Blue-water fishing this past weekend ended with disappointment. Friends Sid Rice, Dr. Bob Fedor and Brad Carmin fished the Old Salt Loop Tournament. We studied the Loop Current using the Roffer's forecast system and determined we would fish west of the Steps, 135 miles southwest of John's Pass.
With 200 gallons of extra fuel using a Coast Guard-approved fuel bladder, we punched offshore Thursday afternoon and started fishing at first light Friday. Our attempts to catch swordfish failed during our three nights offshore. However, during the day we caught dolphin over 30 pounds, lots of tuna over 25 pounds and a nice wahoo.
We were fishing the Loop Current 145 miles offshore Friday and enjoyed watching pilot whales breach and Atlantic dolphin put on an air show equal to those seen at SeaWorld. The key to our success was locating feeding birds. Rice, who stayed on the radar all day, was able to find the birds and put us on fish.
Unfortunately, the only marlin that worked our spread gave us a casual glance. We were headed for the weigh-in Saturday night when we encountered engine problems. We had bad fuel and were unable to make the weigh-in. We were very disappointed to say the least. It was not a safety issue, but it cost us second-place dolphin and second-place tuna.
What's the lesson learned? Planning is, without a doubt, the most important thing you can do when fishing offshore.
Larry "Huffy" Hoffman charters out of John's Pass, Treasure Island. Call 727 709-9396 or e-mail huffyl@tampabay.rr.com.
