Why oh why didn’t I wear gloves?
We read our team and threw lines, a line rigged with a lead-headed jig and white feathers. My 40-pound test monkey was outfitted with my latest “secret weapon,” a homemade stainless steel polished silver spoon and a number 4 stainless steel single barbed hook (pictured). It hadn’t taken long for things to heat up. On a day off the coast of Colombia’s “La Ensenada” National Park, he almost never does.
I winced as the blue jumpsuit tightened around my bare palm. Something strong and wet and angry had grabbed my spoon. Now he was paying the price. Crimson dripped into the deep blue depths with each thrust. It is illegal to fish with a rod and reel, longline, longline or net in the entrance waters of the park, you see.
“Fish in!” I croaked still winning, but Pepe had already beaten me. I had seen the blow as my entire arm jerked back. It had to be a good size tuna or albacore, maybe a sizable Sierra could attack and fight like that, but my money was on an albacore. These bullet-shaped fish have two speeds: over the speed limit fast and overdrive full throttle. These speedsters can knock an unsuspecting fisherman overboard in an instant. They hit your line like a runaway freight train. Sudden stress often just breaks the line. If your rod isn’t ready or heavy enough, they’ll break it too. Small sharks also occasionally struck, especially in the early morning, late afternoon, and on darker days with a low barometer.
Dorado, Marlin, Tuna, Albacore, Sierra or Shark?
“What do you think, Gold, Albacore or Needle?” asked Pepe that he was carefully observing the pattern of the fight.
That often told you what was on the other end of your line long before the fish came into view. If it ever came into view. Flexing my biceps against an unwelcome guest, I thought about his words. A Dorado would take a while to land if I didn’t want to risk breaking the line. These gold, blue, and green, round-headed beauties were strong and could easily outweigh the strength of my line. A steel tube-shaped Aguja (needlefish) would easily pierce up to 100-pound test mono if its rows of razor blades called teeth reached past the 18-inch stainless steel leader. Even the cable leader would sever if it took too long to land “toothy”. Only sharks and piranhas have jaws more fearsome than a Needle. The “whispering” sound of the line through the gentle waves told me that we were now in deeper water. The change in color from greenish to deep blue only served to confirm this. The deeper water was darker as the sun’s rays did not reflect off the bottom. Minutes later, the nearly 15-pound albacore tuna was handled and brought aboard.
Your ears can tell you that the baitfish are splashing and the predators that are after them. Also listen for the sounds of other boats, waves crashing against hidden rocks and reefs far from shore. His eyes give him constant feedback on depth and bottom coverage. The smell of the open sea differs from that of the land near the coast with its hints of tropical jungle vegetation and palm groves that line the sandy shores caressed by salt water. You can feel your prey move beneath the waves as it swirls, dives, whirls, twists, jerks and rises in an effort to free itself from an unknown enemy. Taste the salty spray, cool freshwater rain, and the refreshing chill of well-deserved “chill” you’ll get after a serious fight, no matter which one of you wins.
Try fishing using your five senses. You will be amazed at how much it will enhance the enjoyment of all of your fishing experiences.
