Decided to go for it yesterday and cleared the Stono Inlet at 5 am headed towards the Edisto Banks and beyond. Seas weren’t too bad holding around 3’+ untill just a few miles past the ledge where the wind and waves picked up quite a bit more. Ran out to about 600ft, crossing multiple temp breaks along the way with one 45 minute stop to replace a broken sensor bracket on the auto pilot (which we just happen to have a spare one of on board!) We do love our auto pilot as we fish short handed a lot.
We finally found a decent temp break to fish on and dropped lines in the water. Had the lines in the water for about 15 mins before the starboard outrigger pops and a decent dolphn is hooked up, I grab the rod and am 2 mins into bringing it in and the starboard flat line starts to just scream off the Penn30TW and line starts to cut sideways across the water like it was hooked onto a F16 jet! I was like “What in the bejeezez is going on here” And then there it is, a beautiful Blue marlin starts to tail walk away from the boat peeling more line out. My buddy grabs the rod as I proceed to get the dolphin in the boat and clear the other rods. About an hour or so and numerous leaps horizontally across the water and a few tailwalks and reel screamin runs later my buddy has had it and hands off the rod to me and I proceed to try to get the fish in. Due to the seas we weren’t able to back down on the fish much so we fought it astern a lot and quartering into it.
HOLY BRAP CATMAN!!, this thing is still full of every bit of energy that it started out with it seems like! Finally get it up to the boat and it takes one look at us and proceeds to try to head to the ocean floor (I get that response out of people sometimes too!) no amount of drag would stop her from taking more line again not even my line burnt thumb on the reel! After another half hour or so and who knows how much line back and forth we were finally able to get it boatside and dehook it and revive it enough in the water to go swmiming off on its own kicking its
Good job Russ and great read. We need to do some fishin this summer (inshore or offshore) when I get done with classes. That is, if you are in the country. Haha. I want to hear some more of your world adventures.
xHCFKx
I contend that for a nation to try to tax itself into prosperity is like a man standing in
a bucket and trying to lift himself up by the handle. – Winston Churchill
Rap, will do, not sure of plans yet for Sun, might be fishable day!
Sounds good to me DC, no new travel plans on the immediate horizon as of yet, but one never knows!
Decided to go for it yesterday and cleared the Stono Inlet at 5 am headed towards the Edisto Banks and beyond. Seas weren’t too bad holding around 3’+ untill just a few miles past the ledge where the wind and waves picked up quite a bit more. Ran out to about 600ft, crossing multiple temp breaks along the way with one 45 minute stop to replace a broken sensor bracket on the auto pilot (which we just happen to have a spare one of on board!) We do love our auto pilot as we fish short handed a lot.
We finally found a decent temp break to fish on and dropped lines in the water. Had the lines in the water about 15 mins before the starboard outrigger pops and a decent dolphn is hooked up, I grab the rod and am 2 mins into bringing it in and the starboard flat line starts to just scream off the Penn30TW and line starts to cut sideways across the water like it was hooked onto a F16 jet! I was like “What in the bejeezez is going on here” And then there it is, a beautiful Blue marlin starts to tail walk away from the boat peeling more line out. My buddy grabs the rod as I proceed to get the dolphin in the boat and clear the other rods. About an hour or so and numerous leaps horizontally across the water and a few tailwalks and reel screamin runs later my buddy has had it and hands off the rod to me and I proceed to try to get the fish in. Due to the seas we weren’t able to back down on the fish much so we fought it astern a lot and quartering into it.
HOLY BRAP CATMAN!!, this thing is still full of every bit of energy that it started out with it seems like! Finally get it up to the boat and it takes one look at us and proceeds to try to head to the ocean floor (I get that response out of people sometimes too!) no amount of drag would stop her from taking more line again not even my line burnt thumb on the reel! After another half hour or so and who
I’m interpreting picked at 'em to mean long breaks between bites, but maybe even worse, I’m hearing far too many reports of missed strikes, was your ballyhoo double hooked on the short strike? Sounds like a lot of hooks didn’t get sharpened before the spring run, not you maybe. I apologize for answereing the previous post before congratulating you on the blue, adaymaker for sure…
Had a few missed strikes for sure and 2 cut offs by a mysterious surgeon! Your dead on there mac daddy! was using some rigs made up still from last year, we forgot the new wire in car, doh!) Didn’t pay a lot of attention to the hooks, can’t find sharpner had on boat, good reminder to find it and change out hooks.
Hopin to get out in morning again, weather permitting, dead lo tide at 4:20 am tho, could be touch and go in the folly river.
