Congratulations Heidi Romos and welcome to the wonderful world of deep sea fishing. All of us in the angling community get a thrill seeing a kid catch a nice fish on his or her first outing. The members of Marina Del Rey Anglers put their heart, soul, time and money into making it happen. MDRA kicked off their 2010 summer Youth Fishing Program this last week and one of the first groups invited were from "A Place Called Home." Heidi Romos became the star after landing a monster 30 pound halibut. Heidi became a serious fisherman on June 30, 2010 on the Betty-O and is ready for an even bigger barn door.
Captain Mike Reinsch steered his 65' Betty-O out of Marina Del Rey onto the right spot. The crew, all the MDRA volunteers and all the anxious youth went to work. Lot's of mackerel, calico bass and sand bass were caught to the happy cheers and laughter of the kids, many of whom had never been fishing before. Some had never been on a boat and a few had never seen the Pacific Ocean. Almost all the kids are hooked and are already asking about next year.
Young Miss Heidi Romos is definitely hooked on fishing. "It fought so hard," she said. "It pulled and pulled and I couldn't even turn the handle. It's so big." You better believe it Heidi. Most of the members of MDRA wish they could catch a 30# halibut. Everyone on board was glued to the drama unfolding as Heidi fought her monster until it was finally expertly gaffed by Betty-O crew member Nick Allen. There was a spontaneous sigh of relief and explosion of cheers, high fives and photos as the fish came on deck. All other fish on these MDRA trips are carefully released, but an exception was made for Heidi and her trophy halibut.
Captain Mike Reinsch Congratulated Heidi and praised all of the youngsters and counselors from A Place Called Home. He stated, "All of the young people displayed admirable manners and enthusiasm." Reinsch also noted, "Heidi has become
a local folk hero around here overnight." He also praised the Marina Del Rey Anglers for their continuing commitment to introducing young people to the sport of fishing and teaching them to be responsible stewards of our oceans, bays and watersheds. Crew member Nick Allen was also stoked, "It was the biggest halibut I ever gaffed. I dressed it out right away and put the meat on ice, because the counselors were going to take it back to the group home and have a huge fresh fish dinner."
MDRA President Josh Gerson stated, "the club's youth fishing program and white seabass program attract a lot of members to the club and these are the two programs of which I am personally the most proud. We have made a long term commitment to introducing kids to fishing and to our marine conservation programs, and both are critical to the future of our sport." Bob Kissling and Terrie Lavery run the MDRA Youth Fishing Program. Kissling added, "It takes a ton of work and organization to manage a summer of four to six trips every week of the summer, but it is all well worth it when you see the joy and hear the positive feedback from the kids, their counselors, our members and the whole community of anglers. Lavery said, "I just love the kids and the sheer joy they exhibit when catching fish or just being out on the ocean playing with the sea gulls, sea lions and occasional pod of dolphins that decide to join in the fun."
MDRA member Ray Eichel was supervising the trip and taking photos. He and club president Josh Gerson noted that this big fish was landed on a Shimano spinning reel and rod graciously donated by Shimano exclusively for the MDRA Youth Fishing Program. Stan Zisser, who also supervises many of the MDRA youth fishing trips said, "the reel and gear system got a good workout but performed flawlessly. Thanks Shimano."
Captain Mike Reinsch and MDRA halibut experts have seen a resurgence of halibut in the bay and MDRA is already planning a return of the MDR Halibut Derby in 2011.
Jeremiah Cockheran was the supervising counselor leading the kids from A Place Called Home. Jeremiah shared the vision and mission of his organization. "A Place Called Home is a dynamic, non-profit youth center located in South Central Los Angeles. APCH provides educational programs, counseling, mentoring, music, dance and art classes. We also have a recreation and athletic department. One on one attention is at the heart of all APCH programs and activities. This reflects the belief that each member arrives at our center with skills and abilities that have not fully been realized. As youth participate in our programs, they discover their interests and talents. APCH strives to help youth achieve a better sense of themselves and the world around them. Our goal is to increase the likelihood that they will stay in school and go on to higher education and viable jobs."
Marina Del Rey Anglers is a non profit fishing club and invites all local anglers to join the club for the fishing and the philanthropic work they do. For more information about MDRA's Youth Fishing Program or to join the club please visit www.mdranglers.com.
