Bryan Gunther, who recently caught a nearly 7-pound barred sand bass, was confident the fish’s size would remain the record-holder in a competition meant to raise awareness of recreational fishing conservation and sustainability along Southern California’s coastline.
So, on Monday, July 31, the last day of Dana Wharf’s Sportfishing Catch & Release Bass Tournament, Gunther, 39, of Irvine, had a big grin as he and his father, Jeff Gunther, of Dana Point, boarded the Reel Fun for the tournament’s last day – with them were at least a dozen other anglers who had design’s on getting a last-minute score by landing an even larger bass.
“I feel pretty confident,” Bryan Gunther said about the size of his catch which he snagged using “a lively anchovy.” “It would be amazing if they could catch something larger, I’m fairly confident. I feel honored and humbled to be in the lead.”
Bryan Gunter landed his 6.9-pound sand bass on July 21, just off the San Clemente Pier, and the catch put him in first place. In all, 600 anglers boarded the iconic fishing vessel over the past two months and headed up and down the coast from the Dana Point Harbor looking for bass. Second place when to Mark Ator, of Rancho Santa Margarita, who reeled in a 5.8-pound calico bass on July 13.
The tournament, launched by the Dana Wharf charter, is the first of its kind and is being held to create more awareness of The Coastal Conservation Association of California. The group of recreational anglers was created in 2015 with a mission of working for the conservation and enhancement of the local marine resources and coastal environments. Their goal is to not only protect the health, habitat and sustainability of resources but also the interests of recreational saltwater fishers and their access to the resources.
To enter the tournament, fishers paid $5 and the funds were collected for the group. In all, $6,000 was raised for CCA and Donna Kalez, who operates the sportfishing…
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