4/27/12

Well we almost had a good trip falling just short of our perpetually fluid goal line in the eleventh
hour. It could have been fantastic, could have been a winner, but now we travel northward harboring pangs
of accomplishments only the future can yield. Thirty nine yellowfin over the two hundred pound mark, a
wealth of 160 - 195's, a slew of Wahoo, and another boat load of tuna from 50 - 180 pounds released; if
we had just landed that fortieth two hundred pounder we could have held our head high.

That's about as far as I can go with that line of humor - I am joking of course. Nothing but elation and
sincere appreciation describes the prevailing sentiment on board. We finished with another strong predawn
hit on jumbos landing four of six in addition to a small bounty of "releasers". Then, after the big ones
were carefully arranged in the final RSW tank to make full use of the limited remaining space, we called
capacity sufficient to accommodate perhaps a couple more deuces and a few more "skin".

Opening the door for a little more "skinnin'" for the very top of the last RSW well, the temptation to
mete out some justice, to effect a reckoning in response to the rampant thievery and lawlessness of the
past few days, was irresistible to a few handfuls of anglers eager to grind the axe. Not surprisingly the
"skinnies" caught on rather quick, but their numbers were definitely reduced to the extreme satisfaction
of everyone; after the last two days in particular there was no sympathy among us; the thieving bastards
got what they deserved.

After the limited slaughter, with hold space rapidly dwindling, a couple more hours were assigned to the
pursuit of the last jumbo; the fortieth deuce that would catapult this voyage into the next realm, or at
least round out this spectacular catch on an even number. As it turned out enthusiasm for the idea was
extremely limited - no one was feeling gypped or unsated; all of us were more than ready to take the
superb fortune already realized and head for home. A couple more one hundred pound class tuna fell for
our offerings, were wedged in the last gaps to be found, and the trip was called; and labeled a pure
success! The fishing did the talking this time; what a pleasure.

Photos for the day rightly feature long time veteran angler Kevin Leong whom I first met and fished with
at least twenty four years prior on the old RP. Kevin's skills as a live bait fisherman are founded on an
obvious passion for fishing that has placed him on the peak with his very few peers. Needless to say
those skills were put to good use during this run as Kevin landed several good ones including this 279
that took the titles of largest, and last jumbo of the trip. The first shot captures the intensity of the
last moments when the fish was a only a few feet from gaff while the second shot features an elated
victor; a job well done!

Tim Ekstrom

Photo Here...

Photo Here...