Wild West's Current Catch!
Bookmark this page to stay in tune with what local seafood products Wild West has available at which venue in the HERE and NOW! If you are interested in making a large order or reservation prior to the venue, please contact Wild West ASAP! Local seafood sells like hotcakes!
September 3, 2016
DISCLAIMER: JOHN E. LAW
IS NOT THAT JONNY LAW!
Apparently, there is more than one "Law" of the sea!
Recently, Captain John E. Law of San Diego, California, also nick-named "Wild West JL," has received quite a bit of unexpected attention due to Discovery Channel's airing of a brand new show called "Deadliest Catch: Dungeon Cove," which features various operations of the dungeness crab fishery based in Newport, Oregon. And by complete coincidence, one of the main characters of this television series is named "Jonny Law," a versatile, high-stakes harvester who is depicted as a "cowboy" in the "Wild West" of the Pacific Ocean.
This disclaimer was written to clearly state that even though a "doppelganger" is in effect with similarities in name, profession, and a stretch of a region along the Pacific Coast, John E. Law of San Diego, California, has no affiliation with Jonny Law of the Pacific Northwest.
Now that your confusion is resolved, there is no reason to look further into this matter! Have a great day, and please contact the proper John E. Law or Jonny Law, whoever that may be!
February 13th, 2016
Wild West Returns for V-Day!
January 8, 2016. Happy New Years! Due to the rains from El Nino, fishing was not productive this week for Wild West. We will not be at Tuna Harbor Dockside Market tomorrow, as we hope for calmer, more fishable weather this upcoming week.
12/25/2015
MERRY CHRISTMAS!
WILD WEST WILL NOT BE AT TUNA HARBOR DOCKSIDE MARKET
ON DECEMBER 26TH
12/18/2015
Wild West Returns for V-Day!
Fresh, local seafood is caught with love by Wild West and San Diego fishermen at Tuna Harbor Dockside Market, so why don't you transfer this TLC up the food chain by cooking up a special seafood dinner for that that special someone in your life? Blackgill rockfish and mackerel will be available this Saturday at Tuna Harbor Dockside Market! See you there at 8 a.m.
January 8, 2016. Happy New Years! Due to the rains from El Nino, fishing was not productive this week for Wild West. We will not be at Tuna Harbor Dockside Market tomorrow, as we hope for calmer, more fishable weather this upcoming week.
12/25/2015
MERRY CHRISTMAS!
WILD WEST WILL NOT BE AT TUNA HARBOR DOCKSIDE MARKET
ON DECEMBER 26TH
12/18/2015
***
Wild West is BACK
@ Tuna Harbor Tomorrow!
@ Tuna Harbor Tomorrow!
Amidst a shaky spiny lobster season and upcoming rough weather attributed to the El Nino milieu, Wild West made some time to hook-and-line rockfish off the La Jolla Coast, and just brought in a small catch of 60 pounds of vermilion rockfish and 16 pounds of boccacio (if you haven't seen these wholesome handsome fish before, check out our fresh pictures here). So, come bright and early tomorrow morning to Tuna Harbor Dockside Market to snag your share of rockfish before they're all gone! We really look forward to seeing y'all again! Happy Holidays from Wild West and his charismatic crew...
11/23/2015
***
The December Return ~ Wild West
at Tuna Harbor Dockside Market +
Spiny Lobster Season Report
at Tuna Harbor Dockside Market +
Spiny Lobster Season Report
Seasons Greetings from Wild West Commercial Fishing! Lately, Captain John Law has received a significant number of requests for live spiny lobster for the upcoming holidays, and since we are not in the position for selling lobster to the public, we recommend that you purchase your spiny lobsters at Tuna Harbor Dockside Market! You have an option of pre-ordering your lobsters on Friday to pick up on Saturday morning at the market.
FANTASTIC NEWS! Wild West anticipates in returning to Tuna Harbor Dockside Market in December, as John Law is shifting his efforts from lobster to coastal rockfish and other fish species. In the mean time, feel free to check out some brand new images of coastal rockfish on our "Mission Bay Catch of the Day" page that Wild West caught just yesterday (Sunday!).
We shall keep you posted, as we look forward to seeing you soon at Tuna Harbor!
10/2/2015--COMMENCEMENT OF
SPINY LOBSTER SEASON!!!
