Bill DePriest-Editor/Publisher
Marlin sure started off with a bang!
Aug. 21 2009, 9:45 AM
Aug. 21 2009, 9:45 AM
Our first trip offshore took us to the 43 for a handful of albacore, a huge yellowtail, and a lost bluefin. Hey, not bad when most sport boats weren't clearing 15 fish at the time.
A couple of weeks ago we made our first run for marlin on the One Hot Tuna. It was still July, and although a bite had taken off, it sure feels weird fishing for marlin in July.
We loaded up the boat; it was Kip and Chris, the guy who prints the magazine. We ran out to the 209 where the stuff had been, and, let me tell you, it wasn’t there anymore!
I watched 20 or more boats trying to drown their lures (of course we were drowning ballyhoo) around us until 3:45 in the afternoon. Not a sniff – no tailers, no sleepers, and no jumpers – just an area devoid of life with a bunch of guys dreaming of the bite that happened a few days previously. The fleet scattered around, and we ran up by ourselves to the 277 and dropped the ballyhoo back in.
Within about twelve minutes a donkey came in on the short port Tropic Star daisy chain and was real skittish; would not take the short ballyhoo right under his nose. Almost instantly he dropped back and inhaled the long port rigger, and Chris was on a real nice fish pushing 200 (well, at least 185 or so, conservatively). We quickly let it go and spent the next two hours washing ballyhoo for no more bites.
As I write this the marlin have gone into hiding, but a whole new batch is showing up on the outside with many bites on the 43 and up the Canyon to the Head. So things are looking up…and the yellowfin are invading the waters close to home, with nice counts coming from the 182 to the 43 and just below the Coronados.
It won’t be long before we are in a full-swing late-but-great season!
We loaded up the boat; it was Kip and Chris, the guy who prints the magazine. We ran out to the 209 where the stuff had been, and, let me tell you, it wasn’t there anymore!
I watched 20 or more boats trying to drown their lures (of course we were drowning ballyhoo) around us until 3:45 in the afternoon. Not a sniff – no tailers, no sleepers, and no jumpers – just an area devoid of life with a bunch of guys dreaming of the bite that happened a few days previously. The fleet scattered around, and we ran up by ourselves to the 277 and dropped the ballyhoo back in.
Within about twelve minutes a donkey came in on the short port Tropic Star daisy chain and was real skittish; would not take the short ballyhoo right under his nose. Almost instantly he dropped back and inhaled the long port rigger, and Chris was on a real nice fish pushing 200 (well, at least 185 or so, conservatively). We quickly let it go and spent the next two hours washing ballyhoo for no more bites.
As I write this the marlin have gone into hiding, but a whole new batch is showing up on the outside with many bites on the 43 and up the Canyon to the Head. So things are looking up…and the yellowfin are invading the waters close to home, with nice counts coming from the 182 to the 43 and just below the Coronados.
It won’t be long before we are in a full-swing late-but-great season!
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