# Angry Bird Fishing Charters LATE REPORT Early August



## Captain Mickey O'Reilly (Dec 18, 2008)

Ran a 52' Hatteras on a for hire trip for close friends for an overnight birthday bash 8-3/4. Headed out Friday afternoon, and a had nice ride out to just north of the Spur. Found a big clump of river grass and had a beautiful Bull Dolphin eat a black/purple chugger on the shotgun line. Great fight, and lots of jumping at the transom of the boat. Fish in the box, made several more passes with no luck! As it was getting dark, in the lines came and the crew had a birthday bash. My mate, Andrew, and I, started rigging squid for Swords, and generally got the cockpit squared away. Finally sat down to eat and put baits out for swords. Shallow bait got nailed around 2345, hooks pull. Are you kidding me? Re-rig the shallow bait, and wait. 0100 the shallow bait gets hit again, Andrew reels up tight on the fish, drag starts screaming, and the hooks pull, AGAIN! WTF over? Hooks are all sharp, and after a little post fishing discussion, we concluded that we just didn't feed the fish long enough, and had some bad luck. Oh well! By now the wind was blowing steadily, and the boat was rocking in the trough, so I fired her up and started chugging southwest @ 5 kts. so everybody could snooze a little easier. 

Day two started out slow, saw some tuna that wouldn't bite, and a free jumping billfish that didn't want to play either. Water was nice and when we ran into a big school of blackfins, bonita, and small yellowfins, the only thing that would eat was bonita! Finally I said it was time to drop a live bonita out and bump around. Andrew and I quickly bridled one up and out it went. As any of you know that live bait, action can be quick, or it can be a drawn out affair. After about twenty or so minutes, I could see that my folks were getting bored, so off with the live bait, and set the spread again. We ran into a big area of scattered grass, and knocked off a nice wahoo on a solid black Schneider rattle yap. Worked the area hard with several other boats for a couple of hours with no more luck. Off we go in search of fish. We found a big clump of river grass just north of the Spur, and got nailed on a black/orange Islander/Ballyhoo combo! Add one more Wahoo to the box! Turned the boat around, hit the autopilot and jumped out of the bridge to help Andrew get the spread out. I had just gotten a blue/white softhead out on the port rigger when it got slammed! Then nothing, drop back, fish on, then off, then finally on! Billfish for sure, and as we are trying to get squared away, the boat comes out of gear. I almost bust my butt, fish gets slack line, and is gone!!! I turned to find that one of the crew members had decided to go take the boat out of gear, even though my wife told him to leave everything alone! Since he was drinking, and had no better sense, he pulled the boat out of gear anyway. Thank god the boat owner grabbed me before I could get back on the bridge, or I would have pummled the guy. I was livid, and he could not offer any explanation for doing it. I had no problem leaving April at the helm, as she knows what to do or not do when directed. It was taken care of, and we got everything out and bagged another nice Wahoo on the same Islander combo! Continued to work the area with no more action, and headed home.

Terrific trip, and aside from the assorted bloopers, including me leaving the bridge, it was smiles all around back at the dock!


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## Rammer Jammer (Oct 1, 2007)

Great report Mick - looks like we might have a mutual friend or two. Small world!


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## Team REEL TIGHT (Jun 5, 2012)

Yeah great report, I know the owner of the boat and the lady suzie. She's a character. Any tips on the color islanders y'all were using?


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## Captain Mickey O'Reilly (Dec 18, 2008)

Black and orange Islanders


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## Ocean Master (May 20, 2008)

My last time out all the fish hit the dark colored lures. Especially the dark blue/black and the black/red. The Sailfish and Dolphin would go back and forth thru the different colors and always pick the dark..


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## Team REEL TIGHT (Jun 5, 2012)

Thanks guys. Are y'all pulling ballyhoo behind them?


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## Captain Mickey O'Reilly (Dec 18, 2008)

Team REEL TIGHT said:


> Thanks guys. Are y'all pulling ballyhoo behind them?


Yes, on this trip we pulled small, couldn't get any selects like I wanted.


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## sniperpeeps (Mar 5, 2011)

Awesome Trip! Bummer about the billfish...


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