OC-1 Solo Chanel Escort, dockside Omilu, & Solo Blue Marlin

[Tightlines667]

2018 Kaiwi Solo – Molokai OC1 World Championship

http://www.paahawaii.com/event/kaiwi-solo/

I escorted my first canoe race yesterday. Fun and interesting experience. My coworker, Sara VanGent started paddling 1 year ago, and promptly bought an OC-1 and started training in earnest for the Molokai to Oahu solo championship race. It was a no brainer to sign up as her escort boat.

I invited a few local coworkers/ex-paddlers and we left the dock at 0400hrs. Ran to Penguin, and trolled ballyhoo for 3 hours w/o any bites, before making our way to the staging beach on Molokai st 0930hrs. We picked up her OC-1 coach, and staged with the other 76 escort boats. Throughout the race, we did three exchanges to give her needed water bladders, and swap paddles. I worked to keep her informed, help hold the track, and pace her. She paddle for 6hrs 12 minutes, only stopping very briefly 4 times. She averaged 5.1knots, or 12min/nm for 32nm. Of those who finished the race, she bested 1 man, and 1 women, not bad for her first race. I was very impressed with her athleticism, and happy to help her to make a dream come true.

We got back to the dock at 2000hrs.

Not a bad way to spend my Saturday.

Dockside Omilu

Helped a couple of boys at the Iroqois Point marina catch and land a nice 15lb Omiluthis afternoon. He was caught on a Tica Newell combo spooled w/straight 30lb, and a small live Aholehole on a small hook.

They have been trying to catch this fish for weeks. They were pretty happy to finally get him.

First Solo Blue Marlin

Took the boat out for a quick hour of solo, high speed trolling 9" jets this evening. 2.7nm from the gate I raised a nice (350lbs+) Blue. He smacked my 9" pink over white bullet head jet on the long corner at 12knots. After hitting and missing twice, I slowed the boat and teased him back by taking it away, then dropped it down his throat. Solid hook up. He peeled 450yds off at 27lbs drag, while I cleared the lines, w/boat outta gear. I turned on him, and managed to get him downwind. Picked up 300yds, then another fishermen came running in between me and the fish. I tried to raise him on 16, but no response. I gunned the boat around the fish to block the cut off, charging the boat. He turned. When I got back on the rod, the fish charged 100yds upwind and under the boat. As soon as the line came tight, I backed the drag way off, but it was too late, line broke.

Got some excitement, heartbreak, and learned a lesson in 30minutes..lol

He put on a good show. Not my first Blue by a long shot, but and this was my first one solo.

Good fun!

I'll get 'em next time.

John

[Tightlines667]

More pics...

[swill88]

Great post John, thanks.

Does the paddle board race use the same course? My fishing partner's nephew competes so I hear about it every year.

Time for a visit.

Steve

[Tightlines667]

Great post John, thanks.

Does the paddle board race use the same course? My fishing partner's nephew competes so I hear about it every year.

Time for a visit.

Steve

Yes, same course.  32nm on the shortest track.

[Swami805]

Thanks for the report,quite a weekend!

[mo65]

   Wow...450 yds. of line at 27lbs. of drag...that hammers home how tiny my fishing really is. Way ta go John!

[Gfish]

Some weekend! Hope you get the next marlin on the deck. Is'at one you can "drop on the block"? Love the taste of Omilu. That was a big'un. Dude, yer buildin up some good karma.

[oc1]

Both of our kids did that race when in high school and my wife has done the club race so I've been on the paying end of the escort boat thing.  The 40 mile paddle is an amazing feat but so is the organization to make it all happen.  Barging the canoes over to Molokai, one-way flights and overnight accommodations for the paddlers and coaches, all those escort boats getting to Molokai that early in the morning, connecting the escort boats with coaches or paddlers, then sorting it all out in Honolulu on other end.  Some guys escort a half-dozen times each year for the various races.

Tough luck on the marlin John.  Makes for a great story though.
-steve

[boon]

  Wow...450 yds. of line at 27lbs. of drag...that hammers home how tiny my fishing really is. Way ta go John!

