Looking back on the ATD 12

I was lucky enough to recently spend my vacation doing what I love the most on the water: fishing cows. Those big, round, sickle finned yellowfin that are the ultimate in long range fishing.

After getting home I got around to unpacking my reels from the trip about a week later. (Don’t gasp—I cleaned them on the boat.)

Reaching into the reel bag, I picked up my Accurate ATD 50 topless first. Thoughts of the 202 pounder I got on the “big reel” popped into my head. Then I grabbed the “little” ATD 12 and thought about the 252 I got on it. I replayed the fish in my head—the cast, the long soak, the bite, the dumping 400 yards of line, the end game—it all came back to me.

Sometimes anglers come up with realizations about their trips after they get off the boat. This was mine.

The “small reels, big fish” saying that Accurate pushes is real and here to stay. There’s a time when the added advantages of a small reel—castability, mainly—are the differences between getting bit and watching.

Some guys like to say, “You can’t fish cows with that thing!” “Kid, you’re going to have your work cut out for you if you get bit by a cow using that.” This is what the other guys sometimes say when they see a little reel like an ATD 12.

But they don’t keep this in mind: you can get over 500 yards of 100-pound hollow Spectra on the ATD 12. Back in the days of fishing straight mono on 50 wides, anglers were still “only” getting around 500 yards. The little reels have the drags, they have the gears, and they have the line capacity.

So here are my questions: What’s the difference? Why can’t a guy fish a little reel that has the same general capabilities as the stuff—like 50s and 80s—that was standard back in the mono days?

Some might say that you have a bigger spool—a bigger barrel if you will—with a 50-sized reel. And you do. But the little reels are so beefed up and a so tuned in, that anyone who is comfortable with a rod and reel can catch a cow on a little reel.

After all, sometimes the “little” things turn up “big” results.

Brandon Hayward

Western Outdoor News

www.AccurateFishing.com

Kevin & Stas - Cows and Super Cows

Kevin Leong and Stas Vellonakis represented Accurate on the recent Royal Star trip to "cow country.

We are proud to have these anglers on the Accurate Pro-Staff Team. They are two of the most talented of all Long Range tuna anglers. Their reputations and fishing accomplishments are legend throughout the San Diego Long Range fleet.

www.AccurateFishing.com

Team Old School "Schools" the Cow Stripers

We are having a GREAT Trophy season. I have been very busy in promoting these incredible Accurate products. Ben has been helping me quite a bit in providing me with what I need to do so in the way that I feel is most effective. I have taken a page out of your "long-range" book. I have always felt, since day one, that to hold and use an Accurate reel is the only way to appreciate these animals. I have loaned out rods and reels to anyone and everyone I could find, (and trust), during this trophy season. I deal and mentor the East Coast's best Striped Bass fisherman. These men are the best of the best and incredibly set in their ways.

HOWEVER!- They cannot argue that to boat a Cow Striper on an Accurate set-up is like going fishing again for the first time. I can honestly say without ANY exaggeration that every guy that caught a fish on an Accurate rig will be re-rigging over the next few months. The reels speak for themselves.

Thank you so much for your continued support,
I will continue to carry on, showing this side of the world what they are missing!

If there is anything else I can do, please let me know.


Thanks again and Happy Holidays.

Mike Smedley, Captain, Team Old School.

Rookie Comes Up Big

Roy Rose docked Fran LoPreste’s Royal Polaris at Fisherman’s Landing December 23 after an Izorline-sponsored trip with 19 anglers and chartermaster Howard Hada that lasted 14 days and visited Hurricane Bank, the Clarion Buffer Zone and the southern banks.

There were nine cows caught, with the largest an ineligible 291-pounder. In an impressive display of memory, skipper Rose recalled the name of each angler who got a cow, along with the weight of the fish, as all were weighed on the boat.

That largest tuna was taken by first-timer George Iwata of Montebello, on a sardine (skipper Rose said all the fish but one came on ‘dines) on a 6/0 ringed Super Mutu hook tied to 130-pound Izorline and 130-pound Izor Spectra backing on an Accurate 50 reel and a new Seeker 2 x 4 rod.

This fish fought hard for over an hour and Iwata needed some help, so his catch didn’t count in the jackpot.

“It was fantastic,” said George. “We got a lot of fish. I’ll be back again next year.”

Report by Bill Roecker at FishingVideos.com

www.AccurateFishing.com

SuperCows Come Home

Everybody Got One

Tim Ekstrom docked his Royal Star at Fisherman’s Landing December 22 with a wonderful catch of 33 cows, including four supercows. The trip was a 13-day Accurate-Bart Ryder expedition with a flyback option for those who wanted to come home after ten days of fishing. There were 13 anglers aboard, and each of them got at least one cow.

The trip’s whopper was a 364-pounder caught by Rob McAdam of San Francisco, after a fight of an hour and a half. It bit on a chunk hiding a 9/0 Eagle Claw hook. He used 130-pound Izorline and 130-pound Izor Spectra on an Accurate 50 reel and a 6465 XXH rod. Rob wasn’t at the landing, having flown home from Cabo. He won first place.

John Santaella of Santa Maria bagged the fish he’s been looking for after many years, a 312-pound yellowfin that sucked up his sardine on a 9/0 Eagle Claw and then spooled him, requiring a backup. He got all that line, too, and then expired and sank after about an hour.

Some four hours later Ekstrom was able to move the boat from its anchorage, and Santaella’s tuna, still on the line out there on the bottom, was slowly and carefully raised to the surface. John also had a tuna of 204 pounds.

