Dan caught one?

kingling · Billfish Joined: 20 Dec 2007 Posts: 798

i heard that big dan killed a sailfish today
anyone have the details?

Dylan · Blackfin Tuna Joined: 25 Mar 2007 Posts: 228

Ben, Tyler just called me about an hour ago and told me..Said it was a little bit smaller than Jakes..
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kingling · Billfish Joined: 20 Dec 2007 Posts: 798

tyler maxwell told me about it
i hope a few stick around untill saturday

benk250 · Posted: Thu Oct 15, 2009 7:12 pm Post subject:

ben i was out there today dan caught his in the mornin. few kings i was 1 for 3 this after noon caught bout 15 pounder had hook pull at gaff on ol big boy. ohh well

Dylan · Blackfin Tuna Joined: 25 Mar 2007 Posts: 228

Atleast yours didnt get eaten by flipper Ben
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kingling · Billfish Joined: 20 Dec 2007 Posts: 798

how big was ole big boy?

nb&twil · Billfish Joined: 31 Mar 2007 Posts: 566

Dan's sail was pretty stikning cool. He got a live cig and tossed it out around 7:00 and it started swimming away from him. Swimming pretty hard... I told him hey Dan, I htink you got ate. He said, yeah I guess it is a little faster than a cig swimming, so he started setting the hook. Slow steady pull... He thought he had flipper so he grabbed the spool and tried to put some tension to the line to get rid of the dolphin we assumed he had and all of a sudden about 100yds south of the pier this sail starts tail walking!!! About a 30min fight and when he got it to the pier, she had her guts hanging out her mouth so killing the fish seemed like the only option. Krause and I were ready with gafs, the sail laid perfectly sideways and swam straight to Krause's gaf with mouth open around the rope. Easy stick, fish on the pier.
Snapped some pictures and got back to fishing. I caught a 12-15lb king and gave it to Walt. Bob lost a king to flipper, and Roddy and I caught a huge cow dolphin that may have gone close to 15lbs. Left around noon and those were the only 3 fish I know of put on the pier at that time. Glad it picked up in the afternoon.
What a GREAT day back home.

PBTH · Hardtail Joined: 20 Dec 2007 Posts: 23

Man Wil,

Didn't know you were in town, we should get out this weekend.

As for the rest of the day, I got there around 12:30 with the soul purpose of sailfishing. Ballyhoo, circle hook, flouro, didn't throw at a king for 3hrs. Around 1pm an little sail all of 30in shows up and everyone pitches. He stayed around for 8min or so and wasn't too interested but kept coming back to my hoo. He mouthed my bait once, but never swallowed it all the way, so no shot. Then he whacked it twice and got wrapped in the leader while trying to eat, shook off and swam off with a king. Only sail spotted for the rest of the day. Left around 4:30 with around a dozen kings land since noon. Very few bobos too.

nb&twil · Billfish Joined: 31 Mar 2007 Posts: 566

Taylor, I'd love to fish this weekend, but won't have a chance. We're just in town for Dan's wedding and that's Saturday, then we'll leave Sunday morning. We must have justmissed you. I think we left around noon or 12:30. Good to hear some kings showed up in the afternoon. If I can talk Brooke in to letting me fish this afternoon, I might try it for a few hours. Pops was mad that I didn't bring that king home for him, so I might see if I can go get one for him and mom to smoke. Check your pms for my number if you head out there. I highly doubt I'll make it, but give me a call anyways.

T-wagon · Redfish Joined: 11 Jul 2009 Posts: 141

Dylan · Blackfin Tuna Joined: 25 Mar 2007 Posts: 228

T-Wagon that was a great way of sharing your input..You let us know how you feel without being an ass like the PFFers..I

you and am thankful for this forum
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nb&twil · Billfish Joined: 31 Mar 2007 Posts: 566

T-Wagon, you're right. Billfish can swallow their guts back down sometimes. Usually, they survive if they're hooked in the jaw with a circle hook and they voluntarily throw their stomach out to purge themselves. However, when a treble hook is used and their insides are pulled out as opposed to voluntarily thrown out, there is a lower chance of survival. Sure, the fish might have survived, but I personally believe it's highly highly unlikely since there was not just one organ outside her body when she was gaffed. stomach and a long piece of intestines were hanging out beside her body as well as bleeding from her gills. Not a ton of blood, but a pretty good amount.
I think you're right that sails and other billfish can swallow their innard back down after a fight, but the mortality rate is still high, and within the legal limits of Fl law, I completely agree with Dan keeping this fish.
If you're interested in mortality rates of billfish, research of of MarlinMag's aticles. TONS of research done in the past few years (mostly on white marlin) comparing the mortality rate of fish hooked on live bait vs. artificial, J vs Circle hook, etc... I was actually surprised to read how many gut hooked fish swim away strong, but die about 24 hours later. Pretty informative stuff.
Back to the topic at hand though, I've released billfish before and have full confidence that they were fine. But, if we released that sailfish on Thursday, I would never make the assumption that she susrvived.

T-wagon · Redfish Joined: 11 Jul 2009 Posts: 141

T-wagon · Redfish Joined: 11 Jul 2009 Posts: 141