Offshore adventure scores Mahi

SkunkBoat · #1 08-01-2011, 07:09 PM

I know... I know...I warned ssiredfish about the unexpected perils of a 50 mile trip offshore BUT... forecast inshore and offshore was 1 to 2 ft Sat night thru Sunday...and I knew where the bluefins and dolphin were biting all week.....Sooooo...
Could find no one able or willing to go with me.
Gassed up the V20, took an extra 5 gals for "oh crap!" sake, and headed EAST out to the Glory Hole 40 miles. Left at 5 am first hint of light cause I didn't want to go in the dark solo. got to the hole at 6:30. Found the first string of pot markers and started to troll. Hooked up a tiny dolphin on the second pot! First dolphin ever on the SkunkBoat. Got one in the high teens, maybe 20 lbs, GAFFED it, swung it in. As I was making a fist pump and yahooing, it went ballistic, wiggled off the gaff, floppin' all over, spewing blood everywhere, could not stop it as it got closer and closer to the transom and then...bye bye!!!! Over the side. Went south and farther out to check out the tuna fleet near the Princess. I guess I was late for the show or there was no show, so I went back to the Glory Hole and trolled a couple miles of pot markers. Picked up two 5 pounders. Headed back via the Mud Hole to try my luck at cod on a wreck. Fed bergalls 2 clams and broke of on the wreck...called it a day. Finished cleaning at 5PM...Exhausted.
Made longest trip and caught first Mahi ever on SkunkBoat. Got a great fish story too! My cheeks hurt from smiling so hard!

watch the video http://youtu.be/Nirk_FRviqc

~110 miles and 32 gals ... 3.44 mpg running at ~5K rpm and 30 mph
I LOVE MY BOAT!

RWilson2526 · #2 08-01-2011, 07:45 PM

wow, great trip!....I have visions of giving that a shot some day. The weather forecast was definitely solid for Saturday... you must have been some sight coming into the dock with mahi on your 20' boat! Nice job.

RidgeRunner · #3 08-01-2011, 07:49 PM

Very nice. I was hoping for a dolphin trip in the keys this past weekend. Unfortunately this makes the third time I carried the outriggers to the keys without getting to use them. You are making some long trips. No way could I make that in the V. I am on fumes at 70 miles tops. I get near 3 mpg with the Whaler though and that is why I been using it of late. With the 160 gallon tank it has some serious range. I need to repower my V and give it some more range, Jealous here...AND Congrats.

joe7670 · #4 08-01-2011, 07:57 PM

Nice writeup and sounds like a great trip.

Shawsee · #5 08-01-2011, 08:10 PM

Great write up Skunk! I can't believe you went out that far by yourself. Awesome report and great work for being all alone that far out. Great video and love the music, hats off to you! Thank you for sharing.

reelapeelin · #6 08-01-2011, 09:09 PM

Proof positive...when you gotta go, YOU GOTTA GO!!...

Redneck · #7 08-01-2011, 10:19 PM

You guys and your Mahi

. I wish we had them out west
NICE!

Blue_Runner · #8 08-02-2011, 12:26 PM

Good job!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Sorry you "gaffed and released" one but that is understandable.

TRY not to let them off the gaff and put em in the box asap......THEN fist pump!!

Never lost one the way you did YET but have been VERY nervous before. I caught a 23 lb cow once and my gaff man got her in the throat/gills. He stood in the middle of my boat holding her and she proceeded to paint the ENTIRE cockpit and crew red. She thrashed on the gaff for every bit of 1 minute solid. Wish I had a pic.

p.s. Oh and if you ain't careful, those tails will slap you in the nuts! Ask me how I know.

jasoncooperpcola · #9 08-02-2011, 12:47 PM

That is awesome! Like a few others said, i hope to do that when i repower my V20. I like what you have done to your boat. I love the hardtop.

I went fishing with a friend last week and we got in a school of small chicken dolphin and between 5 people we caught 48 chicken dolphin.

I am not too sure about eating them though. They seemed "mushy." (I filleted one and after seeing the meat, i froze the rest for shark bait/chum.)

Are the chicken dolphin good to eat? Are they the same as the big dolphin?

SkunkBoat · #10 08-02-2011, 08:29 PM

here in Jersey, you gotta go 40 miles to have any reasonable shot at dolphin and the little ones 5 lbs and under are the norm. So losing that big one really hurt. But the little ones are just as DELICIOUS! In fact, my experience in Florida has been that really big ones over 30 are mushy and grey. I did have to resort to my brothers technique of skinning them with pliers first, then filleting. When I did the first one I filleted then skinned and kind of squished the meat. Its not like cleaning Fluke!
By the way, I saved belly strips for Fluke (summer flounder) bait. Nice and firm and bright yellow skin. I bet they rock as bait.