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A Reeeeeeely Good Time!!!
No this isn't a "thread of the week entry" Its a report from the Keys...
Well, after months of getting ready it finally came time to play. Roarring down the edge from Miami to Islamorada at 33 knots we could see a very fishy condition the whole way. Frigates hangin low and bait showers were dotting the entire path. It was a flawless practice run. We showed up at our special little hide away and soon the boss and his VP joined us.
Islamorada being the fishing town it is hosts a number of tournies. This weeks being the Kick off, the Islamorada Sailfish (main event) and the Rip Off... Kick Off and Rip Off being winner take all events and the main event being kind of like the big ones back up north with oodles of divisions.
Rather than just practice for Thursday we decided to jump in the Kick off. Bait was easy as pie. Though not set up for fishing " showers" there was one going off right in front of us at lines in time. The 500 yamaponies had us there in a blink. The cast was behind the fish but soon it turned. The boss was on the stick and timing was a touch off. A momentary bow up and that was all for that shot.
I slid where I wanted to work but saw a lot of frigate activity to the north. As we shot up the street a shower had me peel off. This cast was perfect. Bow up couldn't have been better and soon we had one under the belt. It was there we started working a spread. We sent up a kite but I could see that gogs were not gonna be the hot ticket. The condition called for hoos and hoos we had. As soon as I went to all hoo spread. A double raised. A little pandemonium ensuded and unfortunately both fish were pointed at us as my guys came toght. The circles didn't stick.
It wasn't long before the next single came in. A perfect bow up and this one got a tag. Two down. Then another single. Another yet. Four and counting! Then a double of the cutest little dinky sails I have seen in a long time came to play. Six was the score.
One shot in swiping the special teaser I had but never looked at a bait. We had issues with triggerfish and while dealing with them yet another fish came in. This one punded the bait with attitude. The fight was much the same. It took an hour and about three miles east to get the clean release for number seven. Time ran out and that was our final score, enough to take the braggin rights and "other perks" for the Kick Off. Second was the Gotcha had a commendable 5 fish. Third had three, I didn't catch their name.
With the win under the belt we felt good. The same great competitors from the kick off joined several new faces. The main event had 109 anglers vying for the top spot.
Opening morning the wind was a touch stiffer and a touch further south than it had been. I had no idea going in though that it would so radically change the fishing. We dug in with a nice dolphin and then for us it shut right down. Birds gathered and you could see shadows but the fish were lock jawed at our end of the world. The locals working the shallow sand from their tall towers well to our south, started picking. The Miami style guys were not scoring and their rude habit of seeing activity in a cockpit , racing over, throwing monster and setting down on other boats was plenty present. Rude MF's!
Maybe that style in the past worked for them but this round it bit em in the butt. To think it was them I had worried about sweeping the whole thing.Now 600lbs of air breather bowing up is soomething special I promise. Three of them had water flying I would think you could see all the way from the Carolinas!
Two spooled the 12lb gear. The smallest one though almost seemed to "ask" for help and swam to the boat. The circle had her firmly stuck though. There was no getting that one back. The 40lb leader popped and she started a series of backflips and front flips that went on for minutes. When the dust settled I had every Miami boat in town all on top of me. The Contender got pummled by wakes. Guys cut each other off. I watched some running more than the legal four and I again moved to a quiet place. Wehad a turtle eat a flat lne and was promtly released. That was soone followed by the one sail of the day raising. As it pushed the bait a gannet drilled it! Deep Deck hand soon released our third air breathing critter of the day...
Alas no fish. Our dolphin had first in that division for that day though.
Day two we went in fresh. Bait was easier than the first day and we found a fishy looking piece of water. I had made friends with Gotcha from the first day and we agreed to keep each other posted as to what was cooking where. Then our first fish raised. As the hoo hopped, this time it was a frigate bird that came from the stratosphere to drill it before the sail could.
A double was next to raise in on the super sneaky teasers. One was too quick to get the teaser out of the way and ate it. The other though was pitched to with perfection. Finally on the board. A while later we repeated the same story and after adding a couple small dolphin that was how our day ended. Two was better than none.
Yesterday conditions were deteriorating. Wind was swinging to the south and dropping out. I sat down a mile short of what little bite there was. By the time I shot up there it was done. I could see a hard shut down was in place. Time to attack a different category. Dolphin had been moved into a hard to beat, mackerel and tuna too. That left "outstanding catch division". I had a little insight to the standings in this often overlooked category. Damnit I am a competitor! I took aim and we drilled of all things, a big triggerfish. Nothing to write home about but enough to sneak by the sleepy crowd who expected a big grouper or wahoo to take it.
At the awards party it was a magnificent spread. And some truly beautiful trophies to be awarded.
Though not the set of five bronze sails and the check a decimal point smaller than we would have liked it was still a absolutly fantastic end to the owners first two tournies.
Deep Deckhand and I had a ball with our practice day. The boss and his VP had taken 9 sailfish. All was good. Before we left the party it was our number that came up for the raffle of a Grey Goose Votka set for a third momento of this memorable weekend.
I'd be remiss if I didn't express great thanks to my boss, crew, the tourny staff and the sponsors....
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Originally Posted by Deep C
