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I'll try to recap my 3 mo adventure. Dave Mason of Tight Lines Tackle and I lit out on Aug 13th from MHC. Caught 6 nice hoos at the BR then pointed her to the north. Left Hatteras at dark and made our way to OC for a night. Fueled up with extra planing on spending a night or two in the canyons cause the Big Eye bite was on but hurricane Bill changed our minds. Drove through the night to Mauntauck (excuse the spelling). Dumped the hoos and off we went through the thickest fog I have ever been in. Slick Ass calm and every blow boater in the NE was crossing Buzzards Bay. What a pain in the ass, squacking on the radio, " I'm over here." " well I'm Over here." Made it through the ditch and headed up the beach, I want to say we spent the first night at the coves, south of the fingers but I can't remember the name. The drift was light so we dropped to the bottom Got a Haddock, cod and some small pollack. Started the troll in the AM, AWESOME! birds, whales, bait busting fish smashing, YEA its gunna happen. Spreader bars out and one deep. Did I tell you we only had 50's onboard right now and my planer rod. BAM the lt long goes off. The Avet 50 did great, 65 incher up in 10 minutes, SHIT! Troll for a bit more till we have to make the ball before dark. If you have never seen the majestic shores of Maine from the sea you don't know what you are missing. It's statuesque cliffs, broken shore lines with the trees, cuts and rocks jutting out from the depths. It's unbelievable, serene and beautiful. Thousands of lobster pots in the channel as we made our way in the first afternoon, what a sight. By the end of the first week those lobster pots become the biggest pain in the ass and I grew to hate them more every day. Our first morning out, hit the creek at day break to catch fresh live bait. Trolling with Sabiki rigs with a Clark spoon for Boston Macks. Put them in the well and off we go. I am learning Kites and Ballons. Cool haven't done that before. This trip was all about learning and catching a true giant, not the money. The first few days no love. We heard the lobstermen talking about seeing them inshore in the gear so the 4th day we set out just outside of the gear. I heard a spash and looked out at the kites and say a fin come in just like a shark but I saw the tail and knew it was a tuna. The kite popped the line lofted down from above as I cranked in the slack and we're on. In short order he was boat side and another short, SSSSHHHHIIIT! Next cay the balloon goes off, 2 1/2 hrs finally get it up in the distance I see him break water, looks like a friggin whale till I see the tail flap the water, about a 500lb Thresher. We get him boat side when the hook pulls. What a beast! We fished South Bristol ME till about the 13th Sept then head to P Town by way of Portland and the fingers, what a awesome view of the coast. Spent the night at the fingers catching Haddock, Cod and one huge Pollack. On the run in the am for P town when we see the birds, whales, bait and fish busting. I put out the bars and rigged a floss rigged Boston Mack on the planer rod and sat down with my book in the pit. It wasn't 5 minutes till I saw the planer rod bounce and start ripping. SHIT!!!!! 69" Rig another down she goes and 10 minutes later BAM!!!!! Off she goes again. Feels better, KISS MY ASS!!!!!71" Crank em in and off we go to P town. Same kinda fishing there, hit the water at day light, catch some blues on umbrella rigs and hang em off kites and balloons. Two weeks there and no love. Dave goes home for the weekend and calls on Sunday, we're leaving the AM for the Figs, Okey doke! The first 5 days we fought off the shorts and sharks. Finally day 6 slinging chum, we catch a short then about an hour later we get our love. Fight the fish for near 2 hrs, get him boat side, about 700lbs, and he chaffes off, shit. In the afternoon Dave gets a call from a guy he knows from ME, been fighting a fish for 2 1/2 hrs and needs a harpoon. Its late and Dave says crank em in we're going to help someone out and he wants another guy. SWEET, this is what this trip was about, a TRUE GIANT! It was about an hour before dark, 5:30 or so when I jumped across in 4-6ft seas. The fish was stretched out about 350-400yds. Can you back this thing down? Lets go get him. We got back about about half when he sounded. The crew didn't know the drag settings so it took a bit to get a feel for it. 200 leader, 200 top shot and 200 braid. I felt I had some room! I kept pushing the drag up, the fish wasn't making any blistering runs but wouldn't go into the death circle even being over top of him. It got dark the seas kicked up to 6-8ft, the mate came out and said, "its been 2 1/2 hrs do you need a break." HELL NO! it ain't been that long and his ass is mine. I'll admit I did have to take a piss at one point and did get spelled for a minute but was back on the reel before the last drop hit the deck. One thing about fishing up there folks just don't get