8/7/10 Report: 1st V21 Billfish!

Blue_Runner · #1 08-09-2010, 09:25 AM

After getting the motor fixed last week (fuel pump) I decided to trailer it down for the weekend to South Myrtle to take my nephew Ross fishing. It was me, Ross, his dad Robin, Flyfishin and Fly's brother Cory.

Saturday the 5 of us woke at 5:30 am and made our usual stops for coffee/biscuit, ice, bait and headed out. We pulled dead baits in the 79 degree water for kings and spanish at a spot 13 miles off the beach. We picked at the spanish throughout the morning but the kings never showed. Flyfishin threw a casting spoon off the bow and has about as much action doing that as we did pulling the baits.

Cory behind the wheel and Flyfishin casting up front

Robin

At one time we thought we had a king and put Ross on the rod. It felt like a big fish and he did a great job. Come to find out it was a 5 lb spanish that ended up in a shark or cudas mouth. The tension finally lightened and Ross reeled in the head!

Ross on the rod

Flyfishin showing Ross the ropes

The catch!

Here is Ross with another one he caught:

So everything was going as planned when at 11:59 am, precisely, I heard the right short do a 1 second BZZZT.....I asked if anybody did that, they said NO....so I quickly popped it into freespool in the rod holder for about 6 - 8 seconds. Rod started bouncing and I tighted it down...FISH ON!! Little did we know if was a SAIL! We quickly figured it out when Cory picked up the rod, started working him and he cleared the water with a huge splash. We worked him in fairly quickly - probably too quickly. Once beside the boat FlyFishing got both hands on the bill as I scrambled to get a pic. The fish seemed calm at first but quickly showed that he was GREEN and became furious about humans touching his bill. He thrashed for a moment then popped loose from Fly's grasp. The line snapped and he was free. I did get one pic of him on the way in with his bill out of the water.

First V21 Sail!

Back at the house it was time for a few pics.

Ross and the catch

Fish bag

Random shots

My new favorite seating arrangement...sittin on the throw cushion

Cool house

RWilson2526 · #2 08-09-2010, 10:10 AM

Great report as usual...congrats on the Sailfish....lets get a better picture next time will ya?

Blue_Runner · #3 08-09-2010, 10:23 AM

LMAO RW! Hindsight is 20/20....easy to see the few things we did wrong now but needless to say the adreneline was pumping HARD. Cory's hands were still shaking 15 minutes later! That fish was huge. All pics were cellphone pics to and the dang shutter speed is S L O W on that thing. If I woud have had a better cam I could have gotten some cool shots. Live and learn!

Flyfishin · #4 08-09-2010, 10:39 AM

BR,

Thanks for another great weekend of fishing. Can't wait until Labor Day weekend to do it again.

FLY

fishingwithblue · #5 08-09-2010, 11:43 AM

Awsome sailfish, saw one last weekend around St. Simons Island Ga. You gonna smoke the spanish?

joe7670 · #6 08-09-2010, 11:46 AM

Cool pics and congrats on the sail!

bassarama · #7 08-13-2010, 06:13 AM

Nice work getting Ross hooked up on those fish BR

Gee, you guys get all the nice Sails down South. Us poor Northern boys have to settle with lots of flounder and big fat stripers.

I didn't know you had a bad fuel pump...did you rebuilt it?

I had problems with mine, but thanks to THEFERMANATOR expertize, I was able to repair it myself.

Blue_Runner · #8 08-13-2010, 07:20 AM

You poor, poor Northern boys. Don't forget ya'll get the tog, cod, and the big fat freshwater yellow perch that we don't see down here either....

Not trying to rub salt in the wound (OK, I admit I am) but we get big fat stripers here too in the winter. All the one's you guys don't catch head down here chasing the menhaden November - March. We got the flatties as well...they just don't seem to be as big, fat and numerous as yours. I haven't caught a keeper (15" NC & 14" SC) in Lord knows when. Having said that, you can't eat a picture of a sailfish (I guess you could but why?) so I'd say you Northerners will be just fine with the striped ones and flatties and other delectible species not found in southern waters.

Blue_Runner · #9 08-13-2010, 08:55 AM

Thanks Bass....Ross had a BLAST. He probably doesn't realize how lucky he is to see that sail at 13 years old.

Fuel pump - I'm sure I could have rebuilt it, but just took it to a guy and told him to do that and the impeller while he was at it. I just don't have the time or place to work on it right now.

Airslot · #10 08-16-2010, 09:52 AM

I pop in every now and then just to keep an eye on youz guys :). Haven't done much fishing this year, but we've done a whole lot of trips to the sandbar, restaurants, and such. I'll post a report of our Topsail trip when we return.

'Slot
Former V owner