trip report:deep sea fishing in Jamaica (very long)

[bosoxfan]

On our family vacation to Jamaica we decided to take a deep sea fishing tour. At first I thought it was going to be going out to the other side of the reef and throwing our lines over to try and catch grouper and red snapper type fish. While booking it I found out we would be trolling for big game fish. Mostly likely to catch dolphin, marlin, king fish and the like. My kids decided they still wanted to go.

I made my way to the pier along with my son (13) and one of my daughters (10). The minimum number for the trip was 4 so we had another guy from the resort with us. We were scheduled for a half day trip leaving at 8:30 and getting back around 12:30. Captain Sharky(CS) along with deck hand Michael(DHM) pulled up on the Sunfisher II to the dock about 8:45 and we pushed away from the dock about 9:00.

As we got around the protection of the reef we had 6 lines in the water. The sea was giving us 5 to 6 foot swells. This combined with the 95 degree heat and too many absolute and cranberries the night before had me feeling queasy about 45 minutes into the trip. I decided lying down on the deck was a great idea.

Around 11:00 DHM needed to go up the ladder to the captains area. My legs were blocking the ladder and he nudged my legs to have me move. I think I had fallen asleep and my eyes snapped open and I sat up quick. This was a very bad decision and made my way to the rail to deposit breakfast into the sea. About 20 minutes later my daughter who had gone to sit on a couch in the cabin made it 2 steps out the cabin door before her breakfast was on the deck. When DHM came down he washed it out the back with a bucket of sea water. My son told me when he went down to the bathroom earlier he got sick in the toilet. We were doing great. A little before noon DHM came by and I asked if would be back soon. The 3 of us were relieved to hear we were heading back and would reach the dock in about 45 minutes. The sea had picked up and we were getting some swells in the range of 10 feet.

10 minutes later a line popped off the outrigger and we had our first strike of the day. DHM grabbed the pole but the line was empty. Another line popped immediately and DHM set the hook. The fish’s head came out of the water and failed to shake the hook, we have our first look at the blue marlin.

As DHM held the line with the fish the other guy and I started getting the other lines out of the water. My nausea forgotten in the excitement. When the other poles were stowed DHM said get in the chair. I told the other guy to take it but he said nope it’s you. I got in the chair and locked in the pole. DHM guided the line from the back rail if we were reeling DHM was pulling on the line if the fish was taking line it ran through his fingers. I’m pretty sure his hands are made of leather. After about 30 minutes DHM said we were getting close and it would be our only fish so the other guy should get a shot in the chair. We switched out and to celebrate my first battle with a monster fish I spewed bile over the rail and had a couple of gut wrenching dry heaves. Awesome!

After other guys half hour stint on the reel it was time to switch again. Niether of my kids wanted any part of it. My daughter went into the cabin lay on the couch and slept the rest of trip. My son sat on the cooler to watch. As I get back into chair I notice we have made up no line in the hour and may have lost a little. I guess DHM and my idea of close are pretty far off.

2 hours in the other guy is in the chair and our line is getting low. DHM says were are still ok, a few minutes later the fish starts to run at the end of the run I see spots of bare reel. DHM starts yelling to me and nodding his head to the side. He has a thick Jamaican accent and it gets worse as he gets excited and starts yelling. I have no idea what he is talking about. I go to the corner of the boat as he continues to yell. The only items in the direction of his head pointing are 2 gafs (the big hooks on a pole) an old wet towel and a piece of rope. I grab the rope but it’s attached to the boat and DHM shakes his head no and continues to yell gibberish at me. CS is leaning over and yelling to me also and I have no idea what’s going on. I grab the towel and this is the winner. I hand it over and he wraps it around the line put it uder his arm and grabs the line, 2 seconds later we are out of line only the knot on the reel. The line snaps and I sit down thinking we are done.

Here come the weird part, I was there and still have a hard time believing this happened. DHM still has the line in his hands. CS comes down the ladder and grabs one of the stowed pole. DHM starts pulling the line up with his bare hands and CS hooks it to the other pole. We regroup and reel the line back up to where he attached it. CS takes the pole and walks it back on the deck and DHM grabs the line unwraps the towel that didn’t fall off in the water, rewraps put sit under his arm and grabs the line. CS unhooks the two line and restrings the line to the original pole and ties the knot. We make up a bunch of line and are back in business.

4 hours in I’m in the chair and the fish is about 40 yards off the back of the boat and starts to jump. This is one of the most amazing thing I’ve ever seen. The fish is huge and coming fully out of the water. After 3 or 4 jumps it drives and we lose a lot of line. After a few switches we are little past the 5 hour mark. Other guy is in the chair and he has it about the same 40 yards off the boat and we get more jumps out of the fish. 15 minutes later with other guy still in the chair I am sitting in a chair to the left I see the fish. It’s about 5 feet off the back of the boat and about 5 feet below the surface. It’s off to the left though and for some reason this seems to be problem. DHM starts yelling at CS, I think we need to go forward for some reason. I hear the engines rev to move us but before we can move the line snaps and our fish is gone.

As soon as the line snaps CS guns the engine and we are on our way back to the dock. DHM’s face just completely drops. Other guy and I look at each other but neither say a word. I ask DHM how big the fish was. He tells me at least 400 pounds probably close to 500. He’s pissed so I save my what happened question and never end up asking it.

[Gunny Highway]

Did I miss it somewhere? What kind of fish?

[Shajen]

Jesus Christ dude,

that [censored] blows.

[mattw]

nice report.

did you have to pay extra for the extended time at sea?

pls tell me you made a mistake in that dolphin was one of the big fishes sought. do people eat/taxiderm dolphins? they are intelligent and our friends. poor flipper. (for the young crowd, flipper was a tv show eons ago about a dolphin.)

[Dudd]

[ QUOTE ]

pls tell me you made a mistake in that dolphin was one of the big fishes sought. do people eat/taxiderm dolphins? they are intelligent and our friends. poor flipper. (for the young crowd, flipper was a tv show eons ago about a dolphin.)

[/ QUOTE ]

Dolphin fish = mahi-mahi, not Flipper.

[kipin]

[ QUOTE ]
(for the young crowd, flipper was a tv show eons ago about a dolphin.)

[/ QUOTE ]

You really think your reference is so obscure no one would have understood it without that parenthetical?

[onthebutton]

Not that kind of dolphin, dude.

Sucks about your fish. DHM sounds hardcore.

[maryfield48]

Bo,

Where did you stay? Shoulda told me you were coming my way - I'd have been happy to provide translation services for you! Sorry you lost the fish.

[bosoxfan]

[ QUOTE ]
Did I miss it somewhere? What kind of fish?

[/ QUOTE ]

It was a blue marlin

[sean c]

bosoxfan was it fun reeling in that fish? It seems like a hell of a lot of work. Was the thrill of catching that big fish worth it and would you go again if you had the chance?

Sorry about the fish.