Fishing legend Fred Oakley set the California state record for barred surfperch with a fish weighing 4-pound, 2-ounce that he caught in front of the Ventura Marina in 1975. For nearly 50 years the stuffed fish was proudly displayed on the wall of Wylie's Bait and Tackle in Malibu. I was friends with Ginny Wylie, visited often, and one day took this picture of that record fish up on her wall. Alas her house, the shop, and the record fish burned up in the Palisades fire.
