# Aqua Loco first deep drop trip Thursday.



## Aqua Therapy (Jul 25, 2010)

Started out trolling around the elbow around 7:00. Weather was perfect 1 ft and clean blue water. As soon as we start putting lines back. Phillip was dropping back a cedar plug and gets hit while in free spool. Phil burns up his thumb and spends the next 2 hours with ice on his finger. Anyone who has done this will tell you how painful that is. We ended up losing the fish and plug. We put lines back out and get a knock down 5 min later on a islander by a nice blackfin. Lines back out and then a triple knock down and one come unbuttoned, another breaks line for a second time on cedar plug again. (Interesting brand new 60 lb line with only 10 lbs of drag???) Third fish ends up being bonita. Later we have a nice billfish come up in the spread and by looking at the dorsal seems to be a blue maybe in the 250-200 lb range. He checks out baits, we drop back, but no luck. Mid day we decide to try deep dropping for first time. I had some areas that I have marked for deep dropping in past as well as a few we found this day. First drop down and we get a golden tile. Then a couple drops later we get a nice yellow edge. Then more golden tiles up to 10 lbs. Then we found some big yellow edges and got 2 close to 20 lb range. We finished the day with 6 Golden Tiles and 4 yellow edge grouper. We dropped between 800-500 range mostly. We caught several of these small fish that to me were a cross between white snapper and vermillion. They came out of 700 ft. Anyone know what these are called?


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## Aqua Therapy (Jul 25, 2010)

Forgot to mention that we were bringing up a grouper on the Diawa Bull from about 700 ft and about 100 ft from the surface it is eaten by something bigger. We spent about 5 min of tug of war with this animal. He would take 30 ft and then we would take back 30 ft. This was with 150 lb power pro with over 20 lbs of drag and electric reel. Then this animal realizes that he is hooked and starts running away from the boat coming up towards surface slightly. He was blistering line of the reel. I have heard of reels smoking, but have never seen it. The reel had smoke coming out of it. I was screaming for a towel as I wanted to try and break him off with out losing $120 in braid. The reel continued scream with smoke coming out. After what seemed like for ever. We get a towel and I put the towel on the line try to slow down this animal and break the line. The line finally broke, However we didn't just break the line. The flush mount rod holder had so much pressure on it that it started pulling the rod holder out of the fiberglass. Crazy! Popped up 2 of the 3 screws in the glass. I thought after that the Diawa was toast, but actually it worked fine after pooring some fresh water on it and getting a lot of sizzling and crackling. A true testament to the tanicum Bull.


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## Realtor (Oct 1, 2007)

good lord, would like to know what did that!!!!


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## jack2 (Mar 19, 2010)

great job, adam, on the tiles. some good eating there.
the mystery fish....maybe a juvi longtail sea bass?
we have caught them with tiles in that depth. keep in touch.

jack


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## PorknBeans (Nov 21, 2007)

Nice!! We saw y'all out there but didn't have any fish come up


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## submariner (Oct 2, 2007)

some nice looking fish an lots of smiles way to go


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## GROUPERKING (Sep 28, 2011)

Good trip ! Is Katherine the great white still in the gulf ?


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## CaptScoob38 (Jan 30, 2012)

Sounds like a good trip especially for first time deep dropping, guessing they big mystery fish was either a big shark or who knows, maybe a big sword swimming around, thats what keeps me going back!!!


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## Russian (Jan 13, 2009)

Looks like y'all had an eventful day, good to see you boys had a fun trip, despite Phil's finger.


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## cobe killer (Apr 13, 2008)

nice trip. the thief was more than likely a mako. we've had them come take some groupers b4.


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## 301bLLC (Nov 23, 2013)

Why didn't the guy engage the lever and move his thumb? Great report, I can't wait to try my new deep drop rig!


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## Aqua Therapy (Jul 25, 2010)

Phil sacrificed his thumb instead of getting a backlash. This all happens really fast in about a 2 second period. Boat moving one way and fish moving the other. I think it was a mako as well most likely. I checked the drag on the diawa today and it is shot. Reel is working perfect, but the drag is jacked up now. Anyone replace the drag washer on one of these yet?


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## jack2 (Mar 19, 2010)

hey adam
ocean master will be able to help with your tanacom drag.

jack


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## bcahn (Jan 10, 2013)

Excellent report, thanks for sharing!


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## Justin618 (Aug 18, 2013)

My guess is maybe a big hammerhead.


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## Yellowrivermudder (Dec 22, 2012)

Your small fish there is a Wenchman Snapper...no limit on size, just quantity. 10 per...great report! Tight lines!! YRM.


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## Aqua Therapy (Jul 25, 2010)

Thanks for the info YRM, we caught four of those on one drop. Jack I will check with Ocean Master as he is walking distance from my house.


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## Yellowrivermudder (Dec 22, 2012)

If your going deep dropping and need an experienced angler for your trip message me. I can do what you'd need me to. Again, great report. Tight lines!!! YRM


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## Aqua Therapy (Jul 25, 2010)

*rod holder*

That fish was a beast to put that kind of torque and pressure on the rod holder.


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## Tennessee Trey (Feb 3, 2011)

Looks like I need to come down and do some work on the boat


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## BuckWild (Oct 2, 2007)

Hall Pass said:


> That fish was a beast to put that kind of torque and pressure on the rod holder.


 
Nice job. When you repair that rod holder, you should put backing plates and through bolts on the ones you are DD'g with.


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