A Little Luck Couldn’t Hurt

The first time Tom Burke went fishing on a long range boat he won the jackpot for a bluefin. The Buffalo, New Yorker came back this year on the Qualifier’s annual Accurate trip hoping to get a 100-pounder. His luck was still good, and Burke came up with a 291.2-pound yellowfin to win the jackpot.

Not to say the fish didn’t have a chance. It got its money’s worth out of Burke by beating him up for two and a half hours. Then Tom had to sweat getting it through the sharks, which he did.

The trip spent about three days each at the Hurricane Bank and offshore at Clarion Island. The bank provided a good catch of wahoo. More wahoo and the bulk of the big tuna came from Clarion’s Buffer Zone. There were 19 anglers on the 16-day trip skippered by Joe Crisci and led by Jack Nilsen and Gary Gillingham of Accurate. They ended up with ten cows and two tuna that weighed in at around 199 and a half pounds.

“We had a good ride down,” said Gillingham, “and good fishing for three days at the bank and again at Clarion. Eight of our anglers had a personal best.”

Burke’s first-place fish certainly qualified as a best. He said he got it with a sardine on a 5/0 VMC hook tied to 100-pound Izorline and 130-pound Line One Spectra on an Accurate ATD 50 reel and a Calstar 6460 XXH rod.

Pete Corselli of La Habra won second place for his best tuna ever, a 269.2-pounder.

“He went around the boat three times, with his sickle out of the water and everybody on the boat hollering about it,” said Corselli, “and I thought, ‘I’m never gonna get this fish. When I finally pulled him over to the boat we gaffed in midship on the starboard side.”

Corselli and several of the other anglers aboard the trip are featured in the just-finished video, “Hurricane ‘Hoos,” coming in a week or two from FishingVideos.com. He told dock reporter Bill Roecker that this fish bit on a sardine pinned to a 7/0 Eagle Claw hook on 130-pound Big Game line and 130-pound Line One Spectra on an Accurate 50 W reel and a Calstar 760 H rod.

Regular long ranger Allen Lemberg of San Diego had some pretty fair luck himself, winning third place for the best one of his three cows. The fish weighed 262, 253 and 248.4 pounds. The best one was only two pounds short of his personal mark, he noted. Allen said he lost two other big fish, one of which was bigger than the three he put on the boat. It was lost when he straightened a hook, he said.

Allen got his fish on sardines and 5/0 VMC hooks, he said. He used 130-pound Izorline and 130-pound Izor Spectra on the late Dr. Bob Fechner’s Accurate ATD 50 reel and a Seeker 6465 XXH rod.

Paul “Scooter” Silverman of Windsor, CO wasn’t in the jackpot. He got a 274.2-pounder with a sardine on a 7/0 Mutu ringed hook on 130-pound blue Izorline and 130-pound Izorline Spectra. He fished with the late Del Marsh’s Accurate ATD 50 reel and a Baja Boomer rod.

“That one took me around the boat five times,” said Scooter. “I got him after an hour.”

Keng Chee Jin of Singapore bagged a 237.8-pound tuna with a sardine on a 5/0 ringed Super Mutu hook. He used 130-pound line and 130-pound Line One Spectra on an Accurate ATD 50 reel and a Calstar 755 XXH rod to get his fish in 45 minutes.

Pin Yam Ng of Malaysia was a hot stick, said the other anglers. He got a 226 and a 233-pound tuna, with sardines on 5/0 ringed Super Mutu hooks. He fished with 130-pound Jin Kai line, 130-pound Line One Spectra on an Accurate 50W reel and a Calstar 770 H rod.

Chartermaster Gary Gillingham of Duarte spent a tough hour on a 223-pound tuna.

“He came up with his sickle out of the water for about ten minutes of that time,” he said.

Gillingham fished a sardine on a 6/0 Offshore hook tied to 130-pound Seaguar fluorocarbon and 130-pound Line One Spectra. He said he used An Accurate ATD 30 reel and a Calstar 770 XXXH rod.

