5:30am solo launch. Becker boys are sleeping. By 6:30 am I was about 3-4 miles out (normal 20 minute mile pace but I was paddling hard). No wind but there is a decent tight interval NW swell. Water temp is noticeably higher than inshore water. The air is musty humid like being in Hawaii in the summer. I've been trolling the whole time w/o a bite. By 8am the wind is starting to pick up and it's blowing the opposite of what it should be (which is out to sea). Right as I decide to start paddling back to shore my favorite rod/reel combo starts SCREAMING. 5 mins later and a bunch of runs I've got the fish close. I'm praying for Dorado but don't have a clue what's at the end of my line. It's circling is tightening and I'm thinking tuna now but it jumps out of the water and I see it's a huge Tylosurus Crocodilus (Mexican Needlefish). What a rush. This is a weird fish that you can tell from the scientific name exactly what it looks like. A huge beak of a mouth like a crocodile and full of big sharp teeth. It was very tough to get this fish un-hooked w/o getting bitten. I zig-zagged back to shore for not another bite (except for a puffer fish). I saw tons of triggers and yellow snappers but the water is so clear (at least 50') they see me coming. Landed by 10am when the wind was really blowing. Around dark the wind died so I did some night paddle deep drop fishing. I would paddle out a hundred yards, drop my bait over and paddle back with the reel in free spool. Then wait from shore for a fish to bite. I caught this nice Dog Snapper.
The Mexican Needlefish:
The Puffer fish:
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