Here's the scoop from our recent trips...

Cape Cod & Costa Rica Sportfishing

 

 

September 2 2010 Up on the hard

   

  The Diablo is out of the water  for a short stint, thanks to Hurricane Earl. Hopefully back in the water Monday or Tuesday.

 

                                

August 29 2010 Stripers, Blues and Seabass

   Again we have been doing multiple halfday trips for Stripers in the last few weeks. The fishing remains good and should get better as we approach September.

August 17-18 2010 Fishtails Canyon

 Another weather window opened up and got in another trip to the edge. This time we made a “short run” to Fishtails Canyon. Although the run out was short distance wise it was long, time wise. The seas were anything but calm. A short period wind waves made for a miserable ride out. We made it out there and got set up and decided to put down some sword baits and forgo the chunking due to the rough sea state. It was us and 3 other boats.  Morning could not come soon enough.

 With the sea calming down and dawn happening our spirits were lifted. We got up on the troll and started to work the canyon. Porpoises and whales abound, the area looked fishy. We trolled along almost for 2 hours without a touch. Finally the green Spreader bar was hit and we were tight. A nice 70 pound Yellowfin tuna came aboard.  There were some dark clouds to our West. Another boat called us on the radio and told us it looked like quite a bit of lightning coming our way. We were concerned but the forecasts did not call for thunderstorms. We continued to troll and decided to start northward worried about the impending storms.

 We got up on to the flats and were working some high flyers and picked up a few Mahi Mahi.  Mostly smaller Mahi Mahi, with the biggest being 10 pounds. Then out of nowhere the green spreader gets tight again. Something a little bigger this time. Then I see it jumping, “White Marlin on”. We got the fish to the boat in about 10 minutes. We pulled the 50 poundish fish in for some pictures and then released. High fives all around.

 Setting the spread out again, we circled the area and picked up a few more Mahi Mahi. Then continued North. About 45 minutes goes by and the long center rigger goes off. Again we see the un-mistakable jumping of a “skillie” white Marlin. Same process to the boat, pictures and released. 

 

 With it approaching noon we pulled up and ran for the barn. We did get some rain storms while out there but the lightning never happen as forecasted. A slow start but definitely a good trip.

August 7-8 Hydrographers Canyon run

 

    Weather, water and timing all came together for our charter, Allen Chused, his son Adam and friend Pat Perkins. The reports were excellent from Hydrographers canyon, 115 nautical miles from the dock. We loaded up the boat and threw on extra fuel (two 55 gallon drums) and set off for the far away fishing grounds.

 Smooth but slow. The ride out was fairly smooth only some ground swell over the Nantucket shoals area. Our load on the boat did slow us down quite a bit, only making 22 knots.

 

    We got to the tip of Hydro about 1 pm and found a fleet already working the area of a good temp break. We set out our spread and started fuel transfer while trolling.  It did not take long before our first hook up, about 25 gallons worth of diesel transferred. Our center long rigger, the magical lure a SEABIRD GODFATHER with a bird in front was attacked. Pat was on the first fish. We circled and kept the fish off our port corner as Pat fought the hard pulling fish. 20 minutes goes by and we had a 60 pound Yellowfin Tuna in the boat. Not a bad start.

 

    We got back up on the troll and started transferring the other drum. Working the area we hooked up with a bunch on skipjack, brought to the boat and released. Lots of life in the area with skipjack and whales all around, again we had a serious knockdown. Same lure, same position as last fish. This time we had a minor mistake with one of the crew putting the reel in free spool by mistake when taking the rod out of the holder. Birds nest and SNAP! Magical lure lost.

 Getting over it we made some minor adjustments and got back up on the troll. Working our way back towards the canyon tip we heard of a good bite happening. We joined the fleet of boats for the dusk bite that was happening. We landed 2 more Yellowfin tuna, 1 being released. Also getting a double of Mahi Mahi, 2 nice gaffer fish. Only landing the female  as the large male broke us off at the boat.

      We set up for the night drifting in the area of the bite that was just happening. First Mate Tim Folan and I set up some Swordfish baits down deep and live baits under some balloons. We then started to chunk. The night was quiet with no action except a whale that circled us for about a half an hour. I think the whale was curious of our underwater lights or maybe feeding on the bait that was attracted to them.  Pretty cool scene. Finally at about 4am one of live baits goes off. Adam gets on and fights the fish to the boat. Ended up being a 7 foot dusky shark, we released him and got ready for the morning troll.

 

     False dawn and trolling, this is my favorite time. We had drifted 8 miles over night. With our spread out we were making our way towards where the bite was that evening before. 10 minutes on the troll and fish on. 50 pound Yellowfin Tuna (YFT) comes to the boat after inhaling a cedar plug. I circle around and hit the same spot again and fish on. Another YFT comes to the boat, on a ballyhoo this time. We continued to work this little area we had found and put 5 more YFT in the boat. All approx, the same class of fish 45-65 pounds.

 

      With our fish holds full 9 YFT and few Mahi Mahi we decided to go down the canyon to see if we could scare up a Marlin. To no avail there was no billfish for us. We did only make one ride down and we pulled the plug at 11am and headed for the barn. A five hour steam in flat calm seas, until we hit Vineyard sound and Buzzards Bay where the wind and waves whipped up a little. Back to the dock at 4pm to clean fish and tell a few fish stories. Overall a great trip with a great crew.

Striper trips have been lock and load...

We have been doing a lot of Striper fishing trips in the last 2 weeks and all have been good. Multiple fish over 40" and limits have been the norm.

 

 

 

July 13-14 Striper trips

Welcomed first time guests Marty Mcgovern, Jake Mcgovern and crew for some Striper fishing. Caught our limit and then some. Calm sea conditons, a little fog to block out the sun and a lot of fish made for a great fishing trip. All stripers 28-43 inches. Jake took the high hook award with this 43 inch 30+ pound Striper.

 

 

 

July 8-9 Atlantis Canyon

Made it out again. Found the fish in 81 degree tropical water. Yellowfin up to  60 pounds and Mahi Mahi up to 25 pounds.

July 2-3 West Atlantis Canyon

Made it offshore again. Yellowfin, Stingrays, Mahi Mahi, Porposies, Man-of-War Jellys. As always always an adventure of no comparison.

 

 

 

June 27 2010 - Brady Striper Charter

Welcomed returning guest Steve Brady and friends for a half-day Striper trip. Back at the old chunking grounds we did very well and the fish seem to have uped a Notch in class size.

June 26 2010 - John Black Striper charter

Striper fishing is on fire still. Limit of keepers is 2 hours. Lots of action.

John Black helping his daughter reel in a keeper.

June 21-22 First Canyon Run of 2010

Weather, water and work schedules all came together. We took the first shot at heading South and were rewarded with Yellowfin, Tigers and our friend Flipper. Scored some "nicer than last year" Yellows and had a Tiger (shark) by the tail.