Singapore Fishing Outfitter Alvin Lim was aboard, with a group of five other anglers. They posed with one of the two cows caught by Ng.

Older Than Wiesenhutter’s Record

Most long rangers know that the oldest IGFA world record for yellowfin tuna is also for the biggest one: Kurt Wiesenhutter’s 388-pound, 12-ounce supercow caught way back in April of 1977. But for age, that one doesn’t hold a candle to the oldest record of all, for a yellow perch, of all things! That record is held for a four-pound, three-ouncer caught in 1865 by Dr. C. Abbot in Bordentown, NJ.

Report by Bill Roecker at FishingVideos.com

AccurateFishing.com

Singapore Sling Hits the Lower Banks

Big Day On the Q

"Another fantastic day on the Qualifier 105. It started about an hour after sunrise and lasted all day! We pulled the anchor were we spent a great night, and started to troll around. A couple of fish were up and chasing some sort of baitfish just out in front of the boat so we stopped. It didn’t take long before a few heavies were hooked. The first few fish seemed to be BIG as our anglers were all fishing heavy tackle and having a tough time slowing these monsters down.

"One angler who did a great job from start to finish with NO help needed in any way from the crew was Pin Yam Ng. He landed one that taped around 265, and then the next to hit the deck was Allen Lemberg with a fish right at 200 lbs. The next was Scooter Silverman with another 265! All three are something to be proud of and their true weights won't be known until we reach San Diego next week. A little comedy today up on the bow, we are lucky to have two chefs that can and will work on deck if we need them.

"Today Cappy was up on the bow with an angler who needed to get around the anchor. This can be tricky, you lie on the winch that pulls the anchor and hand the rod under the anchor rope. Thing was, here is Cappy laying up there fighting a huge fish trying to pass the rod under the rope and we are drifting! No anchor rope in the water just in a pile on deck, when that was pointed out to Cappy the look on his face was priceless! Today’s picture is (L to R), Pin, Scooter, Allen, and "Jacurate" in front. All three fish were landed with the world’s best reels, Accurates!

"Tomorrow we are planning a repeat of today and there are some huge fish in the area, wish us luck."

Report by Bill Roecker at FishingVideos.com

www.AccurateFishing.com

Cows on the Qualifier 105

Coastside Makes Withdrawal From Bank

The seventh annual Coastside Fishing Club Charter on the Qualifier 105 returned to Pt. Loma Sportfishing April 25 after a 15-day trip with 17 anglers. Chartermaster Chris Hall of Modesto showed his anglers how to do it by catching the biggest tuna. The anglers told dock reporter Bill Roecker they had experienced shark problems in the Buffer Zone, but managed to get most of their big tuna aboard at the Hurricane Bank.

“The water was 77 degrees,” said skipper Crisci, “and the current was a little light and switchy, going from southwest all the way around to southeast each day, so there were plenty of anchor jobs. When it got to southeast the bite shut off.

“There was no wind and little swell. The weather was almost too good. When the balloons wouldn’t work right, just go straight up. But we ended up with nine cows.”

Chartermaster Chris Hall won first place for his 247.8-pound yellowfin. He said he used a sardine on a ringed 4/0 Super Mutu hook tied to 80-pound Big Game line and 100-pound Big Game Spectra. He fished with an Accurate ATD 30 reel and a seven-foot G. Loomis rod.

“It took two hours, and we had to get out the backup,” he said. He bit right off the side of the boat, not 50 feet away. I just threw it out, got picked up immediately. He stayed on top at first and ran right toward the high spot.

“They got the backup ready, but he stopped. Then he went down and I finished the fight on the back. He came up in the port stern corner.”

Jack Thrush of Milbray won third place for his tail-wrapped 216.2-pound tuna. He brought it to gaff in an hour, after it bit on a double sardine rig under the kite. He used the boat’s rig, with 7/0 Eagle Claw hooks on 130-pound Big Game line and 130-pound Big Game Spectra. The boat rig uses an Accurate ATD 50 reel and a Calstar 760 XXH rod.

