Balboa Angling Club

🏆 Congratulations to the 2026 YSH Tournament winners! 🏆

The 2026 Yellowtail, White Seabass & Halibut Tournament has come to a close, and we’d like to congratulate this year’s winners!

Yellowtail – 1st Place
Lamar Lee – 37.2 lbs

White Seabass – 1st Place
Cole Taite – 32.0 lbs

Halibut – 1st Place
Greg Taite – 13.6 lbs

YSH Trifecta Champion
Congratulations to Greg Taite, who earned the coveted YSH Trifecta Award with the heaviest combined weight of all three eligible species, totaling 77.4 lbs:
• Yellowtail – 34.8 lbs
• White Seabass – 29.0 lbs
• Halibut – 13.6 lbs

As the Trifecta winner, Greg also takes home a custom Melton International Tackle fishing rod, awarded for the tournament’s top combined three-species catch.

Congratulations to all of our winners, and thank you to everyone who participated in another successful YSH Tournament. We look forward to seeing you all back on the water next year!

The Dorado First Flag has officially been taken by member Kyle Garnier Kyle Garnier . Congratulations Kyle!



Note: Due to an administrative oversight, the 2026 Dorado Flag was initially awarded in error. The first eligible Balboa Angling Club member to earn the Dorado Flag this season is Kyle Garnier. Congratulations, Kyle! Thank you to everyone for your understanding as we uphold the traditions of the BAC Flag Program.

The Elsten family with a nice 136.56 # BFT on 80 # gear over the weekend. Congratulations!
- Date: 7/10/26
- Fish: BlueFin Tuna
- Angler: Hayden Elsten
- Weight: 136.56
- Line: 80 #
- Time: 30 Min
- Boat: Nuclear Hippo
- Captain: Tom Elsten

Greg Taite with an absolute monster yellowtail on 12 # gear ! Nice work Greg….

🎣 The First 2026 Striped Marlin Release Flag Has Been Claimed! 🏁

Congratulations to Bruce Binnquist on securing the first Striped Marlin Release Flag of the 2026 season!

Fishing aboard Swagger with Captain Clark Smith, Bruce successfully released his striped marlin after a 14-minute fight on 30-pound tackle using a lure. A fantastic catch-and-release accomplishment and a great way to kick off this year’s Marlin season!

Congratulations to Bruce, Captain Clark Smith, and everyone aboard Swagger on an outstanding day on the water.

🎣 Tight lines, and we’ll see you at the weigh station!

Attention Members-
As of today, the First Dorado Flag is still up for grabs, go and get yourself a Dorado and win the First Dorado Flag!
Remember- to earn the First Fish Flag, you have be fishing on a Balboa Angling Club member’s boat AND have a current Balboa Angling Club member be the angler.

🎣 The first Marlin flag of 2026 has officially been claimed!

Congratulations to Garrett McNaught on securing the first Marlin flag of the season in the Balboa Angling Club’s First Fish Flag competition!

Garrett landed this beautiful 90.4-pound Marlin aboard the More Good, captained by Chase Jaramillo, after an exciting 25-minute battle on 40-pound line using a Lure.

Raising one of these coveted First Fish Flags is a tradition that makes Balboa Angling Club membership so special, and Garrett will forever be the first name on the 2026 Marlin flag.

Congratulations to Garrett, Captain Chase Jaramillo, and the crew of the More Good on an outstanding catch. Here’s to an incredible season ahead!

🎣 Who’s going to claim the next First Fish Flag?

NewportBeach FishingTradition TightLines 100YearsStrong BalboaAnglingClub100

Hayden + Tom Elsten with a great haul! Is this the year of the yellowtail?

- Date: 6/25/26
- Fish: yellowtail
- Angler: Hayden Elsten
- Weight: 23.2 #
- Line: 20 #
- Time: 10 min
- Boat: Chumani
- Captain: Tom Elsten

BAC Director Josh Kast with a 18.2 # yellow tail on 20 pound gear. Nice work Joshua Kast

- Date: 6/21/26
- Fish: Yellowrail
- Angler: Josh Kast
- Weight: 18.2 #
- Line: 20 #
- Time: 10 min
- Boat: Kastaway
- Captain: Josh Kast

Steve Beck with a 25 pound yellowtail on 16 pound gear!

- Date: 6/17/26
- Fish: Yellowtail
- Angler: Steven Beck
- Weight: 25 #
- Line: 16 #
- Time: 10 min
- Boat: Loan Shark
- Captain: Steve Beck