Riddle me this... A giant tuna fish story

[ifish4tuna]

Looking for an opinion / explanation on losing a Giant Tuna due to line seperation. I'm not sure if this is something I can avoid in the future, or if I should just chaulk it up to dumb luck (bad that is).

Monday I ventured off shore for some Giant tuna fishing. As some of you may know, we anchor up, up here off the coast of Maine/NH.

I had 4 rods out at the following depths 60,90,120 and 150. The 60 was furthest from the boat, and the 150 was right at the boat. The 60 is probably about 125-150 feet from the boat

We anchored up at 9:30 am, and had all rods in the water by 10:00. The sun was glaring directly in the line of the baloons. Most times I could not see the 60 foot balloon off the stern due to the glare.

We notice bait jumping on the surface and tuna coming up on the bait. This was off to the side of the boat and to the stern. It was on and off for about 1/2 hour. At about 10:30 I noticed my rod that was set for 60 feet had it's line pitched into the water. I couldn't see the baloon and started cranking. I could immediately feel the tension of the fish. I continued to crank and within a few seconds tension had reached striking drag. (No line coming off, but unable to crank any further - rod tip bent) I continued to apply pressure, and then pop.

After reeling it up, the line came up naked. No swivels for the leader, and more importantly no wax string where I set my depth to 60ft.

At first I thought the crimp had come free then I realized the wax string was missing. I tie on about 1 inch (probably 10-12 knots) of wax string.

So the line cut came 60+ feet from the hook. My only thought for this is that the 60' line crossed the 90' line and when the fish and I balanced the pressure, the 60' line slid down the 90' causing the break.

The line was 150lb monmoi. And was just put on 3 weeks earlier, and was nick free.

Any other thoughts on this?

[mike hennessy]

it was a couple fish swimming together and the line rubbed another fishes fin and byby.

this has happened to me alot fishing the big yellowfin in porpoise schools. the fish are traveling close together and the hooked fish dives threw them to escape. there is nothing you can do except put another bait out and drink a beer

good luck mike

[shoefish]

Ed,

A couple thoughts on this. Were you chumming? If so, it is very possible that a piece of guts got wrapped on the line, especially if you have a wax wrap, and then a dog fish came by and ate the guts, cutting the line enough that when the pressure was put on the line, it parted. I think the southern guys can have trouble with wahoo and their swivels when they're hooked up.

Another thought, less likely, but we lost a fish to it last year- we had the same exact thing happen- as soon as we came tight, and the drag was about to start singing, the line popped. We couldn't figure it out until we looked at the roller on the tip top- it had come loose, and must have fallen out, so cut the line enough so that it parted the second pressure was put on it.

Shoe

[TheBigI]

From the way your explaining it, your reel might be the problem. It sound like the drag locked up, if you were unable to crank any line in and the fish wasn't pulling any drag.

[KEY-LIME-PIE]

Sounds Fishy to me....LOL! Lost the biggest Bluefin I ever saw this past summer during the Tuna tournament! My Fault! Poor hook selection. Lost him at the boat, the hook came stright as soon as the leaderman changed the presure on the line to the fish.....Chaulk it up as a lesson learned! I did...


Tom

[ifish4tuna]

Nope wasn't chumming. The drag is OK. I checked it 3 weeks ago when I re-rigged the lines. Striking drag is set at about 40lbs.

I did a mythbusters test w/ my son last night. I took a piece of brand new line about 25 feet long and tied it off on my work bench. Then had my son hold the other piece w/ his hand - which would simulate about the same amount of tension that would exist on my 90' rod w/ the weight on it. I took a short piece of line a held it over the long on one w/ both hands and dragged it with mild pressure the length of the 25' line. It parted at about 16 feet. Now I guess the other factor could be wet line versus dry line.

I also broke out a high powered magnifying glass with a light on it. The line that was seperated was sticking out of the new crimp about 1/4 inch so I had a good view with the magnifier. It was definitely a melt cut. There was a small bur that curved away from the line in the same manner that my myth buster burred. My myth buster was more pronounced probably because it got hotter quicker because it was dry.

One other note, the line on the rod above the new crimp is not damaged in anyway. No abbrasion, no nicks.

I'm going to have to assume the 90' rod was the cause.