Thrush said he also got a 130-pound tuna on a heavy Sumo jig in blue and chrome, with 60-pound line and an Accurate BX2 600 reel.

Qualifier 105 will depart again Tuesday April 27 on the annual Accurate trip with chartermaster Jack Nilsen, who will provide free loaner gear, the latest Accurate reels and rods to go with them, for all aboard. There is still a spot or two open on the trip.

Report by Bill Roecker with FishingVideos.com

www.AccurateFishing.com

Losey Rings Cow Bells on Accurate

Richard Losey of Carlsbad won third place for a 220.2-pound tuna. He got his with a sardine on a new Mustad 7/0 Demon hook in 4X strength. He said he fished with 130-pound Blackwater fluorocarbon and 130-pound Line One Spectra on an Accurate 50 reel and a Calstar 770 XXXH rod.

By Bill Roecker at FishingVideos.com

AccurateFishing.com

312# Super Cow on ATD 30

Supercow Comes Home

The latest addition to the season’s collection of supercows arrived aboard Royal Polaris April 21 when Frank LoPreste’s sportboat carrying the fish and the gear for 21 anglers on the Bill Nakaki 18-day trip docked at Fisherman’s Landing. The boat tied up as a few small blustery showers rolled through, not enough to get anyone soaked. A good crowd was there to meet the boat and see John Yamate’s fish come off.

We had good weather,” said Frank to dock reporter Bill Roecker. “We had very good fishing; outstanding wahoo fishing.

“The cows bit on sardines better than the kite this trip. There were sharks everywhere but they weren’t a huge problem.

“I’d say the Blackwater fluorocarbon was well-tested this trip. Yamate got his big fish on a little five-foot piece of topshot he had left after catching several other fish with it. We had 10 tuna over 200 pounds, and the one over 300.”

John Yamate is the manager at Seaforth Sportfishing, and while he’s made some nine or 10-day trips in the past, he hasn’t fished much long range in recent years because of family and work obligations.

“This is my first long trip,” he said. “I probably did everything wrong. I had caught some fish of 100 to 140 pounds or so earlier that day and all I had left of the topshot was about five feet.

“I hooked the big fish about six PM right under the bow, after about a two-second soak with the sardine. He took off straight out, and they went for the backup rig, but he stopped his run and went down and I didn’t need it.

“Then he got up and down, and I walked back to the stern. Most of the fight was back there, between the corners. He came up to gaff right at sunset, after about an hour and a half.

“When I saw him at the end I thought, that’s pretty big! I had no idea he was that big until then. I credit the crew for getting the fish. It proved the need to use good equipment, too.”

LoPreste weighed the big tuna on the certified scales at Fisherman’s Landing, along with the other top contenders for the jackpot. Yamate’s fish came in a 311.8 pounds.

John Yamate said he baited his sardine on a 6/0 ringed Super Mutu hook tied to 100-pound Blackwater fluorocarbon and 100-pound Blackwater Spectra. He used an Accurate ATD 30 reel and a Calstar 770 H rod.

By Bill Roecker at FishingVideos.com

AccurateFishing.com

FISHING WITH JESUS

JESUS COMPANIONI IS AS GOOD AS IT GETS IN SAN DIEGO LONG RANGE CREW TALENT.

PHOTO BY OUR FRIEND BARRY WIGGINS

Line Retrieval On Boss Reels

You've been asking for the inches of line retrieved per turn of the handle and here are the figures. These numbers also apply to the corresponding old models.

BX-400/400N = 23"

BX-500/500N = 28"

BX-600/600N/600NN/600W = 33"

BX-400X/400XN = 33"

BX-500X/500XN = 36"

BX-600X/600XN/600XNN/600XW = 47"

BX2-400/400N Hi = 33"

Lo = 16"

BX2-500/500N Hi = 36"

Lo = 17"

BX2-600/600N/600NN/600W Hi = 39"

Lo = 18"

BX2-30/30N Hi = 41"

Lo = 18"

BX2-50 Hi = 48"

Lo = 20"

Tight lines,

Team Accurate

Catalina Island White Seabass

Catalina Island White Seabass

The arrival of the Long Beach Fred Hall also coincides annually with the arrival of the white seabass migration at Catalina Island. Catching seabass from a private boat is often a better bet since smaller boats are quieter and can get into tighter spots than the larger party boats. My 30’ Skipjack Santiago, named for the old man in Hemmingway’s Old Man and the Sea, is the perfect vessel to target these fish. The boat is fast, economical, has a large fishing cockpit, a 5 kw generator, and 5 scoops of live bait.

