Thanks to my friends for encouraging me to update the fish page. Just been too busy fishing. We'd like more fish stories and will try to update more often.

If you have pictures or fishing story to contribute, please e-mail Fishers@oii.net or mail to Out Island Internet, P. O. Box 556, Marshallville, GA 31057 or P. O. Box 20834, Marsh Harbour, Abaco, Bahamas.

My Prize Fish
by Barbara Farnan

I WANT TO HAVE IT MOUNTED!

In late January, my friend Dave Buchanan and his wife Jean and our next door neighbor, Casey Bak, went out fishing on Dave's boat , Skymaster's Toy. Dave has taught me a lot about fishing, but I don't know if he really thought I'd catch the big one. We had been having a great fishing day catching nice size groupers. Dave repositioned us to 185 feet off of Great Guana Cay.

I was using my trolling rod and reel with double hooks. Thought I'd caught a fish and then thought it had gone in a hole or I had the bottom (again). The guys said - you've got the bottom. I said, "I've got a big fish!I've got a big fish!" I sat in the fighting chair and just held tension and kept reeling in. Didn't take me more than 10 minutes.

I had a 2-fer. I had been fishing with grouper bait which had caught a strawberry grouper and this guy decided he wanted my grouper for lunch and got caught also.

I brought it up, but probably would not have been able to get it in the boat by myself. Dave and Casey gaffed it and brought it aboard.

A 67 pound rock grouper. I'll keep trying for a larger one, but this may be my record.

Nurse Shark
by Barbara Farnan

Well, they said I had the bottom again. I get caught on the bottom and lose more tackle than anyone. Decided to tie my line to a cleat and let the boat break my line. I anchored the boat for awhile - it didn't break. Thought I'd check the tension and realized it was not on the bottom. Slowly brought up this shark. Dave was looking over and kept saying, "It's a big fish! It's a big fish! IT'S A SHARK!!!" brought it up to the boat and took pictures and cut the line to let it go.

We were out on Dave & Ginny Cosman's boat, Guilt Free.

Amber Jack Off Guana
by Jim Sibel

It was the last week of August, late in the afternoon. Travis Hollenshead and I were tired of playing with barracuda and blue runners and hastily decided to give the bluewater a try. We cut through the pass at Scotland Cay, and high tide let us get out pretty quick. We were trolling some heavy rods with 80lb test heading up along the trough in front of Guana when we decided to put out another light rod with 20lb line. The result was predictable - the goggle eye got slammed hard, almost immediately, and the line started spinning off right down to bottom of the spool. We got the others in and started to chase the line to gain back some ground. The light rig only had 175 yds of line on it and we were down to the last few revolutions more than once. There are very few things in life that will set the heart racing like the sustained scream of a drag and this one was burning up. It was clear which side had the advantage in this deal. Did I take enough time with the knot? Should I risk it and tie off another spool? The adrenalin was flowing freely. Dark was coming fast and we were miles outside the reef - no radio, no light. Travis and I agreed, whatever it took we'd do, that included spending the night out there. After an hour, Travis began making audible deals with God. We chased more than we reeled for 45 more minutes until finally, after constant back and forth exchanges, we boated the 45 lb jack. After a 1 hour 45 minute battle, both Travis and the fish lay expired on the deck. I started hauling butt for home in the twilight. Great day, not to be forgotten.

Catching the fish in the head. . .
by George Douglas - Uncle Fred Catches a Tuna

It was in May in a spring in which the tuna fishing was exceptionally good. We had invited Barbara's Uncle Fred to come to GTC to visit and fish. One fine morning I (George Douglas) took Fred out to fish in Serendipity with Ronnie Sawyer along to run the boat. Fred, who is from Dallas, was a long time fisherman (angler) but his experience had been almost exclusively fresh water fishing, so this was a new adventure.

We ran out the Munjack Channel, went to the ledge and hung a left. We put out three lines and began our troll. After about ten or fifteen minutes I said to Fred--"This is pretty slow -- you know how to get a fish to strike?" "No" "You go down below to get a beer, or you go to the head -- it happens every time" Fred didn't know that I had noticed that Ronnie was steering us into some furious tuna bird action. So Fred said "I think I'll go to the head."

No sooner than he had his pants down we had a triple hookup---"FRED---FRED. HURRY UP--FISH ARE ON !" We boated all three and Fred was duly impressed with his new found knowledge of the art of tuna fishing.

(By the way, I've tried that repeatedly since without luck.)

The ones that didn't get away. . .

