How Big Does It Take to ????

[Tony Buzolich]

,,,,,to literally RIP a reel right off it´s reel foot?

I´m not going to mention brand names because this was not a cheap set-up, but, today Steve Purpura hooked on to a VERY large rooster fish. As the fish took off and got in to Steve´s backing his rod and reel began to shake violently. Suddenly the reel jerks loose as Steve is trying to wind but the whole reel itself seperated from the reel foot. This in tern jammed immediately against the first stripping guide of the rod and seperates the top three sections of the rod from the handle leaving Steve holding only his cork grip with a still attached reel foot.

After all the laughter and swearing stopped no one on the boat has ever seen or heard of something like this happening before. Big Rooster? Yes, but how big? Was the drag a little too tight? Maybe, but Steve is an experienced fly angler and has been taking big roosters all week.

I guess we´ll never know.

As for the rest of the day, Bill Siler and I hooked up to a fast running wahoo and things were going well until the drag pressure buried Bill´s backing down to the arbor and locked things up in a heartbeat.

Later today, we had a nice bull dorado hit Bill´s fly and then turn and hit mine next in mili-seconds and for a brief moment we together had one mad bull on the line.

I´ll have more stories and pictures in a day or so when I get back. If you can take the HEAT and the HUMIDITY this is definitely the place to be.

[SHigSpeed]

Damn!

Lost a fish, 3/4 of a rod, most of a reel...

Bummer, but a story for the ages!

_SHig

[mems]

New meaning to the phrase, "Getting cleaned". Mems.

[jbird]

Wow!

Thats crazy. Never thought of that happenning before.

[Jay Murakoshi]

Tony,

A couple years back, we had a reel seat break at the reel foot and the top three sections of the rod went bye - bye along with the reel. But the reel was a Charalton reel. Some where in the neighborhood of $1,500.00. The fish - a huge Jack. I've also seen rods leave the hand as the line clears and hits the reel. You mentioned the line burying into the reel. I've seen that many a times. People put the backing on real loose and the first thing that happens in the backing bites down into the spool and POP ! All in a days fishing

Now another story about reel seats breaking.... Trey Combs was on a long range tuna trip for blue fin tuna and they found them. His girlfriend Phylis hooked into and monster and snapped the reel seat instantly then her wrist and then the rod. Nothing but a butt of the rod left in the hand. Some of the tuna were in the 400 to 500lb range

God, I can't wait until October... I hope the big boys come out to play

Jay

Can't wait for the photo's

[Jay Murakoshi]

Tony,

I'm sure it wasn't the drag setting that caused the line to bite into itself. Like I mentioned earlier in the previous post. I've seen a few breakoffs due to this and it was because the line was put on too loose. I always make sure it wound on tight, a line winding machine does it best or a glove on the hand can do the same thing

Jay

[mems]

Hey guys I just wanted to chime in on this one. It isn't always the putting on of the line. I had a 20lb ulua take me for a ride into my backing, then cut me off on some coral. I was disgusted and started to reel in, but not putting pressure on the line. Next day I hook a 10lb bluefinned trevally. The fish runs and the backing binds. I have this fish in a mexican stand off, and try to move out on the rocks to get some line on the spool so I can fight him, one more run and pop. So one fish caused me to loose two. Remember to put pressure when winding up or taking out tangles. Keep the line tight and you minimize troubles.
Tony can't wait for the pictures. Right now it is getting to be big ahi time. Went out yesterday offshore and got a small mahi. Went out today inshore and got a slam, cuda, queenfish, and 4lb bone. The oama are in and the papio action should heat up. I don't know about you guys, but why is it July and August are the best times to fish? Laterz, Mems.