Late Friday night get a call from work, get problems, some guys are coming in to work on it. Pick Robert (who hasn't gone in over a year now), when he gets in the truck, I mention I could be taking him back home if the guys haven't got it taken care of yet. You may ask "why didn't call back into work to see instead of getting everything ready to go?", I have a plan. Get to work w/ Robert and use the sympathy ploy, "look Robert hasn't gone in quite a while and who knows when he will get to go again". Any way didn't need any of that, the guys got it worked out. Grab ice and head towards the boat.
Push off early enough to get some wigglers, just in case and then head south. Get lures out about the 700 curve, get a dozen or so miles and see a boat acting strangely, almost like he has some debris, nope, he was fighting a small marlin, just as we go by he hauls her aboard. Stay in the area for a couple hours and then decide to head out, kinda the plan and then come back thru here in the afternoon. Get out to "the finger' and slide back towards the area, maybe around one both riggers go and come off, do some forensics and certainly teeth marks, not ono/kaku, probably akus, possibly mahis, anyways keep going. Get back to where we were in the morning, still get boats, but more importantly much more signs of life.
Chasing a big pile, the bait underneath is large, from shallow to deep and 100's of yds across. chase that for some time and slide in to the shallow side of the 1000. Can still see the birds off our stern when the port rigger goes, can I say sweet!? Of course Robert is up, he had already sized up the Black Magic belt and harness so he quickly gets those on. I clear the back deck and ready the "killing field". The seas are sloppy enough I keep one engine in gear sliding down sea, remember stand up w/ a deep V, wide beam, heavy tower w/ the boat out of gear can mean disaster for the angler. I had just went thru (disassembly/clean/grease/new line) the set up that has the fish on, 50VSW and the Okuma 5'6" 50# stand up rod, I really like the action on this rod.
The fish always has a little bit more of an advantage w/ the boat in gear, obviously the water resistance gives him some leverage. Robert does a bang up job, I think I told him while he was fighting the fish he is very smooth. Get the fish close, get the rod in the rigger rod holder, I leader, Robert gaffs, secure the critter and slide him across the rail, can I say sweet. Get the lures back out, gut the fish, get our new friend some place to chill. I'm cleaning up when Robert yells from the tower, "fish blowin' up right in front of us", could it be??? Nope, get in around 5:30, since it was an afternoon fish, decide to leave him in the box for the night. I have to change oil/filters, tighten belts add fuel on Sunday, I'll just cut him then. Give our thanks, clean up and head it home...
So Robert is Derrick's father who caught the ahi Memorial Day weekend, pretty cool they both were able to get in on the action. JSI lures did the damage.
Cheers and a Happy belated Father's Day to all of you Fathers out there.
Cheers
Pat
Push off early enough to get some wigglers, just in case and then head south. Get lures out about the 700 curve, get a dozen or so miles and see a boat acting strangely, almost like he has some debris, nope, he was fighting a small marlin, just as we go by he hauls her aboard. Stay in the area for a couple hours and then decide to head out, kinda the plan and then come back thru here in the afternoon. Get out to "the finger' and slide back towards the area, maybe around one both riggers go and come off, do some forensics and certainly teeth marks, not ono/kaku, probably akus, possibly mahis, anyways keep going. Get back to where we were in the morning, still get boats, but more importantly much more signs of life.
Chasing a big pile, the bait underneath is large, from shallow to deep and 100's of yds across. chase that for some time and slide in to the shallow side of the 1000. Can still see the birds off our stern when the port rigger goes, can I say sweet!? Of course Robert is up, he had already sized up the Black Magic belt and harness so he quickly gets those on. I clear the back deck and ready the "killing field". The seas are sloppy enough I keep one engine in gear sliding down sea, remember stand up w/ a deep V, wide beam, heavy tower w/ the boat out of gear can mean disaster for the angler. I had just went thru (disassembly/clean/grease/new line) the set up that has the fish on, 50VSW and the Okuma 5'6" 50# stand up rod, I really like the action on this rod.
The fish always has a little bit more of an advantage w/ the boat in gear, obviously the water resistance gives him some leverage. Robert does a bang up job, I think I told him while he was fighting the fish he is very smooth. Get the fish close, get the rod in the rigger rod holder, I leader, Robert gaffs, secure the critter and slide him across the rail, can I say sweet. Get the lures back out, gut the fish, get our new friend some place to chill. I'm cleaning up when Robert yells from the tower, "fish blowin' up right in front of us", could it be??? Nope, get in around 5:30, since it was an afternoon fish, decide to leave him in the box for the night. I have to change oil/filters, tighten belts add fuel on Sunday, I'll just cut him then. Give our thanks, clean up and head it home...
So Robert is Derrick's father who caught the ahi Memorial Day weekend, pretty cool they both were able to get in on the action. JSI lures did the damage.
Cheers and a Happy belated Father's Day to all of you Fathers out there.
Cheers
Pat
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