Dr. Ron Wilson and Ray Pearlson from Treasure Cay decided to go on the outside of Guana Cay to fish each in their own boat. They found a spot in about 600 feet of water and lowered their electric reels. As soon as hitting bottom they each were hit. They were raising their electric reels and claiming a BIG fish to bring in at about the same time. Coming to the surface, they found a grouper that was hooked with both of their hooks. Hungry grouper hitting both hooks!

Trolling for Dolphinfish

We always have to say "Dolphinfish" so people don't think we're catching Flipper. Donphinfish are one of the most beautiful, good fighting, and best tasting fish in our area. This spring in 1997 seemed to be a great year for the dolphins running. Would hear on the VHF that the boat was coming in because they were too tired and had caught between 15-20 fish.

Q.: How do you know when the fish are biting?
A.: If the fish are biting, they're biting. If they're not, they're not.

Q.: Where do you go to catch fish?
A.: Out there (pointing eastward)

Q.: Where did you catch that fish?
A.: In the mouth.

Q.: What do you use for bait?
A.: Other fish

Q.: What tide is best for catching fish?
A.: On a rising tide. On a falling tide.

The female fisher story:

We lived aboard our boat for awhile, but I didn't know much about fishing. Finally, we had aboard some friends who taught me some basics and I'm still learning. Try to get everyone to teach me about fishing. I don't know if it's just that fishers don't talk much, they don't give away their secrets, or they just do there own thing naturally, but it's hard to get some of them to talk. I have learned to observe and absorb and usually learn a new trick when I'm with someone.

30 lb dolphin caught off of Guana Cay

The first thing I have to do is convince them that I really will do everything on my own. The concept that a female could really do all of their own tackle and put bait on seems to elude them. Then, they also feel they have to be gentlemen and help you. I know I've been accepted when they ask you, "What did you use for bait?"

Went fishing with a fellow who had the usual gentlemanly fishing thoughts about women fishing. "They don't know anything, but I'll entertain them".

We trolled for awhile with no results and decided to do bottom fishing (my love). He worked with my tackle, which I said I could do, but he insisted. He cut bait, baited my hook, etc. Very, very nice even above my objections.

We had fished for awhile and caught some things. I experiment occasionally and put a grouper head on the hook and dropped. Caught a 25 pound grouper. He gaffs, we are excited. Then, he does not offer to help with any of my fishing anymore. His remark is, I can't go in with a skirt on. He tries and gets a large grouper, but not as large. We are late going in and have people ready to come out to find us. I've not been asked to fish with him again!

.

Dave Buchanan with 40 lb. tuna catch of the day..

Dave & Jean Buchanan fish on their Bertram, Skymaster's Toy, off of Guana Cay in about 180-200 feet of water. The beautiful part of fishing in the Abacos is you can fish in shallow water, go to 40-50 feet and fish, go about 1-2 miles out and fish in 150-200 feet, or go 3-4 miles out and be in 600 feet of water.

They usually bottom fish in 150-200 feet of water. Dave likes to use small live bait he catches in a fish trap off of his dock. He takes the small fish out to sea in a 5 gallon bucket with a top that is battery/solar poiwered aerated to keep them alive. The hooks go into the mouth of the little fish and he drops them down. Dave also likes to keep a surface fishhing rod out. This is a ballyhoo with a skirt on it for any fish that might be interested.

The above tuna was caught in this manner. Jean was putting out the surface line and something hit. Dave took over and worked the line and hooked the tuna and brought it in. Boy, did we have discussions on who caught this fish. Dave worked 45 minutes to an hour with the fish running and then reeling in. Our guesses were - shark, barracuda, wahoo, etc. Finally we could see the fish and it was this beautiful tuna. It was tired and circled. Dave kept bringing him in and close.to the boat. We all were so excited and then we did a song and dance routine in gaffing and finally Dave had him gaffed and in the boat!

We continued the day with about 20 grouper and a few trigger fish.

When we arrived back, cleaned the fish and Jean prepared a wonderful sushi sauce and we had tuna sushi. If someone wants the suchi recipe Jean fixed, please e-mail and we will pass along.

ANOTHER WORLD

The Wachtel's, Harold & Carolyn, in Treasure Cay make fishing a family outing. Their grandson, Joseph Wachtel from Morristown, NJ, is proud to show his catch of the day.

Another fun catch in the Bahamas is the barracuda. Here, Hal Wachtel has his 54" barracuda lassoed.

E-mail your fish story and photos to: Fishers@oii.net

Copyright © 1997-2000, Out Island Internet, Ltd.
Marsh Harbour, Abaco, Bahamas
Feb 15, 2000
All rights reserved. webmaster@oii.net