Put “fun” in extreme sports challenge

By William Kearney As proof that humans are an insane species, I offer Exhibit A: the Miami Raft Invitational Tournament (most recently held April 26, 2008). Forget trolling, forget towers, forget chasing down a fish that could spool the reel. T his tournament reduces angling to the bare essentials: a man, a raft and a fish. For 21st Century anglers, it’s the closest they’ll come to “The Old Man and T he Sea.” It’s also a hell of a lot of fun.<img class="none" src="/images/postattachments/2148/medium/WWAM_IS_-_Miami_Raft_-_1.jpg?1268248065" alt="" width="190" height="250" />© WWA The Miami Raft Invitational Tournament, now in its second year, is the brainchild of Miami-based charter boat captain Matt Tambor. “We thought about doing it out of kayaks,” says Tambor about the genesis of the tournament, “but this is where all the balseros (Cuban boat refugees) land. We figured if we could do it without insulting any of the Cubans, it’d be a hoot.” T he tube raft concept ended up being a stroke of design genius, as raft anglers can sit at the hub of up to 16 rod holders. T hat just wouldn’t be possible in a kayak.  Some see the raft tournament as part of the extreme sports movement. “I’ve been fishing tournaments since I was 8,” says Matt Neber, a first time raft angler. He anticipated a very different experience on the raft. “I’m going to have a fish right here (he motions to his waist). I’m in a rubber inner-tube now. It’s more adrenaline. More exciting.” <img class="none" src="/images/postattachments/2153/medium/DSC_0110.JPG?1268249215" alt="" width="166" height="250" />© WWACaptain Ray Rosher of Team Penn Reels, who won last year’s tournament, describes it this way, “The challenge is trying to maintain two or three or four baits in the water at the same time. If you ever get seven or eight rods out, you take a deep breath and you almost don’t want anything to bite. You know, just enjoy the solitude for a minute. It’s a major achievement to get it all out there.”  Managing baits without a crew is one thing, but what about fighting a fish? “You lose a lot of line,” says Tambor. “You can’t chase them down. On the other hand, if you tighten up on some of these fish they start dragging the raft.” As far as presentation goes, raft anglers may actually have an advantage over boaters. “These fish will swim right up to the raft to try and eat the free pilchards we’re throwing out,” says Tambor. “You will see visions of sailfish that you will never experience (in a boat).” With that in mind, the event gets under way.<img class="none" src="/images/postattachments/2151/medium/DSC_0067.JPG?1268249195" alt="" width="240" height="160" />© WWA It’s 3 p.m. A squadron of sport boats race around Cape Florida, each carrying cheering men and strange looking rafts. It’s an odd spectacle. The first vessel out to the Gulf Stream color line is the tournament boat, carrying the tournament host, Captain Dan Kipnis. Eastern skies are clear while thunderheads rise over the Everglades. On the water, loose tracks of sargassum concentrate in the more stained water. T he men lower their rafts and begin rigging. Some have trouble standing, others constantly fidget with their lines. Once adrift the rafts look like huge bloated porcupines floating out to sea. <img class="none" src="/images/postattachments/2156/medium/IMG_0489.JPG?1268249330" alt="" width="240" height="180" />© WWABefore long, Rosher has the first hookup. Instead of fighting the fish aggressively, he actually takes the time to set out more baits. Apparently he’d seen a second fish with the first. This is where the raft fishing becomes interesting. As the fish circles, Rosher lifts up the spare rods and passes the fighting rod around the others.  “Of course he swam right into the kite line and three down lines,” Rosher says. “ (On a raft) you’re kinda’ in a jam. Murphy’s Law kicks in.” As the fish pulls the raft east, the wind and kites push the raft west. He’s into his backing with 300- yards of line out and starts pulling his kites in. Further down the fleet, frigate birds works a school of bait about 200 yards south of one of the rafts, but there’s nothing the angler can do about it. T he support crew tosses out live chum but it doesn’t make a difference, at least not yet.<img class="none" src="/images/postattachments/2157/medium/IMG_4203.JPG?1268249375" alt="" width="240" height="180" />© WWA An hour into the tournament and Rosher has landed his first fish and is hooked up again. T here have been other hookups, but they’ve all broken free. Kipnis notices that unlike most of the other anglers, Rosher set up inside the color line. When asked why, Rosher says there’s a lot of other boats outside, so he set up inside. He also knew, from the previous day of charter captaining, that people had caught fish in the dirtier water yesterday. Around 4:30 p.m., the action really starts to pick up. One of the Contender rafts has a doubleheader, but the fish cross paths and break each other off. Meanwhile, a cobia remains hooked up. They are notoriously difficult to handle once gaffed. The angler jokes that as soon as he pulls the cobia into the tiny raft, he’s jumping out. Before long, Roger Rex of the “Scatterbrain” comes up with a mystery fish. It’s big. Could be a tuna. Could be a sail. “This fish is kicking my ass,” he says. All those aboard the support boat can do is yell encouragement. Suddenly the fish turns around, speeds back and is gone. We get news over the radio that a hammerhead shark is circling one of the rafts, curious about what’s going on. Another raft that just landed a tuna has a puncture and is slowly sinking. <img class="none" src="/images/postattachments/2155/medium/DSC_0126.JPG?1268249320" alt="" width="240" height="160" />© WWAAs the afternoon progresses, hookups pick up. At 5:40 p.m. someone lands a fish, then three rafts have fish on at the same time. We pull up to Neber’s raft just as he lands a sail. I ask him if it’s what he expected. “It was beyond my wildest dreams. It’s all about the glide. You gotta’ go to the fish. You can’t make the fish come to you.” With an hour left in the tournament Rosher is in first place with three fish, all on circle hooks, all tagged and released, which gives him bonus points. In second place is Neber of the Contender 1 with three releases. Several rafts have one fish each, as well as fun fish like cobia, kings and tuna, which will shuffle the standings. As dusk approaches there are a series of quick hookups. Rosher’s on again, and Tambor fights three fish at once. This won’t win him the tournament, but it’s quite a challenge. In round-robin fashion he fights each fish a minute at a time. In the end he loses one and lands a double.<img class="none" src="/images/postattachments/2152/medium/DSC_0097.JPG?1268249205" alt="" width="240" height="160" />© WWA At 7 p.m., with most of the anglers exhausted, it’s lines out of the water. T he Miami skyline fronts the sunset. Rafts are hauled onto support boats and everyone returns to shore. All told, five rafts where punctured, numerous fish were lost, and 20 fish were released. Like last year, Rosher takes first, this time with four sailfish tagged and released. Cort Vernon III of Capt. Harry’s takes second and Neber takes third. “I see next year being even harder to compete … I was blown away by some of the rafts,” says Rosher. “It’s a fun, fun deal at the end of the season. T here’s no big money on the line. Everyone just goes out and has fun.” 2010-03-10T11:02:24-08:00