 

Estimated 650 pound Tiger Shark	50 poundish Yellows

 

 

June 19-20 PAL Striper/Blue Tournament

The Tournament is 2 days, the 19th and the 20th, for Striped Bass and Bluefish. Sea Bass fishing on the 19th gave us a handicap. None the less we tried hard on day 2. With a lines out at noon we had to pull out the stops. Got on the water at 6 AM and ran to our favorite spots and did pretty good. We landed some nice Bass and a Bluefish, (although we needed 2 of them). Got back in time for weigh-in with 2 Bass and 1 Bluefish. Even without the Bluefish and only 6 hours of fishing of a 2-day tournament, we still placed 3rd out of 45 boats.

June 19 2010 Sea Bass charter

Teamed up with dockmate Philthy Lou for some Sea Bass fishing. The Sea Bassing is slowing down. We did catch a bunch though. Yet they are all pretty small.

June 18 2010 Jeff Ventura Striper Charter

Got back to the end of Martha's Vineyard with a great group of co-workers. Chunking Pogies yet again produced great results with 20+ fish being caught. Limited out within a few hours, again. Bass up tp 30 pounds!!                                  

Below, Peter Arnold from the Simplex Janitorial Charter holds a  30 pound Striper.

 

June 12 2010 Willam Rivellini Inshore charter

Epic fishing today for Stripers. Chunking Pogies. We caught aprox 25 Striped Bass between 20 and 30 pounds.  Caught our limit within an hour and a half. After that we started throwing back keepers for 2 hours straight.

The Rivellini Brothers Doubled Up

 

 

 

June 5 2010 Eric Garvey Inshore trip

Had a half-day trip planned for Saturday. We got out at 7:30 and got some trolling of the old canal in. 1 Bluefish later we shifted gears to go for Sea Bass. Got to the spot and got in a couple of drifts. Then a MAJOR T-Storm rolled in. Nothing like we usally get around here. With lightening coming down all around us we aborted misson, ran back to the dock and called it a day.

May 30 2010 Alkon Sea Bass/Bluefish Charter

Got back out, with the Alkon Family for some more Sea Bass and Bluefishing. Hit up my Sea Bass spot and had instant action with multiple keeper Sea Bass, Scup, Fluke and even a Bluefish on the drift. Great weather and nonstop action made for a perfect half day charter

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May 29 Dave Parkinson Sea Bass Charter

Welcomed back returning guest Dave Parkinson for a half-day Sea Bass trip. Good thing that we don't have to go far for fish this time of year because the seas were solid and building. Headed out into Buzzards Bay, to my Sea Bass spot and had to use the sea anchor to stay comfortable. We did well though inspite of the heavy seas lots of jumbo and large Sea Bass. Headed in a little early and was at the dock by 11 am.

May 14-20 2010 Sea Bass, Bluefish, Stripers

Great Spring fishing continues. The Black Sea Bass have moved in with the recreational season opening the 22nd. There has been LOTS of jumbo sized Sea Bass this season so far. Plenty of Scup too, some up to 2.5 pounds. The Bluefish and Stripers are still herding bait in Buzzrds Bay. Now is a great time for a combo trip for Sea Bass, Striped Bass and Bluefish.

 

 

   

May 10-11 2010 Spring Blitzes (Epic fishing)

After a week of windy weather, we finally got back out on the water Monday the 10th. Finding acres of diving birds in Buzzards Bay the action was on. Casting and trolling in and around the birds produced Bluefish of all sizes from 4-9 pounds. WE also caught some school Bass at about 24". Mostly Bluefish though.

Tuesday, headed out again and ran into the same kind of commotion. Again we casted and trolled around the birds, but this time it was all Striped Bass. All decent fish from 24" to 35". About a dozen fish came to the boat in a hours time. Great non stop action.

 

May 2, 2010 Bluefishing Cotuit Flats

Went back out on Sunday morning over to the Cotuit Flats area to confirm rumors that the Bluefish have arrived. Light tackle and top water action was the venue. We had awesome action with fish ranging 4-9 pounds. Rangers, line Stretchers and Ocean lures were lures of choice.

May 1, 2010 Looking for the spring blitzes

Went out with returning guest Emir and his son Brandon for some searching. We have heard stories of Bass and Blue blitzes happening in Buzzards Bay. We headed out to take a look in perfectly flat calm seas. Ran across Buzzards Bay to KBS, a spot I have been fishing for years. We saw some birds and fish activity and proceeded to cast and troll. The fish were very finicky. To make matters worse we hooked and dropped 2 fish. They were up then down and scattered all over the place. They were small schoolie Bass and some Bluefish in the mix. The tide went slack and so did the activity.

We decided to head over towards Clevelands Ledge and try for some Tautog. We had our first and only Tautog in about 15 minutes. No other bites for about 45 more minutes and we decided to head for the barn.

 

April 27, 2010 First Keepers appear

With a rumor of the first keeper taken yesterday, fishing buddy Scott Carpenter for sure got one today. They are starting to run, the next few weeks should start the spring blitzes. I still have a few dates open, drop me a note if you want to get in the oncoming action!

April 25, 2010 Caught the first Schoolie Striper of the season

Went to one of my usal early season haunts and found some very promising things. First we found 2 schools of pogies in the harbor. This the earliest I remember seeing them. Secondly, we caught the first Striper of the season. Although only about 18 inches, it was good to see. The 2010 Cape Cod fishing season has offically started ...

April 11, 2010 Getting ready for the Cape Cod fishing season

The Zincs are changed. The bottom is painted and the hull is waxed. The Diablo is going in this week. Our season starts off this week with some bottom fishing for Tautog and Black Sea Bass as they show. The herring runs are full of herring, so the Stripers are just behind them. The schoolie Striped Bass are just around the corner and should be apearing this week or next. There is also some intresting bends in the Gulf Stream right now. Looks like it might be an early season for Canyon fishing.  Late May and early June is a great time for Bluefin and Swordfish in the canyons. Dates are being filled fast so let me know you're interest. I am just finishing up some last minute details before the splash.

  E-paint bottom paint above (the greener choice), with Squids stenciled on the bottom.

March 16, 2010 New boat for Sportfishing in Costa Rica

Finally found a decent boat. It has been a long process. Just bought a 21' Aquasport center console with a quiet economical 4 stroke Suzuki outboard. It is a perfect platform for fishing in the calm waters of the peaceful Pacific ocean in Costa Rica.  She will be perfect for charters up to 4 people. I am going to have her ready to fish in December and fish through April.

 

December 25, 2009 Merry Christmas

Merry Christmas every one!! Sorry I have not updated fish reports lately. I am working on getting a re-newed website up and running. This current sites program is becoming obsolete soon, so I have a new and fresh site coming together soon. Same web address and content, just some advancements.

