Article by Capt. Franky Pettolina
Last week, I wrote about a May fishing trip I took on the “Last Call” with my parents back in 1989. Dad was spared from doing any research as to the particulars of this trip because Coastal Fisherman editor, Larry Jock was able to dig the clipping out of the Coastal Fisherman archival vault. We were out in 1,000 fathoms between the Poor Mans and Washington canyons. I also wrote about the lack of availability of up- to-the-minute satellite imagery of sea surface temperatures and water clarity that we had to deal with during the next to last decade of the previous millennium.
Well oh my, how times have changed. I am sitting down to write this a day and a half earlier than usual because I have tickets to go see the rock band, Metallica tomorrow night in Baltimore. What some of you may not realize is that the articles written for the Coastal Fisherman have a deadline of 11:00 AM the Thursday prior to the issue hitting the stands.
Another thing you may not realize is that Capt. Mark Sampson and I have an unofficial competition to see who can get their article in the latest (this contest is so unofficial that I am pretty sure that Capt. Mark doesn’t even know about it!) So instead of scrambling in the wee hours of the night on Wednesday, or late in the morning on Thursday, I am actually at my desk on Tuesday afternoon banging away at the keyboard. This saves me from typing after a night of banging my head at M&T Bank Stadium!
OK where was I? Oh yeah. How times have changed. In the half hour I was procrastinating prior to beginning this article, I was messing around on Facebook and also texting back and forth with Capt. John Oughton. The big hot topic on the fishing pages and in my texts with Johnny O was the water offshore of the Washington Canyon. A break in temperature from the low 60s to the low 70s in around 1,500 fathoms behind the Washington. I saw this sea surface temperature imagery from no less than three separate sources on my iPad and phone. Roffs, Hiltons and Ripcharts all confirmed this patch of water. I am sure the other providers are all confirming it as well, but these were the three that popped up on my feeds. What I find so interesting about this is that I made a joke dismissing global warming last week. Now, before any of you climate change fanatics jump on my case, yes I know there is scientific data to back up climate change. But don’t you find it just a little bit interesting that 28 years after my trip in 1989 there is a similar patch of water spinning around a similar location almost to the day? I know I do.
And apparently everybody with a boat, or a buddy who has a boat, is finding it more than a little bit interesting. Plenty of folks are talking about heading out to that water over the next two days. It is a long haul for the early season (about 85 miles), but I am guessing there will be some fish caught out near the temperature break. About the time that I am strolling into the Metallica show, I bet that my phone will be blowing up with fishing reports. I look forward to seeing them, and I hope that Larry and Tom are running all over town snapping pictures of pelagic species.
But what pelagic species will they be? None of us have a crystal ball, but if I had to make a prediction, which I guess I actually am doing right now, I would say there will be some tunas and probably a mako or two. My interpretation of the conditions shows it favorable for bluefin tunas inshore of the break along with makos and some scattered yellowfin tunas on the break. I guess time (and the pictures in this issue) will tell if I am correct or not.
The million dollar, well technically $15,000 question is whether or not there is a white marlin lurking in that break. I am thinking that we are probably a few weeks away from seeing the #FirstWhiteMarlinOC, but who knows. This time tomorrow I may be getting texts with pictures of Ol’ Whitey swimming next to a boat tethered to some lucky angler’s rod. There is a bunch of hype surrounding the first White Marlin this year and I am glad to see it. This fish is a big deal. It has been a big deal to me as long as I can remember and I am really happy to see it back in the limelight. Bragging rights. Prize packages from Alltackle, An Optical Galleria, Big Fish Classic, JPR rods, HookedonOC and Pettolina Marine Surveying.
Hefty checks from Fishermen United of Ocean City (Atlantic Tackle, Bahia Marina, Bank of Ocean City, the Coastal Fisherman, Ocean City Fishing Center and Sunset Marina), the Ocean City Marlin Club and the Town of Ocean City. Social and traditional media coverage.
For one year somebody gets to say they caught the first one. A whole year of being the head honcho. El Primero. Only one person gets to be the first. #FirstWhiteMarlinOC. Who will it get to be this year?
Incidentally I noticed something else in common about the spring of 1989 and the spring of 2017. I saw Metallica in concert back in the spring then too. Something to be said for history repeating itself I guess. Larry also told me that he found a picture of the hair style I was rocking back in the spring of 1989. I wonder if that picture will be making a return appearance as well? Just like the fishing reports I am expecting tomorrow, I guess only time will tell.
Capt. Franky Pettolina is Co-Captain of the charter boat, “Last Call” and President of the Ocean City Marlin Club.
