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Cruising from St Thomas to the Dominican Republic on ‘FREEDOM’, we decided to drop some rigs out and troll a while. About 5 miles off the beach of Puerto Rico where the bottom went from 200 feet to over 2000, we have our encounter. Neil and I are on the bridge when we hear Billy yell…’THERE HE IS!!’ We look back and sure enough, blue marlin on the right side. He charges, and retreats, charges and retreats and finally takes the lure and the jumping begins!! Neil makes a turn into the fish and the fight continues. After some ‘dancing’ around in the cockpit dodging fenders and spare wheels (since we’re traveling) the fish is straight up and down under the boat. Billy puts the pressure on and gets real close to the knot when she comes undone on the running gear. NOW what makes all this even better of a story is that it was all done while towing a 30 foot Intrepid!! Yep our new teaser in the T/T FREEDOM!! Lure was 10 feet in front of the boat when the fish came up on it. Goes to show when a fish wants something, it doesn’t matter what’s around it!!

As boaters, sailors, captains, and fishermen, they are the words that we all hope and pray that we never hear or to speak… ‘Abandon Ship!’   Being prepared is the one thing that could save your life if the inevitable should happen.  Along with having all the required Coast Guard safety equipment aboard your vessel, having a ditch bag packed and ready to go with essential  items can increase your chances of survival.

1)      The bag—Having all the essential safety equipment stowed in one single location is crucial when only seconds can separate you from going down with the ship and surviving.  When searching for a bag, look for one that is water resistant.  Many survival bags on the market are also manufactured from the same buoyant closed cell foam material as life jackets, allowing for flotation.  Make sure the bag is large enough to carry the essentials, but not so large that it’s hard to handle.  Remember, it may not be you carrying the bag.

2)      First Aid Kit—There are First Aid Kits available at many retail outlets.  Some are packaged specifically for boating.  They will contain bandages, wound dressings, burn treatment items, CPR and shock treatment kits, eye wash, cold packs, aspirin, and usually tweezers and scissors.  They will usually have a waterproof card with basic first aid techniques.  Many of the contents are in paper or cardboard boxes.  Places them in zip-locks will help keep them dry.  Also if you are on a long journey, an ocean crossing or delivery for example, it’s a good idea to put some of your important personal medications in the kit as well.

3)      Motion Sickness Tablets—These will also be in most First Aid Kits, but it wouldn’t hurt to stow a few extras in the ditch bag.  Most have been lucky enough not to feel the pains of being sea sick, but the first thing that should be done when you enter the water in an abandon ship scenario is take motion sickness pills.  You will be feeling the ‘motion-of-the-ocean’ in a much different way when in a small raft or directly in the water.  When sea sick, you become dehydrated.  This only adds to the situation.  So, take your pills!

4)      Flares and other Signaling Devices—Hand flares, flare gun with aerial flares, glow sticks, die markers, air horn, whistles, and signaling mirrors should all be considered when preparing your ditch bag.  The Coast Guard requires ‘visual distress signals’ including flares.  Flares do have an expiration date so make sure that yours are up to date.  Saying this, however, doesn’t mean you should throw the expired flares out.  Keep them.  When it comes to surviving a ditching at sea, you want all the fireworks you can get, expired or not.

5)      EPIRBS or PLB(Personal Locator Beacon)—These are the most costly of items in the ditch bag, but when it comes to your life, they’re priceless.  Once activated, these devices will send you location to a series of satellites in a worldwide network dedicated to search and rescue.  Learn how to properly operate these devices and make sure batteries are checked on a regular basis.

6)      VHF Radio/SAT Phone—Communication to surrounding boats and the rescue authorities will help reduce your time in the water.  There are waterproof models available on the market today.

7)      Compass—It is easy to get disoriented when drifting around the ocean.  Having a compass will help convey to responders your drift from you last known position.

8)      Serrated Knife—Along with your scissors, have a good sharp serrated knife.  A serrated knife will cut through the strongest of lines if you’re in the position to lash things together.

