couple miles off the coast, where we found biting barracuda, "stovepipes," over 30-inches in length, causing havoc among the anglers.

"Follow your fish!" yelled the crew. A couple of tangles occurred, although not as many as would expect with 40 anglers, but when they did, they were quickly named "Group Fish!" amongst laughs.

"Alright we got some action!" Bob said. "These are some good-sized, healthy, slimy barracuda!"

The Sea Watch crew raced around the boat gaffing fish and giving instruction. "Keep ???em right under the surface, don't let them come out of the water or they'll break off."

Junior Perez had the hot stick; hooking four barracuda right off the bat. He used a spinning outfit with a blue and white Tady C iron. The Bay St. Louis, Mississippi native soon handed off the rest of his hooked fish.

"These schools are scattered," Captain Winn said. "Not like yesterday. All right, guys, we got one last stop before we got to get out of here. We're late as it is."

The lone female Marine angler, Sandra Puberitz of Frankfurt, Germany bagged two ???cudas on the boats last stop.

On the trek home, prizes were given out for biggest fish caught.

Jackpot winner Sikhan Chin of Biddeford, Maine landed the biggest ???cuda of the day, estimated to be about eight pounds. He took home a Calstar bait rod, donated by Leon Todd, while second place winner Russell Sudweeks won a Seeker bait rod, donated by Seeker President Joe Pfister.

The pre-trip auction winner for a 10-foot Harnell blank, Bryan Herman of Murrieta, plans to get custom work done to help with future fundraising.

"I want to get an Avet custom reel on it," said Herman on the ride back to Seaforth Landing. "I want to get everything red, white and blue. RandMadeRods is going to help out a lot. Doc Ski is going to do the weave. He's the best in the industry. We're going to do an American Flag with an eagle. It's really going to be something special.

"We're gonna bring it to the Fred Hall shows and help fundraise with all proceeds going back to this charter each year. I might take it fishing one time, but after that, it's a wall hanger."

We unloaded back at Seaforth landing with smiles, hugs and handshakes aplenty. Bob Kern and Karl Smith were more than pleased with the day's outcome. I told them they can book me for next year's trip.

Additional thanks to Bloodydecks.com, Seeker Rods, Calstar Rods, Noah's Tackle, Seaforth Landing and other sponsors for numerous prizes and gifts; and thanks to Sea Watch Captain Bryan Winn, Captain Bob Williams, crewmen Matt Vilbas and cook Vinny Tobbarro.

Most deserving of a thank you are our soldiers for their service. Hope to see you all again next year.