2010-03-10T10:58:04-08:00

Miami Raft Invitational Tournament 829

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WWA

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Miami Raft Invitational Tournament, the bite tv, worldwide angler, fishing, sailfish, marlin, tuna, rafts, capt matt tambor Put “fun” in extreme sports challenge

Captain Nick Sassic Old habits die hard in Central Florida’s Mosquito Lagoon. Known as the “Redfish Capital of the World,” Mosquito Lagoon is a 23-mile-long stretch of pristine waterway measuring two to three miles wide. Anglers visit from all over the world to fish the shallow flats, potholes and mangroves that lay protected due to the lagoon’s proximity to Canaveral National Seashore and Merritt Island Wildlife Refuge.<img class="none" src="/images/postattachments/2144/medium/Nick_Sassic_-_Red_Fish2.jpg?1268246588" alt="" width="240" height="160" />© Nick Sassic The absence of tidal influence is what characterizes these unique waterways as a superior spot for sight fishing redfish. However, experienced anglers will be miffed when their tried-and-true tricks fail to land a big red. Distinct disciplines and techniques are required to successfully land a catch on fly rod when the majority of fish are caught within 40 feet of the boat.  Regardless of individual skill levels, there are three principles I try to teach each and every client.The first lesson is how to see the fish. Know what to look for, such as blue markings on a tail or white tinged lips under the water’s surface. T raining your eyes to focus on small details like these is essential because spotting the whole fish is not always possible. <img class="none" src="/images/postattachments/2143/medium/Nick_Sassic_-_Red_Fish1_-_Dennis_Kreutz.jpg?1268246581" alt="" width="240" height="239" />© Nick SassicTrain your eyes to spot the little nuances that give fish away such as tailing, waking, busting bait, finning and water swirls. A good pair of polarized sunglasses will help deflect the sun’s glare off the water. If you can see the fish, you are going to be a lot more productive. My most successful days are when clients and I can see the fish together simultaneously.  The second important technique is how to read the fish. After careful and close observation, you can judge the mood or attitude of individual fish. First, determine what the fish is doing. Is the fish cruising, feeding or just laying there? It’s important to note the location of the fish’s head and tail. Feeding fish can be identified by a nose pointed down and a tail pointed up. The ever present flats encourage fish to frequently return to certain areas of the lagoon. However, the challenge with fishing in non-tidal waters is predicting when the fish are going to eat. Fishing for redfish in the summer can be more predictable than the winter because mid-day temperatures encourage fish to feed in the mornings and evenings when the water is cooler.<img class="none" src="/images/postattachments/2147/medium/Nick_Sassic_-_Red_Fish3.jpg?1268247035" alt="" width="238" height="250" />© Nick Sassic  Try to judge if the fish is acting spooky or relaxed. The more observations you can gather from careful examination of fish in their natural habitat, the fewer variables you have to contend with when trying to catch a redfish. The last technique applied is how to catch the fish?  Hooking a redfish is a trial and error process. We are in it for the hunt. This is why I prefer targeting redfish as singles or doubles in shallow water. When you approach a school of fish, you have a larger mark. However, when one gets spooked, they all do. By casting to individual fish, you have the rare opportunity to read the fish and learn more because it’s a one-on-one hunt. Your mind starts moving, clicking and getting into the groove, and it becomes more of a mental challenge. <img class="none" src="/images/postattachments/2145/medium/Nick_Sassic_-_Red_Fish4.jpg?1268246593" alt="" width="240" height="187" />© Nick SassicThere are a few things to consider when determining how you are going to catch the fish. Consider what type of fly presentation will be required. What water column do you need the fly to move in? Aim mid-level for cruising fish or lower for tailing fish. What type of strip do you need to make, fast or slow and long or short? The sink rate and type of fly used will be dictated by where the redfish are feeding.  If a fish spots your fly and refuses, try changing your presentation. If rejection persists, switch to a different fly.  Generally it’s more about presentation than fly selection; however, exceptions do apply.Another point to keep in mind is success always increases when both client and guide work together. It’s imperative to be on the same page. A client pays good money to book a charter, so listen to the captain and ask questions in an effort to reap the most rewards from your fly fishing experience.  After you catch the fist redfish on fly, the technical aspects all seem to click together and you will know what it takes to catch redfish throughout this particular day. However, don’t be discouraged if it didn’t work out for you this time, because you are learning for the future and your next trip is guaranteed to be more successful. I encourage clients to document or keep a journal of their experiences on varioustrips. Often, technical aspects learned while fly fishing in Mosquito Lagoon can be successfully applied to an angler’s future fishing adventures.  My experiences have taught me that after sight-fishing in Mosquito Lagoon, you are going to become a better fisherman overall. 2010-03-10T10:41:55-08:00

2010-03-10T10:37:02-08:00

Inshore Fishing 828

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Nick Sassic

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Fisihng, redfish, worlwide angler, nick sassic, inshore fishing Cracking Da’ Redfish Code

