InTheBite

A Carolina Classic– Fight N Lady, Oregon Inlet NC

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By Capt. Jeff Waxman

Fight-N-Lady sitting pretty in her slip June 2018 after 43 years of charter fishing. Tower removed early 90’s.

In the early 70’s the fleet at Oregon Inlet Fishing Center (OIFC) consisted of some 30 charter boats, almost all run by owner operators, almost all single engine, much like today. The newer boats were likely to be the 37’ers built by Warren O’Neill, pushed often by Cummins 903’s running roughly 16-18 knots. The older rigs, like the Jerry Jr. and the Erma Queen, had the old style canoe stern, workboat lines and paddled along at maybe 14 knots…maybe.

Spring of 1974 though, caused a bit of a stir. The Gal O Mine built by Omie Tillett was splashed. She was built for Big Al, Allan Foreman, local charter Captain. She was big..53’. And she was fast…23 knots at 1850 turns being pushed by a Detroit 12v71 Ti..and she still had more in reserve. And she was beautiful, proud bow, lots of flare, sweeping sheer line, with gleaming Awl Grip to show her off!  Some folks even commented that her size and power might just cause her to break up in heavy seas!

Well, not only did she not break up, she ushered in a new era. The following spring, Buddy Davis splashed his hull number one..the 46’ Capt BC for Buddy Cannaday, who soon would follow building boats himself!  The BC was pushed along at 21 knots powered by a single 8v71Ti.

But, the Gal was Queen of the Fleet, Big Al at the helm, leaving daily at daybreak…first out and first back. She even had the then unheard of electronic marvel of…radar!  On more than one occasion in fog or heavy rains most others followed her.

Fighting 800 lb Blue Marlin in 1985. Photo taken from Authors boat.

But, by the early 80’s, Big Al bought a strip of marshland on Roanoke Island and sold the Gal to Jap Richardson, likely who hired Benjie York as Captain. At this time, the Gal was docked right beside my partners 35’ Harris, a private rig. We marveled often at how well the Gal rode and how comfortable she was, how many folks could relax in her huge cockpit…

Well, of course the inevitable took place…my partner, Capt Joe Perez, bought the Gal from Jap in the early 80’s!  Joe hired the best..Capt Sam Stokes… as full time Capt and the name was changed to…Fight N Lady. Sam and Joe ran her through the 80’s amassing a record of successes along the way…including in 1985 a 1020lb blue marlin..then the third largest Atlantic Blue taken in the world!  Add in the countless limits of tuna and dolphin, the big eyes and the years of multiple releases of white marlin…an enviable record.

But, by the mid 90’s the Detroit 12 was getting tired, wheezing a bit, smoking a bit..so a new power plant was installed…a 3412 Caterpillar, manual not electronic, bringing her up to 1050 horsepower. Now, her cruise increased to 25 knots and her fuel burn went down. A typical full day offshore run? 130-140 gallons…efficient enough to make her profitable to run even with fluctuations in fuel pricing.

Through the 90’s the Lady remained a top boat. In fact her Tee Shirts have been seen not only in the worlds best fishing spots, but also in places like Bangkok, Copenhagen, Lucerne and on and on. Sam ran her generally with Joe filling in as needed.

The Tee Shirt…well known the world over.

As the times changed, Joe talked seriously about perhaps a new build Lady. The newer rigs were now pushing 60’, cruising 25 knots plus and gorgeous to look at. But, every time he crunched the numbers and did the analysis, it was crystal clear…the Fight N Lady was the perfect combination. She was fully updated, beautiful to look at, still fast, economical and great in any sea!

Fast forward to 2018. Sam has retired, Joe still runs her on occasion, a new and capable Captain, Roger Parker is at the helm ( he was the mate for many years before getting his ticket) and she stays fully booked and continues as one of the top boats in the Fleet!  In June 2018, I took a friend on her for a two day busmans holiday…limit of tuna by 9:30am Wed, limit of dolphin by 9:30 Thursday capped off by a sailfish release…and back at the dock by 1:00! And her powerplant?  Over 30,000 hours, running strong as new, oil changed religiously and risers every five years or so!

June 2018 on Fight N Lady. Sailfish release, caught by Dr. Pat Petrera of Salisbury, Md.

A true Carolina Classic in every way..from the builder, to her Captains and to her owners…she’s as good as it gets!

Just a side note: to give you an idea of the forward thinking of Big Al,  her first owner and Captain, the piece of marshland that he bought in 1980? Today it’s known as “Pirates Cove”.

