Make Mine a Double

On Monday 5^th December, I launched “Drifter” off Cape Vidal. With me were John, Amanda and Chuck. The SW was pushing about 20 knots, but the surf was non-existent. I spent some time looking for bait off the point, but similarly to the previous weekend, there was nothing to be found so I headed south to the shallows at Bighill. We managed to find a patch of bait and filled the livewell with mackerel and maasbanker before setting 4 lines.

I had just started heading deeper when the far surface rod went away with an absolute smoker! By the time the rod was out the holder, a considerable amount of line was off the reel so I turned to chase the fish. Unfortunately, the rod shot straight and the fish was gone. It had bitten through the wire. Not a good start. I rerigged and continued deeper. At 30m, another reel went away and Amanda fought the fish to the boat. Before we could see what it was, it went on another run but got converted shortly after. The drag went up to sunset and changed hands a few times until it chafed through the leader. The lines went out yet again and on almost the same spot in the shallows, the far bait went off again with another smoker. I left the other lines in and immediately spun the boat around to slow the run and when the last line was cleared and the fish started to slow down, the fish bit through the wire again!

Chuck with his 1st Marlin

After losing 3 rigs, I regrouped a bit, making some new rigs and setting a new spread of livies. I tacked a bit deeper then back shallower and managed another pull. This time is was a dorado that found its way into the hatch. Finally! I turned deeper after setting new baits and as the boat straightened, 2 rods went away. John and Chuck boated 2 yellowfin of about 6kg each… not my favourite fish to catch. Things seemed to be looking up and in 30m, the surface bait went away. Chuck took the rod on a pretty heavy fish that took several fast continuous runs. After 20minutes, the fish was close to the boat. The line angled to the surface and I saw a big sickle tail surfing down a swell. I first thought it to be a sailfish, but then it lifted the short dorsal fin and I could see it to be a marlin. After some fancy boat driving, I managed to get close enough to grab the bill and get a tag into an estimated 60kg black marlin for Chuck. I was surprised that the fish came in so easily, but maybe it was a blessing considering the light tackle used.

Amanda with her 1st Sailfish

After releasing the fish, the lines went out again. I had been trolling a deep line, but had not had a touch on it so I took off the sinker and left it on surface. I was bust letting out the 3^rd line when the now surface bait went away. There was a commotion on the surface as a sailfish tailwalked out the back. Amanda took the strike and had a tough fight with a fish that was fowl hooked. After a while, I managed to get hold of the bill and lift it into the boat. The weather and sea were still unsettled, so we decided to call it a day. I was pretty chuffed with our double on billfish for the day.