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I am not sure I have the time of stamina to write a book this time, but I will try to recap out trip while giving it justice.
Frank, on the board as vu986231, invited Bret, wacker and I along for a trip to the floaters. We took off around 11am on Saturday with high hopes. Frank wanted to get some tuna and marlin as well as break in his new 35 Scarab, Slop Shot! With a full load of ice, gear, 6 guys, 300gallons of fuel and an extra 64 gallons wacker brought in tanks, we shot out of the jetties like we were on fire.
We stopped for bait at a nearshore rig and made our way out. Once we broke the 250ft mark we spotted a nice break with weed and a piece of bamboo serving as home to a nice school of dorado. We trolled for a few minutes with no takers, but as I cranked one daisy chain in a dorado pounced on it. This started a wide open bite on 8-12lb class dorado. Not wanting to kill the school and head deep, we took off after a few drifts.
Once we shot past Tequila, things laid down like an ice cream dream. I could have run my aluminum skiff out there. We soon located an excellent break, but very little was on it. We trolled with no takers, but Boomvang loomed in the distance. We gave up after 20-30 minutes and blasted back off. However, a pile of weed sticking 2 inches out of the water was spotted by Bret. We motored down and saw a tropical aquarium underneath pile. Soon a dorado shot out and nailed a bait. Kevin, who is a friend of Frank, got a nice tripletail and wacker got a tiny 5lb wahoo while jigging. Speaking of tiny, Frank took top honors in the bait department. He dusted perfect sized blue runners and three BFT, which were no longer the 4 inches. With the sun relaxing and stretching its rays for a night’s slumber, we raced to Boomvang, now not only 5 miles away.
While running to Boomvang we watch the sun set in awe. Then a wahoo sliced the top of the ice cream slicing a flying fish in half. The back drop of the sun setting made the image worth setting to memory. We all saw it as well. Hopes rose witnessing this and we started to get ready for carnage. From 8-10 we put the wood to the tuna. BFT and YFT hit the decks. Blood was everywhere by 10 and the deck needed tending.
A lull started with a slow plunk through the evening. One fish here and another there….but the best was when a 25lb bull dorado took Frank’s chunk. He picked up his chunk without even realizing it and swam to the boat. Wacker and I were on the bow lying to each other when the fish swam up to the port side. “What is that?” I said and then Frank stuck him. Wacker thought Frank’s fish was going to jump in the boat! It was a great fight by Frank and he put it on the fish with all he could muster.
“We did it all,” as wacker later said. We chunked, live baited, threw poppers, jigs, swim baits and even used a half digested flyer from a blackfin’s belly. We also put out a bait for swords to no avail. We never thought it would be a serious attempt at getting a sword, but why not drop when things slowed? Around 3am I laid on a bare wet deck to knock out for a minute. A minute turned into an hour when I heard wacker. “I have seen some tuna come up the last few minutes over by the rig,” said the night watchman. Bret got up, looked over at me and we moved.
Wacker dusted off the popper and threw it to an explosion. Boom! A YFT nailed it, hooking itself in the tail. The fish kept scurrying across the surface trying to evade the nightmare “biting” it’s tail. What a fight! He stepped down from the bow and I took my turn with a Yummy Flyer. I set my drag very light, threw it out, engaged the gears and waited for a foaming explosion of my own. It rested on the surface for a minute before a not so terrific pick up. I threw the reel into gear, increased the star drag and held on. Holding on was all I could do! I fought the fish like mad for 20 minutes before a fat YFT hit the deck. The fight was grueling and woke Kevin, Alfredo and Frank from the well earned rest. Before we knew it, blood was every where again and the bite lasted until dawn.
We went back to the weed pile, but it fell apart overnight. I scored a 20lb bull after fishing deep, but that was it. We were all exhausted and were looking forward to a crash anyway. I can’t tell you how many fish we actually caught or lost. Hordes of blackfin and dorado, 7 YFT as well as miscellaneous others. This was Frank’s first trip to Boomvang and second trip for tuna. He fished with Eddie a few weeks ago. His two friends also were baptized by fire for their first offshore run ever! Everyone had a great trip.
Kevin is one of the most intense fishermen I have seen. He was down right mad at the fish. He fished hard and watched to see how it was done. Frank also watched and asked great questions. He was a very courteous host and is turning into an enthusiastic offshore fisherman. Alfredo was just an extremely well-rounded guy who is pleasant to be around as well as helpful. He worked hard to assist anyone and made sure the boat was in order so we didn’t skate on blood.
It was a pleasure to fish with Bret as always and it was great to see wacker in action! Wacker is one heck of a fisherman and an asset to have aboard. His knowledge recesses from the tips of his hair to the core of his body. Salt runs through his veins. Thanks again to Frank and for all those reading! Sorry I didn’t elaborate as much as usual, but I have to get some things done around here.
