March 2003

March 25th -  We are back from the cold!  We had “De Mako” up in the Outer Banks, in North Carolina, for two months.  Got a little work done on her and had some time to do some Bluefin and Strip Bass fishing.  Conditions were very cold - even had the bay freeze over for a few days… first time since 1987!

We had great success with the Stripers.  You could catch them all day long, and the average fish was about 30lbs. The Bluefins were a different story - bad weather only allowed us to fish 3 days, with no luck, but we did have a great trip across the Atlantic, back to Bermuda, with many thanks to my crew: James Robinson, Steven Rance & Jim West.  

For those of us that did not get to fish this winter, a good one was missed. There was some very good Wahoo fishing in January & February, plus some unusually good Yellowfin Tuna fishing. Granted, there was not a lot of calm days, but if you kept a close eye on the weather and were ready to go on a days notice, you were in for some good fishing.

March has been a tough month with lots of rain & wind, and a slow down in the fishing.  There’s more Whales around than fish!  However, we have managed to get out a few times and have had some success with the Wahoos.  With the coming of April, we will see Daylight Saving, warmer waters and the start of the summer season, so it is time to get yourself ready! 

April 2003

April 13th - The “Yellowfins” have arrived!!  That’s right, the Yellowfin Tunas have started their run with catches as high as 18 fish being caught a day, and some good-sized ones, too! Catches of school-sized fish, 15-30lbs, with a few nice ones mixed in, up to 80lbs.  I personally caught one on the “Rabbit Hunter” that weighed 72lbs.  The Tunas are being caught chumming, with action taking place on the northern side of both banks.  You will see no surface action, but they are there.

The credit for the first good Tuna catch goes to Joey on the “Gringo” with his catch of 13 fish on Monday and with “Nothings Easy” catch of 18 fish on Tuesday. The Wahoo fishing is also improving with some better catches being caught on the SW edge, plus look for the start of the Wahoo run down “north” shortly!

How about the improvement in the weather? Now you know summer is just around the corner. We are seeing as many as 5 fishable days in a row now, not like a few weeks ago where you would be lucky to get out fishing once a week. So, you have no excuses to get ahold of your mates - get that boat ready and I’ll see you out there!! 

April 20th - Still no Marlins, but the Wahoo fishing is still good! Most of the action has been on the east and southern side of the Banks, with a little bit of action starting up on the Edge. There is a “on one day, off the next day” bite but, if you catch the right day, it’s good fishing!

 

Both “De Mako” and ‘Playmate” had good catches, on Thursday, with the XL group. Although it was a little on the rough side, the Wahoos did not mind. The final tally: “De Mako” - 8 Wahoos,  with the largest @ 72lbs. “Playmate” - 9 Wahoos, largest also 72lbs.The days’ highlight catch going to Jimmy, for his classic baseball slide save! (Somebody get the rod!!!) We also managed a few Yellowfins, early in the week, up on the eastern side of Argus. Just school-sized ones, but it’s a good sign, and we even saw a few in the chum!

It has been a short week, with the wind & rain, plus Good Friday & Easter, so that’s it until next week!

P.S. Check out Ricky in action -  this is how you do it, Mackie! 

April 28th - Well, the Blue Marlins made a very good showing this week, with a total of seven hooked, and the only one caught was by the “Lone Star” at approximately 300lbs. We had one dump a 50lb outfit in about 15 seconds before I could even get “DeMako” turned around! Others lost were encountered by the “Sea Wolfe,” “Knock Down,” “Gringo” and the “Jamie C” This is a very early showing for so many big fish. We normally will see one or two early fish, but not seven in April! If this keeps up, we will have to bring out the big gear very soon! The Wahoo bite is good and should just keep getting better all through May.

Yesterday, Ricky Cox caught “DeMAKO’s” largest Wahoo thus far, weighing in at 88lbs.This was one of a double strike, with the second fish coming in at 61lbs. - Now that’s a double!! We finished the day with 5 Wahoos, 6 Tunas & a Dolphin. Another great day was on Tuesday, with Ricky Sousa’s birthday trip… lots of fun and fish! Check out the photos, below - this brings new meaning to Party Boat Fishing!