A Captain’s Guide to Boat Salvage

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by Dave Ferrell

With all of the hurricane destruction in 2016, photos of destroyed, damaged, sunken or otherwise battered boats are floating across the internet. What becomes of these boats? How does salvage work and what about insurance coverage? The following is Dave Ferrell’s breakdown of the process. Whether a boat owner, captain or crew, this information is a must-know for anyone involved in boating.  – ITB

On August 24, 1867, the Blackwell, a British ship docked in San Francisco Harbor caught fire around 4 a.m. When the crew was unable to contain the blaze, it was forced to abandon ship. As the fire raged, a tug boat docked nearby named the Goliath raced over to the vessel and tied up alongside. With the help of local firemen and two fire engines that they had put onboard, the Goliath fought the blaze. After about a half hour, their combined efforts put out the fire, saving the ship and some of its cargo.

Consequently, the owners of the Goliath sued the owners of the Blackwell in the San Francisco District Court for a salvage reward, winning a judgement for $10,000. (The U.S. Constitution grants federal courts original jurisdiction in “all cases of admiralty and maritime jurisdiction, including salvage cases). That ruling was upheld by an appellate court, but the Blackwell’s owners appealed again, bringing the case to the United States Supreme Court.

Ultimately the Blackwell’s owners gained a minor victory when the judges determined that the firefighters’ efforts made up half of the salvage operation and thereby awarded the Goliath’s owners $5,000 or half the amount due. It wasn’t, however, the monetary award that made this ruling so compelling. Rather it was the Court’s creation of the elements that must be considered when determining a salvage reward. These are now known as “the Blackwell Factors.”

Salvage Rules, Sort Of

 In the Blackwell decision, the courts set six factors that should go into determining the “reward” that a salvage company can claim. They set the main details in determining the amount of the reward for “a salvage service:

(1) The labor expended by the salvors in rendering the salvage service.

(2) The promptitude, skill, and energy displayed in rendering the service and saving the property.

(3) The value of the property employed by the salvors in rendering the service, and the danger to which such property was exposed.

(4) The risk incurred by the salvors in securing the property from the impending peril.

(5) The value of the property saved.

(6) The degree of danger from which the property was rescued.”

Unfortunately, these factors don’t provide any formula as to how these different elements would be weighted in determining the amount awarded, however, all of these factors must be considered when setting the value of the reward due to the salvors. In 1989, the salvage industry came together to create an international standard for all salvage operations. This standard added several additional factors, including promptness of the services rendered; the availability and use of vessels or other equipment intended for salvage operations, and; the state of readiness of the salvors’ equipment.

These regulations are known as the SALCON 89 agreement. It also goes on to detail the responsibilities of both the salvor and the boat being salvaged. But again, there are no guidelines on how much weight each of the factors should play in determining the reward, except that the reward cannot be more than the value of the vessel and cargo itself.

Boat Salvage in Practice

According to Chuck Hansen of Fast Response Marine Towing and Salvage in Miami, most salvors base their fees on either a percentage of the value of the vessel or a per-foot fee. “There are two types of salvage,” says Hansen, “contract salvage, where you write up a contract and come up with a price up front; and pure salvage or ‘no cure no pay.’”

Pure salvage occurs when services are rendered voluntarily in the absence of a contract. To keep salvors from plucking up unattended boats there are three elements that have to come into play for a pure salvage to be valid, (a) a marine peril; (b) service voluntarily rendered when not required as an existing duty or from a special contract; and (c) success in whole or in part, or a contribution to such success. So if a salvor tries and fails to save the vessel, no matter how hard he tries or how much danger he put himself in, he gets nothing if the cargo and/or ship is lost.

“The standard per-foot rate for a sunk or sinking boat is around $175 to $200 a foot,” says Hansen, “or a percentage of the vessel’s worth…commonly 20-percent at the highest. You are allowed to bill up to 30-percent if it’s incredibly dangerous, at night etc. If you have a 30-foot Bayliner, I’m probably going to charge you by the foot. If you have a 45-footer worth a million dollars I’m going for the percentage. And that percentage will fluctuate depending on the Blackwell factors. You also have low order salvage that is usually between four and six percent. To get that 20-percent it really has to be a salvage performed under some pretty risky conditions. Any unmanned vessel that’s adrift is also a salvage, and even certain tows can be considered salvage as well. If you get inside the swim buoy or up on the beach, I can consider it a salvage if I so choose…so make sure you have a good anchor!”

