InTheBite

Tackle & Maintenance Tips

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Foam Reel Storage

Capt. Jeff Donahue
70-foot Hatteras, Hatterascal
Skill Level:

When it comes to interior design, rod and reel storage on a boat is commonly an afterthought. Capt. Donahue  utilizes strategically-placed foam under the salon sofa to securely stow his arsenal of reels (as pictured). Captain Donahue purchased his foam from www.thefoamfactory.com and says “outline each reel and cut out the sections as needed.”

Cable Puller Trick

Capt. Kevin Deerman
74-foot Viking, Draggin’ Up
Skill Level:

When doing electronics upgrades, you’ll likely run new cables at some point. Running wires can sometimes be problematic. We recently had a tech on the boat who was having a hard time running a new cable in the buggy top of the tower. The main problem was that it was full on one side and there were no pull cords or cables on the other. His solution was ingenious. He tied his pull cord to a ¼” hex nut and dropped it into the empty aluminum pipe opening on top of the buggy top. Next, he took a strong cabinet magnet he picked up at the hardware store. From there, he was able to “walk” the nut through all the turns in the aluminum pipe with the cord attached. In doing so, he made a new run with room to spare. It’s also a good idea to tape the face of the magnet to keep from scratching your aluminum or paint. Want your teak deck to dry faster and cleaner with no fish scales? Next time you visit Home Depot grab one these Unger Squeegees. They connect to your standard brush pole and will help clean off all the hard to see fish scales.

Teak Squeegee

Capt. Tucker Colqhuin
72-foot Tribute, Huntress
Skill Level:

Want your teak deck to dry faster and cleaner with no fish scales? Next time you visit Home Depot grab one these Unger Squeegees. They connect to your standard brush pole and will help clean off all the hard to see fish scales.

Cover Board Seal

Capt. Jeff Donahue
70-foot Hatteras, Hatterascal
Skill Level:

This is an added step that Captain Donahue incorporates to the teak covering boards on Hatteras boats. The idea here is to stop water from intruding into the teak end grain. Water’s entry into the teak can ultimately leads to teak cracks. Each covering board is finished with a biscuit edge glued to the edge of the teak covering board. Then the edge is coated with epoxy as a final sealant.

Clip the Downrigger

Capt. Scott Fawcett
Offthechainsportfishing.com
Skill Level:

When running dredges from a center console, attaching flatline clips to your downrigger boom is a great way to get flatlines out into the clean water and provide a bigger footprint.

Wanted: Boat Maintenance Tips

Send your best tips and techniques to info@inthebite.com.

 

Kona: You Should Really Go

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By Elliott Stark

Kona, Hawaii is a wonderful place. In terms of distance from a continental landmass, the Hawaiian archipelago is one of the most remote strings of islands in the world. Kona sits on the western edge of the Island of Hawaii—the Big Island. Its rocky coastline is the result of millions of years of volcanic deposits piling atop one another. The Hawaiian Islands are mountains that jut from the sea floor, covering thousands of feet beneath the waterline and thousands more above it. The mountainous interior of the Island of Hawaii creates a giant wind block, large enough to create a permanent lee and break apart hurricanes.

Thousands of miles from the nearest large river mouth and input of nutrients necessary for green or brown water, the waters that encircle Kona are bluer than blue. Not only is the water blue, so too are the majority of the marlin that transverse them. Many of the largest blue marlin ever tamed on rod and reel were Hawaiian-caught—most of them caught out of Kona. Grander blue marlin have been caught in every calendar month here.

The combination of calm waters, big and consistent blue marlin, remoteness, and Hawaiian hospitality has created one of the most unique and influential cultural traditions in sportfishing. Over the years, what has happened in Kona has touched the sportfishing world at large in many ways.

Captain Bart Miller, fishing aboard the Kona-based Black Bart, is credited by many with having the tuna tubes. Many of the lures you see dragged everywhere in the world were first designed in Hawaii—the tradition of master lure makers here is too great to mention. Kona is also on par with any place in the world when it comes to crews coming to accumulate knowledge. For many, the place is so enamoring that what was intended to be a stint working in the cockpit of a Hawaiian master soon becomes a longer-term job or the place they make their career.

There are many charming things about Kona. These charms relate to the fishing and the place generally. If you enjoy being offshore or have ever dreamed about catching a bruiser blue marlin, you should fish here. The following provides some context to this claim.

If This Dock Could Talk 

One of the most charming things about Kona (even more so than the fact there are wild mongoose running all over the place!) are the people who fish here. The careers and catch statistics, which are measured chiefly in the number of granders hung, are second to none. The lineup of captains and boats fishing out of Kononkohau Harbor could just as easily be found in the pages of a Zane Grey or Ernest Hemingway novel. There are too many great captains and boats fishing there to list here.

Most anyone who has spent any time fishing here has seen his or her share of big fish. As the fishing community is close knit, there are plenty of firsthand accounts of Bobby Brown’s world record Pacific blue marlin or Choy’s 1,805-pound monster or the exploits of Capt. Bart Miller. Captains are as excited to speak of the big fish they’ve seen and lost as they are about the granders they’ve captured. You can ask the question, “Have you ever seen anything bigger than the biggest you’ve caught?” in plenty of places. But when a man who has hung multiple granders and seen plenty of others weighed gets the faraway look in his eyes while recalling a sea monster lost, it makes you sit up a bit straighter in your chair.

