2019 Fishing - Bent rods and tight lines

[fattyflattie 4639]

4 hours ago, Judge Roybeanbag said:

Here’s what’s left of my co-workers cabin on the land cut.  Not much.  It tore most of those up.

Damnit that is terrible.  I wonder if my buddies made it.  ugh.

[Judge Roybeanbag 11819]

7 minutes ago, fattyflattie said:

Damnit that is terrible.  I wonder if my buddies made it.  ugh.

Well this one was pretty shabby, I’ve seen that the better constructed ones were still standing, roof and window damage. 

[fattyflattie 4639]

2 minutes ago, Judge Roybeanbag said:

Well this one was pretty shabby, I’ve seen that the better constructed ones were still standing, roof and window damage. 

Just asked.  It did not make it.  Entire thing except roof under, and one of the lights on the pier.  Really sucks.

eta: just said they've been quoted 130k for cleanup and full rebuild, and working with state now. Thinks they can be up and running again in about 2 months.

Edited July 31, 2020 by fattyflattie

[Judge Roybeanbag 11819]

1 minute ago, fattyflattie said:

Just asked.  It did not make it.  Entire thing except roof under, and one of the lights on the pier.  Really sucks.

Yeah rebuilding those would be a pain, having to haul all the materials in.  

[Braff Zacklin 13619]

Spent the past three days in the Central Idaho wilderness, questing for big bull trout. Safe to say, we were successful.

It was ... emotional. Already scheming for a follow-up trip.

Have many pics and GoPro vids to process. Might post some follow-up media in a few days.

[troph 24857]

That’s pretty bad ass.

[TexasCPA 102]

Anyone familiar with fishing chocolate bayou? Went there with a friend and caught a few keeper flounder and reds. We elected to release them as we saw there was a lot of runoff coming from that petrochemical plant right there. 
 

I was a bit surprised at how strong the smell was and the water was quite stained where it was dumping in. Is this normal there?

[Lat22 4015]

[tx 3 putt 77073]

4 hours ago, TexasCPA said:

Anyone familiar with fishing chocolate bayou? Went there with a friend and caught a few keeper flounder and reds. We elected to release them as we saw there was a lot of runoff coming from that petrochemical plant right there. 
 

I was a bit surprised at how strong the smell was and the water was quite stained where it was dumping in. Is this normal there?

i wouldn't eat anything from chocolate bayou 

[justhookit 4191]

Sigh. We are in prime time marlin season in Costa Rica and they still won’t let us in the country. So fucking sick of this shit.

[justhookit 4191]

I’m fairly lazy when it comes to taking pictures and video when I’m fishing, but a buddy of mine put these together from a few trips with me. I’ve probably posted one or both of these before. I think I’m trying to make myself get depressed.

 

 

 

[troph 24857]

Sigh. We are in prime time marlin season in Costa Rica and they still won’t let us in the country. So fucking sick of this shit.

I want to go marlin fishing with you. I’m serious. If fishing with a queer chick doesn’t work for you I have some cool as fuck guys I can bring with. Happy to pay for all of it. 45 and tired of not having a marlin story to tell.

[troph 24857]

Wrong thread.

[Dry Elbows 142]

5 hours ago, justhookit said:

Sigh. We are in prime time marlin season in Costa Rica and they still won’t let us in the country. So fucking sick of this shit.

Buddy of mine is thinking of moving his boat to the states because he can’t get down there. 

[troph 24857]

Wrong thread.

[Mac8111 2107]

I feel like Just Hook It is sitting in his bedroom with just one candle lit listening to Chicago’s greatest hits and looking at old pictures of Marlin while drinking cheap whiskey and coke while a tear builds in the corner of his eye.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[troph 24857]

Wrong thread.

[DefinitelyNotHollywoodColt 12301]

Wrong thread.

[troph 24857]

I blame the ranch water.

[Braff Zacklin 13619]

 

8 hours ago, justhookit said:

I’m fairly lazy when it comes to taking pictures and video when I’m fishing, but a buddy of mine put these together from a few trips with me. I’ve probably posted one or both of these before. I think I’m trying to make myself get depressed.

 Repeats or not, I'm always happy to watch your fishing vids.

6 hours ago, troph said:

tired of not having a marlin story to tell.

Just quote more Hemingway.

[RMac5 1551]

Ranch Water is so damn good, way easy to over serve.

