April 2010 Bahamas Expedition-the fishing

Loaded to the gills with 300 gallons of diesel,60 gallons of fresh water, 25 blocks of chum,10 dozen fresh ballyhoo,12 blocks of ice in four big igloo coolers my cousin Pete owner of "the good life" complains that this boat has never had this much weight on it as we crash through 3 to 5 foot seas heading on a 105 degree course due east to Bimini Bahamas.Once we clear customs and buy the conch and lobster we sail south to the ledges of Ocean Cay due south 22 miles from north Bimini.All the extra weight would prove to be worth the trouble as we are quickly rewarded with great fishing shortly after our first anchor is dropped overboard.As we motor to within a few short miles of our destination we troll the reefs with the wire line to catch some fresh shark bait and soon we have all the barracuda and mackeral we need for our first night's fishing.

the coolers are loaded to the brim for our Bahamian adventure

we catch what we need for our expected night time visitors

our destination Ocean Cay in the distance

One live wrasse on the 9/0 produces two Amberjacks and a Caribean reef shark

the first donkey AJ would be the key to attracting in a school of Great hammers right behind the boat for the first 24 hours of our fishing at Ocean cay

The huge AJ was a nice suprise-notice the wrasse hanging in front of it's mouth. Will J and his wife Irma pose with the big jack.We were hoping for a 80 lb black grouper but the AJ was the best thing for what we wanted.

The second Aj within the first hour a fine specimen of about 25 lbs--"the wrasse does it again"

the sun begins to settle and we start to chum heavy with our block chum and Aj hanging from the transom cleat

we start catching flag yellowtail snapper

Irma gets in on the yellowtail action

With fresh yellowtail and fresh lobster I start brainstorming how i will prepare the nights meal

Big horse eye jacks are a nuisance but good Tiger bait





The third fish I catch on the wrasse bait- a Caribean reef shark boatside. Will ready for the release


the next shark must a been one of Sonny Gruber's lemons that followed us across the Gulf stream from Florida was an 8 foot lemon -quickly released .Unusual to catch a lemon on the deep water ledges in the Bahamas.

The first night I prepare a dinner of yellow rice served with fresh bahamian lobster glazed with sesame oil and cracked conch steaks.Then we get to catching a mess of yellowtail snapper but we're all very tired from the bumpy crossing on the 32 foot sportfisherman so we crash early to get some rest for the second day's plans but not before I set out my 12/0 and stand up rod witha fresh chunk of cuda.I hook a big shark in the early morning maybe 4 am and it's awoken me but I've been humming Rene's song "Hammers in the night"looking for inspiration and I yell for everyone to wake up "it's him"just like Rene used to say when he hooked a big shark that was pulling heavy drag.He would say it like it was one more monster shark specifically destined for just him.I'm fighting the shark and it's cutting around towards the anchor line and i'm pleading with my cousin Pete to hurry and get the engines started ,mark MOB (man overboard)on the GPS so we can drop the anchor line with big bouys and chase the shark .Go right,no the other right --mayhem and shouting the shark is ripping off 200 yards and the captain is slow to get to the helm.Once there he says one engine has a dead battery and so he is powering in reverse trying to motor against the waves and keep my line clear of the anchor rope but it's too late; I feel the line rubbing on the rope, so I free spool the reel to take tension off the 130 lb test line but shortly there after I predicted i was gonna get cut off--it Happens!!CUT OFF
This team is rusty and needs some hard discipline.I figured we'd sharpen our efforts for the next oppurtunity by discussing mistakes made with this beast.I'm angry but I know i will get other chances--Relax I tell myself.Next morning we awaken and my cousin Will J spots the great hammers swimming behind the boat looking for the scent of the big Aj.

the hammers are out behind and around the boat 2 or 3 at once can be seen

Will gets hooked up and he fights the shark like a true veteran no hasty moves just smooth strokes on the rod and patience and a clear head to defeat the shark.He has a large supply of luck on this hammer because it does not swim forward like mine have done.

once the swivel comes out of the water i grab it with my gloved hand and try to manuveur the shark in but it's too powerful and with a flick of it's tail is swimming down and around the vessel's rudder.After a few tense minutes the hammer comes loose from the rudder.Amazing how this hammer fights to keep from being pulled in next to the boat.Every time I try to leader it in he thrashes with more force and I'm forced to let go of the leader or lose my gloved hand.We finally subdue the hammer ,get a tail rope on it ,a quick measurement and pics, and it is cut loose .We watch as it slowly swims away on the top of the water with it's dorsal sticking out looking like the launch of a nuclear submarine.We tell it to swim ,live and get big for another day.High fives and cold beers is our celebration.

before dark I hook another hammer in the 10 foot range but it spits the hooks boat side

a nice black grouper comes up

Pete gets in on the yellowtail action

A nice dog snapper caught on the spinner intended for yellowtail puts me through my paces.

the sun sets on the second night and the wind starts shifting to East -North East

my 14/0 (special weapon)is set out with the Cyalume night stick in the water bottle to mark my bait where it floats away from the vessel

The TIGER

The second night our plans to hit the yellowtail at sundown are wishful thinking.Overpowered by a few cold cocktails ,a good home cooked style meal mixed with tired bodies puts it in second place our plans instead we catch some ZZZZZZ's.The generator cranks and the buzzing of the ac lulls us into a deep sleep.

