Clear your schedules for Tuesday, August 24 to attend the California Billfish Series Kick-Off Fiesta. Co-hosted by WIDE OPEN Excursions and The Harbor Grill this event is poised to be a highlight of the season.

Taking place at WIDE OPEN’s Corporate Headquarters and Race Shop in Irvine, CA should appeal to all fishermen’s sense of adventure. Filled with race cars, trophies, artwork and Baja memorabilia, this place is the ultimate guys hang out.

Keeping with the Baja theme, The Harbor Grill located in Dana Point Harbor, will be Co-Hosting the event and providing tacos and cervesas for all in attendance. Keegan Hicks, Operating Partner and Catalina Classic regular, is proud to support the California Billfish Series and wants all anglers to know that The Harbor Grill is Marlin Fishermen friendly.

In addition to the amazing food and Baja racing equipment, California Billfish Series sponsors and partner will have product and service displays showing off the latest and greatest in the game fishing world. During the event there will be a raffle, seminars, and an informal Q & A session with some of the top West Coast boat captains.

Please join us in Irvine for this amazing FREE event on Tuesday, August 24, 2010. A special thanks to the event hosts, WIDE OPEN Excursions and The Harbor Grill.

See you all there!

The 2009 Zane Grey Invitational was one for the record books. A light field of 12 boats were treated some of the best Southern California marlin fishing that has been experienced in years. The bite was centered on the back side of the island, starting around Cat Harbor on Monday, and moving east as the tournament progressed. Overall, 66 marlin were landed in the tournament, with 61 released.
Monday started strong, with a very exciting finish. There were 16 marlin caught by the fleet, 14 released and two boated. First to the scales were team Chaser aboard the 54 Viking Bad Company Edition. They had scored 1 release, and had a fish to weigh. The fish just toped the tournament minimum of 165 pounds and weighed in at at 167.5 pounds. This earned team Chaser a total of 436 points according to the scoring method and a commanding lead. Team Gambler hooked a fish in the closing moments before lines out and boated the fish. Based on Chasers release, the Gambler fish would need to top the scales at 201 pounds to take the lead and the Day 1 daily jackpots of $38,888. The fish was a nice one, but fell 3 pounds short at 198 pounds, and Chaser took the lead and a sweep of the day 1 daily jackpots. Teams Ruckus, and C Bandit had big days with 3 releases each, followed by Sharks Parlour with a pair. Bandit, Exta Sea, Shannon Rose, Acero Azul, and Good Karma each scored one release.
Day 2 was one of the most exciting days in Zane Grey history. The action started early with Acero Azul releasing a marlin, then team Exta Sea got hot, as did team Scrambler and team Bandit. The action was fast and furious, with several double hookups for the teams. The lead was changing by the minute, and Tournament Control operator Mike “Beak” Hurt was kept busy recording hook ups and releases all day long. When lines out was called at 4 p.m., there had been 41 marlin caught, with 38 releases and three boated. Many boats had multiple releases, but teams Scrambler and Exta Sea were at the top the pack with 6 releases and 1 boated fish each. Team bandit scored 5 releases, Gambler, Ruckus, and C Bandit each scored 4, Chaser had 3, Shannon Rose2, Good Karma had 1 release and 1 boated fish, and Acero Azul and Out of Range each had one. Back at the scales, Scramber was first to weigh in with a 172 pound fish and the lead with 957 points. Next came Good Karma, but their fish did not meet the minimum size of 165 pounds, although it did meet the minimum length of 84 inches. Then came team Exta Sea, run by husband and wife team of Bob and Marilyn Stephens. Their fish looked big on the swim step, and when it toped the scales at 195 pounds Exta Sea had taken the tournament lead and a one day tournament record 1020 points. The daily jackpots were split between three teams, with Exta Sea taking the $500 daily of $4,250, Scrambler took the $250, $1,000, and $2,000 daily jackpots of $17,638, and Bandit with 5 releases and 500 points took the $5,000 daily of $17,000. What a day.
Day 3 started fast with Scrambler releasing both fish out of a double to pass Exta Sea for the tournament lead. Then team Chaser started chipping away at the lead with an early release. Sharks Parlour got one out of a double, and Acero Azul and Out of Range both scored releases. But it was team Chaser that was steadily getting fish. They would need 5 releases to take the lead, and about an hour before lines out they released their fifth marlin of the day to sweep the daily jackpots one more time and to win the tournament by a very slim margin.
At the awards banquet that night, the awards, raffles, and checks were distributed. Bandit collected $17,000 for day 2 jackpot, Exta Sea claimed third place with 1,120 points, earning $$8,570 including their day 2 jackpot. They also earned a standing ovation from the field for their record breaking day. Team Scrambler earned second place with 1,157 points and a total of $26,818 including their day 2 jackpots. Team Chaser claimed first place with 1,236 points, for a total payout of $99,376 for first place and sweeping day 1 and 3 jackpots.

