It is always a pleasure to watch a group of triumphant anglers climb off Royal Star in Cabo San Lucas to enjoy the local sights and entertainment. Even better is the knowledge that they are avoiding what is almost an inevitable butt kicking that is the standard prominent feature of the three day uphill ride. No fishing, no joviality, no relaxing, no fun; just pounding, slamming, and teeth jarring free falls for up to seventy two hours of pure enjoyment.

Judging by the weather maps it appeared that we were well positioned to avoid the majority of the above stated. It even appeared that conditions would be calm. Not so much. For the second time in a month our amazingly accurate weather forecasters missed the mark. It was not calm today; especially into the afternoon and evening. It was not even close to rough or rugged either. Just the typical hobby horse, jerking and banging our way through short chop generated by 18 - 22 knots of north west wind. The main event appears to be up ahead.

That said I return to the original thought of how pleased I am when our anglers embrace the opportunity to avoid an unpleasant uphill run. While we all understand that cruddy weather is possible, even likely, on any given voyage, the occasional stretch of sloppy conditions rarely taints the result when fishing is successful. It can become a little tiresome; though it never seems to at thirty thousand feet on the two hour express ride home.

Photo today features Royal Star crewman Blake Wasano for whom our fondness, and respect, is tremendous. Blake is a rare kid nowadays whose core values of integrity, character, and respect are reflected in his impeccable work ethic. Blake is an invaluable member of the Royal Star team. As a four year veteran, Blake has accumulated a vast amount of experience that he utilizes in every aspect of his job performance. He is dependable, knowledgeable, and extremely proficient in rigging and catching fish. Above all however is Blake's magnanimous personality that brightens every day on board Royal Star. He is the undisputed ambassador welcoming anglers with his huge smile and sincere hospitality. Today's photo was a special occasion for Blake as a mid day lull, and plenty of encouragement from charter master Bart Ryder, provided him the opportunity to wrestle and triumph over this one hundred seventy pound class yellowfin tuna. What I didn't mention about Blake is that he is also strong as an ox - literally. The photo does a better job of describing Blake's Herculean strength than I ever could.


Tim Ekstrom

Photo Here...