"Stradivaruis" "Somewhere Over the Rainbow"

[Fortunate One]

Tuesday at 5PM I took the "Stradivarius" to points south and east looking for the warm water around Oceanographer.

As we left the marina we saw this off the bow pulpit.



We just looked at it and I said to the guys "We're going to have a good trip". Man that was understated. Although we were plagued by a few mechanical glitches one of which, a freezer plate failure that ended in loosing some of the catch. But that's repairable and it will be soon.

But that can't tarnish the fact that the Stradivarius is a fish raising machine and one capable of trolling and landing fish in 6 to 9' seas which we experienced Wednesday morning.

I was running 26.4 knts in that as we headed home. Unreal.

I backed her down a bit because she was burning a lot of fuel and we had a long run to make. Was doing 28 to 30knts in 4 to 5' seas near the lanes. The 4' in close chop on the approach to Narragansett Bay made it difficult to run at 28knts. I just couldn't get her to settle in and I never thought it would be so tough to pull the reigns back.

We had the whole canyon to ourselves, with the exception of a longliner and a couple of other large ships and commercial lobster boats and one dragger.

I don't have time to get into the details this afternoon as I have to get some work in. But if you can get to the warm water down at Oceanographer, drop everything you're doing and get there. Because there are fish there.

We raised 3 big blues, none of them hooked up, but they're there. We landed and released more yellows than you can shake a stick at. I believe we had close to 45 fish caught up to 80lbs. Kept the limit and released the rest. Had a large blue try to take a 40lb tuna as it was being pulled to the transom. The tuna actually tried to commit suicide into the props. The blue just missed it as it came across the transom.

Night chunk we picked up one 60lb yellow on the chunk early about 9:30, one Mahi at 11:30 and hooked a Dusky which we were hopping was a Sword at 2:30. That was fought in building seas with rain coming sideways. Epic.

People have been telling me "It's time to put blood on the decks". Well if blood on the deck is the indication of a sportfish christening, then the deed is done and she's christened.

Although the few photo's I took didn't have any blood on the deck, you're going to have to trust me or maybe one of the other guys can post some.

I'll be scrubbing that teak for weeks.

This was the trip dreams were made of and that's what the other 7 guys would attest to.



You're only seeing 2/3rds of the fish box.



I love this shot.

[scattered_grass]

sounds like a truly epic trip there F O! I would love to get into some Tunas like that someday. Congratulations, I'd say your boat definitely raises fish!

[JoeyM]

wow, that's a hike from Newport. what was the total distance covered?

[Fortunate One]

JoeyM,

I believe it is 145NM from Jamestown.

[FHC]

Great stuff - congrats

[Seaker]

Great Job and congrats to all on board!
Yeah the STRAD is a STUD for certain. Talk about raisin some fish
Yeah can't appreciate what a great boat can do until you have to back down in the dark in some wicked seas ...nice work Mikey

She is doin everything you wanted her to and it appears like a whole bunch more.

Next is the rumor mill that you have your mail forwarded to the place on your plotter...Talk about givin it up you even posted your numbers

Way to be and a whole lot more

Tip my riggers to all involved....most excellent!!!

[tmack92]

Awesome Mike, well deserved trip after all the years of building and waiting.. To hear Bill excited over the fishing surely means something since he's pretty much seen it all... He was extremely impressed with the Strad....

Kicking myself big time that I couldn't move my job and make the trip, but this is the first of many great trips on her, so I'll catch ya next time...

Again congrats on your official christening, just a awesome way to do it!!!

[Fortunate One]

Capt. Vin,

I didn't say that's where I was, I says "I Love that shot".

Seriously though. The fish were to the west. The canyon was dead from what we saw.

I hope this saves someone some fuel. Go get them guys, we got ours.


Here's a post by Captain Bill Brown that he put up on another site.

Like Capt Vin, he's a wonderful mentor. His post spells out the trip well.
_____________________________________________________________________


One & All,

Mike's busy at work and asked to have me do a post trip report on the STRADIVARIUS's trip to Oceanographer's Canyon that extended from Monday- to- Wednesday.

This trip was a rescheduled trip in regards to the makeup of the crew. Joining Mike were Will, Jay, Steve, Nick, Chris, son Pat, and myself.