AS far as the sportfishing front I have no new reports. I have been in Costa Rica for a month searching out Vessels worthy of becoming "Diablo del Sur" (The Diablo of the South). I am have not yet found anything, but am going to keep looking. I will keep you posted. In the mean time here are some pics of the views from the first of the cabins to be built in Costa Rica.

 

 

 

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Cape Cod Sportfishing Charters report...

November 9, 2009- Last Canyon run

Took one last shot for the season and ran for the warm water pushed in on to Veatch Canyon. Sportfishing enthusiasts John Kelley, Scott Carpenter and myself Left at 0 dark 30 and made the 4+ hour run.

Got to the warmer water at about 8am and put lines in. No real good temp break. Not what we were hoping for. The satellite shots have been cloud obscured for weeks. The water warmed up over the course 10 miles and was mixed dirty water. Not the fishiest to say the least.

We worked our way toward the Canyon, “dusting” all of the hi-fliers along the way. Not a Mahi Mahi to be seen. The water cleaned up as we got into the Canyon and turned that beautiful blue we were looking for. Still not much signs of life or any other boats as well.

Continuing to work the Canyon it was looking pretty bleak as we did not have a bite all day. Not to help the matters is that the witching hour comes early this time of year. It was already 11:30am and the crew and I were planning on heading for the barn at 1pm.

Finally with only an hour left of our sportfishing expedition those faithful words were yelled “fish on” and 3 reels screamed. 3 fish on with only a 3 person crew, the mayhem ensued. John jumped on the first rod and fought the first fish. Hooked on a 30 it was a good fight for John. Trying to keep the other 2 fish untangled and tight was the chore at hand. John boated his fish after a 15 minute fight. A decent sized Yellowfin Tuna at about 30 pounds. Bigger than most that were out there this season. I proceeded to fight the next fish. The fish had taken quite a bit of line as we let it run while John fought his fish. My fish was pretty tuckered out as he had been towed around for 15 minutes or so. Another one to the boat after a 10 minute fight. A cookie cutter version of the first fish. Now it was Scotts turn. A little easier for Scott as he had no other lines to contend with. He boated the tired out fish in under 10 minutes. Again another 30 pound fish in the boat.

Proceeding to clean up the deck from the mayhem, we set the spread back out. John was letting the spreader bar back out and a fish hit it 10 feet from the boat. This time the 200 mono stinger line of the spreader bar broke or was cut. Thinking maybe it was a Wahoo. Trolling the area for the last hour did not produce any other bites. We headed for the barn. Back to the dock at 6pm. While not an epic trip it was good to make the last and latest shot at it.

09/19-20/2009 Veatch Canyon Sportfishing Adventure

Got the green light from the weather man, a few days of high pressure and settled weather. We have eyeing the Gulf Stream eddy at Veatch Canyon for weeks. We put together a 2 boat trip, with the Sistership of the "Diablo", the "Ripple", captained by Scott Carpenter.

Each boat had a 4 man crew. On the Diablo we had Seasoned offshore mate Tim Folan and Salty Inshore (offshore rookie) mate Joe Costello. Along with Bob Jenkins from "local Hooker Rods", Supplier of the big game acid wrap fishing rods used on the "Diablo". We pushed off the dock at 8 am sharp with the boats loaded down with ice, food, fuel and extra fuel two 20 gallon barrels for extended range. Ran to Menemsha harbor and stop once again for a top off of fuel. 23 gallons burned to Menemsha, worth the stop.

Aiming the pointy end of the boat South towards the Continental Shelf and the drastic temperature break that the Gulf Stream has created, we arrived there around noon. Putting in lines we also started the fuel transfer. Coming across a High Flyer we trolled by and had our first fish on within 5 minutes of lines in. Nice gaffer Mahi Mahi. We continued to work the break just North of the Shelf for a couple of hours, boating a few more Mahi Mahi.

Deciding to pull up and run to the Canyon, we arrived at about 3pm and set out the spread again. Lots of Company out there in Veatch Canyon. Counting 25 boats, it was a little busier than I hoped for. We didn't have a touch until about 6 pm. Finally our first Yellowfin Tuna came to the boat. Small though at about 30 pounds, witch is bigger than they have been this year. We continued to troll and found a couple of White Marlin, who terrorized us. Hitting everything in the spread multiple times but we couldn't get the hook to stay. Very frustrating.

Setting up for the night we started off near the temp break on the East side of the canyon. Lots of life in the lights squid, Jellyfish, small bait fish etc. Things looked good, till we drifted over the break into the cold water and all the life went away. Picking up and running back West to reset. We started chunking and had a one Swordfish bait down at about 100 feet. We picked up our first Yellowfin within an hour. Tim goes to check our Sword bait and discovers a small swordfish on. Unfortunately the main had sustained some damage on the boat and parted, with our Sword...A couple of more Yellowfin and we slumbered in to naps and gave up the chunking.

4:30 AM and back up on the troll. It was still dark and just a hint of light coming from the East. I got us under way and was setting out the spread. I had only 4 of the 7 lines out and explosions behind the boat starting happening. It was hard to believe what I was seeing, tuna flying through the air 10 feet off the back of the boat. All 4 LOCAL HOOKER RODS got bent. With only 3 guys on deck (Tim was still sleeping) we lost one immediately and boated the other three 30 poundish Yellowfin Tuna. The small Tunas came on 2 SEA BIRD GOD FATHER lures and a cedar plug. Not a bad way to start the day. We continued trolling and found a couple of cooperative Mahi under some weeds. There was a good Yellowfin bite going off at the tip of the Canyon, but they were all small fish 30 pound class. We were looking for something bigger. Hoping to come across a Blue Marlin we stayed out of the fleet pounding the Tuna. Again we raised White Marlin and yet again no hook set. Damn Skilies!

Not finding the Blue Marlin we wanted to we headed North back towards the break. We came across a nice weed patch at the defined temp break. The guys wanted to have some light tackle fun with the Mahi Mahi under the weed patch and the near by high flyer. Tim, Joe and Bob pitched some chunk baits at the Mahi on spinning rods. Landing multiple fish including one nice size Bull on the spinning gear. Headed for the barn, Glassy seas on the way in. Back to the dock at 6pm. Great trip, looking to get out a couple more times this season though.

09/14/2009 Brian Smith and GE coworkers fishing charter

Ran to the "Devil's Bridge" with the crew from GE Nuclear today. Finally got some Pogies and made good use of them out there on the end of Martha's Vineyard. Started chunking at our spot at about 8am. Took a little while to get our first fish. After that it was lock and load action with Stripers to 30 pounds and 10 pound Bluefish.

 

 

09/13/2009 Mike Osbourne fishing charter

Headed out with Mike and his crew for a half day of Inshore fishing. We ran over to our spot in Vineyard Sound. We trolled our usual spread and caught some Bluefish almost immediately. Continuing to work the area and deploying the wire line setups we encountered some Linesiders. Also hooking up with a nice False Albacore on the troll as well.

