Page 43 - Waves Magazine July 2019

will be swimming or how far you and is running off against the clicker, put your
can pull it; the retrieval might be reel back into gear and then off the clicker and
in half turns of your reel handle the fight is back on. This should be done auto-
or many — it depends a bunch on matically with any fish that’s about to be gaffed.
the fish, they are sort of like us
humans, they have different per- As with any sight fishing, polarized sunglasses
sonalities and attitudes. This heavy and a dark underbilled hat are close to being
side pressure seems to somehow must-use items; you can’t make a timely bait
disorient a big ling, allowing you presentation if you can’t see them as soon and as
lead it to the boat as if it were on long as possible. An example which shows you
a leash. While this may not sound never know when that ling of a lifetime is going
as sporty as a 30-minute battle, to show happened on May 6, 2001 : it was on the
time is always on the fish’s side; party boat Texsun Il out of Galveston — I was
also, tournaments don’t give added supposed to fish that day but something came up
points for long battles. Using this and I couldn’t make the trip. The person fishing
tactic, I’ve brought several of over on my spot had never been offshore fishing. He
70# to the gaff in about a minute hooked into this monster of a ling and was having
and a half. Unless you have a lot some trouble handling the rod, and after a strug-
of deck space to work with as gle, he gave the rod over to one of the deckhands,
on a party boat, for instance, a who pulled on it a while and then turned the rod
hook when it’s coming directly toward you, use ling of almost any size needs to over to Capt. Johnny Williams. After about 45
this method; give the rod an up sweep; the chance go directly into an appropriate size cooler. On minutes total, the brute was finally brought to
of a hookup is greater than a straight pull. In this the deck, they can break your leg or worse, and gaff. The thing was huge; Capt. Williams phoned
situation, a “J” hook has a greater hookup poten- destroy tackle, boxes, etc. Those 5 to 7 spines, me to come to the dock to take some photos —
tial. Use a horizontal or side sweep if the ling is remnants of a ling’s first dorsal fin, are short, I’m glad he did, it was the biggest ling any of us
sideways or going away from you; naturally, this stiff and sharp. Avoid them, they can inflict had personally ever seen. At the dock, on certified
sweep of the rod is done in the opposite direction serious, painful cuts very quickly. When a big ling scales, it weighed 111 1/2 lbs.!! It would have
that the ling is swimming. is brought boat side the first time after this down been, and would still be, the Texas State record;
and dirty technique, a miss with the gaff will re- too bad it took the three of them to get it in. This
After the hookup, the next round of fun begins. sult in a strong and long run. This is also the time just shows you never know what’s going to take
Most hooked ling will come to the near surface when your chances of losing your prize escalate, your bait and that you had better be ready.
area at some point. When one comes up shallow its weight falling against the reel’s drag can result
quickly, with heavy side/horizontal rod pres- in a broken line or pulled hook. When the gaff or The bottom line is watching what’s going on, hav-
sure, they can be brought to boat side quickly. gaffs are struck home, step back a step, quickly ing a plan that gets your bait presentation into the
This tactic, called “down and dirty” is basically put your reel’ s clicker on and the reel out of gear. strike zone and having a good fighting strategy
applying heavy rod and drag pressure to the left If your ling comes off the gaff, it will fall against and the tackle to do the job may produce your
if it’s swimming to your right and making it turn the clicker. This does two things you need most ling of a lifetime. Use the tried and proven true
and swim to your left. As it turns and starts left, at this point, preventing a pulled hook or broken rigging, baits and tackle as outlined, along with
your pressure on the line pulls it somewhat in line, and preventing a backlash while letting it run the fighting and gaffing techniques recommended.
your direction, as you retrieve as much line as you off against the slight pressure of the clicker. You They will go a long way in assisting you to bring
can. As it passes in front of you and to your left, may do this with thumb pressure, but I guarantee your ling of a lifetime to the boat and into the
horizontal pressure to the right is applied. Repeat you that the dumbest, properly working clicker cooler—springtime, summertime and beyond.
as necessary, this side pulling, swimming direction is smarter than the smartest human thumb! Over
changes and the retrieving of your line will bring the years, I’ve saved numerous sizeable fish of Patrick
a big ling to boat side quickly. The line retrieval varied species with this “on the clicker and out of
will naturally depend upon how much closer it gear” move. When your ling has its second chance Lemire

Waves Magazine | July 2019 Issue | 43