My fishing experience last Saturday was completely different from every other fishing trip I've ever been on. I am more use to fishing for freshwater trout and bass in lakes and rivers. I have been out in the ocean before, most recently bill fishing in Hawaii, but all those trips were pretty boring. Maybe a few bites in four hour time period.

With a bunch of guys from church, we sailed out of Marina Del Rey on a boat called the New Del Mar. Dirty looking vessel. There were about 35 people on the boat and I think the most accurate way of describing all of us collectively would be a floating dive bar. We had some Latino gangsters, some bros, old men, young men, illegal immigrants, large burly women, fathers with sons and daughters, wives getting sick, African Americans, old rugged china men, young naive white men, and a couple actors.

Once on the boat the captain took us to the cliffs near Palos Verdes, about a mile off shore, when at some point he started strange grunting noises over the PA and then immediately started yelling at his crew to chum the water all the sardines they could throw. On the captain's call, everyone with a rod in hand threw jigs, lures, or live bait in the water and began to furiously reel in barracuda.

Within 15 minutes the deck was writhing with fish, blood and boots stomping down on the heads of these beasts. I guess there is a necessity to kill them right away upon entering the boat because of the damage they can do with their sharp teeth. At one point the barracuda were jumping out of the water right next to our boat. One of the guys next to me mentions that the scene reminded him of Braveheart.

As a testament to my fishing prowess, I caught only one. The boat total was 270. We only fished for a couple hours.

I need to go back. Maybe in a couple weeks. Hopefully for the whole day next time.