With Miller at the helm, the Underdog headed northwest out of Davis Harbour in Exuma Sound toward Cape Eleuthera. Before the cockpit crew could finish rigging the trolling gear, Underdog already was plying the violet-blue waters about 300 feet deep.

Exuma Sound is a lot like the “pocket” familiar to South Florida offshore aficionados that is found near Chub Cay in the Berry Islands. Considered part of the Atlantic but surrounded on three sides by land, the Exuma Sound harbors all sorts of desirable pelagics, such as dolphin, wahoo, kingfish, sailfish, tuna, and blue and white marlin — depending on season, tide and wind direction.

Curry said he had heard reports of a few wahoo showing up — an exciting prospect because these waters boast some black-striped mackerel cousins in the 80-pound class.

Melton said it’s pointless to dabble with light tackle here.

“You have larger equipment than you need — 50-pound-class reels with lever drag and 188-pound-test wire—because you have no idea when a 70- to 80-pound wahoo is going to come and smoke it,” Melton said. “Some people say less is more, but down here, more is better.”

Together, Melton and Luizza put out bally hoo decorated with various and multicolored trolling skirts; a cedar plug (in case a tuna might happen by); a large bowling pin teaser; a Black Bart Canyon Runner; and a bonito-colored deep-swimming Marauder — a lure that resembles an enlarged Rat-L-Trap.

At first, the results were disappointing: three large barracuda that struck about 45 minutes apart. But then a cow dolphin in the 15-pound class ate a bally hoo draped with a trimmed-down black-and-purple skirt rigged by Melton. Curry made short work of the fish and Melton gaffed it.

Not long afterward, a larger bull estimated at 20 pounds ate one of Luizza’s set-ups — a green-and-yellow skirted bally hoo favored by charter captains in Key West.

She reeled it in, and Melton gaffed it.

Luizza was declared winner of the one-day Underdog fish-off.

Actually, our entire group was the winner; we all shared in the mahi bounty that night at Sunset Inn to celebrate Janice Curry’s birthday — fried, stewed, and broiled.

Melton challenged Luizza to a friendly rematch in the future, and I sure hope I get to tag along.