SoCalSalty – 5 Questions: Elmer Mun, San Diego Regular

Elmer Mun is an angler I met on The San Diego a couple years ago. The San Diego is the 3/4 day boat running out of Seaforth Landing on Mission Bay in San Diego. In my opinion, this boat is the nicest local boat in the entire Southern California sportfishing fleet. Owner/operator Capt. Ryan Bostian runs a very nice operation. The crew is always top notch. More times than not, they are THE boat to be on if you want to catch yellowtail any given time of the year. I had a friend visit from Seattle toward the end of last year. The San Diego is the boat I picked to show him what fishing SoCal was all about.

If you happened to catch Elmer on the boat today, you’d think he’s been fishing on it his whole life. He’s always one of the guys taking hero shots at the end of the day. It turns out it wasn’t always this way which I found out recently when I asked Elmer 5 Questions…

1. When did you first start fishing the San Diego?

First trip on the San Diego

I grew up in a small town in Michigan across the lake from Chicago. Back then, I was an avid freshwater angler. I caught everything from salmon, steelhead and trout, to panfish, walleye and bass. On a whim, I moved to San Diego in August of 2003. I didn’t fish at all for a few years as I settled into a new job. Eventually I came back to fishing (June 2008) when I convinced some friends to go with me on a half-day trip on the New Seaforth. I didn’t have a clue as to what saltwater fishing was all about, but I got bitten by the bug again. Two months later, I “graduated” myself to the San Diego and I haven’t looked back.

2. Why are you a regular on this boat?

I’m a regular because I love this boat. It’s comfy, spacious, and fishy. The captains and crew are very knowledgeable and helpful. What else could you want out of a sportie? I also live minutes from Seaforth and that landing has easy & ample parking.

I’ve enjoyed many of my fishing “firsts” on the San Diego. Most of what I’ve learned about saltwater fishing can be attributed to this boat and it’s crew, past and present. When I was still learning how to fish, I just kept to myself. Over the years though, I’ve gotten to know a few of the other regulars and we’ve formed a bond over our love of the sport (and the boat!). Most of us are on it every weekend. I’ve met a lot of cool people on the boat who are as passionate about the sport as I am, including Mr. SoCal Salty himself! (Thanks Elmer)

3. Do you ever NOT fish on the San Diego?

Last winter, I started freshwater fishing again, hitting up some of the local SD lakes for stocked trout and other fish. It’s definitely a different style of fishing, even from what I was used to when I fished freshwater in Michigan. It’s a nice change of pace and I enjoy it for what it is – fishing and having fun while doing it!

Offshore trips, I mainly do 1.5 day’s right now with the hope to do a few longer trips in the future as time and money allow. Recently, I’ve tried a few 2.5 day trips. I’ve fished all the local landings on other sportboats like the Eclipse, Condor, Pacific Queen, and the Sea Adventure 80. On occasion, I am fortunate enough to be able to go out on private boats as well.

I hope to do some destination trips. My last destination fishing trip was to the East Cape (Baja Sur, Sea of Cortez) a few years ago. It was good fishing for some of our group, but I didn’t have much luck. I’d love to go back and give it another go. I’d also like to try fishing in Alaska, Panama, Brazil, Southeast Asia, and a few other locations around the world as well.

4. Tell us about one of your favorite memories aboard the San Diego

The first time I caught a yellowtail on surface iron at the Coronado Islands (of course)! Several years ago, I had a new custom jig stick. One of the deckhands at the time, George Parker, yelled at me “Cast right there, Elmer!” pointing to a spot of water off the port corner. I didn’t see what George was seeing, but I trusted what he said and made a cast in that direction. My cast must have been good enough because it only took a few cranks to get hooked up! I grinned from ear to ear long after that fish hit the deck and went into the (refrigerated saltwater) hold.

5. How has your season gone so far this year?

I had a great start to my season, going eight consecutive trips aboard the San Diego landing at least one yellowtail. The streak ended just recently. It was my personal best for yellowtail on the SD. I’ve started over and hope to set a new record-breaking streak for myself.

One last thing, I want to let your readers know that I help out with the boat’s website and social media. Please say hi if you see me aboard the boat. Don’t be surprised if I ask for a picture of you and your catch for the website. I hope to see you all on the water!