Day 312 - Marquises - Tuamotu Passage Day 1
1st June – As of midnight I was at position
9:53.46S 141:0.29W I caught the massive Mahi Mahi only 2 hours out of the
anchorage and believe me these thing fight. I had no idea what it was on the
end of the line, as I wound it in to the back of the boat I managed after 3
attempts to gaff the monster in the head, I collected it right in the bull brow
bit at the crown of its head so I had a great hold. My only problem now was
that the fish was so big no lies or fisherman tales about this I was just not
strong enough in the cramped little space to lift it onboard. Instead I locked
the gaff in under the BBQ so I could catch my breath but yet some how even with
it locked in place and the fish suspended by its brow from the back of the boat
it yet kicked some more a freed itself. I have gone over it 1000 times and
still have no idea how it happened but it got off the gaff. As the drag was wound
right up it had no give at such close quarters and the line just snapped off
and it was gone. Not to mention it was off with my favorite lure and a nice
whole in its head. This was and always will be a very sad moment, I am not sure
what upsets me more that fact that I lost such a monster of a fish or the fact
that I lost my lure. I can tell you one thing for sure though it takes me a
long time to get over knowing a fish that should be on my dinner plate had
escaped with a lure in its mouth. The lures I use all have a stainless steel
hook and these do not rust so it saddens me even further knowing a shark will
proberly end up with the feed I wanted and the lure to top it off. Well you know what they say there are plenty more fish in
the sea. Day 312 Destination – Traveling Direction – South West Average Speed – 5.8 Total distance – 75.1 Nautical Miles Travel Time – 12:32’h |