Got the call monday afternoon from Capt D there was a spot open on the Heather Mist for an overnighter to Baltimore Canyon leaving tuesday morning, and to see if i was interested,,, Damn right I was.
Started off with a 10:00 departure, destination east wall of the baltimore for some tiles.
This was a first on trying for tiles for the boat and crew. After an hour or so with no luck, packed tile gear in and pulled the trolling gear out. We needed to find a spot to call home for the night.
Trolled east wall to west wall with a white marlin coming into the spread as we approached the west wall. Couple swipes at the bally and he was gone,, 0/1 on whites.
Reached the 100 fathom line of the west wall, turned southeast and followed the contour.
Shortly after the turn, another white in the spread. Finned up to a bally and took a couple swipes at it, I tried to drop it back to him, but no dice,,,,, 0/2 on whites.
Trolled around some more looking for the best life to set up on for the night, which was a hard choice. We wanted to be further east, but just couldn't leave the abundance of life we had found all along the 100 line.
Darkness was approaching, got to put trolling stuff out of the way, and get chunking gear out.
Conditions,,,, well, i'll just say it totally sucked, couldn't be worse for chunking. Wind against tide really screwed us up, and wouldn't let us set out our lines like we wanted. The lines went right up along the boat. Oh, and can't forget about the 3-4's tight together to keep it interesting.
Quickly found our abundance of bait out,, tinker mackerel, and tons of them. Could have filled the boat with them if you wished to do so.
Most the night was pretty uneventful. The mackerel kept us entertained enough to pass the time away. Around 0100 Kevin decides to try and do some jigging. I point to my jigging rod waiting to be used and tell him to go at it.
Kevin drops the stingo down, with mackerel hitting it left and right. So Kevin says, man these things are ferocious, here feel this and hands the rod to me. Two lifts and all hell breaks loose, something big down there wanted that stingo too!
With the rod bent over, and line peeling off the reel I handed it back to Kevin,, here ya go bud. Around that time is when what ever it was realized it was hooked, and the reel went from peeling line to screaming, and the rod was bent over till the tip was in the water. Run off lasted about 10 seconds and was over. Bit through the 80lb flouro topshot. Gave every sign of being a shark.
Not one to be outdone, Kevin tied on another jig and sent it down. Didn't take but a minute or two for something else to try and best Kevin.
Rod's bent over, reel's screaming, then Kevin looks over to me and hands it off,,, paybacks i guess.
With half my spool ran off, it turns,,,, the fight for line is on! Win some loose some. Several times I start thinking I'm gaining on it, and another run off.
Twenty minutes into the fight, I can see color,,,,,it's a shark, and a nice one too. For some reason I don't think he likes to be seen and decides to give me one more nice long run off. Fifteen minutes later and you can see color again, but what is it? Hard to tell, its on the outskirts of the light. It makes another dive and heads to go under the boat. Got ya now,,,,, muscle him back up. Now he's in the light and boat side,,,,,,, Hammerhead! Damn,,, flying gaff, tail rope and shotgun get put back away.
Wasn't one for the box, but by no means makes it a bad fish, around 7' long and 100lbs plus, it was a ball to bring in on light gear being a shimano torium 20 and star paraflex jigging rod. I will say he got the best of my reel though, makes a horrible sound with the clicker on now.
Couple more hours go by and something is playing with the mid line and then makes a run for it. Its thumping, you can see it in the rod tip,,, oh yea game on.
Kevin gives it all he has for about five minutes, then the line goes slack,,, it's bit through. All we can figure is it swallowed the hook allowing the line to run across its teeth.
Unfortunately that was it for the night. Really think the mackerel wound up screwing us in the long run. They where just attacking all the chum and chunks.
With light approaching quickly, got chunk gear away and trolling gear back out.
Hit up more of the 100 fathom line with no luck, decision was made to start heading back in, which was pretty uneventful till the 30 line or so.
Started to see some signs of life, then a giant 6' high splash right off the starboard bow,, what the hack was that? Ten seconds later a really nice boil on a bally,, fish on!
Being the closest to the rod, I picked it up and held on for all i had. 1/4 of the penn 113h spool is gone,, 1/2 gone,, 3/4 gone,,, then it turns.
Pretty uneventful fight bringing all the line back in, little runoff here and there, main run off whooped him pretty good. Start to see color twenty minutes into the fight,,,, it's a wahoo, and nice on too!
Gaff swings, watch your little piggies cause a toothy one is coming onboard.
Set the spread back out, and within five minutes another fish on. Phil's up to bat on this one, with about the same fight as the last one. Another wahoo, just as big. Two wahoo in the box.
Spread goes back out again, way back rainbow gets hit. I start reeling and don't feel anything, the bars up on the surface,, did it get hit and flip upside down? What the heck is that, weeds on the stinger? No one knows, gotta bring it in. half way in we're still looking, what the heck is on it?
Oh my! It's a minimahi,, fish on! Not a fighter or pool winner by any means, but another one for the box none the less, and we'll take it.
Set the spread back out for abit, started getting late and with no more immediate action made the call to head for the barn.
Fueled back up, washed up, all buttoned up, trip was officially over. Divide up some monster wahoo steaks, say farewells and head for the house, i had a nice bed with my name on it calling me.
Pic time,
waiting on the hammerhead pics to be sent to me, then I'll post them up here too.
Both wahoo's measured out to be 58",,, twins
a sunset that can't be beat
Hammerhead, pics aren't the best, but its what we got.
Capt D
Kevin
Phil
yours truly
and, minimahi
