7/20 Glory Hole

[Pauls1976]

So, my buddy's daughter came up from NC to visit and decided she wanted to do some real fishing and not just drift for Fluke. So, No fluke fishing and no canyon was mutually decided, middle grounds it was. I decided to join the trip even though my expectations were set low given previous reports.

We set up at the Glory Hole and start criss crossing and working pots and the deep. See a splash out of corner of my eye, a split second later, the engine starts to shudder. A pot that was cut off was drifting and the poly line was dangling, miraculously, we were freed without any hassle. Set the spread back out and rigger pops, not fighting all that much but knew we didn't have a pot. 14.6lb Mahi in boat and shortly after we added a 12lb and missed one. Zig zagging these pots where we caught a couple but saw more of them free swimming, we kept pounding the area. Next up the one TLD25 in the spread, starts to scream. At first my buddy Matt says I think we have the pot but I don't understand how it is possible, next I hear 2 people yell Marlin. Being the most experienced deckhand on board I kind of rolled my eyes and said cool, we were in the Glory Hole after all. Then I watch this big White Marlin bust loose. The boat has never caught a Marlin and 4 others on the boat never caught or saw a Marlin other than in magazines. I was determined to do what I had to, to make sure we got a legal/legit release. About 20 minutes later, I grabbed the leader. As I was half on swim platform, half in boat. This white goes berserk. Side to side, jumps, thrashing and finally he starts jumping towards boat, I jumped fully on boat and the white was released. Annoyed but released. As day progressed we slowly zig zagged west, saw Mahi under pots but only managed 1 out of 2, saw countless Hammerheads cruising around color change and saw a Mola Mola.

Final tally was 3 for 5 on Mahi (8-15lb), released 75-85lb White Marlin and put a rat Bluefish in boat. Hammerheads were all over on clean side of color change.

Getting a Marlin in the Glory Hole was the highlight of day by far. Throwing some 8-15lb Mahi's in cooler was icing on the cake. Seeing all the other life was killer! But to be out with 4 friends who never witnessed a Marlin, never saw sharks sunning themselves much less a hammerhead etc etc etc is just awesome! I am ecstatic for them, I even had to clean the dust off my flags and set them up for his first Marlin. It was just one of those trips to remind me why I love being out on the ocean and why I love to share what I have learned over the years. We have so, so pics of the Marlin given that all we had to use was our phones but when my phone charges I will post them and video of one of the hammerheads.