Wells folks, the results are in from the Oct. 9 thru Oct 24th Intrepid 15 day adventure as can be found on their website at
Intrepid Daily Fishing Report.
I will not be giving a day by day account as I came back to a ton of stuff I need to deal with but at least I can provide a bit of insight into this wonderful boat and charter.
Meeting new and old friends prior to departure is always an adventure in itself and this was certainly no exception. There were a few folks I have fished with before and was very happy to see as well as a whole new cast of folks. We all were excited to be on the first 15 day ever on the "New Boat" and could not wait to get started. We had an incredibly ecclectic group of what would turn out to be GREAT FOLKS who just knew how to have fun and dig the experience.
Boarding was a piece of cake as the dock crew and Intrepid crew meshed perfectly. I knew this would be an interesting trip as I saw cart loads of wine, booze and Oh Yeah..... Fishing gear coming aboard. I already knew most of the crew so it was clear no matter what was coming in the catching department we were going to have a great time. (You have to experience Chad in action to believe it) In Addition we had the distinct pleasure of having Mr. David Choate also as part of the crew. A coup for the boat as far as I am concerned. Additionally a really nice touch by the boat is to provide Intrepid shirts for the crew with their names clearly noted so all the passengers, including those of us with CRS, could really become familiar with each and every one of them without being embarrased we forgot their names. This one little touch adds a bit of bonding for everyone.
Heading out to the Hurricane Bank we stopped by Alijos Rocks to see what we could find in the way of Skin and bait. Both were tough to find so off we continued on our journey south. By this time, in fact within a few hours of boarding, every one got to know each other. Cocktails and Cigars were enjoyed most every evening on the Lido Deck (Aptly named by Larry) with hours spent just chatting about anything and everything.
We arrived at the Bank I believe in the late afternoon and had a picking of Skin and Tuna. Over the next 3 days we had a smorgasboard of Pick Bites to Wide Open melays on the Tuna. At one point there were so many quality tuna getting tagged Captain Kevin finally had to say stop tagging and release this grade of fish. Skins were tough to come by in fact tougher than I have ever experienced at the bank but truth be told with the incredible Low pressure being built up by Hurricane Rick to the South I found any fish at all to be a very good thing. The Passengers all turned out to be excellent and experienced fishermen so there was really no bouts of anger or hissy fits about folks not trying to get out of the way or getting into the way.
Sharks are just a matter of fact at the Bank. Sometimes you catch them and sometimes they catch you but no matter how it happens you pay your dues to them one way or the other. Its the tuna in between we are all looking for and they were there and they were big.
Getting back to Hurricane Rick, Captain Kevin kept us continually updated as to the severity of what would turn out to be a monster storm. We also had continuous updates of Baseball and Football scores. Unfortunately and just as the bigguns were beginning to really bite, Rick decided to become the biggest hurricane in the history of this part of the ocean and was sceduled to hit us square in the face. Needless to say, Kevin did the prudent and wise thing and began to head north towards the Lower Banks and Ridge. As we continued receiving news about the storm we were very glad we got the heck out of Dodge.
We were fortunate as though that huge low was to the south of us we had perfect weather and seas until about day 10 when it got a bit snottier and then a bit snottier yet. None the less the stablaizers on the boat really buffered the ride with the side to side rolling being pretty much nutralized. These stabalizers also work beautifully when the boat is stopped.
The catching on the way up was tough with a few more skin as well as small to medium grade tuna picked up along the way. As we headed north we added some Grouper, Yellowtail, Reds and bottom critters, as well as a few more species to the list. A true grab bag of fish was to be had by the end of the trip including a monster red, the biggest I or anyone else had ever seen, caught by Bob.
I am guessing the unloading took about 3 hours just for the fish. I had no idea we had that many of those finned critters. I hesitate to imagine how long it would have taken to unload had we plugged the boat as the hold capacity of the Intrepid is enormous as is the bait holding capacity.
A few notes about the boat, crew and passengers.
Generous Sponsorship by Catchy Tackle with some additional goodies from Ringed Hooks.Com. Wayne and Mark from Catchy are just a hoot to fish with.
The passengers: to a man were just plain fun and a delight to hang with no matter how tough the fishing might have gotten for the day.
Cocktails, wine, cigars and conversations were always available to anyone at any time. We had the Mongrels, Pretty Boys, Bow Boys, Stern boys. Some knew each other previously and many came as singles but all became family almost immediately. The up beat aura of this group cannot be avoided. Though booze was readily available no one abused it or got out of hand.
The Crew:Captains Kevin and Rick, Romo, David, Chad, Mike and David Choate. Kevin once again called it perfectly. If the storm had not thrown us off our game, think 3 or 4 days less fishing at the Hurricane, who knows how big or how many Tuna might have been off loaded as well as more skin. We did not need to ride out 200+ knot winds to prove how tough we were.
The Chef de Resistance: Javier. We have all heard about the culinary exploits of Chef Javier but you have to experience it to believe it. Some nights it took many, many hours just to set up the buffet or dinner settings. This is not your father's long range experience. This is a cruise line on steroids with over 250 feet of long range fishing rails.
The boat:Fuh gid abou it. Yacht Sport Fisher pretty much sums it up.
Again, the stabalizers just plain work with the layout and interiors bright and inviting. With a maximum number of fishermen capped at 25 the amount of rail space per person is amazing. As noted previously bait and fish holds are enormous. Electronics are as good as they get and the latest news is the boat will have a new Center Console skiff for those extra tough fish found on the extended long range trips. No single ply toilet paper for this boat. Best of the Best.
The Owner Ken: His commitment to this boat and Long Range fishing should now be unquestionable. The operation is here to stay. Monies are spent where ever and when ever things are needed or if they can just improve the performance of the boat or enhance the pleasure of the passengers. Did I mention Ken was part of the winning group of the Bisbee?? I believe that is the case.
Front Office Carol: Charming, helpful and delightful pretty much sums it up. Always there to give the angler any info they may need.
The Results: I am already signed up for next years trip. Can't wait to try it again.
Jamie
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