Stas Velonakis of Torrance bagged the final 300-pounder after a tussle of an hour. He fished a sardine on a 5/0 Gorilla ringed hook, tied to 100-pound Izorline and 100-pound Izor Spectra on a small Accurate 12 reel and a Calstar 670 XH rod. Stas also had tuna of 221 and 208 pounds.

Jeff Burroughs of Long Beach, a former major league baseball all-star, also got a whopper of 295 pounds.

“He fought me on the bow for an hour and 20 minutes,” said Jeff, “around the anchor line. He was a big bulldog.”

Jeff said he fished a sardine on a 6/0 Gorilla ringed hook tied to 130-pound Blackwater fluorocarbon and 130-pound Line One Spectra on an Accurate 12 reel and a Calstar 7465 H rod.

Gary Nishi of Glendale popped four cows, at 277, 254, 248 and 246 pounds. He flylined sardines on 6/0 Gorilla hooks. He said he fished with 100-pound Blackwater fluorocarbon, 130-pound Line One Spectra, an Accurate 30 reel and a Calstar 6460 XXH rod.

Report by Bill Roecker at FishingVideos.com

www.AccurateFishing.com

Accurate visits the 2009 SKA Nationals In Biloxi

David Nilsen and I (Ben Secrest) were lucky enough to be invited to the recent SKA Nationals in Biloxi, MS to man a booth and talk with anglers prior to the tournament. The main bonus to the trip is the day of prefish we spent with Andre Moore and his team "Crikey" fishing for kings 100 miles off the beach. The morning started with a very cool breeze but ended up with decent fishing for kings with a couple decent ones caught and lots of action from other predators including some hyped up sharks. The BX2-500 really got a work out that week with "Crikey" prefishing and catching their fill of kings as well as a 94lb Wahoo and several big Yellow fin tuna.
Our Angler of the Year, Ron Mitchell got into the mix with a 100+ yellow fin on the SR-30 which he said worked perfectly. Fishing in general for the tournament was off the hook and the largest King fish caught in a tournament was weighed that exceeded 70+ pounds.
The Accurate teams finished highly with Ron Mitchell's "Bandit" taking Top Angler for the second time in recent years followed by Andre's team "Crikey" getting second Top Angler and Top Lady Angler for his wife Kim Bain Moore. Our friend Conrad Lau finished in fifth place for Top Angler and won Top Senior Angler for team "Koolau".

Overall the SKA Nationals is a great tournament and we really appreciate the support from those anglers using Accurate reels on the Tournament trail.
We look forward to next years finals and spending a few more days prior to the tournament listening to the sound of a smooth drag giving up some line to a fast swimming adversary.

Congratulations to our Pro Staff guys and we look forward to a great 2010 season for all.

Till next time, team Accurate signing out.

Shogun Get 14 200+ Cows

Shogun Gets 14 Over 200

The Seeker 13-day trip to the Hurricane Bank aboard Shogun with skipper Norm Kagawa returned to Fisherman’s Landing December 10 with 25 anglers.

Chartermaster and Seeker pro staffer Brian Porter of Downey remarked, “We had steady fishing with lots of new people. The fish got bigger as the days passed. We got one fish that broke off on a kite, double-sardine rig and then was caught again the next day, hook to hook, on the one hook that was still dangling from its lip.”

Skipper Kagawa said, “Fishing was very good, and we spent four and a half days at the bank. Most of ourt fish came on sardines. Some were caught on very large jigs, like th4e PL 68 and he TNT, during the dark. We got some on big baits like small tuna or skipjack.

“The kite worked well,” Kagawa continued, “and we got a few big wahoo as well. Pat Doyle won the Rollo jackpot for a 52.8-pound wahoo on the troll. This as one of our better trips to the bank.”

Dennis Groat of Redondo Beach won first place for a 233-pound tuna. He also had a 213-pounder.

“This one ties for my best,” said Groat. “He was a tough fish and stayed on the stern corner with another one, so we had to keep passing our rods. He came up to gaff in the other corner.”

Groat fished sardines on 6/0 ringed Super Mutu hook, with 100-pound Blackwater fluorocarbon and 100-pound Line One Spectra on an Accurate 50 reel and a Super Seeker 6463 XXXH rod.

Mike Kaneen of Hunting Beach won second place for a 218-pound tuna. He got it with a double sardine rig on the boat’s kite rig: 7/0 Super Mutu hooks on 130-pound Izorline and 130-pound Izorline Spectra, with an Accurate 50 reel and a Super Seeker 6463 XXXH rod. He also had a 213-pounder.

Report by Bill Roecker at Fishingvideos.com

www.AccurateFishing.com

Nice Pair of Twins Brandon

Saltwater Editor Brandon Hayward of Western Outdoor News got a 252-pounder and a 202-pound cow on the Excell Long Range boat. He remarked that he only made two or three casts between those hookups.

He baited sardines on 5/0 gorilla hooks tied to 100-pound Seaguar fluorocarbon and 100-pound Line One Spectra on an Accurate 12 topless reel and a Super Seeker 2 x 4 rod.

Report by Bill Roecker at FishingVideos.com

www.AccurateFishing.com

97 Pound Yellowfin on Boss 870

Bob Wheeler fished Isla Quadalupe on the Long Range Boat
Islander. Bob landed a 97 pound YFT on 40 pound test line. The big yellowfin was a personal best for Bob and also won the Jackpot for the trip.

Congratulations Bob !!!

www.AccurateFishing.com