TRAVELS WITH ANGEL
Fishing For Cruisers, Part II By Rebecca Burg
I
n October, part one of this two-part series discussed constructing a trolling rig, good lures and using a reel. The rig consisted of a spoon lure, wire leader, swivels, a weight and 40-pound monofilament spooled to a Penn reel that’s clamped to Angel’s stern rail. With tips from pro fishing guide, Captain Bill Robinson, Angel’s trolling rig is put to the test. The hot sun glared over calm seas during a run across Little Bahama Bank. Motoring at 5.5 knots, I deployed the trolling rig. I wasn’t sure what piscine species, if any, lurked in the sandy-bottomed expanse of shallow water. As if reading my thoughts, Bill, motoring Defiant nearby, radioed, “I doubt there’s much out here.” Nevertheless, he offered some trolling advice for this type of area. If there were any small islands or underwater features like rocks, hills, holes or wrecks not too far out of the way, I should troll alongside them. Fish gather in and around underwater structures. Avoid dragging the lure directly over shallow reefs and sensitive corals. As Angel motored along, I alternated between staring at the motionless fishing reel and at my fingernails, which I was sure were growing longer. I’d just lost my nail clipper over the side when using it to trim fishing line. That was not a lucky start to the day. When I ducked below to retrieve a snack, something grabbed the lure and briefly spun the reel. I eased Angel’s throttle and cranked in a catch that wasn’t putting up much of a fight. “What is it?” Bill radioed. I had
44 November 2008
SOUTHWINDS
Rebecca pulling up a fish off Angel’s stern.
no idea. Wearing gloves, I raised the leader and gawked at the oddity dangling from the lure. The pop-eyed creature was five inches long, not much larger than the lure. Its cavernous, trap-like mouth, lined with needle-like teeth, managed to fit over the hook. The fish’s slimy body was pale. “It’s probably some kind of lizardfish,” Bill suggested after I described it to him. “I wouldn’t eat that.” A pliers or dehooking tool is handy for hook removal. I released the fish and resumed trolling speed. Later, when the sixth lizardfish attacked the lure, this one fatally injuring itself on the hook, I felt squeamish and put the rig away. It was apparent that these active creatures would just keep biting and needlessly ruining their oversized mouths, no thanks to me. Trolling across the Gulf Stream offers a chance to catch blue-water species. For the best luck, troll along weed lines, current changes and past floating debris. Fish, hoping to ferret out food, congregate around the flotsam found in weed lines. Diving seabirds is another sign of fish activity, and the pros always head for the hovering frigate birds. Midday, something unidentifiable and snake-like squirmed off the lure when I reeled it in. I’d retired the rig to fret over Angel after she began to choke and labor over a failing fuel pump. The wind was diminishing, and I’d been motorsailing to maintain reasonable speed. Angel’s yellow hide was saved by having a fuel system with dual pumps. With one dead, she was at least able to feebly motorsail with the www.southwindsmagazine.com