Click below for photos from the 2009 Penn Zane Grey Invitational Awards
http://www.catalinaclassic.com/zane-grey-invitational/2009zg/awards-photos/

1st Chaser $99,376.00
2nd Scrambler $26,818.00
3rd Exta Sea $8,570.00
Bandit $17,000.00 Day 2 Daily 5k Jackpot

Penn Zane Grey Invitational Day 3 Updates - Last Updated 2:25 PM

Today’s Releases - Updated List:
Chaser: 5 releases
Scrambler: 2 releases
Sharks Parlour: 1 release
Out of Range: 1 release
Acero Azul: 1 release

PLAY BY PLAY:
Scrambler got a double on Jigs at 7:52. Mike Stotesbury released his at 7:56. Dean Foreman released his at 8:17
Chaser hooked up at 8:14. Pete Groesbeck on bait grid F3
Chaser release 8:39
Sharks Parlour on a Double F3 baitfish. One fell of. one still going
Sharks Parlour released their fish at 10:12. Slow so far this morning
Chaser Hooked up on a bait fish 11:42
Out of Range Hooked Up on bait at 11:43
Out of Range in G2, Chaser F3
Chaser released at 12:01
Out of Range released at 12:02
Acero Azul hooked in F4 at 12:18
Acero Azul released at 12:32
C Bandit lost the fish
Chaser hooked up in F3 at 12:44
Chaser released at 1:05
Chaser is hooked up in F3 at 1:17
Chaser released their fish at 1:33
Chaser is hooked up in F2 at 2:06
Chaser released their fish at 2:23

Penn Zane Grey Invitational Day 2 Updates - Last Updated 09/16 6:20 AM

Today’s Releases - Updated List:
Scrambler: 6 releases (+1 boated 174 pounds)
Exta Sea: 6 releases (+1 boated 195 pounds)
Bandit: 5 releases
Gambler: 4 releases

Ruckus: 4 releases
C Bandit: 4 releases
Chaser: 3 releases
Shannon Rose: 2 releases
Out of Range: 1 release
Acero Azul: 1 release
Good Karma: 1 release (+1 boated)

PLAY BY PLAY:
Exta Sea  - Bob and Marilyn hooked the same fish which was DQ’d by rule but then hooked and released another fish at 10:28. 
Scrambler has a double - 10:42 AM PDT in F3
Bandit hooked up at 10:56 AM PDT in F3 - Jig Fish
Scrambler had a double in F3 at 10:42 AM - released one still fighting the other.
Bandit hooked up at 10:56 in F3 - Jig Fish
Bandit hooked up again at 11:21
Good Karma hooked up at 11:21 as well - Bob Jr is the angler
Bandit release at 11:28
Gambler hooked up at 11:29 in F3.
Chaser hooked up at 11:41
Gambler released a fish at 11:48
Scrambler has another release at 11:53
Good Karma released a fish at 11:54
Exta Sea release at 12:24
Chaser released their fish at 12:28
Good Karma hooked up at 12:34 in F3.
Scrambler is on a double at 12:40.
Ruckus hooked up at 12:45 in F3.
Good Karma boated their fish at 12:48.
Shannon Rose has a double going at 12:55
Scrambler released first fish of Double Header at 1:10….still working the 2nd fish.
Scrambler just finished up the double, releasing their 4th fish of the day!
Shannon Rose just released their first fish of the double at 1:20.
Gambler hooked up at 1:25
Ruckus just released their fish at 1:27.
C Bandit hooked up at 1:32.
Shannon Rose has released their second fish!
The Bandit has a double going - 1:38
Bandit lost one fish…still fighting second fish.
Chaser hooked up, Jimmy Kingsmill on bait at 1:50.
Gambler released their fish at 1:54.
Scrambler on a double - Mike Stotesbury and John Miller in F 3 bait fish.
C Bandit released their fish at 2 p.m.
Bandit still hooked up along with Scrambler on their double
Chaser Released their Fish
Ruckus hooked up 2:08
Bandit released their fish
Exta Sea Hooked up in F 3
Chaser hooked up at 2:25 PM
Ruckus is now on a double
Exta Sea is on a double
Exta Sea released one fish at 2:32
Chaser releasing a fish at 2:34.
Exta Sea has boated the second fish of the double.
Ruckus release at 2:50
Gambler hooked up at 2:56.
Scrambler release at 3:14… still fighting another fish.
C Bandit hooked up at 3:15
Gambler Release at 3:15.
C Bandit now has a double.
Good Karma hooked up at 3:20
Ruckus release at 3:25
Good Karma - wrong kind…
Exta Sea is on a double… again!
Exta Sea down to one.
Scrambler hooked up again while fighting the second fish of the double…
Scrambler boated a fish and is still fighting another.
Scrambler released their fish at 3:58 - 6 releases and 1 boated fish today for Scrambler
Lines out - still have the C Bandit fighting two fish and the Exta Sea battling one.
Exta Sea release at 4:03.
C Bandit release at 4:08
Scrambler put up a 174 lb striped marlin
Good Karma put up a 154 lb striped marlin - didn’t make min weight of 165 lb
Exta Sea - 195 lb striped marlin

