Was up today before the alarm clock. Waves slapping against the hull only mean one thing; the wind is blowing. Opened the salon door and saw the sky was black, it was raining and the flags on the flagpole were stretched out tight! Not a good outlook on a charter day.
None the less, today we had Clemens and Alex Peschl, a father and son team from Ft. Lauderdale for the first of two days on the Reel Candy. Clemens (dad) is very optimistic about the day despite the ominous, existing conditions. He quickly informs us that catching a Blue Marlin is on his “Bucket List” and he is really looking forward to gettin’ er done !! Man, talk about putting the pressure on the captain and crew !
We headed out North Bar and were met with stiff, tight seas. It was blowing over 30 out of the Northeast and the waves were stacked tight. The odds were just getting worse. We took our time and made our way out to cleaner water and put the spread out.
It seemed like eternity passed before we had the first fish in the spread, a fat dolphin on the right flat. The father/son team decided that dad was in the chair for anything with a bill on it, and Alex would take responsibility for everything else. Alex gets to workin on this Mahi when another one comes into the spread. Captain Marvin is calling it out as we try to get the other fish to hit one of the lines we still have in the water. Plans changed however in a split second when Captain Marvin yelled out that a Blue Marlin was in the spread. The Marlin ate the lure he was working from the shotgun position, and then came in for more.
Just as the Marlin ate the shotgun lure, he moved in on, and ate the left rigger. Now things get interesting. The left rigger pops, with Clemens locked and loaded. When he came tight, the 400 lb mono leader on the shotgun popped and Clemens was going solo on his first Blue Marlin.
Alex, still tight on his Mahi, gets it in close where I hit it with the gaff, throw it in the box and clear the rest of the lines. Clemens is losing line really quick from the reel as his Marlin is not happy to see him. We took the line down to the arbor, with the knot showing before Captain Marvin hit reverse overdrive and got the spool to slow down. Way too close for comfort, but we finally got the Marlin under control.
Clemens did an awesome job on the reel as we coached him through the battle. He did an outstanding job staying focused on the reel and cranked perfectly. About 30 minutes later, he had his “Bucket List Blue Marlin” alongside the Reel Candy for a few quick photos.
Tomorrow, it’s Alex’s day. I don’t think the conditions we be all that much better, but with the pressure on, the Reel Candy Crew will be doing their best to make that fish happen. Fresh Mahi on the grille tonight, fine-tune some lures and tackle, then bedtime. There is nothing better in this game than getting someone their first Marlin. Congrats Clemens, and yes, he did take the dive !!!
We will keep the coming !!!
Kevin