The Dance.... continued

Tuna Tom · 10-09-2003, 09:49 PM

Soooo, there are three guys with gaffs sunk in Danny's fish. It was a pain in the circumstance working my Sword around the yells and such while my fish was still hot. At this point the fish on the gaff had priority and I was completely on my own. A fish on deck was worth two in the ocean...hooked up or not.

Now I've got to say that when I have a big fish on I am usually completely quiet. I honestly believe I am sending a bit of my soul down the line as I try to mentally neutralize the fight in the fish below. Thus I quietly danced around the mass of men while my Sword walked me around the the boat twice. Finally Dan's fish was in and after the loud high fives everything went silent as I still had not let out a peep while the fight was on. Everyone knew this and honored the fight by allowing me to carry on in silence.

Now I don't know if you've ever fought 100 pound and up fish on stand up equipment, but at a certain state it literally becomes toe to toe as you and the fish throw punches back and forth. The goal is to turn the fish's head.

At one hour and ten minutes I called out "COLOR!!". The fish had been turned for about the last twenty minutes and had been pulling long circles as I slowly and patiently worked the fish up through the depths. Now everyone that could stand was leaning over the rail. I yelled, "stand back!" as I knew I needed all the room I could get as soon as the Sword saw the boat. You see when a Big Tuna comes up like this (after an hour or more fight) it is pretty much a done deed, as long as the fisherman and the guys with the gaff are working as one and synchronize the circle of the fish to the swing of the one, then two, then three gaffs into "mister big". Such is not the case at all with a angry Sword. In most cases the fight has just begun.

So, I've had the fish's head turned for the past twenty minutes. The fish is now not only showing color, but is still coming up after it sees the boat. Hmmmm, maybe this is going to be easier than I thought. Cool! the first gaff is sunk in. All of a sudden I'm getting soaked, a few slap, slaps then "snap" the gaff breaks off and the fish is gone...I'm gone too as the fish dives under the boat.

I realize that going under the boat at this depth, from the surface to the other side, only means one thing...the line is being raked across the hull. Even though everyone is out of the way I still could never move fast enough to keep the line from breaking off.
(Footnote: To the unbelievers I will bet a shot of to-kill-ya that I can cut through 80 pound mono with a cocktail napkin.)

Thus I believed I only had one choice. I had to back off the lever drag to free spool as I ran around the stern to the other side of the boat. Suffice to say, on a full run, as I reached the other side I took the reel out of two speed and started cranking the handle as fast as I could. BAM! I'm racing up to the bow. In another blink of an eye I'm back to where the first gaff was sunk, only now all my line is out to where it was on the first run and this Sword is most definitely crazed.

A comment about the gaff's on board. Just about 100% of all gaffs used on offshore trips back then consisted of a hook attached to an 11 foot length of bamboo. This actually worked out perfect as the extra flex allowed for all kinds of fish shenanagins. In fact, I've never seen a tuna break one off. Then again, any fish over 300 pounds we just held them in the water as we got a rope around the tail for insurance and tried at first to drag them in head first. Such is not the case with Swords. The only gaffs I ever seen break off were on Swords. Gawd these fish can fight. The power and intelligence is almost overwhelming. Indeed you almost feel bad trying to kill them, but in the heat of the fight you definitely feel like the fish has the advantage and so you go for the kill.

Another 30 minutes of throwing punches and I turned his head again. 20 minutes later and the Captain is now yelling "COLOR!!". I was so ready to give up about an hour earlier, but of course you don't. This is not some brain damage hook-up of an oversize Sturgeon up at Booneyville Dam that is being passed off to two or three drunk guys after just 20 minutes. This is a fight to the death and you know one of you is getting really, really tired...still you brace for the next punch to be thrown. That punch goes both ways. If the fish backs off, you need to lift and reel, other wise you're like two heavy weight fighters, both punched out, using each other to just stand up. YOU MUST CONTINUE TO THROW PUNCHES. YOU MUST TURN HIS HEAD.

On the second swing by, two new gaffs sink in...then one more...snap,snap...two break off, but fortunately one more sinks in and now two guys are struggling to keep from being pulled over. At this point I'm soaked. I can't tell if it's from the fish thrashing about or just sweat...it's both.

I've backed off to free spool just in case a total F-up occurs and the sword breaks free. Meanwhile, guys are running to the bow to find extra gaffs. Now another gaff is sunk in...the guys that are holding the first two gaffs are being held on board by two other guys. I put my rod in a rod holder and I sink a gaff. Now this sword is totally ****sed off! Did I mention that the seas were still growing and that by now everyone was mostly sick? It really didn't matter. All men aboard were either dead or dying only to hear about the bite on board "their" ship the next day when they came into port or they were fighting the fish.

Those of us standing were now either holding onto gaffs or men, and all of us were being walked up and down the rail. We wouldn't let the fish dive or walk us around the stern and he wouldn't come up. It was a stale-mate. Finally the sword hesitated for just a second and we started hand over hand working our gaffs up the side.

It's a scary thing when that over size bill comes up. The stories about Swords ramming through the hulls of boats and breaking off their bills are totally true. To everyone's credit no one dropped and ran. It was an absolutely crazed moment as we worked the Sword over the rail and into the boat. I had had the fish on for about two hours, but at this point I felt as fresh as when the fish first hooked up. Can anyone say adrenaline? The fish was in the Boat!

Tuna Tom

Sea Jypzee · 10-09-2003, 10:05 PM

[img]graemlins/applause.gif[/img] [img]graemlins/applause.gif[/img] [img]graemlins/applause.gif[/img]

Bravo!!!!

justasillyolgirl · 10-09-2003, 10:15 PM

WOW!! I've got the adrenaline shakes just reading about it.

Can you say "SUPA STAAAAAA"

NAUTI-NOTIONS · 10-10-2003, 05:54 AM

WHAT A GREAT READ
THANKS

Phil Layer · 10-10-2003, 06:32 AM

"This is not some brain damage hook-up of an oversize Sturgeon up at Booneyville Dam that is being passed off to two or three drunk guys after just 20 minutes."

Careful now, I resemble that remark.

Ragnar · 10-10-2003, 06:49 AM

Wow! What a story?! It was like I was right there. "Swpord Dancing" myself!

And, 1-2-3, cha-cha-cha.....
1-2-3, cha-cha-cha.....
Ragnar

Pilar · 10-10-2003, 07:22 AM

Tom, any doubts about if this is for me have been erased.

I'm looking forward to learning how to do this fishery here on the left coast.

Thanks for the cool story and welcome to the 'Salty Dogs'.

Miss B Haven · 10-10-2003, 07:31 AM

I really didn't need that! I was just getting my Tuna Addiction under control after a couple hunert this summer. :grin: What's a guy going to do about a Swordfish Problem? [img]graemlins/1zhelp.gif[/img] :whazzup:

I gotta get a bigger boat! :grin:

Mello-Yello · 10-10-2003, 07:45 AM

Excellent story! [img]graemlins/applause.gif[/img]

jocose · 10-10-2003, 06:48 PM

I think ill save that story about catching a 23 inch trout in Diamond lake for another time... Bows to Tuna Tom, that was a most excellant read.. thanks ... joco [img]graemlins/applause.gif[/img]

Deepslayer · 10-12-2003, 03:43 PM

Wow! :shocked: Sounds like you are going to end up with a whole fleet of swordfishers going out next year! Most excellent story!

,Ed