We had Ruckus just hook and relase a fish at 2:39 in E 2
Acero Azul still hooked up at 2:24 in E 3
Sharks Parlour hooked up at 2:28 in D 3
Chaser Hooked up at 2:44 in E 2

Score-
C Bandit 3 release
Ruckus 3 release
Sharks Parlour 2 release
Shannon Rose 1 release
Bandit 1 release
Exta Sea 1 Release
Chaser 1 boated 167.5 pounds and 1 release
Acero Azul 1 release
Gambler 1 boated 198 pounds
Good Karma 1 Release

Since the last update, Bandit and C Bandit released the fish they had hooked up.
Exta Sea released a fish in D 3 at 11:53
Sharks Parlour released a fish at 1:23 in E 3
Acero Azul hooked up at 2:224 in E 3 still fighting.
Sharks Parlour hooked up ar 2:28 in E 3 still fighting.

Good fishing for the guys today.
I think we got the VHF working now.

Noon at Avalon and great fishing for the teams.
Here is a brief summary of tournament control so far (unofficial).
Acero Azul- Hook up at 7:54 lost 7:57 grid C3
Chaser Double Hook up at 8:19 lost one boated one at 8:34 C3
Acero Azul hook up at 8:48 lost at 8:51 D-3
Out of Range Hook Up 9:48 lost at 8:51 G 3
Ruckus Hook Up at 9:49 Released 10:03 E 3
Shannon Rose Hook Up10:25 release 10:38 D 3
C Bandit Double hook up at 10:46 lost one released one 10:56 E 3
Ruckus Hook Up released 11:10 D 2
Bandit Hook Up 11;10 D 4 still hooked up
C Bandit Double hook up at 11:25 Released 1 at 11:31 still fighting second fish D 3

13 hook ups, 5 released, 1 boated, 5 lost 2 still going.
Ruckus- 2 releases
C Bandit 2 1 releases
Shannon Rose 1 release
Chaser 1 boated
Bandit and C Bandit hooked up.
We are working on the VHF feed for the web cam.

Stay tuned

Located between the Dana Landing launch ramp, and Crow’s nest Boat Center on Mission Bay, Dana Landing is a true one stop shop for the private boater. This location was opened 14 years ago by a company that specialized in resort water sports rentals. They have taken there experience with customer service, and paired that with a passion for fishing to create a one of a kind retail shop and charter landing.

The store boasts 4000 sq feet of retail space, which is divided into a few separate sections. The market side has a fresh food deli which makes sandwiches to order all day. They also have a large walk in cooler with just about every kind of cold beverage you could ever need. They also have an extensive snack food section, as well as plenty of ice to keep everything cold.

They have dedicated a whole section of the store to fishing related clothing. Aftco, Fishworks, and Old Harbor Outfitters, are all well represented in the clothing department. They have also recently added commercial grade outerwear from Grundens. This is all rounded out with Dana Landing corporate logo t shirts, hats and sweatshirts. This is a great place to find quality fishing logo gear, that you may not find most places.

The rest of the store is stocked with fishing equipment ranging from the lightest inshore surf gear for stealthily stocking corbina in the shallows of the surf line; to gear you would need to tackle black and blue marlin in the waters off of southern Baja. The crew at the shop is dedicated to attention to detail when handling rigging for offshore fishing, and is trusted to do rigging on terminal tackle, as well as custom wind on leaders and splices for many tournament teams, including Angel and the Badman II, winners of the ’07 Bisbees tournament.

On the water, adjacent to the large outdoor patio in front of the store is Dana Landings fuel dock, as well as moorings for its extensive charter fleet. In season, customers can pull in to fuel any time between 6am, and 10pm. You can also charter a boat anywhere from 24’ to 57’, to make for a memorable private fishing experience for you and your friends, or clients.

This is just a small overview of what Dana Landing has to offer. Find out more on the web at www.danalanding.com or by calling them at 619 226 2929.