Well I'll start with my setup then ask my question, followed off by my shambles.

So I decided to tow some lures out Coromandel in my small pontoon boat. I had a TLD 30 towing shotgun with a marlin lure, 2x TLD 25's and a TLD15 and a Small Shimano snapper rod with a TR200 (pea shooter) on it all towing tuna lures as kingi's seem to like them..

My only research on gamefishing was what birds to look for. Now I started out with the idea of going for kings and Ky off Castle rock or maybe a small ablicore if I got lucky,... Until I saw good 5 gannets on the surface and some sotties and another two types of shearwaters chilling on the surface 2kmish as it was late afternoon.

So the first thing to get hit was the pea shooter and it screamed like it was going to explode then dropped it.. I was like hmmm not sure I should run this, but another 20 minutes later working the same area. The TLD30 went nuts.....

Now my questions:

1. During the fight I felt my reel flex like something was wrong with it and thought it was going to break. Does anyone know what that's about? 

2. I've read I can upgrade the TLD25's with handles and a carbon drag but how much more can I get out of that as my tld30 felt like it was maxing out...

3. Anyone got some tld's 30-50's for sale?

4. What's the max size gamefish I could catch reasonably with the tld25, tld30 and tld50?

Write questions asked he's my shambles - Firstly I have a leg disability and was trolling solo- now I had my life jacket on a wetsuit, my eprib and a divers torch with night strobe on it just in case I feel overboard as even going for kings and ky on my own I need to be careful as I can't trust my left leg...

- Firstly My mate rings what you up too? I say cruising he says do you want to pull plastic I was like um that's what I mean I'm out here already cruising... He's like your nuts on your own I might launch and join you I'll call you back.

- Seconds after my shotgun gets hit on my tld30, its 4.50pm. I pull the other 4 lines in asap and throw them anywhere on the bottom of the boat.

- Strike the fish and get a 100m run on top of the first 100m top shot I lost on the hit.

- The battle starts....

- I realise I have a $7 gimble belt from the warehouse bought 7 years ago I've never used and cause its so cheap I have to shinmmy that on while holding the rod as it doesn't even have a clip.

- After 30 minutes I keep losing line and realise I have never tested and set the drag on any of my reels. But have my legs pinned against the side of my pontoon boat trying to hold on.

- The battle continues.....

- My mate rings back. How you going? I answered him on the speaker pronouncing I'm busy and on queue the rod screams off another 20-30m. Hes like I'll ring you back.

- Shortly after my disabled leg gives out the ghost and starts going lame even though I've tried not to use it much... 

- At the 45 minute mark my right leg starts shaking and at 55 my right legs gassed being braced against the boat... The fish does its first loop of the boat at this stage...

- As I stumble around my boat (centre console low side pontoon) I have one arm on the rod and one holding on. As I come around I stumble and knock the drag right off and it completely birdsnest with 2x10cm loops out the side. I cry out noooo.....

- So I put on the lightest tension I can and slowly start hand feeding out the line while the fish is holding out the side of my boat. I slowly feed out 100m of line and twice it almost knots... But I get there thankfully. 

- No sooner than I pull drag lever up the fish dives down and takes another 60m or so and I look down... I'm right back to were I started...

- My mate rings again. How you going... I'm busy I say and hang up. lol

- The fight continues...

- At 1h 20ish I ring my wife to say I'll be late home and my phones going flat but I might have to cut the line. I still haven't seen what I have but by now I'm sitting cross legged on the bottom of my boat knees against the ali, and eaten all the pills I can to try to get by... with the rod against the boat cause I can't use my legs or hips its now a a straight arm battle..

- At 1.30 my mate rings. Where are you were launching to come help... I'm like thank god I was 2km off cattle but I've been dragged 5km out. My phones going flat... It goes flat..

- The fight continues....

- At this stage I start following the fish in gear while holding the rod and trying to wind. I once, twice, three times end up slacking the line and thinking I've lost the fish... I also almost drive over the line while in gear..