9)      Duct Tape—Use it for lashing to patches, or even bandages.

10)   Flashlight and Batteries—Flashlights can be used not only to see, but also for signaling.  Check batteries on a regular basis.  There are flashlights made today that require no batteries. Survivor flashlights, or forever shake lights, are perfect for a ditch bag and can be purchased for very little money.

11)    Water Packs and Dehydrated Food—These can be purchased from several companies online.   Many life rafts have these already in their survival packs.  When you have your life rafts serviced, it’s a good idea to ask them to return to you the contents of the raft’s survival kit.  The water and food packs usually have longer expiration dates then the raft service schedule, so why not put them in the ditch bag.  And those with military service know, C-rations and MRE’s last forever!

12)   Some Miscellaneous Items—

1. Sunglasses and reading glasses—Spare glasses in a ditch bag are important as you may not have time to collect your own from a sinking vessel.
2. Air Pump—This is especially important if you are getting into a raft.  The last thing you want is to have to abandon your life raft too.
3. Fish Hooks and Line—We don’t want to think it, but depending on your proximity to land and rescue responders, there is a chance you may be at sea for a prolonged period of time.  Your raft will turn into a floating habitat for fish, so be prepared to catch some for food.
4. Sunscreen and Lip Balm—The sun can be intense when totally exposed to the elements.  Protecting your skin from the sun will also help prevent dehydration.  Solar Blankets are also a good idea to have in the ditch bag to help stay out of the sun.
5. Toilet Paper—Self-explanatory.

These are some tips for filling your ditch bag.  Add whatever other safety equipment necessary to put you at ease when at sea.  None of us want to be in the water waiting for a rescue team to pick us up, but being prepared and knowing what to do is the key to survival.  Be safe out on the water.  Remember the best fishing trip is the one you come home from to tell about!

Fuel prices are growing over $4.00 a gallon, so optimizing your day offshore is going to be key this fishing season. We will all need to do more research and planning for our fishing trips. We’ll be waiting for the perfect weather windows, pristine water conditions on the fishing grounds, as well as pulling the throttles back just a touch. And if we’re cruising the bluewater at ‘chugging’ speeds, why not have some baits behind the boat? Here’s a simple rig that is primarily used while targeting wahoo at high speeds. Just remember this…the same fish that a wahoo craves, are the same entrées that tuna, mahi and marlin have on their menus.

Here’s what you’ll need.

–A Lure. This can be an Islander, a G&H Custom Lures bullet head, a small chugger style like a Get Reel Lure T.C.B., or any jet head.

–Two squid skirts about 12-13 inches long

–10/0-11/0 J-Hook. The one pictured is a Mustad 7731 11/0

–Egg sinkers. (1) 4oz and (7-9) ½ oz.

–5-6 feet of 49 strand stainless steel cable 480 lb test

–Short piece of Heat -Shrink (not pictured)

–Crimp sleeves size 1.9

–Crimpers and Cable Cutters

First step is to crimp the hook to one end of the cable. I usually put a simple knot in the wire before crimping. To make the knot, run the tag end through the eye of the hook, around the loop in the cable twice, and then through the eye of the hook again. Cinch the knot down tight as you can towards the hook eye then crimp. This adds a little extra security at the hook.

Next cover the cable knot and hook eye with a piece of heat-shrink cut long enough to cover the tag end of the crimp and part of the hook shank. This adds stiffness to the rig so the hook acts like a gaff when the fish strikes, penetrating the fish’s mouth. It also helps prevent cuts from frayed strands on the end of the cable.

Now lay one of the squid skirt alongside the hook and cable so that the curve of the hook is just beyond the tail of the skirt. You can now determine how many ½ oz sinkers you’ll need to keep proper spacing on the hook. Once you’ve determined the number of sinkers, you can start threading them on the cable.

After the 4 oz egg sinker goes onto the rig, you can layer up the two squid skirts as you desire. Normally, it’s dark over light colors. The 4 oz egg should slide up into the head of the squid skirts.

