Best of 2000: Best Place To See A 1300-Pound Fish

Squidco
1730 Kettner Boulevard,
Little Italy
(619) 238-0909

One thousand three hundred and seventy-six pounds, to be exact -- and there's a 1294-pounder, to boot. You wouldn't believe the size of the aquarium this fishing-supply store has. Only kidding -- the fish aren't alive; in fact, they're not exactly dead either. Okay, they're not 1300 pounds and they're not even fish. They're fiberglass reproductions of two fish: the all-tackle world-record blue marlin (the 1376-pounder) and the largest mounted black marlin in the United States. A Squidco employee explained that female molds were done of the actual fish and used to make the fiberglass reproductions. Even if they're not real, they're amazing to look at. It's hard to imagine someone pulling such beasts from the ocean with a fishing rod. Stroll in and have a look. It's free and the Squidco people will be happy to tell you about these fish and the 20 other mounted marlin, bass, sailfish, and tuna around the store.