WILD WEST NO SHOW AT THDM
Greetings Wild West and THDM customers! This is a quick announcement to inform you Wild West will not be at the Tuna Harbor Dockside Market this weekend, and possibly the next few weekends of October due to the commencement of Spiny Lobster Season! Instead of fishing for rock cod, Captain John Law and his talented deckhand Chad (also a sportboat captain for Chubasco II) ended up deploying nearly a 100 lobster traps today in the local San Diego waters with the hopes of having a fruitful season opener on October 7 (we still have Bait Day to come--an industry-wide grueling "anti-holiday" where lobstermen are to bait nearly all their traps with fishheads, mackerel, and/or the like nearly ALL in one day)!!! Even though a significant handful of lobster fishermen are funneling into the start of the season, there will still be a variety of fish available at Tuna Harbor Dockside Market! So please check on their website to see what they have available this week! One way or another, and sooner than later, the Wild West crew will be back at the market... as the Terminator once nobly said, "We'll Be Back."--
9/25/2015--ROCKFISH, SHEEPHEAD, AND A YELLOWTAIL THIS WEEK!!!
WILD WEST WILL BE BRINGING 135 POUNDS OF ROCKFISH, IN WHICH FIFTY POUNDS ARE SMALL (LESS THAN ONE POUND EACH). IN ADDITION, WE HAVE 50 POUNDS OF SHEEPHEAD FROM CAPTAIN WILL ROGERS--AND ONE SHEEPHEAD IS A WHOPPING 11.5 POUNDS! PLEASE COME ON DOWN AND HELP YOURSELF TO SOME FRESH LOCAL FISH AT THDM TO ENJOY THE END OF YOUR SEPTEMBER!
9/19/2015--
Omen from the Blue-Footed Boobie Bird:
Wild West Will Not Be at THDM
9/11/2015 --
WILD WEST WILL BE BRINGING 135 POUNDS OF ROCKFISH, IN WHICH FIFTY POUNDS ARE SMALL (LESS THAN ONE POUND EACH). IN ADDITION, WE HAVE 50 POUNDS OF SHEEPHEAD FROM CAPTAIN WILL ROGERS--AND ONE SHEEPHEAD IS A WHOPPING 11.5 POUNDS! PLEASE COME ON DOWN AND HELP YOURSELF TO SOME FRESH LOCAL FISH AT THDM TO ENJOY THE END OF YOUR SEPTEMBER!
9/19/2015--
Omen from the Blue-Footed Boobie Bird:
Wild West Will Not Be at THDM
It has been a notable rough patch in weather and sea conditions: this week, we were slammed with tropical rain, a surge from a tsunami from Chile, followed by a couple of days of wind and chop... rendering an unfruitful catch of fish for Wild West. And if there's No Fish, then there's a No Show at tomorrow's Tuna Harbor Dockside Market. Despite the lack of productivity in seafood harvesting, the Mission Bay dock was visited by a strange, yet super-friendly character from the South: The Blue-footed Boobie Bird (yes, it must be El Nino!).
Though several fishermen, including Captain John Law, are preparing their boats and gear for the upcoming spiny lobster season (October 7 is the opening date), Wild West will make a valiant effort to make time to harvest some rockfish for the upcoming Tuna Harbor Dockside Market at the end of September. Have a great weekend, and still take a look for other seafood options at this week's Tuna Harbor Dockside Market!
Though several fishermen, including Captain John Law, are preparing their boats and gear for the upcoming spiny lobster season (October 7 is the opening date), Wild West will make a valiant effort to make time to harvest some rockfish for the upcoming Tuna Harbor Dockside Market at the end of September. Have a great weekend, and still take a look for other seafood options at this week's Tuna Harbor Dockside Market!
9/11/2015 --
HURRICANE LINDA AND
THE DOUBLE SWELL BUST:
WILD WEST WILL NOT BE AT THDM
THE DOUBLE SWELL BUST:
WILD WEST WILL NOT BE AT THDM
Hello fellow seafood enthusiasts! We regret to inform you that the Wild West booth will not be present at this upcoming Tuna Harbor Dockside Market. A notable swell sourced from the southern Hemisphere (2 feet at 20 seconds!) churned up the coastal seafloor earlier in the week, coupled with another ground-swell toward the end of the weak, generated by Hurricane Linda (which formed a mere 400 miles south from San Diego). So, Captain John Law decided to lay low and work on his boats amidst the uncomfortable heat. We hope that you are staying cool during this unusual heat wave, and we also hope you are able to find some other seafood options available to you at this week's Tuna Harbor Dockside Market! Take care, and see you NEXT WEEK! --Wild West Crew
September 4 2015--LOCAL SEAFOOD LABOR DAY BLOW OUT SALE!!!