What!!!!! "Get the hell up"!!! I hear Rene say to me in my sleep.I drag myself up from my sleeping bag ,my shoulders and back are in extreme pain from 3 bulging disc in my back but I claw at the grab rail to lift myself up and now on my feet .It's 1:15 am ,I pee overboard behind the boat as to not awaken anyone inside the cabin and as I'm looking south just time to watch a meteor fly low against the horizon and disappear with a ball of flames trailing .WOW!!Was that a plane or something else-"a good sign I tell myself".Still Dazed I search for the reason why I push myself through this pain and torture on my body but I don't have far to search because i know why I do it,,,,,,I love the Challenge ,the adventure and i push myself to fish like Rene did with complete dedication.At this moment it's me alone awake looking at the moon as it levitates out of the ocean and to the east of our refuge the vessel "the good life" I start to hum that old familiar song to motivate myself and remember.My 14/0 with with special long monster wire rig goes out with the cyalume and half a barrcuda as bait.It's ok that I set my bait out late I remind myself because the green monsters(Caribean reef sharks)would just drain the energy I need for the MONSTER!!! .Any shark bait dropped in the water right after the sun goes down gets destroyed by these marauders of the Caribean--- any good bait intended for a much bigger shark gets devoured early on so I've learned to wait for the wee hours.Even If i put out my baits at 4 or 5 am I am targetting the best hours for monster fish in the Bahamas.I set out my big gun ,get a drink and catch a few more nice eating fish before hitting the sack again.The sound of the sea slapping against the boat's hull is an old familiar voice serenading me with an old song and the waves rock me back and forth.
I sleep deeply but I wake up every once in while when I try to turn over in my sleeping reminded by my aching joints and bones that I am no longer a young buck but that's oK i have wisdom and expierience and knowledge to help me overcome any Monster that might dare pick a fight with us.


Hours pass and i get much needed rest .Just before daybreak my 14/0 the only rod out with a bait on the port side of the vessel starts to roll off in that familiar clack,clack,clack,clack,clack.I'm on the rod ,rested and knowing I did well to wait for the late bite.The powerful beast at the other end of my line swims away at a good clip and I can feel through my line it's strength and purpose.I call out for my cousins Will and Pete to wake up "I got the monster we've been waiting for".Again a Rene phrase rolls off my lips "I KNEW IT,IT'S HIM;I KNEW HE WOULD COME".Everyone laughs they think I'm nuts but I know what I've seen in the many years and i know what I feel as the heavy mono slides through my fingers. I throw the big Senator with 130 lb test line in gear, and it feels like i've tied my line to the back end of slow moving garbage truck going down the street.I start barking off commands,"start the engines",hit MOB on the Gps", "drop the anchor rope and bouys and lets go after him it's a big fish"This time we're all in tune with each other and well aware of what needs to happen to catch this big animal that will swim where it wants to, including around the anchor rope.The powerful beast takes much line and is swimming almost straight away from the boat but then quickly starts going towards the starboard side and I have to follow .In a dangerous manauver I freespool the reel and walk with one hand on the grabrail and the other holding my rod and reel as I scurry along the narrow gangway careful not to slip and fall into the water.
Pete man's the helm and electronics ,flicks on the spreader lights while Will J scurries up the side of the boat flashlight in hand ,gets to the pulpit and quickly releases the rope from the cleat and drops all of it overboard..Pete quickly manauvers the boat so i am fighting the shark at the correct angle.We work well together this time and I am in no hurry to reel the big shark in green.The powerful fish continues to take line but is slowly showing signs of weakening.Bit by bit i regain the line and and soon the shark is behind the boat.It glides below us for the first time and I thought it looked like a huge Bull shark so I ask Will who has the spotlight in his hand what it is and he shouts out the magic words "it's a Big Tiger".Will is estatic because he wanted to see a big tiger from his father's boat and here it is.Irma says "it's what he's wanted for a long time and here it is" .Once the leader is in Will's hands I drop the rod in a rod holder and put the reel in free spool then grab the tail rope.I lift the sharks tail with the pole gaff secure the tail rope around it and Will cleats off the wire so we can get an accurate measurement.The shark is thrashing about and arching it's back as we try to quickly measure it.Ten foot 5 inches after a few tries .YES!!!!I'm happier then a kid with a new toy.I reach down with the wire cutters and cut the animal lose after Irma takes a bunch of pictures .We came ,we conquered and we shared good times and made memories to last a lifetime.

the tail rope in place in order to get an accurate length measurement