Day Trip to San Diego--Sportfishing Encounters. The Legendary Marlin Club

By Jim Field

As I write, I am in the middle of a one-day trip to San Diego. Started this morning with 5:30 reveille and wheels up from Dulles at 8:15 am. Current time is 12:10 am EST (January 15) with expected departure in one hour, to arrive at Dulles at 6:00 am EST. All this to deliver a one-hour presentation to a group of cancer program executives. Whew! Hoped they liked it; hope they appreciated my effort.

(Break: We boarded, flew across country, landed at Dulles at 5:30 am. I drove home and climbed in bed. Now it's 1:00 pm. Feels good to be home.)

To continue.....after landing yesterday in San Diego, I had a few hours to kill, and decided to head to a favorite place of mine in San Diego proper, Shelter Island. San Diego Harbor is shaped like a banana laid horizontally, with the stem at right pointing north. Coming in from the sea, Shelter Island is on left side of the channel at the curve. SI is known for its hotels, yachts, marinas, and boating clubs, particularly with respect to jaw-dropping sailing vessels. Many America's Cup racers in the past were built and kept in SI, and the money floating on the water in the forms of wood and fiberglass is mind-blowing. That said, it's moored tonnage is only perhaps half of what's parked in all of San Diego Harbor--I've never seen any other city with this type of dedication to boating. (The photo, in turn, shows only about one-quarter of SI boats. Talk about a fleet!)

Driving down SI's one and only road, lined door-to-door on both sides by marinas, yacht sales offices, and ship outfitters of everything imaginable (beautiful stuff and well-stocked shelves), my eye caught a small sign stating "San Diego Marlin Club." I immediately pulled over, parked, and got out to investigate. I walked into a small parking lot and, framing the marina view in front of me, was an aging sign marking the club's domain (see photo). Then looking to the right, I spotted the clubhouse itself, a modest structure from another era, with its double doors opened wide, as if to invite me in. So over I went.

Two men were working outside (their boom-box blasting AC/DC tunes). One fellow told me to walk in and have a look around if I wanted. I went in. A few minutes later he reappeared and introduced himself as Bob Woodard, the club's President. (Notably, his business card states: Captain Bob Woodard, Marlin and Tuna Specialist; California, Baja, and Mainland Mexico; Outfitting and Consulting.) I asked him what the club was all about. His face lit up, and he gave me a basic rundown:

"It's the oldest sportfishing club in San Diego. Founded in September 1931. Current club facility was built in 1952. In the early days, club members developed many of the angling rules adopted by the IGFA. We maintain an active catch report updated daily, and a free, certified weigh station open to the sportfishing public. We have slips available for club members right outside, reserved for 3-day maximum stays (some folks try to 'stretch the rules'). Anyone can join if they're into the sport--although we like to have a recommendation from a current club member. But generally not a problem. We mostly catch tuna, halibut, and stripped marlin. In El Nino years, we'll catch a few blue marlin. You never know, with climate changes we may be back on the blues regularly."

Bob seemed a great guy. He gave me a club brochure; I noticed that annual membership dues are currently $150 for an individual, $290 for a family (including a one-time $50 new membership fee). He invited me to look through their fishing logs--a lineup of binders on a table attesting to a rather long history captured on record. Everything they had, in fact, was open to me if I was interested.

What a neat place. The walls are lined with preserved fish, glass display cases holding countless trophies of every size and shape (randomly positioned), and framed certificates of various fishing records, most of them now well-dated (e.g., a 1940 light tackle record for a 280 lb stipped marlin). In fact, the trophies without exception--at least those that caught my eye--were from a past era, when great fish were abundant and sportfishing was something today's enthusiasts--we unfortunate poor souls--can't even imagine.

After probing around for a bit, I suddenly found myself out of time, and I had to hastily depart. Next time in San Diego, however, I'll stop by again for a longer visit--I'd like to page through their oldest fishing logs and photographs. What a fortuitous find; you never know what you'll come across in travels related to fishing, especially when visiting a great seaport on absolutely stunning water, the Pacific Ocean.

The club's interior: a trip back in time


Trophies here, there, and everywhere


Would like a chance at the fish commemorated


View from club's patio (what's the land worth?!)


This is what the club's brochure writes about their prime catch:

Striped Marlin--Tetrapturus audax--are found throughout the temperate Pacific and Indian oceans and are the most common of all Pacific billfish. True oceanic nomads, stripers have been known to cover great distances in short periods of time. Several tagged fish have been recaptured after traveling distances of over 4,000 miles! Their northern boundaries include the waters off Southern California, where they commonly occur in the summer months from June through November.

"Finning" fish are often spotted on the surface where they are baited with live mackerel. Stripers also readily take artificial lures. A highly prized gamefish, striped marlin are considered the most aerobic of all billfish. Long greyhounding runs of 20 or more jumps are the trademark reward for anglers who pursue this elusive quarry.

It is believed that striped marlin can grow to a maximum size of over 600 pounds. The majority of marlin captured in Southern California/Baja waters average between 100 and 200 pounds. The IGFA all tackle record is 494 pounds, caught in New Zealand. The California state record was captured in July of 1985 by club member Gary Jasper and weighed 339 pounds.



Final Note: the club is proud to be affiliated with the IGFA and my favorite charity cause: the Billfish Foundation. Thanks for your support of TBF, Bob! Catch and Release!