Report submitted by 'Oz'
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Nyati Offshore Report
North Padre Island, TX
August 3rd-5th, 2007
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The summer is finally here as the winds are laying down
for a while. We venture out on a Thursday evening for the longest trip of
the year thus far. Joining Capt. YT on the Nyati is Skipjack on his premier
trip, Ronnie and Nena, YT's brother-in-law Garrick and his good friend, the
super badass photographer Mike, and myself. The destination is once again
back to the floaters for some possible Tuna action at night. At dusk Thursday
evening the 'Transformer' Nyati squeezes under the Packery bridge and out
we go in the calmest seas of the season.
We cruise out at a slow and safe speed and begin trolling past
the shelf just after daybreak. Things are slow and no shortage of scattered
weed. We troll around for a while with a couple knockdowns and then head
our way to another floating platform. In the middle of transit we see birds
and bait at the surface with small Tuna and Bonita underneath. We did see
a Whale Shark feeding on plankton underneath the chaos. We managed to creep
up on the activity and Skipjack hooks up and lands a nice Wahoo while trying
to catch Bonita and Tuna off the Whale Shark.
After a few minutes YT allows me to hop in and inspect the chaos and get
some footage.
The Whale Shark comes up and inspects me as well and i've made a gentle giant
of a friend.
About an hour of observing and minimal bait obtainment, we decide
to get back to trolling. Our goal was to be at the Hoover Diana platform
for the night time Tuna festivities. But with a couple hours of prime daylight
left get to the rig to try to obtain some baits. Almost instantly we begin
hammering some Almaco Jacks of all size.
We obtain a few baits and get back to the trolling scene. Things
are still slow and try to figure the situation out.
Not long and we break the ice and hang a decent Wahoo.
We finish out the remainder of the day and head back to the
rig taking a brief intermission. During the early nighttime hours we try
our luck for Tuna while jigging. We bang a few out but things are still very
slow. I then hook what I thought was a Yellowfin on the homemade jig and
after a couple minutes have a mega Almaco Jack up on the surface.
37lbs of Sharkathon Bait...
Skipjack gets into the Blackfin and we begin nailing larger than normal BFs
The rest of the night we hammered the Blackfin. Not consistent
but they were there and the ones present were of decent size. Other than
a couple dink yellows, not much else was present.
The next morning we troll and troll and troll and things are
still abnormally slow. We then take a quick swim to rid ourselves of the
offshore god's unrewarding curse. We begin trolling towards another floater
and then pick up some nice victims to live bait with. Shortly after we obtain
some baits we begin to put 2 out on the 130's, and one on the Duel.
In a distance we can see a storm approaching.
Less than an hour our live bait session is interrupted by a nice and welcoming
torrential squall.
Plenty of freshwater due in part from the rain is a welcoming
sight on a hot summer day and also washes off the accumulated salt on the
gear.
The rain soon passes and we begin to bang out some more bait while we have
the chance.
Shortly after the 130 Shindle is maintaining with a large live
bait gets hammered and starts destroying the reel. The line is getting dumped
rather quickly and after just over a minute the hook pulls from the big Marlin.
A sore loss on a much needed catch but we don't give up. We get back into
the rhythm of things and try again all the way up into the late afternoon
hours. When all hope seems lost we see an average Marlin breach and slashing
bait behind the lines. I turn the boat around and get us back for another
pass and we are finally hooked up again! Garrick gets into the chair and
strapped in. No visual confirmation yet but it has to be a billfish.
At sundown after a moderately short fight, we get the fish in
and its actually a smaller bill, a nice Sailfish though. Finally we land
and release our first billfish of the trip.
We decide to try our luck again for Tuna but only this time
at a different platform. There is a definite sign of bait present... and
bait working more bait.
The surface activity is actually erupting on occasion and Ronnie
and Shindle start throwing topwaters and finally hook up landing a
Beastly-Blackfin
The Blackfin Tuna bite is definitely on and like the previous
night are running large. We let Mike jig and hook into some and after this
BF, Mike decides he is wore out and calls for retirement.
We continue to fish until about 3am stacking up on some Blackfins
and Hardtails for bait in the morning. Just after 3 I begin to take us inshore
for a morning troll at sunrise.
As the sun comes up the spread goes out. We knock out some 'hoo
and a pesky Cuda before a good fish makes its way into the spread. The fish
swings in picking up a bait and we get Skipjack in the chair. After another
short fight Rick gets in his first Sailfish... the boats second of the weekend.
After another successful release we get the spread back out
and the Meat continues to find its way in the spead as we get Jeff hooked
up on a nice 'hoo.
We pick up and run in a ways and after a couple hours put the
spread back out. Not long and Mike comes out of retirement and nails one
of his own!
Baits go back out and shortly after all hell breaks loose. A
solid fish comes into the spread and begins smoking an 80W... then another
80W... then another.... For a short period we have a triple hookup on Marlin.
As chaotic as it is we manage to work things the best we can and one of the
fish spits the hook. Shindle is in the chair fighting one and I'm on the
other rod still hooked up.
After a few minutes after dumping half a spool my fish spits
the hook as well. However, Shindle is still hooked up and we are determined
to land this fish. After a few minutes Shindle powers the Marlin to the boat
and we get he in close to see she is lit up and still green.
The fish finally comes in and is subdued for a couple quick pics.
Shindle has just landed the boats first Blue Marlin of the weekend.
After the release we put the spread back out but time is running
thin and soon pack it up and head on in after a long weekend adventure.
Wore out but still excited, we get back to the dock and take
a quick pic of the crew and some of the catch.
Once again it was another great exciting trip and while the
fishing was off and on, the fun meter was always rocking! Thanks to YT, Ronnie,
and rest of the crew for another great adventure!
See you back on the boat in a couple days...
- Oz and crew
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