Left a little later than expected, around 0600, lines in around 2 miles before the steeples. Picked up a 21 pound bull, a bit later a bailer cow. Hooked up with a blackfin tuna, but only ended up with half of it, shark. . By this thime we were on the deep side of the Steeples, decided to peek over the 100 line. pulled in the TLD25s and set the Tiagra 50's back out with various naked and skirted ballyhoos, and a crazy rig WWB. Trolled for about 30 minutes and started heading in, I decided to climb into the tower so something would bite. About 10 minutes later Im gazing into the propwash and BILL. Before I can say it, the windshield wiper is whipping back and forth, Joe yells "SAIL!"reel it away, drop it back, set drag to strike and GAME ON!!! Not exactly a sail, I could see from up top that it was a lit up Blue Marlin. An hour and a half later we all give what we estimate to be about a 350lb blue a belly rub for good luck and release her unharmed. We go back in to jig on some lumps, pick up an AJ for our efforts, and a 70lb or so brown shark (does anybody know what they are actually called???) bites a ballyhoo that is still dangling from a rigger, and I say "Watch, Ill put the heat on him" and put the tiagra to full and he promptly puts my rod on the gunnel and knees on the floor. Cut him loose and head for the hill.

Great day on the water and my mustache paid off big time with Brett's first blue marlin (I told him I would grow a stache until we got a bill, 2nd trip and it is gone), the first one I have seen caught, and he later realized that today was his birthday too! Pics on the camera that I left on the boat, will get up in the next couple days, have some good ones of the battle and of the fish.

__________________
Seaward Action Charters
www.SeawardAction.com