InTheBite

Old Salts Rule: Captain Mike Merritt

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Captain Mike Merritt: 50 Years in Fishing and Still Going Strong

by Capt. Dale E. Wills

While at the helm of the 52-foot Irvin Forbes-built Billfisher, Captain Mike Merritt had a young deckhand named Arch Bracher. One day Bracher asked if he could try something different when it came to leader material. Capt. Merritt, in his easy-going style said, “Sure go ahead as long as it doesn’t cost us any fish.”

Weeks later the Billfisher was steadily doing just a little better than the remainder of the Oregon Inlet charter fleet. It was evident something was going on when one day as they approached the marina. “I’ll be behind your boat when we get in,” radioed Capt. Bull Tolson. That evening when the Billfisher backed into its slip at the Oregon Inlet Fishing Center, Capt. John Bayliss helped with one stern line and Tolson helped tie up the other. The impromptu meeting and the tackle inspection that ensued changed white marlin fishing to this day. The year was 1988.

Prior to the Billfisher’s experiment, the entire North Carolina fleet used wire leader with ballyhoo. Bracher’s decision to use mono leader and dink ballyhoo baits, similar to his Mexico sailfishing spread, brought about change in the fleet. Bracher’s eagerness to catch more fish and Capt. Mike’s willingness to change is one of many contributions Merritt and his crews have developed for the sportfishing industry.

A Life Spent on the Water

Capt. Mike “Bubble Gum” Merritt, is 50-year fishing professional. Growing up on the Outer Banks of North Carolina, he was destined to live a working life mostly on the water. “At the age of six, I had a bicycle and a fishing pole and every day I could, I would ride down to the water and fish. One day a thunderstorm blew in and my mother got real worried and hopped in her car and came looking for me. When she found me, I was unphased by the storm and continued to fish. From that day on, my mother would tell anyone who listened, ‘That boy is going to be a fisherman when he grows up.’”

In 1968, fresh out of high school, Capt. Merritt’s first full-time job came as a mate on a 48-foot Manteo-built boat named Germel with Capt. Dan Lewark. “I made $90.00 a day for an offshore trip,” says Merritt. After seven years as a mate, in 1976, Merritt stepped up to the bridge on his own 40-foot Warren O’Neil, the Billfisher. “I only had a VHF radio, a compass and a Flasher for electronics. We would use landmarks for navigation. Upon returning to port from offshore, at the first sight of land, if we saw cottages, a water tower and/or a lighthouse, we were five or ten miles north of Oregon Inlet. If we just saw beaches, we were south of the inlet,” recalls Merritt. From 1976 through 1991, Merritt was a fixture in the Oregon Inlet Charter fleet along with the Billfisher boat name. Boat builders, such as Sheldon Midget, Billy Holton and Irvin Forbes each had a Billfisher name on the transom through the years. “The 52-foot Irvin Forbes was my first twin motor boat in the late 80s,” says Merritt.

Merritt began building the Billfisher charter boat legacy in 1976 with his first captain’s job on this 40’ Warren O’Neal.

 “One day in 1991, while getting fuel for my charter boat, a man asked me to run his boat. At that point, I wanted to give the private gig a try. It didn’t take long before I was traveling the world. I fished Bermuda, St. Thomas, Mexico (Puerto Aventuras) and the Bahamas.” Asked about his biggest catches, Merritt reflects on some large fish. “We weighed in a 958-pound marlin in Oregon Inlet, released a bigger blue in St. Thomas and a big one in Venezuela. I’ve seen a lot of big fish in my career,” says Merritt, humbly.

Looking Back

When asked about his role models, Merritt reflects, “Tony and Omie Tillett come to mind, but I have just too many to name.” It turns out that the fishing is only one of the things Merritt cherishes from a life on the water. “It’s been the dock comradery and the people who make up the fishing community which have made my career so blessed. I’ve had some great times around the dock.” In a chuckle Merritt says, “The Oregon Inlet Charter Fleet is home to some of biggest pranksters you’ll find anywhere. I could go on and on about the stuff we would pull on each other.” Here is one of Merritt’s favorites.

“In the early 90s, we were fishing a tournament when a small outboard decided to try to drive through the middle of the fleet. As luck would have it, the outboard hooked up with a nice marlin. It didn’t take long before the outboard gets on the radio telling everyone how big his marlin is.”