To put this in perspective, we asked Capt. Fran O’Brien this question. When Bart Miller hooked up to the fabled 1,656, he called O’Brien in to leader it. There might be someone in the world with more big fish credibility than Fran, but I’m just not sure who it would be. In response to the query about whether he had seen anything bigger than what he had caught, he recalled this story…

“You can’t ever really know for sure, but one time we had been fighting a fish for 14 hours. It was the middle of the night… she took a big run and came up jumping. You could hear the splashing,” O’Brien recalled. “I looked up at the captain and he said, ‘We’re ___ed.’” The fish would go on to break the line.

A PhD in Lure Fishing super 

While it has been years since most places in the world succumbed to the dink ballyhoo revolution, Hawaiian captains still proudly pull plastic. In some of places where lures still appear, their selection is haphazard… the old, “Grab that one over there and throw a hook in it” type thing. In Kona, lure fishing is equal parts science and applied engineering with a healthy dose of aesthetic appeal mixed in.

The scientific approach to lure fishing makes sense. Many of the lures used around the world were designed here—some by captains still fishing out of Kona. Many captains still make their own pulling lures (producing a batch whenever they need some themselves—keeping some, selling a few others). If you were to ask around, you’d probably find that by percentage there are about as many “craft lure makers” among the charter fishing docks in Kona as there are craft beer makers in a neighborhood full of hipsters.

The hook sets and rigging procedures are equally dialed in. Where mates in other places might spend the ride out rigging dredge mullet or swimming ballyhoo, Kona mates will meticulously adjust hook sets to match the day’s conditions. “Hook up for slant heads, hook down for everything else.” In 2019 it is a unique proposition to set out for a day’s marlin fishing without a cooler full of dead baits.

Gorilla Fishing

The global domination of dink fishing has been accompanied by the prominence of smaller and smaller high-performance reels, fitted with strong drags and hundreds of yards of braid. Kona has largely been immune from this. Hawaii, along with perhaps Bermuda, the Great Barrier Reef and Nova Scotia, is one of the last strong holds of the 130. Whereas some boats fishing the Northeast or the Gulf or elsewhere pull out a couple 130s to look cool, the big guns are used here for a reason.

Big fish and deep water have spawned a saying that we heard more than a couple times, “They’re big reels but sometimes they are not big enough.” Captain Gene Vanderhoek runs the Sea Genie II, a charmingly appointed 39-foot Rybovich. Vanderhoek is credited with four grander blue marlin here— and he has released another. A more than capable conversationalist whose perspective is as wide-ranging as the stories he launches into, Vanderhoek provides context for the captains’ preference to use the big stuff.

“We had a father and son fishing with us. They wanted to catch a big tuna on 30-pound. We caught them one, and they wanted to put the 30 back out. There had been a good class of fish around—a grander had already been caught. I suggested that we stick to the 130s as a very special opportunity could present itself,” Vanderhoek begins. “We put out the 30 as a shotgun. A little while later, a grander came up and guess what it ate? It looked to be 1,100-pounds…I warned them.”

There is more than a bit of charm to watching lures bounce behind the boat, cockpit equipped with four hooked 130s. This type of charm emanates from the fact that, statistically speaking, a day fishing in Hawaii has a greater chance to produce the largest blue marlin you’ll ever catch than do most places. Any bite can be that bite. Most captains seem to prefer to remove chance from the equation, 130s spooled to the brim. While other places a captain’s success is measured in numbers of releases or grand slams, the king metric in Kona is number of granders brought to the scale.

A slow day of fishing in Kona is given solace by the fact that after catching a massive blue in the afternoon, nobody in the history of fishing has ever cared that the morning might have been a little slow. There is additional comfort in the fact that it is most always calm fishing out of Kona and that big fish have been caught in every calendar month. This same charm does not extend to places where sailfish bite best in 8’ seas and it’s 40-degrees outside. When you’re having a slow day of sailfishing— cold, wet and getting your teeth kicked in, there is generally no hope that thing that will break the cycle of monotony might weigh 900 pounds.

But the Flight is So Long? 

This is perhaps the biggest objection to someone from the eastern or central time zones planning to fish Kona. There are a couple of approaches to resolving this dilemma. Sure, it’s a long trip and it takes a bit of time to adjust to jet lag. But you can take solace from the fact that if you are tired while fishing, you’re still trolling around for giant blue marlin in one of the most productive, historically and culturally influential destinations in sportfishing.

You can also think about it another way, considering two scenarios.

Scenario One—Four Days of East Coast Marlin Fishing: Say you live in a spot on the East Coast and plan to go marlin fishing for four days. For the sake of argument, let’s assume that the ledge or canyon you are targeting is 75 miles from the dock and that you come and go from the dock each day (no overnighters). Let’s further assume that your boat cruises 25 knots and that there is no travel time between your house and the dock. Your total travel time for four days of fishing is 24 hours—three hours out and three hours back each day—six hours total per day, for four days.

