I was in Santa Maria the last few days and we had planned an outing aboard a friends boat called FourPlay to chase bills. It was to be our final day before heading home and the weatherman predicted no wind
We were not to excited as the last 4 outings of boats that had gone deep had not seen a single billfish but we would give it a go none the less.
We exited Hells Gate unceremoniously and straight away got a call on the radio from another boat Dafi who was in the deep already, saying he just had a strike and a marlin in the spread but no hook up. That got the blood going and the spirits up. On the way out to the 200m mark it was obvious the weatherman had lied................................again
On arrival in the deep we set the spread and the radio sounded with the skipper of Dafi yelling like a banshee that a beast of a marlin had come into his spread and took out his R2500 Big bart teaser.................RIP Big Bart teaser
Now we really getting excited as the fish seem to be in the area. On the radio the yelling continued about the lost teaser and how big the fish was for half an hour or so and was rather amusing but we soon lost our humour when Dafi called on the radio saying they had landed a dorado and minutes later had another strike from a 3rd marlin but again no hook up.
Dafi had now had 3 marlin strikes and landed a dorado and we were yet to even see a flying fish never mind a dorado or a marlin and we were working the same area . Marcelo the owner and skipper of Fourplay said that Ze skipper and owner of Dafi was making us work hard as we kept changing lures to try find a bite
We had just changed the left short when a Blue come in crushed it but did not connect with the jewellery. So now the 2 boats stood at 4-0-0 and it was almost midday, Fourplay indeed
By this time the weatherman's prediction came true and the sea had settled nicely so we decided to put out a 5th line on the shotgun. I had the line in my hand tying an elastic when I felt a sudden pull and I just let go to hear the 80 growl but one jump and the dorado was off............. The Fourplay continued.
The 200m-300m area had gone quiet and both boats had not had any action for a while so we tacked deeper to the 300-400m. We found warmer water here and it wasn't long till the action started but it would be Dafi on the radio calling in 2 dorado landed.............The Fourplay continued
We found a lonely bird working some bait with a dorado chasing them to the surface but he did not like our offerings. We then found a huge cargo net that had probably fallen from a ship and it was full up with dorado under it. We got 3 strikes but only managed to land the one. Ze on Dafi then called in with a 4th marlin strike but no hook up. I don't know what was worse, being aboard Dafi finding the fish but not hooking up or being aboard Fourplay only seeing one fish and hearing all that on the radio
................ the Fourplay continued.
We had decided earlier that we would be back on the beach by 14h00 to help with the packing but knowing that we were definitely in the right area and with a tide change looming we felt our luck had to change so we gave it one last shot to try put an end to the Fourplay.
It wasn't long and the elastic on the Shag Stix centre rigger popped and the 80 was of to the races with a blue heading for the horizon. We quickly cleared the lines and deck and finally the Fourplay was over and it was our turn to call on the radio " HOOKED UP HOOKED UP" We put Marcelo's brother in law Chico a 1st timer in the chair to pop his Marlin cherry. Within 30min we had the fish at the boat and I was on leader duty
The fish came in looking dead and his bill stayed deep and tail out the water. I called it dead and as I went for the bill it came to life and was off to the races again. I was pretty happy about that so he could burn off some more of his energy and not beat the hell out of me
. Chico on the rod got back to work and got him to the boat for a 2nd time and this time I made short work of him on the leader, popped the hook out and off he went. High five all rounds call on the radio fish landed and that we heading for home.
We put the lines out heading for home and not 5 minutes the rigger clip pops and the long 80 on the chair comes to life and then nothing, we hear a 2nd pop and the centre rigger elastic pops and the 80 on the stern comes to life. The fish does not show itself and after clearing the lines and deck the skipper calls out "hooked up, hooked up" on the radio. Now I was glad I was aboard Fourplay and not Dafi
I go into the chair and wind like crazy as the fish keeps coming towards the boat. About 5 -8 minutes in I'm yet to feel to weight of the fish as it kept swimming towards the boat eventually it settles down and the skipper says you probably got a dorado swimming sideways in the current but after feeling the fishes weight I knew it was no dorado but also not a huge fish whatever it was. The green horn then decides that he is not keen to be on the leader so goes to the wheel. I put the pressure on and the leader is up and its a small blue, the skipper misses the bill and the little guy came to life and shoots out the back again pulling off all the top shot down to the Dacron, giving us a great show . Once he settled down I make short work of him, hook out for the release, revive the little fella for a while and off he went to grow to be a grander.
What an incredible end to a rather frustrating start on the blue, finally putting an end to the four play aboard FOURPLAY. Top day going 3-2-2. We called the first fish 200-220lb and the 2nd cheeky bugger 100lb
