What a relaxing trip. I stayed with my firends Rick and Charles Graham at their house across from Odens Dock for a week. We managed to get offshore and fish almost three days. The bite wasn't red hot but we scrapped out a few and I tried out all my new toys.
Friday 4/25
All the reports were south so we headed to the 900/100. There is a good curve there from 250 feet to 1000 feet. Calm seas and we were first on the scene. Five lines in, including the planer rod and we settle into a troll. We look up a few minutes later and counted 22 boats around us.... so much for privacy. First in the boat was a hoo from the planer rod. That made my day right there. A nice bull came in off the planer rod later and we managed three more small mahi. The fleet worked way south after a report of a good marlin bite.
Saturday was a little better except I was chumming. 45 trips and it was just my time. We fished the Rock Pile most of the day. I worked through the sickness and managed a tri-fecta... One wahoo from the planer rod, one small tuna and three mahi.
We took a lay day Sunday and it turned out calm. The wind blew Monday and Tuesday and my crew had to leave Thursday so we took a chance on Wednesday.
We left the dock with an OK forecast and it was blowing about 8 MPH. I headed to the 280 and the wind grew to 18 knots NW. That was the biggest seas ever in my boat. Solid 6-8 footers stacked. We turned around and waited in the green water for it to calm down. About 11:00, I headed downsea back to the Rock Pile. It had laid down just enough for us to barely manage a spread. Two other boats in the area and it was still rough. Pictures never show the true sea conditions.
We got up on top of the rock and the long line goes off. We thought it was a huge wahoo based on the line it pulled from a 30 but I must have had the drag a little light. It turned out to be a 25 pound tuna and I didn't even get a picture.
Lines back in and the captain of the Citation saw us land the tuna and decided to come up beside us and check us out, I guess looking at my spread.
That's right big boy. We're fishing five foot seas in a tin cup pulling four surface baits, a teaser and a planer rod.
We managed to catch a few chompers on the lay days. That's a delicacy with the old timers down there. Ever had boiled bluefish and grits for breakfast?? Not bad.
A couple of my buddies hopped on their plane outa there on Thursday, which turned out to be the best fishing day of the week and we just couldn't pull it off.
I left the boat in Frisco. Plans are for a family trip in June.
Later,
Alan
HI Report 4/25 - 5/1
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