Website design By BotEap.comI operated a yacht charter company for years. Most people would charter Hatteras or Bertram for sport fishing. I used the Fairline-40 for uninhabited island exploration cruises. However, as a sport fishing addict, finding out that Big Game Fish is always the “big boy’s sport”, the ultimate badge of machismo.

Website design By BotEap.comAnyone who owns and operates a charter fishing crew must have one, two or more hair-raising fish stories best left unsaid, except within the fishing fraternity. Ah, what the hell, maybe I’ll say goodbye to tradition.

Website design By BotEap.comBefore I started my business, a friend of mine bought a Dusky, probably about 25 feet long, and asked a few friends to come with him on his maiden voyage. It took us less than 5 minutes to realize that he was a newbie to fishing. He not only ran his boat like a nervous novice, but when he reached for his fishing rod, something didn’t look right. He just didn’t have the looks, and he didn’t have the salt of a real fishing hand. For starters, if he’s planning a fishing trip, tell his friends so everyone can tell their wife or girlfriend not to cook dinner; do not worry about the time you will return; that you do not call the police if you stay overnight and, above all, that your friends know that they must bring personalized fishing equipment. As it happened, the invitation to take a test drive turned into an impromptu attempt at sport fishing. Notice how carefully I chose my words. I didn’t say fishing expedition.

Website design By BotEap.comDEADLY SINS OF FISHING.

Website design By BotEap.comWe committed every fishing sin imaginable. The day in question was so clear and windless that half an hour after a plane passed overhead, its trail of smoke lay motionless like woolen blankets suspended on invisible poles. The ocean was so clear we could see the base of our seaside mooring. When you’re feeling guilty about the discoloration you cause raising anchor, then you know the visibility is second to none.

Website design By BotEap.comWe had the usual coolers full of beers, four Penn International reels, and two fighting chairs. It became apparent that our host was interested in learning the ropes – he even humbled himself to say so. He had all kinds of plastic lures and even live bait; actually live bait is a bit of a misnomer because all so called live baits are dead when you are ready to use them. We had frozen riot.

Website design By BotEap.comHalf a case of beer and not a strike. Worse: not even a wave in the ocean, just slow waves. Suddenly, about twenty meters ahead of us, something very large broke through the surface. I would have thought: top of a shipping container that slipped off an ocean liner except it was stained (brown and beige). We had just convinced the owner to let someone else take the helm. After all, we had one of the best sport fishing captains among us. “He knew sport fishing by his first name.” The captain slowed to a stop, however the momentum combined with the stillness of the waves caused us to drift within 10 yards of the large spotted floating log.

Website design By BotEap.comAt that time I had never seen a lemon shark. She had never even heard of one. So when I realized that this monster was a moving fish, my initial reaction was to reach for my Beretta. Jesse Weste, a senior member of the Antigua Sport Fishing Club, was at the helm at the time, acting as captain. Unfortunately, Jessie is no longer with us. As it is said in the Torah she “she went to sleep with her parents”. He was considered not only the most experienced sport fisherman on the Caribbean fishing circuit, but also the luckiest. The captain shifted into reverse so suddenly that I fell. As he reached for my gun, he yelled “NO…are you crazy?” He pulls on all the lines…he pulls on all the lines.”

Website design By BotEap.comWe had the two stabilizers plus two other lines out because we had already been trawling for two hours. I stood up to take a photo and the huge thing gently arched her long body. The water was so clear that I was able to take a photo of the arched body below the waterline. However, when the image came out, I could see the submerged part of the fish very clearly. It was over 40 feet. I remember when the captain turned to get out of the danger zone, at one point the Dusky was parallel to the fish and was at least twice the size of our boat. I never forgot that incident.

Website design By BotEap.comThe other fishing scare:

Website design By BotEap.comMy father-in-law lived in the mountainous alpine region of Europe. Fishing for him meant walking to the lake or river with his pipe, flask and coffee. That was his private head time, as all fishing lovers should have. I was embarrassed when he showed me the catch of him. So I invited him to Sport Fishing in the Caribbean. The day he had planned was very hard. Great for hardcore, experienced anglers, but not for novices like my father-in-law, so I rescheduled his trip and decided to head out with my scheduled captain and crew.

Website design By BotEap.comThe Bertram cut through the waves like a hot knife through frozen butter. At that moment, we saw a floating log and went around it. Floating logs in the Atlantic usually mean barnacles and oysters are growing – small fish feeding and larger fish looking for minnows. Sure enough: dung, dung – the stabilizers went off simultaneously. We thought: tuna. The first one we stopped finally weighed in at 85lbs. We were pulling the second when suddenly the line tension slackened. We thought: failed coup. Naturally, thinking that he had lost the fish.

Website design By BotEap.comI decided to reload (change bait). I did feel a slight resistance on the line: however, I thought I had picked up some seaweed, sea moss, or a plastic bag. When the line split the face, there was the head of a tuna, dripping with blood. At that moment rows of angry teeth glared at me. I didn’t have enough time to interpret his message but I think it went something like this: HOW DARE YOU TAKE MY BREAKFAST?

Website design By BotEap.comThe angry reef shark hits the Bertram with a gigantic butt and everyone except the captain goes down. “Pull in, pull in.” Since we already had the lines getting ready for the fresh bait, as we scrambled to catch the remaining line, the angry creature headbutted us three more times before we could get past it.

Website design By BotEap.comThe residue of his breakfast, the head, the head weighed 16 pounds.

Website design By BotEap.comDon’t dream of asking me how big the shark was. Firstly, I don’t know, and secondly, I would not answer the question – all I will say about it – it was really very big.

Website design By BotEap.comI used to love jumping into the depths of the Atlantic during fishing trips – guess why I don’t do that anymore? “So you’re the guy who stole my lunch, huh?”

Website design By BotEap.comBasil Hill, former owner of See by Sea Charters, is now a Vice President of UNIA, author of dozens of ezine articles, and author of The Golden Fleece Found. See below!