BRANDON DANE Pat Ford has written about, fished and taken photographs at almost every body of water that has been available to him. For the past 35 years, the northern New Jersey native has juggled a full time legal practice in Miami and traveled the world fishing, taking photos and writing.<img class="none" src="/images/postattachments/2109/medium/WWA3_-_Pat_Ford_-_Artist_Profile-2a.jpg?1267731896" alt="" width="140" height="250" />© Pat Ford <img class="none" src="/images/postattachments/2112/medium/WWA3_-_Pat_Ford_-_Artist_Profile-3a.jpg?1267732123" alt="" width="176" height="250" />© Pat FordHe has accomplished this by treating his recreational activities like his business. “You’ve just got to start out eight months in advance and block out time on the calendar and say, ‘I won’t be here.’ I give it a priority. It’s the way I handle the stress of my practice and recharge my batteries because my practice is kind of like the ocean, you eat what you kill. If I don’t win cases then I don’t make money.” A 1965 graduate from the University of Notre Dame, Ford was admitted to the New York Bar in 1968 after graduating from law school at Columbia University. Later that year, he joined the Navy Judge Advocate General Corps., and was stationed in Pensacola, Fla. Ford’s “hobby” of being a professional writer and photographer took off when the Navy sent him to Key West. “They were shocked that someone wanted to go to the end of the Earth,” Ford said. “But, I was in Heaven. The Navy was happy to send me.” It was then that Ford knew he would spend the rest of his life in South Florida. After his discharge in 1972, he moved to Miami and began his law practice, specializing in civil litigation. <img class="none" src="/images/postattachments/2110/medium/WWA3_-_Pat_Ford_-_Artist_Profile-3.jpg?1267731909" alt="" width="240" height="145" />© Pat FordAnd, it is also in the Navy that Ford first began to compile the material for his new book, The Best Fly Fishing Trips Money Can Buy. “In the Navy, you’ve got a lot of free time, so I wrote an article for SaltWater Sportsman [then other publications],” he said. “As I traveled to places like Guatemala and Costa Rica, I started writing stories and taking photos.” Over the past few years, Ford says he was encouraged to compile his photos and stories into a book. “The problem was finding a publisher,” he said. “I sent it to [several] places and they were all interested but nobody ever called back.” Finally, Ford said, he had connections to Judith Schnell at Stackpole Books because he had shot the cover photo for Chico Fernandez’s book, Fly-Fishing for Bonefish. The publishers were concerned that his book was initially designed to be a routine coffee table book. They told him, “What we want is a how-to book for these types of fishing vacations.” Therefore, the book is written for “somebody in Omaha, Nebraska, to show him how to plan the trip to catch that ‘special fish,’” said Ford.<img class="none" src="/images/postattachments/2108/medium/WWA3_-_Pat_Ford_-_Artist_Profile-1.jpg?1267731883" alt="" width="160" height="250" />© Pat Ford Two years went into putting the book together. It hit bookstores in the summer of 2006 and includes 15 of his favorite excursions. The premise is that it captures the trips from the angle of how one could recreate the outings for themselves. “No one cares about what a great trip you had,” Ford said. “They want to know how they can have a great trip.” Ford has held more than a dozen International Game Fish Association Fly Rod World Records ranging from a 196-pound tiger shark caught in Florida Bay to a 14.5-pound tiger-fish caught in Zambia, Africa. He is an active member of the IGFA and his travels have taken him to destinations like Iliamna and Katmai, Alaska; the Amazon; Bermuda; Costa Rica and Guatemala; Bozeman, Mont.; Argentina and Bolivia; the Galapagos Islands; and Africa’s Lower Zambezi National Park. He has fished in saltwater and freshwater for bonefish, permit, tarpon, sailfish, salmon, tiger-fish and most every other species that will eat a fly. 2010-03-04T11:42:53-08:00

2010-03-04T11:39:15-08:00

Artist Profile 814

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Pat Ford

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Pat Ford, Fishing, Artist, Photograph, tarpon, sailfish, marlin Pat Ford