Scenario Two—Four Days of Kona Marlin Fishing: Say you live in the same place on the east coast and decide that instead of marlin fishing out of your place, you decide to fish four days out of Kona. Assume that you decide not to cheap out on plane tickets and book a trip that includes one layover. You fly from

the east coast to LAX and then to Kona. Your total travel time each way is 12 and a half hours. Next you factor the run time out of Kona… the first day fishing with Gene Vanderhoek aboard the Sea Genie II, we nearly snagged the dock with our long rigger! (Not really, but you get the point…there is no run in Kona.)

For those keeping score, the total travel time, combining flights and runs to and from the fishing over four days, is within an hour or so of being equal. If you were so inclined, you could next factor the cost. The fuel tab on your four-day east coast endeavor would dwarf the charter bill for your Hawaiian marlin fishing expedition. The options for a day’s rate on a great boat out of Kona would set you back in the $1,000-$1,500 range, before tip. After all, costs are low when the fuel burn is minimized, and there’s no ballyhoo tab. A final benefit? You can get a much more awesome Hawaiian shirt in Kona than you can at your local marina store.

Seasonality 

Beyond the draw of big blue marlin, Kona sits squarely on the list of most people who are serious about the Royal Slam. It’s perhaps the best place in the world to tick off the spearfish (the species that might be the most common bottleneck in the quest). The tuna bite here can be good too and certain times of year there is a great wahoo bite. So now that you’re thinking about booking your ticket, when should you come?

Captain Gene Vanderhoek provides a breakdown of Kona’s fishing seasons. “Up until about five or ten years ago, we had good winter runs of small stripies and spearfish. Now it seems that the blue marlin fishing is good year round—it has been the past two years. The best times to come for blue marlin would be June through September. The best days are dictated by the tides and the moon—Kona has always been a dark of the moon type of place. That said, this year there was a grander caught on the full moon—so who knows? There are blue marlin, tuna… everything. Lots of spearfish in June and July,” the Kona veteran describes.

“In the spring, April and May, there are lots of wahoo around. The Sea Genie’s boat record is 28 in five and half hours. The spearfish are best in May, June and July. The big tuna show up in late May and June, through August. We typically catch them on jets and lures… 200 is a big one here.”

Splash Report: Sea Angel, The Last of the 72 Merritts

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Captain BC Angel and the Angel family are well traveled veterans of the sportfishing landscape. From Venezuela to Mag Bay to the Bahamas and Bermuda and Costa Rica, the Sea Angel team has done it. They now have a new platform from which to execute their operation – the newest, and last 72 Merritt ever made. “I like everything about it. It’s big and comfortable. The fit and finish is unbelievable – everything is top of the line stuff,” BC says, talking about the new ride.

“The build was amazing. Merritt is a first class operation. We had been looking for a new boat and they had this one going and we took it over.” “Merritt was first class all the way. They treated us like family and went out of their way to make any and all of our customizations happen.” The boat is specially crafted for extended travel and self-sufficiency in remote areas.

Picture of a sportfish boat Sea Angel 72 Merritt

photo courtesy of ah360views

“We have tons of storage and lots of redundancy. The boat has three fresh water pumps, four A/C pumps – all valved so that the system keeps working if you lose one. We have the new 32 KW generator from Kohler – we really like it. We also have tons of freezer space and two 500-pound, per day ice makers. We kept all of the audio/visual stuff simple and straightforward. All of the electronics on the bridge are user friendly and customized for what we want. We knew what we wanted and kept it super simple.”

What would the Sea Angel team do with a boat that is made specifically for a wide-ranging international fishing campaign? Travel and fish of course. The team closed on the boat on a Friday and left for the Bahamas the following Tuesday. From there it will be off to Bermuda for the summer tournaments before shipping the boat to Cabo in September. From Cabo and Mag Bay, the Sea Angel plans to return to Costa Rica for the tournaments in 2020. “We chose Merritt because it’s custom and they’ve been doing it longer than most people,” BC concludes.

Final Results: Fish Heads of Stuart Quickie & Pirates Cove Sailfish Classic

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Final results for the 2019 Fish Heads of Stuart “The Quickie”

First place – Floridian, Capt. Glenn Cameron with 9 releases

Second Place – Vintage, Capt. Hans Kraas Jr, with 8 releases

Third Place – Intents, Rhett Bailey with 7 releases … beating out the Lo Que Sea by time.

Final results for the 2019 Pirate’s Cove Sailfish Classic

First place – Showtime!, Capt. Jon Meade with 15 releases

Second place – Wrapped Up, Capt. Pat Price with 13 releases

Third place – Intents, Capt. Rhett Bailey with 13 releases

Congratulations to all the boats and anglers that fished!

