Captain Stephen Ebanks of Reel Vibes Charters is one of Grand Caymans’ top charter captains. The crew from fishcaymanislands.com and FishAngler joined Captain Stephen for 6 hours of fishing at the Cayman Islands’ famous 12-Mile Bank. We pushed off the dock aboard the fast and comfortable Reel Vibes, a 34′ SeeVee powered by twin Suzuki 300s at 5:45 am, and we were at the bank with lines in the water as the sun was coming up. It didn’t take long for the wireline we were trolling to start screaming. We all thought we had a good-sized wahoo on. It turned out to be a nice yellowfin brought in by Tom Wye, CEO of Fishangler. It’s a great day when you start with a nice yellowfin!
Soon after, Rick Hagopian, founder of fishcaymanislnds.com, landed a wahoo that took the Hawaiian Eye with ballyhoo and a Cayman Crusher Rig. Right into the fish bag!
Next, Captain Stephen said it was time to drift. He checked the current with an empty bleach bottle, weight, and plastic bag (more on this in a future post) and set the first of three drifts for us to chunk for yellowfin. Each drift yielded one yellowfin: 40lbs, 50lbs, and 20lbs. Jose Hernandez-Allen took a break from the camera and pulled in his first tuna! On the small side, he kissed it and sent it back for another day.
Quickly, I realized how important it is to have an experienced and seasoned Captain behind the helm. The Captain knows precisely what depth to troll and where to put the boat based on the current. Based on the depth, he tells you when it’s time to put the lines in the water and time to pull them in to reset the drift. Thank you, Captain Stephen!
The fish bag was bulging! Time to head back to the dock. It is important to recognize Roshad Goff, who took on mate responsibilities, and his role in making this day a huge success. He expertly rigged the bait, set the drag, and slacked out the lines. He was “Master-Class” with the gaff, snagging fish close to the head, preserving the flesh, and quickly and safely boating each and every fish. He has cat-like reflexes and eagle eyes to complement his knowledge and experience.
Back to the dock Stephen pulled out his knife, stone, and plastic bags and went to work cleaning and filleting the wahoo and tuna. Both Tom and I left with plenty of fresh delicious fish for the grill.