We are starting to see some increase in the Tuna activity on the south & eastern sides of both banks. I think you will see the chumming season getting in full swing very shortly. All in all it is shaping up to be a good fishing season, so make the time to get out there or before you know it, it’s gone! 

 

May 2003

May 4th - The Wahoo’s still remain strong! Our two best catches this week was Johnny’s trip, with 13 Wahoo’s - the best fish @ 53lbs, and Robert’s trip, with13 Wahoo, 3 Dolphin, one 50lb Yellowfin Tuna and one 45lb Albacore Tuna - rough weather, but good fishing. The average size of the Wahoo’s is still high (35-55lbs). Have not seen a lot of the spring-size Wahoo’s yet, so you know the spring run is still to come!

We are starting to catch a few more Yellowfin’s, but most are small (15-25lbs), with a few in the 40-60lb range. Most of the action is taking place on the eastern and southern side of Argus Bank, with Challenger Bank and the Edge pretty quiet. There has also been some action up the north end of the island, mainly Wahoos, with some Tuna & Dolphins mixed in.

 

It was a quiet week for Marlins - I guess last week’s flurry of Marlins were the scouts, with the main school coming soon!

All in all the fishing is good…………….. so make the time! 

May 12th - Boy, what a week for “DeMAKO” - you name it, we caught it! We started the week with 11 Wahoos and our first Blue Marlin for the season. Congratulations to Christopher Sykes for his 325lb release - great catch! Two days later, we released our first White Marlin for the season, with angler, Ricky Rebello. The same day, Ricky Sousa was high point angler with the day’s total catch of 1 White Marlin, 5 Wahoo’s, 18 Tuna’s, 10 Bonita’s (two 40 pounders) and 30 Rainbow Runner’s.

On to the next day with 16 Wahoo’s and 3 Dolphin’s. How about the next day, with 15 Tuna’s, 6 Wahoo’s and a bunch more Rainbow’s! Then finally on Sunday, with Johnny Reiss, we managed 10 Tuna’s, 6 Wahoo’s & another bunch of Rainbow’s! Fishing this week was as good as it gets and the weather was as bad as you want it - 20 to 30 kts. everyday. On most days, we were the only boat out. This was not the weather to be out in a small boat, but “De MAKO” was shining. She thought she was back in her hometown in the Outer Banks, North Carolina. Now there is a place for great fishing and rough water!

Good news for all of you fishing in smaller boats, - the spring run of Wahoo’s has started on the edge… nice close run! Good fishing has been reported from Southwest Breaker all the way around to North Rock, so you can nip out and catch a few! If Tunas are your game, guess what… you are going to have to make the long track down to Argus because that’s where it is happening!

May 20th - And the good fishing continues! We started the week with Hughie, Hamish & Coxy’s trip, catching 22 Yellowfin Tunas & 10 Wahoos.  Back that up with Aircare’s trip, catching 10 Wahoos and 2 Dolphins, then Coelho’s 10 Tunas, 7 Wahoos & 1 Dolphin.  Don’t forget Spiders’ 9 Wahoos. We ended the week with Kevin Scannell’s haul of 8 Tunas, 1 Wahoo, 10 Almaco Jacks & a few Barrys, and still made it back at 2:00pm for him to catch a plane!  Yes, the fishing is still great but, unfortunately, the winds are still blowing 15-25kts. almost everyday!

The Wahoos are biting good on the edges (nice short trips), but if it is Tuna you are looking for, you still have to make the long haul down to Argus as Challenger is still pretty slow for Tunas.

Congratulations to the “Gringo” crew for getting off the mark with a fine catch of a 300lb Blue Marlin.  Hey, so far there have been 3 Blues caught, all by Spanish Point boats! Come on Somerset, let’s get going!

