A LITTLE HELP FROM UP ABOVE; KITE-FISHING HELPS FOOL THE BIGGER FISH.Byline: Brett Pauly Daily News Outdoors Editor They can be seen crashing on chummed sardines 150 yards away from the boat - huge yellowfin tuna larger than anything on board. Tantalizingly tan·ta·lize tr.v. tan·ta·lized, tan·ta·liz·ing, tan·ta·liz·es To excite (another) by exposing something desirable while keeping it out of reach. close. Frustratingly out of reach of conventional gear. The phrase ``go fly a kite'' has never been more applicable, for it's a bait that is presented via this wind-driven method that might fool bigger models of game fish. ``You can use really heavy tackle to target larger fish and they won't see any of it,'' said Ventura angler Tom Carey Tom Carey can refer to:
``Tuna like the action right on the surface, and kite-fishing is a total surface phenomenon,'' he said. ``The bait is suspended right above the water, more or less dangling there.'' Apparently, the fish can't resist. And it's often the larger specimens - those which for some reason (line or boat shy, less aggressive, more wary) aren't fooled by conventional applications - that wind up taking the bait. The technique was tested with good results aboard the Qualifier 105 a couple of months ago, when, during a drift in 25-knot winds, squid and sardines were flown by kite to bluefin tuna at the outer edges of the chum line. ``Bluefin like to stay away from the boat a lot of times,'' said Qualifier crew member Rodney Okimoto. ``Every fish we caught on the kite, like five fish, were all over 100 pounds, and most of the rest weighed half that much.'' To construct, a rod and reel's fishing line is connected via an outriggerlike clip to a separate kite line. The weight of a mackerel mackerel, common name for members of the family Scombridae, 60 species of open-sea fishes, including the albacore, bonito, and tuna. They are characterized by deeply forked tails that narrow greatly where they join the body; small finlets behind both the dorsal and or squid brings the fishing line down to just above the water; sinkers are used to weight lighter baits, like sardines. A helium balloon can help keep a kite aloft when breezes alone aren't enough. When conditions are right, kites can be used at anchor anchored. See also: Anchor , on a drift or while trolling (1) Surfing, or browsing, the Web. (2) Posting derogatory messages about sensitive subjects on newsgroups and chat rooms to bait users into responding. (3) Hanging around in a chat room without saying anything, like a "peeping tom." . ``The bait is skittered on the top of the water, presenting its own action, which is difficult to duplicate with a rod and reel since any baitfish bait·fish n. Chiefly Chesapeake Bay & North Atlantic Coast A small fish, such as a minnow, used for fishing bait. (cast from the boat by traditional means) is hindered by the weight of the fishing line,'' said Mike Farrior of Rancho Santa Fe Santa Fe, city, Argentina Santa Fe, city (1991 pop. 341,000), capital of Santa Fe prov., NE Argentina, a river port near the Paraná, with which it is connected by canal. , historian for the Tuna Club, where kite-fishing had its origins. George Farnsworth, a renowned boatman for members of the world-famous coterie based in Avalon on Santa Catalina Island San·ta Cat·a·li·na Island or Catalina Island An island off southern California in the southern Santa Barbara Islands. Discovered in 1542, it has been a noted resort center since the 1920s. , is credited for developing a fishing kite in 1909, Farrior said. A Farnsworth kite was employed in 1913 to entice the first swordfish swordfish, large food and game fish, Xiphias gladius, of the warmer Atlantic and Pacific waters, related to the sailfish. It is named for its sharp, broad, elongated upper jaw, which it uses to flail and pierce its prey of smaller fish, rising beneath a school caught on rod and reel. ``It's a terrific presentation and it's proven irresistible to some fish that would otherwise not bite,'' Farrior said. CAPTION(S): 2 Photos PHOTO (1--Color) Qualifier 105 deckhand Cal Link, left, checks the wind before launching a fishing kite to some of the more leery yellowfin tuna swimming at Mexico's Guadalupe Island. Brett Pauly/Daily News (2) Right, the early days of kite-fishing, circa 1912. Courtesy Mike Farrior, Tuna Club |
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