DOUBLE HEADER GIANTS AT THE ATLAS!!

[WAHOONBOX]

HONESTLY....THE CAPE COD ADVENTURE WAS A BEAR...A CROSS-BREED BETWEEN A POLAR AND A GRIZ MAYBE...WITH RABIES

WE WENT...WE TRAVELED...WE SPENT...WE LEARNED ...WE EXPERIENCED..... WOULD I DO IT AGAIN? ...UHHH....MAYBE FOR A TWO MONTH STRETCH YES I WOULD...

IS THE RUN-OFF SET UP FOR BACK TO BACK TO BACK DAYS OVERNIGHT FISHING? AHHHH...NOT REALLY....TWO GUYS COULD SURVIVE OKAY BUT NOT FOUR

AND OF COURSE THE 3 DAY BLOW-A-THON THAT NOAA PROVIDED US FOR OUR LAST WEEKEND IN HYANNIS....AN ALMOST PERFECT STORM SEQUEL MOVIE TO BE EXACT....WELL THAT DIDN'T HELP MATTERS.....I HAVE NEVER WATCHED SO MUCH TV IN MY LIFE AS I DID THAT WEEKEND....WATCHING AND LISTENING TO NOAA WEATHER EVERY 30 MINUTES IS NO WAY TO SPEND A WEEKEND...I SHOULD HAVE TAKEN MY ARCHERY GEAR ON THIS TRIP ....

BUT FINALLY PERFECT STORM HERSELF DECIDED TO GIVE THE RUN-OFF A WEATHER WINDOW AND BY 1:15 AM THIS PAST TUESDAY MORN WE WERE BANGING OUR WAY TOWARDS THE NEW JERSEY SHORE FOR A REFUELING HEADING BACK TO MOREHEAD CITY


34 HRS LATER THE BLACK BOAT WAS JUST NORTH THE KNUCKLE BUOY MAYBE 10 MILES GIVE OR TAKE....14-16 FATHOMS...AND......WHAT THE HELL??? ARE THOSE TUNAS BUSTING OVER THERE ??!! GIANT TUNAS! DOZENS OF THEM!! THE 400 LB SIZE!! GEEZUS H ON A BROKEN DOWN CRUTCH THERE IS A TUNA GOD! TOKYO MEDIUM STUD MUFFINS AIRING OUT 200 YARDS TO THE PORT SIDE!

BRIAN MAKES BUT TWO MOVES AND IS ALREADY OFF THE BRIDGE GRABBING 130'S FROM THEIR STOWED PERCH...I GRABBED A SECOND BULLION TRYING NOT TO BANG UP THE GUIDES ON MY WAY OUT THE DOOR...NOTHING WAS RIGGED UP AND THE BEAST WAS YANKING OUT 200 FLUORO FROM BELOW BUNKS....I QUICKLY RAN BACK DOWN BELOW TO THE FREEZER AND GRABBED FOUR DUAL PACKS OF HORSE....NO MORE HERRING I THOUGHT... NO MORE BOSTONS....THIS IS THE MOTHERLAND...THIS IS CAROLINA AND REDNECKS TROLL FOR TUNA HERE.....AHHHH IT IS A SWEET SURRENDER BEING HOME!


THAW BABY THAW!!! THE WARM ATLAS TANKER WATER WOULD MAKE QUICK WORK ON THESE BONEHARD BALLYS....

"HIT THE ENDS OF THE HOOKS BOX WITH THE FILE !!!!" the beast screamed.

"ARE THEY STILL BUSTING??? " I hollered up to Billy.

A ..."HELL YES" ...CAME QUICKLY BACK DOWN THE LADDER.

WHAT SEEMED LIKE AN ETERNITY OF TIC TOCS WAS ONLY MAYBE A MERE 25 MINUTES BUT IN 25 LONG ASS MINUTES WE HAD HORSES ON THE HOOKS AND TWO RIGS IN THE WATER!...COULD THIS BE OUR SALVATION? COULD WE THREE BE LUCKY ENOUGH TO CATCH A COUPLE OF THESE FISH AND POSSIBLY GET A PAYCHECK OUT OF OUR TRIP? COME ON BITE BABY BITE!!

BRAIN WAS STILL IN THE PIT WITH ME AND BILLY WAS ON THE CHROME CIRCLE UP TOP ....NOW WE WERE SCRAMBLING TO RIG UP A PLANER TO GET A BAIT DEEP IF .......I SAID IF WE HAD ONE ONBOARD....WE WERE SLINGING STUFF OUT OF BINS, DRAWERS AND HATCHES LIKE THERE WAS NO TOMORROW!...

THEN .....FROM PITSIDE COMES ...KA-POWWWW!!!! RIGHT RIGGER OPENS UP!! HOLEY SHIT!....BEEN TROLLING FOR 3 MINUTES AND WE GOT HIM ON!!! THEN LEFT RIGGER ALSO GOES...KA-POWWW!!! ......."TWO ON" COMES THE SCREAM! ........130'S ARE NOW GRINDING IT OUT LIKE A RUNAWAY TRAIN ON CRACK! MY GOSH WE TRAVEL UMPTEEN HUNDRED MILES FOR THREE WEEKS AND CATCH ONE GIANT AND NOW ON OUR RETURN WE GOT A DOUBLE HEADER IN OUR OWN PLAYGROUND!!!

