I have no marlin mojo

My brilliant run at losing marlin continued on Saturday. I met Brian and  Mark at Paihia on Friday evening and we checked in to our motor lodge then headed down to the Bay Of Islands Swordfish Club (BOISC) to enter the small boats competition. We were team #24 ... this wasn't going to be the biggest competition in the world by any stretch. The forecast was great when I checked from Sydney on Wednesday... by the time Thursday afternoon had come around it was revised to SW 15kts rising to 35... by Friday afternoon it was about the same. We had a few beers at the club and a meal (support your local) and then hit the hay with visions of large striped bill fish tearing up our lure set. I woke with a bit of a sore head but munched through a big plate of bacon and eggs, toast, hash browns and other assorted greasy sh*t that doesn't bother me in the least on the briny. Mark, who suffers the dreaded mal de mer had dry toast and tea. Brian didn't eat. He's a freak. We set off in a mild SW snotty little wind that set up a decent swell. We headed out past Nine Pin, turned left and then trolled along the swell (SW) to give the lures a decent run. The 15 turning 35kt forecast wasn't that pleasant a thought. After a couple of hours we were abreast of the Cavalli Islands and the water improved in temp and colour.

Skippies were hitting the swivels on the game lures so it all felt quite fishy when CRACK the overhead rigger went off and the 50W (we were fishing 4 80W's and a Penn 70SW with 24kg) screamed. I was on the rod and grabbed it, cranking the drag up to the strike position to set the hook. Brian drove away from the fish to keep the line tight and hold the hook in place, while I cranked line in at every opportunity... then it all went slack. I cranked like a mad man in case the fish was swimming towards us but nope, nothing there. Damn. I went to reset the overhead rigger, so having gathered the 24kg line I was reaching up to snap it into the release clip when - swoooooosh - owwww - the line was ripped out of my fingers as the marlin - or another one - grabbed the lure. Again I grabbed the rod as the reel shrieked and spewed line. This time I was able to really set the hook, and the marlin responded by leaping straight up, what a grand sight. This time all went to plan as the boys cleared gear I got to work on the fish, then all went slack..... this time I wound the lure right in to check the hooks, but the lure was gone. The fish had rubbed through the leader - and When I asked Brian if what looked like 100lb mono actually was 100lb mono (say it ain't so...) he confirmed that the tuna bullet we were running out back was rigged on light leader. Funnily enough I didn't feel like crying and still don't. All this was, was a continuation of my less than stellar marlin fishing career. It's running something like 10:1 in favour of the marlin. I'm sooooo over it. Thus far I've had fish spit lures, spit livies, spit hooks and now a bust off. Great. But hey, having a marlin rip line out of your hand is pretty special and that's going to stay with me for a loooong time.

We got off the water early as the weather cut up rough. A bit of a swim in the hotel pool and then off for a dinner at the game club.... there was a fair crowd in.

Sunday was most notable for the nicer weather and the fact that 3 more marlin were hooked. Not by us. It was a more or less perfect day on the water, just enough swell to not have totally oily conditions, and the lures ran well. We were off the water by 4 and having driven Mark home i arrived at home at about 8.

Sweet weekend, thanks Brian & Mark.