4-15-06 report

[catching]

1-4 3 slashes, and a hook up a 9:45 45 minutes later owner of the boat popped the cherry on my bro’s new rod that was purchased Friday measured 57 inches. First run took about 500 yards of line then the slow battle of getting line back begun. Fish came to the surface about 50 yards away from the boat we were looking for a jump and it laid on the surface. It was just twitching; it ended up hog tying itself from the bill to the tail, quickly pulled into the boat before any toothy critters had a go at it. High fives and a beer to celebrate and headed in. Pictures are posted in the gallery.

Tight lines
Catching

[Shark Tagger]

Job well done mate

[catching]

ST,

Thanks for moving it over to the posting. :salut:


Tight lines

[quack quack]

Is that some kind of new lawnmower :lol: Nice fish good job.

[Disco Lady]

CHEER'S TO YOUR FRIEND GOOD JOB! :lol:














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[catching]

Originally Posted by quack quack

Is that some kind of new lawnmower :lol: Nice fish good job.

Was thinking of making a hedge clipper out of the sword’s :lol:

[Captain Ollie]

A 57 incher pulled 500 yards on its first run?? :shock: That means a 70 incher would have probably dumped you! What was the drag at strike, like 8 pounds? :lol: Set the strike drag at 15 pounds at least. Use a scale you'd be surprised at what you think you have it set at and what you really have it at! THAT way you won't be cryin AFTER goin at it for 2 to 3 hours and then havin the hook pull cause it was fouled. I heard alot of that on the radio Saturday night. I'd much rather go 5 minutes and pull it rather than 6 HOURS! (Been there, done that, never again) If the fish is hooked in the pie hole like it should be that hook ain't coming out if you put 40 pounds on it. I don't give a crap what anyone says about that. I did some unscientific tests, to back this up, involving sword heads, 500 lb leader, a fence post, my truck, and a scale. It wasn't pretty, but it proved a point to myself. (By the way the scale didn't survive)

I just thought I'd share that.
Good job on the fish!

We went 4 for 4 on Saturday. All ate a squid at 25 feet. All fish were 55 to 57 inches. All fish hit the deck within 20 minutes of the hookup. ALL fish were hooked in the pie hole.

[tunaman81]

I agree...I think 14lbs of drag is perfect...I would also rather pull a hook in 5 min than in 3 hours.

[catching]

[quote="Captain Ollie"]A 57 incher pulled 500 yards on its first run?? :shock: That means a 70 incher would have probably dumped you! What was the drag at strike, like 8 pounds? :lol: Set the strike drag at 15 pounds at least.
Good job on the fish!

CO thanks for the advice or criticism :?: we have only been out five times and are still learning the trade. We are 4 fish out of five trips and we are usually headed in by 11pm, We are averaging 4-5 hits a night only one night with no fish coming home with us. Drag was set at 14 pounds. Keep forgetting how detailed you have to be on this site.

Fish was fouled hooked in the side under the front pec fin leading us, not us leading him then he ended up entangled some how.

Tight Lines CO

[quack quack]

CO:I would have liked to see that testing.You forgot to mention how many coronas were involved :lol: I wish you had a video.

[Randy]

Excellent Fish Catchin , I preset my rods at 13 POUNDS ! and from this weeks photo 230# s I think it's safe to say at 13 lbs those little tiny 55"ers will not spool you and a 230# fish at 13 will BE IN THE BOAT IN 1 HR+15 minutes . (see video) Like to also add that was on a graphite Okuma 50 with just 710 yds of 50. My only regret is as a recreational sportfisherman I didnt get him on a 30 . I always set my drag at "the hook is foul hooked just under the skin in the tail" setting ,preferring to error on the side of caution. I rig my boat for 10 ft seas and hope for calm and set my drag for the above hookup scenario and hope for a good heavy hookup.
Catchin , Thanks for this photo , I know your new but just wanted you to know Ive been keepin track + this one with the others you sent me makes your "Legal fish per trip " ratio at over 90 %!! Congrats !
I dont know what your doin you secretive devil but keep it up + feel free to come ride on Teaser + show me , im buyin the beer ! Randy

[Captain Ollie]

Hey Catching I didn't mean for that to be taken any other way than friendly advice. It's just that my eyes popped out of my head :shock: when I read how much line you said it took. I just never had a fish that size take that much line. AND, yes, I've had them foul hook themselves more ways than I can remember. I guess I just had a flashback to the night we went 6+ hours with a beast, only to end up having the hook pull near the boat. We never even got a look at it. Everytime we would get to just about visual range the damn fish would burn off 100+ yard runs straight down. This was like 8 years ago when I was in the light drag (8 to 12 pounds) state of mind. My friend and I both went over 3 hours each with no harness. I was on the rod when it pulled and I almost cried when I felt that sickening slip. :cry: Therefore when I read your story I just felt the need to vent. SO, nowadays I just think its better to HAMMER it down and find out if its game on before I get my ass handed to me after hours and hours of torture.

[catching]

Randy,

Thanks for the vote of confidence :salut: but we are still learning want to get it down to where we are heading in by 9:00 so I can go in the morning and at night.

CO,

Sorry you felt the need to vent. [-X This is an open forum around the world and you or I have no idea who anyone is or what experience anyone has. Read all and see what works for you and keep any possible negative conceived comment to yourself :!: Lack of confidence is the biggest killer of fishing from what I have experienced. If you are confident in what you are doing due to success keep with it.

Been doing this since I could hold a rod and reel in and fishing with a Zebco 404 with 20 pound test and no drag on that old thing and caught plenty of fish on that. Think that would put me at about 32 years of experience in the fishing field of both fresh and salt.