Greetings San Diegans! We are dropping a quick line here to inform you that the Wild West Fishing "Squid Squad" is offering a prolific amount of local seafood in honor of Labor Day... Except we did all the labor for you! All you have to do is come down to Tuna Harbor Dockside Market 8AM sharp tomorrow morning and pick out your share from 275 pounds of variety rockfish (large and small, caught by yours truly), 40 pounds of sheephead from Captain Will Rogers, 4 yellowtail (12-16 pounds each, gilled and gutted, from Captain Mike Gauger), and a solitary bonito and barracuda, desperate for attention. We hope you consider enjoying your upcoming weekend with yummy, healthy local seafood from your local fishermen at THDM!!! See you bright and early tomorrow!!!
8/28/2015--quick note from the dock, wild west will be at thdm tomorrow with 120 pounds of rockfish and 20 pounds of sheephead. So come early to get your share! See u tomorrow!
8/21/2015
***
A Piscavore's Paradise!
8/14/2015
***
Five Copper Rockfish, Four Yellowtail,
Three Sheephead, Two Giant Vermilions,
and One Happy Smile After Eating Dinner...
***
Wild West Features Family-Size Fish
Travis Hargis the Trailer Guy (a mobile fisherman who launches his vessel, the Southwestern, out of Mission Bay or San Diego Bay, depending on where the fish are) was generous to provide Wild West with 7 beautiful, just-caught, gilled-and-gutted FAMILY-SIZED YELLOWTAIL (ranging from 10-13 pounds in size, and one 18-pound fish), which are for sale tomorrow at $4.50 a pound.
But... we have a Split-a-Fish Program, specifically for our yellowtail. If you print this coupon above, find a family-member, co-worker, neighbor, or friend to split the fish with, and show us this coupon tomorrow, the Wild West booth will give you a discount on your purchase! In addition, a discount on the yellowtail is available if you reserve these fish in advance for pickup tomorrow (before 9am). Please Contact Wild West with your information if you are interested in reserving yellowtail.
We miss you all and look forward to seeing everybody tomorrow at Tuna Harbor Dockside Market, right in the dawg days of summer!
7/31/2015
7/25/2015
***
ROCKFISHTOPIA
AND CUCUMBERS WHO LIVE IN THE BOTTOM OF THE SEA...
[DON'T ASK... JUST SHOW UP AND CHECK IT OUT!]
What do rockfish and sea cucumbers have in common? Not much, but they'll both be at the Wild West booth during this Saturday's Tuna Harbor Dockside Market!
7/17/2014
***
A Piscavore's Paradise!
Greetings! The Wild West booth will have a notable variety of family-size and single-serving size fish for sale at Tuna Harbor Dockside Market, thanks to all the efforts from a handful of talented and hard-working commercial fishing friends of Captain John Law! Please note this post will be UPDATED later this evening, as we have more fish coming in the dock as I am writing this post!
First and foremost, we will have our staple catch of rockfish from La Jolla Canyon, caught on the Rock Ridge. This week's load tallies to 100 pounds, in which 70 pounds of rockfish are in the ball park of 1 pound each (still at a great price of $5 a pound!). In addition, Captain Mario Ghio of Mission Bay is offering 60+ pounds of sheephead, fresh on ice (presently at $5 a pound).
Our specials are from Mike'n'Mike--Captains Mike Gauger and Mike Yoder--in which Gauger hook-and-lined 13 family-size yellowfin tuna (with the size range 8-11 pounds, iced and bled), and Yoder bottom-trolled 3 family-size halibut (ranging from 7-12 pounds each, iced and bled).
Our specials are from Mike'n'Mike--Captains Mike Gauger and Mike Yoder--in which Gauger hook-and-lined 13 family-size yellowfin tuna (with the size range 8-11 pounds, iced and bled), and Yoder bottom-trolled 3 family-size halibut (ranging from 7-12 pounds each, iced and bled).
