By TERRY TOMALIN, Times Outdoors Editor
Published June 9, 2006
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[Times photo -- Terry Tomalin]
Capt. Craig Lahr of Largo shows customer Lyn Wood how to handle a big amberjack, whose deep, back-breaking runs can leave even seasoned anglers bruised and battered.
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GULF OF MEXICO - Lyn Wood waited for months for a perfect day to take a charter trip offshore.
As the owner of a small business, she couldn't drop everything to go fishing. She had to have it on her calendar, far in advance. But it seemed like something - be it Red Tide, a tropical storm or winter cold front - always ruined her plans.
She didn't care what she caught, as long as it put up a good fight.
"She wants to catch something that pulls hard?" Capt. Craig Lahr said when I told him of Wood's quest. "I know just the place to go."
Lahr has been captaining long enough to know that all anglers are not created equal. Some care only about filling the ice chest. Others don't care what they catch; they just enjoy being on the water.
But Wood didn't fit into either category. She wanted sport. An avid inshore angler, Wood had caught her share of trout, redfish and snook. Now, she wanted to catch something big. Real big.
"Something that will put a bend in a fishing pole," I told Lahr. "Send her home with bruises on her belly from the rod butt."
Amberjack are thick-bodied brutes capable of bringing even seasoned anglers to their knees. When they hit, they often embark on deep, back-breaking runs that can leave you bruised and battered.
For a first-timer, the initial strike is always a thrill. The sound of a big amberjack grinding line off a reel with the drag locked down is something you never forget.
Wood wanted memories. Lahr was ready to deliver.
"Now get ready," he warned her. "When this bait hits the water, you probably won't be able to do anything but hold on."
No sooner had the first baited blue runner hit the water than dark, torpedo shapes rose to the surface and began to circle the boat. The poor baitfish didn't last more than 30 seconds before it was gobbled up by a 30-pound amberjack.
"The fish doesn't know it is hooked yet," Lahr told his angling protege. "When it does, whatever you do, don't drop the rod."
Lahr has taught his share of people how to catch fish. The Largo-based captain has carved out a niche for himself in a highly competitive industry by helping new boat owners learn how to rig and use their boat for offshore fishing.
"Some guys don't like to share what they know," he said. "They think it will cost them business. But I try to help people when I can. Everybody had to learn from somebody."
When Wood's fish finally discovered that it was hooked, it ran straight down to the bottom, 113 feet below.
"You have to pump that rod and get back a foot of line at a time," Lahr told her. "Pace yourself. It could take a while."
Fighting a big amberjack is as much of an art as it is a science. To succeed, you have to understand basics physics. But you also need to develop a feel for the fish and know when to apply pressure and when to rest.
"Let the rod do the work," Lahr said. "If you don't, you will be feeling it in your back tomorrow."
Wood battled the big fish on her own for about 10 minutes. It seemed like for every foot of line she regained, the amberjack would dive and strip away.
Slowly and surely, she made progress. But eventually, even this diehard angler began to tire.
"How about a little help," she asked Lahr.
So he placed a hand at the base of the rod, giving Wood a little badly needed support. A few minutes later, the amberjack circled about 10 feet below.
"That's a big one," Lahr said. "A keeper for sure."
The fish, finally beaten, went belly up. Lahr reached over and gaffed the amberjack and brought it on deck.
Wood high-fived her teacher, then collapsed in a chair.
"Ready to catch another one?" he asked?
