Originally Posted by
birdhunter
With the 50th Big Rock behind me and having just awoken from a four hour nap, I would like to share the experience of my first Big Rock with WELCOME TO MY WORLD.
It seems that the road to the BR started long before the Captain’s Party last Saturday. Instead, as is usually the case, plans were set in place long ago, but took some very unexpected twists and turns. Without going into all the details of how it came to be, I will give you the Cliff's Notes version. It started after I chose to leave my corporate world job in Richmond, Virginia. The job and circumstances, and away from my family and friends, seemed too have only left me a shell of the person that I once was. It had me spiraling into depression and eventually drove the decision to move Morehead to try land a mate job. Hopeful as ever, I came looking for positive answers. However, no after no after no, hampered my quest to become a mate. Finally, I was fortunate enough to come in contact with Capt. Gray Hall and Blue Water Sportfishing. He was in need of a mate that could commit to more than a summer between semesters, and that had the drive to help grow the business during these tough times for the charter industry. To quote Mako Wish, "Dude! You just got drafted to the major’s right out of High School"! Well shit Mike, I never thought about it like that! I mean here I am mating on a boat docked at the world famous Big Rock Landing. I look to my right and left and see some of the best boats and fishermen in the world. With names like Fighting Lady, Energizer, Run Off, Impulse, Delta Dawn, Live Wire, and Bill Collector, I knew that I had better bring my A game.
Fast forward three months and one hell of a trip up and down the learning curve, and I find myself with the jitters of a virgin on prom night while making preparations for the BR. I am sure I drove Gray crazy with questions and double checking this and that in the days leading up to the big show. Although I knew the BR was a big deal, the true magnitude did not truly hit me until the Captain's Party kicking off the weekend. Maybe it was the free drinks, but it did not take long to find myself engulfed in the experience and chomping at the bit to get out there to start fishing. However, on nerve racking Sunday afternoon, Capt. Gray hit me with a proverbial punch in the gut, “Just got the call from the owner and we are laying the first two days." WHAT?!! Are you F&*@!?$G kidding me!? So while sulking around the house Monday morning I decided to listen to the BR live audio about 9:15. To put it lightly, IT WAS GOING OFF! I mean there were enough hook ups to make a 1970’s free loving hippy blush. With the offshore orgy I was listening to, I thought about putting a little Al Green on the stereo.
After two brutal days of being tied to the dock I finally got my chance, Wednesday morning about 10:30 when the short bridge rod goes off. Shit boys this is it! Angler, get your ass in the chair! The rest of you pick up your jaws and let’s clear these lines cause Gray has this pig coming back in a hurry! After about twenty minutes we got the release and the monkey off our backs. While still floating around on cloud nine after my first BR blue marlin release I hear SFC's very own Bodie, who was sharing the pit, yell “long bridge! he's on the long bridge!!”, and about that time the Tiagra starts to sing its sweet song and it is game on again. Another short battle and another 400 points, Capt. Gray informs Randy of another Blue Water blue marlin release. As we cleared the inlet and I sent my two rags up the rigger. It was one of the greatest feelings in the world.
After not being able to sleep a wink on Wed. night, we left the slip Thursday morning completely confident and focused like never before. Then, as is usually the case, our next chance catches me totally off guard. Just before lines in, I noticed that the hook from the plug that had caught our second fish the day before did not look right. Upon closer inspection I noticed that the hook no longer had the recurve bend that it sported the day before. I quickly crimped on a similar size and color plug and stashed the damaged one for a hook change out. After no bites in the first hour I decided I needed to replace that hook and get that lure back in the action. So there I am with a propane torch in one hand melting the heat shrink on a new hook set and the right long comes tight on a NICE blue marlin. I scramble to put the torch down and not set the boat ablaze as I watch line melt off a 130 and down to the braid backing in matter of seconds. With everything cleared Gray starts backing down the 56' Harris and we are going after her ass. With a strong angler and some great boat work we had this big girl boat side in eleven minutes. Had it been day one we would have put the tape on this one, but with a 640 and a couple 550’s already on the dock we knew this fish was not going to cut it. I retrieved the hook, thanked her for the 400 points and set this girl on her merry way. We finished up day four in third place in the release division and went into the last two days confident in our spread and each other.
Unfortunately, Friday did not bring any love for the Blue Water and my heart sank as I heard Randy confirm two blue marlin releases for Buck Wild giving them 1600 points, bumping us out of third and out of the $MONEY$. Saturday morning as we pulled away from the Morehead waterfront we knew what we had to do; catch a blue and any other billfish to put us in third or do the impossible and catch 3 blues to win the release division. The fishing Saturday was the slowest of the week and the slick calm gulfstream produced no bites once again for us. I had mixed emotions as I heard Randy call lines out at two. I was proud of our efforts and accomplishments, finishing 4th out of 170+ of the best blue marlin fishermen in the world, but also disappointed that we finished just out of the money.
The finale to my BR experience came last night at the awards banquet as we received our check for second place daily release for Wednesday. While it was not the big payout that we hoped, it was very rewarding to know that we were one of the few boats that left the Big Rock with a check. Despite the rollercoaster ride that was this years BR for the Blue Water it is satisfying knowing that a Morehead City charter boat can still compete with the multi million dollar battle wagons on an unlimited budget. So for now it will be back to task at hand of filling the box with gaffers and wahoo as we await the Barta tournament. Speaking of gaffers I saw Live Wire bring in one of the best catch of gaffers this year to the dock yesterday so with the calm seas, a hot marlin bite, and great gaffer fishing there has never been a better time to fish the waters off of Morehead.
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Cheers Brad well done!
NOW DUDE, FISH EVERYDAY FROM THIS DAY FORWARD LIKE YOU DID ON THIS PAST SKUNK FINAL SATURDAY AND ALL WILL BE GOOD....CAUSE I KNOW THE BLUEWATER FISHED HARD THAT DAY....