White Seabass, also known as the gray ghosts because of their stealthy nature, are a part of the croaker family and can be caught in southern California from March through November. They generally range from 10 to 50 pounds and must be at least 28 inches to keep. The limit ranges from one to three fish per angler depending on the time of the year. The one fish limit corresponds to their spawning season. The fish can be caught in as shallow as 8 or 10 feet of water and as deep as over 100’of water.

The key to catching seabass is to find the live squid. These are not the large 3’ Humbolt squid that have invaded our waters and are eating everything in sight, rather the smaller 4” to 7” squid that migrate to our waters every winter to spawn. Live squid can be caught by shining bright lights into the water in certain areas of the coast where squid are known to spawn. The squid spawn over sandy beaches and are drawn to bright lights. When the squid come to the lights, anglers are able to use a crowder (a 5 square foot section of net stretched between two poles) and a Braille net to catch the squid. Another option is to purchase squid from one of the commercial boats at a cost of $60 per scoop.

My tackle of choice includes a Calstar 800XL and an Accurate BX 400X or BX 400X narrow filled with 60 #spectra to a 15’ section of 40# fluorocarbon. On the business end I prefer an 8/0 Aki long shank and a ¾ sliding egg sinker. The long rod allows me to make long casts and work the squid back to the boat similar to the way a largemouth bass fisherman works a plastic worm. The incredible freespool of the Accurate BX 400X reel allows me to make long casts. Being able to cast long distances is the key to fishing tight spots for white seabass.

Once I hook a fish, the twin drag enables me to put the brakes on the fish before its powerful tail can make it to the nearby kelp. I can pull as hard as I need to with 60# spectra and 40# fluorocarbon and an 8/0 hook without worrying about a tackle failure. Additionally, the heavier line keeps me from getting bitten off by the seabass’ sharp and abrasive teeth.

Successful seabass fishermen know that there are three keys to success. Each component must come into play for the private boater to be rewarded. First, the weather must cooperate. Since most of my fishing is done in the backside of Catalina, weather is a huge factor. The backside of the island is very exposed to the oftentimes unfriendly Pacific Ocean. There is nothing to block the wind and the swell. Picking good weather days is a must. I find buoyweather.com a huge advantage in picking the days I can fish. The next hurdle to overcome is finding live squid. While fresh frozen will also work, I prefer having the live squid. Lastly, and most importantly you must know where to fish.

I find a huge part of running your own boat is establishing a network of serious fishermen. You must be willing to share information to get information. These relationships take years to develop. There is no substitute for being able to pick up the phone and call a friend who fished the day before. While conditions always change, it’s really a good feeling to know that you are in the spot where the fish bit yesterday.

I had been watching the weather and I had a couple of days off from work and wanted to squeeze in a trip and target my first seabass of the season. I rounded up my crew of one (Chuck Fedak). While I prefer to take at least 3 guys to split expenses, everyone had other commitments. We left Dana Point harbor at 2 pm armed with frozen squid. The plan was to fish the afternoon with frozen squid and make squid that night and fish the next day. We arrived to the island and found the perfect conditions. Seabass prefer the off color, milky water where they can remain stealthy. My favorite location is where the milky water reaches a kelp line. I also like the middle of a sandy cove that has kelp lines on either side of it. The seabass swim the shallows (anywhere from 5- 50’ of water) and look for food. My quest is to position the boat along a rough I believe the seabass will take while swimming up or down the island.

