Fished aboard a buddies boat in my marina on a 32' Albie for the tournament. We first setup in an area of some smaller wrecks between the Triples and the Toms. We had a nice 68-70 degree temp break early in the day and 70-72 in the afternoon. We were a little concerned about the warmer than anticipated water there but it produced all day.
Our first run-off was within 30 minutes of setting up. The 50W started screaming, way too fast to be a mako...then just as I picked up the rod it stopped. Reeled in to check the bait and not a mark on it. Five minutes later again...screaming drag. Few minutes later we released a small bluefin.
About 9:45 we had the first mako in the slick, and two more after that but none of them took baits, just swam around and looked...both were probably in the 150-180 pound range. After they disappeared we had another run-off, Mike set the hook, took two cranks and the hook pulled.
Then we get another taker, Tommy grabs the rod, sets the hook and this time is stays hooked. After a brief 20 minute battle we had 140-160 pound mako boat-side and decided to release her.
Ten minutes after that we are blessed with another run-off...Mark grabs the rod, hits the fish for the first hook set and the rod doubles over...he screams big fish and sets two more times. At first the fish just sat there for a second. Mark took a few cranks in and then she came alive peeling about 50 yards on the first run...then turned and charged the boat. A few minutes later she was about 30' behind the boat, we got our first look at the fish...and it was big...about 250-280 pounds. She took one look at us and the boat and went straight down. Fifteen minutes later the line parted. Then she came back and gave us the finger buy jumping twice...once off the stern tapping the tip of the port rigger on the way up and then a second time off the starboard side just missing the side of the boat on the way down. I was standing on the bridge and when it did a somersault-tail over head the head was about two feet higher than eye level. Man what a sight...It was so close I could have reached out and grabbed the wire with the hook still it its mouth.
At this point we figured it just wasn't our day. We made up new rigs with longer leaders...our first mistake. We did have a few more fish come up on the slick throughout the rest of the day and a few more run-offs but no more hookups.
All the run-offs and hookups were on the deep bait, nothing on the top or mid water baits all day long.
It was a great day on the water, we all had a lot of fun. It was my first sharking trip and the first time for both me and Tommy to see a mako jump in real life. At the end of the day we had 9 makos in the slick, 6 run-offs, released a small bluefin, released a small mako and lost a big mako. We also learned some for next time...we will never go shorter than 14' leaders again!
Our first run-off was within 30 minutes of setting up. The 50W started screaming, way too fast to be a mako...then just as I picked up the rod it stopped. Reeled in to check the bait and not a mark on it. Five minutes later again...screaming drag. Few minutes later we released a small bluefin.
About 9:45 we had the first mako in the slick, and two more after that but none of them took baits, just swam around and looked...both were probably in the 150-180 pound range. After they disappeared we had another run-off, Mike set the hook, took two cranks and the hook pulled.
Then we get another taker, Tommy grabs the rod, sets the hook and this time is stays hooked. After a brief 20 minute battle we had 140-160 pound mako boat-side and decided to release her.
Ten minutes after that we are blessed with another run-off...Mark grabs the rod, hits the fish for the first hook set and the rod doubles over...he screams big fish and sets two more times. At first the fish just sat there for a second. Mark took a few cranks in and then she came alive peeling about 50 yards on the first run...then turned and charged the boat. A few minutes later she was about 30' behind the boat, we got our first look at the fish...and it was big...about 250-280 pounds. She took one look at us and the boat and went straight down. Fifteen minutes later the line parted. Then she came back and gave us the finger buy jumping twice...once off the stern tapping the tip of the port rigger on the way up and then a second time off the starboard side just missing the side of the boat on the way down. I was standing on the bridge and when it did a somersault-tail over head the head was about two feet higher than eye level. Man what a sight...It was so close I could have reached out and grabbed the wire with the hook still it its mouth.
At this point we figured it just wasn't our day. We made up new rigs with longer leaders...our first mistake. We did have a few more fish come up on the slick throughout the rest of the day and a few more run-offs but no more hookups.
All the run-offs and hookups were on the deep bait, nothing on the top or mid water baits all day long.
It was a great day on the water, we all had a lot of fun. It was my first sharking trip and the first time for both me and Tommy to see a mako jump in real life. At the end of the day we had 9 makos in the slick, 6 run-offs, released a small bluefin, released a small mako and lost a big mako. We also learned some for next time...we will never go shorter than 14' leaders again!
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