out of the way. There was about 40 boats spending the night and this fish drug us right into them. I'ts 8:00-9:00 at night, they are bedding down and we are flashing our spot at them to help us out. They did reluctantly, thank you. The fish kept heading to the rest of the fleet so we tried to drag him away and it worked. About 10:30 we finally got him into a circle, the first of 4. We had a chem light on and slid it down the line. The circles were 50yds, he would come up off the stern them dive back down. Rip it off and I'd get it back. When we got him in the circle I felt good about going over the top/full drag and locking my hands on the spool. With the swell of the sea and the weight of the fish the line would just creep a few feet at a time. We did this for another couple hours. The **** pit lights didn't shine over the stern but I could see the chem light and it was time to stick this beast, HOLY SHIT IT LOOKS LIKE A SUBMARINE! CAPTN GET READY. HE"S RIGHT HERE STICK HIM. He stuck him I grabbed the harpoon line and the dart came right back in my hand AAAAAAHHHHHHH FU@#! Another 30 minutes and back in dart range. this time cappy sticks him good but when he runs the harpoon line wraps around the main line, we get it back, cut the harpoon line, untangle it, retie it and BAMALAMA we're back in it. We get him back and drive another dart into him and the gaff. Turn the 40ft lobster boat down sea and 3 of us drug his ASS in with the help of the sea. Cored 860lb 119 inches. I took a good look and the line chafe was under his gill and peck, I think they call that a peck wrap, that's what took so long to get him in. A #9 super Mutu locked perfect in the jaw. We met up with the Run Of crew, enjoyed their hospitality, They had just got a fish that day,The next day Dave and had our love with a 715 core. Two more days of slinging chum and we deck a 100"er. We had some tough luck for the next week, dropping 2 more fish. Dave decided with the upcoming weather it was time for a break so he went back to ME and I to NC for a week. Dave went back after about 4 days and decked 2 while I was home. I flew back up the last week of Oct. Dogfish picked me up at the airport about 10:30. Spent the night on the boat and he gave me a ride out. This jump across was a little trickier in 6-7' seas stern to stern. Again no love. The next morn we head out. It was rough out of the NW but we would run across 1/8 mile stretches of 8-10' like a wash basin. That was some bad stuff. We set out in about 8-10, start slinging slop. I had floss rigged the deep mack and the middle mack. I am watching the deep balloon, when the wave hits it it stays about 3 ft down, YES WE'RE on, Dave starts clearing and I see the middle rod start to bow down. YYYEEEHAW! doubled up. Watched for a bit to see which way they were going and moved the rods. We got the first fish boat side in short order and it was a short. We had just let the other fish swim using the boat to keep it tight. If you take the pressure off these fish they will just swim along with you. We finally got him up off the stern about 30 yds up top, about 750 800lb. With the 18 ft leader at the tip in the circle he again chaffed through the leader. What luck. We fished the next day, no love and now was decision time. The bite has slowed to about 5 out of 100 boats. We had a 4 day weather window to get back to MHC. We're out of here. Half way down Long Island the wind kicks up to 15-20 SW and that starts an 8 hr ass whopping. We duck into Manasquan put everything back to where it is supposed to be. It looked like someone picked up the boat and shook it like a dice box. Smooth sailing to Hatteras. Got a call from a friend that night, he caught 10 hoos near the Rock Pile that day. We spent the night near the Pile, through em over in the AM and snatched up one Hoo. The seas were building from the incoming storm from the gulf and we had both had enough, of living on the boat for the last 2 months and getting our asses beat. We pulled into MHC about 3:00pm to be greeted by Capt Rick on the Mattie G. Is good to be home. Rick has had his share of bad luck this year. His boat has been broken into 3 times this last year. The first time they stole a broken TV, 2nd time all his bottom gear and this time all 4 of his brand new Ticas for BFTing. Sorry Rick that sucks. Sorry this is so long winded. I didn't know if I should even post this up. Living the life of a commercial fisherman for 3 months and being around those guys was enlightening. This is what they do every day, they deal with all the new restrictions and regulations, adapt and do what ever it takes to take care of their families. I have a new found respect for these guys. I want to thank Dave for all the schooling I received and sights I got to see. Thanks to Dogfish for the tips and ride. Chris thanks for helping me get back to the boat and thanks to SFC for bringing fishermen all over the world together on a great site.
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