Captain Ray Rocher I think that some of the most important factors for a winning tournament crew are communication, scouting, tackle and bait prep; not to mention a fair amount of luck. The crew has to communicate about strategy before, during and after each day, like any other type of team. Certainly, the equipment must be in good order, the tackle must be high quality and in good shape.<img class="none" src="/images/postattachments/2056/medium/WWA_Is2_-_Ray_Rosher_-_Crew-3.jpg?1267463267" alt="" width="240" height="184" />© Bill Combs The crew, however, must be prepared for the “moment of opportunity.” If the team fishes and approaches every day like a tournament day, then when a tournament day actually comes, it won’t matter. They’ll be prepared. A normal day might not be as intense, but if tournament day comes and the captain demands an unusually high level of efficiency from his crew and his anglers when they haven’t been preparing, then they won’t be ready. Of course, familiarity and efficient communication only come with a good crew. I read in an interview with Capt. Ronnie Hamlin where he said that the most important factor in creating a good mate was “desire.” I think that is exactly right. Desire can come in any number of ways, but what it should mean is the attempt to achieve skills as close to perfection as possible. When I begin training a mate, I tell them there are two kinds of people involved in any wrong action: those who don’t know and those who don’t care. As long as they don’t fall into the second category, then there is hope for them. Another factor on tournament day is catching and keeping bait. Some days are tougher for catching bait and that’s when the crew is happy that they have some bait stored up ahead of time. Gentle handling is important so that the “slime” – the invisible barrier to infection that coats the fish – is not removed.<img class="none" src="/images/postattachments/2057/medium/WWA_Is2_-_Ray_Rosher_-_Crew-1.jpg?1267463273" alt="" width="240" height="228" />© Bill Combs One of the problems that charter captains run into is “pre-fishing” with their anglers. Many charter anglers show up the day before the tournament with no time to pre-fi sh. I always recommend that our anglers try to fish at least one day before the tournament to “warm up.” This day is great for asking all the questions that come to mind as well as getting acclimated to the conditions that you may be fishing in the next day. Obviously this is not that necessary with all anglers but it usually can’t hurt because the first morning of a tournament is not the time to work those things out. Whether on the Miss Britt or the Get Lit, we basically do things the same way. I believe that my way is definitely not the only way to catch fish, but if we all agree on how we, as a team, are going to react to a certain situation, then we become a better team. By doing things basically the same way, we all are interchangeable. I think it is important to listen to any different opinion, from even the youngest mate. You never know when you might learn a better way. I can’t tell you how many tournaments I have lost by one fish. Sometimes it is one small thing that costs you that fish. If we as a team learn even one new thing that will eliminate that mistake the next time, then we just became a better team.  The last thing that I want to touch on briefly is the “business” of tournaments. Most tournaments we fish involve monetary awards. You must talk about the division of money or awards prior to the tournament. Invariably, if you don’t, it doesn’t work out as everybody wishes. Nobody likes to talk about money in advance of winning. It is, however, a necessary part of tournament preparation if you want to walk away from the tournament as friends. Never count on winning anything in a tournament. You should always look at it as a bonus. We all want to be successful in a tournament but we have to be careful not to end up with a “win at all costs” attitude. A few times I have been so focused on a free-jumper or tailer and ended up too close to somebody. I’ve always remembered how it feels to be on the receiving end of an aggressive maneuver. I always have followed up with an apology to that team. Don’t forget that the guy you just crowded might be the one who helped you last tournament or might be able to help you next tournament. Play nice, guys! I love the mental challenge of competition. You never forget how good it feels when the planets align and everything goes your way. The importance of being in tune with each other is no secret. Just don’t forget to have some fun in the process.   2010-03-01T08:59:21-08:00

2010-03-01T08:54:24-08:00

Offshore Fishing 802

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Crew at Work

Bill Combs

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Ray Roscher, Fishig, Sailfish, Marlin, swordfish Practice makes perfect

