What the heck???

fish assassin · 09-12-2002, 07:00 AM

OK, here's my story and I'm sticking too it, no matter what *you* say!!

Last Saturday I was single-handing the Catamaran out
of Depoe Bay. I was out there in the same area as the
other Ifishers that have been posting here. There
were some pretty incredible things to see that day.
I got to watch the lightning hit the water several
miles north of us, I saw two (count 'em, TWO) water
spouts. I also got to see a *bunch* (maybe in the
area of 50) white-sided porpoise feeding all around
my boat as I sat on the cooler on the back deck reeling
in a fairly large fish! I could swear that
I also saw a couple of pilot whales mixed in with the
porpoise, but was so busy with the fish that I didn't
take the time to verify that.

After battling this one particular albicore up to the
boat, boating and bleeding him I decided to go forward
and take a break in the wheel house (this was about the
fifth of sixth fish on a fishing rod for the day) when
the other rod started singing! Shoot, thought I,
I'm already tired and my arms already hurt! I *really*
don't want to pull another fish in from 150 yards out
on a fishing rod!!

The reel was singing! Line was stripping of at a
fast pace! I grabbed the rod out of the rocket launcher
(above my head) and almost got pulled overboard ...
not a good thing when you are alone on the boat!

I reached over, quick as a bunny, and pulled the throttles
into "slow troll" position. The reel was *still*
singing and the spool was getting near to empty!!!
I couldn't stop this puppy! I put my thumb on the
reel to try to slow it down ... and burnt the heck
outa my thumb before it registered what I had done ...

... so then I cranked the drag down tight, pointed
the rod at the critter and re-applied my thumb to the
spool. POP! OK, you get *that* jig!

At first I figured I snagged one of the porpoise in
the side (or maybe one of those pilot whales?), but
after a certain amount of reflection I've decided that
what I actually had going there was MR. BILL!!! I
mean, what else could it have been? Porpoise and
whales *never* get snagged up in your lines, right?
It *HAD* to be Mr. Bill!

Well, that's my story and I'm sticking too it!
:shocked: :grin:

Ramstrong · 09-12-2002, 07:26 AM

Well fish assassin,

There's an easy way around this. What were you doing out there alone? If you needed crew, there are plenty of able bodied, willing crew members on this board that would have loved to have givin your arms a rest. They would have been able to corroberate your story as well

Pilar · 09-12-2002, 07:27 AM

Krystalflash hooked a Dahl Porpoise 2 summers ago. This little cetacean (7 foot) bit the lure and then went down to the bottom (900FT) for more than 15 minutes.

Mike G. (Krystalflash) begged big Jon (Puffin) to chase the fish. Jon came back from the pilots seat for a look. He said (and we still laugh big over this)

'Hey man, do you see a periscope on this boat?, I mean unless this boat is like a german U boat there is no way in hell we can chase that fish. The line is going straight down, deal with it man!'

You can count on Jon for his unvarnished opinion and minimal sympathy for wimpy fishers any given moment.

They did not know what was going on until it surface and blew several times and then attempted to sound again. Finally they got the beast partly out of the water but could not reach the snapping jaws. The porpoise was cut free and ran away to join his mates.

Our Tuna is dolphin safe. :grin:

fish assassin · 09-12-2002, 08:01 AM

Ramstrong,

If I had been given more time to line something up
with one of the guys from this board, I would have.
However, my deckhand didn't let me know until Friday
night that he didn't want to go with me Saturday
morning ...
Something about "ya gotta let me have at least one
weekend off". Stupid 18yo kids!

Pilar,
That's an interesting story about the porpoise! I
thought they were smarter than to *bite* a lure. I've
never had on do that. Hmmm, maybe I didn't snag the
critter ... oh wait, that's right, it was Mr. Bill
that I was messing with! Almost forgot my own story
there for a minute!
-assAssin- :grin:

OceanBlue · 09-12-2002, 08:07 AM

Assassin,

It's a GREAT story... you should stick with it!

I'm just wondering if Corrirod and Keta ACTUALLY saw that striped marlin... I mean, how could you see the beast, actually SEE it and not a) try to catch it or b) call someone who would (such as... oh, I don't know... ME?!)
:whazzup:

Trust me, the Puffin would have been there in 2 shakes of a lamb's tail!

The only conclusion I can draw is that they made the whole thing up on the way back to the docks just to goad me.

[ 09-12-2002, 09:08 AM: Message edited by: Pilar's Mate ]

corrirod · 09-12-2002, 08:53 AM

That or we're saving Bill for ourselves....... [img]graemlins/eek13.gif[/img] :shocked:

09-12-2002, 10:25 AM

Jen,

Next time I am out I WILL have the gear to handle Mr. Bill! I just went to BiMart and looked up the price for a left hand Senator to replace the one that I misplaced ( :smile: do you know where I could have left it :grin: )

After I make my next truck payment I am going to order it and a heavier pole for Mr. Bill (OH NO!!!!).

The catamaran was in sight when we saw the marlin jumping and could have been trying to toss the gear when we saw it jump.

I now have marlin fever.

Deepslayer · 09-12-2002, 12:31 PM

Mr. Bill must be getting slower and weaker by now, if he still has my rod and reel hanging out of his mouth and Jen's rod and reel. :shocked: I think that's why he only broke off your lure. He already had all the rods and reels he needed! :grin: :grin:
,Ed

OceanBlue · 09-12-2002, 12:32 PM

:grin: :smile:

Miss B Haven · 09-12-2002, 11:16 PM

Fish Assassin - Sounds like you just got a witness

Of course you don't win the first annual ifish Bill tourney cause to quote Arny S (you know the big guy in the movies- when he gets asked "what happened to Bill?)

"Oh -I let him go" :grin: :grin: :grin: :grin: