Mid-season heartbreak video...bluefin do have middle fingers..

[captdom]

Happy new year guys, hope everyone is enjoying this wonderful New England weather!

One of my customers just sent me this video, although it is kind of long(8minutes or so) it shows a pretty sick battle with a decent size bluefin on spinning rod, that unfortunately didnt end the way we wanted. It certainly ruined my day, bringing back that all too familiar sick feeling down deep in the pit of the stomach. This fish destroyed a very expensive rod, and flipped us the bird. The rod snapping was caught on film, pretty wild.
If nothing else a little heat and sunshine to get you longing for June....

***warning*** a bit of some choice language here and there

[sears720]

Nice video Dom. That guy got worked! Keep em coming.

-T

[Parapapam]

Great Video Dom.

I feel your pain. Sucks to lose a big fish to a broken rod.

If this question is thread drift, then I will take it to a new thread or PM. But why don't you spin on a fish like that? I would not have engaged in an up/down battle. I would have lost some line, pulled away a bit, then spun the boat on the fish.

... trying to learn.

Mike

[JoeyM]

what was the rod that broke? and did you or do you continue using those rods?

[captdom]

Hi Mike, not a thread drift at all. Glad it inspired a question.

That video was roughly 35 minutes of raw footage taken over a 88 minute fight. If you notice, there are several times you can see prop wash where I spun the boat. However, at a certain point I stop doing this, and live or die by the sword at that point.

My situation is somewhat unique, in that I run solo, with no mate. This requires often times me being away from the helm at various times in the fight, but always at end game. It is at the very end of the fight when I force my anglers to go vertical, and then it is "pop them, or stop them" I typically fish really haeavy drag, I do not feel it fair to keep a fish on the line for any length of time, and 1 hour is far too long usually for me. Many helmsman will drive away from the fish, and I do as well when using the beefy conventional gear which is traditionally employed. I had to re teach myself once I became a light tackle specialist, as these long or whippy rods are not very good at tiring a fish out or bringing him in, as anyone who has ever tied into one of these larger bluefin can attest to, it just isnt the same as with a stand up rod and a harness. I do not recommend or usually get my anglers into a harness unless they prefer or insist, and will always take them out of it at the end game, when rapid direction changes and quick adjustments are necessary. I feel this approach is what has allowed me to take more large fish on the light gear aboard my vessel than most other guys out there, my willingness to operate outside the box as this fishery is different than the others for large pelagics.

By forcing the fish into a vertical situation, the circles begin, and the fish will be easier to control, even if green. By constantly allowiong them to dictate the fight on their terms, you alleviate a ton of pressure on the fish by cuircling or chasing him down. I rarely will get after a fish unless it is too large to stop with drag and rod alone, and even then I will only bump in and out of gear when absolutely necessary. Once I think the fish has tired enough to get nasty with him, I crank up the drag, alot of times maxxing it out. This also functions as a way to keep one guy from thelion's share of fishing available in the courser of one day trip...often times I have 3 other anglers looking to score, and by engaging in a drawn out battle this is counterproductive to that end goal.

I got a few emails regarding my advice right at the end when I yelled "DON"T FOLLOW HIM!"....not advice many guys would give. My vessel has a large raised casting plaform, and this prevents the angler from effectively getting around the bow and back to the other side. It is at this time when the angler has the fish's head it is crucial to guide him back to the rod tip, and thus into the range of the iron. On my old boat, I didnt have the bow issue, and often times would force the fight to the bow to avoid the engine legs, and give the angler the ability to guide the fish out from under the boat on his own. I was looking to stuff that fish, and would have seconds later if the rod hadn't snapped.

The rod was OR Black Devil 200. These rods are pretty expensive, but are usually up to the task. many fish have been landed on my boat by customers using that particular rod, but that one had seen maybe 100 plus fights in two season, it was given to me by the manufacturer to play with the year before. It served its purpose, and that fish just get the better of the rod that day. I have a huge collection of high end pieces from busted rods and reels. These fish take a toll on the gear, it is inevitable when using undergunned and undersized rods for oversize and overweight animals.

[Parapapam]

Great answer Dom. As you know I hopped on one of your open boat trip last fall to learn from the best. Here to fore, I have used conventional gear and a harness. So I am learning the light spin game. And so far it is the fish 5 and me 0.

We discussed the heavy drag (35+ pounds) vs. lighter drag (20 to 25 pounds) when we were fishing. Your heavy drag and straight up and down style is starting to come together in my mind now. I have been using about 25 pounds on my conventionals and trying to spin the boat on the fish, driving him into a circle and shortening the distance on every turn.

I can see why my style can lengthen the fight, but I seldom (if ever) go over an hour. But there is no way to have multiple anglers on big fish at once with my style. With the real chace of three anglers fishing at once on your boat, a semi-stationary boat make sense.

Also given the layout of your boat (huge casting platform in the bow), chasing the fish around the boat on foot would be a problem. From what I have witnessed with the longer popping rods it is more of a "lead the dog by the nose" method (which takes huge drag) rather than the traditional lift and crank that you would use in a harness and a 50/100 stick.

Great reply Dom. Thanks.

Mike

[Massbaytuna3]

Nice work Dom! Great footage

[captdom]

From what I have witnessed with the longer popping rods it is more of a "lead the dog by the nose" method (which takes huge drag) rather than the traditional lift and crank that you would use in a harness and a 50/100 stick.

Hiya Mike, as we discussed that day, my style is alot different than most. Your quote above is an awesome analogy. I often tell guys to picture a really big dog on a really short leash...you may not take his energy away right off the bat, but you force him to expend that energy as he strains against the leash. If the leash is satic and not one of those type that let line out as the dog pulls, then he is forced into a circle, which allows you to then time things much better and apply much better pressure. The heavy drag requires new technique on the anglers part with the lighter rods and less leverage...I tell my guys to only tug on the fish when he is at the bottom of his turn coming back up towars the connection point(you)..like a clock face, from 12-6 in either direction you simply hold him and guide his head with the rod tip(the leash) and when he moves from 6-12 in either direction, thats when you lift and get line baqck. This technique will help you land some of these suckers next year on the spin.

Anytime you want to discuss stuff like this, give me a shout via PM, email, or even a call.... Hope to see you out there with your boys in 2011, and this time with a spin caught fish for them to cuddle up to in the bow of that Regulator!

[Parapapam]

Thanks Dom. See you out there in '11. Get down to your warm weather retreat and stay off the butts. The boys and I will ski a bit and soon enough June will be here.

Mike

[dwar9739]

thats a sick video...what a battle and a heartbreaker. that looked like a real good fish. Dom we will go out and get that fish, and the top half of your rod. hope mexico is nice. see you in the spring