Now add the lure, crimp a simple loop in the end of the cable and the rig is ready to catch!

To complete the entire set up you’ll want to make up a 10 to 12 foot section of mono (300-400 pound) with a heavy duty snap swivel on one end and a heavy duty barrel swivel on the other. The snap end will be attached to the loop on the cable, while the barrel swivel will be connected to a trolling weight. The trolling weight will help keep the rig sub-surface as you’re trolling at speeds from 12 to 20 knots. The mono helps as a shock absorber when the fish hits.

This rig is for med-heavy to heavy tackle. You’ll need trolling rods with at least 50 pound glass reels spooled with 60 to 80 pound line at slower end of the spectrum. Remember you don’t want to have so much drag set on the reels preventing the line from creeping off that when the fish hits, there’s no longer drag to keep the line in one piece. The more speed, the more drag. Run these rigs back deep, out of the wash at staggered distances. Two or three lines are sufficient.

So on your next excursion to the fishing grounds, make every minute count! Get out there and…

Catch ‘em Up!

Make Everyday a Blue Marlin Day!

This is an old story from a few years ago, but always worth telling!

Fishing on the Ledge 

During the cold winter months, many of us long to sprout wings and head south to warmer latitudes.  It was harder to find this year as global warming was in full force…HAHA!  Well David Lineberry and family were among the lucky ones.

On a winter trip to Florida, David was overlooking the waterway from the balcony of his Dad’s third story condo.  As he looked around, he noticed a red drum tailing along the grass next to the docks.  Knowing that by the time he got down there, the fish would be gone; he figured what the heck…let me take a chance from here.  And as any good fisherman would have it, he had rods rigged and ready to go.

He makes a cast from the balcony, and slowing swims the windcheater towards the puppy.  The fish crashes after the lure, but it never comes tight and the red disappears into the mud.  David decides to throw a few more blind casts to see if the red comes back.  One of the casts goes a little too close to the grass and gets hung up.  He proceeds to twitch the rod a bit in an attempt to free the windcheater from the grass.  He twitched some to the left and he twitched some to the right sounding like Yosemite Sam in the process.  Finally, his last twitch loads up the rod and the grass releases the lure, straight towards the condo building like a bullet…right into the 1^st floor balcony!

Dave starts to bring in the slack, and then the rod doubles over.  It’s now caught on the first floor balcony.  He makes his way downstairs and outside to survey the situation.  He hopes to find that the lure is just stuck on the railing.  Being that this building is in Florida, the first floor is elevated, and just out of the reach of Dave on his tippy-toes.  He can see, however, that his worst nightmare is coming to pass.  The lure isn’t snagged on the railing, but rather firmly imbedded in the tenant’s couch…treble hooks and all!  After contemplating what to do, he goes to the door and knocks several times to no avail.  ‘Well that lure is gone!’  Dave goes back to his father’s condo and cuts his losses and the line to the lure, knowing he’ll never see his favorite windcheater again!

David, Kristin and the boys go on about their day enjoying the sun that Florida has to offer.  Later that afternoon back at the condo, David is informed by his Dad that there is going to be a condo social, a meet and greet of sorts.  They all get ready for the guests with cocktails and the like.  Dave is in conversation with someone when he sees the door open.  In walks this little old lady with and envelope in her hand that is spilling over with monofilament.  Like a scene from a Hollywood movie, time slows down and David’s eye zoom in on the envelope…’Holly crap, that’s my lure!!’  He goes to Kristin and tells her what has transpired, hoping that nothing will come of it.  The next words he hears are words he probably hasn’t heard since he was a kid…’David!!  Can I see you please?!?’   David’s hands are trembling so bad that he doesn’t need a stir stick for his cocktail.