Well, I have to go - it’s fishing time, tomorrow.  I hope to see you out there!

 

June 2003

June 1st - Welcome…. June and I hope the weather gets better and the fishing stays as good as in May!

The last week of May was the same as the rest of the month - great fishing and lots of wind!  We started off the week with Jamie Todd’s trip of 20 Tuna, 10 Wahoo, plus two big Almaco Jacks (Bonitas), 43lbs. & 52lbs.  We ended the month with Dennis Hayes’ trip of 9 Wahoo, 18 Yellowfin Tuns & 3 Blackfin Tuns!  Great trip, great fun and thanks for the great lunch.  Dennis cooks as good as he fishes!

The Tuna & Wahoo should remain strong all through June, plus it is time for the Marlin to make a strong showing.  I predict you will see a late showing with the Marlin, as the water temperature is still a little cold for this time of year - just hanging in there at 74F…. We’ll see!

June 8th - It is the first week of June and things are looking good.  The fishing is still great and the summer weather has finally arrived.  The water temperature is up to 77° and the Marlins have showed up!

Congratulations to the ‘Sea Scorpion’ crew for their great catch of a 900 lbs. Blue Marlin - what a way to start the season!  There were about 10 Blues & quite a few White Marlins seen this week, not bad for the first week of the season. The Yellowfin Tunas are still biting good down on the southern side of Argus, with “De MAKO” s best catch of 31 Tunas with Don’s group on Friday.

 How about the 65lb Almaco Jack caught by Mr. Clements on Thursday?  Now that’s a big Almaco! (Average size 5-10lbs.)

The Wahoos have slowed down as expected, but we did manage to haul in 9 on Tuesday, with the Hop’n John crew!

Guess what? The Shearwaters have arrived, making chumming a little more challenging.  It is not easy getting your bait to the Tunas when there are 20 birds just waiting for you to throw anything  overboard! The good news is they are only there for a few weeks, thank goodness!! 

June 15th - The Blues have arrived!   Blue Marlin fishing is in high gear, with as many as 6 shots a day.   We started the week right, with Buz Parker’s 500lb+ Marlin on Monday, which just happened to be his birthday - what a present!   Buz’s fish is “De MAKO’s” largest so far for the season.   Congratulations also to William Sousa, Henry French and Jimmy Mac for their Blue Marlin releases.

Where have all the Yellowfins & Wahoos gone?  The best chumming is on the SE side of Challenger, with Blackfin Tunas the main catch and, if you are lucky, maybe you’ll catch one of the odd Yellowfins. Thinking about trolling, well be ready for more bites from Marlins than Wahoos.

 

How about Jeff’s trip on the “Stagger Lee” on Sunday?  Now, Jeff is a self-confessed non-Marlin man - he hates it!  But, to please his good friend, Bruce, he gave into a little Marlin trolling before chumming for some Tunas…. what Tunas! 

The “Stagger Lee” is red hot!  They released four, yes four, Blues out of four strikes and got home one fish over 400lbs!!

Jeff’s comment: “This Marlin fishing is easier than catching Robins!”

Hey, that’s what makes fishing so great - you have no idea what is going to happen.  I have people ask me all the time, “What is an average day?“ and I always tell them there is no such thing as an average in this business.

June 23rd - The Blues are definitely in high gear, and they are winning!   We, on “De MAKO,” had 30 Blue Marlin bites this week!   Our most bites ever in one day was on Sunday. We had 12 Blue Marlins on, running, jumping and getting off!! Yeah, lots of action, but we only managed to successfully release two. Congratulations to Peter Woolridge & Ricky Lines for their fine releases of 160lbs & 250lbs.   What a memorable day - thanks guys!

Our luckiest angler was definitely Clay Rice.  After fishing a short trip on Wednesday (because of weather), and all day Thursday, he finished up with 4 Blue Marlins, released out of 8 bites, fishing all by himself! Pretty work!!

Congratulations to Richard Hessler for his Birthday Blue, and also to Corbin Elliott on his first Blue Marlin.

