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Aftco Presents: |
Kona report, Bandit Team. |
- By Steve Lassley
- Published 08/15/2009
- Fishing Reports
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Rating:
This was to be the last trip of the year. Corey Myer, who just bought our blue 60 BCE and Tommy Neikirk his Captain. So I fly home for 4 days before they come in to take care of things around the house after being gone for close to 2 months. Yard, bills, garage, house, ya know.... stuff. Watching the weather everyday. This Hurricane, Felitia, is heading right for Hawaii. Gonna be a direct hit the day we are to arrive. I am at the airport and we are waiting to see if we can take off. We get off the ground a little late but we are going. When I get there Corey and Tommy already have dinner made made and waiting for me at the house.Not knowing what the condition is going to be like we set our clocks for 4:30 and get some sleep.
We arrive at the boat at 6am and head out. Bumpy for sure but fishable. The now tropical storm is supposed to be just North of us. We set the pattern and head South. About an hour into it and the short corner goes off. The fish doesn't jump, I hate those, Corey just kind of winds it in...uh oh. When it gets to the boat Corey can't see it from the chair and he says "What is it? About 50#'s?" The fish didn't like being called a Munchkin and explodes out of the water giving OB a bad time on the leader. Cut's his Glove in half. The fish goes completely mental and I have to punch it to keep it from climbing onto the bus. We let that one go , about 200#'s, I think. One of Tommy's hand made lures goes off next in the short rigger. Fish puts on a great show. Corey has to fight this one a little more. I have to put a little "Gitty Up" in it. We are taking some water over the stern in the building sea condition. Let that one go also around 240#. I can see the wind line building outside us, probably blowin around 30 Knots. A real hard line, the kind that only sets up around an Island. I see this line of birds right on the edge of the wind. I haven't been bit in them yet so I don't go out there. Big mistake a guy hooks a big one and 2 other guys miss fish there as well. Oh well.....I am tacking up closer to the harbor, one eye on the wind, one on the sonar, one on the fathometer, one on the pattern and both in the binoculars (Thats my argument about evolution. It isn't right. Why only 2 eyes? I need like 6 and 4 arms.) Coming out of the pocket close to the harbor and the stinger goes off takes a hundred yard and comes off. We get another one and miss another one. We have 3 for 5 on the day and it is only 11am. The wind starts to wrap so we start slowly inching our way towards the harbor. The swell is picking up also. When the wind line is about 200 yards away and the swell is about 3-4 foot at 4 seconds we wind em in and run towards the lee off the point. Have to chop the throttles a few times so our bowels stay intact. Nice first day 3 for 5 nothing over 300#'s but a good day.
Leave the same time the next day. The fish made a move and I didn't adjust to it soon enough. I am learning more everyday. We finally get into position late and get a couple bites. One looked a little better. We go 0 for 2.
The last day. Nobody can buy a bite. It's like 11am before I hear of anyone getting even 1 bite. Waiting for the tide. Nothin. Finally the Moon touches down. That was the trigger. We get a scrappy maybe like 240# pound fish. A couple bigger fish being seen out on the 1000. We have time for 1 more tack. I get out to the notch and we get a couple miles above it. The short rigger goes off. Really goes off. Nobody sees the fish. By the time the boys get the short and long corner cleared we are almost into the backing, 300 yards. No jumps, the line is pointing down at a good angle and the fish falls off........I hate that.
Big party at Jeromes that night. The guy is an incredible cook. Seared Ahi, Laaaaaaaamb, filet Mignon roast, stuffed mushrooms, crab cakes on and on. We had to leave early so we could get up in time to get the guys to the airport. Probably saved a few brain cells.........
Tommy's lures looked awesome. Gonna get some big ones on them in the next few years I am sure. He was good enough to leave them all.
4 for 9 on Blues for the 3 days. Great time with good friends.