From (L to R) Angler Dr. Langon, Jeff Reibel and Captain Mike Merritt. The image was taken in September 1977, Oregon Inlet Fishing Center during the second year of the Oregon Inlet Billfish Tournament.

“As time passed any boat remotely pointed in the outboard’s direction was given instructions to deviate course. The outboard continued drifting with the current and miles from where it first hooked up when the situation took on another dynamic. The captain began desperately trying to communicate with a big Japanese tanker ship.”

“’Japanese tanker, this is the outboard with the twin motors, please alter your course, we are fighting a marlin….Please turn left.’ After failed attempts to reach the ship, the desperate outboard called anyone asking if they knew what channel the tanker was on. ‘You have to use channel 13’, I responded.”

“Seconds later, with the entire charter fleet tuned in… ‘Japanese tanker, this is the twin outboard, can you please turn, you are going to run over my fish. Merritt, in his best broken accent responded, “‘Ahhhhh, twin outboard, no can turn ship.” In disgust, the outboard radioed one of buddies saying “I can’t believe he won’t turn and every one of my radios onboard were made in Japan.”  Eventually, the tanker passed, and I’m not sure if the outboard ever caught the fish, but us charter captains sure had a good laugh after that,” says Merritt.

This was the first grander caught on Jo-Boy out of Oregon Inlet, NC. Interestingly, the fish was caught on a 9/0 Penn Senator with 100 lbs. mono (not much line capacity). A young Capt. Mike Merritt can be seen with the ball cap on along with many Carolina legends including Capt. Harry Baum, Sam Stokes, Timmy Pierce and Harry Baum. Jr.(we need help identifying everyone).

These Days

Today, Capt. Merritt has returned to the charter business and can be found at Pirate’s Cove running the Sandra D.  When asked about the difference of captains and crew compared to days gone by, Merritt says candidly, “Electronics and dredges.” So what advice would you give a future captain or mate? “Choose this industry because you love meeting people and you love fishing. It takes a certain character trait to do what we do as a career. I’ve never thought about doing anything else.”

You can charter Merritt by visiting www.sandradsportfishing.com or call 252-305-2825

Bait School: 20 Tips for Better Live Bait Fishing

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Four captains, 20 tips for better live bait fishing

by Ric Burnley

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. Even if it takes a Master’s in biology and a PhD in engineering to effectively fish live bait, the only way to earn a degree is trial and error – lots of error. We asked four professors of baitology for their tips and tricks to success. Prepare to get bait schooled.

Captain Bouncer Smith

Location: Miami, Florida

Target Species: Sailfish

Live Bait: Bluerunners, goggle eyes

Fishing for sails with live bait came of age in the swift, wind-swept, ocean waters off of South Florida. Bouncer Smith (www.captbouncer.com) has spent 40 years chasing live bait and Atlantic sails. His small-boat live bait tactics, rooted in an eye for detail and driven by an iron will to win, have resulted in a long list of tournament wins.

Tip: We use two livewells. One is for baits that go from the hook to the livewell. The other livewell is for any bait that hits the deck or was touched in anyway.

Tip: Hold the sinker and keep the bait rig horizontal so the baits don’t rub against the leader. We keep the pristine baits for fishing or storing in a bait pen.

Tip: To remove dead baits from the live well, spear it with a tagging stick or wait for it to float to the surface and remove with a small net. Never put your hand into the tank.

Tip: We’ll go down to 30-pound fluorocarbon so the drag pressure must be reliable. I set the drag on my spinners to four-pounds, so I know I get five-pounds if the angler raises the rod tip. If the fish is hot, I tell the angler to point the tip at it. If the reel gets low on line, I’ll let the angler increase the drag ½ turn. I know that increases the drag pressure exactly one pound.

Tip: On the full moon and new moon, we always fish a bait 60-feet down. I let the bait out 30 feet. Then fold the leader over and slip the loop through the eye of a four to six ounce egg sinker. Stick a three-inch piece of No. 64 rubberband through the loop as a stopper.

Tip: It’s important that the bait move at the same speed as the current. During the last Miami sailfish tournament, the wind was going with the current. The rest of the fleet was fishing balloons but we decided to drift the baits. We hooked up on each drift through the fleet.

