Stand Up to a Giant

The first thing to keep in mind is these fish must be fought hard and fast if they are to survive the encounter. Since release fishing is standard operating procedure, we set up our outfits accordingly. I used either a Penn International or Shimano Tiagra 80W loaded with 130-pound test dacron backing and a top shot of at least 100 yards of 130- or 150-pound test mono filament. The stretch of the mono provides some shock absorbing action when the fish gets close to the boat. A ball bearing snap swivel is attached to the end of the mono. It is used to attach the short, eight foot leaders, which are formed with an offshore loop at one end for quick changing and fast hook removal from the fish, and a 14/0 circle hook at the other.

Bob designed these leaders especially for releasing fish at boatside. The mate simply grabs the circle hook with a loop device, pulls the eye through the hole in the fish's jaw, unhooks the leader loop from the swivel and pulls the entire leader through the hole, which frees the fish quickly without damage. It's a really slick system.

Drag settings are brutally high, 35 pounds at a strike, 50 pounds at full. Set your drags while rigged in the belt and harness system you plan to use, with the rod tip up at a 45 degree angle, and the rod being bent down by the rod being bent down by the drag scale at a pretty sharp angle. The rod I used was custom built on a Calstar 130-pound stand-up blank, modified to provide even more backbone in the middle section of the blank. It has some tip action, but as stand-up rods go, this one is as stiff as you can get.

I want the rod to move the fish with each pump and not lose any of the effort you put into it as a result of being too limp. I used a 4 1/2 model that provides incredible leverage, but don't run out and start cutting production blanks trying to achieve the same results. Either consult a very knowledgeable custom rod builder or give me a call to discuss rod blank specs, guide positioning and the like, for this special application. Remember, you're trying to get the absolute greatest amount of leverage out of this rod and that requires a special instrument, indeed. For belt and harness, this is no place for light tackle stuff. I tried two belts, the "Tuna Belt" that is presently in our line, which was adequate, and also a prototype of our new "PowerPlay" belt, which spreads the pressure over an even wider area of your thights, an important consideration when giants are the quarry. For a harness, we field tested our new "powerPlay" stand-up bucket harness with the "Easy Release" reel clip system and it performed flawlessly. Both the new belt and harness are now in production. Regardless of whose harness you use, be sure it has a quick release system for attaching it to the reel lugs so if you slip or a particularly energetic tuna gets the best of you and pulls you over the transom you can release yourself quickly. It is a matter of angler safety, since you are pushing all your gear and yourself to the max when tackling these fish on stand-up gear.

The reel should be attached to a safety strap or rope so, if your reel doesn't come with a loop on the reel clamp for this purpose, buy one or attach the rope around the reel seat. The other end is looped around the fighting chair pedestal. Never, ever attach a safety rope to the angler, especially at the back of the harness. If a fish gets you over the side with a rope attached to you, you will have the pull of the fish from the front and the pull of the rope from the back, and you'll never get out of the harness.

For tackling giants, the basic stance the angler must assume is with feet spread wider than shoulder width apart to form a secure footing base, that will allow him to lean left or right and also to be able to ride the movements of the boat during the fight. Knees shoul be planted against the transom as opposed to standing back in the cockpit. If you are positioned in the cockpit, away from the transom, the fish will yank the angler against the transom immediately upon hook-up and it will probably be a pretty hard hit. If the boaat has no cockpit combing cushions, be sure a pair of athletic knee pads are available.

When working a fish, start with knees backward and a relatively straight back. When lifting, simply lean back with all your upper body weight being used for leverage. It is a little unnerving at first. when leaning well back against the fish, the worry is you might fall flat on your back. You'll get used to it pretty fast, especially after you've been able to play a number of fish.

When you lean back against the fish, the rod lifts and you pick up line as you lean forward. Your left hand is on the reel frame, fuiding line onto the spool on the pick up, and pulling back on the reel as you lean back into the fish. It's really quite basic, and you can pick it up in no time. Just don't let the fish bend over the transom because it can kill you.

Done correctly, you can beat these 300 pound and up blufins in a matter of minutes, especially when working with a skilled boat handler like Bob Eakes at the helm. Just remember that you must have the equipment necessary for the challenge and the understanding of how to use it to put maximum pressure on the fish and not on youself. Tight Lines.