[Judge Roybeanbag 11819]

15 hours ago, troph said:

I want to go marlin fishing with you. I’m serious. If fishing with a queer chick doesn’t work for you I have some cool as fuck guys I can bring with. Happy to pay for all of it. 45 and tired of not having a marlin story to tell.

He let your brother and me on his boat, I’m pretty sure you’d be much less risk and probably easier on the toilets.  

[bigshark88 388]

Rode the Pathfinder all over Apalachicola Bay Sunday and caught about 15 trippletail. Only two keepers though. This was the biggest one. My partner boogered up the hook set on a third keeper. Still learning the trippletail game.

[justhookit 4191]

On 8/1/2020 at 5:36 PM, troph said:

I want to go marlin fishing with you. I’m serious. If fishing with a queer chick doesn’t work for you I have some cool as fuck guys I can bring with. Happy to pay for all of it. 45 and tired of not having a marlin story to tell.

Anytime. Of course who knows when they are going to let us go again. I’m holding out hope for January and the marlin fishing can be pretty good then. Otherwise it’s mostly sailfish all spring and then the marlin get good again June to August.

 

On 8/1/2020 at 7:22 PM, Dry Elbows said:

Buddy of mine is thinking of moving his boat to the states because he can’t get down there. 

Yeah, I can understand that. I’d be much more likely to sell the boat than do that though.

On 8/2/2020 at 8:56 AM, Judge Roybeanbag said:

He let your brother and me on his boat, I’m pretty sure you’d be much less risk and probably easier on the toilets.  

Wait, who was troph’s brother?

[Judge Roybeanbag 11819]

11 minutes ago, justhookit said:

Anytime. Of course who knows when they are going to let us go again. I’m holding out hope for January and the marlin fishing can be pretty good then. Otherwise it’s mostly sailfish all spring and then the marlin get good again June to August.

 

Yeah, I can understand that. I’d be much more likely to sell the boat than do that though.

Wait, who was troph’s brother?

The really tall guy with the beard.  Used to post here as Doc Holliday.

[justhookit 4191]

Yeah ok that’s who I figured. Seems like I talked to him a few times after that about going fishing in CR. That trip with y’all seems like it was a lifetime ago. Freaking Petey was our mate.

[Judge Roybeanbag 11819]

8 minutes ago, justhookit said:

Yeah ok that’s who I figured. Seems like I talked to him a few times after that about going fishing in CR. That trip with y’all seems like it was a lifetime ago. Freaking Petey was our mate.

Well it was 8 years ago, so yeah it seems like forever.

[troph 24857]

Anytime. Of course who knows when they are going to let us go again. I’m holding out hope for January and the marlin fishing can be pretty good then. Otherwise it’s mostly sailfish all spring and then the marlin get good again June to August.

 

 

okay, covid notwithstanding put me down for a prime trip as soon as we can (I wouldn't travel now if they let us).  I have at least one guy (client/friend) I'd love to bring.  His wife is easy on the eyes. my girlfriend would be game for a gentle cruise offshore but when I tell her it's overnight she'll bow out - she’s sporty enough but doesn’t sleep on boats well.  she'd be happy to hang out on shore when we get back.  I'm not a huge fan of more on a boat like that, I prefer less but me and a guy would be weird so I could round up another.  not sure what your protocol is but I'm not fucking around - this covid shit has our scheduled trips and experiences all backed up and the frustration is real.  I want a marlin.  then I can tell my story about catching one instead of the two that got away.

[conVINCEd 21469]

3 hours ago, justhookit said:

Yeah ok that’s who I figured. Seems like I talked to him a few times after that about going fishing in CR. That trip with y’all seems like it was a lifetime ago. Freaking Petey was our mate.

What does a trip run, and how many people is ideal?  I’m guessing it’s a 2 or 3 day endeavor??

[fattyflattie 4639]

Anyone hitting the surf or heading offshore this week? Neighbor got them in the surf this AM. Partner and another boat is heading offshore Wednesday, as long as this Wx holds.  Snapper just wrapped up but I guess they want to jack with some big kings, I dunno. 

[Brisketexan 105158]

Anyone hitting the surf or heading offshore this week? Neighbor got them in the surf this AM. Partner and another boat is heading offshore Wednesday, as long as this Wx holds.  Snapper just wrapped up but I guess they want to jack with some big kings, I dunno. 

Planning on hitting the surf at least a couple of times this week. Water really cleaned up today.

