First pic is pre storm, second pic is mid storm.  Last pic is of tray of circle hooked rigged baits.

Fished the MBGFC Limited Tournament again this year.  After studying Hilton’s and Terrafin we decided on fishing to an area 10 miles east, south east of the nipple.  Left out around 3:30 AM and had a nice smooth ride out under autopilot.  Had lines in dirty water and scattered weeds by 6:00 AM.  Due to new laws and rules we had all our ballyhoo rigged with 8/0 circle hooks.  Around 8:00 we had a billfish explode on the flat Moldcraft Wide range and miss but he dropped back and hit a naked hoo and circle hook.  Billfish on!  The fish makes a 3 min run and hook pulls out!  We had set all the drags to 6lbs based on all I had read regarding circle hooks.  Well we are miffed, but feeling good that we hooked a bill by 8 am.  Well at 9 AM we get a bill that knocks down the starboard rigger Islander Hoo combo, but he misses then falls back to a spreader bar with ballyhoo that had a Berkely Gulp  trailer with the Berkley installed hook.  OK, now another bill on, fish greyhouding south and well hooked.  We look port side and see another billfish on the surface chasing an Islander hoo.  Two billfish!!  We leave boat in gear while we drop back to the port bill while the spreader bar bill is dumping a 50 W like there is no tomorrow.  Video camera out, start taping the chaos.  Port bill never really gets hooked so now we settle in to fight the well hooked bill.  5 minutes later fricken hook straightens out!!!!!!!!  And we lose fish!!  Geeez what is happening!!!!!  Around 1pm bill pops up on starboard Islander hoo and knocks it silly and makes a 10 second run with it, but never really gets  hooked!!!!  Horrible day for percentages for the Green E! 0 for 4!

For what it is worth, based on advice from others i.e. (Marlin Mag, etc..) we were running drags as light as possible with full strike set at 6lbs.  When possible we let fish take bait for 5-8 seconds before moving up drag.  Had Islanders rigged with hook about 1” in front of lure.  Maybe it just was not our day, but man to raise 4 bills and not land a singe one!!

To top it off, one heck of a wind laden front hit us around 5pm while we were 48 miles SE of the pass.  Slowly making 13 knot squat we made it back in some of the worst weather that I have ever been in for that long of a time.  It took us around 3  hours to clear the pass. I have owned my boat (Contender 25) for 5 years and have never had conditions so rough and confused that just about every wave caused the props to slip and cavitate causing us to have to slow even further.  My sister had a few choice new nicknames for the boat after this experience! We heard a boat named Crazy Bitch last year, well she now calls the Green E Crazy Bastard!!  Listening to the radio we heard numerous calls to Coast Guard for assistance.  Even heard one lengthy dialoge between the CG and a 26 Regulator that was taken on water and not making headway south of OB.

All and all quite an adventure.  I will try and post a few pics later.

MScontender

I'm a Sagittarius...If you don't want to hear the truth then don't ask my opinion!
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A doctrine fostered by a delusional, illogical liberal minority, and rapidly promoted by an unscrupulous mainstream media, which holds forth the proposition that it is entirely possible to pick up a turd by the clean end. 

 Century 25' Mirada 350/260HP "ISLAND LADY" >>>> Calera, Alabama    My Pictures

Nice report , as 4 bills raised in one day is quite a feat.

All blue marlin in the spread or whites ?

www.titlewavesportfishing.com

As for the circle hooks....most articles you read will be for sailfishing/white marlin.  They tend to use very light wire small hooks.  (The light wire penetrates easier in the sails jaw.)  They are also usually live baiting or kite fishing. 

That being said....most of the 8/0 light wire hooks are useless for blue marlin.  You need to use at least a medium guage and preferrably a heavy guage.  We use the 10/0 in-line lazer sharps. I am surprised though that the hook straightened with only 6lbs drag?? 

Anyways...at least you saw some billfish!  Nice job.  We were fishing there last week in good water.  From the sounds of it, the blue water disappeared. At least there were still some nice fish there. 

 

www.bluewaterfishing.blogspot.com