[dropcap]T[/dropcap]he Big Rock Blue Marlin Tournament – that is the BIG story on the Crystal Coast in June. By the second week in June the big blue marlin are here in good numbers, as well as some white marlin and sailfish. Boats come into the area from all around to fish this event, so it is a great time to “boat watch” as well. The other good news is that there is plenty of good fishing available to everyone, especially while so many boats are tied up fishing for marlin in the deep!
Once we get into June the wahoo have mostly moved out and the main body of the larger gaffer size mahi have passed through. Don’t be discouraged, there will still be plenty of action available for a mixed bag of gaffer mahi and an occasional wahoo…and don’t forget, there are a lot of billfish around to be “the day maker”. The water is warming up and moving in so the fish begin to spread out. As always, pay plenty of attention to your satellite information and look for good temperature and current changes, as these are the place to start looking. We usually still start off with a planer rod in the mornings but typically put it away once the mahi bite gets going. Our typical spread consists of sea witches on the riggers, a little larger bait out the back and then we keep a naked bait in tight for dropping back quickly to pick a fish off the teasers. No matter what I fish for, I like a lot of contrast to my baits. Mahi do like bright colors, but I am yet to find a fish that won’t readily pounce on a blue/white sea witch.
Keep your eyes open and look for good areas to fish. We usually find some decent grass lines to work and that is almost always going to be your safest bet.
Once you get some fish in the box, it’s time to start thinking of going hunting for a BIG bite! You don’t have to sell out and change the entire spread, just put a larger rig (something like an islander and horse bally-hoo) on your two shorts and on your shotgun – that leaves the rest of the spread open for more meat fish. Swing on out to the deeper water, maybe speed it up just a bit as long as your baits are still running true. If you find any new structure (grass, floating debris, etc.) then fish it.
Most important thing – KEEP YOUR EYES ON THE SPREAD! It is amazing how many more fish you will catch if you can see them first when they sneak in on the teaser or a white marlin just pecks at the bait and a slight rod tip bump is the only sign. Stay focused and be prepared, hook him up and crank him in for some quick pictures. It’s always a lot of fun coming to the dock with a few fish and have a couple of flags flying well. It sure makes for some great stories!
Whether you fish the Big Rock Tournament or just head out for some fun, June is a great month to do a little of everything. I guess that’s part of my fascination with offshore fish- ing, you never really know what might charge into the spread behind your boat – the anticipation adds excitement to every morning!