Brandon Dane Richard Gibson brings a gritty realism to his photography that stems from the eight years he spent as a<img class="none" title="Worldwide Angler Magazine Artist Profile" src="/images/postattachments/2050/medium/WWA_Is2_-_Richard_Gibson_-_Artist_Profile-1.jpg?1267458618" alt="Worldwide Angler Magazine Artist Profile" width="176" height="250" />© Richard GibsonWorldwide Angler Magazine Artist Profile staff photographer for the Virgin Island Daily News in St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands. Gibson returned to St. Thomas last August, as he does annually, to fish for and take pictures of blue marlin because he says “it is the only place to be in the world during the August full moon phase.” He will spend almost $1,000 per day to fish because “this is what you have to do to get good photos.” He approaches photography, fishing, and conservation in a pragmatic manner and that has kept him in the business of freelance photography for 20 years. Gibson has produced more than 100 major magazine covers and thousands of inside pictures. Only in the last few years has he switched to digital photography. “Everything about this sport is high dollar,” he said. “But offshore fishing is in my blood. [With the equipment] salt water always wins and one big wave [can be an] expensive mistake.” Likewise, he takes pride in the fact that he does not use the auto-focus feature on his digital camera even though he says his eyes aren’t getting any better. Gibson counts artist Guy Harvey among his close friends in the marine art community. <img class="none" src="/images/postattachments/2053/medium/WWA_Is2_-_Richard_Gibson_-_Artist_Profile-3a.jpg?1267458792" alt="" width="174" height="250" />© Richard GibsonIn fact, he was the managing editor at Tournament Digest who put one of Harvey’s drawings on the cover. The first time in print. But Gibson conceded that, “photography does not garner the same respect [as a] Guy Harvey watercolor.” Although he said his photography has taken him “everywhere that billfish swim,” including Costa Rica, Venezuela and the Bahamas, it was his involvement in sport fishing tournaments, not his photography, which led him to a conservationist attitude. Gibson says he remembers vividly when the Miami Billfish Tournament was an “all kill” event, but he has not seen a dead fish on the docks of St. Thomas in more than a decade. “Tournament fishing is alive and well,” he said, due to conservation. Gibson got into the tournament business in Venezuela and ran the Venezuela International Grand Slam Billfish Tournament for seven years until Hugo Chavez came to power as president. It was there that some of the first lessons in conservation were taught, but not necessarily retained. “[Capt.] Ronnie Hamlin pioneered circle hooks in Costa Rica.  He came to Venezuela to give a talk about circle hooks and everybody blew him off. I’ve seen what J hooks can do, but I’ve never seen that with circle hooks,” Gibson said. “[Conservation is important because] when my son grows up I hope he can see some of this stuff.”<img class="none" title="Blue Marlin" src="/images/postattachments/2052/medium/WWA_Is2_-_Richard_Gibson_-_Artist_Profile-3.jpg?1267458638" alt="Blue Marlin" width="240" height="248" />© Richard GibsonBlue Marlin Whether in fishing, photography or the business side of tournament sport fishing, he concluded, “I do not intend to slow down.” For more information about Gibson and his art, visit www.hiseasphotography.com 2010-03-01T07:42:04-08:00

2010-03-01T07:32:00-08:00

Artist Profile 800

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Richard Gibson

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www.hiseasphotography.com Fishing, marlin, photographs Richard Gibson