As David’s dad introduced him to his neighbor, Dave’s eyes were locked on that envelope bulging with coiled mono and an apparent windcheater inside.  ‘David, this is my neighbor and she thinks she has something that belongs to you.’  Sure enough it was the favorite windcheater that earlier had its treble hooks firmly planted in the lady’s balcony couch.  Dave took the envelope and proceeded to extend numerous apologies and offers to pay for any damage.  She said the couch was fine and nothing more was needed.  Dave thanked her for bringing the lure back and then, as any true fisherman would do, told her exactly what happened.  ‘I’m so sorry!  You see, my kids had been out on the balcony playing around with the fishing rods, and…’  Well, you can fill in the rest!!

TrollPro^TM  Makes A Big Splash!

TrollPro^TM, one of the most innovative accessories to come along in awhile, expands the versatility of your waterproof video camera to produce stunning, professional quality, underwater action video of your trolling spread. The latest model is designed to support the line of GoPro^TM HD Hero cameras, rapidly gaining popularity with boaters and sports fishermen as one of the most affordable, high performance, high definition video cameras with a waterproof housing.  TrollPro^TM, designed, tested and produced by Virginia Beach charter Captain Dave Wessner, in association with Get Reel Lure Company and Captain Don Malkowski is making quite a splash at its public unveilings.

Dave Wessner explains, “During the conduct of both general recreational fishing and Charter Fishing operations, we explored numerous systems and methods to photograph and video our activities. We began testing of our own designs in early 2006.  Several commercially available video systems and waterproof cameras were purchased and compared, but the results did not meet the requirements of general affordability, ease of use, high performance, ruggedness, and non-interference with the conduct of fishing and safe boat operation.”

When a versatile, high performance, affordable sport camera and waterproof housing was found to be readily available, that form, fit and function was selected for development of a purpose built housing for use as an accessory.  The new design was prototyped and proof-of-concept testing began in mid-2008.  The selected camera is the HD Hero which fits in the palm of your hand and produces hours of professional quality HD video on a single battery charge.  The camera and housing is waterproof to 180 feet.  The GoPro^TM camera has been used in motorsports, surfing, snowboarding, and a variety of other extreme sports, and now Sportfishing can be added to the list.

The hydrodynamic design of the trolling housing provides a highly stable platform at trolling speeds for clear, wide field of view video recording on the camera’s removable data card.  The video is downloaded from the camera or card to your laptop for viewing, editing or saving to a DVD.

Wessner added, “What started as a desire to video the underwater action of our trolling lures and baits during our fishing operations, has rapidly expanded to a “wait till you see this” addition to all our fishing video memories. Adding a TrollPro^TM trolling housing and GoPro^TM HD Hero camera is the easiest, most versatile, and most affordable system available for reliable underwater and top water fishing shots.”

The TrollPro^TM trolling housing and GoPro^TM HD Hero combination produces high definition, professional-quality underwater shots of your lures, baits and fishing action behind and below the boat comparable to other systems costing thousands of dollars more. Visit TrollPro.com for details.

Get Reel Lure ‘Tiki Bar’
If You Ain’t Pullin’ One…You Ain’t Catchin’ None!!!

“…not only are they great for Tuna, they seem to really raise Bill Fish…I have had no less than 15 White Marlin caught and released on the Tiki Bars as well as lost more than my fair share of Tiki Bars to monster Blue Marlin who seem to find them irresistible !!!!….no fish is safe when you’ve got a pair of Tiki Bars in the flats of any spread…”
—Bob DuBell, Still Think’n

“We never leave the dock without a few Tiki Bars ready for action. They are simple to pull in the spread and probably the most versatile lure in our bag of tricks. The Tiki Bar gets fish into the spread, and into the boat. “
–Capt Dave Wessner, BillableOurs Charters

“The Tiki has caught everything for us; tuna, dolphin, wahoo, sailfish and even had a huge Mako. We have used the Tiki from Virginia to Key West and it has produced…what an awesome lure.
–Brian Crissman, Ocean Daze

AVAILABLE IN THE ONLINE STORE… WWW.GETREELLURE.COM

Well it’s been a while, but I’m happy to report that all is well. Just for the record it’s not all fun and games down here in the islands. The palm trees make way too much noise as they are swayed by warm tropical breezes, the sand is powder soft on some beaches that you have a tendency to sink to your knees, some of the hammocks aren’t shaded that well, and the ice melts so fast that you can’t leisurely enjoy your umbrella and fruit garnished Pain Killer. However, the good news is that the coconut telegraph is in full swing (I think they are actually using coconuts down here) and I’m hearing all about the fishing going on back in the great US of A!!