Upcoming Tournament:

66th Annual Stuart Sailfish Club Light Tackle Sailfish Championship

December 11 – December 14

Navigating the High Seas: Fishing and the Changing Landscape of Marijuana Laws

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By Winslow Taylor

Between fish whistles, square groupers, and the inherent “leisure” aspect of fishing, it’s no secret that booze and other recreational substances have long since been around the sportfishing scene. I’m not condoning or promoting, it’s just a fact. If you can show me a sportfishing captain/mate who hasn’t seen some absurd behavior, I’ll buy you dinner for a month. Although booze has been legal since 1933, it’s only in the past few years that the political climate regarding marijuana legalization has begun to drastically change.

Medical marijuana was legalized in a few states as far back as the late 1990’s, but it wasn’t until 2012 that recreational marijuana became legal in Colorado. Since then ten states have legalized recreation marijuana, and of those ten states, seven border the ocean or a navigable body of water (Alaska, Oregon, Nevada, California, Maine, Rhode Island, and Michigan).

What does this mean? It means that many folks where marijuana is “legal” are avid boaters/fishermen and hold USCG merchant marine credentials. As a result, many may not understand the ramifications of marijuana’s use on themselves, their license(s), and vessel operation in navigable waters.

Protests calling for changes in marijuana law have become increasingly popular in many places. These
sentiments, however, are not likely to hold much sway over law offi cers that may inspect your boat and
its contents.

Legality of Marijuana

First off, I think it goes without saying, DO NOT USE ANY IMPAIRING SUBSTANCE while operating a vessel (or vehicle). It doesn’t matter if it’s a 9’ tender or a cruise ship – DON’T do it! Not only do you jeopardize your passengers and crew, but also the vessel, your license, your employment, and possibly your freedom. Where marijuana use is state legal, it’s STATE legal. Meaning if you finish up washing the boat in California and fire up a joint, you are not breaking any California laws. Again, don’t operate a vehicle while stoned, but you aren’t breaking any state laws onshore.

The problem is that marijuana is still illegal on the federal level. At the risk of preaching to the choir, the United States Coast Guard is a federal agency that enforces both federal and state laws on the water. It’s important to note that federal law supersedes states law. So, what does that mean?

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No Worries Mate: Working a Season on the Great Barrier Reef

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Photo courtesy Dave Ferrell

By Dave Ferrell

Grander marlin popped up like ants at a summer picnic this past November on the Great Barrier Reef, providing lucky anglers and crews with some of the best black marlin fishing they’ve seen here for some time. According to Granderwatch.com, boats took or released 15 fish over 1,000 pounds this year, with two weighing over 1,200 and one topping 1,400! (And the way they routinely let go of 900-pluses on the Reef, you can rest assured crews caught plenty more). Th e 1,431-pounder, caught on the Too Easy II on November 29 with Capt. Russel Gage at the helm, narrowly missed Capt. Peter Wright’s Australian-record fish weighing 1,442-pounds caught way back in 1973!

Not only do you get to use the heaviest tackle and the biggest baits to catch the biggest fish, you get to leader those fish on .040 wire or 600-pound-plus mono…and use the gaffs when they are big enough! It’s a learning experience that you really can’t get anywhere else in the world. So yeah, everybody who wants to pull on a big fish wants to work on the Reef for at least a season…and if you are serious about fishing as your profession, you should. But it’s not all “Granders every day and rum all night” either…a season on the Reef means long, hard days with barely any time off. You cook, clean and fish nonstop for 60-plus days, almost 24 hours a day. You do pay a price for every big girl you get to pull on…but it’s worth every penny.

This 1,431-pound black, caught aboard the Too Easy II in 2018, was a mere 20 pounds off the Australian record. Photo courtesy Dave Ferrell

Not a Regular Gig

Nicholas “Nick” Bovell gets around. A good fisherman with a tremendous work ethic, Bovell hails from Trinidad, but has fished all over the world with some of the best crews in the business – including stints on Gray Ingram’s Big Oh. He’s seen a lot of big fish on the leader and he knows how to get them in the boat – a skill that’s become increasingly rare since most sportfishing crews let the vast majority of their fish go unless they are in a big-fish, big-money tournament.

Those skills with a gaff make him a prized team member for crews looking to take big fish…That’s precisely how he wound up on the Adventum with Capt. Darren “Biggles” Haydon in 2018 for his third season on the Great Barrier Reef.

Bovell came to fish on the brand new Adventum thanks to Haydon’s relationship with the boat’s proud new owner, Kevin Hodgson, from South Africa. Hodgson hosted Captain Haydon on a trip to Cape Verde to fish his big boat. It was in Cape Verde that Haydon talked to the new owner and his captain, Dean Comberbach, about a possible first mate for the boat’s first season on the reef. Comberbach, who would be coming along for the boat’s maiden season as the second mate, brought up Bovell’s name.

“I was looking for the right job and was grateful for the chance to come back here. There are a finite number of boats and spots each season, especially good ones,” says Bovell. “The fish on the Reef are the biggest in the world and they test everything,” says Bovell. “And it all starts with the bait fishing in the morning…everything has to be perfect. There’s no Baitmasters out there, so you have to catch and process all of your own bait.”

