The Beasts Are Feeding...6/26

[Capt Josh]

Well i survived this far...

Although it could be argued...just barely...

What a whirlwind this weekend and week has been...i've slept a grand total of nine or ten hours in the last five days...though strangely i don't feel tired...i've twisted wrenches, survived wicked lightening storms, battered forty knot winds...and hooked some large goddamn fish because of it...

We hooked a blue marlin on sunday just as we passed the 300 fathom curve somewhere south of el banco...seven lures popped and weaved behind the CONQUISTADOR in spectacular fashion...one lure in particular...no kidding a Pro Soft 12" petrolero...saw the lights go out as the maw of an 800 pound class beast jackhammered the single-stiff rigged lure going outside-in at formidable speed...i happened to be eating a snickers bar and looking aft...wondering why the perfect spread of lures had failed to elicit a strike in the last four and a half hours when out of nowhere...SMASHWHOOSH!!!...and then immediately...ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ.......

My jaws stuck together in mid-chew thanks to those caramel covered peanuts and all i could muster was a gurgle as line melted from the Avet 30 as people flew into action below on deck...

SONOFABITCH...i thought...it ate the goddamn 30...

The fish immediately lit to the air...and i am NOT talking delicately...a huge marlin moves a LOT of water and this ***** went INSANE...

With six lines in the water and two teasers left to clear the end was inevitable as the fish cut a swath through the ocean astern of the boat that would have left Moses lighting up his pipe and admiring the work...

Poor, poor John whom held onto that beast and watched every stitch of line melt off the reel...finally launching airborne towards the bait station and tumbling to his ass when the line parted...i'm sure he had a great view of that fish between his feet and legs as he flew backwards through the air...probably thinking...as i was...that it was time to put the 30's away in favor of larger gear...

We somehow composed ourselves in the moment and rallied behind John who had shaken himself off and half-sprinted up the tower screaming "THAT WAS THE MOST GODDAMN EXCITING THING I HAVE EVER SEEN IN MY LIFE JT!!!...FOR CHRISTSAKES DID YOU SEE THE SIZE OF THAT THING!?!?!?!!!!"

Largo and Bopa were still running around below in circles screaming fully automatic Spanish and i couldn't help but gurgle a laugh through the caramel...

"Chistsakes is right John...some fish just aren't meant to be caught..."

"Amen to that brother...WHEW-FUCKING-HOO!!!!!..."

We put the lures back in the water and didn't make it to the high spot before another blue detonated on the purple and black Joe Yee Super Plunger...this time the hooks popped free after a short sprint...

One dog nut around the bank and sure enough....CHASH ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ...the green and black 7-Strand EAL dissapears in a frothy swath of white water...a small blue of around 200 jumps once and throws the single hook...

An hour later the green, gold, and red Joe Yee gets some attention as a 400 pounder smashes the lure with it's bill repeatedly...fading off and crashing in on the attack again and again giving us one hell of a show but no screaming drags to show for it...

Now any well respected captain who goes 0 for 10 in three days of fishing blue marlin would be tempted to take to heavy drinking...burying himself in the nearest bar, whore house, middle of the night lightening storm or otherwise shady situation...sometimes dark and frightening vewdoo is required to scurry the shanks away...and by god i was in need of some of it...

In reality though...and all kidding aside...we are having one hell of a good time down here...the tunas are out in force and hammering kite baits with abandon...and yes...the blue marlin fishing is WORLD FREAKING CLASS...mark my words people...this is one year you are not going to want to miss...

Herk and Sue's wedding was a highlight of this week and i wish i could have been there for more of it...but i'm running like one of Gibson's Mayans...the only difference is i'm running TOWARDS the apocalypse...where God knows we like it best...

Sounds like most of us are out for the next few days...so keep the airways open...the next installment will be a good one...as will most of the broadcast madness over the next six or eight months...

Shine up the big guns boys...appartently we gonna need em...

