Day 3: Hurricane Hole Louisiana Open
Things are heating up offshore, and one club has to pack it in early with mechanical issues.
What we would normally call “Championship Saturday” could still hold true, should Captain “Stonewall” Hall Bohlinger and Louisiana Canyons Angling Club hold on for the win here at the Hurricane Hole Louisiana Open, presented by XTRATUF. It will just take an extra day to find out. Follow along here for live updates.
Inclement weather late Wednesday evening forced officials to open two fishing windows:
- Thursday-Saturday
- Friday-Sunday
The Canyons are clinging to the lead with 450 points, but that’s the total for one blue marlin. When an angling club has a one-fish lead, an uneasy feeling can permeate through the boat.
Paranoia.
“We desperately want to catch one more fish before it’s over,” Louisiana Canyons GM Bobby Holderman said. “Not sure one [fish] will do it.”
West Florida Black Flags Angling Club are looking to prove Holderman right. A little after noon today, Angler Marty Wilson is in the fighting chair with a billfish on. Mates have had the leader a couple of times and we have had visual confirmation of a bill, but no clue of what species. The fish continues to fight so the release has not been confirmed.
While Captain Danny Watts and the Black Flags are looking to get on the board, one of the Gulf Angling Clubs is making their way home.
It’s been a tough start to the season for Texas Lone Stars Angling Club. Their boat “Freebird,” has been under refit since February so the Lone Stars have been teaming up with other boats to compete. Captain Spencer Johnson and crew should be back on their boat by the Gulfport Mississippi Open in June.
Here in Grand Isle, the Lone Stars have run into overheating issues with one of their engines and transmission problems. They came in Thursday night, and again last night.
“Without the full use of one of our engines, we made the call knowing that being out there in these conditions without the ability to run from the weather is not smart,” said Capt. Spencer Johnson of Texas Lone Stars Angling Club.
Being over 150 miles offshore, the last thing anyone wants to see rolling their way is severe weather. When your boat can’t move away from danger, it can spell trouble.
“We were getting reports of 136mph winds coming our way,” Johnson said.
That’s what we would call the XTRATUF decision of the weekend so far. Safety First.
With another day of fishing left, the Hurricane Hole Louisiana Open presented by XTRATUF is still anybody’s game...
...should someone catch a fish other than a bluefin tuna.