Looking for some Allisons? Well, a few Tunas have shown up on the north side of Argus and things look a little interesting on the north side of Challenger too!

We are in full summer mode now, so don’t expect much from the Wahoos until late August.  But we should see good Tuna & Marlin action for awhile, so stay tuned!

Blue Marlin Tally: Somerset - 8, Spanish Point – 24

July 2003

July 2nd - We would like to extend a warm welcome to all the US boats that have made the long trip over to fish the Big Game Classic next week. With the continued good Blue Marlin bite (2-5 bites a day), and with all this foreign talent, it promises to be an interesting event!

We, on “De MAKO,” are continuing on our hot streak - in just 3 weeks, we have had over 50 Blue Marlin bites, with over 20 fish successfully released. Blue Marlin fishing just does not get much better than this!  It is no wonder we are seeing more and more boats making the crossing to try their hands at Bermuda’s  great Marlin fisheries, which is quickly becoming the new Blue Marlin hot spot, thanks in part by all the hard work of Dan Jacobs for spreading the news on the other side of the Atlantic!

 

Hey, the other good news is the return of the Allisons. The tide on Argus is very strong but, if you can put up with it, you will be rewarded with some nice size Tunas.

 

The best bite is from the eastern to the southern side of Argus - not surprising, the best Marlin bite is in the same place.

Blue Marlin Tally: Somerset 18, Spanish Point 36 

July 8th - As you know, the World Cup Tournament was held on July 4 and 107 boats competed, worldwide.  There were only three fish boated, one in Hawaii and two in Bermuda.  The first fish boated was on “De Mako,” by angler Ricky Lines, and weighing in at 535lbs.  This was a great catch and Ricky did a good job but, unfortunately, later in the day this catch would be ousted by Jim Bullock on the “Oppositional” with his magnificent catch of a 647lb Blue Marlin.  This fish would hold out for the rest of the day and became the overall winner.  Congratulations to the entire crew on the “Oppositional” for a job well done!

On Monday, July 7, Jane Crosland managed once again to add another Marlin to her tally.  Jane is an avid Marlin fisherman and a close friend.  She is a renowned New York floral designer who has written a book titled “A Voyage in Flowers” in which she has dedicated an entire chapter to Marlin fishing in Bermuda.  It is always a pleasure to fish with Ms. Crosland and we hope that she will continue to grace Bermuda with her presence.

For those of you who are interested in catching some Yellowfin Tunas, there have been some good catches on the eastern side of Argus Banks.  You might not catch large numbers of fish, but the quality is there, with your average fish being between 30-60lbs.

Good luck and stay tuned for the results from the “Bermuda Big Game Classic.”

Blue Marlin Tally: Somerset 18, Spanish Point 39 

 

August 2003

August 4th - The Blue Marlin fishing remained good all through July, with some very nice-sized fish being caught. Releases of 400 – 700 lbs. Marlins were common, with many more fish stories of larger ones that got away!

July has always been the top month for Blues but, this year, we are seeing more 600 & 700lb fish being caught, than normal.  With so many big fish around, it should not be long before someone gets lucky and manages to hang on to another Bermuda Grander.

 

It should be noted that even with all these big fish being caught, we are still seeing 95% of these fish being released island-wide!

 

The Wahoo fishing was also not bad for July, with some catches as high as 10 fish per day.  There is a little bit of a Allison Tuna bite on the East and Northeast corners of Challenger.  Most of the Tunas are small (15lbs) but, if you put the time in, there are a few nice ones being caught, 40-80lbs.  The top Tuna boat for July is definitely the “Gringo.”  Joey has put in the time and has had some nice catches.

 

On “DeMako,” we have started August off on the right foot with our catch of 3 Blues out of 5 bites, yesterday. The two largest fish (350 & 450lbs) were a double strike - lots of manuevering and lots of fun!

 

August should bring continued good Marlin fishing, plus an increase in the amount of Tunas & Wahoos  being caught, so standby for more great fishing this month!

