GLORIUS RETURN FROM BEYOND

[Ironwoodtuna]

XIAO MU JI was returned to the water on Friday, seatrialed and set to leave for a far away canyon for a two and a half day journey. Saturday at 1:30AM, my Partner Al was to arrive along with two other fisherman who have fished with me before. At 11:30PM I get awoken by my cell phone, its the other two guys tell me, one hurt his back and the other guy can't find a replacement so he not going either. This put me in a real pickle since they were to bring the food for them and my son Cody and I. Knowing this I got the marina restaurant owner to make us up some chicken sandwiches and three quarts of his great clam chowder. Luckily, we had picked up cereal and skim milk, water and some fruit and Danishes. Alfred arrives and off we go. I pointed my girl towards West Atlantis and off we went at 25-knots, just hitting 91NM, we arrived as the first light turned into daybreak. We set out a pattern of nine spreader bars, and out back one bird with a Black Bart Pro Jet marlin lure and a bigeye smoker in close to the bumper teasers. By 7AM we got the first hit, dumped half a spool trying to get a multiple hookup to no avail. Cody got to work and we boated our 1st 70-pound YFT on a CR-Lolly-pop bar.

We worked a north to south zig-zag pattern as we headed to the east, from 450ft to 800ft with no other takers. As 9AM rolled around, we decided to look for better water in Veathes, so we pulled in and ran to about 5-miles west of the wall and dropped in the lines. we worked N & S along the wall, worked the north wall and then up and down the east wall. During the afternoon, we had been hearing a guy talking about taking big fish somewhere around Hydrogaphers. At 4PM the captain from the boat "TENACIOUS" give the numbers which was just another 13-miles from our location.

A: I want to send out a sincere THANK YOU to the Captain on the TENACIOUS, your sharing of your numbers and information, it really made a long and expensive trip (that just me and my partner were sharing alone) less painful. In fact, YOU made it worth every dollar! Its a big ocean out there, its good to share and to receive. We differently received on this trip.

At 11:00AM I turned the helm over to Cody and went to knap, I hear Al say "Hey Man, I want to get a ten banger" to Cody, Cody replied, AL we can only keep three more fish, lets get a big eye or a wahoo. I closed my eyes grinning only to here clip after clip popping and reels screaming off line. One on, two, three On, four five ON, I jumped to the helm and Cody and Al went to work. OF coarse, with only two fisherman to man rods and me at the helm, it was tuff to work it all. But, Cody set up one rod in his harness and worked a second rod in the gunnel. Al worked one rod and I ran back and forth from the helm to each of the other rods that needed clearing. Ultimately, Cody dropped one and landed one fish, Al lost one and landed one. Al took the helm and I grabbed the last setup, a #20 Finnor with 600-yards of 60# JB with a 300-yard top shot of 30# Momoi. The reel was over 2/3 empty. I started barking commands to Cody to clear the last few tangled lines with his safety cutter and Al to go chasing after the fish. We bobbed and weave lobster pots and circled this big fish many times. After an hour and forty five minutes, twenty one circles on, and over the fish trying and achieving getting the fish out of the depths with 30# test line. I raised the brute three times to where the leader touched the rod, then the cow just saw the boat (and maybe me) and would strip of nearly half a spool again and again. On the third rise, I actually got to see this super bruiser, a real big boy 250-300# Bigeye. On the fourth time, we all thought that we were getting close to getting a gaff into this big fish. When with no motion or movement from me or the boat, the battle came to an end. Game Over! Oh know!. As I reeled the line up, the bimini knot came up, the 250# wind-on came up with the swivel and the 400# lure leader loop and line came up.

But! the lure leader was only three inches long. At one point in the fight I could feel the tail or something rubbing and something popped, but I still had the fish on, I knew in my heart, "That wasn't good". In examining the wind-on the first three feet was completely like sandpaper had been used on it. I was tired, sad but really proud that my little three man crew had put to the wood a stellar performance. Between great boat handling to my commands, my speed reeling, grunt pulling and Cody's standing by with gaff and a cold drink and my wiring gloves. We lost the battle, but I think, we won the War. NO! I know, we won! That unbelievable loss is what and why I fish. These great battles, whether won or lost, are the soul building, mind stimulating, adrenaline rushing challenges that I thrive on. Having my 15-year old son there to see the epic battle and the ultimate disappointment of the outcome and how I delt wit it. I know these actions will build his memory and soul with good things he too will pass on one day. Teaching him its not possible to win evey time no matter how good you are and how right you do things. WHen it's your turn to when, savor it, remember it and it feels so much better.

Details: We worked East to Weat from 10 to 13 mile to the east of Veatches in the 450-800foot depth. Marlins, big Wahoos, YF tunas to 130#s and nice big, Bigeyes as well as a 120# Sword that I heard of were all taken by a few group of boats. Water was 77-78 degrees, I marked a lot of bait on the bottom, Skippies and smaller 2- to 30 #YFT for Marln candy was present with squids of 8 to 14" long at night. Some porpises, and birds marked the area. Most guys were fishing less rods due to the hot bite. We ran 135NM back to Montauk, fueled up just before the lightning storm hit and burned 220-gaalons leaving me an 80-gallon reserve. New drive worked better, giving me 2-3 more knots of crusing speed at two-hundred less RPM. Nice!

Sorry I don't have pixs just yet, I will postthem tomorrow and give the Loran #s too. I think these fish are moving towards Veatches...

We quickly pulled up and headed farther east. As we arrive there were three boats working the area and in we dropped. Within 20-minutes we had big tunas smashing our spread, I danced the boat, throttled up and down, zigging and zagging and we had knock downs on five rods, with only two hooking up. Cody and Al went to work and two 70 & 90# YFT, hit the deck. We trolled the area till dark with a few skippies getting into our spread. We set up for the night and drifted southward off the shelf with one Swordfish Squid down deep and three tuna baits distributed at different depths while we chunked fresh small butterfish and squid. THe Hydro lights brought in a mixed size of squids throughout the night until 2AM the Bent-butt #80 Sword rod went off as 130# line peeled off, the longer the run went the heabvy I increased the drag, the run that took 180-hards of mono off and down to my Jerry Brown 130# backing. THen, before anything could be done, Nothing! Gone! Over and Out! That hurt! The rest of the night was a wash. Took a short power napp and at 5:30 put the girl on the troll. We grabbed another 60# and 80# YFT with a few other single knockdowns with out hookups. THe other boats were saying that they had to keep the spread farther away from the boat. Big fish, but kinda finicky!

Again, Thanks TENACIOUS ! Capt. Marty & Crew


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Tightlines & Big Fish, Straight Arrows and Trophys on the Wall!

[JD5652]

Capt-

Thanks for the great report! I'm headed out far east next week to Hydro/Oceanographer....good t hear the bite is really hot on a variety of species!!

[POON MAN]

Nice trip

Thanks for all the info

Weather dependent we wil be running south thursday after midnight

SONFISH 68\78

[striper101]

Awesome report! Felt like I was there!

[Dave Sikorski]

Pretty work Marty and crew.

Glad to hear you gave them hell.

Nothing wrong with releasing a slob bigeye and boxing the YFT. They're easier to clean!!

Great report.

-D

[BoundForGlory]

Great report! I bet those other guys wish they could have made it out with you. Looking forward to you posting some pictures.
Thanks.