Sport Fishing Magazine March 2008 issue

[WhItEoUt 23]

Originally Posted by Harry Klauber

Be glad you didn't buy that 23 from Gus and Randy. My buddy David Luke (treasure hunter - Lived on Delaware Ave opposite the school) bought one and no amount of trim tabs or engine trim could stop the boat from porpoising. It was horrible and would even bury it's bow in a small following sea.

Our boat had it's rolling problems. They did all they could with adding a full keel and rolling chocks but they could never solve the problem. Commercial fishing was a secondary thing for me as I spent 6 months a year at sea as chief engineer on my ship. When you needed 50% of your earned income to come from fishing in order to qualify for a restricted species permit the boat was sold and taken to the Bahamas. Now I just fish up there recreationally either trailering my own boat up or fishing with friends that live close by.

I think I want to write to Sportfishing Magazine - I have written to them before and they have published my letters. I think with your experience you can direct me as to what we are all trying to say which is I believe that the success of the early stages of the daytime electric reel fishery cannot be a prediction that we are going to wipe out the fish. I think strong emphasis needs to be placed on the fact that it just isn't as easy as the articles have all made it seem.

I am going to re-read everything in this month's issue, make some notes, and see what I can put together. It's not going to be scientific - just my opinion. I am willling to throw it out to the forum and would gladly accept input so maybe we can "as a group" agree on the content and send it from "Swordfish Central". In that manner it won't seem as if just one guy is cry babying.

I'm glad I can bring back memories of good years for you. I am 63 so if I am doing the math correctly you should be in your 40's now? Is that correct? In your 20's in the 80's would put you in your 40's now. I clearly remember all of the 3M boats that I would see at D&D but as I said I just knew the crews by sight and for a change of taste would trade bottom fish for light sticks and some swordfish that might come off a fish that had been "shark bit" and couldn't be sold.

We might not always want to say everything to each other via the open forum so as I have posted for others - you can e-mail me at klafish1@aol.com

You might want to tell me what a jerk I am for getting my facts all messed up and at least I won't get embarrased in the light of day. Harry

PS - I have seen everyone refer to you as Vinnie - correct?

[Broadbill-Pro]

Harry,

I have been referred to by many names on this forum (Wolf in Sheeps Clothing, Snake in the grass, etc.) are just some of the nicer ones .

The name is Vinnie Montella glad to know you. Short of time now, but I would enjoy chatting later and making our past catches bigger than the actually were.

Cheers

[Harry Klauber]

Guys - please read my new thread - An open letter to Sportfishing Magazine and give me some input. Thanks, Harry

[The BEAST]

Originally Posted by Broadbill-Pro

I have been referred to by many names on this forum (Sheep in Wolves Clothing, Snake in the grass, etc.) are just some of the nicer ones .

Who called you those names? Must have been some poor misguided soul!

BTW... I think the term is Wolf in Sheep's Clothing!

[Nick C]

Hey this is way off topic.... people getting along on the forum....? No way!

[CaptKen]

Vinny
Did you ever know a guy named John Frolly ? A young man I dive with use to work on his boat back in the day, I hear the stories every time we dive.

[Broadbill-Pro]

Originally Posted by CaptKen

Vinny
Did you ever know a guy named John Frolly ? A young man I dive with use to work on his boat back in the day, I hear the stories every time we dive.

Ken,

John Frowley was the first PLL Skipper I worked for. I fished with him for about 2 years. He was a mate for Joe Mott on the sport vessel "Backlash" a 57' Jim Smith, they installed the first spool in South Florida on the fighting chair mount and hauled the line in reverse.

He then bought a 37' boat called "Freespool" and then a #1 Key West hull called "Full House" from the Merritts.

John had the gift, he was hands down the most successful swordfish Captain pre 1985. Fishing off Charleston one trip we nearly sank the boat with fish, seriously the gunnels were 6'' above sea level.

John was very young and making a fortune, the fast life caught up with him and he nearly went postal. He comes from a good family in Rockaway Beach and still Bfin fishes in the General Catagory.

Anyone who has ever caught a swordfish on a dyed squid owes John a drink. I have a million stories that include him, John was the guy who took mono mainline to Georges and the Grand Banks and kicked every Yankees ass. I was not aboard his first trip to the Flemish Cap, but I saw pictures of his boat with +40,000# of sword for 3 or 4 sets, a 1' chop could have peeled over the rail of that 60' vessel. God only knows how he made it 1200nm to port with that load of fish onboard.

Quick story, John was a mate on the sport vessel "Prime Time", on the way to Chub from Bimini he falls overboard while fetching a bucket of water. The boat steams 25nm away from him before anyone notices he gone. When they found him a few hours later he was bare ass naked treading water.

Another one, he had a mate named Little John, they were steaming from PR to Anegada. Little John was hanging his ass over the rail (rest room) when the railing pulls free from it's mounts and Little John goes for a swim. USCG is called, search in on but no sign of him. Next morning a USCG helicopter finds him on a rock waving his arms a few miles from where he was dunked.

Have plenty more, there was never a dull moment when Frowley was around.

Who is the guy you dive with? Did he work on the "Hadit"?

[RiskTaker]

Speaking of people named John,

Does anyone, Commercial PLL or otherwise, recall a guy by the name John Forget, twin brother to another Canadian, Bob or "Cadillac Bob" if you're a Pompano local that may have known one or both of them.

Just curious to know if he was a decent swordfisherman or mate, etc. as I heard stories that he used to do the PLL gig. He has passed by the ways at this point in time. And no, I do not know where his brother is, in case he may owe you money.

