The yellowfins from hell! - fishing

Hi Lee Palm/Red Capon crew(San Diego - California). . Keep my rail spot cool for me - won't you?

Fishing Account from Nassau Bahamas (8-10-2000)(Thursday)(Air Hotness 92 degrees. Water temp. - mid 80's degrees). Clear skies, no wind and burning hot sun. Immovable two Yellowfins in the 60-pound range that about sent me to the hospital.

Caught 2 YFY on Thursday - fishing "solo" on the train my WellCraft Scarab that had just been repowered with two 225 Evinrude fichts (cost was $28,000 together with the installation).

Both YFT went about 70#s each (83 pounds of filet). Drift fished with fresh/frozen squid to start. Began fishing at 9:30AM and quit at 2PM.

As I indoors at the US Navy's AUTEC buoy 10 miles offshore (a apply area for the US Navy's nuclear subs - which show up on the appear now and then)(the AUTEC buoy is in 6,000 feet of water) Capt. Robbie New (from Trinidad) of the "Little Trick" was just opening to fish.

For the first hour all I managed was a 2 pound jack - that I later used for bait.

Robbie was having no luck either, but we saw quite a few 50# YFTs come high out of the water numerous times, so that kept us anticipating.

At about 11:00 AM my bow rod with 80 pound test line and 80# green Berkley trilene leader, with a small Mustard clique hook on the end (with a 100# test Sampo rotate in between) went off.

I had just seen a big YFT fly all the way through the area action before, and I was assessment I had him or his cousin - for sure. The line screamed out, and the fish ran deep. The whole thing cutting to a YFT, but after about 10 notes I saw a 25 pound foot shark on my line, hooked right in the mouth with the circumnavigate hook.

Leaving the shark on the line in the rodholder, I sat down for a drink of water - out of a gallon forced jug in my cooler.

Cut him loose, I belief to myself. But, then I remembered how many YFT's I'd fixed using shark as bait, and went to take an added look at him. He was a good 4 feet long. As normal too big to disconcert with, but the fishing was slow, and I categorical to take him.

Even although I knew he would defeat about crazy-like when I gaffed him, I certain to go for it, but I missed my 5-foot long fishbox, and watched him go bonkers on my deck, as I hustled to slide him into the Scarab's 2-1/2 foot deep fishbox.

By 12 noon I switched from "squid" to the fresh jack for bait on all three of my poles. By now, the shark was dead, so I dragged him to the stern and in progress to filet him - throwing bits and pieces of shark meat overboard - with adequate of blood being washed overboard with my brine thru-hull washdown pump.

I filleted one side of the shark, took the skin and cut it into 5 pieces, and all through it over the side. All the time - washing the blood and guts overboard. I cut the shark's giant liver into small pieces, and watched them float on the become known - as I gradually drifted along towards to AUTEC Buoy.

Within 5 notes of bitter into this shark, the bow line went off - "screaming". This time I knew it was maybe a YFT. The fish had hit the 80# test trilene line on a 5-1/2 foot Palm Beach tuna rod, held in a Perko side mount rodholder.

I as soon as knotted about for my bind and chum belt. Quite a few times the YFT would stop his run deep, and I'd reel the line in fast to make sure there was no slack in the line, and smiled when I felt his burden again on my pole.

But, it was 95 degrees in the sun, and I was about to expedience a bit in 8 years of YFT fishing (and over 350 jammed and landed), that was going to make this no everyday day on the water.

After preference up the rod and snapping into the harness, I began the slow deal with of bringing him to color. I was appreciative he had selected the rod with the 80# test line, as the other two reels (Shimano graphite a Penn 30W) had 50# test Trilene (Big Game) line, and fighting a YFT on 50# test line is a entirely atypical ball game.

Fifteen follow-up into the struggle, my thumb (on the reel) got an awful cramp, and in fact stuck to my palm. I couldn't appreciate why this was happening, but kept going - attempting to shake off the cramp.

A few log later the cramps allotment to my forearm - then up to my biceps. I'm 220 pounds, a ex- HS All American swimmer, and 4 time NY State gold medallist, so I'd been by means of tough workouts, but this was a touch I never dealt with.

Even my legs were cramping up. There was no wind, no cover from my bimini top, and it was 95 degrees in the shade. It all added up to one thing - "Heat Exhaustion".

