Terry Lacoss
A steep lime rock ledge holds giant king mackerel, world class dolphin, and the chance of a 500-lb. blue marlin testing your trolling tackle at the Abaco Islands.
Wilson Tennille brought his twin-vee blue water fishing boat off from plane in order to navigate the large swells at Tilloo Cut, a narrow pass located between Elbow Cay and Tilloo Cay where shallow sandbars demanded cautious navigation. Particularly when strong sea breezes have been blowing for several days.
“The weather forecast looks excellent for the next few days,” longtime fishing friend, Wilson Tennille said. “The winds have been blowing for the past five days keeping most blue water boats tied up to the docks. May is, however, one of the better months for trolling, particularly for dolphin, kings, yellowfin tuna, wahoo, and the occasional blue marlin.”
After clearing the inlet, it was clear that the winds had been blowing for several days as rough sea conditions greeted our fishing party as Wilson motored out to deep water.
“Let’s start trolling,” Wilson said as he slowed his sports fishing boat properly named Catfish, down to a six-knot trolling speed. “As you can see we are already in eighty feet of water and less than a half mile offshore. I will typically begin trolling just offshore of the Tillo Cut and troll towards Pelican Cay which is just a few miles away. See those large sport fishing boats just offshore? They are more than likely charter boats trolling the hard bottom at Pelican Cay.”
Longtime fishing friend Dan McCranie, was also on board and helping in rigging ballyhoo and plastic combos to fifty-pound trolling tackle.
“Man, isn’t this water beautiful,” Dan McCranie pointed out. “You can see all the way to the bottom with a lookdown bucket on a calm day. Not today, though!”
Both Wilson Tennille and Dan McCranie fished aboard my SKA tournament boat, Amelia Angler, way back in the early 1980s. We had a lot of fishing memories already etched in our fishing logs, today was going to be special.
Now, with a full spread of trolling lures and baits swimming in the wake of Wilson’s Twin -Vee, we waited patiently for blue water fishing action that was almost a guarantee.
Ballyhoo and plastics occasionally tangled with floating weeds which required reeling them back to the boat and untangling the weeds from the lure. I began reeling in a weed tangled lure and bait combo as fast as possible, occasionally jerking the lure in an attempt to free the lure of the weeds. As the lure was skipping across the water at a blinding speed, a 20-pound Abaco Island king mackerel sky rocketed on the bait. Fortunately, I was able to see the kingfish face to face only a few feet off the transom of Wilson’s trolling boat! The first strike was a clean miss, but the second charge by the kingfish was a complete success.
Dan McCranie took charge of the deeply bent trolling rod and settled in for the king mackerel’s deep run. However minutes into the fight, a healthy barracuda attacked the hooked kingfish, leaving McCranie with only the head and shoulders of the kingfish.
“We have caught some giant kingfish in these very same waters,” Wilson said. “My next door neighbor, Durward Jackson, once caught a 64-lb. kingfish during a past spring fishing outing.”
Other notable kingfish catches that have been made include a 77-lb kingfish caught by Clinton Potts off from Bimini, Bahamas and Dr. Thomas Sims, Jr’s 75-lb kingfish that was landed off from Walker’s Cay, Bahamas.
“Typically you will find the kings where the water drops off from 80 to 200 feet,” Wilson explained. “The problem is the barracuda; cudas will often take a big bite out of your hooked kingfish before you have an opportunity to put the mackerel in the boat. Let’s troll out into deeper water so we can get away from the barracuda.”
Wilson headed his trolling boat due east where we all watched the fish finder showcase a rapid change in water depth from 80 to 300 feet of water within a few minutes of trolling. Our move from the shallow ledge to deep water was a good decision as nearby birds were diving on baitfish straight off from our bow. Suddenly we were in 800 feet of water and less than a mile offshore of Pelican Cay. Diving sea birds, floating sargasum weeds, and nearby local charter fishing boats indicated that we were fishing in the right place!
“Fish on!” Wilson shouted over the high pitched noise being made by the 5/0 trolling reel’s drag as it spent 50-pound fishing line to a hard running game fish. “Grab the starboard flat line rod Dan, it’s your turn once again to fight a fish.”
Dan grabbed the deeply bent fishing rod and leaned back into the hard running game fish. I grabbed my camera and turned the mode on to “Action”! My Nikon D-300 camera can take up to five frames per second. This is extremely important when trying to capture high leaping game fish like billfish, mackerel, and dolphin.
