Marlin Hunter Beach Haven Report!!!

[MarlinHunter03]

It was certainly a weekend to remember for myself and the crew of the Marlin Hunter. On Wednesday we ran the boat from Cape May to Atlantic City and anxiously watched the weather forecast trying to decide whether or not we’d fish on Friday. As the crew of Jay, RJ (Olympiad), Collin, Damon (Splash), Brenner, Fritz (Skippy), Kurt Sr. and myself began trickling into the marina it became clear that we were going to sit out day one and fish the final two days.

Not to waste our lay day, “Team Bertram” including the crew of Melina and Moppie were kind enough to include our crew off our “little Viking” for some spaghetti and clams and fresh tuna fish along with a couple of drinks after a long day of rigging in preparation for our first fish day. I can’t say enough about those two crews. Both of them are truly first class.

Day two didn’t start off with a bang for us. We arrived inside the Carteret a little early and found a pretty nice edge with about a 1-degree break. However, the edge failed to keep together long enough to produce any bites for us and it quickly became clear that we would have to do some searching. We decided to point the boat South in hopes of finding some nicer water, but by 1:00 we realized we’d have to produce in a hurry or head back to AC without even a bite.

We got our first shot around 1:30 when a white piled all over a small llander rigged with a ballyhoo and 8/0 circle hook. Almost instantly the fish started grey hounding away from the boat. By the time I picked up the rod there was little I could do as I watched the nice size white spit the hook throwing the llander about 20 ft. in my direction. I thought we’d just blown our shot.

With lines back in the water we continued to pound that same area. At about 2:10 we got our second shot as the call came from the bridge “THERE HE IS!!!”. Quick to the rod with my eyes on the fish I made no mistake about hanging this one on the same llander that was thrown back in my face just a half hour before. The fish was clearly short and after about a 15-minute fight we turned him loose for our first release of the tournament. Unfortunately for us day 1 ended without another bite and we headed back to the dock having gone 1 for 2 on whites without any other bites all day long.

Day 2 started off drastically different as the crew decided to run right back to the same spot in the Lindy where we had the two bites the day before and it wasn’t long before another white came up on that same llander. He took a whack at it as I grabbed the rod and he immediately drifted back to the long rigger where Jay was able to drop the naked bally back to him and the fish immediately came out of the water as he pushed the drag up.

At first glance it looked like this fish might qualify as he was fat, but he looked like he might come in just short. Regardless, the battle was on and this fish had no desire to make our lives easy. After a couple of runs the fish settled in deep and refused to turn. After a quick touch on the leader he was off again looking for the deep. Almost an hour later, Jay was finally able to coax the stubborn fish to the side of the boat. Skippy grabbed the leader and I was right behind him to bill the fish and drag him on board for a measurement. He measured 64 inches and was returned to the water where he was quickly revived and released.

[MarlinHunter03]

With lines back in the water it didn’t take long as our little piece of water continued to produce. With the squall building on the horizon the call came from the bridge again. “THERE HE IS! LEFT FLAT!” I quickly got to the rod only able to see his purple “wings” from the pit. The fish was pretty hot ripping back and forth behind the left flat when he disappeared from view. A couple seconds later we were able to spot her behind the right flat, then he moved to our tiered Tournament Cable mullet dredge on the right side. She stuck her nose in it before moving back to the right flat, then the left flat, then the left Tournament Cable dredge. Finally, Skippy was able to get a pitch bait into the water and she was all over it as soon as it hit the water. With a perfect drop back it was game on.

As the fish exploded out of the water Skippy knew it right away, “THERE’S YOUR QUALIFIER!!!” and on a tiny little Avet that more closely resembles a bass reel than your typical offshore set up. With line peeling off the reel he turned to the bridge and muttered something to the effect of “uh oh” as the old man put the boat in reverse with little regard for the dredges or anything else for that matter. Fortunately, with the dredges off the riggers and a fast acting crew we only lost a blue and white llander in the chaos.

As the fish began to jump behind the boat it was pretty obvious that this was a money fish. The first jump sent the fish clear out of the water, the second one did the same, but by the third she was struggling to get her head above the surface. She was a slob.

After about ten minutes we got our first look at the fish… tail wrapped. As the old man backed up to the fish I was able to get a hand on the leader and like magic the fish cam unwrapped, turned towards the boat, and with a little coaxing I was able to get my hand on the bill. As I tried to lift the fish into the boat I quickly found myself with my feet off the cockpit floor and Jay holding me down by the back of my shorts. “Uhhhh…. Help?!”

