June 15 and 18 – Joseph Tags a 400lb Blue and A Big Ahi!

On Joseph’s 2nd day we struggled to get a bite.  It was just one of those days you dread but they do happen unfortunately.  On Joeseph’s third and last day fishing we were determined to get’em!  I started close to the harbor and headed far south to the ledge off Hookena, some 25 miles down the coast.  At about 9am we were on the 500 fathom line when a 200lb blue charged in and took a swipe at the short bait.  The small blue made some big jumps right behind the boat only to come off about 20 seconds later!  UGH!  Although he missed seeing the bote, Joeseph was stoked just to get a chance to see a blue that close!  The fish were here so I continued to work a 2 mile area around this spot.  Shortly after, another blue crashed the long corner lure as Joseph was staring back at the pattern.  I didn’t see the bite but it left a nice hole in the water.  I had Joseph crank the lure back into position and I watched as a big dark shadow streaked back across the wash and inhaled the lure with it’s head half out of the water.  Line slowly peeled off the reel as it does with most big blues.  I clipped Joseph into the harness and as I cleared the first lure the fish figured it out and heade for the horizon with a series of huge jumps!  Joseph got to work as I backed down hard on the fish.  In about 20 minutes we had the exhausted blue to the boat for a clean release!  I estimated the blue at 400lbs!   Unfortunately, neither of us were able to get pics of this fish!  Ugh!  We reset and started working out way back towards the harbor.  There had been some blind strike ahi bites lately so were were hoping to get one on our way up.  Off of Keauhou our hopes became reality as I watched an ahi explode on the stinger and then another on the long rigger.  We missed the one on the long rigger but Joseph settled down for a long fight with this ahi.  He got the fish to leader in about 15 minutes but the fish was making big circles under the boat making really tough to leader.  I had the leader twice and had to let it go.  On the third try I saw why…we had snagged the ahi in the eye and didn’t have control of the front of the fish which allowed it to dig down into the water.  30 minutes later I decided it’s now or never and just held onto the leader as it made crazy runs under the boat.  I was able to pop it’s head up and get a good gaff shot and secured it!  The fish was bigger than we had initially thought and scaled out at 159 1/2 lbs!  What a way to end a three day trip!