Captain Kevin Beach

Location: Venice, Louisiana

Target Species: White marlin, sails, tuna

Live Bait: Blue runners

“Live baits work perfect for targeting finicky fish focused in a small area,” explains Captain Kevin Beach. On his 37-foot catamaran, Pale Horse (www.mgfishing.com), he carries hundreds of live baits to the sea mounts and oil rigs off Venice, Louisiana. Pulling finicky fish from their twisted iron lair requires a flawless presentation and rock solid rigging. “I need enough power to turn a big marlin or tuna,” he starts, “while rigging light enough to fool a fish that’s seen it all.”

Tip: In early fall, whites and sails will hang over open water structure and temperature breaks. One or two degrees difference in temperature will get my attention. I’ll fish in one to 1.5 knots of current all day long.

Tip: Fish three baits. I use 80-, 100- and 130-pound leader. I always fish the biggest bait on the heaviest leader closest to the boat. Big fish aren’t afraid of the boat.

Tip: Use a rod and reel combo that you can cast. Lobbing the bait 30 yards away from the boat allows me to keep a bait in the water when we’re already hooked up to a fish. Also, I can set my spread without having to put the boat in gear.

Tip: Love your baits and they will love you back. I have three livewells and I use each of them. I spread the baits out to give them plenty of room. I’ll take 100 frisky baits over 500 less-than-frisky baits.

Captain Tony Berkowitz

Location: Cabo San Lucas, Mexico

Target Species: Striped marlin, sailfish

Live Bait: Big eye scad, Pacific mackerel

When serious anglers want to learn how to fish with live bait, they head south of the border. Captain Tony Berkowitz (www.sanlucasyacht.com) conducts daily seminars from Baja, Mexico. His courses on billfish and tuna are backed by tournament victories. Even in the land of live bait legacies, Berkowitz says staying ahead takes constant innovation and a lot of hard work.

Tip: If we know we’re going to use live bait and pitch baits we keep the spread simple. I run four baits: off the long riggers and short riggers and a bridge teaser. I leave an open lane down the middle to drop a pitch bait.

Tip: Bridle a caballito or big eye scad with floss and a matching hook. We tie a small swivel in the middle of our short leader to keep the line from twisting when we put a rigged bait in the livewell.

Tip: Slow down and drift into working fish. We drift one bait fly-lined and one deeper behind a barrel sinker.

Tip: I can’t cover a lot of ground while slow trolling live baits, so I wait until I mark the fish or see good sign before I deploy my baits.

Tip: We use a mackerel tube for pitch baits. It keeps the bait convenient to throw and prevents the leader from twisting.

Captain Randy Butler

Location: Virginia Beach

Target Species: White marlin

Live Bait: Tinker mackerel

Live bait fishing for white marlin is a relatively recent development on the mid-Atlantic. Captain Randy Turn has had Rebel (www.rebelsportfishing.com) in the middle of the action from the start. After hundreds of trips and thousands of hours targeting whites with livies, he’s created a system that he continues to develop. “I’ll never figure them out,” he admits, “something is always changing and I have to change to keep up.”

Tip: Switch up the teasers and dredge to find what the fish want. We’ll run one dredge, two dredges, big squids, small ones or flippy-floppys. We can rig live or dead tinkers as a teaser chain. Sometimes we’ll get more bites by pulling the teasers out of the water.

Tip: We always keep the spread out when we stop to catch more live bait. Many times we’ll draw marlin to the surface while we’re catching bait.

Tip: Find tinker mackerel on the bottom in 50 fathoms. Sometimes the bait will be higher in the water column. If we don’t catch bait right away, bring the rig up a few feet off the bottom.

Tip: A mackerel rig baited with strips of squid will catch tinker mackerel for bait. Add a waterproof strobe light to attract more tinkers to the rig.

Tip: Tinkers are a large meal for a white marlin. Give them time to eat. Let the fish turn the bait in its mouth and swallow it before coming tight on the line to set the hook.

Tip: As the line comes tight, give the rod a couple quick jabs to ensure the hook found its mark.

‘No Reversible Error’ Found – Federal Appeals Court Ruled in Favor of the White Marlin Open

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UPDATED: High Court Confirms White Marlin Open Decision, Ruling ‘No Reversible Error’ Found

As seen in The Dispatch by Shawn Soper 

Aerial view of the White Marlin Open’s weigh station headquarters, Harbour Island Marina.

