Feeling outgunned. Te Sea of Cortez is full of surprises, and soon Ken and Matt were
onto some nice dorado. Te prettiest fish in the sea, these aerial acro- bats put on a nice display for the cameras as their iridescent green col- ors shone bright in the sunshine. Tis got us all excited, and as the first pesky stars of the show, they set the stage for an unforgettable day. As Jim and I continued our troll, my reel’s clicker suddenly began
to sing its adrenaline-pumping song as line tore from the reel. Grab- bing the rod and flipping the reel into gear, the hook was set and it was—game on! Te hard-pulling fish came around the stern to the port side as I tried to guess what it could be. It wasn’t racing like a tuna, nor was it darting for the surface like a dorado. It wasn’t the slow, heavy feel of the huge squid in the area.
I quickly realized I had brought a knife to a gun fight. With only 20-pound line and a rod intended for muskie, I knew this battle would be one of finesse and patience.
My imagination didn’t have to wait long, as a huge blue marlin came
charging out of the water, what seemed like only feet away, tail danc- ing across the kayak’s bow. My jaw dropped as I quickly realized I had brought a knife to a gun fight. With only 20-pound line and a rod intend- ed for muskie, I knew this battle would be one of finesse and patience. My normal mantra of “all fish get tired” would be put to the ultimate test. Cheers began to resonate through the air. Te rest of the crew
watched in amazement as the giant fish leapt out of the water repeat- edly, thrashing its head in a fierce attempt to throw the hook. It’s not easy to describe the feeling of sitting on a small kayak, at water level, tied into a fish like this one. Tere are no more distractions, and total focus takes over. Most fish are lost in the first minute of the fight, or right at the boat.
Surviving the initial bursts, I knew the hook was well set and the reel’s drag setting became top priority. With light line it is imperative to keep the drag loose and let the fish run. Tumb pressure on the spool can add resistance as needed.
30 … KAYAK ANGLER summer/fall 2009 Immediately the kayak turned and began to be pulled quickly across
the water. With the bow headed toward mainland Mexico, and a nice wake parting the water behind, the fish showed its true power. Sleigh rides don’t always include snow. As the kayak was being towed to sea, Matt came on the radio to ad-
vise that he had a marlin tailing his own bait. No sooner than we could turn around to look, a beautiful striped marlin was flying through the air. Double hookup! With Matt and me a mile or so apart and spread- ing, the media folks had to decide who to follow. Nice problem to have. Te blue marlin had settled into a steady pace, and it was decided to leave videographer Lisa Utronki in a kayak near me, while Jim and the rest headed toward the newer fight. Tying our kayaks together, Lisa and I continued our march
away from land as Matt’s fish put on quite a show for the crew. Marlin are a dream for the camera, and expert photographer Jock Bradley had a epic day of shooting. Videographer Will Richardson even slipped into the water for some close-up un- derwater shots of Matt’s fish. A true professional, or a naïve fool, I haven’t quite decided—but he got the shots, without injury, and that was the goal. During the final moments, Jim moved in and helped with the landing. He has handled more billfish from a kayak than anybody, and this one was cautious-
ly laid across the two kayakers’ laps for a final victory shot. Te striped marlin was safely released, and attentions again turned to Lisa and me, two kayaks slowly disappearing over the horizon. For about three hours the blue marlin never showed itself. During
this time, the pangas towed the crew and other kayakers over to join us, I ate lunch, put on sunscreen, had Jim perform a fight-saving seat repair, and contemplated the universe, all while being towed. Tere is plenty of time for thought, and I began to realize how fortu-
nate we all were, to be out there on the beautiful ocean, doing what we all love to do. Big fish are awesome, but any true big game angler will tell you the real goal is just being out there. Baja is a special place, and whether you kayak fish there or in your own neck of the woods, get out there and create your own stories. Life is grand. As late aſternoon approached, our pongero (captain) yelled now or never.
I tightened the drag and began to pull harder on the fish than before. It felt like it was tiring, as it changed direction oſten, and was moving up and down the water column. I had pulled it to within about 20 feet of the kayak.
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