They Can Keep the Cash; He Will Take His Record Catch

“The dummy didn’t even enter the jackpot,” said Tommy Rothery, owner-operator of the Polaris Supreme.

No, but Dick Minor has something that will probably last longer than the cash prize he would have won aboard Rothery’s boat--a world record.

Minor, 50, of Northridge, left on the 16-day trip to Mexico’s Revillagigedo Islands Jan. 27, not knowing quite what to expect. He returned Tuesday morning to San Diego, where his yellowfin tuna tipped the scale at 363.9 pounds, breaking the 6-year-old record for 130-pound-test line by a little more than six pounds.

Before the trip, Minor’s previous prize was a 125-pound striped marlin. During the trip, he caught another tuna that weighed 259.8 pounds--the second- largest fish. He would have taken the top two places in the contest.

“No, I didn’t enter the jackpot,” Minor said. “That’s how confident I was that I was going to catch a big fish.”

After all, it was his first trip of this nature.

And Minor was having a heck of a time catching any fish for much of the trip.

After his first big tuna, he went three days without catching anything, which, given the abundance of fish in the region, is a feat in itself.

“Before the big one, my line broke twice (on other fish), then I reeled in and re-spooled my reel,” Minor said. He then cast a live cabieto --a small bait fish--and was reeling it in when the monster tuna attacked only four feet off the stern.

“The whole ocean exploded,” Minor said. “It was a tornado that hit. We all got wet.”

They all got bites, too. As minor fought his fish, 40 others hooked up. Thirty of those fish were 100-pounders or better. But whereas the others made relatively short work of their tuna, Minor fought on.

Darkness had fallen and Minor felt like doing the same.

“After about three hours had passed, I didn’t think he was going to give up and didn’t know how much longer I was going to hold up,” he said. “Then the guys threw water on me to cool me off and talked to me and I got my second wind.”

At about 9:30 p.m., after 4 1/2 hours, Minor brought the fish to the boat, four crew members with four gaffs managed to haul it aboard and an all-but-whipped Minor had attained the apex of long-range fishing.

He was greeted at Fisherman’s Landing by reporters and several spectators who wanted to meet the man who not only had set a world record, but had landed the second-largest yellowfin ever caught on one rod and reel.

And to think that he didn’t enter the jackpot.

*

Add tuna: The largest yellowfin ever caught on rod and reel was a 399.6-pounder, also taken aboard the Polaris Supreme.

Mark Gasich caught the fish last December, but it won’t count as a world record because a backup rod was attached during the fight when two-thirds of Gasich’s line was spooled by the giant tuna after only 15 minutes.

The all-tackle world record is a 388-pound 12-ounce yellowfin caught by Curt Wiesenhutter in 1977. Wiesenhutter was using only 80-pound-test line, and holds that line-class record as well.

Minor’s line-class record, if approved by the International Game Fish Assn., will break one set by Wiesenhutter, who caught a 357.3-pounder using 130-pound test in 1987.

Briefly

FISHING--Locally, not much but the usual calico bass, rock cod and rockfish are biting. However, Redondo Sportfishing’s City of Redondo, fishing with live squid at Rocky Point off the Palos Verdes Peninsula, included in its Tuesday count two white sea bass, including a 64-pounder caught by Vito Pontrelli of Glendale, four yellowtail in the 15-pound class and four halibut, the largest a 20-pounder.

Cabo San Lucas: Marlin feeding in all directions from the marina, but those fishing the Pacific side are getting variety in the form of an occasional yellowfin tuna in the 200-pound class. The Gaviota Fleet’s catch for the week ending last Saturday: 74 striped marlin (52 released), one blue marlin and three dorado. The largest marlin was a 506-pound blue caught by Gary Williams of Arizona. San Jose del Cabo: Multiple catches of striped marlin not uncommon at the Gordo Bank. Live bait attracting pargo, cabrilla and pompano. Daytime temperatures in both areas are in the mid 80s. Water about 74 degrees.

MISCELLANY--H&M; Landing’s Big Game is taking on more than passengers for its Feb. 9 whale-watching trip from San Diego to Baja’s San Ignacio Lagoon. The vessel will deliver non-perishable food and clothing to residents of the village of San Ignacio, where supplies were cut off when last month’s storms made parts of Mexico 1 impassable. Donations are being accepted at 2803 Emerson Street in Point Loma. Details: (619) 222-1144.

INSTRUCTION--Ocean Fishing at East L.A. College, for six weeks starting Tuesday, 6:30 to 9 p.m. Instructor is Al Zapanta. Details: (213) 265-8793. . . . Art’s Fishing Tackle in Gardena is offering an all-day rock cod clinic Feb. 13. Instructors are Dan Dunlap of Jax Jigs and the store’s Mark Lampson. Details: (213) 321-9891. . . . Ventura College is offering a beginning fly-fishing class to be taught by Jerry Bliss. Cost is $85. The four-session class will begin March 6 at 9 a.m. Details: (805) 642-4359.