I've had a fish dump >800 yards under similar drag. Quite a scary thing to be clipped onto the other side of, even more so when you get 700 yards back and he sees the boat and dumps the spool again  

EDIT: I would have been more than a little salty at the other boat that got in your way... just part of the challenges of fishing solo I guess, braver man than me, I wouldn't even try it with less than 3 on board (angler, skipper, and someone to leader the fish)

[Gfish]

I'm guessin that the game fish activity around Oahu & Kaua'i may be pretty good this spring/summer. We got dumped on with rain water in April and it still continues(albeit with less intensity) at present. Kaua'i's got a ring a colored water around it, and this is just gotta be addin to the nutriant cycle: plankton<invertebrates<baitfish<predators. Temps. may be pretty low still, so we'll see...

[Tightlines667]

  Wow...450 yds. of line at 27lbs. of drag...that hammers home how tiny my fishing really is. Way ta go John!

I've had a fish dump >800 yards under similar drag. Quite a scary thing to be clipped onto the other side of, even more so when you get 700 yards back and he sees the boat and dumps the spool again  

EDIT: I would have been more than a little salty at the other boat that got in your way... just part of the challenges of fishing solo I guess, braver man than me, I wouldn't even try it with less than 3 on board (angler, skipper, and someone to leader the fish)

It was still my mistake that lost the fish.  I could've stayed off the fish and he likely would have ran from the boat or sounded, leaving the line intact.  Alternatively, could've made a wider circle to ensure I stayed off of the line, or immediately threw the reel in freespool w/clicker and backed the boat off once I realized I was on the line.  Easy to say, though to execute.

It's amazing how quickly these mid-sized Blues cover ground.  He ran 1/2 mile E then 1/4 mile NE, then 3/4 mile SW, then 1/4 mile NE again, moving vehicle from surface to deep (<1200feet) several times, all within a 30 minute period.

Overall, I was not happy with the hot-rodded Senator 12/0 for the task.  The drag got smoking hot in the first 10minutes, and started surging a bit, the adjustment (drag curve) became too steep, and the line retrieval rate with 1/3 spool or less was not very good.  The reel also experienced some binding, harder cranking about 20 minutes into the fight.  Mind you this reel has gone 1 year, over 80 trips, and caught several dozen good fish (2 over 100lbs) since being serviced.  When I can find the time to break it down and have a look, I will share the results.

If I would have stayed out of gear he would have spooled me.  If I hadn't backed the drag off, or cooled the drag down with water, he likely would have broken the older line.

The Penn International 130s will be much better reels for dealing with Blue Marlin.

Still, I am pretty sure I could have caught him, had I not ran over the line.

John

[Tightlines667]

I'm guessin that the game fish activity around Oahu & Kaua'i may be pretty good this spring/summer. We got dumped on with rain water in April and it still continues(albeit with less intensity) at present. Kaua'i's got a ring a colored water around it, and this is just gotta be addin to the nutriant cycle: plankton<invertebrates<baitfish<predators. Temps. may be pretty low still, so we'll see...

Never thought of runoff/brown water boosting the local fishing, though it could.  It certainly will create an algal/dyno bloom and increase productivity.  Just depends on the ocean currents as to whether the bloom stays together, how long it sticks around, and where that water ends up, when the pelagics come in. 

Hopefully we have better conditions this year then the past 2, but I really think it's going to be another below average year overall.  We had a 4 year streak of above average fishing, now it's time to balance the scales, so to speak.

I hope you are right though.

Right now there are a few Ono, Mahi, Ahi, and Blues around.  I think mid next week will see a little Ahi bite, just like this past weekend, and again at the end of the month.  The bite should also get better on the Mahi, Ono, Blue Marlin, and Aku/Otaru over the next 6 weeks.

Just my opinion.

John

[handi2]

That's a great story. I could see what was happening as I read it.

One of the captains I take care of had to throw his Tiagra 50W overboard so he could land the 2 Tuna. He had 2 on at the same time. He tied a life jacket to the 50 and threw it over so he could land the other Tuna. These are 300lb fish.

After the first was landed they picked up the other one and landed it too.

Shown is the drag chamber.

Keith

[Tightlines667]

Wow Keith!

Those are serious fish on a 50.  I always say it can be done, but when you've got a multiple hook up and they decide to go in different directions it's tough to put the brakes on those fish.  If they go in the same direction then you risk parting the line.  This is why I decided to fish 130 class reels.  The 50s are a lot more fun for most fish, but you can lose some big ones. 

That's impressive that some quick thinking here got the job done.  A few bucks on the post-battle service is a small price to pay for victory.

John