OCEAN CITY — After nearly two years with $2.8 million prize money hanging in limbo, a federal appeals court on Wednesday essentially ruled in favor of the White Marlin Open and the winners in several other categories who stand to gain from the redistribution plan.

Last June, a U.S. District Court judge sided with the White Marlin Open (WMO) and the other named plaintiffs in a federal interpleader case against the supposed winner of the glamorous white marlin division in 2016. During that tournament, angler Phil Heasley and the Kalliannasa out of Naples, Fla. caught the only qualifying white marlin, a 76.5-pounder, and was symbolically awarded a tournament-record $2.8 million.

However, concerns over tournament rule infractions regarding the time of catch and subsequent deceptive polygraph examinations by Heasley and the Kallianassa crew landed the case first in Worcester County Circuit Court and later in U.S. District Court. Last June, after 10 months of legal wrangling and an eight-day trial, U.S. District Court Judge Richard Bennett ruled Heasley and the Kallianassa crew should be disqualified because of the confirmed rules violations and failed polygraph exams and the $2.8 million top prize should be distributed to the other cash winners.

Heasley and the Kallianassa crew then appealed the U.S. District Court ruling to the U.S. Court of Appeals Fourth District seeking to overturn the lower court’s ruling and award the $2.8 million in prize money to them in the 2016 event. However, the U.S. Court of Special Appeals on Wednesday issued a ruling in favor of the WMO and the other named plaintiffs, essentially ending the appeal at that level and bringing closure to the long-standing legal battle.

“We have reviewed the record and find no reversible error,” the opinion reads. “Accordingly, we affirm for the reasons stated by the district court. We dispense with oral argument because the facts and legal contentions are adequately presented in the materials before this court and argument would not aid the decisional process. In accordance with the decision of this court, the judgement of the district court is affirmed.”

White Marlin Open officials on Wednesday praised the appeals court’s ruling and expressed pleasure in being able to move on from the protracted legal battle and gain some closure moving forward.

“We have remained confident in Judge Bennett’s ruling regarding the 2016 White Marlin Open tournament results and we are glad that his decision was upheld,” said WMO officials in a statement. “We’re excited to put the 2016 tournament behind us and are looking forward to our 45th annual tournament this year which will be held Aug. 6th through Aug. 10th. This year’s event will be one for the record books, as we’re expecting our biggest payout to date of more than $5 million to this year’s winners.”

Heasley’s appeal focused on two key areas of the district court’s ruling including the assumption the Kallianassa put fishing lines in the water prior to the official 8:30 a.m. start time. Another area of focus in the appeal asserts the court made its ruling largely on the post-tournament polygraph tests, which are generally not admissible in federal court because they are often unreliable.

In terms of the timing of the catch, the district court opinion was clear the evidence, largely in the form of data collected from the Kallianassa’s sophisticated computer and GPS equipment illustrated the boat could not have had it lines in the water after 8:30 a.m. per tournament rules and have fought and boated the 76-pound-plus white marlin by 8:58 a.m., or a difference of about 28 minutes.

Heasley and the Kallianassa crew contended the vessel’s onboard computers and GPS systems and even pictures of the winning fish taken with the captain’s cell phone clearly illustrate the marlin was caught within the time constraints spelled out in the rules. The defendants alleged the Kallianassa’s computer systems show the boat did not leave the dock until 4:30 a.m. on Tuesday, August 9 and traveled at cruising speed from 4:40 a.m. to at least 8:04 a.m. when it reached the fishing grounds 80 miles offshore. The onboard computers track “waypoints,” or plots on a chart, that appear to show the Kallianassa began maneuvering consistent with fighting a fish at 8:50 a.m. and the maneuvering stopped at 8:58 a.m. when the winning white marlin was allegedly boated. The captain’s cell phone pictures of the winning white were taken at 9:05 a.m.

Heasley’s appeal also went into great detail about the judge’s reliance on the post-tournament polygraph exams. Per tournament rules, any angler who catches a fish earning more than $50,000 in prize money is subjected to polygraph examinations.

In this case, Heasley and the Kallianassa crew were reportedly deceptive on their answers during the initial polygraph exams and subsequent exams, but the appeal asserted the entire process was flawed. For example, it was pointed out the polygraph exams used were different than those spelled out in the tournament rules, one lie-detector administrator admitted he was not familiar with WMO or International Game Fish Association (IGFA) rules and asked questions so broad that they did not even apply to catching a winning fish.

