puerto vallarta with scotty osuna, january 2018

Started by alantani, January 08, 2018, 10:48:09 PM

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Shark Hunter

#15
Those were watch cases, Still good Quality, but to protect big reels as they should be, you need to step up to the original. ;)
That is a 12/0 and a 14/0 under all that foam. I'm sure this case would hold four 50's without a problem.
This is the way I'm traveling come April. This case and two piece rods under the back seat of my truck. With one two piece spinner combo.
I am trying the concept of packing light while seeking a 10' fish.
No gear in the back, except for terminal tackle. ;)
Sorry for highjacking.
Life is Good!

Hardy Boy

Way to go Alan. Great trip !Except for the bag !! I also learned we have another thing in common ............... Cubans !........ you can buy them here (great shop in Nanaimo) and my humidor is usually stocked.

Cheers:

Todd
Todd

MarkT

Did you show your buddies at Virgin your reel and thank them for the excellent service?
When I was your age Pluto was a planet!

swill88

Great report Alan. Thanks.

Good luck with your claim for damaged baggage...

I suspect they'll say you used the wrong bag.

Next time Samsonite?

steve

mikeysm

What happens alan if your office is a fishing charter boat.

alantani

#20
ben and james are the cigar smokers, not me.  ;D  as for the reel, i'm not going to stress over it.  whatever happens will happen.  there was a very pretty young lady that was helping me.  she took a long time to take photos and get my contact information.  that alone would make it worthwhile!
send me an email at alantani@yahoo.com for questions!

MarkT

#21
It's nice that you got someone to look at It and file a claim but you know the way game is played... I'm calling BS without pictures of the photographer!
When I was your age Pluto was a planet!

Hardy Boy

Well since you are not into Cubans we still can have some scotch or rye or rum or Irish whiskey or tequila ................. just not bourbon !

Good luck with the reel claim. I hope that since you are not laying into them really hard they will come through.


Cheers:


todd
Todd

alantani

i'm pretty much just a scotch guy.  i like the islays the best!   ;D
send me an email at alantani@yahoo.com for questions!

conchydong

Quote from: alantani on January 10, 2018, 12:44:02 AM
i'm pretty much just a scotch guy.  i like the islays the best!   ;D

I tend to agree with you. My first wife was from Scotland and I went there many times and did a car/ ferry trip through the Hebrides and tasted many single malts. I was in my 20's then and really didn't appreciate them as I would today. The area around Oban on the mainland also makes some nice whiskys . Oh well, as we grow older we learn to appreciate things more.
While I like a good cigar, IMO Cubans are way over rated. Living in S. FL. with many Cuban friends that legally bring them home from visits to Cuba many are boot legs and even the ones that are genuine from the factories are not worth the price.
In Miami, you can get a good Cuban seed cigar from Nicaragua or Honduras for less than $2.00 that in a blind tasting(smoking) many or even most would prefer over a real Cuban. It is mostly hype about Cubans.
Anyway. glad you caught a sea monster and if anyone can deal with a scarred up reel , you would be the man. Perhaps Penn will help you out as you have done a lot for them unintentionally.

MarkT

Quote from: alantani on January 10, 2018, 12:44:02 AM
i'm pretty much just a scotch guy.  i like the islays the best!   ;D

Really, is that where they make Tequila?
When I was your age Pluto was a planet!

Rickski

Great report Alan.  Need to make it down there.
Rick

alantani

#27
Quote from: FINSEEKER;794237Hi Allen,
Congrats on the big fish.  I'm doing a 2.5 day on the Constitution out of PV first week of Feb.  LMK if you have any words of wisdom for me.

bait - you can't beat the big squid.  live is best, but even dead they are the best bait.  to make bait, the small 3 inch glow squid jigs work great.  they should be weighted with 10-12 ounces.  we went with a 10 second drop and then waited.  if there was no action after a minute, then drop another 10 seconds.  we went down as far as 5 of the 10 second drops.  i've also never caught squid during the daytime.  only at night.

you will likely have cabillitos for bait.  that's the spanish word for "pony," so it's not really the proper name for the fish, but they are very tough.  you can hook them in the back with a 7/0 circle hook, drag them around all day, then reel them in, toss them back into the bait tank and fish with them the next day.  we've caught many tuna with them, but squid (dead or alive) is still best.

for hooks, a good quality 7/0 ringed circle hook is fine.  either gamakatsu or owner.  i use a single san diego knot.  never failed.

line - i like the pink seaguar, but any good quality fluoro will do.  the braid to fluoro connection i use is a cross between a tony pena and a slim beauty.  it's a four turn uni knot on the fluoro side and then "eight up and ten down" on the braid side.  again, never failed.  for line weights, it's ok to go 100 pound braid to 100 pound fluoro, and 130 pound braid to 130 pound fluoro.

friends don't let friends fish with 80.

reels - the 100 pound reel i like would be an okuma makaira 20 or a penn international 30 vsx.  these will hold 700 yards of braid and deliver 35 pounds of drag at strike an 45 to 55 pounds of drag at full.  remember that you could be looking at a 200 yard soak and a 200 yard run before the fish settles down.

likewise with your 130 pound reel, a makaira 50 or penn 50 vsx.  700 yards of 130 pound hollow core braid with a 130 pound fluoro topsho, 45 pound of drag at strike and 55 to 65 pounds at full.

if you decide to go with another reel, make sure you have the line capacity, make sure your strike setting is high enough without having to advance the lever with a sledge hammer, and see what your "full" setting is.  if  these older reels do not make the grade, you will pay dearly at the rail.

rods - don't forget, the rods are 50% of the equation.  the absolute best sticks are the united composites viper for 100 pound and the uc invictus for 130 pound.  the seeker equivalents would be the 2x4 for 100 pound and the osp4x for 130 pound.  go with a 10 year old 5'6" troller with roller guides and it will hurt.  these newer rods make a huge difference.

fighting belts - i don't use them.  when the fish is way out, i sit on the rod, with the rod butt well starboard of my nuts.  (careful here.  if you crush the nerves behind your nuts, you will have problems for life.)  when the fish crosses 45 to 50 degrees down, i shove the rod butt under my right arm pit.

end game - don't lift with your arms until the very end.  use the motion of the boat to lift, then reel down quickly when the boat comes down.  if you want to kill him more quickly (always recommended), then use your body weight to leverage the rod up, then reel down quickly.  keep pressure on the rod tip.  it should always be bent over to the max.  anytime that rod tip comes up, you need to take that opportunity to quickly gain line.

if all your knots are good and the fish is properly hooked in the corner of the jaw, you own him unless you are sawed off.  go ahead, pull as hard as you want!  at color, you physically cannot break 100 or 130 pound test line with a properly set up rod and reel.

good luck!
send me an email at alantani@yahoo.com for questions!

Dominick

Leave the gun.  Take the cannolis.

There are two things I don't like about fishing.  Getting up early in the morning and boats.  The rest of it is fun.

Tightlines667

#29
Quote from: Dominick on January 11, 2018, 12:52:29 AM
Here is a good article with photographs on hooking cabillito.  https://www.bdoutdoors.com/change-the-way-your-bait-swims-by-altering-the-hook/  Dominick

We call these Opelu(small ones are Halalu).  These and the closely-related Akule make excellent bait.  They are the same exact fish as those found in Mexico, and closely related to their Atlantic/GOM cousins.

Still not sure how to properly live-bridle/hook/rig a large live squid for tuna?

John
Hope springs eternal
for the consumate fishermen.