Camping Black Bart Style

[blckbart]

Making our pilgrimage to the deep this weekend, we decided to mix things up and spend the night. After some pre-game chaos, we bust the inlet around 2 pm Sun and made a quick pace for the Baltimore.

Pull back off the throttles around 4:30pm at the tip and set the spread. Around 5:30 a white crashed the spread and nailed just about everything with a tail before the hook was set by Esquire. With a solid hook up, the rod was passed to Hellboy to finish the job. Hellboy engaged and fought the fish well, besting him boat side. After some pics, the wounded soldier was released to fight again.

We then busted to the eastern wall to setup for night. After scouting our spot, we set up camp. Heard form the boys on the Depth Charge who were set-up north of us. Then despite the drowning sounds of snoring, all things were quite on the rods all night. With the targeted species being swordfish, we were on lookout all evening.

The two weekends Steptoo invested in reading the manual to his new beanbag chair paid off big time. He and the beanbag become one one the sea this weekend.

Nearly day break, life appears around the boat. Squid go on the attack and chew everything up. Found some pinfish, which we skillfully netted(right) and put them to work on a pointy hook. After being decimated by squid, the mahi show up.

While casting to the mahi with a chewed pinfish, my line goes screaming off! After using my fingers to slow the spool down and turn the fish, the fight ensured. Using a spinner setup we usually use for bailing mahi, I fish the unknown fish for 20 minutes before we get a glimpse. See the boat the fish dove deep again. At this point, we had thought it was nearly every fish that swims before it tires and comes up again. This time there is good light and we get a look at the 6-7ft hammerhead. We game plan to either kill it or release it and decided to release it. Took some nice photos and set the beast loose.

With false dawn providing enough light, back to our bread and butter - trolling!!! We trolled around and picked up a few mahi before bailing some.

At 10am, we picked up ad headed for the barn. For those counting at home:1 white(released); 1 hammerhead(released); 12 mahi(dinner).

The boys did great and took care of the boat so I could scoot home for my anniversary - I can't wait to get back on the troll next week!

[Andaman Andy]

Great report looking forward to your next one!