Nonetheless, the U.S. Court of Appeals on Wednesday essentially ruled in favor of the plaintiffs and upheld the district court’s ruling in the case. As a result, the 2016 WMO prize money totaling $2.8 million will now likely be distributed to the winners in several other categories.

Following the district court’s ruling last summer, the WMO and the winners in all of the other 2016 tournament categories submitted a final status report outlining the division of the attorney fees and other expenses involved in litigating the case and the proposed distribution of the $2.8 million in prize money. Essentially, the other plaintiffs, or the winners in other categories, agreed to pay $340,000 of the WMO’s cost to litigate the case, with the lion’s share paid by the plaintiffs who stand to gain the most from the trial outcome.

For example, the first-place tuna, a 236-pounder caught by angler Richard Kosztyu aboard the Hubris, has essentially agreed to pay a $287,000 contribution to the WMO’s legal fees associated with the case. However, Kosztyu and the Hubris stand to gain the most from the redistribution of the prize money.  The Hubris already received $767,000 for the first-place tuna, but with the anticipated $2.025 million more in redistributed prize money, Kosztyu and the Hubris crew now stand to win roughly $2.8 million for the first-place tuna.

Angler Jim Conway on the Get Reel, who caught the first-place blue marlin, a 790-pounder, already received $259,000 in prize money and is expected to receive $233,000 more, bringing its total for the first-place blue marlin to $492,000.

Angler Mark Hutchinson on the Magic Moment also contributed a significant amount to the legal fees associated with litigating the case at $17,447. However, the Magic Moment crew already received $132,000 for the second-place tuna, a 233-pounder, and is expected to receive $123,000 more, for a new total prize of $255,000.

The next biggest agreed-upon contributions to the legal fees among the remaining plaintiffs come from the two anglers and boats that tied for third-place in the tuna division. Angler Pat Horning and the Fish Whistle crew and angler David Arnold and the crew on the American Lady each tied for third in the tuna division with 71-pounders and each will contribute $5,859 to the legal fees under the final status report.

However, each stands to gain a significant amount of prize money from the final settlement. For example, the Fish Whistle was initially awarded $5,626 in prize money, but it will receive $41,330 more according to the status report, bringing its total to $46,956. The American Lady was awarded $52,126 initially, but with its additional $41,330, its total prize jumps to $93,456.

For the remaining eight place-winners in various categories, their contributions to the legal fees were very small by comparison at around $264 each, but their share of the redistributed prize money is equally small at $1,861 each, which does not significantly impact their total prize after redistribution.

Rest in Peace: Capt. Bart Miller — His Take on Lure Hook-Up

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Increase Your Lure Hook-Up %

Capt. Bart Miller

Is a single hook rig better than a double? Is my trolling speed too fast? Can tag lines improve my hook up percentage? These are just a few questions most of us immediately ask ourselves when we miss a marlin bite and our hook-up percentage is not what we think it should be.

Let’s begin with what is a good hook up average, when lure fishing for Blue Marlin. If you average 50% or better you should be writing this article. Catching 1 out of every 2 marlin bites with your lures is above average. The reality is most of you average closer to 33% on bites to catch ratio.

Here are some basic options to consider if you want to move up to 40%, or better with your hook-up ratio.

 

  1. Trolling speed and lure behavior. This is probably one of the most important factors—making sure your lures are running right. The biggest tip I can offer here is to keep your lures swimming smoothly, avoid letting them get out of control such as spinning or jumping out of the water. Skipping them just under or on the surface is good. Each lure will have different running characteristics but your mind set should be so that you are giving the marlin the best chance at attacking your lure spread as possible. If you find yourself trolling along in choppy water, find a speed which will keep the lures in the water—this usually means slowing down, or trolling a weighted slant or 90-degree head. On slick calm days you will have a wider range of trolling speeds as well as a larger variety of lure heads which will work.

  1. Finding the best hook rig. The latest trend is using single, semi-stiff hook rigs with a tuna bend hook. Matching your lure with the proper size hook and placement can make a significant improvement in your hook-up percentage. A good rule of thumb is to choose a hook size that is similar to the lure head—making sure the hook width is not larger than your lure head width. Position the hook so that it is as far back in the skirt as legally possible.