If you are adamant about securing your share of yellowfin tuna or halibut, you can RESERVE these fish by contacting Wild West and leaving your info. The reservation prices are $4.50 a pound for the tuna and $8.50 a pound for the halibut! We will put your name on the VIP list and hold your fish for purchase and pickup at Tuna Harbor Dockside Market until 9am! Have a great rest of your Friday, and we hope to see you all there tomorrow morning, 8am sharp!
***
Five Copper Rockfish, Four Yellowtail,
Three Sheephead, Two Giant Vermilions,
and One Happy Smile After Eating Dinner...
Greetings Wild West fans! The good news is that we will be at Tuna Harbor Dockside Market tomorrow... but the stressful news is that we do not have that much fish! Captain John Law faced very windy conditions on Thursday and Friday, which forced him to stay close to Mission Bay. Nevertheless, he was able to hook-and-line a solid 75 pounds of coastal rockfish, in which most of the catch is comprised of small red and orange rockfish (1.5 pounds or less). A special part of our harvest includes five whopper copper rockfish (2-5 pounds each) and three sheephead (2-3.5 pounds each). In addition, Captain Mike Yoder, who also launches his 20-foot open skiff out of Mission Bay, is offering four beautiful yellowtail that average at 10-pounds each (gilled and gutted).
Since we have limited fish with epic prices (rockfish go at $5 per pound and the yellowtail retail at $4.50 per pound), we highly recommend you either (1) RESERVE YOUR FISH IN ADVANCE (yellowtail ONLY)(all you have to do is contact Wild West via phone or email and provide your name, and we can hold your share of seafood until 9am tomorrow), or (2) COME VERY EARLY to Tuna Harbor Dockside Market (a little bit before 8am). Hope to see you all at the market tomorrow! --The Wild West Team
8/7/2015Since we have limited fish with epic prices (rockfish go at $5 per pound and the yellowtail retail at $4.50 per pound), we highly recommend you either (1) RESERVE YOUR FISH IN ADVANCE (yellowtail ONLY)(all you have to do is contact Wild West via phone or email and provide your name, and we can hold your share of seafood until 9am tomorrow), or (2) COME VERY EARLY to Tuna Harbor Dockside Market (a little bit before 8am). Hope to see you all at the market tomorrow! --The Wild West Team
***
Wild West Features Family-Size Fish
Even though the Wild West crew was fresh from a break, this week's regional atmospheric pressure changes generated stiff winds 30 miles offshore and beyond, which also produced unfavorable inshore conditions--winds, whitecaps, chop, swells--that were not conducive for small vessels operating at sea.
Fishing on Friday was the only foreseeable window of time to make a dash out to Point Loma. Fortunately, Captain John Law was able to fish at dawn on his 20-foot skiff, the Rock Ridge, and managed to hook-and-line a morning bite of 155 pounds of rockfish before there was a shut-off in the feeding frenzy close to noon.
The composition of our catch is as follows: 100 pound of medium-sized vermilion (red) rockfish (1.5-3 pounds), 20 pound of small vermilion rockfish (1-1.5 pounds), 35 pounds of other diverse goodies (like 4 large copper rockfish, 20 pounds of small orange rockfish, and a couple of boccaccio). All rockfish on the table are for sale at $5 per pound.
Fishing on Friday was the only foreseeable window of time to make a dash out to Point Loma. Fortunately, Captain John Law was able to fish at dawn on his 20-foot skiff, the Rock Ridge, and managed to hook-and-line a morning bite of 155 pounds of rockfish before there was a shut-off in the feeding frenzy close to noon.
The composition of our catch is as follows: 100 pound of medium-sized vermilion (red) rockfish (1.5-3 pounds), 20 pound of small vermilion rockfish (1-1.5 pounds), 35 pounds of other diverse goodies (like 4 large copper rockfish, 20 pounds of small orange rockfish, and a couple of boccaccio). All rockfish on the table are for sale at $5 per pound.
Travis Hargis the Trailer Guy (a mobile fisherman who launches his vessel, the Southwestern, out of Mission Bay or San Diego Bay, depending on where the fish are) was generous to provide Wild West with 7 beautiful, just-caught, gilled-and-gutted FAMILY-SIZED YELLOWTAIL (ranging from 10-13 pounds in size, and one 18-pound fish), which are for sale tomorrow at $4.50 a pound.
