PanamaJack
10-06-2006, 13:28
Couldn't resist copying this e-mail I received from our solitary American Club member who's just returned from Sao Vicente in the Cape Verde Islands. All in all it was an excellent trip. In nine days fishing he raised 43 fish, had 34 strikes and released 14 Blue Marlin. (He also caught a Yellowfin Tuna of 140lbs.) His average size of fish this year was 350lbs, with the largest 650 and, on his best day, he released 5 from 7 hook-ups.
BUT, and this is the salutory lesson, DON'T take BANANAS on a boat!
This is Andy's note:
For those that get this and do not know the curse of the bananas here it is - all over the world fishers should never have bananas on board a fishing vessel. This comes from times long gone when bunches of bananas would come on board harboring scorpions, spiders and other assorted vermin.
My last day of fishing in Cape Verdes was with Captain Carlu on the Nhu Cretchu. We had three decent fish just look at the lures before noon. Tim went to check the lunch cooler around 12:30. (Please note that the lunch lady-maid-hotel caretaker does not like me.) Tim comes back from the lunch cooler and I ask him what we have. Tim responds that I need to check for myself. I am figuring we had no lunch at all. I go back to the cooler and much to my surprise we have tuna salad - I lift up the bowl and there they are - a bag of bananas!!! I grab the dreaded beasts and hurl them into the ocean.
Less than 30 minutes later we have a strike on the left rigger. Then we have a 350 up and running on the left rigger - we pull the hooks.
Less than an hour later we get a nice fish of around 500 on the left rigger again--taking good line around 400 yards out - the fish jumps parallel with the boat about 40 yards away. The fish swims back through the line and cuts us off with his bill.
Less than an hour later a fish takes the right short on one of my 50 rods. Big hole where the lure was and fish is really taking line - I would say a fish of 600 to 700 range. We begin to fight the fish and I gain 100 yards of line with 400 yards still out there. Fish makes another run and breaks the line!!! Carlu then showed me that the fish had gone through the stinger line which had 130 on it and cut off that lure on the way out of the spread - making a weak place in the line. So two lures gone on that fiasco.
We are very determined to catch a fish now - down to trolling three rods. Fish of around 250 grabs my short 50 and then lets go. Swims back to the left rigger and proceeds to just follow it for a few minutes despite our best efforts to convince him to bite.
Now you may ask how many bananas were on the boat - some of you may have figured out that number in this little mystery - 0 for 5 on fish - five bananas were in the cooler!!!
You've been WARNED!
Best wishes
Dave
BUT, and this is the salutory lesson, DON'T take BANANAS on a boat!
This is Andy's note:
For those that get this and do not know the curse of the bananas here it is - all over the world fishers should never have bananas on board a fishing vessel. This comes from times long gone when bunches of bananas would come on board harboring scorpions, spiders and other assorted vermin.
My last day of fishing in Cape Verdes was with Captain Carlu on the Nhu Cretchu. We had three decent fish just look at the lures before noon. Tim went to check the lunch cooler around 12:30. (Please note that the lunch lady-maid-hotel caretaker does not like me.) Tim comes back from the lunch cooler and I ask him what we have. Tim responds that I need to check for myself. I am figuring we had no lunch at all. I go back to the cooler and much to my surprise we have tuna salad - I lift up the bowl and there they are - a bag of bananas!!! I grab the dreaded beasts and hurl them into the ocean.
Less than 30 minutes later we have a strike on the left rigger. Then we have a 350 up and running on the left rigger - we pull the hooks.
Less than an hour later we get a nice fish of around 500 on the left rigger again--taking good line around 400 yards out - the fish jumps parallel with the boat about 40 yards away. The fish swims back through the line and cuts us off with his bill.
Less than an hour later a fish takes the right short on one of my 50 rods. Big hole where the lure was and fish is really taking line - I would say a fish of 600 to 700 range. We begin to fight the fish and I gain 100 yards of line with 400 yards still out there. Fish makes another run and breaks the line!!! Carlu then showed me that the fish had gone through the stinger line which had 130 on it and cut off that lure on the way out of the spread - making a weak place in the line. So two lures gone on that fiasco.
We are very determined to catch a fish now - down to trolling three rods. Fish of around 250 grabs my short 50 and then lets go. Swims back to the left rigger and proceeds to just follow it for a few minutes despite our best efforts to convince him to bite.
Now you may ask how many bananas were on the boat - some of you may have figured out that number in this little mystery - 0 for 5 on fish - five bananas were in the cooler!!!
You've been WARNED!
Best wishes
Dave