Running back to the homeport, we decided to grab some Sea Bass. Stopped out in front of Scraggy Neck and scored some of the delicious fish. We finished up on that note and headed for the barn. Pretty much got the inshore slam. Stripers, Bluefish, False Albacore, Black Sea Bass and Scup.

09/05/2009 Kent Bachelor party

Two Bachelor parties in a row, must be the time of year. We headed out with the Kent brothers and the groomsmen for a day of sharkin'. Ran down to the area known as the Claw, south of the Martha's Vineyard. Tons of bait everywhere. We saw 2 Thresher sharks jump completely out of the water. Looked like a good place to stop. It was very calm that day, no wind almost no current. We power chummed for a little while to get a slick going. Very slow going at first as we waited for a toothy critter to show up. First fish that came in to the slick, the cutest little Mako. The mako grabbed one of our baits and swam around tangling things up for us. This fish was about 30 pounds or so. There has been a lot of the small Makos out there this year, a good sign of hopefully things to come. The little one got off unscathed.

Back to not really drifting. I was in the tower searching for signs of Apex predators and not seeing anything but two lines tangle up. I headed down to the cockpit to give first mate Tim Folan a hand. Running one of the lines to the bow and attaching it with a rubber band is our trick to keep them untangled. As I was doing this I hear commotion form the rear of the boat. Apparently a large Blue Shark had snuck up on us and grabbed the pitch bait, right next to the boat. The bait was just dangling in the water off the rod tip. The groom jumps on the rod and proceeds to fight the fish. This is a big Blue Shark about 9 feet and 300 pounds. He was pulling serious drag on the 50 wide Shimano. First angler worn out, he tapped out. Angler number 2 played tug o war with the large beast, he too tapped out after 15 minutes. Angler number 3 jumped in and fought the 300 pounder for 15-20 minutes as well, handing the rod off to angler number 4. This blue dog was tough. We got to the surface many times and he would run almost to the bottom. Stripping out 125 feet of line at 27 pounds of drag in seconds. After an hour we got him boat side, Tim leadered the still green shark and took a tail hit the chest. Back down he ran. The large fish was now pretty tired. The fourth angler finally got him boat side again. Tim and I leadered the worn out shark,got some pics and released.

09/04/2009 Hanlon Bachelor party

Headed out with the groom and groomsmen before he says I do for a half-day fishing trip. Picking the crew up in Falmouth Harbor, we made the quick run to one our spots in Vineyard sound. We trolled and wire lined the area, it was very slow. With only a couple of Bluefish to show for an hours work, I decided to make a move. We ran for a half an hour and arrived at Devil's Bridge. I had first mate Joe Costello put out the wire line with a parachute jig. Joe didn't just flipped the bail on the reel and "Fish On". It was looking better already. The groom jumped to action and reeled in all 300 feet of wire. Up came a 30 pound Striper. We proceeded to work the area. Getting 2 more Stripers between 25-30 pounds and 4 Chopper Bluefish up to 12 pounds. The fall run is starting.

08/25/2009 Shark Trolling (Fred Archer Style)

Returning guests and shark enthusiasts Bill "wild Bill" Stella and Tom "Gun" Carpenter wanted to try trolling for sharks. Fred Archer is a famous west coast Shark fisherman and has written many books on the subject. Tom had sent me the book "Shark Chummer's Bible" to make sure I was up to speed with the technique. Fred's style of Shark fishing was to power chum and troll baits for Mako and Thresher Sharks. The technique is also supposed to eliminate the catch of Blue Sharks. We got out to the area south of Martha's Vineyard called Gordon's Gully. We put out a 4 rod spread. One rod deep on a downrigger about 50 feet or so. One rod with a weighted skirt bait for a subsurface bait. The other two baits were surface runners. We chummed as we trolled leaving a slick as we went. See lots of life in the area of a Temperature break we had found. Lots of turtles out there, more than I have ever seen in one area.

We had trolled for a couple of hours then we spotted a fin on top. We trolled by the Shark and at first I thought he was going to just ignore us, (they usually do when trolling). Then the Shark followed our chum slick right up to one of our surface baits and grabs it. Mako on!! After a decent fight and a few jumps the 150 pound Mako met the business end of the fly gaff, wielded by Tom Gun.

The technique worked, we caught a Mako and avoided Blue sharks. This is tournament style fishing. The action is slow but fish are quality.

 

 

 

08/24/2009 Making bait

I ran the boat over to the rips in Vineyard sound to get some Bluefish for a Shark charter the following day. I was pleasantly surprised with my first Bonito of the year, finally.

 

 

 

 

 

 

08/19/2009 Vineyard sound rips

Had Ron MacDonald, friends and family onboard. Fished the rips in Vineyard Sound still getting constant action with Blues and Bass. We are getting the Blues on swimming plugs and the Bass on Wire line and Jigs.

08/18/2009 Offshore to The Dump

Some of that beautiful Blue Gulf Stream water has pushed all the way to the old Dumping grounds, south of Martha's Vineyard. I got a call from Jerry Dunn looking to do an overnighter to the Canyons, but he had limited time and the weather was not fit for an overnighter. Off to the dump. I picked Jerry up at about 5am in Edgartown Harbor as he is living on his trawler type boat. Got to the water about 7 am and put out the spread. Trolling for about 30 minutes or so we hooked up. After a 10 minute fight in came a 30 pound class Yellowfin Tuna. The old timers use to talk of Yellowfin Tuna at the dump but this the first time I have seen this. Spread back out we found a high flyer and trolled by it and nothing. Spotting the other end of it I pointed the boat towards it. Trolling next to the flyer we had a wolf pack of 20+ pound Mahi Mahi attack our spraed. 5 on at once. Extreme mayhem of the best kind.

We continued to work the area picking up another Yellow and 4 more Mahis. Also being toyed by a Skillie (White Marlin). Things quieted down a little so we worked south to explore. Not another touch, no Mahi on any other flyers. The only other sign of life was a Tiger Shark hanging on a High Flyer. Decent trip though for a short run.

08/16,17,19/2009 Half day Inshore trips

Been working the rips in Vineyard Sound and have been having lots of action with Blues and Bass. No Bonito yet though.

   

08/11-12/2009 West Atlantis Canyon Trip

Headed out with Badfish Outfitters customer Eric Kraus, his Friend Warren and Mike for a overnight Canyon trip. Pushed off the dock at about 4 pm and headed for West Atlantis Canyon and a nice temp break. As we ran we again noted the nice temp break in the shipping lanes. We arrived at the Canyon approx 830 pm in the dark. Going right to setting up for the night chunking and drifting, we stopped right over the edge.

I fired up the generator and turned on the underwater lights and we began chunking. About an hour had passed and we had a taker. Warren jumped on the rod and fought the fish for about 10 minutes. He got the fish boat side and thump a 60 pound Yellowfin Tuna hit the deck. Biggest Yellow of the year so far.

