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Wahoo! Fisherman Makes Extremely Rare Catch Off Newport Beach

DANA POINT (CBSLA.com) — A deep-sea fisherman made a whopper of a catch over the weekend 12 miles off the coast of Dana Point.

Angler Eric Kim became the first in California waters to catch a wahoo, the Balboa Angling Club announced on Facebook.

"We couldn't tell what it was at first until we actually saw the fish outline and everything. And that's when all our jaws dropped and we were like, oh my god!" Kim said of his fishing group's reaction when he reeled in the fish. "We all stood around looking at it. And we all looked at each other like, what just happened?"

The fish weighed in at 50.1 pounds and 60 inches long!

Don't believe it? There's a photo to prove it. Scientists believe it might be the first wahoo ever caught off the United States' Pacific Coast.

The Fullerton resident made the catch aboard a boat called "The Joker" with Skipper George Garrett at the helm.

Wahoo isn't normally found in local waters, often known to frequent tropical and sub-tropical seas, from Cabo San Lucas and south to the equator. Wahoo is called ono in Hawaii. It has an elongated, silver and iridescent blue body with a blade-like tail. Known for its speed and high-quality flesh, the wahoo is prized among fishermen.

Kim said the unusual weather is responsible for the catch: "It's the weather. The warm water temperature is bringing all the fish up, especially the tropical fish."

The angler has been bitten by the fishing bug. He has a ticket for a long-range fishing trip that leaves Friday morning.

"The fishing is going to be good for a while. And it's probably going to happen again. That's what I think, it might happen again."

 

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