Blue Marlin SNAPPING 8/28

[Capt Josh]

Yesterday brought more of the same to this land of samoan rain and tempermental sunshine...it's been at least 3 weeks now since this grey, gloomy weather rolled down from the mountains to park it's suffocating arse over the Sierra Madres and Puerto Vallarta's lap...YES...it's rainy season allright...make no mistake about it...

There's something downright distraughtful about the tropics when the rains come...you'd think everyone would look forward to rainy season...and during the driest stretches of winter we do...but good god when the monsoons start and the cattle are flushed down the river i'm sure i'm not the only one who thinks twice about it...

Of course...there's always the upside...the boats are sparkling from the torrential downpours and the ozone static energy that seems capable of electrifying even the most determined grime off the metal work...and yes...rainy season does mean marlin season...and like the weather...so far this year the marlin haven't dissapointed anyone...

I just received a call from Manny a few minutes ago...live from Corbetania aboard the Pacifico where things are going well...a blue marlin release and definite signs of more action to come...it's a great example of our day to day exploits out there...ho humm...just another blue one...

Chalk it up to another late arrival this year from our larger 200 plus pound tunas...or the simple fact that more of us are out there targetting marlin specifically than every before...either way you slice it we're racking up blue and black marlin numbers this year that are impressive to say the least...there's not many places in this world where you can expect a few shots at blue or black marlin every day...at least for 5 or 6 months a year...and i for one am having a hell of a lot of fun targetting them...

We have been known to stick to lures for days at a time now on the Conquistador...not due to lack of livies...as the bait tank is usually plugged...but because the lure bite offshore has often produced better results in the last few months than working the high spots with meat...

Yesterday we ran well west of the more usual haunts and within a few minutes of trolling had a small blue marlin demolish the short right rigger lure running on the face of the 5th wave...the lure that owns this position is a pink and blue Pro Soft Pandora...an absolute marlin magnet...and this fish acted like so may before it by piling on the lure in a froth of whitewater...knocking the clip free the fish proceeded to pounce on the lure time and time again...somehow neglecting to hook itself despite it's agressive shelacking...only to turn away from the Pro Soft to demolish the Marlin Magic medium Pear running shortly behind it from the long right...

No mistaking this one....ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ....FISH ON!!!!

Bob Witt...who has fished with us since the early days...coached one of his sons into the chair and center stage...the fish put on an incredible show giving all aboard a fresh and firm reminder of why we often stare at jigs for hours on end...

Herk and Abel work the leader and tag stick and in short order the Witt boys have a fresh mark in the tag column...

After the show i point the bow west again and enjoy the after effects of one hellofa way to start the morning...

We churn more than a few miles dodging dorado-less trees and rainforest Panamanian trash lines before we come across the massive school of porpoise and tunas we located the day before with great success...out go the mauraders and spreader bars and before long the boys are hauling in more voracious lure caught tunas...the fish were spread out further today however...not bunched up and sitting ducks like before...so we have to work harder at it but the end results are the same...fresh sashimi headed back to the beachfront Witt house down the road from Pta de Mita...

We work the school for a while and decide to pick up the marlin hunt again...we raise at least two more fish that crash the lures once but fail to impale themselves...such is the billfish game at times...but while we work our way back up the horseshoe a larger, meaner version comes up hard on the Marlin Magic Ruckus running for it's life in the short left rigger 4th wake...

This fish does not beat around the bush...one savage attack to snap the clip and a roundhouse hack to finish it off...ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ....and another of Bob's boys straps into the electric chair for another shot at the beast...

This one is a little better...probably pushing 350...and uses every bit of it's additional mass to make the jump to light speed...were it not for the swim step i may have reached planing speed in reverse on this one as we back down HARD on a fish that had a ticket to the horizon...

Herk and Abel have their hands full at the transom with this one as it get's wrapped up and needs some additional TLC in order to revive it but we decide prognosis is good and apply the second TBF tag of the day...

Alls well that ends well they say and who could blame them...another day in the books and a few more release cards to send state-side...

In other news the girls have started arriving for the bikini jam and given the weather i'd say they'll be looking for a little entertainment come the weekend...like i say...even in monsoon season...there's always going to be a bright side...

[SeaBiscuit]

God bless North America and her wild oceans and fishes captain Josh.
Great report, as usual. You are living the dream and are smart enough to know it.
Keep it coming.
SeaBiscuit

[Ravens16]

WOW, that was a great read!
Excellent pic's and report Capt Josh!
Loving life in paradise, kick a$$ !!!!!!
Thanks

[SAXIS ISLANDER]

Living the dream via the internet.

Catch 'em up.