the fish the impression that it has killed its prey. In 

 any event, the billfish has a second chance to swal- 

 low the trolled bait during the brief instant when the 

 bait is not moving through the water. And because 

 outriggers are rather expensive, the drop-back 

 technique, though not necessarily effective in catch- 

 ing fish is great for outrigger manufacturers. 



A gaff (a large, barbless hook attached to a 

 handle) or a flying gaff (a hook which detaches 

 from the handle, for large fish) may be used to 

 bring small fish on board. For larger fish, a gin 

 pole is used. The gin pole is a vertical beam, ap- 

 proximately 10 x 10 cm, with a block and tackle at 

 its upper end, used to lift large fish into the boat. 

 A tail rope (a noose which can be slipped about the 

 caudal peduncle of a large fish) is suspended from 

 the gin pole, and the catch hoisted on board. In 

 recent years, the tuna door on the transom has be- 

 come popular. The door is merely opened and the 

 fish dragged on board at waterline level. This 

 method is also much safer to the onlookers who 

 may lose limbs from the thrashing spear of the 

 aptly named billfish. 



The teaser is a hookless wooden, plastic, or 

 metallic object, usually of bright color or reflective 

 substance, which is towed from a short, heavy 

 cord from behind the boat. Teasers vary from 

 highly machined and expensive darting and flash- 

 ing objects to rubber squids and fish, or to beer- 

 can openers, sardine cans, bed sheets, and under- 

 wear. In fact, probably teasers, whatever their 

 origin, are equally as important in attracting billfish 

 as the type of baits presented. 



A single fighting chair with the built-in footrest is 

 usually amidships in the cockpit, but there may be 

 two or three. This sturdy, specialized chair is on a 

 swivel with a gimballed rod holder at the base of 

 the seat for use when fighting the fish, as well as 

 one or two rod holders on the arm rest. 



The ideal Sportfisherman is basically designed 

 for range, speed, and maneuverability, and has the 

 ability to tolerate reasonably bad weather, a period 

 when billfish frequently are more active. These 

 boats historically were gasoline-powered, but 

 high-performance diesel engines (although at a 

 higher price) can add endurance and range to a 

 Sportfisherman. Boats capable of 20 to 30 knots 

 are not uncommon today. Such vessels are not 

 meant for the angler's comfort for more than a 

 day, although the crew may live aboard. The most 

 important facilities to the angler are a good livebait 

 well and a good ice box for fresh bait and ice. 



Speed and maneuverability, so important to bill- 

 fishing, are a function of hull design. Specific types 

 of hull designs vary somewhat with each manufac- 

 turer of Sportfishermen (e.g., Hatteras, Bertram, 

 Huckins). Recently, however, there has been a 

 trend to a specifically designed small Sportfisher- 

 man having an open-cockpit, in the size range of 7 

 to 10 m, usually with a deep V-hull (Robert D. 

 Stearns, personal communication). 



Rybovich (1965) summarized the principles in- 

 volved in considering speed and maneuverability, 

 as well as theories behind the outrigger, flying 

 bridge, gin pole, transom door, tuna tower, fishing 

 tackle, and electronic equipment, all peculiarities 

 of sport fishing for billfishes and tuna. Electronic 

 equipment is extremely important in locating fish. 

 Wealthier anglers may employ their own spotter 

 planes to help them locate fish, in much the same 

 way menhaden commercial fleets have their planes 

 to indicate when and where to set their purse 

 seines. In lieu of spotter planes, the captain of a 

 Sportfisherman must attempt to locate or return to 

 a fishing spot which he knows to be productive. 

 For this he needs an RDF or. better, radar and 

 loran; possibly the more affluent anglers will be 

 using satellite navigators at $45,000, a small price 

 to pay when one has already spent $100,000. A 

 good depth indicator, preferably a recorder on 

 which one can detect bottom contours for future 

 reference, will help the angler to find his favorite 

 fishing ground, as well as his safe return home. 



The tackle itself is extremely specialized. Be- 

 cause of the large fish involved and the speed of 

 the trolling boat, the force exerted on all gear is 

 quite large. Fiberglas rods are custom-built for bill- 

 fishing, while reels must be carefully constructed 

 and maintained. Line which has a breaking 

 strength of 12, 20, 30, 50, 80, and 130 pounds is 

 used for various species, depending on the circum- 

 stances, each of which relegates fish caught on that 

 test line to a particular category within the IGFA 

 classification. Wire leaders are specially and care- 

 fully prepared, as are the swivels and snaps for the 

 terminal tackle. Hooks, which are expensive, are 

 carefully chosen for the type of fishing and the 

 species sought. 



Baits are frequently among the most controver- 

 sial item for billfishes. One can travel far and wide 

 and never get the same answer from fishing cap- 

 tains. Among the most widely used billfish baits in 

 the United States are the mullets (Mugil), possibly 

 because of their availability. Bonefish (Albula 



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