Takenori Koyama 小山剛徳
Title: Sea Fishing at Los Angeles
I asked Mr. Koyama, who manages Socal Fishing and loves fishing, about the real thrill of ocean fishing.
He started to get excited about fishing when he was in the early grades of elementary school. "Influenced by a classmate, I started fishing without any idea what to do." He went to a fishing tackle store with his father, and after consulting with the sales clerk, he bought a complete set of fishing tackle. "In the cold of winter, on a breakwater in Sugita, Yokohama, I caught my father's thumb on the first cast of my life. I learned how to handle fishing tackle from the lesson of catching my father's finger, which cried out in pain, and was overjoyed when I caught an unseasonal 20 cm class goby on my second cast. From the moment I was captivated by the fish. I also kept black bass fry in my aquarium and fished them in the tank as part of my research on how they eat bait." In addition to fishing, he also showed an interest in tropical fish. When he was a student, he rented a two-bedroom apartment, turned one room into an aquarium room, and raised arowanas in a huge aquarium in the living room.
”I lived in Ohio when I first studied abroad and enjoyed fishing for freshwater fish. Since moving to Los Angeles, I have become completely addicted to ocean fishing and now charter a boat once every two months to go fishing with my friends. We leave from Marina del Rey at 7:00 a.m. and head about 8 miles out to sea, watching the dolphins leap and enjoying the ocean scenery. With no cell phone or internet connection, we are surrounded by the ocean as far as the eye can see in 360 degrees. Your heart beats roaring from the moment a fish is on the hook until you catch it. We don't use worms as bait, but mainly squid fillets and live sardines. Even if you are a complete beginner who has never held a fishing rod before, the boat crew will teach you everything from how to use the equipment to how to fish, and they will even help you remove the fish from the hook when you catch it. The captain will take you around to several spots using a fish finder, so as long as you don't get seasick, you are almost guaranteed to catch a fish. You can rent all the fishing gear you need, and you can buy a license locally, so as long as you have cash and ID, you don't need anything else. The boats I charter do not have kitchens, so I bring my own drinks (alcohol) and packed lunches. There is also a microwave oven so you can cook frozen food. On the way back to the harbor after fishing, you can give a tip to the boat crew and they will clean and cut the fish for you. If you are not good at fish slicing, you can ask them to do it for you. But, one of the fun things to do after fishing is to cook the fish. Why don't you make your dining table lively with fresh fish caught that day? As long as you don't get seasick, it is the most enjoyable marine sport. Please come aboard and try it for yourself. The schedule of fishing events is posted on our website." www.koyamafishing.com tkzx@hotmail.com