To reel or not to reel ..... Part 2

[Iyadiver]

Boys,

Did some more testing on the reels versus fishes last Saturday.
I can confirm that for Narrow Banded Spanish Mackerel, a reel is a good thing to have as long as bottom is not too deep or at least not deeper than ur reel line capacity. This is based on the terrain I hunt and my SCUBA gear.

I saw two of my friends shot the Mackerels. One smaller one of +-8kg was swimming all the way to the surface like an Apollo 11, what a sight to see. The other very big, even bigger than two weeks ago ( lucky SOB ) Mackerel was hit with a #4 Baja which got a reel installed just before the trip, again lucky decision. The big Mack was in spasm mode and sank a bit, I thought it was stoned but later it took off, but not with much speed. I floated the HUGE Mack with my "Abri Eezze Lift Stringer", it works like magic.

All I got and the only shot I made was for a +-8kg Doggie. I did not allow the reel to pay out any line and I got my right hand glove's index finger burned thru all the way to my finger. It died 2 minutes after the tug of war, the shot was well placed so I pulled with all my might. However since I am not using the short 5" bungie that has been my standard gear for non reel guns, I now have nothing comfortable to fight the fish from. That 5" bungie attached to the shooting line anchor point has been where I grab for all my roller coaster work, I do not like looping shooting cable to my hand. Must modify something for comfortable hold on a fight....work work work.

125 miles away from my hunting area, my friends were hunting my Doggie Heaven. If I ever go back to that Doggie Heaven deep water pinnacle ( hopefully in two weeks ), I am sure I must rig a float system. That terrain there is just too deep and current infested for a reel. An estimated 40kg/86# was hit by my friend 2 Saturdays ago and he went into a panic mode caused he was dragged too deep and decided to loose the shaft with the shooting line. He told me the bigger Doggie hang out at 100-120 feet, just a bit above the sand at 140 feet bottom, some 30-50 feet away from the nearest rock. The current push us away from the rock. There is nothing for me to grab hold of, if anything drag me. Some 200 feet down current, the sea bed sloped down to 300 feet. Last Saturday my friend was followed all the way to the boat by a possible Ocenic White Tip judging from the size and rounded shape of the big side (pectoral ?? ) fins. I have not been there for a few months and I miss that place but I don't miss them bad sharks..... He landed 2 Doggies but the encounter is so plenty compared to my shallow sea mount. 10kg up is a common size he saw....lucky SOB.

So that's the final say of the reel use for me. Untill I hit a Wahoo with one, I would say its fun and fish saving ( Mackerels ) to use.

Cheers,
IYA

[Abriapnea]

Nice going , Iya .
Tell me ; are you spearing on the up current or down current side of these pinnacles ? I guess down current will offer you more protection so you don't get washed away so quickly , but IMO you will find more pelagics up current .

[Iyadiver]

In this shallow sea mount/pinacle, I hang out up current at 70 feet usualy. In front of the picnacle the current is mild. This open ocean only throw 1.5 knots highest, usually 1 knot being the norm. On top of the pinnacle the current is stronger because of the venturi effect.

Depending on the current direction, current from 300 degees magnetic is my favourite, usually yield better result.

The Doggie in this place will come with the current, usually and the Mack usually come against the current, I wonder why.

In my other Tuna Heaven, most of the fish come against the current. The topograpgy is different I guess and the rock pop out to the surface, unlike my shallow sea mount. I guess I have to start making notes in a book of all the variables to draw a curve or spot the pattern.

If fish is quiet at my shallow sea mount, I usually head to 90-110 feet where they seems to be there at certain time of the day.

My friend who got the big Mack last week accidentaly drifted to a 90 feet deep pinacle some 100 meters away from my regular sea mount. He can not see the bottom cause it was too dark. If I am not wrong, the area around my shallow sea mount is 200 feet. This 90 feet pinacle is net covered and I must check it out because my friends saw hundreds of Jacks and lots of snappers. He was so lucky to see a MOLA MOLA ( Sunfish ), I never even seen one underwater. He said about two meter high, lucky SOB.
The problem is the boat do not have a depth sounder (damaged ) and I rely on my portable number only sonar.

Anyway I am going back there this Friday to do more hunting, this place gets better and better each time. I heard the Mack season should be in soon.

IYA