Around Seafair\u2019s docks they\u2019re calling this an epic season for big tuna catches \u2014 about 100 percent better than the last two years. \u00a0 Multi-day trips have produced an outstanding mix of yellowfin tuna, bluefin tuna, dorado, yellowtail and even some albacore, according to Mark Larson.\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 “The water around the kelps is warm and clear, which remains excellent for fishing … there appears no end in sight,” said Larson, who books the overnight trips. “What\u2019s so outstanding to me is that they (tuna) have been here so long … for several months.\u00a0They range in size from 15\u00a0to 80\u00a0pounds and\u00a0all the way\u00a0up to 100 pounds. I remember one year they were catching bluefins up until Christmas.”\u00a0 It could happen again. Larson said another plus is a plentiful number of small squid along the shore. \u00a0 “I call them shore gum drops,” he said. The last few weeks the major catch has turned to yellowfin tuna. \u00a0 “Today\u00a0 the Legend [boat] is on a half-day trip and she already is at 100-plus on yellowtin tuna …. an excellent trip,” Larson said. “It\u2019s a matter of finding the right kelp.” \u00a0 The 18 boats sail anywhere from 60\u00a0to 100 miles to southwestern waters. Trips range from a half-day to six days. Some may go as far as Guadeloupe. ***\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 Bayfair crowds up 15 percent<\/b> \u00a0 It took a few hours extra to crown rookie Jimmy Shane winner of the Air National Guard hydroplane races but that was the only hitch to Bayfair\u2019s most successful three-day multi-boat racing show in years.\u00a0 Race officials disqualified initial race winner Steve David because of a fuel-flow violation.\u00a0Shane also was aided when all-time series victor Dave Villwock had turbine troubles. \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 Despite the fact that both the Chargers and Padres were in town and those soaring temperatures, said Jeff Thomas, president of\u00a0 the board of governors for the Bayfair event, reported a 15 percent increase in attendance.\u00a0 “This was far more successful than recent years because the economy is\u00a0turning around,” he said. “The crowds were enthusiastic and they want to come back again. Part of that (success) was due to the bands performing three days from a stage near the entrance. It\u2019s like any business. It\u2019s just a matter of cutting your costs and putting on a superior show”\u00a0 \u00a0 He credited support from fans for the Air National Guard Hydroplane Series and the Lucas Oil Drag\u00a0Boats.\u00a0 “They got to see an incredible weekend of racing,” Thomas said. “The crowds on Mission Bay were some of the largest we\u2019ve seen in years.”\u00a0 Thunderboats Inc. is a nonprofit organization to\u00a0promote powerboat racing in San Diego and tourism in the beach area. Profits from the three-day festival go to several charities. ***\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 Ready for Christmas<\/b> SeaWorld is more than fish, seals, orcas, penguins and turtles. It\u2019s broad entertainment.\u00a0The highly successful Manta roller coaster is proof of that. Now, they\u2019re auditioning for key roles in their elaborate Christmas celebration. Casting has been for strolling characters like the Sugar Plum Fairy, Clara, Peppermint Princess, the Nutcracker, Mrs. Claus, elves, doll and a Jack-in-the Box, plus several vocalists. Hirees will be asked to take a positive interactive approach with park guests of all ages, different ethnic\/cultural backgrounds and individuals with special needs.\u00a0Previous experience in dance, theater, athletics or other performance arts is required. \u2014 Johnny McDonald is a longtime writer and columnist for the San Diego Community Newspaper Group.<\/i><\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Around Seafair\u2019s docks they\u2019re calling this an epic season for big tuna catches \u2014 about 100 percent better than the last two years. \u00a0 Multi-day trips have produced an outstanding mix of yellowfin tuna, bluefin tuna, dorado, yellowtail and even some albacore, according to Mark Larson.\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 “The water around the kelps is […]<\/p>","protected":false},"author":726,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_seopress_robots_primary_cat":"11559","_seopress_titles_title":"ON THE WATERFRONT: When the fish are biting, they\u2019re making for some big hauls","_seopress_titles_desc":"","_seopress_robots_index":"","jnews-multi-image_gallery":[],"jnews_single_post":[],"jnews_primary_category":[],"jnews_social_meta":[],"jnews_override_counter":[],"footnotes":""},"categories":[11559,11593,11552],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-298131","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-beach-bay-press","category-no-images","category-opinion"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/test.sdnews.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/298131","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/test.sdnews.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/test.sdnews.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/test.sdnews.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/726"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/test.sdnews.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=298131"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/test.sdnews.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/298131\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/test.sdnews.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=298131"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/test.sdnews.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=298131"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/test.sdnews.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=298131"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}