Big Eye Breakoffs w/ Video VBTT 6-29-12 Pain Chamber

[c-note]

Fished the VBTT on 6-29-12. Great tourney thanks to Bob Sinclair and everyone who helped put this tournament on. Great every year . If you don't fish it your missing out.

Crew was Carson, Coach Mac, Robert, Mike and Vinnie. We fished the Washington Canyon 80 miles from Rudee. Started at 7:30 below the canyon tip and wound up fishing the northern wall all day. Water was pretty 72 degrees with bait and whales all over. Good fishing with Juggernaut, Oblivion, Frog Pile, and Hazer.

We got hit by two big eyes at 9:30 am and the fight ensued. We had 5 80's out and 2 50 Wides. Both fish came on the 50 wides. We were using 130 floro leaders. One came on the short rigger and another on the long. We stopped for the battle. Vinnie fought his fish for an hour before the brand new diamond 80 main line parted.

My bro Carson fought his fish for 4 hours. The fight was epic. The fish was so strong it was hard to just have one angler on the rod for so long. We couldnt gain any ground on him so we kept pushing up the drag because it was taking a toll on him. We got him to the leader once and I could have put the heat on him but I didnt want it to break after 3 hours. The fish took off and we fought him for another hour before it parted. I didnt get video of the second breakoff.

These large big eyes fight like no other fish. It was a tough day to break both off. If we would have caught them both I think we would have been in the top 3 for the tourney. I made a video for my dad. He was on the 80 mile trip and he is still running strong at 65 in a 26 foot outboard. He wanted to show his fishing buddies the video this upcoming week when he goes bass fishing in PA. So, I made it for him and decided since its here I should post it.

What an epic fight and heartbreaker. We were happy to have the bites and the memories will last forever. Probably my dads last tourney we will see with his upcoming knee replacement.

[Regulator]

Its such a trill to get them into the spread, after my past encounters with BigEyes, I added a harpoon to my boat and never leave home without it. Thanks for posting the video, boy Carson's fish was so close to getting stuck.

[Thrillseeker]

After seeing that i'm going out tomorrow and buying a harpoon

[Mike Avery]

Oh man that video was hard to watch. Endgame was so heartbreaking. My hats off to you Carson for not passing the rod after 4 hours in 95 degree weather.

[hd232]

Those fish sure are bast**ds once they get that big. Bill's brother John was hook up like that and we broke him off with color. After that Bill got a harpoon. Carson way to stay on that fish for so long, what a heartbreak to have color and just be out of reach to put some steel in it.

[mikehalseyjr]

The fish swimming boat side got my heart pumping! End game always get's me fired up. Such a shame to break both off but that's fishing. Looked like a nice day to be out on the water.

I hope to get into those fish this week as I've never caught one. Needless to say the heavy gear is being preped!

Mike
milliRem

[Carson MAC]

what a day, what a day. All I can say is the pain chamber is the appropriate title on this one. I literally slept for the whole 4 hours in. Arms, back, groin, quads, hamstrings, and everything in between cramped up at some point during the fight. One of the most painful things I have ever done. These are fish with strength I did not know existed. This one would have drug marlin and even bluefins backwards. What a creature and I got a great look at her. Just a beast. Damn shame we didn't get her but that's fishing. Would have been awesome to see C-Note up in the lights but garned the old man's respect. Thats enough for now. Connor and Robert, thanks for putting up with my bitching as the fight wore on... I got beat by the ocean on Saturday and the fuel to get back out there and give it another go is as strong as ever. Bring your elephant guns is the only advise I can give.

[Earesponsible]

That sucks! Must have been a long ride back. So close, you could have won the tournament with those fish.

I fished the first day of the tournament because I was worried about the weather forecast. Ended up going to the water at the cigar where the bite was slim at best for tuna. We managed to get one 49lb yellow. There were a ton of white marlin hookups, we brought 2 to the boat. Somehow our one little fish got us 2nd place for small boat calcutta.

I'm definitely happy having the trip paid for (broke even almost exactly), but will be going big eye or bust next year and fishing the last day of the tourney rather than the first if possible. Thanks for the video.

[Persistence2]

Damn man...sorry to hear they broke off. I could hear Dave chatting with you as I was in the Norfolk. We broke off a Blue that really just bitch-slapped us and broke off on a tuna rig (hit the wrong rod, much like your luck).

Our Bigeye last year treated us like yours but we traded the rod between 3 guys and it kicked all of our asses...so congrats on taking that on solo!!! Great effort...

[27 sailfish]

How do the big fish seem to know to always hit the lighter gear ?

Damn shame to lose the beast after so much hard work.