Friday Night 3/26/05 Just got in 2:37AM

[CaptainEd]

Another solo mission tonight and it was a great one. I decided to go about 4:00 so I had a lot to get done fast. When I left the port the wind was blowing hard. It was a long, choppy, miserable, gut beating trek out if you were in a small boat heading out to the grounds early. I got out there a little after dark and went to work. 2 jugs and a tip rod tonight. I was considering using my organs for baits since some of them were laying on the deck. After much thought I opted to go with squid. I was out last night and pulled the hooks on a fish after a pretty long battle. That doesn't happen to me often. That ride out had me in the mood to kill something. I knew where the fish were and what depth they'd be in. About 45 minutes into the drift the middle jug line starts buzzing. I let it buzz for a good while and right as I go to tighten up the line is slack. I reel in and see the light come up. No hook, shark for certain. Without any more than a few pounds of tension the teeth cut through 300lb leader like it was thread. I reset the inside jug and tip rod and drift for about an hour. Nothing. I was pretty surprised. I here of a few people who have already boated 2 fish a good bit south of me. The wind has completely layed down and the water is damn near smoothe. I decide to run down to a favorite spot and see what happens. It is a long, hi speed run south but nice and smoothe. I set up and 20 minutes into the drift the tip rod gets slammed. I put about 10 pounds of drag and i'm tight on the fish. I throw both jugs into FS and fire the motor up. I set the drag light so homeslice with the hook in his face can peel out some line and get away from the boat. I let the jugs go waaaay out to keep clear.. I put about 12-15 lbs of drag on him and fight for about 20 minutes, the hook pulls... W T F!?! I'm hoping this is not some new curse i've picked up :shock:
I reset the tip rod and wait. I also bring in my jugs back to were they belong. 30 minutes go by and the tip rod gets slammed again! I do the same as last time and everything works out. I tighten up on the fish and fight him with about 12 lbs of drag. He starts taking too much line out so I have to put the breaks on him or he'll foul in the jug line. I put about 20lbs on him and that slows him way down. 25 minutes later and I yolk him over the side and slam him to the deck. 48 & 1/2" & pretty fat. I pull in the rest of my spread and head for the hill. Back at the dock by 2:00. A lot of work tonight and last night but it payed off. After enduring the ass kicking of a lifetime on the way out I was treated to a full moon with water so smoothe it was mirror like on the way in. I ran in at 38 all the way without a bump. All fish were hit on the 49 - 49.5 with squid. 50 fathoms for the shark and 42 fathoms for both fish. The fish are thick from 33 to 58 fathoms. Cut him up and it's a pumpkin. He's filled with digested tinkers and one squid (not mine). Good luck to the Saturday night crew. I have to deliver a yacht to NY so no more swordfishing for me until next week

[Mike]

Good Job Ed. Thanks for the report.

Mike

[hannaman]

Nice work ed. Did you hear about the 460 fish? How far south did you run?

[CaptainEd]

Hannaman... Key West :lol: Over the past month I've noticed the fishing is getting a lot tougher. I have a few sets of numbers that almost always hold fish and see little pressure. Aint posting them though.

I heard nothing about any fish over the 50"(s) getting boated last night. I did hear several that had 2 for 3 nights though. 460lbs! I think that outweighs Kunta's best sword that was 452lbs???. My goal for 05 is to break into the 300lb club. I've never even thought of finding one out back in the 400's. That has to be epic.

[bullfighter]

We started trolling around 12:30 Friday afternoon, a couple of dolphin but not much. We decided to start way outside around the 45 line. Fished for an hour and a half with nothing. Heard breakaway with a couple fish around that 49 so we moved in. Got a good run off but pulled the hook. Reset and released a 47 inch fish. Went to 11:30 with nothing else. Sounded like there was a lot of small fish caught, but a pretty good bite along the 49.