Hurricane Damage, Vessel Owner’s Liability

With all of the hurricanes hitting the US this year the salvors are enjoying a bit of a business boom, but it’s not easy work. “About half of the boats will have good insurance and will be taken care of pretty quickly,” says Hansen.

“An owner or insurance company will contact us, and we will come and try to refloat the boat and get it to a haul out facility. But getting the boats from Irma has been very challenging. Most of our refloats have to do with a bad fitting or a failed pump, something that’s easily fixed to get the boat floating again. A lot of the boats we’ve dealt with from Irma had bottoms that looked like Swiss cheese. They don’t want to float, so we have to either make extensive repairs and patches or tow them submerged. Once we make it to a haul out, we will put it on a transport and let the insurance company make the call on whether it will be repaired or deemed a disposal,” the salvor continues.

One thing you see a lot of in South Florida are seemingly abandoned sail boats and old power boats on moorings. Are boat owners responsible for damage done by a boat set adrift during a storm? According to Hansen, probably not. “I’ve talked to a couple of lawyers and they said that hurricanes are an act of God. Just like if a neighbor’s shingle comes flying off his roof and breaks something, your neighbor is not responsible,” he says.

Here a boat sets aloft on its bottom in Cudjoe Key as a result of Hurricane Irma.

At the same time, if your vessel is leaking fuel or damaging the environment you can be fined heavily if you don’t respond to the Coast Guard in a timely manner. “Let’s say your boat sinks and it’s spewing fuel, and you cannot afford a salvage fee. If you can’t get someone there to take care of the problem in short order, the Coast Guard will federalize the vessel. They will pay a government contractor to salvage the vessel, usually at a huge price, and then go after the owner for the money. A lot of folks just don’t understand the kind of liability they can face when their bargain basement 30-year old trawler sinks at the dock. That great deal can come back and haunt them,” says Hansen.

All of the leaking boats from Irma created a huge natural disaster. In response, the Coast Guard made a nationwide call after the storm to get as many port teams as possible into the South Florida area as soon as possible. They are tasked with finding possible environmental hazards and getting the folks who own the boats to take care of them. If you do not respond in a timely manner, you will be fined into submission.

During normal times, when there’s no hurricane boats to salvage, Hansen and his crew will go on patrol looking for sunken boats or vessels in distress and try to locate the owner. “I can get a name and address from the FL numbers. I’ll often look up the names on Sunbiz because most owners of nice boats have some sort of business. A lot of the folks don’t even know that their boat is sunk,” says Hansen.

Hansen also works with the city to take care of some of the derelict boats littering the bays and canals around the City of Miami Beach. “They have a great program that gets rid of these boats quickly. They put the job up for bid and once you win the job you have 24-hours to remove the vessel. On a larger scale, sometimes a municipality or government body will contract a single salvage operator to take care of all the derelict boats in an area. They will bring in a barge and haul out 50 boats at time. That’s what’s going to happen to most all of these hurricane boats here in South Florida…the state’s going to have to do something.”

If You Run Aground

There are no hard and fast rules about what to do when you’ve grounded a vessel but there are some things you need to consider before you jump into a life raft and float away. Once you leave the vessel, it is considered unmanned and it is now fair game for the first salvager that appears on scene.

“You probably want to try to get pulled off first,” says Hansen. “Of course, that depends on what kind of bottom you are stuck on, rocks versus sand, and the configuration of the boat. An outboard or an I/O will probably come off just fine, but if you have inboards and shafts, you can do a lot of damage trying to pull it off. Even if the boat is in calm water and it looks super simple, the way salvage is if you are on the ocean, it’s an automatic salvage.”

The price you end up paying for a salvage can take months or even years to make its way through lawyers, insurance companies and adjusters. “The higher the reward the longer it takes,” says Hansen, “and you rarely have someone pay the bill that you give them. Since the adjuster has to make himself look good, they will fight every bill, no matter how fair. It’s customary to overbill, since we know that they are going to refuse to pay on the first go around. I’ll have to tack on an extra $500 or so just so the adjuster can cut it and show that he’s looking out for the insurance company. It’s a pretty crappy business in that respect.”

New Bertram 61: Unveiled

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The new Bertram Yachts unveiled its latest edition—the Bertram 61—at a VIP launch party in Fort Lauderdale on Friday July 20, 2018. The CEO of Bertram Peter Truslow launched the boat with a champagne toast delivered from the bridge. Sitting back to back the newly released Bertram 35, Truslow proclaimed the 61’ as the future direction of the brand.

Photo courtesy of Chris Rabil

InTheBite’s Dale Wills and Elliott Stark were on hand to check out the goods and talk with the men and women making it happen. The new Bertram bridges the historic past of one of sportfishing’s most illustrious names with the future of boat building. The progress is exciting.

