Another season is gone, it's hard to believe. I have been mulling over how to write this article for a couple months trying to figure out exactly what I wanted to say. I am glad I waited. Personally, I was struggling with one of the most challenging seasons of my career. I was having a tough time seeing the glass was way more than half full. Now that we are coming out of this season of Thanksgiving and heading into this season of Hope I am refocused, re-energized really. That pretty much says it all. Most of us have so much to be grateful for, spending some time at home with family and friends helped me see this. OK enough dribble...

Our first trip of the season started out perfect. We caught the bait we needed, found the Marlin and WHAM!!!!!        Whales, I still don't like 'em as much as I used to. Just goes to show you, you never know. It took way too long to start the work on Badger after the collision. When we finally did start the work Wayne from The Boatyard on Shelter Island did a great job for us. They worked extra hard and put in some long days so we could have the boat for the Mexico tournament season completing the whole job in like 3 1/2 weeks. The boat is perfect. Thanks Wayne, Es and crew.

Follow the saga from collision to complete repair by clicking the following links:

Badger hit by a whale - a tough day for the team...

A boat dealer without a boat

Badger Update: New info included

Badger back in the water–update: Sunday at 2pm she is home in SD

Badger coming together fast and furious

Ta-DAO! Badger splash today–heading south next week


This season was special for me because I got a chance to do something this year that was beyond what I could have ever dreamed of.  I got to run a great boat and operation out of Kona Hawaii. It was only because of this bad economy and our need to downsize our operation that the opportunity came about. It was hard to see Randy go and  I am glad he got a good job with Alan his longtime friend. Everyone in Kona treated me really well. Thanks for all the help. OB thanks for your patience as I tried to learn this new area. Joe, thanks for all. We got to bring a couple legends out with us. Bart Miller fished several days and Jerome Judd spent quite a bit of time with us as well, I think between them they have like 6 Kona granders. We had some great times. We fished something around 40 days and had 47 or 48 Blue Marlin. Anthony had  like 27 of them, thats good fishing, maybe at or near the top in the Pacific Ocean this year for a single angler. Anthony wound up with a couple more Blacks and 2 more Blues in Mexico. Great season Anthony, way to go. We got to see 2 monster Blues while in Hawaii. One we raised at least 5 times over a 20 minute period, Anthony was in the chair and strapped in for about 100 yards on the 2nd/ bite. Pretty sure the Marlin Magic hooked it pretty close to us a about 5 minutes after we raised it the last time. What a show! This thing tore the Ocean apart, but finally pulled off maybe 20 minutes into the fight. I am certain it was over the mark (1,000 pounds). Then we had  another Beast up in the pattern a couple weeks later. Pete Grey and Steve from Dana landing were with us. That fish shorted me out for several days. I never could re-find it, I wasted several days of good fishing trying to find her again. I have only seen that much water being moved once before in my lifetime.  Big fish have always been my passion, it's just what I dig the most about this sport. Awesome to see these huge fish.

Read the fishing reports from Kona by clicking the following links

Kona, Steve Lassley

1st Kona trip with Rolf

Updated Kona fishing trip 2 & 3

3 days to the World Cup

World Cup Results

Did we see our first Grander?

Just finished 2 more Kona trips

20 blues and counting–boys on fire this week

Last week of July. Caught 8 more and the flu...

Kona report, Steve Lassley

Kona report–Team Bandit

Images of Kona–2009 Summer Season

Last day in Kona


Our Viking Team's had a great season. Corey, Tommy, Kevin and Anthony and the rest of team Bandit had a world class season. They competed well and had great success in Catalina and Mexico. Glad these guys are on our side. Good friends, fun to have them around. 

Read more about Bandit by clicking the following links

New Bandit in town

Bandit on the board early at the Los Cabos Billfish Tournament

Bandit does it again!

Bandit wins!

Pinch me. Wait; if I'm dreaming, let me sleep...

Bandit Viking 60 BCE has dream season


CHASER had a great season as well. Our team had made the decision in January not to fish the full Catalina circuit. We had been wanting to fish with Greg Chase aboard his 54' BCE CHASER since he bought it; we just never had the time. When the opportunity arose to fish the Zane Grey we all made it happen. Pete, Jimmy and I hopped on with Greg, his son Bobby and Capt. Greg. What a blast. We wound up winning the Tournament by the narrowest of margins. Super high energy tournament. Thanks Team Chaser for allowing us to fish with you guys. That was one of the highlights of my season. Team Chaser went on to do well in the Catalina Classic and ABC as well–Pete stayed and fished with them as I sat this one out.

Read more about CHASER by clicking the following link

Zane Grey from the CHASER's bridge


I sucked in Mexico. Some years the Team misses fish or the boat breaks or something. This year I couldn't get a bite. My kind of fishing, where I like to fish and I couldn't make it happen. All on me......... Next year.

The way our season ended was perfect. EPYC get together with so many old friends and just as many new ones. As we travel and fish it doesn't seem like we get a chance to slow down and  hang out with our  friends let alone make new ones. So busy every minute trying to do all that needs to be done in this operation. Coming in from a hard days fishing and hanging out with all these good people was a blast. Probably the high light of my year.  Just relaxing and talking about "Stuff".

Rich, Drew and the crew, thanks so much for everything. This crew has some of the best work ethic I have ever seen. They were up and working before 4 am and still at it after 1 am a couple days. Always with a genuine smile. Made us feel at home and welcome.

Those 2 nice fish at the end were nice. I think it was a 475 and a 400. The 400 was THE MEANEST fish I have ever seen. Anthony had 30#'s of drag on this fish for over an hour in crappy weather. I switched sides, constantly, I made moves that that every other fish I have ever driven on would have brought the fish to the surface or at least would have made it bolt off. Nothing, it just dug in and duked it out. I put the fish in a lead for at least 40 minutes of the fight..I would put it in a lead down swell, it went down swell, pull the line over it's shoulder and go in the trough....it would follow, up swell...it didn't matter.  It would just follow wherever we went about 100' deep.  Then when the leader finally came up it absolutely turned Jimmy inside out. Fun to watch as neither side would give an inch. I still chuckle. Jimmy finally won. The fish was hooked right in the corner of the mouth. Great way to end the year!

Read more about the Pacific Provider in Mag Bay by clicking the following links.

First Annual Crow's Nest Yachts Mag Bay Invitational

Pacific Provider ROCKS


Anthony ended his season with 31 Pacific Blue and Black Marlin. Awesome season Anthony.

I ended my season with 51 Blue marlin and 1 Black Marlin. Career best.

Looks like next year is going to be the big fish hunt. We just finished the calendar and we have over 125 days of Black and Blue Marlin fishing on the books so far...Yeeehaw!

Thanks Anthony, Ron, Pete, OB, Jimmy and Eliseo for all.

Steve