Potato Bank. West of Cabo

[crashmister]

Trip started off with a bang. First morning brought 2- 230+ cows and a 324 super in the first couple hours. And we were the only boat on the Hurricane Bank. My first big hookup pulled the hook 30 min in. Went 3 days before my next hookup. Small 70. Picked up some wahoo the next day but went all the way up to the last afternoon before I hooked up again. Big fish but just couldn’t get it to the boat before it chewed my my 100 pound fluoro.

By this time most everyone is breaking down gear. Mine was the only bite in several hours that wasn’t a shark. Realizing that fish hit the first good swimming bait I put out in a while, I Dropped that rod, grabbed my SEa 30 on my 770 XXXH, packed with 130 and started swimming out fast baits. (Big Mackerel 12” caught by us the night before) took 6 baits until I got one swimming fast and in the right direction. Within 30 seconds, I’m on again.

Feels like a decent fish and it’s taking tons of line against 30 pounds of drag. Then it does a 180 and comes straight back at the boat as fast as I can reel. I get back a couple hundred yards and then we start doing laps around the boat. Fortunately most guys were out of the water. Which slowly changed the longer I had this fish on. Little did I know this beast had plans. I though I lost him on the anchor line, twice then I thought he’d spit the hook because he kept swimming at the boat. I started noticing not just crew, but captain Andy had taken a personal interest in coaching me on this fish. Eventually, they made it real clear, this was a B I G fish and we were on the clock. It was only a matter of time before something failed.

Conditions were almost flat calm which made rail rodding this fish impossible. Instead I had to lever him all the way in one crank at a time. Recovered probably 400 yards of line that way before my windon loop told me there was 25 yards of line left. It had gotten dark by this time so color was still 50 feet away. Just about an hour and 50 min in we have deep color. Crews keeping me focused on pump and wind so they don’t tell me jack until the last second when it’s get ready and lift as hard as you can. Which is pretty much not at all so they grab the rod and help.

Nick the mate and cap Andy both stick this fish. I flip the lever and in what’s left of my voice say “free spool”. We walk the fish from the bow to the back deck. I get my first real look at this thing and it’s by far bigger than anything I’ve ever caught. I start to realize it’s one of the biggest fish I’ve ever seen. Still beat I’m thinking it’s definateky my personal best and guesstimates are as high as 290. Andy hooks him up to the scale blocks and up he goes. After a bit of up and down the weight finally settles st 304. And just like that, I got my Super Cow.

[Ice]

Very nice report. What do you do with all that meat? Is it even edible? Not being nasty or anything, legitimate question. Why don't people keep/eat large grouper? Or is most tuna, sushi etc this size? I guess what I am asking is. Whats the table fare on a fish like that?

[Rare]

Congrats on the Super Cow, Pat! I wish you would have taken a pic with a whitefish shirt on

[Miami_Chris]

Freaking stud! Nice job

[WetWillie]

Pat, what an awesome report. And the pics are off the chart! Congratulations, my man! Well played! I'll have to get with you when you get back. It's been too long. Post some more pics and stories, if you got 'em! Safe home, Brother.

[fishnfool73]

Nice catch Pat. ICE I've never noticed a difference in small/large tuna minus the stringy line separating the meat if you cut against the grain.

[Ice]

Nice catch Pat. ICE I've never noticed a difference in small/large tuna minus the stringy line separating the meat if you cut against the grain.

Interesting! I was just curious, cause I've heard that the bigger grouper and snapper aren't usually that good, I know this isn't a snapper or grouper, but I wondered if it pertained to tuna also. Either way, that's a nice fish, and I am jealous!

Side note, is there any particular reason people would say bigger fish aren't as good for table fare? I never could figure that out. But with swordfish, and I guess tuna it doesn't matter? I am confused.

[mike j]

A fish of a lifetime, great story I've never caught anything close, I'm jealous. I also believe that fish even though it's big is excellent table fare. from watching t.v. Tuna bigger than that are highly prized.

[kblue]

the fish of lifetime!!! I am speechless... I am proud of myself that I know you...

[crashmister]

Thanks guys. To answer a few, it’s about age and exposure. There were stories about Pacific Tuna and Fukushima radiation as well as a few about elevated Mercury levels in older fish. But unlike grouper and shark, Yellow fin only live about 7 years. The radiation stories have been credibly debunked by a number of universities, as have the mercury mith’s. Rule of thumb, a 200 pound fish is about 3 years old.

We’re there a detrimental difference in the meat I seriously doubt Asian markets would pay substantially more for the bigger fish as they do now.

While not prized like Atlantic Blue fin, Pacific yellow fin still goes for big money in Asian markets. Bluefin has a much greater fat content to the meat. Yellow fin has almost no fat so it’s not a juicy meat at all. But as far as flavor of a big yellow compared to a smaller one, you can’t tell the difference.