Exterior

  • Construction features an infused vinylester solid fiberglass hull bottom with Kevlar centerline and strake reinforcements.
  • Twin CAT32s, 1900-HP diesels to provide top-of-the line performance and speed.
  • A spacious and easily to maneuver cockpit, when the bite is on.
  • The center console helm gives great visibility and offers a comfortable ride.

Interior

  • The open salon-galley layout, wrap around windows, and full-beam master stateroom, are just a few of the features that make the interior one of luxury and comfort.

Maverick Yachts of Costa Rica and Saunders Yachtworks Collaborate Building Sportfishing Yachts

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Maverick Yachts of Costa Rica, Saunders Yachtworks Announce Joint Boat Building Venture

 

Costa Rica-based boat builder and U.S.-based refit yard to collaborate on new sportfish line

Gulf Shores, Ala. – July 10, 2018 – Saunders Yachtworks and Maverick Yachts of Costa Rica have entered into an agreement to build sportfishing yachts for the U.S. market. Maverick will construct the cold-molded hulls and vessel superstructure at the company’s facility in Herradura, Costa Rica. Saunders will outfit the yacht at its boatyard in Gulf Shores, Ala.

According to Saunders CEO John Fitzgerald, the company intends to offer the full model line of 36- to 50-foot Maverick sportfishing yachts for sale in the U.S., starting with the first 40-foot triple outboard walkaround in spring 2019.

“Maverick brings exceptional boatbuilding skills to the table, and we bring expertise in equipment installation, outfitting and after-sales service,” Fitzgerald said. “Once I toured the Maverick facility and saw their craftsmen at work, I knew we had a great opportunity to build something together.

“Everyone who visits Costa Rica to sportfish knows the reputation of Maverick Yachts. Their track record for durability, craftsmanship, and attention to detail speaks for itself. These boats have been raising fish off the Pacific Coast for years, and we are excited to make them more accessible to customers in the United States.”

“People love our yachts because they raise fish and have unmatched durability,” Maverick Yachts CEO Larry Drivon said. “We are thrilled to find a U.S. partner like Saunders who has an excellent reputation in the yacht service industry and whose insight can be adapted into our production process.”

Maverick Yachts in Costa Rica custom builds cold-molded yachts that are carefully designed by dedicated fishermen and constructed by some of the finest craftsmen found anywhere in the world. The complete boat is finished to a standard comparable to the most prestigious custom manufacturers in the United States. For more information, please visit www.maverickcostarica.com.

The Saunders family has been in the marine service business in coastal Alabama since 1959. With skilled technicians and craftsmen in all areas, Saunders manages projects ranging from routine maintenance to major refits and repowers. The company operates a full-service yacht yard in Gulf Shores that accommodates vessels up to 130 feet with a 165-ton lift. Saunders has a second location in Orange Beach with a 60-ton lift capacity and an outboard sales and service center. For more information, please visit www.saundersyacht.com.

Bayliss GameBoat 62’ “Tarheel” In Production

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Bayliss Boatworks is building a new GameBoat, sized at 62’ and named Tarheel. This build began in March of 2018.

Tarheel features the V.2 GameBoat layout – a healthy synergy of the first two GameBoats built by Bayliss; she combines the practicality of Mama C with the custom lower level layout of GameChanger. Bayliss Boatworks’ first demo boat, she will be fished heavily on the east coast tournament circuit and will eventually wind up in Costa Rica.

Exterior features include a variety of faux teak components, including a faux teak toe rail transom and drip molding. She will have a sleek profile, hard top, and white windshield. It’s all about symmetry on Tarheel: the flybridge will have the classic center console arrangement. A center door will orient the salon, and two peninsula cabinets will be featured in the galley for refrigeration and storage.

The lower level will be comprised of a simple three stateroom/two-head layout, along with an easily accessible dayhead and tackle room, each situated just off the main companionway. Systems will include two 20 kw Northern Lights generators, an FCI 1,800 gallon per day watermaker, and a Dometic Chilled Water A/C system (now standard on all Bayliss builds).

Specifications

Length: 62’

Beam: 18’ 2”

Draft: 4’ 8”

Fuel: 1,850 gallons

Water: 300 gallons

Power: Twin MTU M96L 10V @ 1600 hp each

Stabilization: Seakeeper 9

Tarheel will deliver in summer of 2019. Bayliss Boatworks has been building custom sportfishing yachts in Wanchese since 2002. Four builds are in progress at the company’s facility in Wanchese, including a Bayliss 75’, a 78-footer named Blue View, and two 62’ GameBoats – GameChanger and Tarheel.