Frank, on the board as vu986231, invited Bret, wacker and I along for a trip to the floaters. We took off around 11am on Saturday with high hopes. Frank wanted to get some tuna and marlin as well as break in his new 35 Scarab, Slop Shot! With a full load of ice, gear, 6 guys, 300gallons of fuel and an extra 64 gallons wacker brought in tanks, we shot out of the jetties like we were on fire.
We stopped for bait at a nearshore rig and made our way out. Once we broke the 250ft mark we spotted a nice break with weed and a piece of bamboo serving as home to a nice school of dorado. We trolled for a few minutes with no takers, but as I cranked one daisy chain in a dorado pounced on it. This started a wide open bite on 8-12lb class dorado. Not wanting to kill the school and head deep, we took off after a few drifts.
Once we shot past Tequila, things laid down like an ice cream dream. I could have run my aluminum skiff out there. We soon located an excellent break, but very little was on it. We trolled with no takers, but Boomvang loomed in the distance. We gave up after 20-30 minutes and blasted back off. However, a pile of weed sticking 2 inches out of the water was spotted by Bret. We motored down and saw a tropical aquarium underneath pile. Soon a dorado shot out and nailed a bait. Kevin, who is a friend of Frank, got a nice tripletail and wacker got a tiny 5lb wahoo while jigging. Speaking of tiny, Frank took top honors in the bait department. He dusted perfect sized blue runners and three BFT, which were no longer the 4 inches. With the sun relaxing and stretching its rays for a night’s slumber, we raced to Boomvang, now not only 5 miles away.
While running to Boomvang we watch the sun set in awe. Then a wahoo sliced the top of the ice cream slicing a flying fish in half. The back drop of the sun setting made the image worth setting to memory. We all saw it as well. Hopes rose witnessing this and we started to get ready for carnage. From 8-10 we put the wood to the tuna. BFT and YFT hit the decks. Blood was everywhere by 10 and the deck needed tending.
A lull started with a slow plunk through the evening. One fish here and another there….but the best was when a 25lb bull dorado took Frank’s chunk. He picked up his chunk without even realizing it and swam to the boat. Wacker and I were on the bow lying to each other when the fish swam up to the port side. “What is that?” I said and then Frank stuck him. Wacker thought Frank’s fish was going to jump in the boat! It was a great fight by Frank and he put it on the fish with all he could muster.
“We did it all,” as wacker later said. We chunked, live baited, threw poppers, jigs, swim baits and even used a half digested flyer from a blackfin’s belly. We also put out a bait for swords to no avail. We never thought it would be a serious attempt at getting a sword, but why not drop when things slowed? Around 3am I laid on a bare wet deck to knock out for a minute. A minute turned into an hour when I heard wacker. “I have seen some tuna come up the last few minutes over by the rig,” said the night watchman. Bret got up, looked over at me and we moved.
Wacker dusted off the popper and threw it to an explosion. Boom! A YFT nailed it, hooking itself in the tail. The fish kept scurrying across the surface trying to evade the nightmare “biting” it’s tail. What a fight! He stepped down from the bow and I took my turn with a Yummy Flyer. I set my drag very light, threw it out, engaged the gears and waited for a foaming explosion of my own. It rested on the surface for a minute before a not so terrific pick up. I threw the reel into gear, increased the star drag and held on. Holding on was all I could do! I fought the fish like mad for 20 minutes before a fat YFT hit the deck. The fight was grueling and woke Kevin, Alfredo and Frank from the well earned rest. Before we knew it, blood was every where again and the bite lasted until dawn.
We went back to the weed pile, but it fell apart overnight. I scored a 20lb bull after fishing deep, but that was it. We were all exhausted and were looking forward to a crash anyway. I can’t tell you how many fish we actually caught or lost. Hordes of blackfin and dorado, 7 YFT as well as miscellaneous others. This was Frank’s first trip to Boomvang and second trip for tuna. He fished with Eddie a few weeks ago. His two friends also were baptized by fire for their first offshore run ever! Everyone had a great trip.
Kevin is one of the most intense fishermen I have seen. He was down right mad at the fish. He fished hard and watched to see how it was done. Frank also watched and asked great questions. He was a very courteous host and is turning into an enthusiastic offshore fisherman. Alfredo was just an extremely well-rounded guy who is pleasant to be around as well as helpful. He worked hard to assist anyone and made sure the boat was in order so we didn’t skate on blood.
It was a pleasure to fish with Bret as always and it was great to see wacker in action! Wacker is one heck of a fisherman and an asset to have aboard. His knowledge recesses from the tips of his hair to the core of his body. Salt runs through his veins. Thanks again to Frank and for all those reading! Sorry I didn’t elaborate as much as usual, but I have to get some things done around here.