You go through a lot of bait when you are black marlin fishing on the reef, even if you are only pulling two or three at time. Everything in Australia sports a nasty set of teeth and chop-offs can come fast and furious. “The sheer volume of everything is a lot more than I expected,” said Comberbach, “Catching and processing a lot more bait than I’m used to was a big adjustment. Instead of having ten baits rigged and ready, you need 20 here. Looking after your baits is such a critical element to this fishery. The boats are mainly set up for taking care of bait; with good brine boxes, freezers, storage…everything. The attention to detail in every aspect was startling. The weather is a big factor too… It can blow like hell for an entire month…20 knots…which just makes everything a bit harder.”

“You certainly don’t have to rig scad like you do here anywhere else in the world,” says Bovell. “Bait rigging here is an art form, and I’ve learned from some of the best guys. This place can humble anyone really quick. The mates here are really good fisherman who  have worked with some of the best captains, who, in turn, were some of the best mates. And they all catch the biggest fish in the world. I’m so grateful the for local mates that have taught me. They have been very welcoming. If you’re not cocky and a dick they are very welcoming. Dave Cassar helped me out a lot; and Jay and Rhys [Reese] on the Askari and Dean Ford. I’m very grateful that they let me come and enjoy their fishery. They all have a lot of knowledge and have seen a lot of big fish…you can learn if you listen.” “You just can’t buy a boat and come here and do this shit!” says Comberbach. “Just listen and learn. Put your ego aside. If you are not hitting the bed entirely wore out every night, you’re doing it wrong.”

The ever-present opportunity to wire big blacks keep mates keen for the long heavy tackle season. Photo courtesy Dave Ferrell

Long Days

One unique aspect of the Great Barrier Reef fishery presents one of the biggest challenges for any crewman who wants to spend a season on the reef – the live aboard charter. A fishing trip to Australia takes a lot of time, money and commitment. Charters here usually run five days or more, with an average charter lasting ten days. Most of these are done without the benefit of a mothership – with the charter and crew sharing close quarters for the duration of the trip. Most of the charter boats here are 50-feet or less. This means that cooking three squares a day (plus snacks), doing laundry, washing tons of dishes and trying to make sure you guests have a great trip…no matter what kind of fishing or weather you might encounter – is all done in close quarters. It’s a 24/7 job that you never get to leave. There are no trips home until the season is over.

This is what it’s all about. This is also why you rig a lot of bait. Photo courtesy Dave Ferrell

“It’s not that hard, it’s just different. Not going home or getting off the boat each day, a lot of guys have a hard time with that aspect. A lot of the guys from North Carolina make it; not so much the sailfish guys from south Florida,” says Bovell with a grin. With everything going on at once, Bovell likes to establish a routine and stick to it. “Since you are essentially a floating hotel and restaurant, getting into a good routine ensures that you don’t forget to do something. We can’t control the fishing, but we can control what you eat and how much fun you have. I’m not the guy who likes to stay up late and entertain, I get up early and clean all the heads. I tap out early and let Dean stay up late…hangovers are the worst!”

When working a season in the cockpit, prepare to rig lots of baits… and big ones. Photo courtesy Dave Ferrell

“You certainly provide a lot more than just the fishing,” agrees Comberbach. “You have to provide entertainment above and beyond. You are still on when the sun goes down.” Although he agrees that a routine keeps things humming, Comberbach also realizes the need to know when to make adjustments to fit each client. “You really get to know your clients when you are with them 24 hours a day. You can start to anticipate what they are going to need or want. If a guy is going through a ton a of beer a day, you have to make sure to make time to get those beers into the cooler so you don’t run out of cold ones!” With just a short 60- or 70-day window to the big fish season, crews scramble to come into port with one charter and leave the next day with another. After a fi ve or 10-day trip there’s a whole host of cleaning and provisioning chores that need to be executed in a very short amount of time.

“You have to pull all the sheets and get all the laundry done and then you have to make the boat look like it’s the first day of the season. I like a clean boat. Th e clients appreciate it and it makes things easy for us as well…less hassle,” says Bovell. “Team work makes the dream work…and it takes a really good team to go 60 or 70 days straight here.” “We spent 30 days with one charter, the owner Kevin Hodgson, and we had one half day in Cooktown,” says Comberbach. “We were on this brand-new boat and we were working a few things out…fortunately nothing major occurred and we never missed a day of fi shing. You just have to build some trust with each other and do a good job. It helps if you have a great captain like Biggles. Capt. Haydon is amazing. He makes the hard stuff look easy…his program is sick.”

