Almost a grand!!

August 10, 2008

I know I have been extremely lazy in posting....no excuses...it is difficult to post, as I need to borrow the hotel's computer....anyway, here is the latest catch. This was a great fish that cooperated and let us get lots of video and pics....about 950.....this makes 52 bites since we have been here....we have released 22 (the pitch remains very difficult), and the average size is over 600 lbs!! Bill and Suzie Evans were with us, matter of fact, Bill took these shots.

I know I have said it before, but this is an incredible place. The island is beautiful, the people could not be nicer, and of course the fishing is.....well, I have never been anywhere close! This week alone, we have pulled hooks on 3 fish that were over 800, can't beat that!!!

We are winding down, I expect we will have to leave around August 20 to catch the Dockwise boat in Mallorca in early Sept. We need to go back about 1100 miles into the Med.

Finally pics and videos coming!!!!!

Finally Ihave found a way to post pics and videos.....here is a sampling. More to come hopefully tomorrow!!!

3 big fish today!!

June 30, 2008

It just keeps getting better! Today we released 3 fish in about 1 hour and 15 minutes! Our friends Rocky and Judy Franich were fishing with us for their first day, and what a day it was. I caught the first fish on a lure that was 500+. Rocky caught the second, again on a lure, that was 700+. A little while later we raised a fish on the bridge teaser that I was able to pitch a mackerel to with a circle hook. This fish jumped all over the ocean, and was a good 600+! It was certainly a day to remember.
I have terrific video and stills, and I believe that I have found a way to post the pictures using the hotel's office computer...I will try and get them on tomorrow.

Pictures and vides won't post!!!

June 28, 2008
Today we had a no fish day......it happens. There wasn't much happening, I don't believe that anyone had a bite today.
I am having trouble posting pictures and videos on the blog....we have some great ones, and will solve this problem somehow!!! Hopefully soon!.
We have fished 15 days, and had 18 bites...all but 2 fish over 600 lbs.!! We have caught 10, and I believe that we have solved our pitch bait issues. The last 2 fish we have pitched to have eaten no problem....fresh local mackerel...that is the solution.
We caught a nice fish yesterday, about 900, and raised a fish that was a monster...maybe 1400...or so Jeremiah and Nick (a local charter boat guy that was riding along) claimed. He did not bite.....I am confident that we will get a shot at a huge animal sometime this summer.
I will get pictures soon, I promise.....

June 24, 2008
Day started out badly as our port engine appeared to be overheating and the engine load appeared to be increasing for no reason. I had nightmares about another blown engine, as these are similar to what happened on the old boat before we blew the engine in Cosa Rica. Of course, while we were in the ER trying to figure out what was going on…we raised 2 fish that we didn’t hook!!! As it turned out, I was pretty confident that our problem was a bad temperature sensor, as our mechanical gauges looked good, and the engine was running perfectly….fished the rest of the day, and plan to change the sensor tomorrow.
Finally got a fish to eat a pitch in the PM….we tried leaving the rod in the holder and using a loop in the water for a dropback. A little tricky keeping all from tangling, but it worked like a charm. We are thinking that the combination of the big rod, heavy line, and big leaders are causing the fish to drop the bait…..We’ll see how this new idea works out. David got in the chair on a fish about 600+, but we pulled the circle hook about 10 minutes into the fight. So, we have yet to catch a fish on the pitch.

June 25, 2008
Changed the sensor, and all is perfect….going fishing. Very slow day on the rip….I don’t think a fish was seen today. Go figure…tomorrow is another day!

June 26, 2008
Another flat calm day….we started heading to the west end of the island for a change, but seeing nothing, we came back down towards Funchal where we have been seeing our fish. Saw a tailer, and got her interested, but again she picked up the pitch, and dropped it. This wasn’t a very aggressive fish…maybe the moon phase (declining moon)..maybe must a shy fish! Anyway, about a 500+ and off she went. Raised a second fish about 4:00 which we hooked on a lure, and David caught it in about 15 minutes…another rat…about 350…but jumped all over the ocean, and looked good at the boat. This makes 16 bites in 11 days…..not bad!!!!

June 27, 2008
Got fresh local mackerel today from Eduardo!!! And it worked….we finally pitched a mack to a big fish, and he ate no problem!!! I guess they like what they are eating. David had a great pitch, and we released a 900+. Great fight, and Cory got to pull on a big one! Can’t wait until tomorrow. It is David’s last day, and we will hate to see him go back to SF.

June 20, 2008
Left the dock at 9:30, another typical beautiful, flat calm day in Madeira. By 10:00 we had raised a fish that again dropped our pitch baits….why, we don’t know!! Another bite came about 10 minutes later, probably the same fish, we figured, and he didn’t hang around to let us get the pitch bait in. 10 minutes later, we raised a double!!!! Hooked the first one, about 500+ and kept trying to bait the 2nd one with the pitch bait, while the first one was ripping line. I got the bite, but again, he dropped it…..twice the same thing happened. This time a Spanish mackerel was used…..we really need to figure out why the pitches aren’t working. By the way, same lure that Cory jumped in to save yesterday, caught this one for David!!!!

