Like many I'm sure, I noticed the incredible weather and was itching to fish. Combine that with the low down I received
from friends and my skin was practically crawling! This would be the second ride in my plastic battle-ship since that Whale
flipped me in December. Strangely enough, late Thursday night Darkhorse calls me and says "it's on!!"
Having done some drinking myself and not really in the mood for a gray-light launch......fishing with Josh sounded perfect.
Since anyone who knows him, knows he doesn't get up early unless he has to. And more often than not he's fashionably late too
.
We launch about 9 to a beautiful day. Our game plan was to catch a big, White Sea Bass first.....then go pull on some yellows!!!
Once we were around the bend we gathered up a few " just in case" baits. You know just in case we couldn't get the Yellowtail to
eat our damn irons? We put a few pieces into the tank and up comes Jay (Pescavore 1). Apparently he got the call, too. I have
seen him several times on the water but, he's headed at us like a steamroller! Saying "Ive got a fish report"....with a monster
still flopping in his lap!!!
There's blood everywhere and it looks like a crime scene on 48 hours. Jay's face is plastered with a glowing smile as Josh starts the photo shoot. Darkhorse turns into a studio manager and clears all the clutter from Jay's deck and cleaning up blood like a janitor....F'n perfectionists sheesh!!
Anyone who has been through this torture knows it can take .....well, as long as it takes!! So I'm watching this all start and I say, "Jay, where did you get him"? Jay Points to an obscure place in the ocean between here and Hawaii. He says "right over there"....so I went. I go right to the scene of the crime and send out a bait, amongst a lot of nervous bait around me. Less than 5 minutes later, still holding the rod I felt the bait get thumped....I'm on!!! Josh comes flying back over to watch me sweat. The fight was intense and something to remember. I didn't do as well controlling my boat as I would have last year, being a little rusty and all.
Fifteen minutes of huffing and puffing later we are gaffing this spectacular fish!
I'm not one to let my fish cook on deck and I was prepared with a game-bag. Josh was so confident on this day he brought the
kayak loaded with ice!! If I'm going to kill a beast I'm going to show her proper respect. So I went back in and gave her a
proper burial in 40 lbs of ice....it was the least I could do. Then launched again to find those yellows!
I met back up with Darkhorse and he brought me to the scene of the crime from the previous day. Once there, I kid you not, it took him five minutes to locate a school of Yellowtail. I pulled out my brand new jig-stick (thanks Fishaholic!!!)...and made a cast.
This was followed by Josh saying it was perfectly placed and five seconds later....there's a huge explosion on my jig!!
A Yellowtail rolled on it and drag is ripping off the reel!! How many guys have hooked a Yellowtail on their first cast
with a brand new jig stick? After a couple of minutes while full bendo.....the hook pulls!!! Any other day I would have
been pissed off, but with a fish already on ice who cares? After further inspection of my iron I had straightened out a hook.
Giving one lucky Yellowtail it's freedom. Josh reminded me that I got to enjoy the best part of the fight and I would have
to agree. Sh^* happens when you're having fun!!!