This was the first time I have seen the area. To be honest, it was scary travelling at night by myself and testing a new boatman. I was not expecting to catch anything considering it was my first and I am still getting used to speed jigging with a new setup. I didn't know how skilled the boatman was and how capable is the boat.
As soon as I arrived, we spared no time to load up and head out to the fishing spot. I tied a 200g pink speed jig with a single Vanfook 7/0 jigging hook. I tied the assist hook using a doubled-up 200lb Hinotsu assist cord. It was really deep. From my count, it was somewhere around 170-190 meters deep. The current was not that strong and with the boatman paddling against the current, the jig went vertical upon reaching the bottom. On the second drop, the line went limp at 120 meters. I knew instantly that something took the jig on the drop. I cranked the reel in panic and set the hook twice. It was a good hookup. I thought it was small, somewhere around 2-4kg because when I cranked the OJ2001NRPG, it seemed light and offered no resistance. Perhaps the fish realized that it was being dragged to the surface, it made furious runs back to the bottom. I probably lost 50m of line on the first run. It was an absolute thrill. Everytime I was able to crank a few meters of line, the fish will take it back. The fight lasted around 15 minutes. It was no match for the setup I was using. The biggest fish I have caught through jigging. 12kg Amberjack.
Later in the day, the wind started to pick up and the current kicked in. IT was hard for the boatman to keep up. Aside from a hookup that I lost, there were no more bites that day so we called it a day -- around 3 hours of fishing. It's a good thing I caught the AJ otherwise I will go home pissed.
The Daiwa Catalina Airportable 59HB was very light and very powerful. If given a choice between this and my Daiwa Saltiga Coastal 60B, I would choose this for so many reasons. It is 2pc which makes it easier to transport, it is lighter, the butt is longer, and it seemed more suited for dual duty -- speed jigs and slow jigs.
I was also impressed with the Ocea Jigger 2001NR PG. I used to own 2 OJ 2001NR HG and both of the reels have this annoying back play in the crank such that I ended up selling them after a couple of use. Somehow this new PG reel doesn't have a play which is a huge relief. It was powerful and smooth, almost as smooth as my Saltiga Z20L.
I can't wait for my next jigging trip. I hope to catch a dogtooth tuna.
