Castafari Atlantis Canyon Adventure

[cappyD]

Well after taking a very relaxing weekend off with my kids and having my phone blown up by people catching fish all weekend, I couldnt wait to get the hell out there. Everyone I know but a mere few tangled with blue marlin for two days straight. It didnt matter what canyon. The blues were chomping. The eyeballs were chomping. I heard of a fish that dressed 298??!!! Did anyone else hear that? Anyway I dropped off my kids and told my mates to start rigging more big stuff as my next clients were all seasoned fishermen and owned their own boats catching bluefin all season long. They could care less about yellowin. They wanted blue marlin and they wanted bigeye. So after hearing the reports from Atlantis canyon I decided why not? There were eyeballs there on the west wall and there were big blues in the deep water just south of the canyon just inside the 500.

So off we went, with Miko Nissesin, the art director of the Boston Ballet and crew. Now dont let his profession fool you. This guy is a fishing freal. He owns a 28 and lives on Stellwagon catching 150 pound fish on poppers and flies...never mind trolling them up on spreadar bars. But Miko had never seen a big marlin, nor had any of these guys. So off we went. I decided ti put lines in 15 miles inside the shelf and troll toward the tip of Atlantis. I had high hopes of getting some meat in the boat. Those hopes faded afetr about 2 hours of empty trolling. The place was dead. Now I will say all the flyers we passed were stacked with mahi, but they were very skittish and lazy, probably as a result of being pounded all weekend. We did eventually stop at a few flyers and load up some nice fish. That got old quick though! So onward we trolled over the canyon and into the deep. Then I notice a big school of decent yellowfin tuna crashing up top. I never see yellows crashing out there...maybe once a year. But the fish were focused on tiny little scad looking baits and they wanted NOTHING from our arsenal...not even small swimming ballyhoo in the WWB position...no metal...nottta.

We kept trolling now into the 4th hour. The heat was brutal. Then finally...boom...the first blue comes up and attacks the spread. The boys do a text book bait and switch and seconds later shes on the pitch bait, inhales it, and takes off for Bermuda. Johnnys thumb relinquishes skin. SLAM..were on! Fish is hooked good too as it jumps all over the place and doesnt come unbuttoned. Were on for a few minutes drag screaming, then we start to get line...POP. The hook tip bends...stainless 10/0 Mustad! Now you have to understand, this would be the 5th blue marlin in three trips to come off after a heated battle...not after a few seconds...after being on there. I am thoroughly convinced at this point that we are cursed. Ive never lost so many big fish in a row. I start to question Mustad...almost called them from my sat phone I was so pissed. But instead I did what I always do, climb the tower and decompress in the breeze.

Lines go back out, The charter was excited just the same. I felt like placing my hand in a vice and squeezing. Then I see this squid dragger off in the distance.mmmmm...squid. I troll over to it and notice birds and bait everywhere. They were hauling! Nice!! I put the Castafari right on her side and then crash...bang..zzzzzz..boom....zip...followed by an orchestra of drags...the best music in the world. Miko could probably choriograph a ballet to this sound. My big Biscayne rods were doubled over hard and dumping line. These were eyeballs. The smoked cleared and we were down to 2. Two guys in the corners, pinned to the transom. The fish sound deep. 20 minutes later...pop...another hook pulls. We focus on the one still attatched. Another 45 minutes passes and we see color...beautiful fish shimmering in the depths...all caught on video no less. Johnny takes a wrap, the fish comes up stubbornly still digging hard. Scotty blasts the fish with the poon and that was that. Bobs first bigeye and biggest tuna. Fish was easily over 200. We broke the streak!! 6 real fish in a row pulling hooks....the curse is finally over! My friend/fellow cappy Eric Stewart knows this pain.

The night bite was non-existent. But the next morning we missed a couple of whites and then another real one shows up...big blue coming right up the middle. Slashes everything and mouths it for a second and then sais naah. We get a pitch baits out. I reel like hell on the left short as the fish is heading right for it. Why I was back there...I dont know. Thats the beauty of an express boat. The cappy gets to have fun too. So Im reeling like hell and the fish laughs and lunges right in and clobbers it as if to say."youre not going anywhere". The good thing is she devoured it and ate hard. I knew we had a good hook set when the line melted. Within seconds we were well into the Sufix braid and the fish was tearing up ocean 600 yards away. I caught some great footage with my telephoto lense. She was a big fish as she never completely aired out. 30 minutes later we had her boatside, still green as hell and all lit up. Captured some great video. I'd say she was 450 to 500. Got the release and she took off. Richards first marlin. The hook held!! Wow!!


The streak is over. Its time to catch more big fish. This video will be on the Monster Club at www.castafari.com by the weekend! Tight lines folks

[SaltyDog]

Nice report Damon, lets hope after the hurricane we can all pick up where we left off, hopefully it will blow some swordfish into our mix too...

[backman]

I saw that dragger; I saw that dragger; I saw that dragger.

But didn't have the smarts you did.

Thanks for the tip; that one is filed for next time.

[On The Edge]

Congrats on ending that sour streak Cappy D.

Sounds like the Marlin are still chewin. Hope it hold through the big weather we have coming in..

[cappyD]

For those who are interested, I just posted the video from this trip up on the www.castafari.com Monster Club site. I will be posting videos from the past two canyon tripsa as well. Lots of great action!!! Enjoy and thanks for he support.

[stew]

Nice job D. Great report and how to get it done! Capt. Eric

[hotreels]

Great story, congrats on putting your charter on his first marlin. A big one to boot.

[JD5652]

Great report! Thanks Capt!

[Albatross32]

Great Video Team Castafari! Can't wait to get back out to the Blue stuff......

[IHTBB]

Well, done, Cap!...but does it really compare with four of us, you, and Kid bobbing around on anchor for 8hrs until he finally jigged up that solitary whiting which brought that 600#+ BFT Trick or Treating, which then did it's best to tow us to Portugal in that 3ft. slop?...not to mention fun and games retrieving the dug-in anchor in the dark! I didn't even mind missing the Red Sox duck-boat parade...heck, they do THAT every 86 years!...I bowled 153 in Candlepins one time, but seeing that beast come up was pretty close! Regards, -IHTBB P.S. I got a guy for those red zip ties!