Mahi Mahi

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Arrive on the beach 5:15 AM, set-up, launch before sunrise. Meet up with Andre and Yanni.

Go out to make bait and everyone says it’s hard but since we use cut bait, we got a nice sized bait ball to activate and produce greenbacks for about 8 of us in the area. Unfortunately we could not get any Spanish Macs which we were in search of because rumor had it the tuna and dodos were only taking Spanish and short bitting the greenbacks.

Start trolling and Andre is on a Yellowtail in like 5 minutes all caught on film by Yani. Nice fish bro.

Andre, Momofish, and I decide to head offshore in search of tuna and dodo with greenbacks as that is all we could find.

In very short order we find ourselves heading against a strong headwind and possible current as well. Extremely hard to get out. Questioned the move a few times but coaxing from Andre meant we kept heading west north west. Then we saw boats and decided to head that way. After a bit we realized that they were three kayakers coming in. Headed towards them for a report. Report was they lost a big fish out farther, most likely tuna. Saw two boats on the horizon and we said what the heck we’ve come this far lets go that way. As were nearing the boats, they take off, LOL.

No signs of life, no kelp patties, no boats, no other yaks except us three. Noticed that the southern current was sucking us south so we took a northern heading. This went on for a little while. I had a large active greenback that kept making runs setting off my clicker and awakening us to a few false alarms. We figure we are about five miles out, water temperature 72.5, 280 feet of water, large greenback mackerel.

THEN, we saw a few terns, circling, Bingo. We start to head toward them. And then my rod goes off hard, we all three look back to see a nice sized dodo rocketing into the air 10 to 15 feet and spits the bait and all three of us go F#$%!!!!! The line goes slack, I start to reel it in and Bendo! The dodo punched the bait or spit it but retain the hook in her mouth. Game On !!!!!!!!!

This surface fish fights way differently than the deep diving yellowtail. Numerous runs, and then shoots right back toward me producing way too much slack in the line for my comfort. A few jumps more I can’t even remember as the first one was so vivid. Then she starts to circle me and I try to following peddling hard with the rudder cranked. We did about 20 circles this way or so it seemed like. She is pulsated neon blue, green purple and yellow. Extremely vivid colors. Then the unthinkable happened, the line gets caught in my rudder, oh chit. Thank god Andre was there to untangle me and the fish was tired by this time. Thanks again bro for saving me there. I examined the 40 pound fluorocarbon when I got home to see to nicks and gashes in the line, whew!

Still a strong current so we start to head in east north east until we get in range of Yani. Fish with him for a while and heard his story of a big lost fish, perhaps tuna? Asked if he wanted some Mahi Mahi and he said heck ya. Got in to ok landing (I jumped out) and a lot of attention. My favorite photo is of Yani filleting the fish on the hood of my truck. Then he took the head

What an epic day thanks to Andre, Momo, and Yani