[justhookit 4191]

8 hours ago, troph said:

12 hours ago, justhookit said:

Anytime. Of course who knows when they are going to let us go again. I’m holding out hope for January and the marlin fishing can be pretty good then. Otherwise it’s mostly sailfish all spring and then the marlin get good again June to August.

 

 

 

okay, covid notwithstanding put me down for a prime trip as soon as we can (I wouldn't travel now if they let us).  I have at least one guy (client/friend) I'd love to bring.  His wife is easy on the eyes. my girlfriend would be game for a gentle cruise offshore but when I tell her it's overnight she'll bow out - she’s sporty enough but doesn’t sleep on boats well.  she'd be happy to hang out on shore when we get back.  I'm not a huge fan of more on a boat like that, I prefer less but me and a guy would be weird so I could round up another.  not sure what your protocol is but I'm not fucking around - this covid shit has our scheduled trips and experiences all backed up and the frustration is real.  I want a marlin.  then I can tell my story about catching one instead of the two that got away.

We will work it out. Your brother D was a pleasure to have on the boat. Shockingly, all the shaggy peeps were too. We didn’t catch shit but we had fun. To this day, that’s only 1 of the 2 billfish trips where we got skunked. I blame TapKungFu. He followed it up by coming down another time and catching a personal grand slam (blue/white/sail). I think we had a double slam that day but can’t remember, might have been one fish short.

7 hours ago, conVINCEd said:

What does a trip run, and how many people is ideal?  I’m guessing it’s a 2 or 3 day endeavor??

This is a fun thing not a charter. We split fuel, food, bait, etc. I honestly haven’t done it for anyone here in the 4 years I’ve been in CR, but I’ve offered it to shaggy/surly peeps. For a marlin trip in summer it’s 3-4 days, 2-3 days of fishing and the rest is travel from dock to fishing grounds. Sometimes we only have to go 80-100 miles out, othertimes a lot further and then if the fishing isn’t good we will move. I’ve moved almost 80 miles in a night but we are at idle so not burning a bunch of fuel.  I have fuel bladders on the boat but we don’t use them for this kind of trip. Boat has 875 gallons of fuel. Average trip is probably 650 to 700 gallons @ 4ish bucks.  I’ve got a captain and 2 mates so we generally try to limit it to 4 or 5 other people. Queen bed, bunk room, couches and people on wheel watch. 3 to 4 is perfect but we’ve done up to 7 on a single overnight. I don’t have a water maker on the boat so fresh water runs out quickly if you do that many people. I’m plumbed for it so maybe I’ll start a gofundme 😂

sailfish in the spring is day trips 20-40 miles out. When the fishing is good we will spend the night offshore and can fish 2-3 days on 350-400 gallons.

[justhookit 4191]

 Never mind.  Tap didn’t get a personal grand slam I don’t think. If the pictures match up, he brought a friend and I had a friend on the boat. Looks like we caught 2 blues 2 whites and 1 sail. So the easiest fish to catch to make the double slam, we didn’t do. Somebody should have made us stay out longer. And we got home while it was still daylight. On the other hand we caught a bunch of fish that year so I may be going off the wrong trip.

[justhookit 4191]

For reference, here’s what @Judge Roybeanbag caught. Notice the lack of flags. By the way I somehow don’t have pics of that trip. Not for lack of trying to catch one though, we did not raise a billfish on the trip.

 

[justhookit 4191]

The worst thing is we wanted y’all to catch billfish more than any other group we had out that year. And then we failed. The only other worse trip - not lying - over the last 8 years was telling my dad we were going out snapper fishing (I.e. 30ish miles). On the way out it was calm so captain and I made the executive decision to head way out. we ran out 80 miles and billfished for like 5 hours. We didn’t even see a flying fish. Dad woke up and was wondering why we weren’t catching anything. Then went back to sleep. I’m pretty sure I still haven’t explained to him what happened on that trip, and he still thinks we only went 30 miles out.  That was the other skunk.

we fished tournaments here where we caught a bunch one day but then nothing the next on the half day of fishing. I don’t count that.

in CR the worst was taking my mom who gets seasick. you always catch billfish there but it took us much longer, until about 9 in the morning to finally hook up. Brought her out out of salon while she was holding barf bag. She was a trooper and reeled it in never letting go of her bag. Back at the dock by about 10.

mission accomplished 

Edited August 4, 2020 by justhookit

[Judge Roybeanbag 11819]

I saved a few pics.

