By Capt. Deane Lambros
(This article was first published in the May/June 2013 issue of The Journal)
Getting a fish on the line is only half the battle. Getting it in the boat requires a plan that allows for a smooth landing.
Of the many articles written about offshore fishing over the years, there have been few written about the endgame. All of the effort that goes into rigging, maintenance and most importantly finding fish, and crews seem to struggle in this specific area.
We all have seen the sloppy endgame videos of crews yelling and screaming at each other during pure chaos. This article will offer some advice and tips for a smooth and clean endgame.
Whether you have one tuna on the line or 12, the endgame always should be one fluid motion. No matter what, there always should be a good line of communication between the captain and mates. Now that the hard part of fishing is done — you have located the fish and gotten a bite, and you’re in the middle of battle with your fish — the crew should be thinking about the endgame.
First you need to decide whether to gaff the fish or harpoon it. Our general rule of thumb on the Canyon Runner is that we gaff fish under 120 pounds and harpoon ones larger than that. Attempting to harpoon anything smaller than 120 pounds can result in actually pushing the fish away with the harpoon rather than landing the dart into the fish.
Once the fish is hooked and lines are cleared, the captain should start to position the boat downsea. By doing this it will make it easier on the anglers during the battle and the captain will have better vessel
