My son Austin, Will Stephenson, and I left Shem Creek at 440am to a choppy sea. Headed out to the ledge just in from the 380. Lines in at 730 in about 77 degrees and 180 feet. A peanut the size of a peanut hit immediately. Spit the hook but I was glad to be on 'em so fast.
So I thought…
Criss-crossed the ledge for a bit and got nothing else. Pulled in the lines and ran to 300 ft. Temp went to 79 degrees. Deployed the spread and “fish on!” Nice cow. Got her almost to the boat and it spit the hook. A few minutes later another one. Got this slinger cow to the boat and one in the box. Few minutes later another. Nice gaffer bull in the box. Things were looking up.
Then it slowed…
We trolled toward the 380. In 450 feet the long rigger goes down and screamed. Austin grabbed the reel, tried to set the hook, and missed it. Executed the drop-back perfectly, tried to set the hook again, and nothing. Oh well. He put the rod back in the launcher and then the flat line goes off! Austin sets the hook nicely and game on. He said it didn’t feel like a dolphin. Then it goes deep, and comes out of the water with a nice profile pose and we see the bill. “Marlin, Marlin!!” Heart rates rushing we clear the lines and get ready. Three jumps and he gets it to the boat. Will works the fish to the boat with perfection and holds him there for the photo shoot.
SMILE FOR THE CAMERA!
High fives all around! We got great GoPro video of the release! What a day. What a memory! I was so thrilled for Austin and Will. Watching them work the pit the way they did all morning clearing weeds and working their butts off only to get rewarded with Austin’s first Billfish was perfect! We ended the day with 4 dolphin, which was a disappointment in and of itself, but wasn’t that bad when topped of with this Marlin.
Congrats on y’all’s daymaker! So, who took the plunge?..
Thanks! HA! Austin did! But not out there. He wanted to get in the water with the Marlin and his GoPro but I said no. You never know what’s under the boat. He took the plunge when we got back on dry land!
quote:Originally posted by Warbler
Awesome day.
What do you mean by “tried to set the hook”? The boat sets the hook when trolling.
Agreed. I’ve always set the hook just to be sure. Fortunately that method worked with the Marlin.
