Lines in @ 6:15am just short of the 226 hole. We started pushing out towards the deep when were were interupted by a nice 20# cow. The dolphin action was slow, even the radio fish hadn’t started to bite. Around 10am the bite was on, just not for us:frowning_face:. Listening to catches and watching the big boys real ‘em in can break anyone, but it was short lived. Suddenly, a giant bill appears in the pink sqiud daisy chain and I yell marlin. Seconds later, the horse ballyhoo is eaten. We weren’t prepared and the battle lasted maybe 10 minutes, with tremendous jumps and thrashing. I was even able to check my knot on my braid backing out as 300yds of line zipped off in seconds. It held, but the main 50# mono was shredded. I’ve never caught one before and not a good guesser, but the fish was thick and looked every bit of 7-8’. We trolled around some more and then pushed offshore looking for the radio fish and the magic weedline, but were left disappointed. Nothing. Around noon, we headed back south of the 226 hole in about 550’ water to where we hooked the marlin. We put out a few extra daisy chains to see if we could get some more attention to our spread. Bingo! 45 minutes later we leader and release our first white marlin[:0]! Again, our first, but a 6’ fish! The day is getting better! Over the next 2 hours we lost 4 more billfish due to leader chaffing and had my spreader bar eaten from the flat line, popping my main tow line from the boat. We rode back in with a nice following sea kinda down because we lost so many fish. I thought about the day of fishing last night and today and wouldn’t trade yesterday for a box of dolphin. A great day on the water with a great group of guys! Sean, Newbie-Brad, and Sean, see you next week! I would appreciate anyone’s suggestions on my daisy chain rigging. I was running a 15-20’ of 250# line with the bait and chain together. All the rollers on the rods were and are in good shape and fresh 50# main line. I understand boat handling might help eliminate most of th
G2G - Congratulations on your awesome day! Did you go with a buddy boat? I don’t have the stones to take my bay that far. Also, do you have trim tabs.
SeaPro 21 Bay Yam 150
That’s awesome!!! Next time you need to bring some more of that Marlin MOJO on board the O-Sea-D.
Give a man a fish and he will eat for a day. Teach a man to fish and he will sit in a boat and drink beer all day. FISH 24/7------------ 25 Grady w/ a couple of Gas Guzzling 175 Johnsons “O-SEA-D” the old “Havanadaydream”
Is your question how to rig your daisy chain with a bait?
Were the ones you were pulling yesterday in a line an you feel the fish were hitting the squids infront of you hook?
That sounds like a most excellent day. jus sayn, if my olschool azz waz der, i’d spider or bimini atleast 12’ double line to the swivel ifn it wasn’t done already. Oh ya, daisy chains are very effective and my favorites as dey been berry berry good to me. Congrats on de Whitey. did ya loose your camera too?
Dude! You’re n my spot!
I was in my friend’s boat, Sandbar. It’s a 26’ Sailfish w/ twin 150 yamaha 4 strokes. I have fished in my bayboat almost out to Bubble Rock and will try to fish in it next week. Tunanut, I have not been running a double line, but will begin to do that. Muledriver, the chains were all in line, not dropper rigged. I just couldn’t understand how I am getting chaffed off from my main line unless the leader was chaffing the mono or the bills were. I want to be ready the next time! E-mail with some specifics if you want.
Key West 21’6" BayReef
225 Honda
check your rollers friction may be coming from them
Sounds like the Marlin’s tail was causing the line to chafe as it was swimming away from the boat. Your double line needs to be 10’ or more, not sure if this is what happened but sounds like a possibility.
Dark Star
I’m all rigged and ready, now! Hopefully, the weather and maybe the billfish cooperate all next week as I’ll take the bay boat out at least once. Thanks for the input and advice.
Key West 21’6" BayReef
225 Honda