Kind of misleading title - Crew of the PainKiller went for a ride with Stuart Ballard of Tailwalker on his 36 Yellowfin with triple 300 Yamahas. Capt Jay, Jimmy, and friend/classmate Brian left from Georgetown Landing Marina around 11am. The buoy was reading NE 13.6kts, ,gusts 17.5, 3.6 feet every 8 seconds. Amazingly, Stuart let us go for it! I dont think we would have left the hill with the PainKiller (32 Contender, Stepped hull, twin 250 yamahas) - Sure, in the first season or two we might have, but not now knowing what we do about seas, wind direction, etc.
The boat was impressive. The attention to detail, the fit and finish, very nice. The ride through Winyah bay, very smooth. Then we hit the ocean. ROUGH seas. We slowed down to 25 kts, and pressed on. The ride was surprisingly tolerable. The boat did a great job getting us there. My teeth were intact, my back was feeling good. A little wet on the starboard side. I remained dry.
Fliers everywhere. We put lines in, wasnt wearing my watch. We trolled and had a few short strikes right off the bat. We watched as a king mackerel shot out of the ocean and attacked our flat line, only to spit the hook after a few seconds/minutes of fight.
Pink was hit over and over. The planer rod got hit three times. Flying fish galore. Yet we had nothing in the box to show for it.
The seas grew (from the NOAA buoy, NE 17.5 with gusts 27.2, NE 3.9 every 4) - we finally put a weeHOO in the box. And then trolled the GT hole, and back to shallow waters. Three more short stikes in a row, we circled and circled, then hot handed Jimmy made quick work of the 65 lb daymaker WAHOO.
We trolled some more, and pulled lines in at 5:30. I was expecting a long, slow ride home. Amazingly, or should i say AMAZINGLY, we ran in at 40 knots! WOW - what a great riding boat.
Back to the dock for the weigh in - 65lbs on the big HOO.
A great day was had by all. Stuart and his Yellowfin made an unfishable day fishable! Half day gulfstream, great HOOs. grea