7/2-3 - The Atlantis's

[capemike88]

Somehow headboat flounder fishing doesn't compare to the excitment of trolling the canyons!

Mike

[getreel]

Well done Larry....good chatting with you out there!

Will

[Thynnus]

We were out there also but stayed in W. Atlantis about 10 miles south of the edge. We got our first ever white marlin on a black bart wahoo trolling lure and 7 yellowfins to 80 lbs. We only had one rat which was quickly released. Left the dock at 1:00am got the edge by 4:00 and had lines in by 10:00am with 5 fat yellows in the box. Talked to GetReel and Diablo out there, great first trip guys, that water was alive!

Danny

[backman]

Looks like we caught a hatchet marlin!

You be the judge.


Look closely and our billfish had a little friend with him.

[mjcjr1]

Looks like we caught a hatchet marlin!

You be the judge.


Look closely and our billfish had a little friend with him.

Larry,

Interesting, never knew there was such a species of fish. Some quick research on the net turned up this..

Genetic structure
Recent genetic studies have suggested that white marlin are a phenotype of striped marlin.
A number of hybrids between white marlin and the Atlantic longbill spearfish have also been recorded. It appears that that the two species are sufficiently close to each other genetically that white marlin and spearfish spawning in the same area can produce hybrids.

Hatchet marlin

The so-called "hatchet marlin" has recently been confirmed as a separate species in the Tetrapturus family, which includes white marlin, striped marlin and spearfish. Although officially known as the roundscale spearfish, this fish closely resembles the white marlin and most tournaments treat hatchet marlin catches as white marlin.

From what I've read thus far the real distinguishing features between the 2 species are hard to get from the pics you posted. Do you have anymore pics?
Curious to what has "you" questioning the species, since you saw it up close?

Nice way to jump start the season

Mike C

PS You are spoiled (B+)

[SteveK]

[QUOTE=backman;1540275

We stopped before dusk as we did not want any more tuna and set up in the middle of West Atlantis in 73 degree water/2000' of depth. The drift was fast, 13 miles ESE in 7 miles, Flat calm, crystal clear, the star's like dust, the Milky way poured across the sky, shooting star's firing across it like exclamation points on the glory of a canon night

![/QUOTE]

Larry,

That was us just to the east of you. At 2:00AM, we had the shallow bait go off, and we boated a nice yellow which was it for the night bite. We relocated back to the west 6 miles and reset. We should have probably kept drifting with you though! That current was ripping to the east. Nice going on those whiteys!

Steve

[backman]

you made me use my radar . Nice job of maintaining spacing as you slid by to the south then turned to slide up to the north west. My crew was sleeping and I was about 2 minutes from pulling the plug and pre-emptively moving when your red green very distinctly turned green and moved around me.

I was watching for moving lights as a sign someone was doing something but you were the only mover around.

FWIW - I drifted w/in 3/4 mile of the huge downeaster with the orange floods and at 1st light deliberately up his drift line. I didn't make it 200 yards up his line before we got covered up. There was a pantload of fish at 50' no doubt just out of his shadow line.