To cool off I tried stepped into a 5-gallon pail of saltwater, but this didn't help one iota. My feet were also too big for the bucket.

In addition, I was being paid unusually tired - FAST. HEAT Tiredness had set in, and was challenging me like "The old man and the sea".

It took me 55 action to land this 70-pound YFT, but I after all got him in the boat. Boy, was I relieved.

Usually I wash all the blood off my boat as soon as upon hallway a fish, but this time I went to the stern, curved on the sea water pump, sat on my cooler, and just let that sea water run over my head for 5 minutes. I buffed off about 3/4 of that gallon jug of water too.

As I gradually headed back in the administration of Capt. Robbie's "Little Trick", the cool air striking my Toronto Raptor NBA Sweater (#14 worn by Vince Carter) made me feel much better, but I still wasn't 100%.

By the way, you might want to buy one of these NBA "Jersey's sometime. You'll know why the NBA uses them. They are 1000 times cooler than no matter which cord or other material. I have a Laker's #34 too. My favorite.

I waved at Capt. Robbie, as I agreed leisurely off his stern, and he shouted - "I belief you were fighting 2 YFT, you were gone so long. "

Anyway, I set up again to try for a different (YFT).

Now I'm using white shark chunks on all my hooks, and chunking with the fresh shark - as the lines are let out.

About 45 action later, the stern line goes off - screaming. This is my Penn 30 Intercontinental with no guide and 50# Trilene line - no swivel. Christ, I said to myself, why did this fish do this to me?

The hook on this line was only a #4 Mustard live bait hook - that you can buy 50 to a box up for under $10 at Wal-Mart or K-Mart.

This was going to be a whole new "ballgame". I'm going to have to be "gentle" on the drag - or he'll bite because of the trilene, or pull the hook.

As it crooked out, I finally got this YFT to color after over one hour. I qualified the same cramps as before, and at one point - on this fish - I belief about "giving up".

It wasn't the fact that I get $6 a pound for the clean (from my restaurant friends) that kept me at the rail, but the belief of bitter a YFT off was out of the question.

After gaffing this 70# YFT and pulling him over the gunwale, I trolled by Robbie (who stayed until 7PM and immovable not a one) and waved - maxim I'm going home.

True Story.

THE END

Capt. Solo - aka Tom Azzara
Boat - "the Taxman"
Nassau, Bahamas
British Commonwealth territory
(not part of the "East Coast")

Tom's Fishing Gallery.

http://endtaxes. com/images/gallery. html

Take a break, and check out these films from the 6th once a year Billabong's fishing contest held in Nassau, in the sunny, tax free Bahamas.

click onto (or browser it) below. . . .

http://endtaxes. com/images/gallery2. html

From: Lee Palm Long Range Sportfishers

TRIP #14; Grand 6th to Imposing 11th 5-Day Trip:

The back up of the three back-to-back 5-dayers in the Red Chick III's summer schedule once again provided outstanding fishing for her passengers. Chuck Melber of Agoura CA led the way with a 84. 1 lb. bluefin tuna to take the jackpot, followed by a 79. 8 lb. bigeye for Justin Christensen of Newbury Park CA and a 73 lb. bluefin for Joe
Stickles of Carroty CA. "It was good dependable achievement during the trip" noted boss Andy Cates. "Some days seemed wilder than others of
course, but looking back on the trip I'd say that there was good constant fishing the whole way through. "

The trip fished as far down as Guadalupe Island for some admirable grade yellowfin, but the albacore argument nearer to home yeilded restrictions of the longfins and a good take on the larger bluefin as well. "We had some especially exceptional moments," noted co-captain Jeff DeBuys, "but none
quite as astounding as the second-place roll-over prize bigeye landed by Justin . When we got that puppy to color we knew we had found
some class fishing for our guys. It was categorically a notable fish, and in the end it added nicely to our award bluefin count. " This,
combined with the quality-sized albacore had by all, gave the Fowl yet an added in her long filament of exceptional long range adventures.

FISH COUNT: Confines OF ALBACORE, 52 BLUEFIN TUNA, 49 YELLOWFIN TUNA, 45
YELLOWTAIL AND 1 BIGEYE.

Thomas Azzara
New External circumstances Estate Planners, Ltd.
54 Sandyport Drive
P. O. Box CB 11552
Nassau, Bahamas
Fax/phone: (242) 327-7359
e-mail: taxman@batelnet. bs