Article by Capt. Franky Pettolina
If you skip to the end of this column and read my little mini bio you will see that I wear a couple of different hats in my life. I have been co-captain of our charter boat, “Last Call” since 1996. That was also the same year that Pettolina Marine Surveying and Consulting was born. In 1999 I began my time on the Board of Directors at the Ocean City Marlin Club (serving as President since 2008). Pretty much my jobs all revolve around sportfishing. You might wonder what I do when I get a day off. The answer is quite simple of course. I GO FISHING!!! I mean what else would I do? Clean my truck out? Take in a movie? That is just silly.
At least when the fish are biting that is. And they are biting pretty good right now, so I jumped at the chance to invite myself aboard the “C-Boys” when Capt. Luke told me they were short on anglers for tomorrow’s trip on his boat. I realize that I will be the back-up to the back-up anglers and might only get a chance at a fish when three others are simultaneously hooked-up, but that is super cool with me. Tomorrow is about something different.
I was told a long time ago that the minute you stop learning is the minute you start falling behind. That applies to most aspects in life and is especially true when it comes to sport fishing. I have known Capt. Luke for somewhere north of twenty years, but have only fished with him a handful of times. In each of those times he worked the cockpit either by my side in a tournament or as my mate on a charter trip aboard the “Last Call”. Tomorrow I will get to watch him run the show. He has been very successful since moving from the cockpit to the helm seat and I am sure I will pick-up a few new tricks throughout the day.
Then there is his mate Jon Henry. I only know Jon in passing. We have probably talked to each other maybe a handful of times. But I know “OF” Jon Henry. The best word to describe him is “Fishy”. Now some of you might think of that as a negative quality as in, “Something sounds fishy about that deal” or “Waiter! Can you return my soup? It tastes fishy!” But describing a mate as being “Fishy” is a compliment of the highest order. He is profishient at everything from catching fresh bait, to catching bottom dwellers, to catching all flavors of billfish (and yes I meant to spell proficient incorrectly at the beginning of this sentence). I plan to stay out of his way and learn whatever I can from one of the new school masters of this game. My mate, Mr. Evans, may or may not have given me orders to take pictures and videos of Jon in action.
I am actually a little embarrassed to say that I have no clue of who the other mate is on the “C-Boys”. We will get to know each other tomorrow and I am sure that he has a trick or two up his sleeve as well or Luke wouldn’t have him.
The other member of the team that I am super excited to learn from tomorrow is the boat itself. The “C-Boys” is a 57-footer built by Dean Johnson in North Carolina. Many of the best custom boats come from the Outer Banks of North Carolina and the “C-Boys” is definitely one of them. I have been able to survey two other Dean Johnson boats and have enjoyed each one of them. Unfortunately, when I am wearing my surveyor hat I only get to go on a sea trial for an hour or two and the rest of the time is spent dockside or in the boatyard (and none of it is spent with baits in the water!). Tomorrow I will get to spend thirteen or so hours watching the boat in action. The ocean is going to be a little choppy, so I will get to see the fabled “Carolina Flare” handle the seas firsthand. I am excited for that. I have fished on many other Carolina Boats, but never a Dean Johnson. Its going to be cool!
Oh yeah, did I mention that I was getting to be an angler in one of the biggest tournaments of the season? That’s right! Capt. Luke was telling me that they were short an angler for the MidAtlantic Tournament. Again, I know I am technically the assistant to the assistant chief in the angler department tomorrow, but that doesn’t matter. I get to take off my captain’s hat and dust off my angler’s hat. It is a great opportunity for me, and who knows, maybe we will raise a quad of white marlin and the last one hooked will be a lunker! I just have to hope I don’t screw it up.
Capt Franky Pettolina is Co-Captain of the charter boat, “Last Call”, owner of Pettolina Marine Surveying, Inc. and multi-term President of the Ocean City Marlin Club. To book a trip on the “Last Call”, call 443-783-3699.