The old saying about March…’In like a lion’…usually pertains to the weather. This year, I’m happy to say, they’re talking about the tuna fishing. After and extraordinary Bluefin season off the Virginia Beach oceanfront, anglers have migrated south to the Outer banks of North Carolina in hot pursuit. The fleets out of Oregon Inlet Fishing Center and Pirates Cove are chalking up good numbers of Bluefin catches, and releases. Boats are returning with fish from 110 to 250 pounds or more. ‘A Salt Weapon’ out of Pirates Cove put a 63 incher on the docks just yesterday, while ‘Canyon Runner’ put the boat’s fish boxes to the test with their 63 and 85 inch Bluefin. This is just a day or so after they landed a ‘tiny-giant’ 72 inch fish. The Fishing Center Fleet has also been hanging big Bluefin on the scales with heavy-weight fish hitting the 270 pound mark. With these landings, there are even more releases being tallied.

The Hatteras Fleet, not to be outdone, has also been on the Bluefin hunt. ‘OverUnder’ hung an 81 inch Bluefin caught by Paul Bamrick of New Jersey. Capt Jake Hiles on ‘Matador’ broke out the jigs and put his crew on a 68 inch Bluefin. This was after they filled the decks with a limit of 30 to 40 pound class Yellowfin.

Speaking of Yellowfin!! This winter bite has been phenomenal thus far. Both the Hatteras Fleet and the fleets running out of Oregon Inlet have been pounding the Yellowfin south of the Point. Boats are getting limits within an hour of setting the spread. The Fishing Center reported 85 Yellowfin hitting the cleaning tables on Thursday. Pirates Cove crews are busy cleaning 40 pound class fish. David Lineberry and Dave Trax fished on ‘Matador’ Thursday and they were headed home by 9:30 with an 18 fish limit. That’s 9:30 a.m. I haven’t had my third cup of coffee by then!!

The mild winter has created a stage for some amazing spring fishing this year. Some captains are saying it’s the best they’ve seen in a few years. Not only are the Bluefin and Yellows around, but some boats are catching Blackfin, Gaffer Mahi and a stray Wahoo or two. I don’t think it will be long before those marlin bragging flags are flying as the fish boxes are emptied onto the docks at the end of the day. March is supposed to go out like a lamb. I hope it keeps roaring along!

Get out there and…

Catch ‘em Up!

Make Everyday a Blue Marlin Day!

Even though the barbeques of summer have switched to fall oyster roasts, the geese are flying south, and the stores are selling out of blaze orange vests, doesn’t mean all the fish are gone. The fishing grounds are still producing as we prepare to put October 2011 in the books.

The canyons provided some amazing catches this week. A few boats fished the Washington Canyon on overnight trips this past weekend and came home with Swords. Mike Avery and crew set up on the north wall and boated 3 of 5 Yellowfin right off the bat. A few hours before daylight another tuna rod goes off and to their pleasant surprise surfaces a 188 pound Broadbill. ‘Oblivion’ also fished the same grounds and went one for four on Swords. Their fish would scale out at 130 pounds. Dave Trax and crew also picked up two Yellowfin around 40 pounds.

The Norfolk Canyon was a hotbed for deep-droppers fishing on the Rudee Angler’s overnighter. The charters would be blessed with Grouper, Bluelines, Golden Tiles, Swords, and Sharks. There were 15 citations recorded for Blueline Tilefish. The fish ranged from 12 to 20 pounds. There was a 69 pound Golden Tilefish caught that would have outweighed the current IGFA world record by five and a half pounds, but it was caught on an electric reel. Jason Rayfield released a 40” Swordfish, while Aaron Rogers of Va Beach caught and released an 87 inch Hammerhead. Anthony Criscenti of Fairfax battled and scored a release on an 80 inch Tiger Shark…’A What?’(JAWS reference) The Rudee Angler will be doing more of these overnight trips. Just call the Virginia Beach Fishing center for details and dates.