But... we have a Split-a-Fish Program, specifically for our yellowtail. If you print this coupon above, find a family-member, co-worker, neighbor, or friend to split the fish with, and show us this coupon tomorrow, the Wild West booth will give you a discount on your purchase! In addition, a discount on the yellowtail is available if you reserve these fish in advance for pickup tomorrow (before 9am). Please Contact Wild West with your information if you are interested in reserving yellowtail.
We miss you all and look forward to seeing everybody tomorrow at Tuna Harbor Dockside Market, right in the dawg days of summer!
***
Wild West Away!
Wild West Away!
We regret to inform our customers that the Wild West team will not be present at this week's Tuna Harbor Dockside Market. Nevertheless, we shall vamp up our efforts for this upcoming week! Take care, have a great weekend, and please enjoy the fruits of the sea from other various booths at THDM! --Wild West Team
***
ROCKFISHTOPIA
AND CUCUMBERS WHO LIVE IN THE BOTTOM OF THE SEA...
[DON'T ASK... JUST SHOW UP AND CHECK IT OUT!]
What do rockfish and sea cucumbers have in common? Not much, but they'll both be at the Wild West booth during this Saturday's Tuna Harbor Dockside Market!
Last weekend's whirlwind tropical storm Delores turned over local marine conditions and left the Wild West baffled midweek as to where the rockfish had gone amidst the El-Nino-related havoc (as he had encountered oceanic oddities such as two hammerheads and a 20-foot great white shark that could have been easily cast for the next Jaws movie!). Thankfully, conditions stabilized enough and by Friday, Captain John law racked up a solid 175 pounds of hook-and-line coastal rockfish, largely off La Jolla Canyon, in which 100 pounds consist of red (vermilion) rockfish in the 1.5-to-2.5-pound size range... and the rest of the catch entails a diversity of small reds, oranges, and variety rockfish. Our fellow Mission Bay fisherman Mike Gauger also supplied us with a just-caught beautiful, family-sized, 12-pound yellowtail.... So, if you are interested in reserving any of this catch in advance for pickup tomorrow (by 9:30am), please contact Wild West Fish!
As a bonus exercise in expanding the boundaries of our customers' culinary comforts, we are graciously offering for sale a small handful of sea cucumbers harvested by Dave Datz, also a Mission Bay urchin diver and lobsterman. Sea cucumbers are closely related to sea urchins, and are used to supplement various Asian dishes, but we challenge you to see what you can do with the humble sea cucumber!
Since our catch is more limited than last week, we hope to see you all bright and early tomorrow morning at Tuna Harbor Dockside Market, 8am sharp!
7/17/2014
***
POINT LOMA LOAD OF ROCKFISH!
After a couple of days of scratching some fish around La Jolla, Captain John Law and his talented deckhand Jayden stormed down to Point Loma on the Wild West vessel just this morning... which turned out to be a payoff load of 340 pounds of hook-and-line rockfish, including a whopping 12-pound ling-cod! Vermilion (or red) rockfish dominate the catch, complemented with a significant number of small orange rockfish (starry, green-spotted, and flags) and copper rockfish. So plan on coming down to Tuna Harbor Dockside Market and stock up on some delicious rockfish for a summer evening dinner!
If you would like to reserve any fish (e.g. the ling cod) in advance to pick up at the market, feel free to contact Wild West at wildwestfish @ gmail.com or 858-633-3389 (text) with your info. You must pick up the fish before 9am, or it is fair game for purchase to customers at the market.
7/10/2015 THE BIG CATCH!!! ATTENTION! WILD WEST TREKKED TO POINT LOMA AND MADE A GREAT CATCH OF 250 POUNDS OF ROCKFISH PLUS SOME OTHER GOODIES--LIKE A LING COD! PLEASE PLAN ON SHOWING UP EARLY ON SATURDAY. THDM WILL OPEN EARLIER THAN USUAL SO THE EARLY BIRD CATCHES THE WORM! IF YOU CAN'T MAKE IT DOWN THIS WEEKEND, PLEASE CONTACT WILD WEST FISH (CONTACT PAGE) FOR GROUP BUY DELIVERIES (+40 POUNDS)!
6/28/2015
***
"SAVE A FISH, EAT A BIRD, THIS WEEK ONLY."
NO FISH MARKET ON FOURTH OF JULY!