Mates Rhys Younan-Wise (left) and Jay Househan of the Askari. Photo courtesy Dave Ferrell

Keen

Aussies still frequently use a lot of words that American English speakers have largely abandoned – with “feral,” meaning “wild,” an obvious favorite of mine. (Ferrell-feral … get it?) “Keen” is another example. Keen pretty much translates as “eager” or “hungry” to do something. According to local Aussie mate, Rhys Younan-Wise (pronounced Reese Uniwize), on the Askari, “keenness” for fishing is the most important thing a mate can bring to Great Barrier Reef when looking for a job. “Th ey can expect hard work and long days…you need to be keen. You need to be a very keen fisherman to be able to handle it and do it for the whole season. Lots of rookies show up…and lots of rookies do really well. But to perform consistently for the entire season you really have to want it. It’s a long slog, but good fun!” he says. “It’s all worth it when you finally get here and catch the big one,” says Jay Househan, Askari’s second mate. In addition to being keen, that Younan-Wise suggests making sure you have a job lined up before you get there. “

These days, with all the Facebook and other social media, it’s a smart move to get in contact with a lot of people and let them know that you are wanting to come. Get your name out there among the captains and mates. It shouldn’t be too hard to get a bit of work. And once you’ve done it, your name gets around pretty quick. It’s not hard after that if you do a good job. Just make sure you get your name out there before you turn up. If you turn up without a job…just keep walking the docks. Keep talking to people and making friends. Keep asking all the captains…somebody is going to go down during the season.” “You don’t do it for the money either,” says Bovell. “You get paid, but it’s not a whole lot.” It’s the experience that keeps you coming back. “The wildness of this place, out on the reef at night, with all the jacks in the lights it’s just indescribable,” says Comberbach. Comberbach got a real treat during his first season when the Adventum caught a big fish for the owner.

“We wanted to take a big one for Kevin. He’s always wanted a big one and we were working hard towards doing it. To get it done you have to have a plan.” The plan came together on October 29th and Dean was on the gaff. Dean made a perfect shot in the dark under the lights and the team got the 1,260-pounder into the boat. It was Capt. Haydon’s biggest fish in his 31 years on the reef. Can you imagine? Your first year on the reef, sticking a 1,260 in the dark? Gives me a horn just thinking about it.

 

 

The 2019 Blue Marlin Report from Texas

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As we near the end of our fishing season in the Texas Gulf, I began to reflect back on the incredible marlin fishing our tournament fleet has experienced in the previous few years. This year, on the other hand, has been a little off in comparison. While the bulk of the season hasn’t lived up to the previous few years, it seems to picking up here towards the end.

Last year at this time, this column described the Hoover/Diana Spar producing over 45 blue marlin in a five week period. These catches and releases were all reported between the Poco Bueno tournament in July and the Texas Legends tournament in August. Were the numbers not enough, many of them being solid fish and a few in the 600- and 700-pound class. 

The Diana bite never really happened this summer. In fact, if you were to combine the action from all season in all of our normal tournament target areas that it would have matched last year’s bite from the Hoover/Diana Spar alone. What accounts for the difference in fishing results? For starters, the favorable current and bait conditions that produced the bite last year have not been present at Hoover/Diana in 2019. 

  • Cotton Mesa Whitetail

While the overall number may have been down, there were a few boats that did have epic trips throughout the summer. In early June the Hook N Bull released six blues on an overnight trip to Diana. These early results had many thinking that the bite was about to go off again this year… but not much really happened at Diana thereafter. 

In the Texas Billfish Classic, our tournament season starter this year, there was a really good bite at the shelf rigs for about a week. This area produced the majority of the 22 blues for the 26 boat fleet fishing the tournament. Of these 22 blue ones, the Bali Ha’i caught four and took home second place in the release division. The Done Deal, who won the release division, also picked up the last couple of their blues in the same area. Their total for the tournament was six blues and one white. 

Fishing finally picked back up on Labor Day weekend with most of the boats reporting at least one blue marlin release. If the wide distribution of action were not enough, the Game Plan set a new Gulf record going 8 for 10 on blue marlin in a single day! Game Plan caught all eight of their blues at the Perdido spar rig using stand up tackle and estimated them all to be between 400- and 600-pounds. 

Perdido is the southernmost rig that we fish off the Texas coast. In addition to the new single day Gulf record, the rig has produced many tournament winners in the past. The following weekend, the crew on the Sigsbee Deep headed back to the same spot and went three for four on blues with an extremely big girl that they gave a very conservative estimate of 700 plus pounds. 

Before we call 2019 a thing of the past, we still have a little time before hunting season is full on. As long as the weather cooperates, we hope to tack on a couple more good reports.

–  That’s the report from Texas. 

Pure Fishing Acquires Fin-Nor and Van Staal

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Pure Fishing recently announced they will be acquiring iconic fishing brands Fin-Nor and Van Staal from W.C. Bradley/Zebco Holdings, Inc. The addition of these brands add to Pure Fishing’s dominant offering in the saltwater category, including the premium PENN Fishing brand, one of the most widely-respected saltwater fishing equipment brands. 

The company is working to bring newness and marketing support to the two brands in order to accelerate momentum as part of Pure Fishing’s ongoing focus on driving growth of the fishing industry. Captain Craig Cantelmo will also be joining the Pure fishing team as part of this acquisition. Cantelmo will be reporting to Dave Bulthuis, Pure Fishing’s newly appointed President of North America, who was the director of sales for Fin-Nor earlier in his career.   

“The Fin-Nor and Van Staal brands are some of the most storied brands in the fishing industry,” said Harlan Kent, CEO of Pure Fishing. “We are excited to add them to our portfolio and are committed to maintaining their focus on the independent retailer channel. Our Pure Fishing team looks forward to driving growth of these brands and of our overall saltwater business anchored by the iconic PENN brand.” 

