# Awsome Sail on the Trysler



## The chumbucket (Jun 4, 2014)

Had an interesting afternoon on Monday, I just installed my new Garmin 94 sv on the boat with a homemade thru hull fitting or rather a thru trim tab fitting I made over the weekend. I affixed it to my port tab and decided to go fishing and try it out. It worked so well I decided to take the long ride to the Trysler Grounds even though it was almost noon. I couldn’t find anyone to go being such short notice, but the water was so flat I decided to just do it alone.


The show on the new bottom machine was awesome the detail was so rich and almost no noise. The bite lived up to what the screen was showing as I caught loads of everything I wasn't allowed to keep. The %@^ trigger fish were so thick on the bottom, they became all I could catch except for 5 or 6 ruby red lips that I threw in the live well.


I finally gave up on bottom fishing and tried heavy chuming and free-lining chunks which produced 2 red snapper in the 20 pound range and several very respectable reds in the 10 lb range all released alive. 



Frustrated with releasing perfectly good fish and with daylight burning off rapidly I chose from the livewell a lively ruby and sent her to her demise at mouth of a a 25 pound plus A.J. Where were you a few weeks ago, I said to myself.


I repeated this procedure until all but one ruby was gone. 
It was 2:45 and I decided to burn the last live bait on an A.J. and go home. Right on Q I felt the familiar thud of an amberjack hit and I responded with a thud of my own. What happen next was the shocker. This fish just didn't feel the same, in fact I thought it might be a big ling since it stayed in the surface violently shaking its head. Thats when it happened, the biggest sailfish I ever saw personally came unglued and put on the best show I have ever seen in my life.


The fish jumped, grey-hounded, tail walked, sounded, attempted to spool me twice, wrapped me around the anchor rope two separate times. (I was very proud of myself for keeping my head, turning on the clicker and free spooling the reel until I could unwrap the turns he made on the rope.)
After what had to be 40 minutes the fish sounded one last time but came up essentially dead. He gave everything he had and I couldn't revive him. Being at anchor didn't help either, I had no way of getting a good flow of water across his gills and being alone, I had no way of getting the boat moving while holding on to the fish, so reluctantly I pulled him aboard, but he never really moved he was spent. The fish gave it all he had. I hate killing something that awesome but watching him sink to the bottom would have been worse.


Fortunately I hold the HMS permit so he wont go to waste. I just reported the catch on the NOAA website. Its going to be smoked sailfish dip for everybody I know and a good story to anyone that will listen.


BTW he weighed in at 60 pounds, not bad even if I say so myself.


----------



## MaxxT (May 9, 2015)

wow what a nice sail! Congrats and a fun day on the Gulf


----------



## FenderBender (Oct 2, 2007)

Great write up and story, congrats!


----------



## Realtor (Oct 1, 2007)

good eating fish right there. enjoy it and go get another one.


----------



## JoeyWelch (Sep 25, 2009)

Very nice. Trysler has always been one of my favorite areas to fish. You never know Whats coming up next. Congratulations.


----------



## hebegb again (Oct 9, 2017)

Damned nice day! That is good guilt free food right there

Enjoy


----------



## jjam (Dec 9, 2007)

Don't get here often enough but, dang glad I did tonight. Great story, enjoy the bounty of your solo trip!


----------



## Jason (Oct 2, 2007)

Awesome story and no worries on the fish, it's not waste so it's all good! Great day by yourself!


----------



## neckmoe (Apr 7, 2009)

Well done! Great catch


----------



## bcahn (Jan 10, 2013)

Epic!


----------



## willd (Jan 15, 2011)

congratulations! That's not an everyday happening on the Grounds


----------



## hjorgan (Sep 30, 2007)

Nice read, thanks. I just stuck a Garmin 1042xvs in the boat, pulling the ducer tomorrow. Hope to get her wet on Saturday and test out the side scan and whatnot.


----------



## captken (Feb 24, 2008)

*My all time favorite fish to smoke.*

It has been a mighty long time since I had smoked Sailfish. Many years ago I smoked them often. White and Blue Marlin are fine smoked too. I didn't kill them to smoke them way back then but some come up dead.

Nice fish. Heavy!


----------



## DAWGONIT (Jan 16, 2009)

sometimes they perish despite best intentions.


thanks for sharing report & Pics.


----------



## captken (Feb 24, 2008)

*Chumbucket/greg is an old friend.*

I've known Chumbucket since he was about 15 or so. He fished with me when I was fishing out of Tarpon Springs/Clearwater. He was a serious fisherman even as a kid. Also a very good guy. I think the last time I fished with Greg was over in Venice, LA.

He called while I was at church today and later while I was taking a nap. I tried to return his call this evening but his answering machine said his in box was full.

If you ever get a chance to fish with him, better take advantage of the opportunity. I taught him everything he knows!


----------



## willie mckoy (Oct 20, 2010)

Great story! I really enjoyed reading this.


----------

