Met a lot of cool people and saw some old friends at the Tailwalker Wahoo Challenge captain’s meeting Friday night and hit the ramp at 5AM Saturday in Georgetown.
I thought if I waited to post this report, the pain would wear off and the tone would not be so poor for you all to read. I guess most people would not post a report at all. Can’t roll like that, can I?!
Ran out as fast as Mojo could because I knew the NE was coming. Made about 38-40kts the whole way until about 5 miles from the hole. Heard a loud noise and looked back and saw my 6ft Marsh Tacky Carbon gaff flying out the back of the boat. The somewhat slack outrigger halyards had come down and the pole going back up snatched them back up, pulling up on the gaff hook to jerk it out of the transom rod holder. 100% stupid on my part. Everyone who has fished with me knows how much time and care I take to stow things right for a ride. I hadn’t put the gaff in the gaff tube but had it riding back there instead. Pure laziness.
I try to think positively though. I felt like we were owed some good luck after that.
No. It didn’t get better really. One of the toughest, most frustrating days of fishing I’ve ever had. Knew the fish were there. Knew they were biting. Saw all the right stuff on the sonar and on top. Even saw birds working an area despite all the boats running all over the place all day long.
Even fished all morning on the same stuff the tournament winner was seeing.
Maybe I overthought it. Maybe it was just too much bitten off to chew. I don’t know. It’s a lot of work when you keep missing, and it’s not a flat ocean.
Picked up two tuna within 5 minutes of swinging the riggers out. Turned and picked up another. Had a short strike on the planer and stopped to get everything set back up perfectly. Got hooked up again, and a sport
Thanks for the post, Phin. If it makes you feel any better, while you were fishing, I cut the grass, went to the grocery store, and cleaned out my gutters.
We did well Friday but the fish were not very agressive. Had a 60lb and 40lb hit baits like a sail. Pop on flat, long left tap, knock down on right short, drop back, then fish on hooked right in the tip of the lower jaw like a spanish mack would eat a clark spoon. Those fish have eyes and are smart. Scale back on tackle in water, get it away from the boat and back off the drag a little.
Do not tell fish stories where the people know you; but particularly, don’t tell them where they know the fish.
Nice report! I guess we just have those kinda days… Thanks for the advice, I really appreciate it!!
We fished out of Savannah Saturday, left the dock at 3:30 am and were fishing at sunrise. Tons of cudas on high speed at 18-20 mph. Picked up one wahoo that was almost 70. Put out meat and caught more cudas and two gaffer dolphin. Starboard engine started making noise so we headed back. Lost the air compressor (optimax) 54 miles from the sea buoy. Made 8 knots home, hit the dock at 10:30 pm after getting caught in a terrific storm. Lots of lightning and rain and wind. Long day.
Sucks about the gaff, I hate when stuff like that happens…
Wes, thanks for report and sorry for your problems. We have all been there. I have personally had some horrible days of tackle loss and problems. It all equals out in the end. Next trip will be better
We were putting in at the ball park same time as y’all. Nice meeting you. Our day was very similar. One small wahoo within 10 minutes of fishing , then nothing but trash. Had one more wahoo bite but couldn’t seal the deal. What was the weight of the winning wahoo BTW?
We were out saturday also. South at the triple ledge. Lots of signs of life, birds, flying fish, weed lines. Nothing much on the weed line. But when we got out the the actual north triple ledge mark, there were lots of wahoo swimming up to the boat following jigs and stuff. But they had lock jaw. Lots of bottoms stuff. Grouper and the rest. Whenever I tried mono I got cut off. no bites on wire.
What is the main way to catch wahoo and tuna right now? How far offshore do you have to go?
17ft Scout
90 yamaha
Tuna spread is baits 300yds behind the boat. That’s half a 20 or 30 sized trolling reel if half braid and half mono or half a 50 wide spooled with straight 50 or 60lb mono.
Wahoo are biting basically any and everything aggressively so long as it doesn’t have wire. If early in the morning, they aren’t as hesitant to bite the wire.
The fishing in this report was 60-70 miles from the Charleston Jetties.
