8/16 Yankee Capts Pulley Ridge Deep Drop (Short Report)

Xaf · August 2018

Sorry no pictures, trying to fish took too much of my attention. The simplest way to put it is to say that the current was "ripping". Most of the trip I was using between 4 and 8 pounds of lead. The first drop of the trip I had a very nice fish (grouper I think) close enough that I could just see it when my line started being pulled to my left by someone 3 - 4 people away from me. Before I could say anything they continued to reel and their braid cut through my top-shot. So I watched as my rig, fish and 5 lbs of lead took off for the bottom. I guess I should have taken that as an omen because that's about the way the rest of my trip went. I lost between 35 - 40 pounds of lead, either getting hung in the bottom or being cut off in a tangle. During the night someone used my Instant Power/Jumper unit as a battery charger and drained it completely to the point where it will no longer take a charge. The straw that broke the camels back, I lost about 3/4 of the line on my reel when in a tangle someone either intentionally or accidentally cut my main line. For my efforts, I ended up with 4 nice mutton snapper, 2 ham-bones (black fin snapper), 1 yellow eye snapper, 1 decent yellow edge grouper, 1 gray tile and a red grouper someone gave me.

There were a few people who did fairly well on the trip. As usual it depended on the time they spent at the rail and to some extent where they were fishing when we were deep dropping. The way the boat was laying, there were a few positions on the stern that were less inclined to get caught up in some of the tangles. The pool winner was an African pompano that beat out a large black fin tuna.

As usual Chad served up some of the best meals available on a head boat. The mates did a great job of keeping up with the endless job of undoing tangles made of multiple braided lines, helping people re-rig and gaffing fish. Greg put us on the fish and Brizo provided encouragement from time to time.

privateer19 · August 2018

Well at least you got it out of your system..... hopefully your next trip will be killer, no tangles, no lost weights and 3 totes to your self! I will give you the same advice i give my grandsons when s**t goes bad, step back from the rail, turn around 3 times, jump on your left foot 3 times then your right and give your self a good shake, that usually get the funk off.

globalwavetracker · August 2018

Overcoming nature's challenges in an adventure leads us to improvise and cultivate patience. It humbles us as we pack the best and yet is overwhelmed at adverse times. Had a short taste of 450' at the beginning of Aug on a lite, most of us were unprepared as 32oz, my heaviest a gift from Tai, was briskly flowing ahead while the hambones were chewing aggressively. Came up empty every drop while some scored well with strip bait instead of whole squid. Someone had 2 large Cuda at 450' on a jig. Glad you came well prepared to handle the current and had an inventory. I would have been wiped out of leads long before. Pays to yell hard as soon as you feel tugging on your line with a fish coming up. On our trip we had lines converging from the stern and bow depending on drop delays. Once someone sees their lines are not in sync with the majority it's time to reset.

tarponbro1 · August 2018

Xaf, I've been there. In 1998 I got several customers of mine to go to Loreto in Baja California to fly fish for big dolphin. An El Nino came up and I saw 2 dolphin in a week of fishing. I don't think anyone at that lodge caught a dolphin all week. We caught some decent other fish on bait and lures but we totally struck out on the mahi. I've had a couple of other trips that weren't great fish catching one but we always seemed to have a good time on them. You win some you lose some, I guess.

Xaf · August 2018

I'm not saying I didn't enjoy myself. I always enjoy any time I can get away and spend time on the water. I learned along time ago you can't fight mother nature. Now that I'm retired it just hurts the wallet a bit more when you have to replace a bunch of braid, lead, etc.