Another Tuesday afternoon adventure on the PainKiller -
Forecast was wrong - winds were howling - 25 kts steady, NE wind off the beach - but we pushed on. At least the sun was shining, unlike last week. This time we had the Satellite weather working, and the new DeLorme satellite text/pager in hand. The only thing missing was my camera - I NEVER leave home without it - I had all of my lenses and filters and even brought along a macro lens for close up fish shots, but not the camera?
Off we traveled. We planed on the Scarp, but the NE 3 - 5 footers had us change to the GT Hole - (Hot Spots showed a temp break on way to the Scarp). Surprisingly, the ride was not too bad, 42 mph out.
Lines in at 1:15pm, smoker Blackfin tuna on the county line within minutes. Pink and blue. Then another, even larger a few minutes later. The third was a monster, and took a few minutes longer to land. Then nothing. Tangles, weeds, more tangles, and more weeds. Amateur hour, not sure why? Fast hit, cut off the fluoro, had to have been the HOO we were after.
Slow going, more tangles, time to do something different. When we pulled in the lines, we snagged our previously cut off rig? Bizarre - lost and found the same rig on the same day hours later? Then, as I was reeling in the county line, BAM, a nice gaffer mahi arrived and ended in the box.
Bottom fishing, sure, why not? Started jigging in 200 feet - Matt, of Touche fame, is getting jiggy - and we see a school of fish at 50 feet - so he reels up and gets hooked up - would you believe a beautiful Gag at 50 feet? I was certain it was an AJ! We land another, larger Gag, and then a monster Queen Trigger. And one of our jigs that got cut off in the rocks and we thought was lost forever - was SNAGGED on another jig on the way up! What are the chances of TWO lost and found rigs in the same trip?
So alas, no 60 dolphin day for the PainKiller, YET…
Water temp was 71.6 degrees, we trolled to 800 feet, pink and blue were the colors, mahi was on the nak