We've got a starter kit here, after making our way across in beautiful, flat calm conditions, arriving at the island mid day to find a set up quite a bit different that the past handful of voyages. The huge abundance of sign was not to be found. There is still plenty to work with, but for now life on easy street is not how this is shaping up to go down. Naturally change is to be expected, no surprises in that department, so we forge into this round expectant of scratch fishing and scraping them up one, two, or three at a time; anything more is bonus.

The good news is that even in scratch mode the quality of the tuna and yellowtail out here, the style of fishing, and the incredible setting make for a special time. One or two fish a day per angler is all it takes to make something grand of it. While our aspirations are loftier of course every angler on board recognizes the obvious – that just being here and enjoying the opportunity to fish in this destination is a blessing in itself. The catching will come.

Speaking of it only taking one or two today's photo serves a perfect example of this notion. The first catch of the voyage for Royal Star veteran Steve Dennison, with a little help from friend Mike Hays, weighed in at an impressive 174.3. Just knowing that more of these are around makes an angler work at it a little bit harder. Wow!