We each caught one of these

And this wheelbarrow full of snapper, that we had turned into garlic butter snapper at Kody's that night.

[fattyflattie 4639]

@troph my goal is a sail.  I’ve been on two short trips in the gulf in last 3 years where one came in our wash.  I spotted it the first year (was freelining a piggy behind a shrimp boat for a ling) and it nosed right up to it.  I made a mistake and popped it just a tad, subconsciously looking for a reaction strike I guess, and it jetted.  All onboard that day still bring it up and shame me when possible.  The next year we saw another but can’t remember the circumstance as well. I know we reeled up and trolled the area for an hour or so with no luck.  Both were ~20-25 miles out of POC. 

[justhookit 4191]

yeah never move a bait away from a sailfish. While trolling you occasionally have to go to freespool to drop it in their mouth if they come up lazily behind a bait. Or they will turn and eat while the bait is falling. Marlin on the other hand are a different story. Yank the bait away from their nose and they will come back pissed off and crush the bait. I can’t tell you how many marlin I’ve hooked within arms length of the transom, and a few directly off the side of the boat because they won’t come off the teaser. Sometimes it might be easier to just reach out and grab the fish.

 

edit- you always feed billfish in freespool on the bite. Yay circle hooks. Sometimes though you have to drop the bait in their throat.

Edited August 4, 2020 by justhookit

[fattyflattie 4639]

44 minutes ago, justhookit said:

yeah never move a bait away from a sailfish. While trolling you occasionally have to go to freespool to drop it in their mouth if they come up lazily behind a bait. Or they will turn and eat while the bait is falling. Marlin on the other hand are a different story. Yank the bait away from their nose and they will come back pissed off and crush the bait. I can’t tell you how many marlin I’ve hooked within arms length of the transom, and a few directly off the side of the boat because they won’t come off the teaser. Sometimes it might be easier to just reach out and grab the fish.

 

edit- you always feed billfish in freespool on the bite. Yay circle hooks. Sometimes though you have to drop the bait in their throat.

These are the kinds of things that wade fisherman who’ve spent their whole lives chasing trout and reds in knee deep water don’t know - at least I didn’t, anyhow.  One of these days I’ll get my nearshore GOM sail. If not, I’m going to CR/Mexico and catching a bunch of them at once. 

[justhookit 4191]

2 minutes ago, fattyflattie said:

These are the kinds of things that wade fisherman who’ve spent their whole lives chasing trout and reds in knee deep water don’t know - at least I didn’t, anyhow.  One of these days I’ll get my nearshore GOM sail. If not, I’m going to CR/Mexico and catching a bunch of them at once. 

Oh believe me I grew up bass fishing and surf fishing so I had to fight my natural instinct for a long time. It’s still hard sometimes when you feed a 400 pound fish in freespool and line is dumping off your reel and you sit there and do...... absolutely nothing for 5 or more seconds. But it works.

[TPCJ007 48]

Great pics Judge! That was a great trip.

[Judge Roybeanbag 11819]

29 minutes ago, TPCJ007 said:

Great pics Judge! That was a great trip.

I have more but didn't want to post faces - let me know if you want any of them.  Good to see you around!  I haven't been to to coast in almost a year now, my last trip was last September.  

[troph 24857]

3 hours ago, fattyflattie said:

@troph my goal is a sail.  I’ve been on two short trips in the gulf in last 3 years where one came in our wash.  I spotted it the first year (was freelining a piggy behind a shrimp boat for a ling) and it nosed right up to it.  I made a mistake and popped it just a tad, subconsciously looking for a reaction strike I guess, and it jetted.  All onboard that day still bring it up and shame me when possible.  The next year we saw another but can’t remember the circumstance as well. I know we reeled up and trolled the area for an hour or so with no luck.  Both were ~20-25 miles out of POC. 

I had a CR trip where I was the only one fishing (love 2 person half day trips with my ladyfriend where she goes to make me happy and I go to fish and chit chat with her) and I caught 7 sails on that trip.  I posted a pic on this thread of one of them, maybe it was TOS but that was an amazing day.  I've had a day of dorados too in Cabo.  pretty much most others though I don't have a school of yellowfin tuna catches yet.  two marlins hooked and lost.   

[fattyflattie 4639]

2 minutes ago, troph said:

I had a CR trip where I was the only one fishing (love 2 person half day trips with my ladyfriend where she goes to make me happy and I go to fish and chit chat with her) and I caught 7 sails on that trip.  I posted a pic on this thread of one of them, maybe it was TOS but that was an amazing day.  I've had a day of dorados too in Cabo.  pretty much most others though I don't have a school of yellowfin tuna catches yet.  two marlins hooked and lost.   