Greetings fellow Wild West Fish Fans and Rockfish Foodies... we would like inform you that NEXT SATURDAY THERE WILL BE NO TUNA HARBOR DOCKSIDE MARKET... due to the celebration of the Fourth of July! Ideally, we would like to have the market, but attempting to operate amidst the mayhem of the holiday crowds will not be pleasant for anybody!
6/26/2015
***
"SAVE A FISH, EAT A BIRD, THIS WEEK ONLY."
NO FISH MARKET ON FOURTH OF JULY!
Greetings fellow Wild West Fish Fans and Rockfish Foodies... we would like inform you that NEXT SATURDAY THERE WILL BE NO TUNA HARBOR DOCKSIDE MARKET... due to the celebration of the Fourth of July! Ideally, we would like to have the market, but attempting to operate amidst the mayhem of the holiday crowds will not be pleasant for anybody!
Nevertheless, Wild West will be out harvesting coastal rockfish and other species the next couple of weeks. So, if you are interested in group-buy deliveries of fresh, local rockfish to your neighborhood, workplace, market, restaurant, or event (40 pound minimum order), please contact Wild West Commercial Fishing to arrange a group sale! Thanks for visiting our site!
Caption for the Cartoon: Above is the Patriotic or "Old Glory" Rockfish, a mark of cultural evolution in our local San Diego ecosystems . Rockfish is the ultimate local symbol for culinary and cultural versatilit y! Whether you are Eastern or Western, Northern or Southern, or your blood happens to be traced from secret colonies on Mars (like myself), everyone loves to feast on rockfish, in many, many different ways! -Husslefis h
Caption for the Cartoon: Above is the Patriotic or "Old Glory" Rockfish, a mark of cultural evolution in our local San Diego ecosystems
6/26/2015
***
THE RISE OF THE ORANGE ROCKFISH!
Alas! Three days of struggling at sea reaps today's rewarding catch of 150 pounds of coastal rockfish, available for purchase at tomorrow's Tuna Harbor Dockside Market!
Amidst a two-day hunt for groundfish within La Jolla Canyon's strong currents in the middle of the week, Wild West stumbled upon a magnificent school of thousands of pacific bluefin tuna rampantly feeding off of anchovies--a spectacle rarely to be seen so early in the summer! Bluefin tuna are extremely smart and difficult to catch hook-and-line, but Wild West observed the scene in amusing amazement, while regrouping and sketching out a new game plan. One would figure that the rockfish would most likely be located where their favorite food fad is hanging out--the elusive whereabouts of the ephemeral "tuna crabs."
So, just today, Captain John Law drove his relatively new vessel--the "Rock Ridge"--to Point Loma waters, and found exactly what he was looking for: coastal rockfish at the Tuna Crab Buffet, 200 feet underwater! He was able to harvest 150 pounds of rockfish--with an unusual prevalence of orange specimens (starry, green-spotted, and flags)--until the winds picked up in the late morning, cutting a prolific fishing day short.
To be more specific on the makeup of this catch, the 150 pounds consist of about 90 pounds of red or vermilion rockfish, 40 pounds of orange rockfish (particularly flags or barber-poles), and 20 pounds of miscellania (including five large copper rockfish). The haul was dominated by medium-sized, 1-2.5 pound fish, with 30 pounds of small fish (less than 1 pound) and 30 pounds of larger fish (greater than 2 pounds). And all seafood listed here are up for grabs tomorrow at $5 a pound!
HEADS UP! For all of you who were not at Tuna Harbor Dockside Market last week, we sold out all of our 140-pound catch of rockfish in less than an hour. So a word of advice to all of our friends and loyal customers... if you really want rockfish, either COME EARLY (before 9am), or consider RESERVING YOUR FISH. Please feel free to contact us by phone at 858-633-3389 (leave a voicemail or text message) or email us at wildwestfish @ gmail . com today with your name, contacts, how many fish you would like (and if you feel like, about what size fish, and what kind), and we will set aside your order and place your name on the VIP list (Your reservation will be held till 930am on the day of the market, for FREE). We look forward to seeing you at Tuna Harbor Dockside Market this Saturday at 8am!
Wild West greenhorn crew-member Jayden unhooking his catch of rockfish. |
6/19/2015
***
BIGDADDY ROCKFISH!
A FATHER'S DAY CURRENT CATCH,
CURRENTLY CAUGHT...
This post is being written retrospectively, but we still wanted to share our adventures participating at Tuna Harbor Dockside Market!
