On Feb. 16, Laura and Chris Jessen have been trolling for marlin aboard their 64-foot Viking, Fish Tank. They have been fishing off Costa Rica close to the city of Los Sueños, and so they’d already caught and launched two massive billfish when the motion turned hectic.
“We had 4 traces out and a pair teasers, when a 200-pound blue marlin got here as much as a flat line and took a rigged bait,” Chris tells Out of doors Life. “My buddy Kitt Toomey from Fort Lauderdale grabbed that rod and hooked the marlin, and it took off like a blue rocket.”
He says Toomey was utilizing a comparatively gentle outfit with solely 20-pound check — the type of rod-and-reel they sometimes use for sailfish. Toomey was combating his fish when their boat captain, Ben Horning, noticed one other blue marlin chasing one of many teasers. Horning let the crew know, and Laura grabbed one other sailfish rod and tossed out a chugger lure rigged with a ballyhoo. The billfish crushed it and took off.
The crew now had two 200-pound blue marlin attached, however Chris says the whole lot went easily at first. The 2 fish have been leaping like loopy and it wasn’t the primary time they’d doubled up on massive billfish. The crew was assured they might deal with the 2 fish — till Laura’s marlin turned and began working within the flawed course.
“Each of their reels have been working out of line,” Chris says. “So, we determined to tether Laura’s rod and reel [with the drag tightened] to a float ring and toss it overboard. We additionally tied a big, air-filled white trash bag to the float so we may see it simply.”
This allowed the crew to focus on Toomey’s marlin, and so they chased it in the other way that Laura’s fish was headed.
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“We’ve finished this beforehand, and as soon as needed to cope with three hooked marlin,” Chris laughs. “It’s an actual hearth drill, however it’s thrilling, and that’s precisely why we love billfishing.”
Toomey regained his line shortly because the Fish Tank backed down on his blue marlin. Moose, one of many mates, acquired ahold of the chief, making it a official gamefish catch. Then he launched the large blue.
By the point they turned again towards Laura’s fish, it had run for nearly a mile. Chris says they might see the float ring and the white bag off within the distance. As soon as there, Laura grabbed the waterlogged rod and reel and went again to battling the marlin. The fish ran and jumped, however she was capable of get the fish to the boat in brief order. Moose once more grabbed the chief after which launched Laura’s marlin.
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Catching two massive blue marlin this manner is a uncommon occasion, even for the Jessens, who reside an enviable life chasing marlin and sailfish for months out of ever 12 months.
“We’ve had a terrific run chasing billfish,” he says. “We’ve had this boat for simply over a 12 months, and we caught about 1,200 billfish from it. Since January of this 12 months, we’ve most likely introduced one other 500 sailfish and marlin alongside our Viking – all launched.”
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