 

Blue Marlin Tally: Somerset 66, Spanish Point 79 

August 4th - “De MAKO” is red hot!!    We started the week off by releasing 3 Blues out of 5 bites. Missing our first two bites & then releasing a 170 pounder, closely followed by a double hook up, releasing a 350lb & a 450lb Blue - so much action!

 

Day two: We managed to release one, about 200lbs, out of three hookups - a little slow!

 

Day three: Red hot!  We finished up with 7 Wahoos and 2 Blues, released out of 5 hookups.  The 2 releases, 170lbs. & 350lbs., were 2 out of a triple hookup.  We lost the third fish, which was about 500lbs. - talk about action!

 

Day four: Catch a few Wahoos in the morning and go 2 for 2 with the Blues in the afternoon, 150lbs & 200lbs.

 

Day five: A few more Wahoos in the morning and 2 for 3 with the Blues in the afternoon, and another double hookup!  We released both fish, one 175lbs. & one 300lbs. These two fish were jumping side by side - what a sight!

 

Day six: Hard luck day… we finished up 1 for 5, lots of bites, but only managed to keep the hooks in one, about 150lbs.

 

Day seven: Another double hookup, this time losing the smaller Marlin and releasing a 550lb Blue.  Line back in the water for 20 minutes and we are hooked up again, with a another Blue. A few mintues later, we release a 200lbs Blue - 2 for 4 for the day, not too shabby!

 

What a week!  “De MAKO” had 13 Blues released for 27 hookups!  We are now at 47 Blues for 118 bites for the year, tying our own record of 47, back in 1986.  It has always been a goal of mine to be the first boat in Bermuda to release 50 Blue Marlins in one season. I think it is safe to say that James & I will make it happen this year, so stay tuned!

 

The Blue Marlin shootout, between Somerset and Spanish Point, is heating up, with Somerset gaining steam!  So, let’s go Spanish Point… we need some help out there!

 

Blue Marlin Tally: Somerset 84, Spanish Point 93 

August 18th - What a tough week!  So close, but so far away!

 

The Marlin bite was slow this week.  A bite here and there and, to make things worse, our lucky streak had ended, but we managed to pull it off with my good friend, Hamish Burns, releasing “DeMAKO’s” 50th Blue Marlin for the season - a 400 pounder. The bar has been raised!  “De MAKO” is the first boat to catch 50 Blues in one summer and we still have a few weeks to go!  I would like to thank all my friends & customers for all of their support and a special thanks to my mate “Bigger” James, Bermuda’s Best!

 

 

Hamish had the last trip for the week and we were stuck on 48 Marlins with nothing but bad luck.  The day started with us trying a little Tuna trolling with 50’s.  Wouldn’t you know it, after trying all week to catch a Blue, one comes up and eats one of our little Tuna baits.  After some very aggressive boat maneuvers and lots of winding, Vince Frith releases a 200lb Blue on 50 standup tackle, his first ever Marlin!

 

As the day goes on, we catch a few small Tunas and pull the hook on a 40lb Dolphin, close to the boat, but that is about it. As the day closes, Hamish looks up at me on the bridge and jokingly shouts out  “Hey Mako, I want to be here for the fiftieth!”

 

I look at my watch and it is time to head home.  It has been a long day and an even longer week.  What the heck, let’s make one more run up the edge to the SE corner of Challenger.  Half way up, down comes the left rigger, ”got him on” but no one wants to get in the chair! After what seems about 10 minutes, Hamish reluctantly gets in the chair but, as luck would have it, the Marlin gets off like so many this week. Disappointed, I keep heading up the edge but, having marked the bite in my GPS, I was torn between finishing my run to the corner or staying in the area. One mile up the edge and my gut said to turn around and try that fish one more time.  Here we go, hard right turn Clyde! The GPS is counting down the distance to go, we are back in the same spot.  Snap,  goes the tag line “got him on again!” Hamish, this time, flies in the chair - we are in business! 20 minutes later and it is history………50 Blue Marlins and Hamish’s first, great job Hamish!!

