Death at Hannibal Bank Pan.

February 22nd, 2010

February 15, 2010, our second day on the grounds. Water temperature 90 degrees(la nina year), locals have moved in shore looking for action as only one marlin has been raised in the last five days. Our first day produced yellowfin on live bait, Mahi on poppers, a few sails but no marlin. We’re running an all big plastic bait and switch spread today as any meat in the pattern is immediately demolished by the huge Mahi. At 8:05 AM we have a Marlin up on a short rigger teaser. To be kind, lets write that one off to AE. We add some hooks in the spread and at 8:55 AM a Black annihilates a jumbo Moldcraft chugger red and black with a number 12 J hook stiff-rigged off a short rigger. In 40 seconds she has 600 yards and we’re in chase pointy end first on plane till we catch up with just ten turns left on the Penn30W.In 20 minutes we gained 3/4 of the spool and we’re in full backdown when the fish goes deep and dogs. We get the beast up in 40 minutes, she’s tail wrapped and drowned.We should have broke her off as soon as she wouldn’t run. We spend 20 minutes trying to revive her, finally tying her off and pulling her at 8 knots for an additional 15 minutes with no sign of life. There happens to be a small local panga on the grounds bottom fishing. We sterned up to the father and his wide eyed young son and helped them load her on to their boat and they head in with an old man and the sea vibe. Many thanks to Charley P. and Chris D. for a valiant effort to save her. That’s the sport, that’s fishing. It happens, man up.
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