BajaNomad - Damn it...I just lost a Marlin

Damn it...I just lost a Marlin

fishabductor - 6-16-2010 at 07:58 PM

I just lost a marlin about an hour ago, I saw the marlin chasing bait, trolled in close using a lure I made, saw the take, The fish dove, then resurfaced, had he not resurfaced I would have been spooled in less than a minute, when he resurfaced I was able to chase him with my 15' westcoaster bayrunner and regain my line. He dove again, and then resurfaced 300-400 yards out..I kept him about 20 degrees off the bow, and let him pull me. I was doing about 2.5mph while being towed over a mile on my gps. This went on for about an hour.

Then a school of Bottlenose Dolfin showed up the the marlin sounded again and kept on going. I was nearly spooled and hand no choice but to crank down on the drag. I felt a thump then nothing.

I was fishing 20#, I had a 20# and a 40# line out...had it taken the 40# it may have been boated.

Think the dolfins took him? Shark? The 50# leader popped and it looked pretty clean. At least my palomar knots held fast!!

I saw the marlin at one point when it resurfaced about 200yds out and it looked like about 4' from the dorsal to the tail. That was the closest I ever got from him :no:

capt. mike - 6-17-2010 at 07:05 AM

why were you not at work? does your boss know you skipped?
hahahaha
jest funnin' :biggrin:

fishabductor - 6-17-2010 at 07:38 AM

The beauty of working/living in baja.

Boss said it was sacreligious not to fish, the last time I told him I was going so hard I hadn't fished in a month. I fish every chance I can.

I live and work on the property, and can launch my panga off the beach in front of the house, so when the wind is down and the surf is too, I fish. I only fish evenings when the suns low and it's cooled off.

This is the 2nd marlin I've hooked and lost after work. The first fight was only about 5 minutes and a I got busted off on the 2nd jump. I was casting Rangers to feeding tuna, and a marlin grabbed on. I hooked that fish about 40' from the boat and when it jumped I got a very good look at it 2x. it was about a 400lb blue!!! Too much to handle for a solo fisherman on 30# braid in a 15' tin boat :bounce:

..
But what a thrill!!!

[Edited on 6-17-2010 by fishabductor]

Curt63 - 6-17-2010 at 08:22 AM

Welcome to the hook and release club. I'm a member in solid standing. :lol:

bajabass - 6-17-2010 at 08:35 AM

I can see it if I close my eyes. One hand holding the rod as high as you can, the other on the tiller, just trying to keep up. You can't stop to reel, cause you can't stop the fish. A heartbreaker for sure. A dolphin probably hit the line, adios marlin. I've had to chase a few fish down, but nothing like that!

baitcast - 6-18-2010 at 08:27 AM

Losing a big fish in a small rig be it a yak,tin boat,or my favorite a one man life raft,yipe a very large rooster and I had an encounter,him on one end and I on the other in my raft,a real adventure to say the least,Ive told the story several times.

Everyone in camp cheered me on while watching the tow take place :lol:

Rob

Russ - 6-18-2010 at 08:56 AM

Now we're talking! My red boat (14') is ready and so is my gear. But I'd rather see my lure go sailing after about 10 or 15minutes. Two hours in a tin boat with a marlin is just too much in this weather. Hell, 1/2 hour's pushing it (for me). I'll report IF I get so lucky :bounce:

Edit: I do have the barbs on my bigger lures P-nched. Just in case. I love seeing the strike almost as muck as the 1st 5min of the battle.

[Edited on 6-18-2010 by Russ]

Frank - 6-18-2010 at 01:53 PM

I would lose the 20# mainline and go up to 60# and a larger leader. I know you want to be sporting, but 20# is too small. If the fish breaks you off, he gets to swim around trailing a lot of mono behind him.

Im bringing a waterproof video recorder with us this year. I'm hoping for some great footage in our 12' Gregor.

Good Luck!

[Edited on 6-18-2010 by Frank]

fishabductor - 6-18-2010 at 02:25 PM

I almost did lose the 20# mainline. I had a 4" lure on going for Dorado.

