Creating a New Memory with My Boy!

Many years ago, after I had moved my family to Southern California from Utah, my son Robert (BJ) and I decided that we wanted to go deep sea fishing.  I am not a fisherman by any means, but I knew that he wanted to go, and I thought it would be a chance for my son and I to spend time together and connect. (See previous posting for rationale)

As I recall, we caught a few fish; I believe they were a couple of fairly modest sized barracudas and another fish.  I can't recall where we had gone to fish, but I want to say that it was Long Beach.  I remember how sunny it was, and I remember how much I enjoyed spending time with my son.

It was about the time that he was beginning his descent into substance addiction.  For the ensuing years, he and I did not spend much time hanging out and having fun. But that time fishing had special meaning for the both of us.

Now that he has sobriety, and that memory had been so dear to both of us, we decided that we needed to do it again.  Unlike the last time when I financed the excursion, this time he would have full-time employment and money in his pocket, and he would pay for himself.

There was an ulterior motive for us going fishing which we discussed as we were making plans.  Since the climatic phenomenon known as El Nino has warmed the eastern Pacific waters, allowing warm water to extend from Baja California up to Santa Barbara (and it continues to be warm by historical standards), yellowfin tuna fishing has been "hot" all summer and into the fall.  I kept reading and hearing about how fishermen (and women) had been catching their limits, and people in the know were telling people to get fishing before the waters turned colder.

BJ and I decided that if we were to fish and to catch the tuna, we would donate our tuna to the Beacon House.  He informed me that there are guys in the rehab program who are considering careers as chefs, and that not only would filleting and preparing the tuna be a great activity for them, but that these future chefs could prepare a delicious meal or two of freshly caught tuna for the Beacon House guys and staff.

After a false start about a month ago (that's a sour memory), we got to the boat by 6:00 am, and along with 21 other hopeful people, we headed south out of San Diego.  We were with some real, hardcore fishermen (and one woman), but there were also some greenhorns like us. 

We would bide our time and wait until the captain of the boat literally yelled over the loud speaker that there was a school of yellowfin tuna below us and to "get those lines in the water."  We would grab our poles, run to the bait receptacle toward the rear of the boat, be frustrated but finally grab a live 4-5 inch bait fish and put it on the hook, run to a location along the starboard or port or back, let the 6 or 8 ounce sinker take the line to the bottom (verying depths depending on where we were), and the bait would wiggle about a yard up from the bottom.  Some hardcore types would sometimes use lures. 

Usually within two minutes, you would either get a bite or you would reel it up, throw the old bait into the water, grab (or waste valuable seconds trying to grab!) a new one and hook it, and then quickly repeat the action.

Everybody was catching them from the very start!  I caught my first one the third or fourth time I baited!  It was a nice sized one, perhaps 15 lbs.  Some short time later, BJ caught his first one.  It was so exciting; everyone was clearly enjoying this good luck! 

But I would question that anybody was feeling the deep felt satisfaction that I was feeling in spending time with my boy, and being able to provide fishes (not loaves) for the Beacon House guys.

The limit for yellowfin tuna in Mexican waters is five.  BJ caught three and I caught four, but our bags were filled with additional tuna by other generous fishermen to get us to our limit of five, by noon!  My left arm would get tired as I wrestled with the tuna to get them up to the surface, but I recall only losing one.

But I didn't lose the "one" that I was fishing with!  My son BJ is clean and sober, and he was very happy to be able to provide work and food for his guys at the House.  Ironically, he is now vegan and will not be able to eat what he caught.  I love my boy!

There we are on the top left!