We arrive at the boat at 6am and head out. Bumpy for sure but fishable. The now tropical storm is supposed to be just North of us. We set the pattern and head South. About an hour into it and the short corner goes off. The fish doesn't jump, I hate those, Corey just kind of winds it in...uh oh. When it gets to the boat Corey can't see it from the chair and he says "What is it? About 50#'s?" The fish didn't like being called a Munchkin and explodes out of the water giving OB a bad time on the leader. Cut's his Glove in half. The fish goes completely mental and I have to punch it to keep it from climbing onto the bus. We let that one go , about 200#'s, I think. One of Tommy's hand made lures goes off next in the short rigger. Fish puts on a great show. Corey has to fight this one a little more. I have to put a little "Gitty Up" in it. We are taking some water over the stern in the building sea condition. Let that one go also around 240#. I can see the wind line building outside us, probably blowin around 30 Knots. A real hard line, the kind that only sets up around an Island. I see this line of birds right on the edge of the wind. I haven't been bit in them yet so I don't go out there. Big mistake a guy hooks a big one and 2 other guys miss fish there as well. Oh well.....I am tacking up closer to the harbor, one eye on the wind, one on the sonar, one on the fathometer, one on the pattern and both in the binoculars (Thats my argument about evolution. It isn't right. Why only 2 eyes? I need like 6 and 4 arms.) Coming out of the pocket close to the harbor and the stinger goes off takes a hundred yard and comes off. We get another one and miss another one. We have 3 for 5 on the day and it is only 11am. The wind starts to wrap so we start slowly inching our way towards the harbor. The swell is picking up also. When the wind line is about 200 yards away and the swell is about 3-4 foot at 4 seconds we wind em in and run towards the lee off the point. Have to chop the throttles a few times so our bowels stay intact. Nice first day 3 for 5 nothing over 300#'s but a good day.
Leave the same time the next day. The fish made a move and I didn't adjust to it soon enough. I am learning more everyday. We finally get into position late and get a couple bites. One looked a little better. We go 0 for 2.
The last day. Nobody can buy a bite. It's like 11am before I hear of anyone getting even 1 bite. Waiting for the tide. Nothin. Finally the Moon touches down. That was the trigger. We get a scrappy maybe like 240# pound fish. A couple bigger fish being seen out on the 1000. We have time for 1 more tack. I get out to the notch and we get a couple miles above it. The short rigger goes off. Really goes off. Nobody sees the fish. By the time the boys get the short and long corner cleared we are almost into the backing, 300 yards. No jumps, the line is pointing down at a good angle and the fish falls off........I hate that.
Big party at Jeromes that night. The guy is an incredible cook. Seared Ahi, Laaaaaaaamb, filet Mignon roast, stuffed mushrooms, crab cakes on and on. We had to leave early so we could get up in time to get the guys to the airport. Probably saved a few brain cells.........
Tommy's lures looked awesome. Gonna get some big ones on them in the next few years I am sure. He was good enough to leave them all.
4 for 9 on Blues for the 3 days. Great time with good friends.
3 Responses to "Kona report, Bandit Team." 
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said this on 15 Aug 2009 11:08:26 AM PDT
Steve, I want to thank you, OB, Joe and especially Anthony for having us over. Sorry we couldn't get you to 50 Blues for the season. But what fun trying! Great boat and great people. Thanks again. Tommy and I had a blast. By the way, tell Jerome if he's in Newport and wants to fish with us he's got a ride.
Corey Myer |
Author/Admin)|
said this on 16 Aug 2009 9:21:53 PM PDT
Steve, Man..... I can't thank you enough for the good times. Anthony, your hospitality is really overwhelming........you run such a class operation, it is hard to express the gratitude I feel, I hope to someday return the favor.......... O.B. thanks........you keep that boat in showroom condition, and kick ass in the cockpit too,..... I tried to pass that dried fish off as turkey jerky to my kid but he did'nt buy it.....just as well I did'nt want to share anyway.........Joe, thanks for the bait and all the stories, I'd give my left..... you know what..... for some of those experiences, what a trip being born in the same hospital in such an obscure place........Hey Steve I was thinking...........maybe if we painted that hoe camo,...........we might bag one of those turkeys..........maybe?
Tommy |
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said this on 16 Aug 2009 10:53:23 PM PDT
Found some spray paint in the garage....I'll let you know tomorrow.
Gobble, gobble |