Fin-Nor was started in 1933, when Captain Tommy Gifford and inventor Frederick Martin Grieten, along with a few other salty Miami captains, created a prototype reel that caught a 527-pound bluefin tuna in Cat Cay. This event carved out a unique position for the brand and Fin-Nor reels have racked up more than 900 International Gamefish Association (IGFA) records in the years since. 

Van Staal was created in the early 1990’s to fulfill a need for extreme performance in challenging saltwater conditions. The brand was born in the salt, rock, sand and surf of the Atlantic Ocean and has been building equipment with the same durability and performance attributes ever since. 

 

 

Gear & Gizmos: From Aurora to Verado

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 SiOnyx Aurora: True Day Color Vision at Night – From a Light Weight Super Camera

The SiOnyx Aurora is an incredibly versatile, incredibly useful night vision camera that provides day color imaging at night. Perfect for boating, hunting, hiking, or any night time activity, the light weight camera is water proof rated. The camera shoots 720 HD video and includes a removeable and rechargeable battery as well as built in WiFi, GPS and accelerometer. Weighing just under eight ounces, the lightweight camera is capable of capturing still, burst and 720p video with an integrated HD OLED display for real-time color night vision. Free companion apps on iOS™ and Android® enable real-time navigation or the ability to control the Aurora directly from a smartphone.

“Aurora enables boaters running at night to identify navigation markers, explore dark anchorages, and imperatively, spot small water craft operating without illumination. With the Aurora, the fun doesn’t end when the sun goes down,” says SiOnyx CEO Steven Saylor. The Aurora has won the electronics category of the 2019 Miami Boat Show Innovation Awards. The awards annually recognize new, innovative products from the manufacturers and suppliers of the marine industry.

“The electronics category of the Innovation Awards is always difficult to judge, with incredible technology presented to our panel each year,” said Zuzana Prochazka, co-chair of the Innovation Awards and writer at BWI. “But this year it was truly no contest. The Aurora brings boaters the superhuman ability to see in the dark – a game-changer not just for boaters, but for the marine industry as a whole.” MSRP $799. For more, please visit: www.sionyx.com.

Furuno’s “Electronics Multi-Tool” Available in Black Box Version

Furuno’s new 4850 is a black box version of the company’s 5-in-1 unit (featuring VHF Radiotelephone, Class D DSC, GPS Receiver, AIS Receiver, and Simplified Loud Hailer with Intercom), the 4800. The 4850 retains the rich feature set, rugged durability, and ease of connection to other Furuno models of marine electronics, but features a much more compact, space-saving design.

The Furuno FM4850 includes the same ‘all-in-one’ features found in its companion model, but its black box configuration allows it to be installed in an out-of-the-way location. The unit’s included handset with LCD Screen and waterproof speaker can be installed in easy-to-access locations. Up to three individual ‘stations’ can be connected to a single black box installation, each of them with full access to the FM4850’s capabilities. This means you can have a Marine VHF Radiotelephone with built-in Class D DSC, GPS Receiver, AIS Receiver, Multi-Station Intercom, and 30W Loud Hailer with Listen Back capability installed at multiple locations onboard, all with one simple installation.

With its built-in GPS receiver, all the FM4850 requires is an external GPS antenna. The unit does not require an external GPS source to enable its DSC functionality. The unit can be used as a backup source of GPS positioning for other onboard electronics. It provides safety, reliability and versatility a neat, unobtrusive package. For more, please visit: www.furuno.com.

The MOB+™ Wireless Man OverBoard System – The Future of the Kill Switch

The MOB+™ Wireless Man OverBoard system is an innovative, ABYC compliant, life-saving safety device for your boat. Consisting of an easy to install HUB (mounted on or near the boat console) electronically connected to up to four wearable FOBs, the MOB+ is a high tech kill switch with many safety advantages. Up to four FOB’s can be connected to the HUB at the same time. The unit features a patent pending wireless protocol (WiMEA), an ergonomic design, and is made with high-quality marine grade components all of which make it extremely reliable (and surprisingly affordable).

The MOB+ provides greater freedom of movement than a traditional kill switch lanyard. Up to four xFOBs can be connected to the xHUB™ at the same time, with one unit acting as the captain’s stop unit (which kills the engine) and the additional three serving as alarm units for passengers. The unit is ideal for any boater, but especially crews that perform crossings, fish overnighters or take charters out at night. For more, please visit: www.fellmarine.com.

 Comprehensive Seamanship Information at Your Finger Tips

Whether you are studying for your Captain License exam or have decades of experience at the helm, Quick Reference Cards from Davis Instruments provide comprehensive seamanship information at your fingertips. It’s quicker and more consolidated than an internet search – and available even when WiFi is not.

Davis offers six double-sided, full-color Quick Reference Cards. Each is loaded with information that’s been distilled-down into graphic summaries and easy-to-read text. Designed in close cooperation with the U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary and U.S. Power Squadrons, they’re complete, precise and up to date. Quick Reference Cards are made from thick, durable plastic and are completely waterproof for use in all weather. 8.5″ W x 11″ L and three-hole punched, they fit a standard three-ring binder.