Now if you went four for four Saturday night at 25ft how long did it take to do it? I was only fishing for sword's for 2 hours Saturday night with three hits before we hooked up and were back in by midnight would have been sooner but is was a bit rough for the ride in.

Third fish we caught hook was in the eye barely hooked but we have a good crew that reacts fast and the fish do not have a chance, saw where the hook was and backed down on the drag had a beer and waited for it to calm down. Patience does pay off. I have missed fish at the boat due to an inexperienced crew but never while the fight was on after 15 or 30 minutes. Ok I did miss a 10ft hammer that broke a 180 pound wire leader; my mistake brought to the boat in 20 minutes and tired to horse it with the drag at full since it just about stripped my my reel at full drag on the first run.

Sorry for the distraction back to Swords

This does not include Swordfish just have done it enough yet to determine anything. Every fish and Swordfish I have caught or have been a part in catching has fought different at the boat or when it has 50-500 yards of line out. You want to horse them I want to finesses them if you want to horse them in and if that works for you great, what I am doing seems to work for me.

Sorry to hear about the monster you lost. If you did not see it could have been anything; so far from what I have read the only fish on that seems to do something like this is a huge fowl hooked Mako. Maybe if you would have had the drag a bite looser you would have caught it when it was whipped and had nothing left to fight with. Like your comment line states It’s better to be careful 100 times then to be killed once. I would rather be careful then to miss a fish at the boat. Practice what you preach brother.

PS: Sorry for the late reply CO had a bunch of bud's over for another Swordfish cook out.

Tight lines to all
Catching

[Disco Lady]

CONO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 15 LB DRAG FOR ME :lol:

[Randy]

Drag setting , I think it really depends on line strength , the species ,and the amount of line you have out. I personally dont go over 25% max 20 %average knowing that drag on the fish is increasing heavily as the fish pulls more + more line through the water. A 15 pound drag with 3-400 yds of line out is some serious drag at the fishes mouth . I have a feeling you better have a really good solid hook up in a really solid part of the fish if your gonna put that much pull at the hook . I set at 13 but release drag as the line gets farther out. I dont wish to pull the hook and dont know where the fish is hooked and now have seen particularly in this species MANY foul hooked fish. I prefer to use the boat to back down to retrieve line. I go for the sport and the fight is my main goal. If i knew where the hook is in the fish i might go heavier. I dont and assume it's in the soft parts and play it from there. Plan for the worst and hope for the best. 15 lbs on 50 mono at over 400 -500yds out ? Anyone know what the actual drag at the fishes mouth is in that scenario ? Be interesting to know and would guess its way up there. Ive spent too much $ , time, and work to finally get that one fish ive been lookin for to be in a hurry and lose him because im in a rush and have overstressed line, knot, or hook up . It's the journey thats of interest not the destination. Whats the rush ? Enjoy the adventure ... I mean , Isn't that really what your goin out there for ? :lol:

[catching]

Randy,

I would have to agree with you, that is why we have different set ups for different fish we are targeting each day we are out. Would not want to use a 20 pound spinner that we use for kings for Swords. At least not yet anyway :?: Might go for some kind of record one day who knows. :?: Would be cool to catch a 100 pound Sword on 8 pound test just have to get better at doing it first to try that.

Tight Lines and Great Catch on that Beast Just saw the Pic's

Catching

[Captain Ollie]

Catching, thanks for the lecture and all but this isn't about fishing with a beer in my hand and enjoying the palm trees and pina coladas. I happen to think drinking out there under those circumstances is not exactly a good idea. I'm fishing commercially and at 6 bucks a pound the fish needs to hit the deck as fast as possibble. You see when they fight too long they burn themselves up. Too much lactic acid buildup causes the blood to turn a brownish color. When you sell a swordfish to a wholesale dealer, they cut out a sample of the fish at the caudal keel. If the blood isn't reddish anymore my price just went to 2 to 3 bucks a pound. THAT can really suck for you when you gotta make a living at something that already has high overhead.

[Randy]

Everyones different guys , each with a different main goal. Theres no reason to argue . Some are recreational fishermen doing this to "push the envelope" to see how big they can get on how small of tackle and some are after the $ and would just as soon use 300# braid and drag em up with a winch. Each has a main goal and different technique the other doesnt know and each should respect the others. This argument comes too close to the old "Rec vs Comm " argument again which has been beat to death and noone wants to hear about it again. Perhaps a little inquiry into ones own mind like "What am i gonna gain if i write this?" might be in order before the ol finger go,s to typin ? Just a little advice from tho Ol Googan boat , It's not good/smart to make enemies when they may be the only one around and your standing on a FRP (fiber reinforced PLASTIC) boat 20+ miles from land and youve hit something. Just a thought . Cant say something nice ? Best say nothing at all.
Sometimes saying nothing screams. Catch a monster ! Both of u !

[jerry]

Randy, first I am no engineer but I have heard or read or thought I heard or read :shock: that with x drag setting on a full reel, when that reel is half empty you can double the original drag setting. So with a 50wide reel set at 15lbs, if a fish takes off 300-400 yds of line your looking at 30lbs of drag at the hook. I set my 80's at 20 with the thought that once I set my baits, send out my floats I can usually add another pound or two. When a fish runs I back off from there depending on how much line is out and how agressive the fish is acting.

[hannaman]

Your right on Jerry, at least you have about 50 pounds at full drag when you need it. and trust me fellas, you will need it when you get more time in fishing for these Swords. A 400+ Sword will play you like a fiddle on 15 pounds. There out there...