Let me begin with a mea culpa. There is no excuse for it, but I am four fishing trips behind in maintaining the annals of the Ancient and Honorable Order of the Blind Hog. Rather than boring the bejesus out of you by making you read four separate posts, I am going to catch up by condensation, relying more on photos than on my deathless prose. I know it has been said that one picture is worth a thousand words, but it is said only by those who have never read The Fishing Reports, so I apologize for the deprivation you are about to endure.
YOU SNOOZE, YOU LOSE
The Blind Hog made an overnight foray with the High Hog, Grasshopper, Garrett Simpson, Doug Richards, and Zack Jones aboard. This is a real deal crew, as I was to find out to my chargrin. We enjoyed a calm night and next day, catching a sailfish, tuna, mahi, and wahoo. The smallest fish we caught was the sailfish below, which we actually bagged with a dip net while swordfishing. Like the sports we are, we released it rather than killing and mounting it. I did, however, want to fly a billfish flag upon our return, but those who decide such things - Wayne Lewis and Pete Mitchell, in this case - woud not sanction it.
The largest fish we boated was a yellowfin tuna that went about 100 pounds. Doug hooked it, Zack fought it, and Grasshopper and Garrett leadered it, gaffed it, bled it, and packed it in ice, all while I was sleeping after my watch. Wanna feel superfluous on your own boat? Take those guys fishing with you.
BLUE HEAVEN
My next outing was another overnight on Drew Mitchell's Blue Heaven, a 45 Cabo Express, with Drew, Mark Yanora, George Alford, and Tony Delvecchio. The fishing was slow going to say the least. There were a couple of mystery bites, including a double hook up that probably was a single big shark that ate both baits and eventually bit through one leader and, later, the other. Not long after first light, Drew and I decided to pick them up. As I walked toward the 100 foot bait to reel it in , the tip bowed. Fish on, literally at the last second. George, on the left in the photo with Tony, reeled in his first sword. A lawn dart of a sword, I know, but legal nonetheless. Honest.
HOLY HAMMERHEAD!
The third trip was aboard the Blind Hog, crewed by moi, the Freemanator, Eric Songer, and Bobby Cresap. We saw a lot of action on this trip, but few results, thanks to an outbreak of human error and equipment failure that was probably caused by human error. We boated a football blackfin tuna, lost a very nice yellowfin at the gaff, and broke off a decent - but not big - sword after I dumped the leader because he was so green and Eric decided "to stop him or pop him". The big catch of the trip was the largest shark I have ever seen in person, whether in the wild or in captivity. It was a hammerhead that was at least eight feet long, and maybe more, with a girth as big as mine, which is saying something.
Freemanator, above, gave it a go. (His mother will see this picture and blow a gasket, so let me assure my daughter that one of us held the back of his harness the entire time, but for the moment when his father stepped out of frame so I could take this photo.) But this shark was too much for the Freemantor standing up, and I did not have the footboard for the chair on the boat, so Eric had to step in and finish it. After being deep into the backing twice, Eric finally brought this stud shark to the boat, and I took a wrap and held on until he broke the 200 pound leader, which took about five seconds
MEET MABRY CHASE
This past weekend, Bobby Legier invited me to join him and Nate Marks on his boat, the Mabry Chase, named after his daughter. It is a 45 Gillkin Express very much like the Blind Hog, both handsome, custom built Carolina boats. We left for the oil rigs Thurday night and returned Saturday from the Spur around Miller Time. It was a great trip, well worth the time, effort and fuel. Below is a photo of the Petronius as we approached it at 0200 Friday to begin live baiting for tuna.
Here is the dividend our diligence paid - another 100 pound yellowfin, this one caught by Nate.
Then we fished for wahoo with high speed lures pulled at thirteen knots at the nearby Beer Can rig, and caught two 'hoos, one about thirty pounds and the other, pictured below with Bobby on the left and Nate on the right, twice thirty.
Our blood lust not yet sated, we ran to the Spur, and swordfished Friday night, catching the ninety or so pounder in the photo below.
And to make up for the recent dearth of posts, a special treat for my readers - a photo of the seldom seen High Hog maneuvering the Mabry Chase with a remote control in the cockpit as a fish is being fought.
The only hiccup in the entire trip was the ride home. Three to five foot seas at least, just forward of the starboard beam for sixty nautical miles. Kinda like being in a washing machine mounted on a roller coaster. But this minor discomfort did little to mar a memorable adventure.
I will be a better correspondent in the future. Promise.
