Well I have to begin this report by expressing my huge disappointment over the fact that we were unable to transmit daily reports due to insurmountable difficulties with our satellite service in the lower latitudes. As you all know by now, I enjoy telling a story - relating the details of our time on the water as well as sharing some relevant opinions. In this case I felt the daily reports were especially critical as the concept of this voyage was completely new to our industry. Apparently it wasn't meant to be however so now I am going to share a few thoughts, and a few details, that will be followed in days to come by more reports and probably at least one article about this incredible voyage on our website.

Before I begin I want to remind everyone that I am far from a bleeding heart conservation/environmentalist. I strongly support the take of all species we target throughout the year and believe that appropriate fisheries management, based on science, is the key to productive, sustainable fisheries. That said, I can express with certainty that I enjoyed the tag and release aspect of this fishing as much, and in some ways more, than our traditional approach. Not that I would want to do this every trip, but as a departure from our ingrained routine, tagging and releasing these incredible pelagic game fish is a exceptionally rewarding experience. I can also say with certainty that I am not the only one who experienced this satisfaction. I witnessed every angler on this voyage expressing these sentiments either in their words or at least through their actions. In many ways this voyage could be viewed as a glimpse into the future. If this is the case I am looking forward to the road ahead.

Before I expand more on this line of thinking, I want to give a brief summary of the most important aspect of the voyage from an anglers perspective; the fishing of course. By the end of our nine days and one half days in the Revillgigedo island biosphere reserve I can honestly say that the fishing for wahoo, especially at Clarion island, was of a caliber that can not be exceeded. Imagine that island, in a virgin state, upon our arrival. Literally thousands, perhaps tens of thousands of wahoo, all hungry, voracious, and totally un expecting of the fact that the bombs and jigs hitting the water represented anything other than a easy meal. Wahoo flying through the air mere yards, even feet from the hull was the normal routine on almost every stop, every day we fished wahoo! The incredible strikes, the visual experience of the most outrageous antics imaginable established a peak adrenaline level from the crack of daylight on our first morning that never subsided. In fact I will share one story to demonstrate what I am describing. Just before daylight on our first morning I was standing next to several fishermen on deck, most of whom were doubled over pulling on forty to one hundred forty pound tuna with the exception of those who were re rigging. Crewman Steve Gregonis was standing on the top deck, approximately twenty feet from the water's surface at his eye level, setting out a kite in preparation for the morning fishing. I heard a slight whoosh and peripherally observed what I initially thought was a frigate bird swooping down to grab a bait. I quickly adjusted my glance however when I noticed Steve's eyes were as big a saucers standing face to face with a wahoo that was no less than twenty feet in the air about three feet from the hull. I looked up, way up, to see the wahoo ten feet above my head on his way back down to the water. Splash! That was the first of what became hundreds, and I mean hundreds, literally, of such displays. I lost count of how many times I walked out on the back deck following a stop to find one, three, five, or ten wahoo flying through the air chasing lures or baits. For as many times as I hollered "Look Out!" upon seeing a flying wahoo with a potentially lethal trajectory, it is remarkable that only one actually landed on the boat. That is a story in itself.

I am going to save more for days to come but keep in mind that like the wahoo fishing, the fishing for yellowfin tuna also did not disappoint. Ten over two hundred were tagged in addition to another forty five in the one hundred to one hundred ninety pound class. Three hundred thirty yellowfin tuna total were tagged and released as well as exactly three hundred wahoo; not bad for fourteen anglers!

Like I said I have plenty more to share and look forward to doing so. We arrive in Cabo San Lucas today and as I am flying home, I will be at the Fred Hall Long Beach Show on Thursday and Friday. I hope to see many of you there to share more of these incredible tales.