March 21, 2012 we ran to 88 Bank on the Big Fish with the Johnsons again to fly fish. The day was perfect and calm. Sunny with water temp 74.8-76 F in the AM. We managed to raise 3 stripeys and get a bite out of the first one on fly. Unfortunately it spit the fly after windshield whipping for about a minute.
Pete Santini onboard the Vertigo raised 3 stripeys and had 1 bite. On the way to 88 Bank they saw a large blue estimated over 800# tailing in the flat waters 16 miles off of Punta Pitt.
March 22, 2012 was the last day for Byron Johnson onboard the Big Fish. We decided to change course and head for the banks off of Espanola. Captain Ronnie had been given a report by local fishermen that they had seen tailers 2 days before in the area. However after about 2 hours of working the banks we decided to run to La Entrada. La Entrada is a bank near the famous Rosa Blanca mounds. Once we arrived on La Entrada we saw dolphins, birds and sea lions but raised no marlin. We then ran to the Honey Hole. Not long after arriving Ronnie spotted a large marlin tail swimming down-sea. We made 6 passes at the marlin and noticed it was about a 400# blue. The fish would swim into the spread chase the white water from the engines and play around the spread without showing any aggression. This went on for a good 10 minutes until we no longer saw the blue. Later in the day we raised in 1300 feet and a mile from the Honey Hole another blue around 300#. This time the fish teased angrily to the boat and Byron cast his Cam Sigler fly. The fish made a move underneath as to eat the fly but then passed. I quickly cats a ballyhoo on the spinning rod and got the fish to bite and chase it but it would not have anything to do with Byron's fly.
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