As I got my footing back, Jay quickly walked around me and helped to drag the fish into the boat. We quickly lined the fish up to our tape marks on the gunnels. “SHE MEASURES!” “YOU SURE?” “I’M SURE!!!” With that, Skippy quickly stuck a pick in her head and it was lights out as the lights came on in the squall that was closing fast.

With the fish called in and everything in the boat the old man looked at the weather machine and decided it was time to go. Running around the squall to the north we made the longest 3 hour ride back to the beach any of us ever had, and with everyone else’s lines still in the water we knew anything was possible.

We got to the weigh station around 4:15 and it was a painful wait as the scales weren’t yet open and we were in line. Finally, it was time for the verdict. 71 ¾ inches long with a girth of 29.5 inches. Up on the scale she looked big. A lot bigger than the 69 ½ inch fish we weighed at the Mid-Atlantic the year before. As soon as the fish was in the air we saw 80 something on the scale and we knew it was going to be tough to beat. Actually, we were certain no other fish had been boated…

“82 POUNDS EVEN!!!” With that, the champagne came out and we all got the nicest cold shower of our lives, but the ordeal wasn’t over yet. Standing on the bridge of the Marlin Hunter I was watching other boats come in and, to my astonishment, I found myself staring at a right side up white marlin flag. Holding my breath Skippy and my dad went to the weigh station. When word cam back that the fish shrunk on the way in it was finally time for the celebration to begin…………. safely.

I can’t say enough about the crew we had this weekend. Jay, RJ, Collin, Damon (Splash), Brenner, Fritz (Skippy), and my dad (Kurt Sr.) performed near flawlessly going 3 for 4 and making it count when we needed to. Also can’t say enough about Viking for making one hell of a boat. Don’t forget the hospitality of “Team Bertram” consisting of Melina and Moppie. Also, not to be forgotten, Chuck at Tournament Cable has taken care of us all year and I can’t believe how well his stuff has worked for us this year. If you haven’t seen his store you should really take a peak. Those dredges are awesome. I’m still looking forward to getting our “super secret lure”.

Marlin Hunter
52’ Viking
Heaviest White Marlin
71 ¾ inches, 82 lbs.
39th Annual Beach Haven White Marlin Invitational

[paul708]

CONGRATS
great report and pics
very nice

[Fritz]

I must say, and I am sure Kurt Sr. & Kurt Jr will agree, the only thing missing was our regular crew member Brenner Green who was unable to fish the final day and be there for the win.

[yakfishnick]

Congratulations on your BHWMI win. I see that you caught the winning white on an Avet. I'm considering purchasing an Avet HX Wide for chunking tuna. What's your opinion of Avet? Thanks in advance for your answer.

[Admin]

To the entire crew of the Marlin Hunter congrates on a great win! Kurt and Kurt Jr that photo of you guys in the cockpit is priceless ! Very Cool guys and well done!

Capt John Eppehimer

[MarlinHunter03]

I must say, and I am sure Kurt Sr. & Kurt Jr will agree, the only thing missing was our regular crew member Brenner Green who was unable to fish the final day and be there for the win.

You know it Fritz. Just not the same when you're one down.

[MarlinHunter03]

Congratulations on your BHWMI win. I see that you caught the winning white on an Avet. I'm considering purchasing an Avet HX Wide for chunking tuna. What's your opinion of Avet? Thanks in advance for your answer.

Honestly, I think that white is the first fish that reel has ever caught. All our other set ups are TLD 25's and we love them for the kind of light tackle fishing we do. That being said, the reel is super light and metal which I think is a huge plus. The downside is that the particular model we have doesn't have harness loops probably making that particular reel undesirable for tuna fishing. Also, unless backing with braid the line capacity is slim. I think Skippy thought he was going to be seeing spool in a hurry as we had it spooled with straight 30#.

[MarlinHunter03]

To the entire crew of the Marlin Hunter congrates on a great win! Kurt and Kurt Jr that photo of you guys in the cockpit is priceless ! Very Cool guys and well done!

Capt John Eppehimer

Thanks John. Nothing better than being able to share something like that with your dad. Don't forget that Fritz got the chance to share this experience with his son Collin too. We're all still in disbelief and I know I will be telling this story to my kids someday on a long ride out to the canyons.

[Capt. Brian Daley]

Thanks John. Nothing better than being able to share something like that with your dad. Don't forget that Fritz got the chance to share this experience with his son Collin too. We're all still in disbelief and I know I will be telling this story to my kids someday on a long ride out to the canyons.

Congrates on your win guys enjoy