By CAPTAIN ANDY LOCASCIO Capt. Bill Brown looks like a man who has made fishing a cornerstone of his life. When he speaks of shark fishing, he cannot contain his passion or hide his incredible insight and understanding. As host of the Northeast Angling television show, I knew that we wanted more than the usual shark show. We knew we could get a good blue shark bite in a variety of locations, but the Holy Grail of sharks we were seeking was a big mako or, better yet, a rarely seen thresher. I know a lot of shark fisherman and only a handful have caught even one thresher. Brown had already caught 53! We thought Brown was just the man to help us. The weeks before the shoot showed all the signs that the annual migration was on schedule. A few days before our arrival, Brown and his crew saw a big mako. The day before we arrived, they caught their first thresher of the season. It seemed like the right time.<img class="none" title="Worldwide Angler Magazine Cover" src="/images/postattachments/2038/medium/WWA_Is2_-_Andy_Locascio_-_Holy_Grail_-_Shark-1.jpg?1266861516" alt="Worldwide Angler Magazine Cover" width="208" height="250" />© Tim SmithWorldwide Angler Magazine Cover Block Island was quickly fading as we motored southeast in the summer of 2004.  Overcast skies spanned from horizon to horizon and it was doubtful that we would see the sunrise.  The sea and air had a greasy feeling like the kind of day every fisherman dreams of. Co-host Rich Tenreiro and I settled in for a long ride. Leading our way was Brown in his 34-foot Crusader sport fisherman, the Billfish, which would be the camera boat for the day. The radio crackled with “another 34 miles on this course and we’re there” as Brown updated us on our progress. We pulled up to the Billfish and Brown jumped aboard and we began to execute the plan. We got the baits in the water and after a few moments realized that our plan stunk. The camera boat needed to stay close. We had shut down the Billfish’s big diesel engine, but the two boats did not want to drift together. We attempted to tether the boats, which made the problem worse. Brown was losing his patience because he knew we were wasting critical time. It was clear that Brown had dropped us into “shark central” because only a few minutes later a blue appeared. Tenreiro got on the 50-pound rod and a moment later a solid fish was pulling line out of his reel. While we were waiting for the hook set, another shark appeared at boat side. I remembered Brown’s words from the prior evening when he insisted we get all other lines out of the water once a fish was hooked up. But I couldn’t bear being left out, so I grabbed a 30-pound outfit and quietly slipped a mackerel bait over the side right in front of the shark’s nose. I feigned complete ignorance and asked Brown if we should get the other baits out of the water. Before he could respond, I was hooked up. Double header!<img class="none" src="/images/postattachments/2039/medium/WWA_Is2_-_Andy_Locascio_-_Holy_Grail_-_Shark-3a.jpg?1266861530" alt="" width="240" height="169" />© Tim Smith With two sharks on the hook, Tenreiro and I got a chance to show our stuff. We were using some great tackle from Shimano and were both making good progress. Brown was busy coaching Tenreiro as I was I hooking up my fish, and in the excitement we forgot to get the third bait out of the water. We had placed the rod in the leaning post rod holder and used an outrigger clip attached to a rod in the T-top to keep the line well above the other two baits. The line was so high that we couldn’t even see it. Moments later the line was screaming out of the reel and Brown was reaching for the rod. By the time it was clear of the clip, the shark was gone, but the live bluefish bait remained. Rather than bring it in (and follow his own instructions from the night before) Brown left it out. He must have been thinking that the confusion created if we got a third fish on the hook would not be much worse than the confusion we already had. The reel started screaming again. This time the shark committed and Brown joined the hosts of Northeast Angling for a triple header!  After we got these sharks, we still had a lot of fishing ahead of us and had to keep our chum slick going. We danced around the boat slipping over and under each other’s lines.  Whoever was closer to the chum at the moment ladled it overboard. Not all of it was making it overboard and the deck was becoming slick. Tenreiro was the only one who had a chance to get a fishing belt on. Brown and I were gutting it out with our respective fish. Mine was hooked the closest to the boat and there it remained. Brown’s fish was well away from the boat and Tenreiro’s was somewhere in between. Brown clearly had hooked a much larger fish, but it had not shown itself. I was hoping it was something special as my fish appeared at boat side. My hopes quickly faded when Brown put his rod in the rod holder (with the fish still on) and turned to assist me in releasing mine. We made quick work of the release and then a few minutes later we released Tenreiro’s fish. Eventually Brown wrestled a monster blue shark to the boat and we were three for three! We we<img class="none" src="/images/postattachments/2040/medium/WWA_Is2_-_Andy_Locascio_-_Holy_Grail_-_Shark-3b.jpg?1266861850" alt="" width="240" height="170" />© Tim Smithre all a little disappointed that it wasn’t a mako or a thresher, but our disappointment was tempered by a great sequence on camera footage. We hooked, filmed and released another hefty blue, and then as our drift continued it took us over the temperature break and the water color changed from tropical blue to deep green. The water was almost a full degree cooler than when we started. This is a huge difference because a temperature break acts like a barrier that baitfish and their predators congregate along. Usually there is little or no bait on the other side and few large predators.  