December 7th, 1997
An absolutely peak experience day, all the way around.
Me and my buddy, Mike R. who lived on the Intra-Coastal Waterway near Pompano Beach, Florida and had his own offshore fishing vessel decided to take the boat out the Hillsboro Inlet to the ocean and see if we could do some fishing for sailfish.
We loaded the boat with beer, fishing and kite tackle and began our slow No-wake cruise North to the Hillsboro Inlet where we would exit the protected waterway and out on the near-shore Atlantic ocean. As we were nearing the Inlet, we signaled a bait boat over to us. We bought some ballyhoo from this guy and we were set for a full day of trolling and kite-fishing for sails.
I had been off-shore fishing for billfish many times before on charters but this was a first for me since Mike R. owned his own boat and functioned as first mate who knew how to rig baits for trolling and kite-fishing.
I had no idea of what to expect from our passage out of the Inlet into the Gulf Stream, off-shore. But Boy Howdy, what a ride! Jeezo-O-Pete, the boat was under attack from the rollers and wakes of other boats passing into the Inlet. It was a hang on to your hats ride. Fortunately, Mike R.’s boat was big enough to handle to crazy up and downs and slamming head-on into wakes and rollers and his boat-handling skills were superb. So we safely made it out to the Gulf Stream, took a few deep breaths since surviving the Inlet passage and began to rig baits. So we trolled for awhile with ballyhoos and got nowhere so we made the decision to switch to kite-fishing.
For those of you unfamiliar with kite-fishing, it is a technique that allows a free swimming live baitfish to swim around near the surface while still being tethered to a kite line-rigged fishing rod. The kite keeps the baitfish near the surface enticing a billfish to eyeball the baitfish from below and strike. The kite then comes loose and you are then directly tied to the striking billfish with your rod. While you are fighting the billfish, the kite is then reeled in by the first mate or in this case, Mike.
Anywhoo, we kite-fished this way for awhile and then suddenly, we got a strike. Since I had never landed a sailfish before and it was one the species of billfish that I had not caught and released yet, I grabbed the rod. Mike reeled in the kites, stowed them and drove the boat as we maneuvered around trying to keep a tight line. As I fought the fish trying to bring it to the boat, I felt it go slack a bit and began frantically reeling so as to keep a tight line. When the line want slack, the sailfish showed itself. Not in any of the ways you see videos of tail-walking sailfish or thrashing about on the surface as they will do trying to shake the hook. No, this particular sailfish poked his bill up near the boat and we actually think it eyeballed the boat and then went on another frantic run away from the boat. So I was managing the drag and tying to let him run a bit, all the while slowly reeling it in towards the boat. So as I was managing to get it to the boat for second time, the line went slack again. And the sailfish did the exact same thing again. Poked his bill up and again eyeballed the boat and then dove and started another run away from the boat.
Rinse and repeat.
Finally, I could feel from the tackle that the sailfish was tiring and it became easier to muscle it towards the boat. So we brought it alongside and Mike took the rod while I leaned over the side and hoisted it up, cradling and supporting it’ s weight with my hands. Mike got the camera (remember those) and we each took turns holding and cradling the fish while we snapped photos. I then took the fish again (removing the lip hooked fish) and lowered it over the side while Mike idled the boat slowly forward so the sailfish could revive itself using the movement forward which allowed water to flow across the fish’s gills, reviving itself.
Soon, I could tell that it was getting stronger and stronger. It became strong enough to begin to shake its head since I was grabbing it by its bill. I waited a little longer while it regained its vigor and when I was sure it was strong enough, I released its bill and watched it as it slowly swam off.
I straightened up and ecstatically hugged Mike.
After all the innumerable trips I have taken (psychedelically), I can safely say I was never this high, sober. Well I might have had a beer or two but nevertheless, I was high as a proverbial kite. No pun intended.
I was dancing around the deck, whooping and hollering and stamping my feet in an ecstatic dance of joy.
Mike had a cell phone. I grabbed it and dialed my parent’s number in San Diego California not caring what time it was there (since it was morning in Florida).
A sleepy Dad answered and I gushed about what just happened. Dad being Dad, took it all in as I told him about the sailfish catch and release. Finally, I calmed down a bit and said goodbye to him, telling him I hoped he could go back to sleep and
I just wish Mom was alive so I could share with her my joy.
But alas and alack, she had passed over in 1989.
