SEA ANGELS CAST OFF
.
On Monday 9/19/2011 the Sea Angels conducted a trial run aboard the boat Blue Angel. I captained The Blue Angel, a 26 foot Aquasport powerboat, with my friend and first mate JB in hopes of seeing how well our service would be received and to iron out any kinks in our seamanship and fishing skills. Our guest was a young man from Texas and at the end of the day he was thrilled with his deep-sea adventure.
We cast off at 8:30am and passed through the Lake Worth Inlet on a course of 162 degrees SSE in 2 to 4 foot seas and 10-15 knot East winds, planning to troll weed lines or find working birds in the Gulf Stream. The chop prevented us from running to deep water at full speed, so I asked JB to put out one green-yellow and one pink-purple high speed trolling feathers. In 185 ft water we passed many flying fish and scattered weeds and then began getting strikes by Bonitos hooking up two at a time.
Bonitos are very strong fighters and fun to catch and release but they are not table fare. After giving the kid a workout by catching five boneheads (bonito), we hauled out of that area and proceeded to deeper water in search of dinner; dolphin (no not flipper, the fish Mahi Mahi), Wahoo, kingfish or tuna. The odds of success while trolling the Gulf Stream are against the fisherman who does not locate flotsam, weed lines or working birds (birds diving to the surface).
Off the starboard beam, in a depth 535 feet, I spotted a large bamboo log bobbing in the sea. The ocean had calmed a bit dropping down to 2-3 foot swells. I told JB and the Kid to get ready for a knock down (strike), hoping that fish would be under that log. The trolled baits, two artificial feathers and 2 rigged ballyhoo, passed by the log with out inducing a strike. I made a slow turn and passed the log a second time, closer, but still no hits. Ton the second pass, through the crystal clear deep blue water, I could see small tripletail fish swimming under the bamboo log.
If weed lines had been prevalent on this day, I would have proceeded on to find fish elsewhere, but the bamboo log was the only thing we had seen on the empty ocean. I decided to stick with the log so I maneuvered the boat right next to it. I began chumming with cut sardines as the guys switched the trolling baits to cut bait chunks. After about 5 minutes the Kid yelled “I got one!” and in the distance a nice 8-pound dolphin began putting on an aerial display of repeated jumps. He was fishing with a light-spinning outfit that allowed the fish put on quite a show, by jumping all around the boat flashing the bright neon, rainbow colors unique to the beautiful dolphin. Then JB and I each hooked one about the same size. The idea was to let the kid catch all the fish but when multiple hookups happen we are forced to help land the fish. A dirty job but someone has to do it.
After landing the triple-header, we could see larger fish deep down in the crystal clear water. JB who has fished with a professional sport fisherman for a few years knows some slick tricks and hooked egg sinkers to the line in seconds by using a piece of broken rubber band. In short order, the kid and JB each were fighting larger dolphin. I was about to gaff JB’s when it got a second wind and dove under the boat wrapping the monofilament line on the skeg and eventually breaking the line. The kid still using the light spinner had his fish break off the 12 lb line when his rod tip touched a rod that was sticking up from the gunnels rod holder. Just then a big tripletail nailed JB’s bait from under the log. JB fought the fish to the stern where the kid did a good job gaffing the Tripletail through the lip after having trouble piercing the armor like skin. Tripletails are one of the best tasting fish in the sea. JB caught an Ocean Triggerfish which was about the same time that the kid became sea sick. We began working our way back to the inlet some eight miles west. On the way back we caught three more Bonito, and a lesser Amberjack.
That night JB’s wife Deb made an awesome fish fry on their grill (so I’m told, remember I’m a hermit at heart) and they took the kid to the airport the next morning. The kid said it was the best day he had in a long time, so I must declare the Sea Angels maiden voyage was a great success.
