CaptainRickyWheeler

We gave it a shot today hoping the magic in 30 fathoms would maintain for us today. Unfortunately it did not but we did still managed to grab one nice yellowfin tuna out of three bites by noon. We weren’t seeing any signs that showed anything would develop so we tried our luck out in the canyon for the afternoon but it was overall lifeless. We did manage to pick at some Mahi and got a healthy box full of those, but tough fishing today.

The marlin fishing locally has been overall slower this season, quite possibly one of the slowest season in the past decade. With that, we have managed to pick at them, but we wanted to give it one last try before the NE wind from all of these storms moved in on us. We started the morning on the Wish You Were Here trying to grab a couple tunas before we ran offshore to look for billfish. Unfortunately, the bite didn’t turn on until later and we had to leave if we wanted to go find some marlin.

We picked up and ran to the NE corner of the Wilmington. The pots were bare, no mahi at all, and not much for bait marks until I got up on the flats. the water was very blue, and finally after an hour of searching we got our blue marlin bite, and wow was it explosive. It piled on everything in the spread, we missed it twice, and finally I was lucky enough to get a third shot at her on my bridge rod. Game on! After a great display of acrobatics we got a release!

We managed to go one for two on white marlin after that and that was our day. We were lucky to get that kinda action and ended up having the best of it for the area. I’ll take it!

The action was fast and furious for us on the 30 fathom line. The water temp was 74.5 and blue green water, and the wind came on around 9 hard out of the north. The action was nonstop on 50-65 pound yellowfin tuna, and we even were able to grab a white marlin to add to the catch. The boxes were full by 10:30 and we made out way home early! The tunas were eating everything from ballyhoo rigged with tuna flares and also spreader bars! Great day of fishing on the Wish You Were Here.

We made the run down to the 800 square where the white marlin fishing has been fairly good with some blue marlin in the mix as well. We had blue green 76.5 degree water and started off with a release pretty early. There wasn’t much life or bait other then some small tunas occasionally up on the surface. Everyone scattered and we went roaming and managed to box a 62.5# yellowfin tuna and released another white marlin. We tried the Rockpiles for the last two hours but it was dead, so we packed it up at called it a day.

I ended up going along on the 55′ Viking, Badger, on Sunday and Monday. We fished the Southern Rockpiles in blue green 77 degree water on Sunday and ended up going 6/9 on white marlin for the day and a few mahi as well. Pretty good action throughout the day other then a lull mid day. We ran back into Ocean City, MD for the night.

Monday we went out to the same area and went 1/2 early, but the action dies quickly. We ran down to the 800 square and went 1/2 rather quickly until an ocean sunfish managed to get tangled on our dredge and ripped the outrigger down. Ouch. We fished without a rigger for an hour then Calle dit a day early.

We went out searching for white marlin on the Wish You Were Here after the two day blow. We started out in 1000 fathoms of the Baltimore in pretty blue 77 degree water and had plenty of bait marks around 180′, but no bites. We ran in towards the Baltimore canyon and in 600 fathoms came across some weedlines and worked those for an hour only to catch a couple of mahi. I paddled into the Baltimore Canyon where it was pretty much lifeless. With that, I had a report of a few long fins being caught just below the South Heyes in 200-300 fathoms so we spent out last hour there and managed to catch a double header of nice 50# long fin tuna to end the day. Flat calm out there, but slow fishing for us.

I fished on the Low Profile for flounder on Saturday August 22nd and the bite was on. We fishing the Cape May Reef and had solid action all day. We caught at least 80 throwback flounder, 8 keeper up to 6.4 pounds, 8 keeper Black Sea bass, some bluefish, and a triggerfish. Very fun day of bottom bouncing.

What a week full of highs and lows it has been. With the tropical storm offshore, we decided to make Monday a layday. We rigged all day and I went to do my pre day check and the port engine would not start. Turns out it was seized due to many issues out of nowhere. Crazy bad luck, the engines only had 600 hours on them. Big Ouch. So I scrambled to find a boat and Joe Trainor pulled through for me lending me the Low Profile.

We hustled Tuesday to get the Low Profile down to Canyon Club in Cape May and prep her to be ready for three days of tournament fishing.

Wednesday we fished the Carteret Canyon and just a few miles south of it. We had a few tuna bites and plenty of Mahi bites along with a white marlin on the teaser that did not switch for us. Then we had a double header of whites in the spread, hooking one fish and then another and missed a third bite. Brian Hurley fought the white and we pulled it aboard and it taped out to 70”x26” so we kept it for the scales. Our other fish turned out to be a 60# yellowfin tuna that Carl got to the boat after a strong fight. Our white marlin ended up going 68 lbs which got us on the board!

Thursday I started just above the Lindenkohl Canyon in the 79 degree blue water. The grass was a mess making fishing difficult. We decked a 68”x24” white marlin and released it. Then it got quiet. We covered ground to the SW corner of the Lindenkohl and boated a 35# longfin tuna. Then we got into some bait and mammal life in about 300 fathoms off of the corner. We went 2/3 on white marlin here in the last hour and a half boating one that was 70”x24” that ended up weighing 61lbs.

Friday I started in the SW corner of the Lindenkohl. We got into some action with Mahi even trying to stay away from them, plenty there, but no marlin bites. Lots of bait so I pounded it out but nothing ever came to life. I worked my way down to the NE Corner of the Spencer and found a rip and some bait. We missed a white marlin, boxed 4 longfin tunas, one that went 64 lbs, and then had a blue all over the teaser but she never switched.

That was the end of our tournament. Great times for sure and we walked away with a little money for being on the board with our white marlin.

I’ve been at it fairly nonstop and haven’t had a chance to post here lately, or anywhere for that matter. The fishing overall has been pretty good for both marlin and tuna, and now the small mahi have shown up to add to the mix. It has been hit and miss fishing, but we have been able to put our time in on overnighters lately giving us some time to find the fish. Finally have two days off here to get caught back up then back at it on Friday.