 

“DeMAKO” Marlin stats to-date: 50 Blues for 130 bites.

 

Hey, for all you Tuna fisherman - we caught our biggest Tuna today, a 130lb Allison, on the eastern side of Challenger… angler Nigel Mortimer.   Nigel did a great job catching this fish on 50lb standup tackle.  Congratulations!

 

Blue Marlin Tally: Somerset 92, Spanish Point 100 

August 26th - Can you believe it? August is almost gone and the Wahoo tournament is just two weeks away.  It’s time to switch gears, pack up the Marlin gear and break out the Wahoo gear!   However, the Marlins don’t want to go!  We did our last Marlin trip on Friday, finishing the day 4 for 5.

 

We started the day by missing a shot before we even made it to Challenger Bank.  Then, just about lunch time, it started - first, we released a small Blue (150lbs.) and then, about 15 minutes later, we had a fish about 400lbs pile on our teaser.  Out with the pitch bait, in with the teaser - great switch by Mike… what a bite!

 

Early afternoon and we have two Blue Marlin releases and one missed shot.  Sounds like a great day, but wait, here we go again - another De MAKO double!  One fish was 250lbs and the other 650lbs.  Talk about trouble!

 

It’s a good thing we have three fighting chairs in “DE MAKO” because we sure have needed them this year.  While Mike is doing battle in the main chair with the big fish, poor Barnesey is fighting it out in the side chairs.  That’s right, Barnesey had to change from one side to the other many times.  Come to find out his fish is foul-hooked, making it veer from side to side.  Now, with Barnesey’s fish tagged and released, it is time to focus on Mike’s monster, which by now has done all it’s jumping and has decided to go down deep and fight it out.  After about a forty-minute battle, Mike manages to bring to the boat a much-tired Marlin.  We quickly get her tagged and spend the next 15 minutes slowly reviving her.  She is still tired but is swimming good and we decide it is time to turn her loose. It is great to watch her swim off to fight another day!

 

Four Blue Marlin releases out of 5 bites - hey, the Marlin season maybe ending, but it does not get any better than that!

 

The Marlins maybe staying, but the Wahoos are coming anyway!  Catches in the double figures are happening more frequently.  Our best catch this week was on Sunday, with Alan Reid’s annual birthday trip, finishing up the day with 13 Wahoos, 4 Tunas and a Dolphin…  “Happy Birthday Reide!”

 

The current on the banks has finally changed and we are seeing more life on the northern sides of both banks.  There is even a little action from a few Yellowfins. With the water temperature starting to drop, we will see the Tuna & Wahoo bite improve daily. Don’t pack up your tackle, the best is yet to come!

 

Blue Marlin Tally: Somerset 95, Spanish Point 106

 

“De MAKO” Blue Marlin count is 56 for 139 bites! 

 

September 2003

 

September 26th - Hurricane Fabian has shaken us up, but we are still here!

We just got our electricity & phones back, on Friday, making life a little easier.  The good news is that all the charter fishing fleet got through with only minor damage, and everyone is ready to fish! Unfortunately, with a few of the major hotels closed and most people busy getting their homes back in order, no one wants to go fishing.   It’s too bad because the fishing is great!  The frigate Mackerel have arrived and the Wahoos & Tunas are willing.

 

The Wahoo tournament was held last Sunday, with 75 fish weighed in. The top Wahoo was a 67.4lb caught on 20lbs test line by Mike Judd on the “Sandpiper.”   First day back fishing for “De MAKO” was on Saturday, with Hamish and crew catching 14 Wahoos & a Tuna.   We caught 8 Wahoos in the tournament, on Sunday, but none big enough to make the winnings. We fished again on Tuesday & Thursday, with catches of 6 Wahoos, 4 Dolphins and 12 Wahoos.

