InTheBite

Conquering The Backlash

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By ITB Staff

Chasing billfish with light tackle, circle hooks and dead bait is a tactic that has gained in popularity worldwide. It’s a great way to keep the anglers involved in catching fish rather than just waiting for a blind strike, not to mention that pitch-baiting a lit-up marlin or sailfish off the teaser is just about the coolest thing you can do.

Unfortunately, with new anglers there’s also a corresponding rise in burnt thumbs and bird’s nests—we’re talking about the dreaded backlash. Here are a few tips on what to do once you’ve had one and, even better, a few thoughts on how to keep them from happening in the first place.    [Read more…]

Swinging the Steel: Time to Take the Shot

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big marlin stuck with gaff in Australia

Capt. Corey Hard and the Mauna Lea pictured with a brute of a fish jumping boat side after being struck with the flying gaff. This fish escaped capture. Even for experienced crews with all of the right equipment, the end game on a big fish is far from certain. Photo courtesy Dean Butler

By Jarad “Dingo” Boshammer

Even for the most experienced crew, taking a big fish is a challenge. For those lacking experience this is a daunting situation. More fish are lost boat side due to lack of experience than anywhere else. Losing fish can result from tackle failure, lack of preparation, buck fever, poor communication or bad driving. As it can be difficult to gain the experience needed to secure a giant fish boat side without practice, the following is an account of the approach, techniques and materials needed to harvest a large marlin.

 

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Slant vs. Cupped Head: Action Makes the Difference

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By Capt. Bart Miller

In early 2018, sportfishing legend Capt. Bart “Black Bart” Miller passed away. Bart left behind a lure company bearing his name and a list of marlin fishing feats that will likely never be duplicated. Miller was a veritable legend in the sportfishing industry and InTheBite is proud to have published some of Miller’s perspective. Here, from the archives, is one such piece.

As far back as I can remember, lure designs were very basic: bullet-shaped heads and slant heads. Slant heads fell into two categories, one being a tube-shaped head with a slant nose; the other being a cylinder-shaped, tapered head with a dished out nose. The dished-out shape was [Read more…]

How to Drop Back to Billfish—How Marlin and Sailfish Really Feed

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By Peter B. Wright

The family of “true” billfish includes all the species called marlin, all the sailfish (which are split into the Atlantic and Pacific species with the Pacific sailfish also being found in the Indian Ocean) and several species of spearfish. Swordfish are commonly grouped with these billfish of the Istiophoridae family, but they are technically the sole member of the family Xiphiidae.

All of these fish are part of the teleost group, which are known as bony fishes and are closely related. With the sole exception of the swordfish, billfish vary only slightly in how the different species capture and kill their prey. I am about to explain why the common myth that all billfish use their bill as a sword, or a club, to kill their prey is not correct!

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Capt. Bart Miller—His Take on Lure Hook-Up

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In early 2018, sportfishing legend Capt. Bart “Black Bart” Miller passed away. Bart left behind a lure company bearing his name and a list of marlin fishing feats that will likely never be duplicated. Miller was a veritable legend in the sportfishing industry and InTheBite is proud to have published some of Miller’s perspective. Here, from the archives, is one such piece.

[Read more…]

Setting Up and Using Game Chairs

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fighting fish from game chair

This photo illustrates the proper foot placement on the footrest, hand positioning on the reel, and the use of the bucket harness to create the torque necessary for exerting force on a fish.

The following article was forwarded to InTheBite by Frank Murray, of Murray Brothers Originals. An expert in the construction and use of fighting chairs in heavy tackle situations, Murray came across the article which was originally published in New Zealand. As Murray describes the piece, “I came across it a number of years ago and was pretty impressed. For one, it is something that I should have done. Secondly, the breakdown is about 99 percent correct.”

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Dredge Pulling Tricks from the Pros

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angler with dredge

Photo courtesy Pepper Ailor

By Ric Burnley

The first time I saw a marlin dredge I had two thoughts. First: that looks ridiculous. Second: that looks awesome! At first, 40 rigged mullet dangling from a web-work of bars and leader looks like a cluster FUBAR waiting to happen. Put the dredge in the water, and dozens of swirling and flashing baits look like a school of bait on the run. Fish cannot resist.

Many anglers had the same experience when they first saw a dredge. We caught up with five pros to find out how they use dredges now, and how they plan to use them in the future.

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InTheBite Editors’ Top Story Picks for 2020

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As we say goodbye to 2020 and look to 2021 with hope and excitement for new things to come, we can’t do this without looking back at the significant stories of the year. Our editors curated the top five stories that had a significant impact for us and our readers. These are the features that motivated, educated and took us away to wide open waters for the time we were reading. We hope you enjoy.

1. How the New Texas State Record Came to Be

820 bluefin tuna hanging from Pelican Rest scale in texas

In a very direct sense, the pending new Texas state record bluefin tuna was a victim of the coronavirus.

Whether or not fish can actually catch this disease, who the hell knows, but the trip that resulted in greasing the biggest bluefin in the history of the Lone Star State was the result of being cooped up in the house awaiting the virus to run its course. Captain Robert Nichols, who runs the Rock Mama, a 55’ Hatteras based out of Galveston, Texas was gracious enough to tell us all about this fish of a lifetime.

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2. Two-Minute Warning: Pay Scale

two guys exchanging moneySo many times, I’m asked about how much a captain should get paid. Sometimes, I’m asked by the captain and sometimes I’m asked by the owners. There seems to be no rhyme nor reason on what a captain should or shouldn’t make.

Back in the day, there was an unwritten rule that a captain should make a grand per foot. I don’t know who came up with that…but it was ignorant.

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3. The 2019 Captains of the Year

The InTheBiteCaptain of the Year Cup presented by Hatteras is the world’s foremost competition for professional sportfishermen. The world’s only quantifiable metric for comparing the tournament success of captains, winning an InTheBite Captain of the Year Award is a major achievement. The Cup is composed of five divisions that span the sportfishing world: East Coast, Florida, Gulf Coast, Hawaii and International.

We look back on the 2019 winners who pushed past challenges, beat the odds and showed us what it takes to be the best.

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4. Steering You Straight: The Scoop on Steering

What type of steering system do you have? While most sportfish crew would answer hydraulic, there are many variables today that differentiate the design, components and operation of a vessel’s steering system. Learning about your boat’s system can assist when it comes time for maintenance, ordering repair parts and performing bleeding (more about this later).

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5. Four Captains, 20 Tips for Better Live Bait Fishing

Live bait is both the best bait and the worst bait. Nothing entices a fish to bite better than a wriggling and writhing forage fish dangling from the hook. Nothing gives anglers more trouble than catching, keeping and rigging livies. That’s right, you can’t live with live bait, and you can’t win without.

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Learning the Ropes: Passing Knowledge Down to the Next Generation

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mate on boat tower

By Dale Wills

Most of today’s captains earned their shot at the helm only after spending years working under the watchful eyes of veteran skippers. Each of those mentors had certain techniques and practices that were passed down to the younger generation, things that formed the foundation of their careers as professional mariners. So what are some of the individual practices, habits and distinctions that are being passed down by the veteran captains today to the future captains of tomorrow? [Read more…]