Super User 00 mod Posted June 14, 2011 Super User Posted June 14, 2011 No bass fishing for the last 2 weeks, but did get to hook up with a couple Blue Marlin on consecutive trips... First was Friday June 3rd in Negril Jamaica 7 foot 150 lbs Second was Friday June 11th in Castries St Lucia 14-15 ft 8-900 lbs broke the rod at the 3 hr 58 min mark and then the line at the 4 hr 13 min mark...... VERY disappointing after such a long battle, but we saw her 3 times and she lived to fight another day... Jeff Quote
Super User SoFlaBassAddict Posted June 14, 2011 Super User Posted June 14, 2011 Good stuff right there. I haven't been able to do as much blue water fishing in Jamaica as I've wanted. The few times I have though, it's been a complete blast. Heck of a fishery there. Those 150 pounders are just good fun. Nothing backbreaking, but still a nice exciting fight. The handful of really big fish I've landed have really been special fish. The ones I've lost have been just as memorable. There is almost nothing cooler than watching a giant marlin walking across the water a few hundred yards behind the boat. The only drawback is how sore you can be afterwards. Bet it was an awesome trip for you. Especially since it's probably something that you don't get to do all that much. Quote
Super User 00 mod Posted June 14, 2011 Author Super User Posted June 14, 2011 Sofl, It certainly was a memorable trip! My first landed marlin, and almost my second. I get offshore as much as possible(1-3 times a year consisting of 3-8 days) but dont get to do it as much as I would like. Most trips are a week and during that week I fish 1-2 times! This trip was 2 week and I only fished twice, so you see how sporadic it is! I have had the opportunity to fish in all of these countries though: Honduras, Guatamala, El Salvador, Barbados, Belize, St. Thomas, Cancun, Cozumel, Costa Maya and now Jamaica and St. Lucia. My quote after that 4+ hr fight, split between myself and one other guy was, " I felt like I had been run over by a dump truck" We had dinner reservations that night and didn't make em, as I took some advil and sat in the hot tub for a while before passing out for the evening without dinner! Jeff Quote
Super User SirSnookalot Posted June 17, 2011 Super User Posted June 17, 2011 Great fish, great trip !......A shame some many people have no interest in these majestic fish. At my age I'm done with fights that last over an hour. Quote
Super User roadwarrior Posted June 17, 2011 Super User Posted June 17, 2011 What a trip! Great story, great pics! Quote
Super User South FLA Posted June 17, 2011 Super User Posted June 17, 2011 Nothing like catching a Marlin, its tons of fun then the work begins and the reward follows, was that a custom rod? Almost looks like some type of WOOD from the picture. Quote
Super User SoFlaBassAddict Posted June 17, 2011 Super User Posted June 17, 2011 Does look a lot like wood in that picture. If I had to make a guess, it'd be a glass rod. Quote
Super User 00 mod Posted June 18, 2011 Author Super User Posted June 18, 2011 I'm not sure. I kept the tip that broke off and it appears to be wood. Not adequate equipment if you ask me. Especially for a paid trip. I will take pictures in the morning and post for thoughts. Jeff Quote
Super User 00 mod Posted June 18, 2011 Author Super User Posted June 18, 2011 Looks like shoddy equipment to me! Even though website says top of the line equipment!! Jeff Quote
Super User South FLA Posted June 18, 2011 Super User Posted June 18, 2011 Really looks like a wood rod blank to me, with some roller guides and graphite reels. Top of the line stuff for offshore marlin outfitters is a Penn, Avid, Marlin and Tuna Customs, etc. mated to a custom rod or high end manufactured rod with Aftco or Winthrop guides, you can tell the higher end serious charter boats as soon as you lay eyes on the fishing combos. Nevertheless, saltwater and saltwater fish test even the best equipment. Quote
Super User SoFlaBassAddict Posted June 18, 2011 Super User Posted June 18, 2011 Sure as hell does look like wood. The rollers appear to be Aftco's, but you never can tell now without actually having them in your hand. The reels look an awful lot like Shimano TLD's. Not exactly the best reels in the world. They're plenty serviceable though. If that is true, I'm kind of surprised. Most guys now are using stuff like Robert mentioned about. You can find Penn Internationals on just about any boat that does a lot of offshore trolling. I believe one of the pics you posted in your other thread had them set up in the rocket launcher on the deck of the boat. I really hope you didn't lose that fish because of shoddy equipment. Although, I can honestly that I'm kind of glad in a way. I know you mentioned that the Captain and Mate wanting to bring the fish back in to weigh. Thats a serious no no in my book. Tag them, revive them, then let them be on their way. Really big Blues are becoming fewer and fewer. If you think a 10 pound bass has a hard time getting that big, imagine being a Marlin. No matter what, it's a hell of a fish either way. Great memory right there. Hope somebody got you a couple pics of the fish. Quote
Super User 00 mod Posted June 19, 2011 Author Super User Posted June 19, 2011 The reels were shimanos, and I have the tip that broke off at work, so Monday I can take a picture of the rollers for better examination! I am pretty sure the fish was lost due to shoddy equipment, but what can you do? Show up and go fishing..... The marlin that was landed was tagged, revived and released. The reason the captain and mate wanted to bring this fish back to have it weighed was that the Island record for a blue marlin is 834 lbs, and both captain and mate thought this would be the new Island record! Not only would it have needed to be brought back for official weight, but the Government would have given us a free mount of it, as they would have made one of their own for the Airport(which is where the current record is on display). Also, in such poor countries, it is more common to bring back even game fish, that you and I would absolutely release to feed whole towns and villages! Most of the country of St Lucia is VERY poor, and they eat whatever fish they catch! I normally donate my catches when out of the country to the local feed the hungry(except the Jamaica marlin) and they are always VERY happy for that! After being weighed and photographed, the fish surely would have fed hundreds of people in the fishing community we went out of! They say there is only one time of the year that people don't starve and that is when the mangoes are in season! Thats a very hard thing for fortunate people like us to understand!! Jeff Quote
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