For more information on Tarheel and all other builds, past and present, visit www.baylissboatworks.com

Old Salts Rule: Captain Mike Merritt

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Captain Mike Merritt: 50 Years in Fishing and Still Going Strong

by Capt. Dale E. Wills

While at the helm of the 52-foot Irvin Forbes-built Billfisher, Captain Mike Merritt had a young deckhand named Arch Bracher. One day Bracher asked if he could try something different when it came to leader material. Capt. Merritt, in his easy-going style said, “Sure go ahead as long as it doesn’t cost us any fish.”

Weeks later the Billfisher was steadily doing just a little better than the remainder of the Oregon Inlet charter fleet. It was evident something was going on when one day as they approached the marina. “I’ll be behind your boat when we get in,” radioed Capt. Bull Tolson. That evening when the Billfisher backed into its slip at the Oregon Inlet Fishing Center, Capt. John Bayliss helped with one stern line and Tolson helped tie up the other. The impromptu meeting and the tackle inspection that ensued changed white marlin fishing to this day. The year was 1988.

Prior to the Billfisher’s experiment, the entire North Carolina fleet used wire leader with ballyhoo. Bracher’s decision to use mono leader and dink ballyhoo baits, similar to his Mexico sailfishing spread, brought about change in the fleet. Bracher’s eagerness to catch more fish and Capt. Mike’s willingness to change is one of many contributions Merritt and his crews have developed for the sportfishing industry.

A Life Spent on the Water

Capt. Mike “Bubble Gum” Merritt, is 50-year fishing professional. Growing up on the Outer Banks of North Carolina, he was destined to live a working life mostly on the water. “At the age of six, I had a bicycle and a fishing pole and every day I could, I would ride down to the water and fish. One day a thunderstorm blew in and my mother got real worried and hopped in her car and came looking for me. When she found me, I was unphased by the storm and continued to fish. From that day on, my mother would tell anyone who listened, ‘That boy is going to be a fisherman when he grows up.’”

In 1968, fresh out of high school, Capt. Merritt’s first full-time job came as a mate on a 48-foot Manteo-built boat named Germel with Capt. Dan Lewark. “I made $90.00 a day for an offshore trip,” says Merritt. After seven years as a mate, in 1976, Merritt stepped up to the bridge on his own 40-foot Warren O’Neil, the Billfisher. “I only had a VHF radio, a compass and a Flasher for electronics. We would use landmarks for navigation. Upon returning to port from offshore, at the first sight of land, if we saw cottages, a water tower and/or a lighthouse, we were five or ten miles north of Oregon Inlet. If we just saw beaches, we were south of the inlet,” recalls Merritt. From 1976 through 1991, Merritt was a fixture in the Oregon Inlet Charter fleet along with the Billfisher boat name. Boat builders, such as Sheldon Midget, Billy Holton and Irvin Forbes each had a Billfisher name on the transom through the years. “The 52-foot Irvin Forbes was my first twin motor boat in the late 80s,” says Merritt.

Merritt began building the Billfisher charter boat legacy in 1976 with his first captain’s job on this 40’ Warren O’Neal.

 “One day in 1991, while getting fuel for my charter boat, a man asked me to run his boat. At that point, I wanted to give the private gig a try. It didn’t take long before I was traveling the world. I fished Bermuda, St. Thomas, Mexico (Puerto Aventuras) and the Bahamas.” Asked about his biggest catches, Merritt reflects on some large fish. “We weighed in a 958-pound marlin in Oregon Inlet, released a bigger blue in St. Thomas and a big one in Venezuela. I’ve seen a lot of big fish in my career,” says Merritt, humbly.

Looking Back

When asked about his role models, Merritt reflects, “Tony and Omie Tillett come to mind, but I have just too many to name.” It turns out that the fishing is only one of the things Merritt cherishes from a life on the water. “It’s been the dock comradery and the people who make up the fishing community which have made my career so blessed. I’ve had some great times around the dock.” In a chuckle Merritt says, “The Oregon Inlet Charter Fleet is home to some of biggest pranksters you’ll find anywhere. I could go on and on about the stuff we would pull on each other.” Here is one of Merritt’s favorites.

“In the early 90s, we were fishing a tournament when a small outboard decided to try to drive through the middle of the fleet. As luck would have it, the outboard hooked up with a nice marlin. It didn’t take long before the outboard gets on the radio telling everyone how big his marlin is.”

