Dave and Cindy Allen, from Michigan, brought their sons out fishing aboard the Mr. Z today and weren’t disappointed.  We started on the reef just to get some quick action with Macheral, Barracudas, and a Grouper.  As we went to head South (like every other boat running past us) Capt. Steve noticed a wooden pallet floating in 189 feet of water.  As we began to get close to it, I could see the little “V’s” on top of the water circling the wood.  “There’s fish here!” I screamed and all of the lines went down.  It looked like some sort of odd mating dance from up on the bridge as the Allen family tried to keep the rods and lines straight and untangled.  Capt. Steve was the dance leader, directing with his gaff, and one by one the Dolphins ended up resting comfortably in the cooler.  23 in all ranging from 6 to 17 pounds.  We caught so many that Capt. Steve got out my son, Zachary’s, little 6 pound spinning reel for the Allens to try their ultra-light fishing luck with!  Always better lucky, than good! and “Don’t run past fish to catch fish!”

Tom Banks whipped this 24 pound Cow (Female) Dolphin last Friday.  The smile says it all!

I know, it sounds like the opening line from a bad joke, but it’s true.  We spent the morning with Dan Fillenwarth and the boys trolling South and not doing much at all.  We stopped and did some drops with the electric reel and did manage to put a couple of Tile Fish, Rose Fish, and a nice Snowey Grouper (off the bottom in 820 feet of water!) in the box, so dinner was taken care of.  As we started to troll back to the North, the deep troll went off and the reel started screaming my favorite Wahoo tune.  At the same time, the shotgun rod went off and we wound in a World Class Rainbow Runner.  This is a clue!  Rainbow Runners never hang out in 800 feet without something to hang around.  Both Capt. Steve and I said the same thing at the same time, “There’s something floating around here!”

A few wide circles around the general area revealed a huge truck tire floating low in the water surrounded by the most outstanding pile of baitfish, Dorados, and 2 out of 4 Wahoos!

Walter Mills is one we can count on every year to come fish and bring some luck.  He and Tim Hensey, from Sarasota, Florida, come down each spring and we spend a nice day offshore.  Mostly they like to eat fish, but Walter didn’t seem to mind battling this Sailfish through 6-8 foot seas just to give us something to fly a release flag for!

Today, when I asked the charter if they wanted to pose with their catch, they declined.  Something about being in the witness protection program…  But, ever the good sport, I got Captain Steve to hold up the catch.  One Wahoo was caught in 320 feet of water, the other caught 30 minutes later in 530 feet of water. 

They are where you find them!