It was my typical Wed morning, head to the gym at 5:30 with the wife then we go about our plans for the day. She is a teacher and I had a pellet stove to service and told her I will finally start the refurb on the VC Encore.
Boat I have been fishing on wanted crew to be ready for the next weather window.
Well, at 11:00 am I get the call and asked how soon can I be at the boat. This would be my seventh trip this season and wanted to sneak one more in before eye surgery.
Enough boring stuff, let's get to the fishing.
Captain could not get regular crew due to the short notice but he was able to put together 4 other guys with good boating and in shore fishing abilities.
We leave Watch Hill RI at 8:30 PM to headed to Fish Tales Canyon, after boat was passed Montauk he needed some sleep and I took over the wheel dodging a fleet of trawlers zig zagging in my path to make it interesting and keep me awake. At 2 am I was spelled until 4:30 when we reached the flats and deployed the spread for the morning bite.
7:00 am one rod starts singing and I grab it, 35lb. LFT on the deck to get the skunk off.
7:30 am 5 rods go off, set the crew up and cleared lines, one came unbuttoned and we landed 4 more LFT's
Trolled for a while picking up 3 mahi's and around 1:30 a rod goes off with something a little more substantial. One of the guys harnessed up and I cleared lines and strapped him to the pole, after about 20 minutes of fighting he looked at me and said "I can't do it". I harnessed up and 45 minutes later we have a 260 lb. Big Eye on the deck.
![[Hearth.com] Personal Best X 2](https://www.hearth.com/talk/data/attachments/112/112366-47a64b3743330889abd9356d94085e3b.jpg?hash=DaUbgdcIPG "[Hearth.com] Personal Best X 2")
We trolled around picking up 5 more LFT's sunset and full moon in the same sky were spectacular. I set up 3 guys for the night time chunk and about 9:30 I needed sleep.
Midnight rolls around and I feel someone shaking me saying "we need your help!!" I half awake slip into my boots and head to the pit where one of the guys harnessed up (with my gear) is begging for me to take the rod. I grabbed what harness was around and took over. After fighting for 30 minutes (still no color) the gear I had on was not feeling to good, so I asked someone to take over while I put my gear on. Got my gear and adrenaline on and I was ready for action. The guys on the night chunk told me they had 2 bite offs prior to this fish and the deployed a shark rig which this fish bit. At this point we see deep color and are now thinking shark. Gaffs and poon ready, wondering if the shark would be legit? It did not act like a mako, hmmm, Captain says "it could be a Tiger or Great White. Maybe we should cut the line?"
We lost color, the line kept twanging like a piano wire ready to snap, I feel slack and crank up and we have color, not a shark but a nice Big Eye
At 2:30 am the team worked great and squeezed a 300+lb. Big Eye through the door.
Hope this does not bore you guys, I have been absent from the forum due to my addiction to off shore fishing.
Not only did I land my 1st Big Eye, I got a second. We were supposed to stay out one more night but had the problem of no where to put the fish.
Photos of 2nd big eye. Star Island Yacht Club has never seen one this big, dressed weight was 240 the estimated it was easily 300, I pulled a flat of squid out off the belly. Enuff said, I am still recovering and have to get the Encore done.
Boat I have been fishing on wanted crew to be ready for the next weather window.
Well, at 11:00 am I get the call and asked how soon can I be at the boat. This would be my seventh trip this season and wanted to sneak one more in before eye surgery.
Enough boring stuff, let's get to the fishing.
Captain could not get regular crew due to the short notice but he was able to put together 4 other guys with good boating and in shore fishing abilities.
We leave Watch Hill RI at 8:30 PM to headed to Fish Tales Canyon, after boat was passed Montauk he needed some sleep and I took over the wheel dodging a fleet of trawlers zig zagging in my path to make it interesting and keep me awake. At 2 am I was spelled until 4:30 when we reached the flats and deployed the spread for the morning bite.
7:00 am one rod starts singing and I grab it, 35lb. LFT on the deck to get the skunk off.
7:30 am 5 rods go off, set the crew up and cleared lines, one came unbuttoned and we landed 4 more LFT's
Trolled for a while picking up 3 mahi's and around 1:30 a rod goes off with something a little more substantial. One of the guys harnessed up and I cleared lines and strapped him to the pole, after about 20 minutes of fighting he looked at me and said "I can't do it". I harnessed up and 45 minutes later we have a 260 lb. Big Eye on the deck.
We trolled around picking up 5 more LFT's sunset and full moon in the same sky were spectacular. I set up 3 guys for the night time chunk and about 9:30 I needed sleep.
Midnight rolls around and I feel someone shaking me saying "we need your help!!" I half awake slip into my boots and head to the pit where one of the guys harnessed up (with my gear) is begging for me to take the rod. I grabbed what harness was around and took over. After fighting for 30 minutes (still no color) the gear I had on was not feeling to good, so I asked someone to take over while I put my gear on. Got my gear and adrenaline on and I was ready for action. The guys on the night chunk told me they had 2 bite offs prior to this fish and the deployed a shark rig which this fish bit. At this point we see deep color and are now thinking shark. Gaffs and poon ready, wondering if the shark would be legit? It did not act like a mako, hmmm, Captain says "it could be a Tiger or Great White. Maybe we should cut the line?"
We lost color, the line kept twanging like a piano wire ready to snap, I feel slack and crank up and we have color, not a shark but a nice Big Eye
At 2:30 am the team worked great and squeezed a 300+lb. Big Eye through the door.Hope this does not bore you guys, I have been absent from the forum due to my addiction to off shore fishing.
Not only did I land my 1st Big Eye, I got a second. We were supposed to stay out one more night but had the problem of no where to put the fish.
Photos of 2nd big eye. Star Island Yacht Club has never seen one this big, dressed weight was 240 the estimated it was easily 300, I pulled a flat of squid out off the belly. Enuff said, I am still recovering and have to get the Encore done.
Attachments
![[Hearth.com] Personal Best X 2](/talk/data/attachments/112/112367-72c69dec26edaa9fab3220c01d9e31e5.jpg?hash=4z5TBvElEz)
![[Hearth.com] Personal Best X 2](/talk/data/attachments/112/112368-d6ee54ce40e48660b8573830fb87aa19.jpg?hash=wG6ZR6B6dV)
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I am passed jealous, now I am pizzed. Gonna have to get my "fish" on before the water gets hard around here.