From (L to R) Angler Dr. Langon, Jeff Reibel and Captain Mike Merritt. The image was taken in September 1977, Oregon Inlet Fishing Center during the second year of the Oregon Inlet Billfish Tournament.

“As time passed any boat remotely pointed in the outboard’s direction was given instructions to deviate course. The outboard continued drifting with the current and miles from where it first hooked up when the situation took on another dynamic. The captain began desperately trying to communicate with a big Japanese tanker ship.”

“’Japanese tanker, this is the outboard with the twin motors, please alter your course, we are fighting a marlin….Please turn left.’ After failed attempts to reach the ship, the desperate outboard called anyone asking if they knew what channel the tanker was on. ‘You have to use channel 13’, I responded.”

“Seconds later, with the entire charter fleet tuned in… ‘Japanese tanker, this is the twin outboard, can you please turn, you are going to run over my fish. Merritt, in his best broken accent responded, “‘Ahhhhh, twin outboard, no can turn ship.” In disgust, the outboard radioed one of buddies saying “I can’t believe he won’t turn and every one of my radios onboard were made in Japan.”  Eventually, the tanker passed, and I’m not sure if the outboard ever caught the fish, but us charter captains sure had a good laugh after that,” says Merritt.

This was the first grander caught on Jo-Boy out of Oregon Inlet, NC. Interestingly, the fish was caught on a 9/0 Penn Senator with 100 lbs. mono (not much line capacity). A young Capt. Mike Merritt can be seen with the ball cap on along with many Carolina legends including Capt. Harry Baum, Sam Stokes, Timmy Pierce and Harry Baum. Jr.(we need help identifying everyone).

These Days

Today, Capt. Merritt has returned to the charter business and can be found at Pirate’s Cove running the Sandra D.  When asked about the difference of captains and crew compared to days gone by, Merritt says candidly, “Electronics and dredges.” So what advice would you give a future captain or mate? “Choose this industry because you love meeting people and you love fishing. It takes a certain character trait to do what we do as a career. I’ve never thought about doing anything else.”

You can charter Merritt by visiting www.sandradsportfishing.com or call 252-305-2825

The Fine Art of Live Baiting

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by Elliott Stark

Live baiting is founded on a very simple biological concept. Since the very first time two fish swam in the ocean, the big ones have been trying to eat the little ones. In spite of the simplicity of the precept, live bait fishermen represent one of fishing’s most secret of societies. Fine tuning their presentations, crafting marlin bites that are as intimate as they are spectacular, the captains who have perfected the fine art of live baiting have long been viewed as secretive and mysterious.

Their craft—catching big marlin using live bait—has been passed along from person to person in much the same way that Aristotle or Socrates advanced their philosophies. Originating from such exotic ports as Hawaii and Panama, taught from captain to mate in the cockpit of some suspiciously slow-trolling vessel, live baiting has taken the marlin tournament scene by storm. The introduction of live baiting to the Gulf of Mexico has turned the 800-pound blue marlin from a fish of a lifetime to something you need to hang in order to be in the conversation for winning a tournament on any given weekend in the summer.

Given its incredible popularity—increasingly tournament teams need to be proficient live baiters in order to have a chance in kill tournaments, a discussion of when, where and how to live bait effectively may be in order. Far from being a one size fits all proposition, live bait aficionados from different regions illustrate the many nuances to its practice. From Panama to Hawaii to the Gulf Coast, when properly deployed, live baiting is an incredibly effective and efficient way to target large marlin.

The Theory of Live Baiting

While there may be captains who are exclusively “lure guys,” there are few who avow to only live bait fish. The reason for this is simple: live bait fishing is best applied to situations of opportunity. When imagining when and where to empty the tuna tubes, you must think like a fish. Live baiting works best in places that are most likely to hold fish. Regions of the world associated with a tradition of live baiting all have one thing in common—structure.

It is the structure that holds bait and attracts marlin that make live baiting successful. From Panama—the Zane Grey Reef, Hannibal Bank and the shelf, to Hawaii and its ledges, to the Gulf Coast’s oil rigs, natural or manmade focal points in the ocean provide the live baiter’s bread and butter. Even when fishing structure, live baiting is generally reserved for times when the conditions are right.

When gorilla fishing, it sometimes comes down to a simple choice: sashimi or live bait?