Continuing to chunk the night away Mike had another taker on the Butterfish bait. This time it was a Hammerhead Shark. After a short fight the unruly Shark bit through the mono tuna leader. That was about it for the night bite other than some unusual creatures in the lights.

Up on the troll at 430 am. We worked the Canyon walls and caught about 12 Skipjack Tunas. Working our way up on to the flats I viewed a high flyer. Trolling by the flyer we got a double header of Mahi Mahi. I started marking some bait in this area, so we worked this area hard. Getting a 2 large hook ups and fish on, both fish were dropped! These were decent fish too. Frustration was growing, at least mine was.

Deciding to make a move we ran north to the shipping lanes where we had noted the temp break. Trolling the area we had a knock down within minutes. After a short fight another Yellowfin Tuna hit the deck. A smaller one though about 30 pounds. Lines back out and trolling we spotted some more high flyers and grabbed some more Mahi Mahi. 2 more Yellows followed, about the same size 30 pounds or so. At about noon we picked up and ran home.

08/08-09/2009 Atlantis-Veatch Canyon

A weather window had presented itself, so I got a crew together for a 2-day Canyon trip. We got the boat packed with ice, bait and extra fuel. Pushing off the dock at 6am we ran across Buzzards Bay and stopped in at Menensha (Martha's Vineyard) for last few things and to top off with fuel. I then Pointed the bow at Atlantis Canyon. As we were crossing the shipping lanes we found a very nice Temperature break and made note. We made it to Atlantis by 11am and started trolling. We trolled around for about 2 hours without a touch. We then heard on the radio about a bite happening up near the shipping lanes, near the temp break we had saw. We picked up and ran to the area. Setting out the spread again we almost immediately picked up some 25# Mahis off the flyers. Trolling around the area of the break for a couple of hours we also picked some decent size Yellowfin Tunas in the 40# range.

With sunset coming upon us we decided head towards Veatch Canyon to spend the night. We took our time trolling to Veatch Canyon (30 Miles). Breaking out the soy sauce we had fresh Sushi on the boat. I also made some Mahi Ceviche along the ride too. Doesn't get any fresher. We picked up a couple more Mahi and another nice Yellowfin Tuna along the way. Also raising 2 Skillies (White Marlin) as well, but no hook ups. 5 miles from the edge and the sun was down and the full moon started to come up. Bright red and huge it looked alien like. A sight only seen by few who venture offshore.

We spent the night drifting in Veatch Canyon chunking and a couple of Swordfish baits down deep. We all slipped in and out of sleep for the night. Not a thing on the night bite. The sun started to come up and we jumped up on the troll. Almost immediately we had double and triple hookups with small Yellowfin Tuna. Keeping a couple of keepers and releasing the smaller one to grow bigger. We had a steady pick of small Yellowfin and Skipjack as well. Then the Port long Rigger with a Sea Bird Godfather Lure exploded off. The 50 wide was stripped off 500 yards of line instantly. I was on the rod as I was just letting that lure back some. Way out there port side of the boat I see a huge Blue Marlin jumping. Approximately 9 feet and 450lbs. Adrenaline starts pumping through out the boat. The reel had stopped screaming and I was feverishly gaining line back. The Large Blue Marlin was running towards and ahead of the boat. One of the crew mates tried to drive the boat ahead and away from the large fish. The next thing we know the Large Marlin is on the Starboard side of the Boat jumping under the outrigger, 10 feet from the boat. Like that fish knew, he got the line tangled in the props. A complete heartbreaker. Fast smart fish.

After picking away at some more small Yellowfin we decided it was time to head for the barn. On the run in we came across a nice weed patch and trolled up some more Mahis. We also tried casting to them but did not get any love. We made back to the dock about 5 pm Sunday. Cleaned our catch and as usual answered a lot of questions about "where did you catch that?" at the dock. Another unforgettable trip to the edge.

08/01,02/2009 Fishtails Canyon Sportfishing Trip

Headed out as a guide with Bad Fish customer John Donley (JD) and his guests, on JD's 37 intrepid "After You". We ran out to Fishtails or also known as Block Canyon. The ride out out was a little tough as we were head into 8 foot swells! Luckily the further we got out and the deeper the water got the smoother thing s got. JD's friends had never salt water fished before. They were going from 0 to intense adventure. About half way out we ran into a nice pod of Atlantic White sided Dolphins. We stopped and took some pictures of them in the bow wake. A great sight for some one who has never seen a dolphin in the wild.

Got to the Flats of Fishtails Canyon about 4 pm. I started putting out the 5 line spread and didn't even get the 5th rod out and Bam! Quadruple hook up of Yellowfin Tuna. The best kind of Mayhem with rookie anglers. The Yellows were smaller 25-40 pounds. We kept one and threw back the other 3. High fives all around. We quickly cleared the cockpit and started putting the lines out again. I was trying again to get the 5th rod out and I see Mr. Skillie (White Marlin) slashing at the ballyhoo! I jump to the rod and free spool the Ballyhoo and count to 10. I then put the drag up to strike and fish on!

JD jumped on the rod and fought the White. The Skillie dumped us into the backing on a Local Hooker Acid wrap with a 50 wide Shimano. JD gained line back quickly, we had the Marlin boat side in about 10 minutes. I grabbed the bill of the marlin and tried to control him. The White Marlin had a great hookset right in the bill. Very little damage to the fish. The crew took many photos and video. I de-hooked the fish and released him in good health.

We put the spread out again, this time I did get the 5th rod out. Things got quiet for a little while. We trolled for about an hour without a touch. Then we got a call from a buddy boat "Tally Ho" saying they were hooked up about a mile from us so we trolled towards them. Finding a nice temp break from 77 degrees to 74 degrees the rods went off. All 5 this time. Mayhem again. One after another I dealt with the Tunas releasing 4 of them and keeping 1. Daylight was now running out.

We grabbed a flier for the night right in the area of the last hook up. Our Buddy boat did as well right next to us. I proceeded to chum and chunk the night away. I had a sword bait down at 150 feet, a live scup on a balloon and some chunks floating in the slick. Long slow night. The only touch we had was the live scup got bit in half, I am guessing a Shark. The night bite has not yet to begin.

The amazing stars and shooting stars were starting to disappear as the sun stared to pop up over the eastern horizon. Back up on the troll at about 5 AM. We trolled about an hour then we came across a temp break again. Then bam multiple knockdowns. The starboard short rigger went off with a SEABIRD GODFATHER lure getting taken. Unfortunately the drag on JD's older Penn screwed up and locked up, line snap....We look back as a White Marlin is Tailwalking away from us.....We did boat a couple of Yellowfins again in the same time.

Back up and trolling we again had multiple hookups more small Yellows and a Skipjack. I again returned the Yellows and kept the Skipjack for bait for later. At this point it was about 9AM and we decided to start towards home. JD also really wanted to catch a shark, I knew we could do this close to home.