Picture From VA Beach Fishing Center

Now that Route 12 is open on the Outer Banks, anglers are splitting their time between Oregon Inlet and Hatteras. Both launching points are reporting decent catches of Blackfin with the occasional Yellowfin. Pirates Cove Marina posted reports as recent as Wednesday of citation Blackfin hitting the docks along with Yellowfin to 35 pounds. Hatteras Harbor Marina has been tallying great numbers of Wahoo. Boats are returning with fish to 60 pounds. George Doumar of Falls Church weighed in a 57 pounder, while 10 year old River Jones scaled a 60 pound Hoo. Depending on the day, some boats have also been catching some ‘hoister’ Mahi.

Don’t let the cool temperatures fool you. There’s still a lot of fishing to be done this fall! Until next time, get out there and …

Catch ‘em Up!

Make Everyday a Blue Marlin Day!

Fall seems to be in full swing and the offshore grounds are transitioning into a virtual buffet of pelagic species. Crews are now heading out geared up with circle hooks, sea witches, spreader bars and dredges ready for whatever comes their way.

The beginning of last week saw boats returning with great numbers of Mahi. These fish were holding on large weed patches and around the lobster pot buoys on the edges of the Norfolk and Washington Canyons. Many fish averaged around 10 pounds, but several paper fish were hung on the bragging board at the Virginia Beach Fishing Center. ‘Waterman’ put four citation Dolphin on the scales. The crew caught fish weighing 28, 36, 39 and 51 pounds. The Mahi bite continued through the week. Reports came in that the fish were so thick that many saw dozens of bailers following their dredges.

Pic from Va Beach Fishing Center

Billfish are still around from north of the Washington down to the 400 line south of the Norfolk Canyon. Many returned with multiple flags releases to their credit…both White and Blue Marlin. As these Fall cold fronts continue to push into the area, this bite may come to a close soon. A lot of variable are in play, so we’ll have to see how it plays out. Best piece of advice; be ready for anything!

The Fall Tuna action started this week as well. Although scattered for now, the fish that are hitting the docks are nice. Many are ranging from 40-45 pounds but several ‘Buffalos’ have been caught. ‘Mimi’ put a nice 60 pounder on the cutting table and had another one that was even bigger but on a TLD 20 came un-buttoned right near the end of the game. ‘Oblivion’ had four on ice when they came back to the slip on Friday. Their largest scaled out at 81 pounds. Crews to our north out of Cape May and Ocean City, as well as the fleet out of Oregon Inlet and Pirates Cove Marina are reporting good numbers of Yellowfin as well. True Albacore are still hitting baits around our northern fishing grounds. It won’t be long before the Bluefin start their run south, so don’t forget to watch for signs around the nearshore wrecks and Hot Dog areas.

Wahoo and Swords are still being reported as well. The Rudee Headboats are scoring great catches of Tilefish, Grouper, and Triggers off the wrecks. There are still plans for more overnight headboat trips.

Until next week, get out there and…

Catch ‘em Up!

Make Everyday a Blue Marlin Day!

Pic from the Va Beach Fishing Center

I made a comment in my last offshore report….’Penguins are here!’…the Wahoo bite has been slow this year, but it could change for the better at any time. Well, it has changed!

Boats hunting White Marlin returned with 40 to 60 pound class Wahoo in the fish boxes. ‘Backlash’ boated one that scaled at 58 pounds. Another private boat brought two 30 pounders home for dinner. ‘Reelin N Dealin’ fished Friday and caught one that was close to 35 pounds.

Large weed lines have formed near the 400 line south of the Norfolk Canyon. These patches are holding great numbers of Mahi…bailers to 20 pound gaffers. Here is where you can find those toothy Wahoo. So when you’re out there bailing up Dolphin, drop a jig down and hold on!