 

  1. Improve your lure spread. Choose lures that have a history of being successful in a particular area that you are fishing. Use colors for example- in the Bahamas, pink and blue is a productive combination. In the Carolinas blue and white is historically the locals color of choice, and in the Virgin Islands, black and purple is a favorite. Basically, you need to become familiar with what has worked in the different regions you are fishing. Be sure to ask around the dock, sometimes a particular lure will seem to out perform all others. If you are lucky enough to be “in the know”, you can benefit with more releases at the end of the day and a higher hook-up percentage.

After you gain enough experience you will become the expert and know of other ways to increase your own hook-up ratio. And as always- a little luck never hurts along the way.

Great fishing, Aloha, Capt. Bart Miller

 

The Wave Paver Program– 77′ Bayliss and 61′ Garlington

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Ever wonder what it takes to keep a 61′ Garlington and a 77′ Bayliss running, looking, and fishing at peak performance? Few can offer more insight into the topic than Capt. Garrett Van Orman, the ship’s engineer on the Wave Paver Program.  Enjoy the video walk through of one of the prettiest sportfishers you’ll ever see. Van Orman shares his perspective on being the man behind the scenes who keeps everything running smoothly.

Learn to Free Spool Sailfish with a Golf Cart and Reel

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ShowTime! owner Fred Hardwick illustrates an innovative and successful way to learn to free spool sailfish. Hardwick’s use of a golf cart and a reel are not only cool, but provide a great way to simulate feeding a fish, while getting a feel for you tackle.

Hardwick preaches the value of “soft engagement” of the circle hook. Avoiding jerking or other sudden movements that can prevent the hook from consistently finding it place in the corner of the jaw is critical to maintaining a high hook up percentage. Hardwick and the ShowTime! crew have the tournament hardware to back up his lessons.

An Expert Education In Leadering Big Fish

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The End Game – An Expert Breakdown

By Jarad “Dingo” Boshammer

photo by Kelly Dalling Fallon

This article first appeared in our October/November 2017 Volume 16 Edition 7 of InTheBite The Professionals’ Sportfishing Magazine.

Whether it be tournaments, record fishing or straight up fishing for fun, sportfishing is a team sport. When all goes according to plan and the time comes for the end game, the wireman’s job begins. The approach and techniques best applied to the leader depend on the species, tackle, and line class. The approach also depends on the goal of the encounter—whether a release, tag or gaff shot is the end game.

Photos courtesy: Kelly Dalling Fallon

A Wireman’s Supplies
Sunglasses are a must before engaging in any sort of leadering! I don’t care how much saltwater is on my glasses, they never come off when I’m on the leader. A couple guys I know have had a glass lens shatter, leaving shards of glass in their eyes. For this reason, I prefer polycarbonate. Footwear is also important. While you might get by without it for sailfish on light leaders (it is still a good idea), when it comes to gaffing fish on heavy leaders it is 100% necessary.

Another necessity is a tool belt. At the bare minimum you’ll need a release knife. You should never cut one off with an open blade – one head shake or wave and the result can be messy (slashed arms or thighs have happened). I always have an open bladed knife on my belt – it could turn into a backup release knife in an emergency only. Having two mates is always ideal and coaching each other is important. Regardless of skill level, I will always ask the other mate to carry the release knife in the center of their back. It is crucial that a release tool may be reached with either hand when you are on the leader.

The boat’s impact on leadering technique
My style of leadering will change depending on the boat. Most Aussie boats are in the 40-50-foot range. Australian boats have a minimum gunnel height that is required for surveyed vessels. The height minimum is relatively high. My knees generally fit below the covering board and touch the sides of the hull easily. Thighs should be placed against and below the gunnels for added security and leverage. This is the ideal situation for doing serious work.

When boats get bigger – with wider covering boards – I can’t find the hull side effectively. Without a hard surface for my knees, I am much more reliant on footwork for leverage. The sleek design of most modern boats causes the covering boards to hit right on, or slightly above, the ball of the knee. This allows for a solid contact but leaves nothing for you to tuck under and press your thighs against.

In the event of a bad wrap, swallow your pride and let everyone know. Once that’s done, tuck in deep. Even 550-pound leader will usually break before anything serious happens if you get deep, below the gunnels and lock on. For this reason, it’s important to know your boat and cockpit well.

It’s also important to know your tackle. Know the limits of every crimp, knot and connection. Crimpers should be dialed in and every connection broken on a line testing machine. When gear is being pushed to the limits, it pays to have confidence and know your gear inside out.

