[caption id="attachment_505" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="The coolest and the wettest boat at the same time. Silvio\'s 70 year old Dugout canoe"][/caption][caption id="attachment_501" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Atlantic Cubera Snapper 86 lbs "][/caption]

After working in Brazil for the past few years watching Tuna and Marlin and Mahi swim all around I finally got the chance to do some hunting and get back at them.
The first few days were spent in the Blue water and we landed 5 Big Bull Dolphin from 25-46lbs and lost a Blue Marlin around 400lbs that broke the Cable on the slip tip. The shot was good in his head but he turned and ran back through the bungey and put some weird pressure on the rig and likely cut it with the bones in his head.
We found a good school of Dorado and took 5 of the 25 that were there and then played it cool waiting for a Big White Marlin we had seen to get a shot that would never come. Lots of Small tuna too but didn’t bother with them knowing the billfish were there.

Next few days were spent hunting in the deep caves amongst the boulders shooting Dusky Grouper which proved to be 1000 times smarter then their American Cousins the Red Grouper. As soon as they see you they haul ass to a “small” cave which upon closer inspections turns out to be part of a massive network of caves and you rarely see them again. It was about 50 dives to see one fish looking in caves with the light. Unlike us spoiled here in the US they have to work hard to find their fish. It was rare to see and shoot one out of the hole.

Silvio and Carlos were on top of the best diving and put me on it and were great guys to have. Thank you so much for taking care of me and sharing your waters.
Our three days Silvio took me out in his 30 ft Dugout canoe that was carved out more than 70 years ago from a single tree in the Brazilian Rainforest. He bought it to restore it and on a whim threw an outboard motor on there and it ran great. We cruised in flat seas at 20+knots and received a constant shower of spray as if we were in a hellish gale with 10 ft seas.
I loved every minute of it even when it did get rough and we were bailing buckets of water out of the bottom of the boat wondering which landmass would be the easiest swim if we went down.

Last stop on the trip was Cubera Island.

Rumor had it there were some monsters there and it wouldn’t disappoint.
First dive on the pinnacle the water was a bit off and I’m hovering at 80 ft looking into nothingness when I see a shape on the edge of visibility. Hunter that I am I start in that direction but quickly change my mind when the shape gets bigger, and bigger and BIGGER! I’m already heading for the surface praying this isn’t the last dive I ever make. 10ft? 20 ft? How long is this damn thing and why is it coming closer still!!!
At 50ft I’m starting to bring my gun between us when I realize that at more than 40 feet long it can only be a whale and seconds later a monster Fin Whale comes coasting by eyeing me as he cruises past.
Once my heart started pumping again and I cleaned out my wetsuit and made another dive.

at 50 feet I could make out some shapes below in the mid water with still no bottom or the pinnacle in sight. With 180 feet of water all around and the top of the rock at 90 and only the size of a car the chances of hitting it were slim to none in the middle of the ocean.
I can see fair sized Cubera Snappers slowing milling around another big White one that is just below them. The smaller ones begin to swim away as I coast closer revealing the monster and by the time he sees me its too late and I put a near perfect shot just behind the head.
Did I mention I was only using a Riffe 130 with a reel? Whoops. Not the usual choice for hunting big fish in bluewater and within seconds I was kicking hard for the surface and he was pushing hard for the bottom with the new Horizontal Reel proving its worth.

With the right amount of pressure and the easy to adjust drag I made it to the surface and kept him on the bottom and within a few minutes had the 86 lb Cubera in my hands.

There are more there. They aren’t easy to get but I know there are bigger ones there and we’ll be back. I hope that I never have to shoot another at 85 feet with a reel and don’t suggest it to anyone as it more often than not ends in lost gear or a blackout.
Thanks to the guys in Brazil I can’t wait to get back!

[caption id="attachment_514" align="aligncenter" width="550" caption="Yep those rocks continue into the water and they are what makes the caves so damn challenging"][/caption]
[caption id="attachment_516" align="aligncenter" width="550" caption="Yes I\'m tall. It takes a big fish to look big in my arms but if this little Brazilian cook from one of the restaurants was holding it it would look gigantic"][/caption][caption id="attachment_518" align="aligncenter" width="550" caption="miniature African Pompano. The trailer fins were almost 3 times the length of his body. Would have been awesome to have in a fish tank"][/caption]