We left Brewer's Marina in Cowessett, RI at roughly 6 PM on Monday night with a dazzling rainbow blazing across the eastern sky compliments of an earlier thunderstorm that held the promise of the some great fishing to come in the near future. After topping off the 900 gallon fuel tanks, we set course for the 165 mile jaunt to Oceanographer's Canyon, where both water temperature and catch reports were simply too good to resist. Once we cleared Narragansett Bay's entrance, and the humid day's T-storms, the flat water gave way to 0/0 foggy conditions. Normally, running at night isn't a big challenge (especially with the electronics suite aboard the STRADAVARIUS), but having to run by Nomans with its minefield of lobster gear really made it a little challenging. Never-the-less, we plugged on to a waypoint just to the south of Nantucket Shoals before turning ESE for another 120 miles.

Arriving at our destination, 8 miles just to the west of Oceanographer's northern end, we plunked the lures in and commenced our troll at roughly 0815. By 0845 we had our first knockdown and the first yellowfin of the day was gaffed and brought aboard. Finding a 7 degree temperature break (this water is moving westward), both biological indicators (Sargassum weed beds & lines/shearwaters/water coloration change/breaking skippys) and noting that the hits came on the low end of the thermometer 75.02- to- 75.11 F rather than on the warmer 78.6 F and higher side, we commenced putting a serious hurt on these tuna. We had five fish on at a time several times and never lost a fish running in the 35- 80 lb range. Green bars and 'hoo rigs worked best, but all of the lures took hits that resembled depth charges going off. We easily limited out on fish by 1100 hours and were just having fun from that point onward. It was more than reality, it was dream fishing and a fitting baptism of gouts of tuna blood for the STRADAVARIUS.

As Jay noted, blue marlin were among the mix of predators on the prowl, and after dropping one with another chasing a 30 lb yellowfin up to the transom (it wanted to be gaffed!), we knew that we had to be ready to battle one of these beasts at any moment.

Several 'bite offs' were probably wahoo hits (we had some deep diving lures down, but they ate what appealed to them), and we had a big blue on and had another follow a 30 lb yellowfin right up to the transom.

The STRADIVARIUS is a true battlewagon of a boat (and a piece of artwork) and is a true fish magnet that simply raises the various species of pelagics that swim along the edge of the deep eastern canyons.

We trolled until just after 2100 catching yellowfin right into the full dark of night Even at that hour, multiple hits were common and it was noted that the fish had gravitated to the warmer 78 degree water after the sun had set. Chunking produced a single yellowfin and a 0-Dark-30 (0300) wakeup call on the sword rod. At the moment when a 25- 30 knot tropical rain squall enveloped the boat, the deep wand 'went off' with a bang' and all aboard though that it was 'showtime.' Mike maneuvered the boat masterfully through the wailing wind and 6 foot breaking waves, and after a 25 minute tussle, Nick had (to our collective disappointment), a Dusky Shark at hullside (it was cut off and released) with a $12. Mustad 'Z-Steel' hook in its maw. Resetting the gear, chunking resumed with no takers what-so-ever. Early morning, showed a red sunrise and a stiff WSW wind with waves running in the 6- to- 9 foot range. Most sportfishing boats would have picked up and run towards the beach with those sea conditions, but not this vessel. She was built to fish the blue waters of distant canyons, and that's what she did with a vengeance. Pat, Jay, Nick, Will, and Chris worked as a team to get the lures out (running them short and low) and it wasn't long before the rods were going off. All of these fish went back to see their aunts, uncles, and cousins as what we'd caught was tucked away in the STRADIVARIUS's massive fish/chill box below the beautiful mahogany cockpit deck. The final tally was an astounding 42/43 fish brought up to the boat and another couple of dozen swings and misses that did not come tight.

At 0800, everyone had finally reached their physical limitations and Mike decided it was time to head in a northwesterly direction towards Point Judith. With a stiff NW wind blowing, seas were running in the 3- 5 foot range, a relatively slow 24 knot cruise easily caused the miles to slip by and, with most of the crew snoozing, we reached PT Judith for fuel before heading back up the Bay to clean the boat up from all of the tuna blood (and drool marks) that had been left throughout this one off, one of a kind boat.

I speak for everyone aboard when it's stated that words can not express the absolute gratitude of all of those aboard to Mike who were fortunate enough to have experienced the trip of a lifetime aboard the STRADIVARIUS to the 'Edge' where only two commercial boats and zero recreational vessels shared the distant reaches of the sportfishing world.

THANKS, MIKE!!!!

Here's Bill's son Pat, giving one back to the fish gods on a Bluebird Tuesday.

[SteveK]

Mike,
We refer to those blood stains on the deck as "offshore patina". So be sure to leave a few to add to the character of Stradivarius. Sweet trip and congratulations!

SK

[backman]

congratulations Mike on seeing the thought; the dream, the idea turned into reality after 4 or 5 long years of waiting!