Captain McGrew Rice, a veteran Kona charter captain, is recognized as one of Hawaii’s authorities on the fine art. “We have a lot of natural ledges here. Certain currents push lots of bait onto the ledges. When this happens, we go inside to catch bait and bring it outside to work the ledges. We then wait for the fish to show up,” Rice describes. Captain of the Ihu Nui, a 45-foot Monterrey, Rice has been fishing these waters since his father bought his first charter boat in 1968. Since 1986 he has averaged between 200-250 days fishing per year.

McGrew’s largest live bait-caught blue weighed in at 1,019. His experience and perspective is intensely valuable in how he determines when to deploy the bridle rigs. “We can live bait year round. When we do it really depends on the current and when the bait shows up. You want bait at 60-100 fathoms to know that the current is working right, you know. You don’t want it at 200-300 fathoms,” Rice explains.

Live baiting is about precision and thoroughness. The art can be conceptualized as methodically working an area that you are certain holds fish. Thinking about fishing in terms of three speeds is helpful. If the water is not what you are looking for, you pick up and cruise away at 30 knots. If the water is promising, but you haven’t located a focal point, lure fishing at 8 knots or so allows you to cover ground while trying to raise fish.

When you come upon the location that has everything you are looking for—bait, clarity, water temperature and maybe even some structure (a floating tree in Panama, for instance)- it’s time to toss the small tuna. Depending on region and approach, live baits are fished somewhere between “in and out of gear” to around three or four knots on the trolling valves. In this approach you are not trying to drive over sticknose, you’ve found the dining room and are waiting for him to take a seat at the dinner table.

Captain Jeff Fay, another authority on Hawaiian live baiting, illustrates the nuance of the theory. Fay, who runs his 37-foot Rybovich Humdinger, has been running charters since 1966. “I’m not really sure who started live baiting in Hawaii. I learned it from a commercial fisherman, Olney Roy. He’d been doing it for years, and that was in the 60s,” Fay describes his introduction to the art. “I live bait on structure—usually at the grounds around the 100 fathom mark. I fish bottom structure on the deep side of the 100-200 fathom mark. I fish the up current side of the structure. On the other side, you’ll get more sharks and less marlin.”

Fay’s best live bait-caught marlin are a 967-pound blue and a black of 953. As for bait preference, Fay prefers an aku—or oceanic bonito. While there are extravagantly appointed modern sportfishers that use swimming pool pumps to circulate a dozen tuna tubes, Fay’s approach is straight forward. “We run a big Ruhl pump. When we need more bait we catch it, because we generally only live bait when bait is available.” Rather than catching bait and running, he generally catches it and deploys it in the same spot. Situation is key.

Rigging

While most tournament-winning captains guard the secrets of their hook sets and leader dimensions as closely as the KFC original recipe, generally speaking there are some parameters for what to use and how. While Captain Wade Richardson may be too humble to tell you of his incredible skill in the live bait department, his pile of top black marlin release captain awards from TBF and a 2011 payday at Poco Bueno betray his secret. Wade recently concluded a 15-year stint running The Hooker in Panama, splitting time between Piñas Bay, the Pearl Islands and Coiba.

Captain Wade Richardson’s long time mate Herbie deploys this bite sized treat. Perfect for a black, a blue, sailfish, dorado, roosterfish or cubera.

“Unless I’m tournament fishing, I prefer light leader—300-pound fluoro. We snell our hooks, instead of crimping them, because they’ll run straight on the bait. Crimps can roll over and hook the side of the bait. We also use a section of chafe tubing (where the leader meets the hook) if we’re going to kill a fish. You can control them better that way,” Wade explains.

Richardson also described how light leaders without chafe tubing make for an easy way to release fish. In addition to the wear on the leader from the bill, under pressure a weak spot is created in the line where it meets the eye of the hook. Light leaders without chafe tubing permit mates to pop fish off at the hook when exerting pressure on the leader, without worrying about the line breaking prematurely from the drag. For this reason, Richardson doesn’t exert full strength when locking in the snell before fishing.

Richardson carries an abundance of premade leaders in two or three sizes. The leader size is matched to the hook size. The largest is reserved for the biggest baits, with smaller bonito bridled on intermediate leaders and hooks. Matching the hooks to the size of the bait keeps them alive (and not helicoptering) longer.

When it comes to bridling the bait, Richardson prefers a snug fit without space between the bait’s forehead and the shaft of the hook. “You can control the baits better that way,” he says. To keep unruly baits in line, there are a couple of tricks. “If your rigger baits keep crossing, try poking the inside eyes out. They will then keep to the outside. For larger baits that pull out of the clip, you can cut their tail a bit.” This can also make it easier for the marlin to catch the bait, rather than it jumping out of the water or popping out of the clip before the bite.