I pulled up to my favorite kelp line that sits in 6 fathoms. I checked the water color and noticed the off color, milky water. So far, so good. I looked at the direction of the kelp stringers and saw them pointing downhill toward the east end of the island. I dropped the anchor in 8 fathoms and slid back to a kelp line keeping my stern a good 100’ from the kelp line. The plan was to make a long cast toward the kelp line and let the downhill current pull our baits into the kelp. It was important to stay far enough away from the kelp to not spook the fish, and to have a chance of being able to stop a nice seabass from getting into the kelp once hooked.

Seabass fishermen know the importance of patience. You must realize that you are fishing for a trophy. It’s also important to make sure you have all aspects of the equation. The water color must be right, the temperature, and the current. It is not uncommon to watch as the conditions develop. I often sit in one of my favorite spots and wait for the right conditions to develop. When they finally do it’s game on. The reward in the end is a beautiful Catalina Island white seabass.

We waited for the conditions to develop. Initially the current was just a trickle. The boat swung back and forth on the anchor making fishing tough. As time passed, the current strengthened. The smaller calico bass, sargo and other assorted bottom grabbers became active. We continued to fish hard while continuously changing our baits. I believe the smaller fish create a commotion that the seabass are attracted to. The tap, tap, tap of the smaller fish is unmistakable, but when a seabass bites there is no doubt that it’s the right kind.

We waded our way through the little guys. Finally Chuck says, “I am bit and it’s the right kind.” I look at his spool and I can see the fish steadily taking line off his spool. He lets the fish run for a 5 count and he slams the hook home. His rod bends and the drag starts screaming. The tell tale sign of a seabass it the dramatic head shakes were evident. The fish took him to the bow and around the anchor line. He swiftly negotiated his rod around the line and came out on the other side. I saw a silver flash confirming it was the “right” kind. I sunk the gaff home and we were on the board with our first Catalina seabass of the 2010 season. More importantly, I knew we were in the right spot and the conditions were just getting better.

Now it was my turn. Instead of the tap, tap, tap, from the little fish, I felt a huge clunk on the end of my line. The pressure increased and I could feel the weight of the “right” kind. I set the hook and the fish headed straight for the kelp. I had set the drag pretty tight since we were fishing on the kelp line. I pulled hard and could feel the kelp rubbing on the line. By keeping contestant pressure on the fish I was able to pull him out. He changed his tactic and headed for deeper water, smoking drag off the reel. I kept pressure on the fish and in a few minutes Chuck was able to get a nice gaff shot in a 25# Catalina seabass.

White seabass off the California coast is a great way to spend the winter months. The beauty of the island and the quiet serenity is quite a different scene than the offshore quest for blue water pelagic. I am looking for another 3 months of seabass fishing until the migratory tuna, marlin and Dorado arrive off of our coast.

Paul Lepore

Accurate ProStaff

AccurateFishing.com

NC Kayak Bluefin

Hey, I thought you guys might enjoy this story and would like to share. Anyways, I'm the angler in this story and was fishing with my Accurate BX2-500 reel off the coast of Hatteras, NC from my kayak. Turns out to be the new world record overall biggest tuna caught by kayaker. - Matt Shepard

Heres the story and some pics by Ric Burnley-

Kayak Bluefin

I was cooking Fajitas for my family when Captain Scott Warren of the Big Tahuna called from Hatteras. He had a day off, the weather was forecast to be tolerable, and he offered to take me and my buddies to target bluefin in our kayaks. While finishing the fajitas, I scrambled to pull together a crew and by midnight, Lee Williams, Matt Shepard, and I were heading for Hatteras.

We crashed on the boat and met Scott and mate Kenny Koci when they arrived shortly before 6AM. We loaded kayaks, tackle, and gear then pulled away from the dock just as the sun was rising.

For the past month, the bluefin bite has been phenomenal off Hatteras, North Carolina. Boats running to the edge of the Gulf Stream have been catching 100 to 200 pound bluefin by chunking, jigging, trolling and even throwing top water poppers. This was the first time anyone fishing out of Hatteras would try to catch one of these fish in a kayak.