On Friday, June 19th, Wild West fished a sandy-bottom region off Mission Bay, and ended up encountering a clump of unusually-large rockfish (1.5-2 pound range) that are typically found off waters farther offshore. Neptune was gracious with his suite of amicable marine conditions, which allowed Captain John Law to harvest 150 pounds of rockfish in one morning, in which 115 pounds consisted of 1.5-2 pound medium-sized rockfish, 25 pounds of small, orange and mixed rockfish, and 20 pounds of bocaccio!
Supplementing Friday's strong catch with an additional 20 pounds of groundfish from Thursday's La Jolla trip, a bonito, a few mackerel from local harvester Shad Catarius, the Wild West team showed up to Tuna Harbor Dockside Market with a total of 190 pounds of seafood at the booth.
One thing we have learned since last year is that even though the NOAA folks may be able to predict the weather (to some degree), no expert could ever have the ability to predict the outcome of any fish market! Though, we had a hunch that the People Presence would be strong due to the festivities revolving around Father's Day, the end of school, and the beginning of summer!
And for once, we were right! It was a fantastic, killer-sales weekend, and everyone was indeed getting "a big rockfish for big daddy"! Wild West was greeted with early-morning strong lines from returning loyal customers, plus a few new family buyers, and we sold all our catch in LESS THAN AN HOUR! The two crew members--one wet deckhand and one dry deckhand--were fired after only one hour of work! How exciting and relieving and wonderful and anti-climactic that was... to work a flurry, and then to not work at all (slackers, we are!).... Well, first of all, we want to say thank you for all your support in purchasing Wild West's locally caught seafood at Tuna Harbor Dockside Market... but secondly, I guess we need to catch more fish for y'all! Enjoy your elaborate seafood dinners (we sure wish we could crash the party and sample your yummy food), and we shall see you next week!
6/12/2015
***
A BOUQUET OF ROCKFISH... JUST FOR YOU!
To our fishing inconvenience, tropical storm Blanca (originally a hurricane that formed south of Mexico) passed up through southern California, shuffling San Diego's marine deck of conditions mid-week. Nevertheless, we have outstanding news! Wild West was able to squeeze in two days of tough-but-workable hook-and-line fishing off La Jolla (Thursday and Friday), filling the coolers with about 140 pounds of super-fresh variety rockfish for this up-and-coming Tuna Harbor Dockside Market! Besides the usual red-and-orange rockfish (vermilion, starry, flag, etc.), a large portion of our catch consists of speckled rockfish!
Breakdown of the Wild West catch: 90 pounds of small rockfish (less than 1.5 pounds, which includes 30 pounds of red rockfish, 30 pounds of orange rockfish, and 30 pounds of speckled rockfish), and 50 pounds of large rockfish (1.5-3 pounds, all vermilion-red rockfish).
HEADS UP! For all of you who were not at Tuna Harbor Dockside Market last week, we sold out all of our 140-pound catch of rockfish in less than an hour. So a word of advice to all of our friends and loyal customers... if you really want rockfish, either COME EARLY (before 9am), or consider RESERVING YOUR FISH. Please feel free to contact us by phone at 858-633-3389 (leave a voicemail or text message) or email us at wildwestfish @ gmail . com today with your name, contacts, how many fish you would like (and if you feel like, about what size fish, and what kind), and we will set aside your order and place your name on the VIP list (Your reservation will be held till 930am on the day of the market, for FREE). We look forward to seeing you at Tuna Harbor Dockside Market this Saturday at 8am!
6-5-2015
***
ROCKFISH... JUST CAUGHT TODAY!!!
Despite the stiff winds off La Jolla Canyon, Wild West was able to work all the other conditions in favor of rounding up 140 pounds of super fresh coastal rockfish for Saturday's Tuna Harbor Dockside Market! Our diverse catch consists of 50 pounds of small rockfish (slightly less than a pound), 60 pounds of 1-2 pound rockfish, and 30 pounds of over +2-pound rockfish!If you are adamant to reserve your catch of coastal rockfish, please email wildwestfish @ gmail . com today with your name, contacts, how many fish you would like (and if you feel like, about what size fish, and what kind), and we will set aside your order and place your name on the VIP list (Your reservation will be held till 9am on the day of the market). We look forward to seeing you at Tuna Harbor Dockside Market this Saturday at 8am!
MAY-29-2015
***
I ROCK FISH... AND SO CAN YOU!
