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Fishing Report for Ft. Lauderdale & Port Everglades
Capt. Cary Hanna
September 19, 2005
Fort Lauderdale - Saltwater Fishing Report
September 15th, Big boy Swordfish report. Sep 18 2005
I can't believe how much action went on this weekend. For some unknown reason I was booked for day and night trips all week, doing 3 night trips in a row and 5 morning trips in a row finishing last night. I was coming home from the morning trips and slept for 2 hours then got ready for the Sword trips. After the Sword trips I came home around 3 am and slept for 2 hours and got ready for my 6:30 am trip. I'm glad it's all over and I can rest a few days.
It all started Thursday night with a crew of 4 bankers from Manhattan who were ready to get on some Swordfish including 1 girl. Seas were nice and calm. We set up our first drift and right away we had our first one on. Hook came unglued after 2 minutes, thats fishing. During that drift I hear an 86 incher boated in 20 minutes. I hear the fish got tangled in every line and came in much quicker.
The first drift nears its end as we were drifting to the inside so we reset. This time the drift was kicking us out so I positioned us a bit more inside. What happened next was a gift from above because not much could of went wrong. I set my first line with a huge Blue Runner and attached the new LP electralume Full Spectrum light and sent him down. I attached the balloon and let it go on its way. I watched it move away from the boat as I was ready to set the next rod. But I noticed something funny, the light stick I taped on the top of the balloon was laying on its side but not in the water. I said to myself, "I know I didn't tape that damn stick to the side of the balloon." With the corner of my eye I caught a glimpse of the Electralume swimming on the surface and racing for Cuba. I ran up front and reeled like a madman to get tight and sure enough we were on. Within 10 minutes or less we have the light to the rod tip and I grab the leader and start to pull. I couldn't pull an inch but was able to turn him as he made a big circle and turned towards the north this time, I had to let go. I think the fish was curious of the boat because the fight got serious from here out.
The fight was under control as he stayed around the 150 marker. Then he made a jump and we saw shoulders, nice fish I said as he dives again. About every 15 minutes he made a jump, 6 times in total, and showed us a little more of him which was easy to see with the strong moonlight. Finally he makes a jump within a 100 feet of the boat and cleared the water with a nice horizontal jump. The moonlight glistened on him and I saw the biggest fish I have ever seen up close. This fish now takes a fast dive and there was no stopping him. I was gettting real worried at this point because the drag was set perfect at strike and the line was pinging like a banjo. We had about 200 yards of line or less on the reel and the fish stopped.
This was our moment to get some line back. By this time the rod was passed around about 4 times and it good thing it landed in the right guys arms. A pretty big guy at over 6 foot and 240 pounds he says. I start getting in his ear and yelling to crank like he's never cranked before, never letting up I continued to batter him with words as sweat just poured off his body. "Don't stop, keep cranking, come on, come on." I felt like I was back at the gym years ago when I was into training and my partner Gary would yell in my face to get that heavy weight up.
For 15 minutes we kept up this chant with Van Hallen cranked as loud as it goes on my radio. We had to put line back on this reel before he took another dive that could of cost us this fish. The fish continued to come to the 150 marker and held us their. Finally the girl on the boat was feeling confident and wanted to feel this fish. I was sceptical but she was insistant, so we put the gimbal on her but not the harness because I knew their was no way she could hold on. She held the fish with both arms on the grip and I slowly let go of the rod and she gave way to laughter as the rod just hit the gunnels as she gave way to his power. I picked it up for her and let her feel it agian as the rod took another dip and she gave way to laughter again.
Ok enough is enough and we are going to boat this fish right now. New guy is up to bat and buckled in. This fight was keeping us on the bow but what side was he going to surface? I got us situated as I cleated off my flying gaff to the starbord bow cleat. I had Justin hold the gaff in position as I was near to leader time. Up comes the light and I grab the leader and as the same as the first time I felt serious weight and was only able to turn him as he passed under us about 10 feet and again I had to let go. This time he did't go far and I was back on the leader and successfully lead him to the bow. His enormous head busted the surface calmly as a puppy dog. His eyes were the size of baseballs and as beautiful as ever. What seemed like a standstill in time was just seconds as he just waited for his death. I grabbed the flyer and stuck him in the gil plate and walked him to the stern. He gave me no trouble at this point probably because he was dead. 4 of us grabbed the rope and pulled him in the back door and our catch layed there on the floor. His bill was 4 feet in length. His body went all the way up past the console on my 32 footer as his tail layed gently on the stern.
This was just too amazing looking at a fish that we guestimated to be 400 pounds+. He was hooked inside out in the corner of his jaw. 118 inches overall, 79 inch short lenght and a 53 inch girth. 1 hour and 45 minutes it took to get him in the boat. We got him back to the 15th street docks and tied up my pig and deer scale that goes over 400 pounds from Bass Pro Shops to a coconut tree, and used a pulley to winch him up. He went 301 pounds. The biggest 300 pounder I have ever seen!! No his meat was not wasted for some trophy but the crew is going to get a few mounts of this beautiful fish.
On our day trips we did pretty good this week with some Sailfish action and also the Dolphin showed up. There has been acres of baits swimming close to shore and I don't mean the mullet run, lots of little tunas. The early start is your best bet by 7am or earlier. Pics are on the website @ www.newlattitude.com
Till next tide,
Captain Cary Hanna
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