After slow trolling bait and getting 17 hits and only landing three fish...... Tactics have been refined.
We already determined that you catch less than 10% of Pargo or Cabrera over 25 pounds with less than 80 pound test. Unfortunately in Loreto we have
20, 30, 40, and 50 pound rigs. We only have my one Penn Senator 6/0 with 80 pound test. It was pushed to the maximum drag levels and we still lost
fish to the rocks.............. (hammered drag)...
I worked with the Mgr of the Fresno Fisherman's Warehouse to determine an alternative attack. There is no way you are going to get the required or
needed drag out of any lever drag or star drag without some customization. We are going to take a Penn 6/0 Senator apart and add another SS washer or
two to help the drag washer compression. Maybe this will allow increased drag because the stock drag might have bottomed out??? The new reel will be
loaded with 130 pound test. We are also going to put a 150 yard top shot of his heaviest braid. With the no stretch line and the high drag weight
hopefully we can power the boat away from the reefs and land the fish????
What the heck, we need another YT reel anyway...Don Alley - 9-11-2007 at 08:50 PM
If you really want to get really heavy drag, a 6/0 Senator won't cut it. I don't think you can get much more than 20lbs drag from the Senator. The
extra washer won't add more. You'll blow out the sideplate before you got enough drag. You'd want at least 35lbs of drag with 130 lb line. You'll
need a beefy lever drag, like one of the larger Avets. Avet Pro 30 will get you 35-40 lbs of drag, the Avet 50 50-57 lbs, and the T-RX 114#. (These
figures are from Charkbait.com) Unfortunately these reels are pricey.
Maybe three in the boat for seventeen hits isn't so bad for big pargo.BajaBruno - 9-11-2007 at 08:55 PM
There is a lot of experience on this board. Give it a little time and the pros will pop up with some tips. I'm not one of them. I go fishing as an
excuse to go boating.wakemall - 9-11-2007 at 09:05 PM
Trust me... You can get 40 pounds plus from a stock Penn 6/0... A hammer make a big difference. I looked at the Avet and Accurate and could not get
the same drag. The new Diawa lever drag will not let you get to the "no drag" postion without breaking something.
Maybe I will drag meat lines across the reef????
Thanks,
Bretvacaenbaja - 9-12-2007 at 01:46 AM
There is a reason that big pargo still are found living in the rocks. Not even the locals handlining with heavy line can
get them out. once they "rock" you .it is your line rubbing up against the structure that will break you off, as the pargo will retreat to a cave or
wedge between a couple of rocks
while you pull away abrading the line in the process.
If you can get them to bite away out in the open and once hooked pull them away from the rocks you stand a better chance of landing one. Good start
with the low streatch line and heavier drag. Don't forget the short stout rod harder
on you, and the fish.Cypress - 9-12-2007 at 06:50 AM
wakemall vacaenbaja's right, if you hook 'em too close to the rocks/reef/wreck most of the time they're gonna cut you off or wrap you around
something. The TheHull Truth forum has info on beefing-up reels. Good Luck!Pescador - 9-12-2007 at 07:00 AM
If you are really convinced that you want to land a couple more of these fish then you have to cut way down on your top-shot. I would only use enough
mono to get a little stretch, like 20 yds maximum, usually closer to 10. Keep the trolling line as close to the boat as you can and still get
strikes, which it sounds like you know how to do. When you get a strike, do not stop the boat, in fact speed up a little bit and try to plane the
fish up closer to the surface, drag them into a little deeper water, and then start reeling the fish. What you are fighting is the fact that the fish
only needs to dive a few feet to get the rocks and you are not pulling straight up. If you are going to button everything down and use a little less
top-shot, then you need to use a rod with some backbone but you really need a softer tip flex so that you don't rip the thing out of their mouth.
Also check your split rings and hooks. We used to replace the hooks on Rapalas and Yo-Zuris with 4x trebles and silver solder the split rings so they
would not pull apart.
But if you really want to have fun, go to live bait and fish really close to the boat where you will get some really explosive strikes and pretty
much go toe to toe with these brutes.
Another place where you will find the weaknesses in your system is with the connection knots from spectra to mono. Recent articles and tests have
shown that the strongest knot is a 12 turn bimini with spectra and then usually a 12 turn allbright with the mono.