Doesn't take too long to tire out on YF.  I finished one off for a guy on the boat when he was about to pass out.  50W standup gear but fish was only about 150' at that point.  He had worked him up from waaaaaaaay deeper.  90#.   Then about 10 mins later I busted one on a popper (awesome af) with a spinning setup.  95#   Just about killed me.  I remember walking to the front of the boat, grabbing a beer, and just lying down.  Was akin to hooking into a Mack truck.  I know people do it, but 2 100# class fish within a few minutes of each other killed me, and the first one was just the last 10 mins of the fight.  

[troph 24857]

4 minutes ago, fattyflattie said:

Doesn't take too long to tire out on YF.  I finished one off for a guy on the boat when he was about to pass out.  50W standup gear but fish was only about 150' at that point.  He had worked him up from waaaaaaaay deeper.  90#.   Then about 10 mins later I busted one on a popper (awesome af) with a spinning setup.  95#   Just about killed me.  I remember walking to the front of the boat, grabbing a beer, and just lying down.  Was akin to hooking into a Mack truck.  I know people do it, but 2 100# class fish within a few minutes of each other killed me, and the first one was just the last 10 mins of the fight.  

I want that.  that's what attracted me to apex fishing a long time ago.  on the sport side of it now you know where my head is at but I still want that apex dueling experience with a marlin and a school of YF.

Edited August 4, 2020 by troph

[fattyflattie 4639]

It was in early July, quite literally 0 wind, and we were 120 miles offshore in 6k of water.  You could have taken a row boat out that day.  Boat was well equipped but no misters, just bottles of water dumped on your head when you were about to go out.   The absurd heat definitely played a part on the fatigue (and likely a hangover), but what an amazing fish. They just dive down as a fuck you and you have to get them back.  I do recommend trying to get one on a popper if you ever have a chance.  I used to think a red crushing a spook in a foot of water was the pinnacle.   LOL, enter 100#+ ball of furious muscle.  Then add in a spinning rod that's doubled over, just craziness.

Also, go do this.

 

[Judge Roybeanbag 11819]

10 minutes ago, fattyflattie said:

Doesn't take too long to tire out on YF.  I finished one off for a guy on the boat when he was about to pass out.  50W standup gear but fish was only about 150' at that point.  He had worked him up from waaaaaaaay deeper.  90#.   Then about 10 mins later I busted one on a popper (awesome af) with a spinning setup.  95#   Just about killed me.  I remember walking to the front of the boat, grabbing a beer, and just lying down.  Was akin to hooking into a Mack truck.  I know people do it, but 2 100# class fish within a few minutes of each other killed me, and the first one was just the last 10 mins of the fight.  

CSB - 2 brothers I fish with occasionally - a few years back their dad was fishing off Hawaii somewhere, hauling in a huge tuna.  Had a heart attack and died, but not until after he got the fish in.  Sad that he died, but we all agreed that's a helluva way to go.

[troph 24857]

It was in early July, quite literally 0 wind, and we were 120 miles offshore in 6k of water.  You could have taken a row boat out that day.  Boat was well equipped but no misters, just bottles of water dumped on your head when you were about to go out.   The absurd heat definitely played a part on the fatigue (and likely a hangover), but what an amazing fish. They just dive down as a fuck you and you have to get them back.  I do recommend trying to get one on a popper if you ever have a chance.  I used to think a red crushing a spook in a foot of water was the pinnacle.   LOL, enter 100#+ ball of furious muscle.  Then add in a spinning rod that's doubled over, just craziness.

Also, go do this.

 

I only catch pretty fish.

 

And I don’t have the strength no way. I mean I’m in really good shape and even do some cross training for tennis but I couldn’t come close to winning that battle.

[Brisketexan 105158]

My daughter hooked a 55 lb YF a month ago - it was 150 yards out when it took the bait, then ran a good bit. It whooped her ass. She got it to the boat. Then, when it started diving and required you to horse it straight up, her cousin had to help her.

She’ll never forget it. It was awesome. Those things are pure power.

[Reagan1k 3024]

Feeling like you’ve been beaten with a tire iron is the best way I can describe the feeling you have waking up after a day long YF haul.  It’s a blast but there is a price to pay.