As we were running we came into a pod of Humpback Whales. We stopped and got some great photos. Most of the crew had never seen a Whale and this was just an awesome sight for them.

We ran up to the Claw, just South of the Vineyard. I proceeded to chunk the rest of a half a flat of Butter fish and used the Skipjack for bait. It took about 45 minutes. Then fish on! A 7 foot healthy looking Blue Shark. JD's first Shark. Now with a shark under his belt, we completed the journey home.

Back to the dock and cleaning the boat at 3pm. Theses guys were stoked and should have been. A very fulfilling trip between the fish and the sights of offshore life. No place on Earth like the North East Canyons.

07/29/2009 Peter Maher 1/2 Day Inshore Sportfishing Charter

Fished with Peter and his guests for some Striper, Bluefish action. Started off running down to Middle ground and trolled up Bluefish almost immediately. A few passes and everybody had gotten tight with a fish. We decided change strategies and see if there were any linesiders (stripers) mixed in. Out came the wire and jigs. We found them at the bottom below the Bluefish. Ended up getting 7 under sized (27.5 inches and below) Striped Bass. At that point we decided to switch gears and try for some Bonito, as I have heard rumors. Ran over to my Bonito spot and gave it a try but just more Bluefish. Hopefully those Funny fish show up soon.

07/23,24,25/2009 Oak Bluffs Monster Shark tourney

The returning crew, Tom "Gun" Carpenter, Mike "Bones" Carpenter, Peter "The Shultz Factor" Shultz, Bill "Wild Bill" Stella and Kevin "The Group" McLauphlin. These guys have a little more salt than the average client. We gathered on Thursday morning and pushed off towards the Vineyard. Made a stop in Falmouth Harbor and fueled up. Got to Oak Bluffs about 12:30 pm and checked in. The town of Oak Bluffs was bustling.

We settled in with our slip in the harbor and the guys got set in there hotel room. Captains meeting was at the Lampost with great apps and drinks, always a class act. The weather forecast was bleak for the next day. Friday the first day of the tourney, NOAA was forecasting winds 20-30 knots and seas 8-12 feet for Friday. Grim at best.

Friday night was a wild ride inside the harbor. We had 4' rollers inside the harbor. Many large expensive boats were damaged on the docks in Oak Bluffs. I did not get much sleep do to being worried about the boat getting damaged against the pilings. We were lucky to not sustain any damage. There were gusts in the harbor of 56 knots!

As the sun came up there was very little activity of people going out. We were sitting and watching to see what the report was from the seas around the corner. First report was from a 45 Cabo that got its windshield blown out by a wave, it turned around and came back. I then heard about many large boats turning around, including a 42' Wesmac Commercial lobster boat. The 15 foot seas had my mind pretty much made up on staying on the side lines for day one, along with the most of the fleet. The nail in the coffin was hearing on the radio of a 29' Luhrs sportfish sinking from a cracked hull due from huge waves. With Friday being "A Wash" we enjoyed the Oak Bluffs social scene and look forward to fishing day two of the tournament.

Saturday morning arrived and it was time to roll. The crew gathered at 4:45 am and we were under way in short order. A quick look at the SST charts showed a lot of cold mixed up water on the south side of the island. The storm had really shaken things up. We headed out to an area known to have produced thresher sharks and proceeded to chum the waters. The water was a cold 61 degrees and very green. We had our first shark within 45 minutes. A Blue shark. We picked through the Blue sharks all day long. Lots of Blue dogs. That was our shark all day. Not the right shark though. The tourney does not allow Blue sharks to be brought in. Catching a dozen Blues of all sizes, it was time for lines out. Still having 1 line in the water we had the LOCAL HOOKER rod bend hard and the Shimano 80 scream off line deep into the backing. Bones was on this one. An hour of tug of war, backing down and circling the boat the large fish came boat side. A massive Blue shark. Tom was the leader man and got the fish next to the boat many times. Finally Tom and Kevin subdued the fish with a tail rope for proper measurements. We got the fish length wise on the transom and he was longer than the beam of the Diablo, 10'6". The big Blue was somewhere in the neighborhood of 400 pounds. A few photos and high fives we released the large fish unscathed.

   

Getting back to OB at about 6 pm, everybody scattered to get ready for the post tournament parties. Good times were had by all for the evening. Becoming Sunday morning too fast we were shoving off for the mainland at 10:30 am. Overall as usual a great weekend with a great crew.

07/15/2009 Andrew Kefalis, Full day Striper Fishing Charter

Took out Andrew and family for some serious Striped Bass fishing. These guys wanted big fish so ran back to Devils Bridge area, off of the town of Aquinah. Armed with a cooler full of fresh brined pogies we joined the commercial fleet. Had our first fish within 20 minutes. Nice fish approx 20 pounds. The tide started to swing around as we picked away at fish. We had some cosistent action with some decent fish. Two fish in particular put my LOCAL HOOKER acid wraps to the test. One fish being 32 pounds and the other being 34 pounds and like a anchor. The guys thought they were caught up on bottom. The drags on the Abu Garcias were over powered and needed a thumb on the spool to help muscle in the fish. All in all we caught 10 fish from 20 pounds to 34 pounds, Great trip.

07/14/2009 Tom, wife and Daughter Sarah half day inshore sportfishing trip

Ran to Middle ground in Vineyard Sound for a half day trip. We got their about 8 am and began trolling the rip. We hooked up almost immediately and got a few school stripers and blues to the boat in a hurry. Then slack tide hit and we had a very quiet hour and a half. Finally the tide started to run again and we continued we had left off. Overall some good action and we took one keeper for the table and let the other keepers go.

 

 

 

07/11/2009 Peter Richardson Inshore Trip

Headed out with Peter Richardson and his uncle George and cousin George jr. in search of Stripahs.. I loaded the boat the night before with a 100 fresh Pogies for the excursion. We ran down to the famed Devils Bridge off of Gayhead, Martha's Vineyard. Claiming our little piece of real estate we anchored up and starting Chunking. We had our first fish within a half of hour. Decent size 25 pound 34" fish. The 25 pounder ended up being the small one of the day. We started getting constant action with a fish every 10 minutes or so. With 4 decent size keepers in the boat, we hooked up with something a little larger. Peter's Cousin George jr. was on the rod for the battle. George did very well muscling the fish to the boat considering this was his first time saltwater fishing. The Cow came boat side after a 10 minute fight and found the biz side of the gaff. High fives and Congrats. The fish weighed in at 40 pounds. Not bad for the first time saltwater fishing. The current started to flow a little fast and we had our limit of keeper Stripers, we headed down the sound to do a little Fluke fishing. Lots of action with the short fluke, but we did manage a few keeper fluke. The Fluke fishing was little Anti-climatical after landing a 40 pound Striper. Back at the dock by 2:30 with plenty of fish to clean.