As I waited patiently for an action photo opportunity, Dan had worked his hooked fish closer and closer to Wilson’s trolling boat. Suddenly a large dolphin came cart-wheeling from the water trying to shake free the 8/0 saltwater hook deeply embedded inside its mouth.
“Big dolphin,” Wilson said. “Keep the line tight Dan, you have hooked into a real trophy dolphin.”
Meanwhile my camera was catching all of the action as Dan leaned back into his trolling rod and Wilson waited patiently with an eight-foot gaff. Seconds later, Wilson reached over the back of the tiring dolphin and swung Dan’s catch right into the boat’s cooler.
Dan McCranie and I had boarded a private charter plane at Jacksonville, Florida’s Craig Airfield at 9:30 earlier that same day. Our private charter plane flew us to Marsh Harbor, a city of 5,000 residents located on Great Abaco Island. Two hours later, we were trolling for world class game fish before 2:00 that same afternoon!
Wilson Tennille, a longtime resident of Amelia Island, Florida and competitive Southern Kingfish Association member for many kingfish seasons, purchased a vacation home on Lubber’s Quarters some six-fishing years ago. Lubber’s Quarters is located in the Abaco Islands and conveniently located less than a half mile due west of Elbow Cay and Tillo Cay Islands. Within a few minute boat ride from Wilson’s boat dock, Wilson and his fishing party can be trolling in 200 feet of water that drops off rapidly to over a thousand feet in a scant mile.
During the first day of trolling, we targeted Pelican Cay Island which has a long hard bottom shelf that stretches out into the ocean with many small reefs. Primary baitfishes here are the flying fish, which often indicate both where the reefs are located and more importantly, where striking game fish are more likely to be caught. Frigate birds can be seen soaring high over the flying fish, waiting for an opportune time to take a fast descent and kill. Frigate birds have up to a seven-foot wingspan and also steal baitfish from other sea birds when the opportunity arises.
During the third day of our four day fishing trip, we trolled off from Elbow Cay Island which is just a few miles north of the Tilloo Cut. Here we also found kingfish, giant cero mackerel, barracuda, and dolphin willing to take our ballyhoo/plastic lure combos. Early that morning, a near charter boat reported releasing a 600-lb. plus blue marlin.
“Hope Town” is located on Elbow Cay where resorts, vacation rentals, boat rentals and charter boats are all available. Not to forget the delicious conch burgers and seafood served by local restaurants. However Hope Town was not always a resort orientated community.
“When Hope Town was first settled, most of the residents were in the salvage business,” Wilson said. “The nearby reefs claimed unaware mariners during low tide and rough sea conditions. The local preacher would hold his sermons on the beach where the preacher looked out over the ocean and his congregation was faced land. One day right in the middle of his sermon, a ship wrecked and the preacher left his congregation on a full run to claim the wreck. The next Sunday, the preacher was facing land and the congregation was looking seaward!”
Fifty-pound trolling tackle is recommended, employing a six foot section of 80-lb. coffee colored single strand wire, haywire wrapped to a 7/0 – 8/0 Mustad saltwater hook. A “Bally Hood” affords for an easy way to secure the ballyhoo to the hook. Finally a plastic lure with a cone shaped head helps keep weeds from tangling the ballyhoo hook and produces an excellent swimming action when paired with rigged ballyhoo. Best lure colors include pink & white, green & white, black & red and purple and black.
A successful trolling spread includes two flat line lures, one at 30-feet and the second at 40-feet. Two outrigger baits are set at 50 & 60-feet. Finally a center outrigger bait is trolled at 80-feet with a trolling speed set at 7-knots. Please note that in calm sea conditions, baits should be trolled further back and in rough sea conditions, baits should be trolled closer to the boat.
You won’t find any menhaden schools along the beaches for live baiting for king mackerel, but you will be able to jig up yellowtail snapper and a variety of small reef fish that all afford for excellent live baits for live bait trolling.
If you plan to go, Hope Town is located close by on Elbow Cay and has shopping, excellent restaurants and minutes away from some of the finest scuba diving and fishing in the world. Call the Abaco Inn, 1-800-468-8799. For fishing charters call Captain Michael Schreiner, “Down Deep Charters”, 1-242-366-3143.
Angler magazine, July 2010
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