The Spread

Few captains have benefitted more in the past few years from the ability to live bait than Captain Jimmy Crochet. Crochet, who runs the 61-foot Viking the Conundrum, won The Billfish Foundation’s first ever Top Captain Award for the Gulf of Mexico in 2014. Based in Orange Beach, Alabama the Conundrum is a staple on leader boards of the Gulf’s biggest tournaments. Crochet credits his induction into the fine art to Captain John Holley of Destin, whom he fished with as an up and coming mate.

“We live bait a good bit while tournament fishing. Generally, we start at about 4 am, jigging to fill up the tubes. At daylight we bridle two baits straight from the jigs so that we start fishing with a full supply of bait. Our normal spread is four baits,” Crochet explains. “We run one close behind the boat (they generally hold this rod or rubber band the line to the reel handle). We put two baits in the riggers and put one out of the center rigger. We put our biggest bait closest to the boat. Sometimes we’ll pull a teaser with a live bait on the end of it too.”

Captain Jimmy Crochet has built an incredible reputation in the Gulf by catching big blues on big live baits.

Crochet’s favorite bait for marlin is a blackfin tuna in the 15-pound range, with a firm bridle. As the Conundrum fishes larger baits, they also tend to feed the marlin longer. Crochet estimates that they will average between 25-50 seconds before putting the reel into gear. “Every fish is different. It really depends on what the fish is doing and how big the bait is, but generally the longer you can feed the fish the better,” he says.

Captain McGrew Rice’s Kona spread generally includes two baits. “We fish one on the surface, about 40 fathoms behind the boat. We fish the other on a down rigger at 150 feet, about 100 feet deep after the angle,” Rice says. For the downrigger, he prefers a rubber band attaching the line to the clip. “Our premium baits are two to five-pound skip jacks,” McGrew describes. “Yellowfin are good, but they have scales. Lots of times a fish will slip on the scales and get tangled up in the leader.” Once bit, Rice generally gives the fish 10-15 seconds, but says “they generally have it down pretty quick.” Rice also favors a snug bridle.

Big mouths and powerful strikes, black marlin are ideal targets for live bait.

The Fine Art Demystified

Once considered practitioners of a secret, potent form of fishing magic, the wizardry that is well-executed live bait fishing is taking the marlin world by storm. Witnessing a captain and crew that are experts in the fine art is a sight to behold. Sure, big fish have been trying to eat little fish since there were fish in the ocean. Live baiting, however, is more than just exploiting a biological imperative. When executed correctly, it is a fine art.

Hatteras Yachts and Fish Tank Sportfishing Team Up

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HATTERAS YACHTS ANNOUNCES PARTNERSHIP WITH FISH TANK SPORTFISHING

World-Class Anglers Will Help Design Next Generation Hatteras Sportfishing Yacht

 NEW BERN, N.C. – JUNE 12, 2018 – Hatteras/Cabo Yachts LLC (“Hatteras Yachts”), a world leader in the construction of convertible sportfishing and luxury motor yachts from 45 to 105 feet, announces a partnership with sportfishing couple Chris and Laura Jessen, world-renowned anglers and owners of Fish Tank Sportfishing. Along with their captain, Ben Horning, the Jessens will collaborate with Hatteras to design a next-generation sportfishing yacht.

“We’ve been fishing on our Hatteras GT63 since 2012, and we chose Hatteras again because we have had a tremendous experience,” said Chris Jessen. “They build a high-quality boat at Hatteras with amazing attention to detail. We’re honored that our ideas and designs will live beyond our boat and influence the legendary Hatteras Sportfishing line.”

“Hatteras is thrilled to collaborate with Fish Tank Sportfishing,” said Hatteras Yachts President and CEO Kelly Grindle. “Chris, Laura, and Captain Ben have incredible expertise, have logged thousands of hours on the water, and have released countless fish. We will be designing a boat where every detail has been considered by world-class anglers.”

The partnership officially begins today. In the coming months, Hatteras will work closely with the Jessens and Captain Horning to design the new boat. Caterpillar Marine will also be a key partner in the building of this new sportfishing yacht.

For more information on Hatteras sportfish yachts, visit www.hatterasyachts.com/sportfish.

Follow @hatterasyachtsnc and @fishtanksportfishing on Instagram for regular updates on the partnership between Hatteras and Fish Tank Sportfishing.

Dock Talk: C-Worthy Custom Yacht Canvas

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Here’s a look at our visit with C-Worthy Custom Yacht Canvas. Owner, Carol Dykes, shares why their products are functional works of art.