[PAL]

Here's Ric's full report:

I was making Fajitas for my family when Captain Scott Warren called from Hatteras. He had a day off, the weather was forecast to be tolerable, and he offered to take me and my buddies to target bluefin in our kayaks. While finishing the fajitas, I scrambled to pull together a crew and by midnight, Lee Williams, Matt Shepard, and I were heading for Hatteras.


We crashed on the boat and met Scott and mate Kenny Koci when they arrived boat shortly before 6AM. We loaded kayaks, tackle, and gear then pulled away from the box just as the sun was rising.


For the past month, the bluefin bite has been phenomenal off Hatteras, North Carolina. Boats running to the edge of the Gulf Stream have been catching 100 to 200 pound bluefin by chunking, jigging, trolling – even by throwing top water poppers. This was the first time anyone would try to catch one of these fish in a kayak.


We got to the break and landed right in the middle of the fish. Kenny put out a couple lures while we searched for fish; within minutes both lines were hooked up. We worked those fish to the boat – each around 50 pounds. While we ran back to the break to launch the ‘yaks, we put another bait out. That lasted less than a minute. After boating another 50 pounder, Scott kept the baits in and took us to the break where we launched the kayaks.


As usual, the weatherman was wrong about the conditions. Our forecasted 10 to 15 turned into 15 to 20 and 2 to 4 was more like 3 to 5. But we had come so far and worked so hard that we weren’t going to let the weather get in the way of making history.

Each of us carried two rods – one rigged with a vertical jig and one baited with a naked ballyhoo. The idea was to drift/troll the ballyhoo while dropping the jig on fish marks. Scott would troll down the line ahead of us and inform us over the radio when he marked fish. Then we would drift behind him while jigging.


I hooked up first, but it was only a 5 pound albacore. A few minutes later, Lee hooked up with a bigger fish. Much bigger. One second, Lee was bobbing next to me wildly jerking on his jigging rod, the next second he was being dragged through the 3 foot chop and 5 foot swells while screaming and hooting. A minute later his line broke and the fight was over, but we were all amped about the action.
We continued to work the edge. Each of us hooked a half dozen fish, but each battle would only last a few minutes before these powerful fish would break the line or pull the hook. Even though we were all experienced anglers, nothing could prepare us for the explosive speed and power of these tuna. Each encounter unfolded the same way: a bluefin would hit like a freight train, whipping the kayak around into the wind and seas, then take off dragging us at up to 7 knots and emptying the spool of line. When would increase the drag – to the point of being yanked out of the ‘yak – the line would break or the hooks would pull. But each time we lost a fish, we learned a valuable lesson.


After two hours in the water, and dozens of fish, we finally figured it out.


As the conditions worsened, and we considered pulling the plug, Matt hooked into a big fish that started pulling him from the warm water into the cool. He held on while the tuna dragged him and emptied his reel. After a half mile the fish slowed and took the fight deep. Matt let the tuna tow him around, gaining line when he could, loosing line when he couldn’t, and waiting for the fish to tire out.
An hour and a half and 2 and a half miles later, the fish gave up and came to the surface. Lee was poised next to Matt to stick the fish with a gaff, but the tuna turned towards the boat and Kenny reached out with his gaff and ended the battle.


The crew celebrated like they had won the lottery. Matt was hoisted out of his yak and into the hand shakes and back slaps from his fellow anglers. His fish weighed 166 pounds – the first bluefin caught off Hatteras by a kayaker.


Doubtful that it will be the last.