BRIAN WAS ON THE RIGHT ROD AND I ON DA LEFT.....BILLY WAS IN THE SALON PUTTING POONS BACK TOGETHER...I NOTICED THE BEAST JUST REACHED BEHIND HIM AND TURNED THE COCKPIT WHEEL TO GIVE US A BETTER ANGLE....NOW THAT BILLY HAD THE POONS SET UP WITH A TAILROPE CLOSE BY....HE QUICKLY MOUNTED THE REMOTE COCKPIT THROTTLE CONTROLS AND NOW ALL THREE OF US WERE IN THE PIT...IT'S GAME ON I TELL YA!!

BOTH FISH CAME TO THE BOAT IN EQUAL GRIND IT OUT GIVE AND TAKE FASHION....MINE WAS ALREADY IN A CIRCLE AND I COULD SEE COLOR....PATIENCE DUDE...PATIENCE...BE SMOOTH.....THINK....BRIAN YELLS MINE IS HERE! BILLY PICKS UP POON #1 AND LETS HER RIP!....FROM THE CORNER OF MY EYE I COULD SEE THE SHAFT UPRIGHT AND THAT TOLD ME BAMALAMA!! BRIAN PICKED UP A LARGE LIP GAFF AS THE TUNA WAS A BIT LATHARGIC...."GOT A GAFF IN HIS JAW " HE YELLED....I COULD SEE WHITEWATER SPLASHING AS THEIR TUNA FOUGHT ONE LAST TIME FOR FREEDOM.......IT WOULD BE A LOSING EFFORT FOR WE WON THIS BATTLE....ONE DOWN....NOW ON TO MY FISH...

FOUR MINUTES HAD PASSED SINCE THEY TAIL-ROPED THE FIRST STUD AND NOW WE COULD FOCUS ON CHECK NUMBER ...I MEAN FISH NUMBER TWO...PULL THE LINE AND CRANK ...PULL ON THE LINE AND CRANK....OH MY GOD...THIS FISH IS NICE FOR A CAROLINA FISH...5...MAYBE 5 AND A QUARTER....WITH NO WORDS BEING SPOKEN AND A BEAUTIFUL SILOHETTE OF A TUNA BELOW US ....BRIAN LET POON 2 FLY AND BY CRACKY HE NAILED IT!!! GET A GAFF!!! I WENCHED SOME MORE ON THE 130 AND SHE SPIRAL UP ....WHAT A SIGHT...WHAT A SIGHT! NOW THIS ONE WAS A BIT MORE UNWILLING TO SURRENDER AND BEFORE I COULD GET MY TAILROPE AROUND HER SHE SMACKED ME HARD ON THE FOREARM.......NOW THAT SMARTED A BIT I TELL YA!!!

WITH A THOUSAND POUNDS OF ATLAS TANKER SUSHI SAFELY IN TOW....I THOUGHT: "WE DID IT" ...WE PULLED OFF THE IMPOSSIBLE...THE IMPROBABLE...WE MADE TUNA HISTORY HERE....IT'S MID OCTOBER AND WE HAVE TWO GIANT BLUEFIN TUNAS ON OUR STERN AND TOMORROW WE HAVE A WAHOO/SAILFISH CHARTER!!! I WAS PUMPED! I WAS CLAPPING WITH EXCITEMENT LIKE A KID AT A CARTOON CARNIVAL WHEN..."WHAT THE HELL?" IS THAT THE PONEYTAIL? WHAT IS SHE DOING HERE?

"HONEY,...BOX!!! ....WAKE UP.....AND WHAT'S ALL THE CLAPPING ABOUT??? she asked. .....HAVE I BEEN DOING DRUGS?...I WAS STUNNED AND CONFUSED....

"UHHH MY TAILROPE....WHERE THE HELL MY TAILROPE?" I asked.........

"I DON'T KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT YOUR TAILROPE BUT YOU HAD BETTER GET YOUR ASS UP OUT OF BED" ...she said....."OR YOU ARE GOING TO BE SOMEKIND OF LATE FOR YOUR TRIP TODAY AND BRIAN WILL BE SOME KIND OF PISSED....... "

[SeaBiscuit]

Oh man, I purposely avoided reading the end of this great story Box. In my mind it happened just like you said it did simply because you guys deserve it.
May be there will be plenty of them blue-grey ghosts for you this year yet.
Biscuit

[clt_capt]

Welcome back Box -

It won't be long now til the giants show

[Shortfin]

You had me double gaffed in the head ,great read

[gottaflylee]

I was slightly confused by this story at first with thoughts Reo flashing through my head...and then totally sucked in as a horse bally zinged by my head and that reaction strike and I bet the hook, felt the sting as it sank deep and the pressure on my neck as I was pulled toward the boat!
What a great read Box, you got me good with this one...

[Capt. Lyndon]

You got me good box. I was making plans to haul tail up there today. Awesome read. It got the adrenalin flowing for sure.

[JD5652]

I must say that I took the bait.... hook.... line ...and tail rope all the way.... much better than this dreary, windy,rainy northeast fall of a day we have outside....

[KeepItReel]

My lip is swollen and I can't get the harpoon out of my back. Got me too!

[gameover]

Thats just not right

Good read though, not bad for a carolina redneck


Taylor

[Ponce]

Great read Box, Man those poons hurt. I always said if I was a fish or a duck I wouldn't make to my second birthday because the baits and decoys look too good to me.