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One of them nights
The boss and I were looking forward to finally getting a sword trip under the belt on his pretty machine. It was straight up sea to my spot so I had to tack back and forth to maintain the 30 or so knots the boat likes.
Got on station early enough to pop out some marlin baits just to see how the drag behind the boat and find a "happy speed". Found where that speed was but the ocean was looking pretty lifeless and indeed coughed nothing up for the 20-30 minutes we experimented.
The owner had been so kind as to buy us some LP lights which I love but are pretty pricey. I got the spread set out and the ocean got nice. Drift was a brisk 3.8 knots and light faded to the blackest night I could remember. We saw two other boats out there. One a couple miles inside of me and one a couple outside.
Just as it got dark the tip on the mid rod indicated we had a ish fooling with a bait. It bounced but when I checked just not there. Again it came back and toyed then nothing. I checked the spread and sure enough it had pulled that bait across the spread and dropped it causing a minor tangle. Re deployed and all was good for about a minute. My trusty sword light went out. I opened the battery compartment to check connection. That wasn't it. The little balast box it has between light and clips though was melted. We would be lightless at least sword lightless for the night.
At about 8:30 the deep rod gave one doink and a very short run off then nothing. I waited a few minutes then checked... Smoked again! Bare hook bare stitching. Clean as a whistle...No clue how they get a sewed on bait off without at least some rod bendin and line screamin...
Was getting ready to reset then I see bright red light on the horizon. Boat that was there no longer has lights on. This red appears to be flare. I turn toward it and get at least bearing. Flare burns out. On radio to coast guard. A second one is lit. Coast guard more interested in type flare than location. Five seperate times I had to tell them it appears tobe hand held and not shot. Funny thing is its not local stations answering. Its CG Miami 85 miles away...
They tell me to effect a seach and stay on scene until their dispatched vessel shows. I start crawling on course where I saw the flares. Pitch black to where you couldn't even make out horizonTwo miles in I hear a weak transmission. Its the boat. They have had an electrical malfunction and were glad I saw them. Asked me to call tow boat. No answer from towboat but coast guard answers. Same questions. I inform that they said boat was already dispatched on this.
I get closer and finally get a radar fix. I set up a quater mile from them and wait. I do not trust anyone in the dark that far off so I wont get closer. Guy radios that he had a bit while trying to repair. I set out baits. Mind you we can see land at 15 off and not a blue light in sight. Call and remind coast guard. Finally after over two hours I see them finally clear inlet and another 45 minutes they arrive.
So instead of focusing on and destrying a fat punkin I spent my night playing guardian angle over a fellow fisherman. Sounds like I'm bitchin but really am not. If I was in trouble out there I'd loke some company if things went from bad to worse. I know another boat had to see the flares but ignored them. Thats how people get dead. The set and drift would move him 100 miles a day. With a front approaching and wind swinging south west it would have pushed him farther and farther off. Next thing you know He gets found in Nova Scotia buy a bunch of kids on some beach saying "Looks like a boat from Florida ... Eh!" Sorry it was no tale of glory but I put em all up, good and bad...
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