June 21, 2008
Flatest day yet…not a breath of wind, and like a bathtub! Pretty slow day for the fleet, but at 4:30, we had a small fish hit a long rigger and not get hooked….next thing we know, our little 20 lb. dink rod goes off….the one we keep out there for a stray Mahi, and up jumps a 300 lb. blue….oh boy…..20 minutes later we released her in great shape….everyone was thrilled, especially me, that she wasn’t an 800 lb. monster…I would still be there!
We went into Funchal to see the fireworks. Ate at Quinto Palmeira, who are old friends of the Campbells. On the way back, we were unable to get back to the boat due to a huge festival that was in progress in Calheta. Finally, after much discussion, the police let us pass the roadblocks with our rental car and get home….1:30 in the AM! Past all of our bedtimes.

June 22, 2008
Some sea out of the west….no fish today…one small dorado that will be dinner! The guys want a maintenance day tomorrow…change oils, wax, etc…..we’ll fish Tuesday.

June 23, 208
A maintenance day…guys changed oil, cleaned, etc. Ellen, David, Lois, and I took a car and went to Porto Muniz for lunch and toured the North side of the island.

The GRANDER is caught!!!!!

June 12, 2008
We are finally in Madeira. The crossing was very easy…downhill the whole way! We travelled 520 miles in 36 hours. The guys left on Wednesday the 11th, chugged at 8 knots for 24 hours, and then at 28 knots for the last 12 hours. We burned 1800 gallons, or a little over 3 gallons per mile. Not bad if you say it fast. The guys arrived about 6:00 PM, cleaned the boat, and hit the sack.
The boat is in Calheta, about 20 miles from the capitol of Funchal. We are in a very well protected little harbor that has a very nice little hotel and about 6 little restaurants. There is a grocery store right across the street (which has Ellen very happy), and the only beach on the island is here…of course the sand was brought in from Africa!! Can’t wait to fish tomorrow!
We have a little power problem…this marina only has 32 amp stations, and I can not hook up 2 in tandem as I have done in other locations…so…..we have gotten creative and are taking 32 amp into our converter for the 60 cycle items, and I am running the other side of the boat directly to the dock with 50 cycles….our A/C and water heater will run on 50 cycle, so we are all set!!!

June 13, 2008
Time for tackle. The guys have just about got it all ready to go…2 weeks in Vilamura waiting to come across left plenty of time for tackle work! We went fishing at 1:00, put the lines in at 1:05, literally, and had a 800+ fish come up about an hour later! It ate 3 teasers, and but ignored my pitch bait!! Oh well, but what a way to start. The sea is flat calm, and we are 1 mile from shore….truly an incredible place to fish. We came back to the dock at 6:00, and can’t wait till tomorrow!!

June 14th, 2008
Left the dock about 9:00, and again were fishing by 9:05….I love this place! The seas are again flat calm…..the prevailing winds here are NE, and we are on the SW side of the island…it is a beautiful thing. The water is 76 degrees, there is bait everywhere. There are only about 6 other boats that fish here….plenty of water for everyone!
Unfortunately, we did not see a fish today. Back at the dock by 5:00, and ready for tomorrow.

June 15th, 2008
Out about 10:00….hooked up by 12:00 with a sea monster....I released a 800+ 20 minutes later….in, again, flat calm seas….this is truly Jurassic park.

June 16th, 2008
Got fuel this AM, 1000 litres….1.30 per litre, but using only about 60 gallons a day! Left a little later today, but by 11:00 David released a 900+ , again in flat calm seas!! The only miscue was my pitch…I pitched a split tail mullet to this monster….after a spectacular bite about 10 feet off the transom, he dropped it! Fortunately for us, he went back and piled on a long rigger that did have a hook in it.

June 17, 2008
Off the dock about 10:00 there is a little wind out of the south…we would rather see NE. No bites today…looking forward to a scotch and a grilled something on the boat tonight. Jeremiah and Cory have an apartment about 5 mins. walk from the dock…..they are very satisfied, as it has TV, 2 bedrooms, a full kitchen, and a washer…..good set up.

June 18, 008
Today takes the cake so far….we left the dock at the gentlemen’s time of 9:30. By 11:00 we had raised a double, and released a 400+….a rat here. At 12:00, we hooked a monster that went crazy, and David was in the chair…..we ended up chafing the leader off….600 lb. mono chafed like nothing! The fish jumped all over the ocean….easily 900+, maybe the first grander…..in this place we will get another chance.
Tomorrow our dear friend Lois Davis shows up, and Web leaves…..great to have him here.

June 19, 2008
Caught the GRANDER today!!! Went out for a half day so we could be back to pick up Lois, and we hooked the mother of all marlin!! I got it to the boat in about 12 minutes, and when Cory grabbed the leader, it went nuts! We got the leader 10 times in the next 1.5 hours (we wanted our lure back), and finally, Cory broke the 600 lb leader.....he then jumped in to get back the lure...which, unbelievably, he did! The fish was well over 1ooo lbs....an incredible experience.