The One That Got Away

By Ernie Ringgold

I’ve been on a quest for a few years now to catch a 100 pound tuna. I asked all the experts and they all agreed that my best chance for big tuna was on a long range boat out of San Diego for 12-16 days. Just thinking about a trip like that is staggering to the average angler. Things like time and cost not to mention having the gear for that type of trip, it’s a lot to consider, and I could never get any of my buddies to go with me.

One day I was at Kens Custom reels in Oceanside and Ken recommended I look into some of the boats out of Puerto Vallarta, because they catch giant tuna without the amount of days or expense of a 12-14 day long range trip. I looked into the operations out of Puerto Vallarta and couldn’t figure what outfit was right for me. Finally one Saturday morning as I was listening to the Let’s Talk Hookup radio show and I find out that they had a trip setup to go to Puerto Vallarta, and it had spots open. I quickly signed up to go on the inaugural Lets talk hook up trip on the Journeyman. I had a great time the first year, the boat is beautiful, and the crew is top notch I mean first class in every way.  The moment you land in Puerto Vallarta everything is taken care of.  All I could manage that first trip was a 80-90 pound tuna, not a small fish, but still I didn’t reached my goal.

I was so close the first year I had to sign up for the following year and that’s where I am now. As I write this I am sitting in the lounge of the sport fisher Journeyman feeling excited and dejected at the same time. You see, I did catch the giant tuna, well I hooked it, and fought it all the way to gaff. It was a really big fish (to me) at least that’s what it looked like. As you might have guessed by now I never landed this big fish, it broke off before we could get a gaff into it, It’s the one that got away.

I’m not heart broken or anything like that in fact I’m more humbled at the strength and power of these majestic fish we hunt. I learned a few valuable lessons during this battle, I fought this fish for about 45 minutes and it kicked my butt!

Lesson # 1 if you’ve been fighting a big fish for a while and you’re having trouble getting it in. I found that it’s easier to gain line if your reel is in low gear .

Lesson #2 Don’t fight the fish so hard at first, keep a tight line, follow the fish and wait until the fish is straight up and down then put the pressure on it, save your strength.

Lesson #3 Finger tape and gloves are imperative, as spectra will destroy your hands, never go to the rail unless your ready to catch a fish, the one time you throw a bait unprepared is when you will hook up.

Lesson # 4 this one is very important, you need to spend time at the rail soaking a bait, chances are your not going to be in a wide open giant tuna bite, put in your time in at the rail.

After having fought one of these big fish I don’t profess to be any kind of expert, in fact I know I have a lot to learn. I now have a new respect for the people who hunt and catch  these giant fish. Now I know why the boats leaving Point Loma for 12-14 days and longer are always full of anxious anglers. I know why they all have that look in their eyes, the look you only get when you’ve battled one of these beasts. For me this quest is just beginning, my first fish won, but I’m not done, not by any stretch of the imagination. I’ve had a taste of the hunt, and now I have that anxious feeling, I can’t wait to fight again, I now have that look in my eye, I’ve got to catch that one that got away.