07/10/2009 Tony Capece Inshore Trip

Took out Tony Capece and crew for a half day trip. We pushed off the dock at 7am and ran down to the Elizabeth Islands. It was a slow start slowing trolling some live scup along the islands. We decided to switch gears. We ran over to Lucas Shoal to do some Fluking. With constant action from short Fluke, we moved over to some deeper water and found some larger fish. The action was a little slower, but the fish were keepers.

Switching gears we ran down to the fishing spot called Middleground in Vineyard Sound and did some trolling. We put the lines and had a fish on within minutes. We continued to have constant action with 5-8 pound Bluefish and 32"ish Stripers. Ended up at the dock with a nice mixed bag of fish.

07/05-06/2009 Canyon Sportfishing Charter run!

Headed out on Sunday towards Atlantis Canyon with returning guests, Tom Carpenter, Bill Stella and Dennis Fox. Seas were were a little rough, but all of the forecasts and wind models showed the wind laying down later in the day. This run we also had company. The "Ripple" a 28 foot Carolina classic almost exactly like the "Diablo",

Got to the edge about 6pm and put out our spread and started searching. After an hour and half without a touch we decided to get prepared for night fishing. We got out into 2200 feet of water and 75 degrees. Deployed the sea anchor and set up sword baits. Very little action and bait under the boat all night. Thankfully the nights are short this time of year.

Back up on the troll at 4:30 am. We had drifted approx 10 miles at night, we were now at East Atlantis. We worked the deep areas of East Atlantis and back over to Atlantis. We had a few random knock downs but nothing special. Then came a call from Ripple that they had found some good looking water. We headed over towards there position, about 2 miles away. We found a 67 degree-72 degree temp break. First high flyer we trolled by produced a double header of nice size Mahi Mahi. Getting the bait back in the water we hit the flyer for a few Mahis then trolled along the thermal break. Finding some skipjack tuna working we trolled over towards them and had a triple header. Action was now full throttle mayhem. In came a nice Mahi Mahi about 20lbs, a skipjack tuna and a small Yellowfin. Lines out again 5 minutes later we found a floating log, triple header again. This time all Mahi Mahi between 15-25 pounds. Lines again passed by the log again and quadrupled up! Half of my set of LOCAL HOOKER Acid wrap big game rods GOT BENT all at once. Complete mayhem for we only had 3 anglers. 3 Mahi Mahi and a Yellowfin tuna. This time we had some tangles and unwinding to do, but we got all in. Lines in again and getting close to the witching hour we trolled for another 10 minutes then triple header again. This time 3 Yellowfin tuna. We decided to head for the barn on that note, a good one to leave on.

07/04/2009 Curry inshore fishing trip

Had a half day Inshore trip with the Curry family. We ran out to Robinsons Hole looking for some cooperative Stripers but there was none to be found there. We ended up over towards the Martha's Vineyard town of Menemsha. We discovered a large school of Bluefish and proceeded to troll for them. A few Bluefish on the boat and some released it was time to move on. Ran to Lucas shoal and set up our LOCAL HOOKER spiral wrap bait casters from trolling rigs to bottom rigs for some Fluke fishing. With the new size limit keepers are sort of tough to come by. We boated about 15 fluke but had only 2 keepers.

07/02/2009 Eric Kraus Canyon Overnighter (Blown out)

Supposed to leave for the Canyons this afternoon with Eric Kraus but Mother Nature has different Ideas for us. Re-scheduled for the beginning of August.

06/30/2009 Randy Masters inshore fishing trip

Went out Randy Masters and friends to find some Bluefish for some hectic action. We found some birds working and as usual the Blues were underneath. We trolled with our 15-30 ACID wrap LOCAL HOOKER bait caster rods,and also jigged them. Wore the kids out pulling in Bluefish after Bluefish.

06/26/2009 Ralph Gear and Son inshore fishing trip

Took Out Ralph and his son, Colin for a half day trip. Started out around the mouth of the canal, but did not see any action. We ran down Buzzards Bay and ended up over in Middle Ground in Vineyard sound. We trolled up Lots of Bluefish and wire lined jigged a few Bass with the biggest being 34". Sort of a slow start but plenty of action at the end and Colin got his first Keeper Bass. Congrats to Colin.

06/21/2009 Jack Dunn inshore fishing charter

We had a half day trip booked for a month with Jack Dunn but the weather wanted to unbook it. With a Gale warning for the afternoon we opted to stay close to home today. We were limited to what we could fish for because of this. We headed out in to Buzzards bay and kept tight to the canal as the wind was out of the North west. We found some action at the end of the Stony pier dike, Abel's ledge area.

With birds working we put out some trolling gear and found some cooperative Bluefish. We proceeded to work the area and started catching keeper size sea bass on the troll on every pass. Made for some good action and tasty fish for them bring home. A strange way to target Sea Bass but it sure beat drifting in 2-4 foot seas.

06/08/2009 First Canyon Sportfishing Charter of the Season

The Gulf stream has spun some water towards us and we took advantage of it. Headed out with Bob Jenkins (Local Hooker Rods), Tim Folan (Bad Fish Outfitters) and John Pilcher (Tuna nut) towards Veatch Canyon. No one has been out there yet and usually everybody waits for some one else to go first. This time it was our's.

We made the 3 1/2 hour run in the Tuna Nut (fast Boat) with 55 degree water all the way out there. Then like magic, just what the satellite images showed us, the water jumped to 68.5. We started trolling. Just as we almost had everything set we ran in to a pod of Porpoises and they cruised over to us to say hi (as they usually do). Then Bam! Triple header with schoolie Bluefin Tunas. The best kind of Mayhem. We kept one, broke one off and released one to grow bigger. Not a bad way to start the trip. We only had lines in for about 5 minutes!

After getting things back in order in the cockpit we continued to troll towards Hydrographers canyon. We had a lull for about a half a hour or so. Then we passed by a high flyer and Fish on! Another schoolie Bluefin Tuna. After a clean release we decided to head in to the deep and set up for the night.

After rigging up for a night of drifting with 4 sword fish baits down deep, we all laid back for a little shut eye. A few hours of half sleep goes by then Click-Click-Click. I jumped to attention to see what was going on. I starting reeling in some of the lines to see if we had a bite. To my amazement one of the lines was cut above the float. Very strange. After losing one setup we all decided to half sleep again. Just about 20 minutes later we got another Click-Click-Click. This time Bob jumped to the rod to check it out. After a few minutes of uncertainty the line came tight and started to fight back. Bob struggled with the tug of war for about an hour. Then came the 160 pound Swordfish to the boat and game over. High fives all around with a very nice sized sword on the boat.

Setting up again we all half slept again. Two hours drifts by then Click-Click AND ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ I jumped on the rod and put the drag up to strike immediately. Drag was pulling off the reel with ease. After a 45 minute tug of war Tim Harpooned the a 62", 150 pound Bluefin Tuna. We dragged the subdued fish over the gunnel as the sun was just rising. The crew were all pretty tired and ready to head for the barn. We made the run back in and we were back at the dock by 10:30 am. Good start for hopefully a great season.