 

We have a few trips coming in, now that things are getting back to normal, and we should see the good fishing last until the end of October. So, try your best to get out before the live-bait season ends, as it is loads of fun!

 

Blue Marlin Tally: Somerset 95, Spanish Point 106

 

“De MAKO” Blue Marlin count is 56 for 139 bites! 

October 2003

 

October 5th - Wahoo! Wahoo!  Yes, the Wahoos are in high gear.

Although this has not been the calmest of weeks, the fish don’t seem to mind.  It seems the Wahoos are biting everywhere, up north, down northeast, Sally Tucker’s, & both the Banks.

 

“ De MAKO” has managed a fine catch of 72 Wahoos in the last 5 trips, with our best trip going to Johnny Reiss & crew, with 26 Wahoos & 4 Tunas, on Saturday.  Our biggest Wahoo @ 62lbs was masterly angled by Ricky “Chummy” Lines.

 

Robin Hamil & crew, on Friday, came in a close second, with a grand total of 17 Wahoos & 2 Tunas.

 

We are starting to see some nice-sized Yellowfins (40-60lbs.) biting on the troll, more frequently.

 

I think we are going to get a late Allison run, so between the hot Wahoo bite and the Tunas picking up, look forward to some great fishing for the rest of the month.

 

Don’t miss out on this great fishing - “De MAKO” still has some days open this month, so give us a call!

 

Blue Marlin Tally: Somerset 95, Spanish Point 106

 

“De MAKO” Blue Marlin count is 56 for 139 bites! 

October 25th - Here we are at the end of October, the clocks have moved back, the temperatures are dropping and the fishing is still great!

The Wahoos are still running strong (8-15 fish a day) but at the same time, the Yellowfins are picking up the pace.  The whole inside edge of “Challenger” is coming alive with Tunas, ranging from “footballs” (15lbs) all the way up to some nice ones in the 70’s.  The tide (current) on the bank has been too strong for chumming, so most of the good catches are being caught by slow trolling small baits.

 

De Mako’s best Tuna days this week were on Tuesday, with Andy Pereira & crew, catching 11 Wahoos & 14 Yellowfins- biggest 63lbs., and yesterday with lone angler, Jeff Radke, hauling in 500lbs of Yellowfins & Wahoos!

 

 

November 2003

 

November 21st - Happy birthday Ricky!   Hamish, Hubert & the Rickys’ decided to charter “De MAKO” yesterday for a little birthday fun & fishing.  Things offshore are still pretty much the same as last month, lots of seaweed & the fish are still on the inside edge of Challenger. Most days the tide (current) on the Bank has been very strong, making slow trolling for the Tunas your best bet.  Although, if you are lucky enough to be offshore on the rare days the tide is slack the chumming can be very good.  Anyway, back to Ricky’s trip!  We started with Chummy learning how to fish under pressure, Hamish style.  That is having to fight the first fish of the day while watching over his shoulder for the tricksters.  It is always an interesting day with Talaban member Hamish on board.  There is no telling what he has packed in his bag!

 

The Wahoos were up to lots of tricks, too, with lots of cutoffs, but all in all we finished up the day O.K. with six Dolphins, four Yellowfins & four Wahoos.  Top fish bet went to Chummy with his massive Wahoo!

 

 

December 2003

 

December 1st - December one, and the weather is still good - and so is the fishing!  Made a little trip offshore on Friday with the Rickys.  Trolling was slow with lots of seaweed, but the tide was light enough for chumming, so we gave it a spin. On our second drift, we caught our first Yellowfin and broke one off!

 

On the next 3 drifts, we racked up 10 Tunas, but the tide was on the increase and the drift getting short - it was getting time to put the anchor down. On the anchor, we managed a few more Tunas.  A few Wahoo bites on mono and Coxy really pulls a rabbit out of the hat with a pair of Yellowtail snappers, about 10lbs each.  By 3.00pm, we were heading home, drinking daiquiri, and talking about the 14 Yellowfins, 2 Wahoos & 2 Rabbits we had in the box!  Not a bad Day!