This will be etched in as an all-time memory… Julia and I had a 4 day getaway this past weekend to explore a new place in our favorite little country. We decided one day to go looking for some pelagics roaming in the deep ocean. There is something about being in the open ocean that can be so vast and desolate at times, only to become instantly bursting with life. I decided we would run around looking for life instead of just setting lines fishing spots and hoping to run into something.
In 3000’ of water and about 25 miles into the 30 mile run I was planing before working our way back, I spotted 2 birds in the faint distance and pointed the boat straight at them, as we got closer we realized it was a bunch of birds working, and the sea was alive! I put Julia at the wheel, I set our trolling lines, and pow! Just prior to approaching the chaos, 2 of our lines got hit, both mahi, and 1 came off. Thankfully I had some cut bait and light tackle rods ready to go for this scenario. I started chucking cut bait as Julia was fighting our troll-hooked fish. Next thing you know we had a massive school of these nice sized mahi around the boat. Then chaos ensued… It was crazy because I knew if we kept one hooked in the water, the others would stay around (mahi do this). So with just her and I, we had to have one hooked up at all times, I was gaffing them, unhooking fish, chumming bait, and she was hooking fish. I think we ended up hooking 8-9 up before they wised up to us. These fish are just so damn cool, maybe not the smartest fish in the sea as one local told us, but their vibrant colors, aerobatics, fight, and schooling presence makes them a favorite of Julia’s and I.
Here’s another highlight from this trip… On a breezy morning of our last day in the Exumas, Julia and I went paddling boarding right out in front of our cottage. While cruising around, I bumped a pod of bonefish in a shallow flat a couple hundred yards down from our beach. When I got back to the beach with about 25 minutes until I had to really start packing to head home, fly rod unrigged, I asked Julia, “What do you think, should I rig up real quick and go try to catch one of those bones, or sit here and relax with you?” Her response, “Honey you don’t know how to relax, go try…”. Hmmm, I don’t know about that, but regardless I took the boss lady’s advice and went for it…
I don’t pick up a fly rod enough these days, and sometimes I forget how integral fly fishing was for me in my younger years in development as a fisherman. There is some much to learn from it; finesse, precision, presentation, and currents. This bonefish was so damn exhilarating. I was actually walking back from the area I spotted them earlier and I saw this guy cruising solo up shallow as the tide was coming up. One cast about 15’ in front of him, 2 short strips, and that thing came darting full speed to drill my fly. In an instant, I felt like I was in my backing. These have to be one of the strongest pound-for-pound fish that swims the waters of planet Earth. Next time, no doubt I’ll spend more that 20 minutes targeting these amazing fish. I already can’t wait for next time.
