A Central Coast saltwater fishing legend passes away

A friend who was a Central Coast legend has passed on, and local saltwater fishing will never be the same — especially when albacore are swimming offshore.

Harrell Gerry Kimball died February 10. He was 85.

He is survived by his wife, Eiko, sons Randy and Kevin, and a daughter, Debbie.

A celebration of his life, and the contributions he made to saltwater fishing in particular, will take place at a later date not specified at this time.

From his home atop the Nipomo Mesa, he gathered information about offshore weather conditions, sea temperatures and the likely locations where tuna would be present.

Greg “Pegleg” Birkholz, president of Central Coast Chapter of Anglers Anonymous, said, “On numerous occasions, he suggested a set of coordinates for albacore, and I’d connect within a mile of where he told me to fish.

“He took me out on his boat July 23, 2013, and I caught a 37.2-pound halibut. Harrell called it the biggest butt he’d ever had on his vessel.”

Birkholz added, “I am grateful for the time we got to spend together. I loved him like a father.”

Bob Hather related: “He was a real asset for offshore fishermen. He had log books that went back 20 years. He was a wealth of information and so willing to share.

“The catamaran he built (Cat Makai) is an engineering masterpiece.”

Mark Stuthard’s e-mail alerted me to Kimball’s passing: “He was a source that I called upon frequently over the years. I found him to be very patient and eager to share his fountain of information.”

Stuthard noted that Kimball “was a problem-solver for many do-it-yourself-ers. He was always helpful. During tuna time, I called him three or four times a week.”

When leaving Harrell’s home after paying respect to his friend’s family, Birkholz talked to a young neighbor who told me what a great neighbor Mr. Kimball was: “He offered to help with many projects and always had the right tool.”

Numerous people he helped never met Harrell face-to-face, including yours truly.

Among the posted reports, an anonymous angler wrote, “His live VHF reports, latest temp breaks and detailed weather reports no doubt saved lives.”

Harrell Kimball most definitely will be missed. Rest in peace.

Best Bass Coastal Region

The top of the leaderboard in the second of six Best Bass Coastal Region tournaments had a familiar look.

Atop the 49-team battle at Lake Nacimiento last Saturday were the Mullins brothers, Scott, 39, a contractor based in San Juan Bautista, and Tim, 37, a wholesale electronics salesman from Templeton. The brothers are the defending Anglers of the Year.

Tim acted as spokesman for his brother: “Both of us had our most success casting worms. Scott caught more fish than my six. What else is new?”

The team weighed a 9.64-pound bag that paid $2,150. Included was the third largest fish, 2.61 pounds.

Last year, Chase Austin finished a close second in the AOY standings. With a fellow Templeton resident as his new partner (Jeramie Dyer), the duo had the event’s big fish (2.77 pounds) and the second heaviest bag, 9.08 pounds.

Usually Dyer, 24, works a conflicting shift at McPhee’s Grill, a prominent Tempeton dining destination.

Austin and Dyer rebounded from a forgettable ABA tournament a week earlier. Austin, 25, caught the big fish and after two events the team heads the standings with 304 points.

Fernando Salazar and partner Mike Oddo are second with 301 points.

Best Bass Top 10 (all 5-fish limits)

1. Scott Mullins, San Juan Bautista, Tim Mullins, Templeton, 9.64 pounds, $2,150

2. Chase Austin, Jeramie Dyer, Templeton, 9.08 pounds, $1,630

3. Steve Morris, Walter Kondracki, Lompoc, 8.87 pounds, $1,020

4. Jason Letterman, Elliott Dozier, Salinas, 8.78 pounds, $535

5. Mike Barnett, Jerry Boyd, 8.75 pounds, $375

6. Michael & Rick Gohr, 8.22 pounds, $225

7. Matt Clausen, Troy Tiddwell, Prunedale, 8.15 pounds, $180

8. Fernando Salazar, Atascadero, Mike Oddo, Avila Beach, 8.12 pounds, $170

9. Brian Duncan. Chris Martinez, 8.08 pounds, $155

10. Dustin Selck, Atascadero, Sal Rocha, Grover Beach, 7.98 pounds

1st Big Fish: 2.77 pounds, Austin & Dyer. 2nd Big Fish: 2.69 pounds, Morris & Kondracki. 3rd Big Fish: 2.61 pounds, Mullins & Mullins.

Santa Margarita Lake

Marina Manager Ken Hemer reported: “The bass bite went ballistic last week, with some anglers declaring it was their best day of bass fishing ever. Some anglers reported catching and releasing as many as 20 quality largemouths. Catches were made with anything that resembled a shad. The biggest bass was an 8-pounder. The crappie bite also was terrific. Anglers who targeted crappie were catching them on cut mackerel. The hot spots were the Swimming Pool Cove and the White Oak area.”

This story was originally published February 17, 2016 at 4:41 PM with the headline "A Central Coast saltwater fishing legend passes away."