Increadible fishing including 4 marlin in one day!

[captscott]

Pretty wild ride the last few weeks..the obvious highlight was catching 4 blue marlin one day before 1pm last week..the full story below and on our homepage fishing reports along with other individual fishing reports..the fishing continues to be consistent with plenty yellowfin coming in off both day and night trips..the bull dolphin are thick as thieves and in many cases steal baits intended for tuna long before we can soak them..we have also run two very successful bottom fishing trips since the last report though we have been concentrating almost entrirely on bluewater fishing..the biggest surprise this season is the ammount of calm days..dont think I have ever seen so many calm days in my 12 years of chartering..I have to say we have only had a dozen bad weather days since early May..all I can say is that I like it..things are begining to slow down for us so there is alot of availability for thse wanting a glimpse at an adventure of a lifetime..read on..

anyway rewind to Friday July 14th..we had a magical morning which after about every 10 minutes of nothing transitioned into steady action 4 bull dolphin in the boat; one about 5-10 minutes thus getting the first few calamities worked out with where to stand and how to hold the rod..etc....not long after icing the dolphin we could see a school of yellowfins in open water just off the rip - they were smashing what appeared to be chicken dolphin all around over several acres and into our spread as well..made a pass through the tuna as there was no way through around or over them and somehow we didnt get a bite..not one..decided to double back through them a few minutes later getting a huge strike off the long corner bait....no poseitve ID on the fish we just knew it was big and well on the run..as we were fitting our angler into the harness; all lines were cleared except the number one short corner bait with the baot I had rigged an hour or so earlier and the two rigger baits that were lapping the surface as the boat rocked..Scott L. was running all over the deck and just before we settled into chase the fish mode, I could see something large streaking just below the surface like a torpedo straight toward the transom..I figured it a tuna but about the time it was 20 feet from the lifeless bait I yelled marlin; seconds later it slammed the "dolphin knockoff" (Green/Yellow/Blue slanthead Makairia Brutus) this all 15 ft off the transom..Scott was on the rod the second this fish hit; it was amazing to watch this up close attack..anyway the fish hooked itself as I quickly shot the boat forward with the fish coming up and headfirst and slashing whitewater 50 yards behind us..just as we got both anglers in fight position a 3rd marlin came like a torpedo just like the last one, but this time for the outside rigger bait which was dangling just above the surface of the water..I dont know if this was a good or a bad thing but just as the fish made a move to strike it, the boat rolled to the other side pulling the ballyhoo bait up and out of the water and landing behind the fish as it circled off..there wasnt even time for me to communicate let alone for any human to get the bait down and in front of the fish - we had our hands full as it were with both fish heading in opposite directions; But still we dropped both rigger baits back and I kicked it ahead for another 50 yards before we cleared everythign for good and gave chase..never saw the 3rd fish again (for sure) so we settled back into chase the fish mode...this with both fish running away from each other; We ended up backing the drag off one fish; sending one angler to the bow so we could back down on the closer fish..the first fish was leadered billed, photographed and released in about 10 minutes without much fanfare..fish number two would follow about 20 minutes later and was also released after 3 fair photos..it pulled off before Scott L. could bill it but we got one good shot of the fish at the wire..there wasnt really time to coordinate a tagging effort with everything going on - we couldnt find the tags anyway - but we did rig up a rough looking tag stick after that experience and everyone was excited about finding that 3rd fish (me for sure as we had never done 3 fish in te same day)..

I guess it was now sometime after 11AM..got settled back into the troll with 30 minutes passing..I went down to the floor to give Scott L. a break from the heat when fish number 3 hit the same short Makaira bait I had rigged; at first missing..my hands were bloody from shuffling dolphin under the ice so I quickly leaned over the side and washed them in the wake as quick as I could..Scott yelled marlin and I was on the rod when it came back for another swat and we got him solid..this one put on a show for us too..the other blue marlins never jumped but this one did every trick it could in the air..somewhere in the fight we developed a birdsnest no telling how but it called for some quick action..Scott L. still at the controls in the tower quickly backed quickly while I got it out frantically (I rememeber thinking at the time no way this is happening when we so close to getting 3 in a day this allincentive to work it out quickly as I could feel the tension in the line building)..about the time we got the mess undone the fish came up jumping 50 yards off the transom heading straight for us..Scott kicked it ahead and I ran for the tower to releive him. thankfully the fish stayed on the line for a tag and release 20 minutes later..thus allowing us to make boat history with 3 blue marlin in a day..another 30 minutes would pass without anything but hot afternoon; and after sharing the story by VHF with a couple friends we would get our 4th shot..this one off the long line Islander ballyhoo..Sott said he saw he fish clear the water before the take and it would prove to be the biggest fish of the day a good 350 that took about 30 minutes to leader, bill, tag and release..Its now 100pm and I got radio call from a good friend of wanting to know the details of our 3 marlin morning..It was with great pleasure that I responded "would you believe 4?" I sure wouldnt have believed it myself but thankfully I was there to see and experience it and set the bar for future trips..wish you could have been there with us too!..we would troll another 2 1/2 hours and not get another strike..first time ever we nearly went the order with everyone on the boat with a blue marlin catch..amazing day..wouldnt you agree? AMEN!

marlin 1..already a great day! est 200#

- release! marlin 2..est 300#

Marlin 3 - 250# est

The fourth marlin - a handful on the leader - est 350#[/img]

[quack quack]

How what a day.You will be telling that story for a long time Great job.

[Shark Tagger]

nice work on the tags! what a day

[Boboe]

Those photos are amazing. The third photo has an especially beautiful marlin. Well done! I was supposed to go marlin fishing in the Florida panhandle this weekend, where it's just going off the hook right now, but work precluded it. Oh well. I'll have to live vicariously through you.

Again, good job!