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Poppin Cherries with The "Poonnephews"
Ever since Mrs Deep had her marlin cherry popped in Mexico, I've been in a mood. Bound and determined to bust as many bings in as many ways as I can.
Last week was a boat cherry, followed by a couple first sails and one of them a first billfish on a spin rod. Today I was on a mission. A nicely appointed Maralago 35, a pair of 4stroke grays pakin 250 ponies each. For company I had none other than our own Poon mans nephews Tom and Greg.
While the live bait man counted out a dozen delicious gogs I focused on Jupiter inlet and beyond. Despite 20 kts of north workin it the inlet was passable and seas not bad. Wish I could say the same for water. I glared at the chocolate milk water with disdain. Way tough to find billfish in that sludge.
The grimy swill stayed with us way south and way past the depths I like to work. We found a slight break and more weed than a Willie Nelson concert. Part of me wanted to cry then the bound and determined part took over. "I don't give a crap if I gotta fish 400' instead of 120'. I'm GOING TO MAKE THIS WORK!!!"
I was pleased to see that the Maralago was responsive in waht amountyed to a down sea drift. Baits looked pretty and it would be a matter of waiting one out in the sparse deep void.
That wait fortunately didn't take long. There was no alarm bells going off. Just a purple shape racing in , a pop, and line falling off the open bail. Tom was first up and went to work.
The fish danced and did its thing before finding the gearbox and hitting the afterburners. A longer than usual knockem down drag out fight. Tom stuck to the task. Though some of the waves were pressin 6' he was able to keep solid footing while forward on his pretty machine.
A while later I had the leader in hand. The fish did as it was told.
As she came to the boat I gave here a bare handed bill shake, let the boys revel in the moment and sniped the leader close to her mouth for the clean release. Cherry popped for the boat and for Tom.
Heaving sea and weeds knocked off a couple baits then a blind bite snuck in. Greg came tight on a stubborn fish. No jump. No blistering run just stubborn. Can't be sure exactly what happened but the leader came back chafed and chafed through at the hook end.
The radio at our end of town had been and continued to be dead as a door nail. The far end (way south) had a bite early then it too died off. I guess it was over an hour later when Greg was playing with a flat line that I saw a zilla class sail pile on the rigger bait. It was off to the races with the big fish definately having the edge on speed. Sadly, the hook pulled prior to me getting the leader.
Shortly past noon, I was doing something. Only half paying attention when I saw a big bust... Too deep for a king... I saw stripes and two more busts. I saw leaders and no hooks. We had just been handed our collective ass by wahoos and along with that we were out of live bait.
We gave a short dead bait drag but the increasing wind and dead radio made that short lived...
Ok one official release but a lot of great action for a great bunch of guys. Thanks gang and hopefully next week it'll be swords...
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