Posted June 14, 2008
Greetings all! Pacific Coast Sportfishing Magazine just published an article I wrote about kayak fishing for yellowtail and white seabass in Southern California called, "Row, Row, Row Your Boat: Kayaking La Jolla for Yellowtail" (click here to view the article). It actually covers yakking for white seabass as well, and isn't restricted to La Jolla. The funny thing is, I fish more in foreign waters than I do in Southern CA. I save up my brownie points with my wife for my vacations, when I can travel. I had originally asked them if they wanted me to write a piece on kayaking Kona, Hawaii, but they said they wanted me to do a local piece first, so I when I accepted the assignment I knew that I was going to have to consult some of the fellows who have this wonderful area "wired".

Fortunately at the same time, and quite by accident, I become friends with Josh Pruitt, who is something of a local legend for his exploits. This past spring I was kayak fishing with an 8 year old student of mine and his grandpa (teacher's pet!). Despite getting on the water at 5:00 we were unable to make squid, and the macs that we had weren't what the yellowtail were after. After several frustrating hours, I hear someone say, "Hey Bluewater Jon!- you want a squid?"

"Sure do!"

"Well then come on over- I don't deliver."

A fellow motioned me over whom I had never seen. He didn't look like your typical angler- he looked a little too, how shall I say...refined. Neatly decked out and decidly non-burly. When he asked me, "What're you using for bait?", I told him mackerel, and he replied self-assuredly "They're not biting macs- they just want squid", I felt like saying, "Look buddy, if I wanted your advice I'd..." but I didn't- he was offering me squid.

Then he said matter-of-factly, "Pin this on, and you'll get bit within two minutes." I pinned it on a weighted circle hook, and he just sits there, watching me, looking at his watch. Guess what? Less than two minutes later, the clicker goes off, I'm on, and within a few minutes, I've got a 27# yellowtail on deck!

So that's how I met him. I went home and told my friend Dan Benson about this unique fellow, and Dan goes, "Oh yeah, that's Josh. He's the fishiest guy out there. If he's not catching fish, no one is." Well, this meant something, because Dan is a very skilled angler. I sent Josh an email thanking him for the bait, and then was able to return the favor a couple days later. By that time I had realized that he was "Dark Horse", the accomplished local veteran that was in contention for first place in the West Coast Whoppers contest, put on by the popular website Big Water's Edge http://www.bigwatersedge.com.

When offered the article assignment, I knew that he'd be a great resource. We spent several 12-14 hour days on the water (par for the course for him) and I came to realize that this guy really knew his stuff-so much so that I made him the focus of the article. I'm not one to gush over people but this guy simply knows an awful lot, and puts it to great use.

In any case, I hope you enjoy the article, and thanks for visiting my site. I hope to post an account of the incredible fishing trip I took on June 11 with my second grade class that was paid for by the wonderful non-profit group Friends of Rollo http://www.friendsofrollo.com. We had a great time, and the wide open barracuda bite produced some memorable fish for these much deserving kids.

Until next post, thanks and take care!
Jon Schwartz

Posted April 16, 2008
Hello all, Bluewater Jon Schwartz here! What a great year it’s been! This past winter I went to Cabo San Lucas in Baja twice, and hooked, fought, and released 10 marlin from my kayak! Yahoo!!! Much of it was captured in HDV video by a pro, and as a result, the footage will be appearing on a renowned international TV network next fall…stay tuned! The LA Times and Miami Herald wrote features on the news of my trips to Cabo (click here to go to the articles page), and San Diego’s KFMB- CBS 8 TV did a spot on the events.

We were able to get some really stunning still images from the trip too- look for them to be published within the year. Much thanks to Steve Douglas with World Films and Travel for documenting the adventure on camera. Thanks also to Pisces Sport Fishing in Cabo San Lucas, as well as Marlin Masters Sport Fishing- both class acts that I highly recommend for anglers traveling to Cabo-for providing the chase boats for photography. Let’s not forget the Hotel Mar De Cortez, a wonderfully charming and centrally located hotel in downtown Cabo, for their assistance in providing lodging during our stay.

As you can see in the articles section, I have been busy writing for fishing and travel magazines and newspapers, including Sport Fishing Magazine, Big Game Fishing Journal, and Baja’s only English speaking paper, the Gringo Gazette. I will be on assignment this summer in Kona writing for Traveling Sportsman, and Field and Stream will be featuring a two page spread from last year’s trip to the same location in their June issue. I have joined the OWAA (Outdoor Writers Association of America) and look forward to writing more in the future.

Thanks for stopping by and check out the new additions to the articles page!

Bluewater Jon Schwartz

Posted January 10, 2008
Folks, my dream came true on Jan 3rd and 5th in Cabo. I lucked out by landing and releasing 8 marlin from my kayak in a two day period- all fish hooked, fought, and released from my kayak! It was filmed by professional videographer Steve Douglas, of World Films and Travel, in gorgeous high definition video on a pro broadcast quality camera, and I can’t wait until you see it!

To see a short video of this 8 marlin kayak fishing frenzy, click here.

Posted December 16, 2007
Hi folks, Bluewater Jon here. I just had one of the very best fishing trips of my life down in Cabo, where 2 other kayak anglers and myself lucked out by hooking, fighting, landing, and releasing 5 marlins in a single day! To read the full story and pics, click here. To see a video clip of part of the day, click here. Thanks for visiting!