The site is looking good, guys! And nice job on the fish! I was thinking about going this weekend, but still have some work I want to get done on the boat. Been so damned hot here in Phoenix, I haven't gotten much done. Maybe in 2 weeks.
Although I've experienced it several times now, I still get frustrated at losing a fish. I've busted a pole, 100 lb. + mainlines snapped, 200 lb. leaders shredded like cotton candy.
It's just amazing to me how hard the groupers strike. And I've caught lots of 300 lb. + marlin, too. Just not the same thing at all. For the most part, you're fighting a marlin near the surface. Sometimes they go deep, but they usually just take off in a straight line and peel line off your reel at a fantastic RPM rate. You can chase them down with the boat, or back down on them during the fight. It's usually 20-45 minutes to play and land one, then release it. Of course, the bigger the billfish, the longer the fight. I've read stories of guys hooked up on near granders for eight hours or more. Mostly in tournaments, where there's often millions of dollars riding on getting that fish in the boat and to the weigh station.
The grouper are deeper and seem to know how to use every rock, nook, cranny and bottom feature to their advantage. If you don't get them off the bottom in that first 5 to 10 seconds after they know they're hooked, you lose! I have had some big ol' toads hooked up the last couple trips that, even with a locked down drag, are still pulling line and there ain't a damned thing you can do to stop 'em except hang on to that rod and hope it doesn't break. I'd say for every 60 pounder or smaller I've gotten in the boat, I've broken off at least two larger ones. It's some extemely intense fishing!