I've caught a lot of fish on 20#, wahoo, tuna, dorado, jacks, 50 lb roosters...but a marlin Is a whole nother animal

Cypress - 6-19-2010 at 05:35 PM

You went for and hooked a marlin on 20#. You saw the fish and went for it on 20# test. You lost him. Are you bragging or complaining? What did you expect? :lol:

Russ - 6-19-2010 at 06:42 PM

Many years ago I had a double on marlin. One rig was a Calcuta with 17# the other a Penn with 25#. They both took of in different directions (of course). I set the drag on the 25 and stuck it in the holder. Knowing it would be spooled and worked the 17. Since both of these bad boys were in opposite directions I couldn't pursue either. After 45 min. I had the first released. To my amazement the other one was about 300 yds out just keeping tension on the line so I putted towards it and had another uneventful release. That's my story and I'm sticking to it. :yawn:

Edit: Did I forget to mention? Both were only in the 125 pound class.

[Edited on 6-20-2010 by Russ]

fishabductor - 6-19-2010 at 06:57 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Cypress
You went for and hooked a marlin on 20#. You saw the fish and went for it on 20# test. You lost him. Are you bragging or complaining? What did you expect? :lol:

neither....I was asking a question of whether anyone thought a dolphin went for the marlin or maybe a shark, considering it was my 50# leader that broke cleanly and not my 20# mainline.

I lost a $3 lure and had a great time....And had those dolphin not showed up I maybe would have landed him. I was making line on him up until the dolphin.

[Edited on 6-20-2010 by fishabductor]

Cypress - 6-19-2010 at 07:12 PM

Dolphin didn't take the marlin.

The marlin just broke off, 20# is too light for big fish. But, I guess you have figured that out by now. :biggrin:

fishabductor - 6-19-2010 at 07:26 PM

Your right......

I better mount my Warn 9000# winch on the back of the boat.

Cypress - 6-19-2010 at 07:37 PM

:lol:

Iflyfish - 6-19-2010 at 08:06 PM

Good one.

Here's one for you.

Barre de Navidad, our good friend Phillipe and fishing partner takes someone else out fishing, sets us up with Enrique to take us out fishing the next day.

Enrique comes to pick us up for a combination Marlin/Snorkeling trip, and he looks like crap, sober sort of guy; we asked him "what's up, you look like you have "un malo crudo". He says "no, another pangero is lost at sea and the entire fleet has been up all night looking for him". We set off to find him.

Lo and behold we did find him. He has been lost all night and the entire fleet looked for him. We come up on the boat and there is a big German guy humping over the side of the boat, looked like heaving, I thought "heart attack"!

It turns out that the pangero had left port with no radio, they were out of gas, and had no food or water. The German had hooked, by everyone involved estimation, a 2000 pound Black Marlin. This guy had been fighting it for 23 hours by the time we reached him, towed them for miles and miles. The German was using 50# Maxima and refused to let the fish go!

We gave them our water and food and radioed the "Medicus", a big boat, to assist. The German refuses to cut the line. We gave the guys on the Medicus our snorkel, mask and fins. The plan was to use floats to keep the marlin afloat so they could land it. We left to fish.

That night we are eating dinner, I pop a bottle of bubbly, the German appears out of nowhere at our table, "Phillipe, when will you take me fishing he says to our friend". Phillipe had told us many times that he hated the German who every year came to Barre to try to catch a bigger marlin than Phillipe's port record.

Nary a word from the German about our saving his life, no "thank you", nothing, just "Phillipe, when will you take me fishing".

If you are ever in Barre, ask about the famous Phillipe and you can verify the story.

The marlin broke off after 27 hours.

Iflyfish

fishabductor - 6-19-2010 at 08:32 PM

great story...thanks for sharing

Bob and Susan - 6-20-2010 at 05:35 AM

how come no one eats dolphin???

i guess it doesn't taste like chicken???

fishabductor - 6-20-2010 at 05:43 AM

Good question Bob...I think it tastes like tuna!!

Anyone ever gook one, or snag one?

bajabass - 6-20-2010 at 07:13 AM

Dolphin are great eating! But only the green ones! :yes:

fishabductor - 6-20-2010 at 10:53 AM

Wasn't there a big Dolphin/albacore tuna scare a few years back, where everyone was trying to boycott white tuna, because the dolphins were being killed and canned. I bet more of us than we know have probably eaten dolphin. If I have, I can tell you it tastes great! I like albacore much more that yellow canned tuna.

[Edited on 6-20-2010 by fishabductor]