9/20/13

Well the big bluefin pulled a no show today leaving us holding the bag basically fishless. But this was by choice. A fair
amount of smaller bluefin were encountered in our travels but we held out on catching the little devils due to the obvious:
we have a tremendous tuna and yellowtail bounty already on board. Less any need to add to the harvest simply for the sake of
doing so, we stuck to our guns and waited, and waited, and waited.

In the end it turned out a great day to ply the offshore waters - the weather was flat calm and we could see for miles on
end, but I have to admit that mixing a little catching into the result, a handful or two of big ones anyway, would have been
a far more satisfying, and fitting conclusion.

Though it didn't end on the note we were hoping for we still return in triumph with a wealth of tremendous fishing under our
belts and stories of priceless experiences shared among friends. If there is anything that really stands out about this
veteran group of anglers that is it - friendship. I am envious in a way observing the respect of bonds among old friends
dating back to the days of charting their courses in life while earning their degrees at Humboldt State university.

The respect and affection these men have for one another manifesting in an annual fishing voyage is a timeless ritual that we
are very fortunate to host. It is an example of things good in life - so necessary in these modern times when the basic
tenets of human bonding are so easily abandoned. Experiences such as this nourish the soul, and reinforce in my mind the
positives of what we do.

As for nourishing the body itself we return wealthy with a harvest of beautiful yellowfin, yellowtail, and a few dorado held
to the highest standard in 30 degree Fahrenheit seawater. This catch will serve to remind one and all of the value such
voyages represent beyond literal meat and potatoes - it is a bridge to memories tangible and dear.

In closing our most sincere gratitude is in order to Chartermaster Craig Heberer and the entire group of Humboldt State
Alumni who make this voyage special - exceptional - year after year. Photo credit today comes with our huge thanks to Dave
Itano who is among the most accomplished tuna researchers world wide.

In addition to his professional accomplishments too numerous to list Dave is an exceptional angler who has joined us for many
years on this annual run. Today we share one of Dave's photos taken during a research cruise funded by the ISSF
(International Sustainable Seafood Foundation). This image was taken by Dave while diving inside a purse seine net conducting
behavioral research on yellowfin, bigeye, and skipjack tunas.

Tim Ekstrom



Photo Here...