What fishing is all about

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Written by Doug Sapusek Wednesday, 02 June 2010 12:50

I often head out for a day of offshore fishing with complex goals and lofty ambitions. It seems that with all the sophisticated tackle, electronics, and do-hickeys available to the modern day angler, it is easy to become overly focused on what the real objective is. Getting tight!

 Last weekend I was invited to fish with a finely tuned team of anglers in a Biggest Dolphin Tournament. After some serious forum recon and first hand conversation with captains that were on the water all week, we decided we would hang out in 400’ of water to search and destroy every legal dolphin that swam into our beautiful spread of baits.

 We had rigged ballyhoo, skirted trolling lures in every color, and had a live well teaming with baits that could feel the uncertainty of the day. Our tactic? To fly a kite! That’s right, the tactic was to fish two kite baits on the surface and drift two more flat lines in the fishiest area possible.

Our Game Plan:
After 75 txt messages, numerous phone calls, and logical debates, we decided to run the 20’ Mako in a southerly direction down the Intracoastal water way and then shoot out of the Saint Lucie inlet. This decision would put us in 400’ of water faster with a nice drift to the North. We also wanted to cover a lot of ground slowly so we could work our kite baits throughout the day. Heading South and then East was a perfect solution!

The Change of Plans:
A change of plans! That’s right. As we gathered our fresh baits in the early morning darkness, we checked the radar and chatted about the how “iffy” the small weather system was right off the beach. Noting how nasty the radar was and how most of it was right off the Saint Lucie inlet, the decision was made to go ahead and fish North, away from the storm that was quickly filing it’s way onto shore right before us.

As we headed North out of the inlet we all felt our strategic plans go flying over the transom. Slightly bummed we transitioned in to optimism mode and made the run along the edge of rolling, dark, rain soaked clouds.

What did we do? We continued to fight this monster while losing valuable fishing time. At this point, our crew realized what we were doing, but somehow without words, agreed that this fish was doing what is important to every angler. It was pulling and testing the drag on the Shimano Baitrunner.

After a long battle, a reset of tackle, and a much needed beverage break, we all sat on the deck of our vessel and watched our long bait get destroyed by what appeared to be a Tuna. Now we were in trouble. We had given into a sailfish, a shark, and now something was pulling serious drag, and it was very possible we were about to gaff a species of fish that every person on the boat loves to catch and eat. The Tuna. I remember saying “What if it is a MASSIVE Bonita?”. Of course that isn’t what anyone wanted to hear, but you know that thought was bouncing off the walls of every anglers brain on the boat.

While our angler Lang fought this beast we made jokes, and finally realized this tournament was not meant to be won by us. After all, our biggest dolphin was weighing in at 18.5 pounds on the Boga. The tournament ended up being an excuse to get out and do what we love. Some anglers love the colors seen on the water, some enjoy taking photographs, and some enjoy being with friends and family. The one common thread between anglers is their love to catch fish.  Especially fish that uncontrollably run line off the spool.

Now that we were all into the battle, we became content with enjoying the moment. The mood changed from slight frustration to excitement and organization. As the fish came to the surface we were able to make out his shape and species. We had a monster Blackfin Tuna in tow, and our new goal was to quickly make a good gaff shot and bring him into the boat! Our team came together and before too long we found ourselves rearranging the fish box to accommodate it's newest tenant. We had secured our fish! Immediately the mood switched and we began the run back to the Fort Pierce City Marina. We were running short on time!

The Realization of Success:
While running in it was nice to enjoy a following sea. The nicer conditions afforded all of us time to reflect on our day as well as speculate on our chances in the tournament. What if everyone had a slow day and only managed a 16 pounder, I wondered. Then I realized something; I was forgetting all the fun we had. We had caught some dolphin, a sailfish, a hammerhead, and the biggest Blackfin Tuna I have ever seen in person. It was a pretty darn cool day and I didn't mind losing sight of trying to win a competition.

Of course we didn’t win the tournament, but we had a fantastic time. An experience like this sometimes allows me to relax and enjoy the moment. It is hard when you are competitive by nature, like myself, but every angler should thank his or her lucky stars that they are able to get out and experience what fishing is all about. GETTING TIGHT.

 

Please enjoy the photos from our great day of getting tight and losing the tournament!