# Spooled



## BajaBob (Feb 4, 2010)

After getting a nice wahoo on Monday I decided to go out again to troll the Nipple to Elbow area for more wahoo on Thursday, 10/27/11. History repeated around midmorning and I put another wahoo in the boat.










Trolled for a long time getting a bonita with a big school rising to the surface. Then I found a scum line with the first birds I had seen all day. I saw some small fliers running for their lives with yellowfin in pursuit. Trolling through the area resulted in a yellowfin a couple of inches over the Federal minimum.










I then trolled around this area for a while and lost view of the scum line so I climbed up on the cobia tower with the autopilot remote to try and pick it up again. I wasn't up there but a few minutes when line started ripping off the reel. I climbed down and picked it up and pushed the lever to full drag as the line was still leaving quickly. I slowed the boat's forward motion and commenced really fighting the fish. I regained line and then the fish started rushing the boat. I reeled like mad and sped the boat up a little. All the time the autopilot was keeping the direction straight. The fish picked up speed and appeared to be diving deep as I could not regain line but the fish was still gaining on the boat. Then it passed up the boat and was ripping line again. I sped the boat up to 10 knots chasing the fish. Then it slowed and started to go straight down under the boat. It was now down to the bottom of the 100lb spectra with only a few wraps left. I put both thumbs on the sides of the spool with the rod resting on the side of the boat to apply maximum pressure. The fish which had been going in line with the boat went under the boat and was exerting more pull than I could hold. The spool slowly creeped forward down to the light mono used to cover the spool. I took my thumbs off the spool because I knew the mono wasn't going to make it. I was surprised when the knot broke at the spool rather than farther up the mono. A small tag of the spectra remained on the mono. This rig had been set up by a local tackle shop. The reel was my son's. I was a sorry puppy that when I had noticed how little spectra was on the reel on Monday that I hadn't added some mono the day before. It would of helped to have more drag as well. So can anyone guess what I may have hooked? I think it was a good sized yellowfin. They always get the weak sister. Why didn't it hit the TLD50LRS, or the Penn 30II, or even the Tiagra 16?










Tough end to a fine day; but I will return after I stop crying!!










Bob


----------



## hjorgan (Sep 30, 2007)

Mako???


----------



## SteveFL (Aug 2, 2010)

Man that's the thing about offshore fishing, ya' just never know what's next. I hooked up something big and deep (200') a few weeks ago; I finally got tired and just stuck the rod in an outrigger/rod holder for the fight. About 20 minutes of fight later, it decided being hooked wasn't cool and snapped off 80lb mono like it was nothing. It stayed nearly straight down, coming up to maybe 100' before tiring of the game.


----------



## Mattatoar (Apr 30, 2008)

That sounds like a damn good time! I bet your heart was really going! I'm guessing it was big mako or YFT if he ran that hard and fast.


----------



## Captain Mickey O'Reilly (Dec 18, 2008)

I think that you nailed a blue, and it just decided not to jump! Had one over 800 do that to me on a 50 w and we only knew what it was because we saw it eat a short flat. No jumps at all! Looks like you had a great day though! Wish I was with you! Hopefully my boat will be outa the shop Monday, and I can get or there asap!


----------



## Kim (Aug 5, 2008)

I really can't hazard a guess as to what the fish was but I can say with certainty that it was bigger than your rod was equipped to handle. It happens to us all sooner or later. Two years ago I put two 30W's out in a spread at Loyds Ridge because we had tagged a couple YFT and a Wahoo and those rods were easier for my friends son to use than the 50W or 80W reels. You know it, the biggest Blue Marlin that I've seen in years hit a 30W and had it spooled in about 20 seconds.

Now I regularly fish with the 30 W's for big fish because of the availability of after market heavier drags and braid line. It's expensive but well worth it to spool your trolling rods with braid and a top shot of mono. If you fish often, the cost of lost lures and broken off line will justify the expense, not to mention lost fish.


----------



## fish construction (Sep 3, 2009)

what a great story. Its like a horror story that you just have to keep reading. Just think, If you did not have some bad luck you would not have a story to tell for years to come. nice job on the YFT :thumbsup:


----------



## chris a (May 21, 2008)

Blue marlin. I've been spooled by them before. You need some larger tackle.


----------



## alexa041 (Jun 27, 2008)

I'm with Mickey and Chris... Blue Marlin.


----------



## OBsession (Feb 13, 2008)

"we're gonna need a bigger boat"


----------



## matttheboatman (Aug 25, 2008)

To some this is just another tale, but to you this is a story without a proper ending, a challenge unmet, a feeling of incompleteness. Fishing! If only..... You will play and replay the event until you are sure "next time" the outcome will be different. If you are so lucky as to get another chance, your new wisdom will quietly guide you to succeed where less "experienced" anglers fail. A fisherman should always dream about next time.


----------



## BajaBob (Feb 4, 2010)

*Wind and High Seas delays revenge*

You are so right!! :thumbup:Here I sit every day reading the marine weather forecast, looking at the online wave models, watching the wave heights at Marlin and getting up every morning at dawn to peak out the window to see first hand if the wind has stopped yet. I almost tried it on Thursday but the thunderstorm predictions kept me on shore. I have respooled with 430 yds of spectra, picked up a few more "must have" replacement lures, sharpened hooks, waxed the boat, read the Florida Sportsman Offshore book and CD, read Pakula's Between the Lines online book,

*http://www.pakula.com.au/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=96&Itemid=220*​ 
and performed other irrelevant chores while I wait for the seas to settle down. Can't wait to get back out there for the "hours of boredom interspersed with bouts of terror." The sound of the clicker screaming is like no other.

Bob


----------



## weedline (Aug 20, 2011)

cool never had that happen out there but u had 1 of 4 fish do that most likely would have been mickey the mako had it been 3 months ago next culprit would be like u suspected a large yellowfin yes possible then there is what i would have suspected a school of bluefin came in its rare but has hapened in the last 20 years and yes a blue marlin is possible ok this will make 5 fish but i would bet u had a 90 to 110lb wahoo a friend caught 1 last year now and the fight was just like u described they had to folow the first run on planefor sevral miles ended up weighing 107


----------



## BILL_MONEY (Feb 17, 2009)

Bob
I'll be home wed and can fish any day but sat.... have way more tackle then i should and deck quite well..... 
just sayin...


----------