Boat Handling
In the event that a fish goes under, a drastic decision needs to be made. In some cases, it is better to hang on rather than to dump. If your leader is much heavier than the main line, it could be better to have the stronger of the two make contact with the boat. If the fish makes a sprint, goes under the boat and you dump, the captain needs to use the outside engine in reverse and throw the wheel to the fish. Trying to drive forward out of this situation will run the main line over almost every time. It is crucial to reverse and spin away from the main line and leader putting the fish of your bow.

Fish Behavior: The effect of the fight on your approach
Paying attention to the fish during a fight is very important. The behavior can give an idea of hook placement – or lack thereof. Taking photos of jumping fish can also help. When zooming in and seeing good hook placement, my confidence and the drag both go up.

What signs in a fight tell you to be careful? A couple indicators are radical head shakes or abnormal behavior. These could be signs of a hootered fish or where the hook point has hit a sensitive bony position at the base of the bill. In this case your best option is light drag, staying behind the fish and using gentle hands on the leader. Try to stay low; don’t encourage the fish to jump.

A fish that has done nothing at all is another concern, especially on bait. This often means the hook has not found a home and it is only a matter of time before the fish will gag out the bait. In this case, stay behind the fish, use light drag, be gentle on the leader and pray the fish does all the wrong things.

Heavy leader, big fish
Pulling hard on leader is a blast – making fish jump and do crazy stuff is what I love. This, however, is not always the right practice. When getting close enough for a photo release, tag or kill shot during a tournament, the ability to take the leader smoothly and take wraps without the fish noticing is a great skill to have.

On heavy leader with big fish, the back wrap is a must-have in your arsenal. When taking a back wrap, you would start by pulling the leader down with one hand and wrapping with the other. The hand taking a back wrap will be thumb down, with the leader hitting the outside of your hand (nearest your pinky finger).

When the leader breaks over the outside of your hand, take it with all four fingers and rotate your hand until your thumb is on top. With the other hand bring the leader between your thumb and forefinger. This completes the first wrap and then the standard technique is required for the second wrap. This technique allows you to make your first wrap (instead of taking it against the pressure of the fish). The back wrap technique known very well by any heavy tackle expert especially when large marlin or giant bluefin tuna are involved.

Standard wraps are taken after you pull the leader down with one hand – with the other palm up and thumb out. The leader should hit between thumb and forefinger first. Start taking your hand up and then rotate outwards, bringing it down in a circular motion. Try not to take large windmill-like wraps, focusing rather on tight wraps with equal pressure. Take a second wrap on the same hand as soon as possible. If the fish is digging, use your spare hand over the one with wraps and pull with two hands. Then use the spare hand to do the same thing.

Taking wraps, however, is not always the first move. If the fish is up high and you’re backing down fast, the best thing to do is hand-over-hand, anticipating when the weight will come. Take your first set of wraps when the time is right. Often that time is when the boat is slowed down or when you are already close enough to the fish.

When preparing for wraps, keep your arms bent with your hands low and close to your body. This will provide a shock absorber, buffering against leaders breaking, hooks pulling or getting straightened. If the fish jumps on the leader, you’ll have a little give and might not need to dump the line. There is nothing worse than dumping a fish and the double line not even leaving the rod tip. That being said, hanging onto smaller fish too long and flipping them over is very dangerous.

The Angler
Anglers should back off the drag on heavy tackle as soon as you have wraps. If you have to dump the leader and the drag is up high, the pressure on the reel will go from nothing to a lot in a split second. This can reef anglers out of the chair or turn them into frogs – with knees behind their ears. With wind-on leaders, the most common mistake is cranking a mate’s hand up and trapping wraps on the glove. The lighter drag, in this case, will enable the wireman to pull his hand down to a comfortable and safe height. Be careful, however, not to backlash the reel when doing so.

The Kill Shot
Securing a trophy fish with gaff is one of the most challenging in most events in sportfishing. When preparing to harvest a fish, safety comes first— no matter what. No matter how big the fish may be or how much money is on the line, it isn’t worth losing an eye ball or joining the underwater wireman’s club. Accidents can happen to anyone and we all must have respect for the fish and the ocean. When it comes to getting hurt (or worse), the first saying I was taught was, “There are those who have and there are those who have not, yet.”
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