# Cajun Canyons Billfish Tournament



## Chris Hood (Mar 13, 2008)

My uncle bought a 45' Rampage convertible this past spring and we broke her in right by heading over to Venice this past weekend to fish the Cajun Canyons Billfish Tournament. We were blessed with incredible weather the entire trip from the ride to Venice to the trip back to Orange Beach. The Kala Girl performed flawlessly the entire trip. This was the sunset on our ride offshore Thursday afternoon.










We left Venice Marina Thursday afternoon at 4pm with all the other boats in the tournament and chugged south toward Mars and Ursa because it appeared that the bite was on closer in. We started the morning at Amos Runner and were covered in 20-30 pound dolphin. We had 3 and 4 fish on at once several times. The only yellowfin we saw that morning was an absolute giant that busted between our long riggers and shotgun line. He didn?t like what he saw in the spread apparently because that was all we ever saw of that fish. The bite cooled off after that until we picked up an open water sailfish around lunchtime. The fish ate a blue/white Ahi P on the right short rigger. My little cousin, Cohen Green, caught the pretty little Gulf of Mexico sailfish in about 5 minutes and earned himself the traditional "first billfish" dockside plunge at the weigh in. Unfortunately, the video documentation got screwed up so the fish did not count in the tournament. Here is a couple of pictures that didn't really turn out that well of the sailfish...I was very proud of Cohen though!



















We began the second day much further to the west at the Morpeth and picked up a 48.9 lb dolphin about 3 miles east of Morpeth that missed 3rd place by one pound. We also picked up a few yellowfin in the 80 lb range in open water. We started making our way back to the east toward Innovator, Mars, Ursa, etc. Around 1:30 that afternoon we started hearing alot of positive radio chatter then noticed a line of boats running east-west to our north. We picked up and ran to get to the rip as fast as we could but only had about 2 hours left until lines out by the time we got there. We ended up picking up a few snake wahoo but that?s all. The boat sitting next to us at Venice Marina found the rip first it sounds like and made it count too! They released 4 blue marlin and 6 swordfish off that rip! They sword fished on the rip that night too which is something that I've never really thought of doing but it makes alot of sense! 

Sunset on the first day of fishing as we head west for the second and final day of the tournament.










It was a great trip in every way! The weather was perfect, the boat performed flawlessly and the company was great too! We came so very close to winning money too missing 3rd place dolphin by 1 pound and missing 3rd place overall points by only 20 points. If he had been able to properly document our sailfish then we would have easily gotten 3rd place or better in total points.....oh well, that?s tournament fishing for ya!

Jeff Greene with his big dolphin that wasnt quite big enough....48.9 lbs and still not on the board.....










Steven Bell with one of the yellofin we caught during the trip.


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## MSViking (Oct 11, 2007)

Very nice! thanks for posting.

MScontender


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## Xiphius (Oct 10, 2007)

Wow the phin bite was off the hook, i think third place was a fifty pounder. They also killed three blues. Not much money for the winning teams...I think C ya took home 60 K for a dead blue and a tuna place....


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## Chris V (Oct 18, 2007)

great report and pics Chris.


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## Chris Hood (Mar 13, 2008)

Yeah the dolphin bite was going on for damn sure....we knew we were going to have out work cut out for us to take first place with 48.9 but we figured we would at least make the board. Oh well, thats why we gotta get out there and do it again haha


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## PELAGIC PIRATE (Oct 10, 2007)

Thats crazy to have a 49# dolphin and not even make the board:doh

either way , its a fish of a lifetime for sure. Sounds like you guys had a awesome out in the GOM.


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## RLL (Jan 4, 2008)

The top point boat was the Pass-it-on out of Port Oconnor TX. I have a couple of friends that fish on that boat. They are a heck of a crew. We fish against them here in the TX tournaments and they usually end up in the $$$. They are a great tournament team.

Congrats to the Pass-It-On.


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## Chris Hood (Mar 13, 2008)

> *RLL (6/3/2009)*The top point boat was the Pass-it-on out of Port Oconnor TX. I have a couple of friends that fish on that boat. They are a heck of a crew. We fish against them here in the TX tournaments and they usually end up in the $$$. They are a great tournament team.
> 
> 
> 
> Congrats to the Pass-It-On.




Yeah that's the boat I was referring to that was sitting next to us in Venice Marina that found the rip off the river first and did so well. They said they were in the process or considering selling the boat and that she obviously was trying to tell them she didn't want to be sold haha.


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## PELAGIC PIRATE (Oct 10, 2007)

> *Chris Hood (6/3/2009)*
> 
> 
> > *RLL (6/3/2009)*The top point boat was the Pass-it-on out of Port Oconnor TX. I have a couple of friends that fish on that boat. They are a heck of a crew. We fish against them here in the TX tournaments and they usually end up in the $$$. They are a great tournament team.
> ...


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## Magic236 (Oct 1, 2007)

Great trip Chris....I never would have thought a 49# Dolphin would not at least place.


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## ilander (Oct 2, 2007)

Thanks for the report. Sounds like a good trip. Very interesting about the swords on the rip also.


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## Hammertime (Feb 17, 2008)

Sounds like you guys had a great trip good job in breakin her in


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## mpmorr (Oct 3, 2007)

Great report, those pics are awesome, and 48 lber did not make the board. Wow congrats on a great trip and a blessing from the weather gods.:bowdown


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