Lee Riddle and family were on the boat today.  Lee has been fishing with Capt. Dave for years; Lee was the charter when Capt. Dave caught his fist Blue Marlin as a Mate ----- that was a few (30some) years ago……….

We started out the day with Mr. Riddle telling Capt. Dave “don’t worry about looking for Mahi-Mahi, if they find us great but don’t go looking for them.  Capt. Dave was looking for a Blue Marlin.  There was one other boat with us, we found and was looking for Tuna flat spots.  We hooked 4 out of 7 bites.  The group was a little queasy, but the Tuna whacking the baits made it a little easier on them.  At that point, Lee looked up into the bridge and said to Capt. Dave “OK that is enough Yellow-fin Tuna, now can you find me a Blue Marlin and then we can go home.”

We put out a few more bigger baits, hoping for that Blue………. Heath started shouting, Capt. Dave turned around to look and saw the Marlin out of the water coming straight for the bait, she went down and came back up, took the bait and the line went streaming off the reel ---- it was full one, bring in the lines ---- back the boat down on the fish to get some line back.  Once they got the fish to the boat, Capt. Dave and the angler, Lee (Mr. Riddle’s son) decided that we were going to boat the fish --- this is not done regularly, but this was an exceptional fish and Mr. Riddle wanted to mount her.  Capt. Dave was up and down out of the bridge to help Heath get the flying gaff in her and a couple of hand gaffs --- well she broke on hand gaff and lost another one.  We finally got her tied securely to the boat.  Capt. Dave went back into the bridge to get the boat angled correctly to get her all the way through the Tuna door, when he turned around, Lee and Heath had got her all the way into the boat, all except her tail.

That was when we started for home ---- it was slow going, we had bent one of the wheels in the hustle and bustle of it all.  It was one engine and 10 knots on the way home.  We will haul out tomorrow, change the wheels and get back into the water ready to fish on Saturday.  I’m really glad that Mr. Riddle got what he has been looking for; even though it has taken years to find “the one”.  I wish I was there to help and take some photos ----- I hope that the Riddle’s send us the photos that they took --- Capt. Dave had his hands too full to take any until we got back to the dock.