This is an archival story that predates current editorial management.
This archival content was written, edited, and published prior to LAist's acquisition by its current owner, Southern California Public Radio ("SCPR"). Content, such as language choice and subject matter, in archival articles therefore may not align with SCPR's current editorial standards. To learn more about those standards and why we make this distinction, please click here.
Black Pearl skipper Ricky Perez ferries fisherman out to San Clemente Island, but this weekend one member of his expedition got a little too lucky.The fisherman Anthony Pinner knew had caught a big one. He managed to hang onto the fish for 45 minutes, but it still showed no signs of slowing down, according to Belmont Shore-Naples Patch.
Perez could see Pinner from afar. He had been dragged more than a mile away from the island, which is too far from the best fishing spots. As Perez looked closer, he could see that the rod was bending under the weight of something massive.
"He was on Mr. Toad's Wild Ride and there was no getting off," Perez told Patch.
Perez caught up and helped Pinner out. He figured that there was either a shark or a giant black seabass on the other end of the line. When they finally managed to reel in the fish, they found out it was a ginormous black seabass, weighing somewhere around 225-250 pounds.
Since black seabass is a protected species, Perez unhooked the fish it bolted back down to the deep blue.