06/07/2009 Kids Sportfishing Trip

Tim (first mate) and I did some family time fishing and took out our Nieces and Nephews. A total of 5 children under 10 onboard made for an exciting morning. We did some ground fishing in Buzzards bay and did very well with the Black Sea Bass and scup. A great time was had by all with constant action. I think we may have made "uncles of the year" as well.

 

 

 

 

05/29/2009 Peter Martin Fishing Charter (Epic Fishing)

Went out with first time customer Peter Martin and guests for a half day inshore Striper action. We ran to the the mouth of the Cape Cod canal, (Mashnee Flats area) on report of an epic Striper bite a couple of days before. We found some Bluefish almost immediately and trolled some up. Great fight for beginners on our 15-30 Acid wrap Local Hooker Bait caster rods. We transversed around the area following birds. We then came into a school of strictly Bass on top feeding. We hooked up with some schoolies but all were short. Making sure everybody in the crew had bent a rod we decided to head out in to Buzzards Bay in search of bigger fish. We scored. We found a school of fish feeding on top with birds working. We started by trolling through and got some large Bluefish, about 10 pounds. I decided to break out the wire line setups and see if we could find some Bass underneath the Blues. I was right, first pass yielded our first keeper of the day. A few more passes and a few more fish the action started to really heat up. Top water bite started taking place with Bass on top rolling. We were catching them on casting plugs, one after another. Bass from 28-40 inches were acting like Tarpon on the surface. Great action. After putting 8 keepers in the boat and few 10 pound Bluefish it was time to head in. Buzzards Bay is on fire, now is the time!!

05/25/2009 John Black Charter

Headed out with returning customer John Black, his father, daughter and friend, for a half day of Inshore fishing. Flat calm and clear conditions was comfortable for the crew but made the fishing a little slower than on Friday. I returned to the same spot we had slayed them 2 days before to find only a few fish. We worked the area while receiving reports from other boats that fishing was slow all over. Then we got a call from Tim Folan (Bad Fish Outfitters) saying he had found some action just a couple of miles away. Off we went. Once we got to the spot it was all action, mostly Bluefish. Johns daughter caught 10 by herself . Catches all around for everybody. No big Stripers, only Bluefish and schoolie Stripers.

05/22/2009 Lock and Load Inshore fishing action

Well it is happening now. Complete Bluefish and Striper Blitzs all through Buzzards Bay. We have been out twice in the last 4 days and the action has been epic each time. Tuesday went out with Calvin Perry from the Dillagaf on the Diablo. We found the action just where I had predicted. Birds diving and Stripers and Blues rolling, crashing on the surface. We had nonstop action for the 2.5 hours we stayed there. We caught approx 35 fish in that time. Many keeper size stripers and a few schoolies. The Bluefish were averaging 3-8 pounds.

Went out again on Friday and found more of the same insane action. The only hamper was the weather it was blowing 10-20 knots. This time the Stripers were a little deeper, hanging out under the Bluefish. Wire line was necessary to get through the Blues. But we still got to them putting 3 keepers in the boat. The Bass were a little bigger than Tuesday smallest being 30" and the largest being37".

05/09/2009 Stripers are here

Things are starting to happen back here in the North East. The days are long, the herring are running and the pogies flipping about. The Stripers are also starting to show up with keepers starting to be taken on a daily basis. I hit one of early season spots and live lined a pogey for a 34" Bass. My first fish of the New England season. The are rumors of Blue fish swirling about as well. I am sure they will be in full effect in the next couple of weeks. Now till mid June is the best spring time chance at big stripers, drop me a line if you would like a shot at one.

Captain Kevin Malone Sportfishing Reports

03/05/2009 Costa Rica Sailfish report

I apologize for not posting any reports until now. I have been building a house down here in the Southern Pacific Zone of Costa Rica and have not been fishing until now. I am planning to run my own boat out of CR next season.

Joe Costello, from Bad Fish Outfitters, and his amigo Michael Duke came down for a visit. We went out on a friend’s boat, the Mako1 out of Dominicalito harbor for a day of offshore fishing

On our way out we had spotted two sailfish “finning” a good sign. After a 1 hour steam, we arrived at “the Furuno bank”. We started out making bait, 1-3 pound Pacific Bonito. Trolling around small pink squid skirts with dropper rigs for multiple hook ups, we had three in the tuna tubes and two live baits quickly.

We started fishing with slow trolling live Bonito at 2-3 knots. The Bonito were rigged with thread and a 9/0 circle hook. It is a law in Costa Rica for the use of circle hooks for Bill fishing. Within a half an hour we had our first knock down. But it was a miss; after a couple of jumps the fish was gone. During the mayhem of the first fish, we reeled in the other baits, two of which were dead. Bonito are pretty fragile.

Trolling again at slow speed, we set out our other Bonito. Unfortunately, we did not have any bites for a while. Watching as our baits became weak we determined that it was time to reel them and run after some more.

Luckily, we ran in to a flock of birds working over a school of Bonito and immediately hooked up with 5 bonito on one rig and 4 Bonito on the other. Murphy’s Law as we only had room for 5. So we picked the biggest and most lively fish and put out the baits again.

While I was putting out the starboard outrigger – BAM -the line was slashed right out of my hands. FISH ON! Sadly, it was a short lived battle; he was off! Alas, within seconds, FISH ON stern leeward. Damn, again as quick as he was on he was off again! We were had bad ratios with 0 for 4.

Off and slow trolling, again it was getting close to lunch time. I took the helm while Mark proceeded to make lunch. As the “lunch time rule” immediately took effect, the action started to heat up. As soon as the bread was laid out and the mayo was spread, suddenly a double hook up. Two sails rocketing into the air simultaneously, they crossed lines and we lost ‘em both.

The bad news is that we were now 0 for 6 but the good news was that the bite was on. Within minutes of re-rigging and with only 1 bait out we were on again. This time Joe jumped into action. He proceeded to battle the powerful Sailfish for over half hour before we had the 100+ beauty boat side. After a few photos and high fives, we had a nice clean release with the hook back for a keep sake.

Up and trolling again, with only 1 bait in the water, we were tight again. This time Duke took his turn at the fight. After a tough twenty minutes, Duke took the fish to the boat. Unfortunately, this Sail was in tough shape his color wasn’t right and we knew he needed some attention. Mark took hold of the Sailfish’s bill and midsection, while Aly took hold of his tail end. We swam the sailfish next to the boat for a good 10 minutes and then he lit back up and slowly swam away on his own power. More high fives.

Realizing it was three thirty and time to head for the barn, we steamed back to Dominicalito Harbor. Heading in, we cracked open a few ice cold Imperial cervezas and pondered our unimpressive ratio of 2 for 8. Plenty of fish, just a lot of bad luck.

- Pura Vida

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