Just curious to hear another tale from a local swordfisherman, if any, to be told.

[CaptKen]

Vinny
His name is Picot Cassada, He worked during the time when Merrits moved the fish part up the ditch toward the Atl. bridge maybe, or somewhere away from its current location.
He is an incredible lobster diver to this day, I swear he can smell um like a hound.
I will try and get him to come on here and antagonize you .lol
Those are the type of stories I hear though about John.

[Tuna Devil]

Originally Posted by Nick C

Yea they have done it at night a couple times as have I on a slow night with little current.... no dice. But then again I haven't done shit in the day time either.

So that's it? The answer is "yea they have done it at night a couple times as have I on a slow night with little current.... no dice."

I take that as a no, or it is the new secret. Without the effort that is put into the DT fishing, I personally do not think a realistic answer to wheather or not they swim up at night or they always live on the bottom can be given.

I have not done either (deep dropped day or night, hit the bottom once or twice but that does not count) so my thoughts are based on the response to my question.

Just my 2 cents.

Everyone go back to hugging.

[bajakian]

[quote=RiskTaker;79620]Speaking of people named John,

Does anyone, Commercial PLL or otherwise, recall a guy by the name John ForgetQUOTE]



I think I used to know him but I forget.....

[Uncle Buck]

Quote: Originally Posted by Tuna Devil
Has anyone fished the bottom consistently at night? I have not. It would be interesting to know the results if someone has.

Originally Posted by swordstalker

I think Uncle Buck and Emijess have tried it at night... Bill??

I could have read War and Peace in less time than it took to get through this entire thread! But yes... EmiJess and I sent a bait down to the bottom after dark. But that was in our early (less experienced) stages of deep-dropping for swords. We had a normal surface spread out too, so we were not working the boat as needed. Even though the bait was not ON the bottom, we figured the 2000ft of scoped-out line probably put our bait about 900ft feet down, for close to an hour. No bites. No slashes. That doesn't mean nighttime deep-dropping may not be a viable technique. But working the boat for that one line means we'd have to forego the proven "surface" spread in favor of that one line.

When it comes down to it... Deep-dropping is pretty much a requirement for catching a daytime swordfish in our area. Deep-dropping at night is an option. The proven method of 4-6 baits in a drifted spread is much more reliable, and easier to do.

[RiskTaker]

[quote=bajakian;79664]

Originally Posted by RiskTaker

Speaking of people named John,

Does anyone, Commercial PLL or otherwise, recall a guy by the name John ForgetQUOTE]



I think I used to know him but I forget.....

Looky here ... A Doctor with a sense of humor..... imagine that.

TD - Before the daytime thing became popular off Broward, we were fishing deep at night on quite a few occasions. And yes we were doing this with an electric reel also, to make life easier: a 6 lb. lead weight was attached in the exact same configuration as a standard rig: Long-line clip cinched between a captive wax line loop or a wrapped rubber band, depending on where we wanted the weight on a given night.

We never caught anything on that rig, but were happy to just keep trying. We figured, what the hay, maybe we get lucky one night with a Big Eye tuna or perhaps even an escolar, to break up the monontony of just catching swordfish all the time.

I would typically be the one working that rod, so I would let it drop about 25 ft. at a time, using the displayed line counted as the guide, so it would not get all tangled up. This was also the way I simply worked the water column. We never sent it all the way to the bottom though, for the dreadful fear of getting hung on the bottom with a full spread out. But 1100 FSW was about the bottom range. Once at the bottom of the range, I'd work it up 100 feet at a time, by pushing the "button" until about 400 feet. Maybe a bait check by then or work it back down again.

In essence, the nighttime fish rewards have been higher up in the water column; but we have gotten swords at 500 FSW before.

These days, the daytime style has taken the precedence for a bottom patrol but I still don't mind covering the water column at night: you never know what you might get.

[Tuna Devil]

Alright RT.

A response I was looking for. I figured someone had done it, I was just looking for the results.

The funny thing is I have not caught a fish deeper than 150 on my last three trips. It must be my aftershave.

[bajakian]

Originally Posted by Tuna Devil

Alright RT.

A response I was looking for. I figured someone had done it, I was just looking for the results.

The funny thing is I have not caught a fish deeper than 150 on my last three trips. It must be my aftershave.

Aren't you an Aqua Velva man?

[Tuna Devil]

[PURPLE FEVER]

Well 2 issues have been printed and neither mine nor Harrys' letters to the editor were published. It seems that if you don't agree with Olanders' opinion you're not worthy of print.This is the first time I have written to a fishing magazine that refused to print an opposite view.

[Harry Klauber]

I canceled my subscription so you guys will have to let me know if the biased magazine prints anything worth reading. I too have written to other magazines, with opposing views, and had them printed. Maybe our issues with what they wrote were overshadowed with more important things - in their minds?

[PURPLE FEVER]

No it probably got too close to home for the editor. I guess he did'nt like it that his wife caught a nice sword on an" electric reel "and his buddies in the keys were taken to task.

[Broadbill-Pro]

Welcome to my life, I have replied to several conservation articles in the past and never had a single word printed. I even took note to an article that Peter Wright wrote about wiring giant tuna and marlin and again not a single word was printed in Marlin Magazine.

I have always felt that Sportfishing Magazines have looked down upon the commercial sector, now it is apparent that they look down on their own as well.

Keep quite and keep paying the subscription..