A good beginning to the voyage featuring exactly what this magical destination is so well known for. Arriving mid day a short tour down the edge placed us smack in the middle of at least two different schools of 50 - 130 pound yellowfin that were taking in some sunshine inches below a surfaced becalmed. Grease was the condition - as flat as an ocean can become. Such was the stage for an afternoon of scratching that started off slow but gained momentum as the day moved on.

For the amount of fish around one would think that more would join the party. But the majority of what we saw passed by without giving us a second thought. We’re not complaining though. If we could be fortunate enough to continue catching at this rate all will be well in the end. For now time is on our side, as are conditions.

Photo today features first time Royal Star angler Sam Mina who fished hard and made his own luck. This beauty, that weighed in at a whopping 182 pounds, set the bar mighty high for all of us. That said I’ve a strong sense that there are enough of this size fish around here to provide a few more opportunities. We’ll see if we can make good on them. Photo number two is an image of Sam’s trophy seconds before the gaff’s are driven home.