By Rick
Posted Sunday, June 3, 2007
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From our deckhand Rick on the Morehead City, North Carolina sport fishing boat the Second To None:
 Shane got a call from Bad Luck Bob, I mean Yankee Bob's wife. GET HIM OUT OF HERE AND TAKE HIM FISHING!!!! He is driving us crazy. Bob has been Bluefin Tuna fishing with us about 12 times and never a nibble. We catch one the day before or the day after he leaves. His dream is to catch one stand-up. He brings his own gear, 2 Accurate 80's and a Accurate 50 and all the lights, bells and whistles. He told me how they rig in Florida and we walked through it together. Shane and I have never done this kind of fishing before but we were eager to give it a shot. Bob has been swordfishing and caught a bunch in Florida but he knows they are here. Well Third time is a charm. Bob's wifes only request was WAHOO!
We planed on leaving the dock out of Morehead City at 10:00, I got there at 08:45 and Bob was waiting with a big smile and eager to get out there. We had a delay waiting for the ice shop to open and Bojangles don't fry chicken till 09:30, got to have fried chicken to go fishing in Morehead City NC. We're off, head to the 20 ftm line to look for a Wahoo. Bob told me on the way out, MAN I FEEL GOOD ABOUT THIS TRIP, ITS GOING TO HAPPEN! I was sceptically optimistic.
Throttles back, mess in looks good. 20 minutes into the troll, BAM the planer trips, I see it skipping on the water as Bob cranks it in, S%^$ a king, NO! a wahoo, 18 lbs but a hoo none the less. I told you Rick I feel good about this trip, Bob says. We diddled and dragged the rest of the afternoon looking for a billfish, Picked up a couple of mahi before it was time to rig and settle for the night. Shane checked the current and planned out a drifting route for the night. Just at twilight the spread was set. Bob was very antsy walking around the pit. When, RIP RIP RIP the close in gets zapped. Bob's on it. Not this one. Crank it in and the bait looks like a Japanese Chef went ot work on it and the mantle was all the way up to the light. Re-rig and set back out. Finally Bob takes a seat, when he does the middle line goes rip rip riiiiiiip! back on it, NOT AGAIN, reel!
By now we had drifted more than we wanted, So Shane recommended we go back to where we had the first bite. Bring the mess in and off we go. If anyone has done this before you know how much work this is. We set the spread and get ready to hunker down when the close in says RIP RIP RIP RIIIIIIIP. Bob gives a few quick cranks and comes tight. YEA BABY. Shane fires up the motor and its on. I thought the other lines were out far enough since we had him on the up and down rod. We fought the fish for over 30 minutes till I seen lights come up, what a mess. I'm thinking shark as I had a hand full of tangle mess when I hear the triumphant yell, SWORD! Well well well, come to papa as the steel dug into him! Nope he wasn't a stud but it is a SWORD, our first.
 We did a little celebrating, After we got the mess back in the water. You've got to have your priorities you know. I'm thinking, there is no way we will get another hookup tonight. I am straighting up the boat and I notice Bob is standing by a rod looking, I had heard a rip, but just a short one. I continued on my duties and I asked him, whats up. HE'S HERE. I looked, Yea maybe, I thought, rip rip.... Hummm. Bob starts cranking and it's on again No way I thought. Sure enough. Engines rev and because of our drift the fish was in front of the boat, middle line, Now we have to clear everything.
I forgot to mention Chip Register was onboard and he helped get it out alot. The line slid down the rigger line and got caught in the ring, OH SH&*!!!! Its dark and my arms ain't as long as they used to be, or my near vision ain't what it used to be, but it came out anyway and it was on. Back and forth Bob and the fish , stand up. LIGHTS I see the lights just 10 ft from the boat. Bob is putting it to him when Bob almost did a back flip. THIS AIN"T RIGHT!!!!! It's over, done nada no more tonight, 0300.
We put the mess back in and Bob and I settled down in our bean bags with both ears open. They sell alarm clocks that sound like reels going off... Well at 0430 it did. Shark but we see the sun light off in the horizon and it’s time to troll. Mess out mess back in and we picked at the gaffers till 1030. Everyone very happy, a little tired, lets head for home. This was up there in the top 5 of my most favorite trips. This was a novel I know, sorry, but......
GOD I LOVE THIS JOB!!!! SECOND TO NONE Charters
Article Courtesy of SECOND TO NONE Charters
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