At lunch time, the water was continuing to cool as the drift progressed. We had a bite to eat, then picked up and started our drift again. The overcast remained stubborn, a good sign. The mid day sun will often force fish to retreat to deeper waters and become less active. Tenreiro and I were preparing the boat for running while Brown was bringing the baits. As he retrieved the final bait it happened – a big thresher was stalking the live bluefish bait just a few feet from the boat. The word “shark” left Brown’s lips and, as I turned to look, we all saw the huge tail of the great fish break the water. A moment later the bluefish was gone and line was peeling off the reel. The rod bent and the line crackled off the reel as the fish turned and ran.  We were hooked up. Brown had the best look at the fish and in a voice barely audible, said, “It’s big.” We agreed the night before that, in fairness, if we hooked a mako or a thresher we would pass the rod so everyone would have a chance to fight it. But the fish we hooked had the makings of a possible state record so it no longer made sense to pass the rod. A record like that should be held by a single angler if he dares pit his strength and skills against such a formidable fish. Brown continued his battle and I was on the throttles working hard to keep the fish positioned on either the port or starboard stern quarter. We assumed this would be a long fight.  The longer it went on and the more strain that was placed on the tackle, any weaknesses would be exposed. Tenreiro was busy policing the boat and communicating the relative position of the angler, line and boat. As the battle wore on we worked the fish closer to the boat and several contrasting things were happening. The fight was nearing a possible conclusion (a good thing). The elasticity provided by the long length of monofilament was no longer available and the strain on the already stressed tackle was at a maximum (a bad thing). The boat and engines had come into play and the line could easily be cut against them (a really bad thing). The fish used its weight to get itself directly beneath the boat. This was an incredibly bad position, as it could easily move diagonally beneath the boat more quickly than the boat could be maneuvered. After more than 40 minutes of battling this fish, it did. It darted beneath the stern of the boat in an instant and Brown was in big trouble. The line had passed directly beneath the engine outdrives and was rubbing up against them. There was so much pressure on the rod he could barely keep his position and was quickly forced to bend over the transom. I was frantically working the throttles to pivot the boat off the fish while not cutting the line with the spinning propellers. After what seemed like an eternity, it finally worked and the boat swung free of the fish. We positioned the fish off the starboard quarter and were all terrified as we knew that some kind of damage must have been done to the line. I drove the boat hard astern and gave Brown a chance to gain back and inspect the line. Moments later, our worst fears were realized as Brown and Tenreiro inspected the damaged line. We were about an hour into a fight that could typically last several hours and involve dozens of cycles of the fish taking line and us getting it back while waiting for it to tire. The damaged line could not be allowed to leave the reel. The nimble boat and our skill as fishermen to exhaust this fish over the course of the fight had paid off. We were gaining on the fish and it looked like we might have a chance to finish it very soon, but we did not have the gaffs or equipment to subdue the fish onboard. An unspoken superstition is that if we werefully prepared, the fish would never have come along. The equipment was aboard the Billfish and it could not get close enough to complete a transfer. Captain Kip Jenkins, who was running the Billfish, had to make sure it would not get near the fish. At the same time our boat was a moving target as we had to keep up with the fish. The wind and sea were starting to build and the task of linking up was getting dicey. Jenkins somehow managed the impossible, and we got everything we needed to end the battle. With Brown’s son, Patrick, aboard we could finish the job. Brown had good line to work with and was putting incredible pressure on the fish while the boat continued to maneuver closer. Then, almost without warning the leader was out of the water and Patrick latched on to it. We wasted no time getting a couple of gaffs into the completely exhausted fish, and it was quickly dispatched. It was over. We hauled the fish into the boat and quickly filmed the closing scene for the show. We raced into the muted setting sun through choppy seas to Point Judith, RI, where there was a scale and an opportunity to take pictures. On the way we wondered if this fish could be a new Rhode Island state record. The thresher tipped the scale at a whopping 480 pounds, not far from the record of 526 pounds for a thresher caught in 1999, according to the Rhode Island Saltwater Anglers Association (RISAA). The fish went back into the boat and we headed back to Block Island and a warm welcome at the Block Island Boat Basin. The light rain that was falling did not seem to dampen the spirits of the crowd that had gathered to see the great shark. For nearly all of them, it will be the only one they ever see in their lives. 2010-02-22T09:49:07-08:00

2010-02-22T09:24:19-08:00

Offshore Fishing 775

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Thresher Shark

Tim Smith

WWA_Is2_-_Andy_Locascio_-_Holy_Grail_-_Shark-3c.jpg

Shark, fishing, block island, billfish, thresher shark Holy Grail of Shark Fishing