My captain Bobby (Cori K out of Rainbow Bay Pearl Harbor) invited me to run the cockput on a quick Shakedown Cruise.
We left the dock at 0430hrs, steamed to BO and set a 4-7", 1-15", & 2-5" bait spread. Around 0730hrs the long left (Ol School 7" Tsutomu Invert) popped and a nice Striped Marlin tail walked accross the spread and ran downseas a few hundred yards. Cleared the lines, backed down and brought him to a clean gaff shot in 20minutes. We got tye fish on ice, reset the baits and trolled downseas while we sorted out a few minor maintainance stuff (boat had sat for 4 months).
Big Blue inhaled the big bait (Amaral Lures, Naja in Aku colors) on the short left and imediately came out of the water. She grehounded straight astern before turning hard right and jumping 300 yards to port. We cleared the spread as soon as possible and she had us down to less than 1/4 spool before Captain Bobby got the boat backing down. I recovered line slowly and steadily. At a half spool she sounded and continued downsea, once we were up to 3/4s she came up again and we got her within close. She ran 100 yards off and we recovered it.
The fish came out of the water again and gave us a great look at her when we got 50' away. Since the fish was still green, we turned the boat downseas and took her for a 15minute walk to let her calm down. Once she turned gray a I leadered her up and gaffed her. We quartered, and iced the fish and steamed back to the dock by 230pm.
We let the fish cool off overnight, and butchered her first thing in the morning. The 550lb (estimated weight) fish yielded 230lbs of chunk. 50lbs went to the restaurant for fish tacos, 60lbs to the smoker, and the rest was sold or given to friends and family. The (55lb headed/gutted) Striped Marlin was dropped on the block.
All in all a great shakedown cruise.
John
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Wow,,,,,, :o big marlin,,,,that's a fantastic trip man,,,,,,, ;D
That's a lot of fish! Great fishin' John. 8)
Great fun. Dominick
Quote from: mo65 on February 24, 2020, 04:53:49 AM
That's a lot of fish.... 8)
Kind of what I wuzz thinking. A whole fish market on the back of boat... Jeff
Wow John, if this was just a "shakedown cruise", then what happens when you guys really get to serious fishing ?? Congrats on the half grander, sounds like a fun battle you guys had.
.Looks like lots of fish tacos
Great report John....great fish too....Bill
Nice fish John, thanks for the report & pics, good fun ay, cheers Don.