We got to the temperature break and landed right in the middle of the fish. Before we launched the kayaks, Kenny put out a couple baits to prospect for fish; within minutes both lines were hooked up. We worked those fish to the boat; each around 50 pounds. While we ran back to the break to launch the yaks, we put another bait out. That lasted less than a minute. After boating another 50 pounder, Scott kept the baits in and took us to the break where we launched the kayaks.

As usual, the weatherman was wrong about the conditions. Our forecasted 10 to 15 turned into 15 to 20 and 2 to 4 was more like 3 to 5. But we had come so far and worked so hard that we weren't going to let the weather get in the way of making history.

Each of us carried two medium heavy jigging rods; one rigged with a vertical jig and one baited with a naked ballyhoo. The idea was to drift/troll the ballyhoo while dropping the jig on fish marks. Scott would troll down the line ahead of us and inform us over the radio when he marked fish. Then we would drift behind him while jigging.

I hooked up first, but it was only a 5 pound albacore. A few minutes later, Lee hooked up with a bigger fish. Much bigger. One second, Lee was bobbing next to me wildly jerking on his jigging rod, the next second he was being dragged through the 3 foot chop and 5 foot swells while screaming and hooting. A minute later his line broke and the fight was over, but we were all amped about the action.

We continued to work the edge. Drifting in the 3 knot current and wind while watching giant hammerheads watch us, passing through hundreds of Portuguese man-of-war jellies, and catching a glimps here and there of swirling tuna. Each of us hooked a half dozen fish, but each battle would only last a few minutes before these powerful fish would break the line or pull the hook. Even though we were all experienced anglers, nothing could prepare us for the explosive speed and mind-bending power of these tuna. Each encounter unfolded the same way: a bluefin would hit like a freight train, whipping the kayak around into the wind and seas, then take off dragging us at up to 7 knots while emptying the spool of line in seconds. When we would increase the drag to the point of being yanked out of the yak, the line would break or the hooks would pull. But each time we lost a fish, we learned a valuable lesson.

After several hours in the water, and dozens of fish hooked, fought and lost, we finally figured it out.

As the conditions worsened, and we considered pulling the plug, Matt hooked into a big fish that pulled him from the warm water into the cool. He held on while the tuna dragged him and emptied his reel. After a half mile the fish slowed and took the fight deep. Matt let the tuna tow him around, gaining line when he could, loosing line when he couldn't, and waiting for the fish to tire out.

An hour and a half and 2 and a half miles later, the fish gave up and came to the surface. Lee was poised to stick the huge fish with a gaff, but the tuna turned towards the boat and Kenny reached out with his gaff and ended the battle.

The crew celebrated like Super Bowl champions. Matt was hoisted out of his yak and into the handshakes and back slaps from his fellow anglers. His fish weighed 166 pounds; the first bluefin caught off Hatteras by a kayaker.

223# Cow on the TwinSpin 50

FINALLY A SPINNING REEL TOUGH ENOUGH TO MAKE THE COWS COME HOME.

I have been fortunate enough to have been a long range fisherman for going on 5 decades, catching more than my fair share of big fish. During that time I took off 15 years to raise my son. When he was old enough I came back to find the industry, which had not changed much in 30 years, had made some enormous advances in the way of fishing gear. New reels and hollow Spectra had become a world changer. Though my old gear had seen their fair share of battle it was clear the newer gear would make life easier for a 15 year older version of me.

Having been in the Aerospace Manufacturing business most of my life, building hardware on everything from the Apollo engines to the Space Shuttle main engines, I am more than aware of quality, engineering and attention to detail in everything I purchase. When I discovered Accurate Grinding, a machine house offering products to the Aerospace Industry, was building fishing reels I knew I had to investigate. I arranged to have a tour of the facility and immediately fell in love with their Platinum ATD and Boss line of state of the art reels.

