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jenwren · 11-12-2013, 04:14 PM

The beast!
We just returned from fishing the Los Cabos WON fishing tournament. As always Pat McDonald and WON did an outstanding job. Any participants that didn't have fun at this event need to take a happy pill. Personally I couldn't take a steady diet of Cabo San Lucas but it sure is a fun place to visit.

2013 brought outstanding fishing as long as the target wasn't tuna. Los Cabos from Cabo San Lucas to the East Cape did have its moments but nothing like the bite we experience most years. This tournament was no exception. Dope on where the fish were was hard to come by. I think the reason was tuna were not abundant.

Ok, down to biz. Here is how the event went for us.

The day before the 2 day tournament we were scheduled to pre-fish. I had it in my mind that we were going to give Gordo Banks a go the first tournament day so decided to go out in the Pacific looking for something that would change my mind. We didn't find it so I decided Gordo it would be.

First thing in the morning I had a little strategy meeting with our team. My play book was to get 'er done early. Why wait until late? Let's flop one on the deck and I'll buy the beers at the bar. Seemed like a good plan to me.

7:00am bang the flare goes off and 130 some boats go racing off in every direction. The Gordo has 2 high spots an inner and an outer. We decided to give the outer a shot. After just a few minutes of our arrival on the high spot I counted 22 boats fishing this small area.

11:00am none of the 22 boats around us getting bit. This is not going according to my game plan. I'm trying to figure out what to do and pick up my binos to check the inner high spot. It is only 2.75 miles away and only has 9 boats on it.

Off we go! Upon arrival we plunk in our cut squid and chum a bit. It only took about 5 minutes and bendo! The battle starts out like a fight with most big tuna. The fish rips off 50 yards of line and then turns for the boat. I kick the boat in gear and the angler turns the reel handle as fast as he can. The fish takes off again and stops. We see saw with this crazy fish for 30 minutes and it won't settle down.

It all looks good to me I'm thinking. We are using an Accurate ATD 50 loaded with 100# spectra, a 60 yard 100# mono top shot, a short 90# floro leader and a 9/0 circle hook. It doesn't get any better than this. This baby is ours and so is the tournament.

Now it has been an hour and this beast is pulling the 20,000 pound Jen Wren III backward against the current at more than a knot per hour. We are putting ungodly pressure and I don't believe the fish can keep this up. It is all going according to plan. I can see the scale, I can taste the champagne.

An hour 30 the fish finally goes straight down. It is doing huge circles and we have it to the top shot. We get some, the fish gets some. The top shot connection keeps going back and forth through the rod guides. I'm not worried, our Calstar rod has AFTCO Big Foot guides made just for this. But we still haven't seen the fish and I'm getting anxious. It is time to play the angle and mess up the tunas pattern. Wait, the beast is reading my mind and starts to surface. We are all waiting for a glimpse but it never comes up.

Two hours and the tug of war continues. The fish is doing huge circles up swell not up and down. Time for me to mess it up and move the boat up swell and make it fight down swell. No sooner than I have the thought the beast moves down swell. This monster read my book and knows all my tricks. Every time we get the top shot coming on the reel I think that is it. Not so fast there it goes again. I have never encountered anything like this.

Two and half hours and the beast is not getting tired. The rod is bent the pressure is to the max and pop! Our 90# fluorocarbon broke at the knot. I didn't think we could break it but there it was.

Our team was deflated. It was tough to swallow. Up in the bridge I got a huge smile. I'm not the badest in the land and met my match. All I can say is I will be back!

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