What I learned from a Fill in Mate

[fishskipper]

Who says you can't teach a old dog new tricks? This was a couple years ago and just thought I would share. I had just rigged my riggers with double clips for the upcoming white marlin season and had a party that wanted tunas. My full time mate was out of town. So I got this kid (21) ,who seemed to know what he was doing, to fill in. Well he's asking all kinds of questions on the way out and I'm thinking, oh boy, wonder how this is gonna turn out! I look down in the pit and he's got about every weapon we have on the boat stuck in a rod holder. Well, I'm not a screamer, so I just talk to my self and decide to see what happens. We get to the fishing grounds and he starts to deploy. He has two lines in both clips on the long rigger and lets them back simultaneously with not a problem . Then he goes to short and does the same thing while I'm letting out two shotguns. He then goes to the other side and does the same thing as quick as any mate has ever put out the regular spread of four lines. That eight lines he has out,then goes for the two flat lines. Now he has ten lines out and I've got two.... 12 lines we 're fishing and I'm thinking what a cluster this is going to be, But I kept my mouth shut...About that time bam, bam , bam, bam ... four on......Oh... the chaos is about to start.

This mate successfully gets all four in the box, when three more lines goes off. Two out of three this time while I'm trying to get back on the spot. Now he goes back to using just one clip.I realize this guy is on his game. We finished up the day with 12 nice size tunas.

Now, if I had hollered at the beginning, which I have done in my younger days and been hollered at myself, I would have never experience this. I normally only fish 8 to ten rods. It takes a calm day to do this, but I think on that day, all the bait in the spread made a difference ,since we had the best catch of the fleet!

[Tenacious]

Thanks for sharing Capt. Ron....

[frankypettolina]

Good post Skipper. You probably didn't realize it then, but that young man was probably asking all those questions on the way out so he could add some of your knowledge to his repertoire. Both of you walked away from that day better for it I bet.

[Sea Draggin]

Thats pretty cool.

[Capt_John]

That's really cool. There's a lot of captains that could learn from that.

[Captain Michael Buffington]

How many freaking rod holders do you have ? Thats cool!
Michael

[tiggere]

How many freaking rod holders do you have ?
Michael

ROFL...I was thinking the exact same thing after reading that...

[gradywhite273]

very cool fishskipper, that was a missouri, show me.

[HOLWACHAGOT]

Nice post Skipper!
Holwachagot