[shoefish]

Man that just sounds like a freakin experience and a half. 0 for 10...who cares... it's not as great as 10 for 10, but worlds ahead of 0 for 0. Sometimes not catching makes you that much hungrier for the next chance to get out there again.

As always a great read and very entertaining.

[BTH284]

My man your reports and way of fishing are HIGHLY ADDICTIVE!

Keep your chin up, 0 for 10? Hell I would like to see 10 bills in a day.

Standing by on 18.......

[WAHOONBOX]

JOSH....ANYTIME DUDE....ANYTIME....WHEN YOU HIT THE EAST COAST....MY CRIB IS YOURS...YOU HAVE A TALENT....A GOD GIVEN PIT-TALK TALENT OF BRINGING IT HOME! WHEN A MAN LIVES HIS DREAM AND CAN SHARE THAT VISUAL THAT YOU DO.SUCH AS WE READ HERE IN MELTONS WORLD..........."Largo and Bopa were still running around below in circles screaming fully automatic Spanish and i couldn't help but gurgle a laugh through the caramel..." HELL THIS CLASSIC SENTENCE ALONE IS GOOD ENOUGH TO BECOME TEE-SHIRT MATERIAL!

WHEN YOU QUIT WRITING HERE....I RETIRE WITH YOU

PLEASE ACCEPT MY CONGRATS HERE BUT THIS OBVIOUSLY ISN'T YOUR FIRST RODEO...........WHERE ELSE , MAY I ASK, .....HAVE YOU SCRIBLED PEN DUDE?

[hunt4fish]

Damn great read,I thought I was on the boat with you trying to understand what Largo and Bopa where screaming in spanish!! Keep the reports coming very entertaining.

[WAHOONBOX]

MARLIN BLANCO MARLIN BLANCO!!! NOOOO SENOR......IT EZZZ ZA BEEEG UNO SLOBO!!!!

[SeaBiscuit]

I wish more folks would have the pleasure of reading your stuff JT. This one is a near masterpiece. Thank you man! The "fully automatic spanish" line is indeed classic, as the Box and others noted, as is the following:

"the fish cut a swath through the ocean astern of the boat that would have left Moses lighting up his pipe and admiring the work..."

Please, please tell me you came up with this one, so that I can hope there's more of this caliber in the future from you.

Pretty work captain, pretty work. I don't care if you go 0 for a 1000. Just don't stop writing!

SeaBiscuit

[squirtis]

JT, for years I have been thinking to myself "that was one of his best", HELL they all are, another outstanding read my man, and like the others have said previous 0-10 R U kidding me, most people haven't seen 10 period. Your ability to turn a fish report into an adventure that makes us feel as though we are there has turned into a bit of a pastime for this family. My wife is frequently caught saying "any new reports from JT lately?".......

Not sure how I feel about that

Keep em' coming brother

Curtis

[Capt Josh]

Thanks guys...i'm not sure where this all comes from...just paying attention to the moment i guess...

I thought i went a little overboard on the Moses line...it just sort of popped in there...and that fish really did part the freaking sea...

Anyway...no heart-stopping madness out there today...had the big guy out with his family for only a few hours but we still managed to load the kids up on skipjack and jack crevalle...not blue marlin fishing but still a lot of fun though...the big guy's youngest, Charlice...caught her first tuna...a skipjack of about 8 pounds...for a 5 year old she sure put the strap to it...

We actually went scuba diving for most of the day...and i still feel like i've got water behind my eyeballs...the big guy and i were swimming through a cave at one point and a goddamn moray eel took a swipe at me...in case you didn't know i am afraid of almost everything while under the water and that episode was just about enough to make me swear off diving for a while...the boss was right there behind me though...so i played it cool...which is not easy to do when you're wrestling a nasty good for nothing pit viper...vile little creature would be an understatement...

Well anyway...as far as the rest goes...who says a grade nine education won't get you anywhere eh?

[Dave Sikorski]

Just got over here and read this one.

Yet another fantastic read from the JT files.

Keep them coming!

-D