By Lisa Helme and Mike Danforth
Black Marlin. Wahoo. We had big game fish on the brain as we headed into port to meet with our charter captain and crew. Our guide, Diane, met us at the pier to whisk us through the crowd. After a 10 minute drive across the island we arrived at the West End. The West End is a peaceful area of small family run hotels, restaurants and dive shops, and the jump off place for the best charter fishing.
Sitting on the southern edge of the Mesoamerican Reef, Roatan offers world-class fishing close to shore. You troll for tuna and wahoo 100 yards off-shore in 300 feet of water, and can get into 1,000 feet of water just one-half mile off shore.
Our charter crew, cousins Captain Lonny and Forest, were waiting to go when we got to the dock. They got 5 lines (Penn Reels) in the water pronto as we headed out into the 6-10 foot swells beyond the reef.
Lonny estimates they run 340 charters a year. When they don’t have a charter they fish to feed the family and hunt black marlin. But we had little time to chat before we were hit simultaneously on 2 rods. Mike jumped on one and Forest the other. In no time they pulled in two black fin tuna. One went into the well and the other was quickly hooked up and sent over the side to up the game.
No luck. So back out went the 5 rods and soon afterwards a nice mahi hit. After a short battle he jumped 2 feet into the air, looked Mike in the eye and spat out the bait. He would have spit in our eye if he could.
Over the next hour Mike reeled in 2 more tuna and got a good sized mahi to the boat. Between hits we downed the ham sandwiches, beer and snacks Lonny provided while enjoying his explanations of the harbors, waters, communities as we passed by.
As we passed Sandy Beach Lonny’s radar went up and he hit the gas. We squinted to make out what he saw – an active tuna bite 300 yards away with slashing fish, diving birds. Try as we might, not a bite. Lonny cruised the perimeter to coax a breaker from the crowd, but nothing.
While the day ended less auspiciously than it began, it was a great day on the turquoise waters with Lonny and Forest.
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