I have always pushed the envelope in fishing gear and now I found a company whose gear I could push but knew the reels could take it and give even more. No one was fishing 30 size reels for cows at the time yet I was convinced this was the way to go as these ATD's had the power and stamina to do the job. Adding to my craziness I had the folks at Accurate add high speed gears and a longer crank arm to go with a more aggressive cam. My very first 17 day, after acquiring a number of these ATD and Boss reels, proved I was right. I was fishing next to folks using 80 and 50 wide gold reels and here I was fishing small silver (Platinum) colored gear. Those same folks thought I was crazy but the results spoke for themselves as I had beyond an
epic trip. The small but powerful reels gave me an edge over the bigger and heavier gear used by others. Today, more and more folks are fishing smaller and smaller reels as manufacturers such as Accurate have gone to the next level in meeting the needs of anglers world wide.

Years past and I grew anxious to try other unused techniques in Long Range fishing. I have always believed Spinning reels are the ultimate stealth tool to get a bait into the zone in Pick bite situations. Unfortunately the old spinners did not hold up well to the bigger and meaner fish we were encountering.

When I heard Accurate was contemplating building an advanced line of Salt Water Spinners I knew I would have to own some. The first to arrive was the Accurate 12 TwinSpin and did I have a ball with that. Tuna, Wahoo, Yellowtail, Albacore etc. were handled with no problem. Soon after a 20 size TwinSpin was part of my arsenal. With the added line capacity Yellowfin Tuna to 140 pounds were landed with out ever being spooled. This became one of my go to reel for trips 8 days or less as I found I was hooking up more often than most using conventionals.

One can only imagine the disbelief of more conservative anglers who could not believe a Spinner could be used for Long Range Applications. But the results were impossible to dispute. Spinners could get the bait into the zone with little effort by the bait. Casting had almost no
harmful effects on the Anchovies or Sardines being used as I could gently land the bait on the water much further away from the boat.

Since most of my trips are now 10 - 17 days, targeting cow size tuna (Tuna over 200 pounds), I knew I would never get a Giant on a spinner at least not the ones available at the time. Then along came the Accurate TwinSpin 50 and man did that reel get the juices flowing. Finally a Spinner built as tough as the fish I was targeting. After setting up the new reel on a appropriate Super Seeker 6463XXXH rod I only had to hook up to the right fish.

Over the last two seasons I split my time using the Accurate ATD's and the new 50 size spinner. Though I caught plenty of big fish on the big Spinner the cows I hooked up to were all caught on the ATD's. Finally, In January of 2010, aboard the Intrepid, I hooked into what seemed like the right fish. There was a ton of hooting and hollering and I am sure some folks were laying odds I would not land the fish. Sure enough it happened. The majority of the fight was actually not difficult and the TwinSpin 50 handled the big fish beautifully. As usual in cow fishing, the end game had its challenges, yet the big tuna ended up on the deck. It is important to remember fishing from an anchored long range boat with twenty or more other anglers with lines in the water is all together different from being in a panga or sports fisher as we are not in a position to chase down a big fish. Therefore the gear and the angler generally take more of a beating. This big fish taped out on the boat at 213#'s and actually weighed 223#'s, on a certified scale, at the dock.

As noted previously, I have been Long ranging for well over 4 decades. However, I can remember hooking into and landing my first big fish as a kid. The feelings I had at the time are shared with most fishermen I speak with. Making deals with your inner self, promising to be a better person, etc. if only you would be allowed to land this fish of a life time. Additionally I remember enjoying the experience as only a kid can. Those feelings have faded over time as many more big fish were landed. Catching a Cow on the Accurate 50 TwinSpin brought back all the feelings I had as a kid catching my first big fish. Not many things in this world can make you feel young again but catching big fish on a spinner is one of them. I cannot wait to do it again and perhaps feel the same as I did as a kid when I landed my second big fish.

Thank You to Accurate Fishing for creating a series of reels with the performance and looks of a Ferrari yet built like a Mack Truck. Be it a Boss Extreme, Platinum ATD or Twin Spin, Accurate has made me a believer in all they are trying to accomplish.

Jamie Massion

www.AccurateReels.com