If you are adamant to reserve your catch of coastal rockfish, please email wildwestfish @ gmail . com today with your name, contacts, how many fish you would like (and if you feel like, about what size fish, and what kind), and we will set aside your order and place your name on the VIP list (Your reservation will be held till 9am on the day of the market). We look forward to seeing you at Tuna Harbor Dockside Market this Saturday at 8am!
MAY-22-2015
***
ROCKFISH IN A BOX... ERR... COOLER!
Photo featured on the Tuna Harbor Dockside Market Facebook Page! |
If you are adamant to reserve your catch of coastal rockfish, please email wildwestfish @ gmail . com today with your name, contacts, how many fish you would like (and if you feel like, about what size fish, and what kind), and we will set aside your order and place your name on the VIP list (Your reservation will be held till 9am on the day of the market). We look forward to seeing you at Tuna Harbor Dockside Market this Saturday at 8am!
MAY-14-2015
***
WILD WEST'S Offshore Report!
~Neptune No Mercy~
~Neptune No Mercy~
In fisherman terms, the ocean is currently "wrong." The theme of unfavorable sea conditions continues, as swells, currents, wind, and now rain are leaving Wild West tied to the dock. And most logically, if there's no fish caught, no fish can be sold :-(. Unfortunately, Wild West will not be present at this week's Tuna Harbor Dockside Market (though please check out the website to see what other seafood items may be available on May 16). The current storm coming into southern California has a classic signature of a winter storm (sourced from the Gulf of Alaska), except for the peculiarities of its timing--this may very well lead to the wettest May ever recorded! We are anxiously hoping for a shift in weather conditions this upcoming week :-).
MAY-8-2015
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WILD WEST'S Offshore Report!
~Neptune No Mercy~
~Neptune No Mercy~
We regret to inform you that due to Neptune's stirring of the pot... errr... our local San Diego seas... Wild West will not be at Tuna Harbor Dockside Market this Saturday, May 9, 2015. Swells from a huge storm off South America and wind and rain from the Gulf of Alaska storm kept our small boats off the water for most of the week. Please check back with Current Catch next week for some better news!
MAY-1-2015
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THE RETURN OF THE COASTAL ROCKFISH!!!
HARK! WE'RE BACK! After a two month federal groundfish closure during March and April, Wild West went hook-n-line solo off the coast of La Jolla to bring in a strong opening catch dominated by vermilion rockfish ("red rockcod"), complemented with a small assortment of other rockfish species. Wild West is excited to return as an independent vendor at the Tuna Harbor Dockside Market tomorrow, May 2nd (Seaport Village Pier, Saturdays at 8am), offering the public an opportunity to purchase super-fresh rockfish at $5/pound! NOTE: take advantage of the market's new'n'free fish-cleaning service!!!
DON'T LEAVE THE MARKET EMPTY-HANDED (horrors if you arrived and all the fish just sold out)! If you are super-determined to have your share of locally-caught rockfish, you can RESERVE your purchase in advance! Our available catch of 180 pounds consists of standard-market-sized 1-2.5 pound rockfish... so, if you email wildwestfish @ gmail.com with (1) your name (2) contact info (email or phone) and (3) how many fish you want, and at what size, we will add your name to our VIP customer list and hold your fish till 9am!
The Wild West Fish Crew hopes to see you there!
MARCH-1-2015
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NOTICE! WILD WEST SHIFTING GEARS
DURING COASTAL COMMERCIAL ROCKFISH
CLOSURES IN MARCH AND APRIL
DURING COASTAL COMMERCIAL ROCKFISH
CLOSURES IN MARCH AND APRIL
The Wild West team will be shifting gears due to this closure, as a new wave of hot-off-the-hook seafood items to snag from our booth will include deepwater rockfish, halibut, and octopus, as well as off-site sales of rock crab and mackerel.
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In the spirit of tantalizing your virtual taste buds and inspiring your next seafood recipe, you can spend some time staring at this beautiful flag rockfish for a couple months as a reminder to mark May 1st as a "national" holiday of "The Return of the Coastal Rockfish"! Meanwhile, why not shift your maritime culinary desires toward some new items on the menu?! At Wild West Commercial Fishing, fresh and super-select local seafood is just a hook-and-line away!Till further notice!
The Wild West Team
"We only sell seafood
we love to eat ourselves!"