Apollo 2 Day
Short story
15 anglers
left sun7/5 ret tues 7/7
155 miles
44 bluefin
23 albies
7 Yellowtail
3 dodo
1 mystery fish(you have to read the long version)
The long story
After months of planning the day was finally here. My bestman Dan (ODH33) planned a fantastic bachelor party for me. He knew I wanted to go fishing and wanted the rest of our friends to experience why we love it so much. Dan and I had done a 5 day on the Apollo last Nov and had a blast so that was our boat of choice. After going up and down with the amount of anglers going we finally ended up with 15 guys, 12 of my friends and 2 guys who jumped also jumped on after we posted some spots available (it was a pleasure to meet and fish with you Brad and Tim hope you guys had fun as well).
Our departure date was 7/5 everyone was at the Fisherman’s Landing by 6:30pm for our 10pm departure. We were excited to see what the Apollo would bring home after being out for 2 days. We waited eagerly as time wore on and they did not arrive. Finally it was about 7:40 as they pulled in. They offloaded very quickly and the word spread amongst us that they had had decked 19 albies for 12 anglers. JJ got off the boat very quickly and found us. He gave Dan the manifest and told us to get ready as we would be leaving right away. He waved us on at about 8pm. We were loaded and untied by 8:15. JJ called us into the galley and told us that the reason he wanted to leave so quickly was that the normal 2 day range area was not looking very good and that there was word of fish at 155 miles and thats where we were headed, he told us it would be about a 13-15 hour ride and we would arrive in the zone at about 11:30 am. We did not stop for bait as they had 70 scoops in the slammer already and plenty of fuel. JJ told us to rig up 25 and 30 lb outfits with 2/0 or 3/0 hooks.
I rigged up my mxj 6/4 on a bs 270h 8ft with 65 lb spectra backing and 25 lb floro, mxl 6/4 on GF 800m with 65lb and 30lb floro, Trini16n with ss 270 8ft with 65lb and 40lb floro. All with Owner ringed 2/0 mutu hooks.
We stayed up for a bit and drank a little and some of us caught up a bit as it has been awhile since we have all seen each other. A couple of the guys who had never been out before got sick on the way out, it was pretty rough. I even ended up getting sick Monday morning when I woke up. Oh well. Ate some toast and felt better.
We finally arrived in the zone at about 11:40. We put the trollers out and chugged along. JJ came over the pa and told Kenny and Tyler (our deckhands, both cool ass cats) to throw some chum. As they did that he told us to wind in the trollers and get ready. We all got ready. I grabbed my mxj. I pinned on a sardine and found the chumline and tossed in. A couple people hooked up and it looked to be game on. Bluefin began to boil and crash around the boat. I made it all the way around with my bait wound in and pinned on a new bait, this one swam back to the boat so away he went too. The 3rd bait was the charm tossed in and within 30 secs I was on. Fought the fish up to the bow and around to the starbird side where I finished him off. A nice 35lb bluefin to get things started. Also my first bluefin. We continued to drift along and pick off bluefin. I ended up going 3 for 5 on the bluefin. The albacore also made a showing for us, coming through in packs and we would pick off a few here and there. I started to think I wouldn’t get my first albacore as every time they swam through I was changing baits. Our drift lasted 4 hours and we drifted about 4 miles. The bluefin stuck with us the whole time. Some sort of pygmy whale swam through and shut off our bite (looked like a dolphin on roids). JJ got word right after that , that 3 other boats got on bluefin where our drift originally started. So we put the trollers in and went on the hunt again. The trollers went off pretty soon thereafter. I think we had a double. I cleared 1 of the rods that wasn’t bit. Went and grabbed my trini16n, found a nice bait and tossed in. About 20 secs and game on. The troller comes up and its albacore. Maybe my baitfish is too. Worked him up and sure enough my first albacore is gaffed and on board. I had the only baitfish on this stop. Trollers out again and another double. I cleared a troller again, this time I grabbed the mxl, found a good bait and tossed in. Hookup again, bluefin this time. Again the only baitfish on this stop. Off we go again and before the trollers are even clipped in one goes off. I grabbed my mxj this time. As I toss in and my bait swims off I hear Tyler say that there are some big yellows on this paddy, oh shit I think to myself I grabbed the wrong setup. As I am thinking this my reel starts peeling off line, I put it in gear and lift up the rod tip to let the circle hook do its thing. My buddy Noel hooks up right next to me. Both our fish start heading for the paddy. I look at him and ask what lb test he has, he says 25, I said to him I think we are in trouble. He says naw. Sure enough, I can’t stop him and into the paddy he goes and saws me off. Noels fish follows mine and he suffers the same fate. Wish I had realized we pulled up on a paddy, would have grabbed something heavier. Oh well!!!
We continued to troll around and got one more stop for some albacore. They bit for a while into the dark. JJ hooked one on the yoyo. Pretty sweet. What a way to finish the day.
We started heading back up the line that night as we had a long way to go. The next morning we hit a few paddies for some rat yellows.
We then stopped along the coast of Mexico, no idea where, to do some fishing to finish off the day. Apparently some wsb around. We ended up landing 1 that went 45 lbs. I was the lucky one that got to reel it in as Tyler had hooked it and everyone on board wanted me to take it. What a great group of guys. Thanks!!!!
Final boat totals
44 Bluefin
23 Albacore
7 Yellowtail
3 Dorado
1 WSB
My final count 5 bluefin, 1 albacore and 1 seabass. 2 more species off the list.
I want to say thanks to JJ and the crew of the Apollo, Drew, Kenny, Tyler and Nick. You guys worked your asses off and made this a great trip. These guys run a fantastic operation. I highly suggest trying to ride this boat. I know I will be.
Thanks to all the guys that made it. It was amazing. The guys that had done this before killed it as usual. The newbies picked it up fast. At one point I sat down for a few minutes and took it all in. It was like being a proud dad, watching my friends with bent rods and screaming reels, yelling hookup and working like pros.
And of course last but not least, Dan Thanks so much for putting this together. I know it was rough and probably stressful. I probably didn’t help by bugging you all the time. I am so stoked that this all worked out and we killed um. Looking forward to killing fish later on in the year.
Thanks for reading.
Here's some pics.
Carnage
My buddy ODH
My buddy Ross and I.
My 1st ever albie.
My buddy Corey (w/ a 30lb albie) and I.
My buddy Noel.
My buddy Steve with the day 1 JP, 40lb bluefin.
ODH and I.
My 35lb (1st ever) and 30lb bluefin.
Group shot
45lb Seabass
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