The cards are designed to cover specific applications: a Boating Guide (#128), US Buoyage System (#125), International Navigation Rules (#127), Coastwise Piloting (#126), Celestial Navigation (#132), and Weather Forecasting (#131). Even if you know all of this information already, having the cards on hand is a great way to educate others. For more, or to buy them, visit:  www.davisinstruments.com.

Portable Ultra-Pure Water Anywhere – Blue Water Desalination

Blue Water Desalination (BWD) unveils its latest innovation in water purification: the ClearMate Mobile (CM2) portable dock water filtration system. The Blue Water CM2 mobile series is a compact, portable reverse osmosis filtration system that turns dock water into ultra-pure spot-free water. Designed for ease of use at docks around the world, the CM2 offers a simple, mobile solution for keeping your yacht in bristol condition. Boats and yachts both big and small can now enjoy ultra-pure water anywhere in the world, by simply connecting the new ClearMate Mobile from Blue Water Desalination to any dock water supply.

Features and benefits include: Spot-free rinse water; Mechanical flow meter tracks processed water; Automatic operation; High rejection membranes for up to 99% rejection of total dissolved solids; NMEA 4X waterproof & flame retardant enclosure; Wheels & handles for easy moving; Can be fed off of dock water or an existing seawater desalination system, and; Compact design. For more, visit: www.bluewaterdesalination.com.

Permanently Installed Barnacle Flush from Bye Bye Barnacle

Bye Bye Barnacle is currently the only proven permanently installed flush unit on the market.

Engineered and developed to remove barnacles from plumbing, air-conditioning and refrigeration, the Bye Bye Barnacle (patent pending) unit is permanently installed in the mechanical space of your vessel. Designed for a trouble-free maintenance experience, systems need to be flushed every six weeks to avoid buildup of marine growth especially in warmer climates. The flush unit is plumbed into the supply and return manifolds of the air conditioning and refrigeration systems. The flush unit is plumbed to onboard fresh water system for filling, with the discharge pumped overboard. Discover why F&S Boatworks, Weaver Boatworks, and Hinckley Yacht Services rave about this latest innovation in flush systems. For more, visit: www.byebyebarnacle.com.

Ultra Performance, Ultra Functional Shirt by Columbia – Force XII Zero Long Sleeve Hybrid

Columbia’s Force 12 line is composed of hardcore gear designed to stand up to the elements and perform on the water. The Force XII Zero Long Sleeve Hybrid shirt combines sun protection, sweat-activated cooling technology, and moisture wicking. Snap buttons make for easy on and off, without buttons to snag. The shirt runs true to size and is stain and rip resistant. A great choice for fishing all day that can transition well to dinner at night. Technical features include: zippered chest pockets, thumb holes, reflective detail, built in sunglass cleaning patch, and Columbia’s trademarked Omni Freeze Cooling technology, Omni Shade UPF 50 sun protection and Omni-wick anti moisture properties. MSRP: $100. For more, visit: www.columbia.com.

Fine Italian Chairs for the Yacht, Villa or Home

Sea Vision by Underwater Lights USA is the exclusive North American representative for the Italian manufacturer Foresti & Suardi. Designer Christian Grande and Foresti & Suardi have developed this line of innovative and beautiful folding armchairs to bring style to yachts, villas and apartments. Each piece is made combining chromed brass and teak, the end result is a top quality aesthetic piece with Italian style.

The Montisola is a modern, refined version of the classic “film director chair.” Solid, comfortable and practical, it shows a perfect balance between the teak and metal elements. The synthetic fabric allows for ventilation and fast drying. Each chair comes with its individual carrying bag making it easy to transport or store away.

Minimalism, elegance and comfort were the inspiration for the Iseo Chair. Modeled after the timeless small folding armchair design, the Iseo is made of curved teak wood and metal accents. The internally lined, synthetic mattress allows ventilation and fast drying. Each of these chairs also comes with its individual carrying bag. For more info, please call 954-760-4447.

Verado 400 by Mercury Marine

Mercury Marine announced the launch of the 400hp Verado outboard engine, the company’s highest horsepower Verado branded outboard engine in its portfolio. “The acceptance of the 350hp Verado in the marketplace has been incredible and through extensive conversations with our global customers, we have learned that there is an appetite in the marketplace for a Verado-branded 400hp four-stroke outboard engine,” said John Pfeifer, Mercury Marine president. “As boats continue to increase in size, so has the need for more power. This gives us an opportunity to provide an even higher horsepower Verado in the market, providing the durability and reliability that the Verado brand is known for around the world.”

The 400hp Verado is suitable for a wide range of applications, including center consoles, pontoons, bay boats, and larger sport boats. Weighing just 668-pounds, same as the 350hp Verado, the 400hp Verado is also the lightest outboard in the 400+ HP category by nearly 300 pounds. The 400hp Verado is available for order today and will begin shipping in the spring.  MSRP $34,135. For more, visit: www.mercurymarine.com.