Failing all of that you can get a spearfisherman to go down and poke one for you but don't let him report on this board as he will get more negative
press than you can believe.Skipjack Joe - 9-12-2007 at 09:41 AM
Why not use a long wire leader tied to the terminal tackle? I'm not into this type of fishing but I have seen anglers succeed that way. There was a
gent on a Tony Reyes trip who wanted to catch a gulf grouper in the worst of ways. He used a live mackerel with a long wire leader. The grouper did
rock him, but it didn't matter because the rocks coudln't reach the mono. He kept up the pressure, or gave slack, he didn't tell me, but eventually
winched that fish up.
What is a cabrera?
P.S. A buddy of mine also was interested in getting a big grouper on one of those Tony Reyes trips. In order to make sure he didn't lose the brute he
wore one of those fighting harnesses that strap the rod to yourself. Well you guessed it. When that grouper hit it nearly pulled him overboard. Walt
was going over the side when his companions jumped up and grabbed him to keep him in. He finally managed to lean backwards with his knees against the
sides in a sort of praying position. Must've been hilarious to see.
[Edited on 9-12-2007 by Skipjack Joe]Hook - 9-12-2007 at 10:19 AM
The wire leader, while more abrasion resistant, will produce fewer strikes, especially if he's going for a CUBERA snapper, which is what I guess he's
talking about.
Pescador's method would seem the best.
I worry about what kind of damage you might have done to the 14 fish that got away, but I am more conservation minded than the average fisherman in
Baja, it seems.CaboRon - 9-12-2007 at 02:09 PM
Quote:
Originally posted by BajaBruno
There is a lot of experience on this board. Give it a little time and the pros will pop up with some tips. I'm not one of them. I go fishing as an
excuse to go boating.
Right On !!!!!!!Cypress - 9-12-2007 at 03:47 PM
The pros don't give their "tips" away.wakemall - 9-12-2007 at 07:50 PM
Thanks for all the great input.... I would like to clarify the fishing. We slow troll Macs in 20 to 50 feet of water over the reefs and rocks. Bait
is nose hooked with a 6/0 to 8/0 bait hook with the same in a trailing hook in the tail. You cannot allow the fish to take the bait and dive back to
his hole. Trust me, they will still hit the bait and make it back down before you can power away from the rocks. Even in 50 feet of water. The live
bait is probably only five feet under the surface.
Regarding the damage to the fish comment? I will say a prayer as I throw the steaks on the BBQ..............wakemall - 9-12-2007 at 08:30 PM
I also need to add this......
I love fishing for Big Dodos and big YT in Loreto. They can be caught on 20 to 25 pound test. As well as the Marlin and Sails. That is why I have
all the 20 to 40 pound rigs at my house. These Pargo and Cabrera have created a challenge I must figure out and win. Several of my Mexican Panga
captains told me these fish are super strong and the chances of landing them are low. Especially the big ones....
Idea????: 200 yards of 200 pound test no streach braid line as a top shot on a 6/0 with welded shut drag??? Stick in the hull rod holder.... Either
the stick is going to break or the rod holder is going to crack the hull....
WACO here we come!!!honda tom - 9-13-2007 at 09:04 PM
we burned 20 baits last week in 1 hour. snapper are smart... can see the hooks and bite inbetween. cabrillia take it! hard drag and gas the boat
up to take them out to deeper water.
no embarrassment for not landing them...... after landing only one out of 20 baits.... our guide admitted to us that he and his boss got skunked
for 30 baits only a couple weeks before.wakemall - 9-13-2007 at 09:54 PM
Catching these fish has become my new passion. Moved above big YT and Dorado. Thanks for the comment. Make me not sound crazy..... Tomorrow I am
going to buy another 6/0 senator and spool it with 130. Several people told me that washers will not make a difference in the drag pressure. I am
still waiting for more pro comments regarding this subject. I tried cranking the drag down on a TLD and it will lock up and not go into the full drag
position. Also tried this on a Penn 30 TW. Same issue. I am forced back to the senator... I have no choice but to try the extra washer and see
what happens. I am going to purchase the reel and go to the West Marine store and get a couple washers. Install them and go back to the Fisherman's
Warehouse and spool the reel with 130. I will utilize one of their scales and see what kind of drag pressure I can get. I have no idea how I am
going to hold the reel, but we will figure it out. I will post the drag weight numbers tomorrow. I hope for something around 50 pounds or drag.
Might be crazy and will eat my words. What the heck, worth a try.Alan - 9-13-2007 at 10:10 PM
The TheHull Truth forum has info on beefing-up reels. 
YES WE KNOW HOW TO GET THE BIG BOYS OUT OF THE ROCKE ~~ BUT WE AN'T TELLING
!!!!