Birthday Tuna Trip!

**Anngler** · 07-31-2008 10:03 PM

My birthday was on Monday the 28th, but due to an inconvenient doctor's appointment

, my annual birthday trip had to be postponed until the 29th.

Crew: Myself (14), Dan (15), my dad, my Uncle Murph, Sydney (8), and Uncle Murph's daughter, Natalie (9)

We left the dock around 6 o'clock AM, and ran out to Massey's, to try and get a BF, before running out offshore. We fished there for a few hours, and managed to catch a 56" BF, through a tag-team fight, with Natalie and Daddy angling. We had dropped the ball, so we got back on the ball and decided to slowly but surely pack up to move offshore. We ran out to the Baltimore, and before setting up for the troll, we tried for some mahi by the pots. We got 6 mahi there, and then set up on the troll. Trolling by a pot, we had a big mahi smash one of our skirted ballys. Boated the mahi, and got set up again. A little while later something hit the blue and white sea witch, and screamed off! My dad grabbed the rod, and yelled, "TUNA!" But about 5 seconds later, we saw a bill come straight up out of the water, "MARLIN!" It was a big white, probably over 70 pounds, but after Uncle Murph fought the fish for a good 5-10 minutes, the line borke. Whether the fish landed on the line or something snapped, we're not sure what happened, but it was still a great sight. We got set up again, and got back on the troll. Not long after . . . QUADRUPLE KNOCKDOWN! I grabbed our flatline skirted bally, the same exact lure that caught the mahi. It was the only one that came tight. The others hit, a Tournament Cable splash bar, a homemade spreader bar, and a blue and white islander. I could tell it was a YF from the run and the head shaking. After a good 25 minute fight, with plenty of pressure, we boated my first YFT, at 47". Now that's what I call a good birthday present!

We got back on the troll for a little while, but with no more luck, we called it a day.

I couldn't have asked for a better day! It was Natalie's first time ever going offshore, and she stuck it our like a true fisherman. I can't wait to get her out there again!

The weather was wonderful, too! Perfect seas, and a nice breeze! The ride out and in were awesome! We saw a huge pod of pilot whales on the way in, that were chasing little skipjacks out of the water. It was a truly amazing sight and I know none of us will ever forget it!

That trip was really the best present I could ask for!

We have some pics that I will post tomorrow!