- At 2 hours I'm over I still have 60-70m off the side of the boat and my tld30 is flexing. I check the screws but there good but somethings not right. The fight continues....

- At this stage I'm certain its a big shark and look at my knife to cut it as the winds whipped up to 15 knots offshore and I'm getting further away. Then the fish changes direction and I see two big yellow sickles appear on the surface. 

- I decide if I'm hear all night so be it I'll vhf coastguard and tuck behind the Alderman's if I have too. But hopefully my mates coming. Plus my legs killing me and I'm still sitting cross legged fighting this fish sideways... I WILL NOT CUT THE LINE....

- Now it starts circling the boat and I finally see it. To me its the biggest fish I've ever seen. We do 6-7 loops of the boat as my legs shake and I hold onto the rod and boat and wind as I can.. by now the winds well into the chop....

- I get the leader and carefully on my hands and knees against the side of the boat, I'm so gassed as I pull it up. Me and the fish meet eye to eye... What now I think.... I'll take a photo cause if I lose it know knowone will ever believe me.. f*** my phones flat.

- Luckily I had a gaff I remember. I grab it and look at this thing. Never used one and its got a pvc handle and designed for well not this sized fish. The first strike bounces off as the rubbers still on the end as its never been removed in 7 years.... So I try to pull it off with my teeth. Failing that I grab its tail...

- Mental note do not grab a big yellowfin by its tail in the water... it fires off all the leader before I pull it back.

- I get the top of the gaff off and thinking of fishing photos I seen on gaffed fish. I nail the gaff and it goes banana's bashing the boat. I hold onto the gaff and get bone rattled but I hold it by the metal bit for a couple of minutes...

- Attempt 1 to lift it,  fails and I'm like this is heavy and the gaff starts bending... were the hell is my mate on his boat I think... I'm so spent by know I am shaking and my left hand starts cramping...

- I wait decide to wait till a wave hits and pull it over when the boat dips near the water line in my low sided pontoon.

- A big wave hits as its now gusting over 15-17knots and I hold the gaff spike on the metal bit and on my knees I give it everything I have left, I get the head 20cm above the waterline to the pontoon then like a walrus launch myself into a body slam and the yellowfin comes in.

- I am lying on it and it starts trashing so I roll of it as I'm tangled in lines, the gaff and being beaten up by it...

- At that stage I lie back against the side of the boat... I complete disbelief. Look up and see my mates 9m hardtop hammering it towards me about 2 km away.

- When they got there my mate came aboard and drove half way back while I recovered and we even towed a broken down boat in on the way.

- We didn't weight it but we estimate 40-45kg or my 90-100lber. (I'll add some photos as soon as I work that out). 

- Landing time 2h 30m. Line weight unknown 15-24kg maybe..???

Anyway back to my TLD reel questions. What's your suggestions (not about my safety I've already been told off)?

It took me 4 days to recover.

So when you are harnessed to the rod, yes you can get pulled over.

So, you have a cutter knife on your rod bucket belt. And, if you are like me, you tie your rods in - for more reasons than 1. That way if you do get pulled over, you are tied to the boat.  You can always let the drag right off if this happens, to regain your position.You also have your harness knife in case you need to cut yourself free.

And being a good bloke, you had a PLB.

So you are about as well prepared as you can be for big fish solo. I have never come close to being pulled over and have had my share of big fish solo. With some experience you won't get caught out as many times as you did this time - the trick is being 1 step ahead - knowing how the fish is going to respond, and what it may do next. Being prepared. But the harness in addition to the rod belt frees you up to drive the boat when you need to . You have at least 1 spare hand when needed.

The amount of drag you run also affects your chances of being pulled over. If the fish is giving you a beating and dragging you all over the boat, it may pay to give a little and back off til you are comfortable. This has its downside but at least you won't be dragged onto your face, or over the side.

I would consider the harness absolutely essential when solo. You don't have the luxury of anyone else running round the boat doing stuff for you. So you need to be able to free your hands at times, and you get to rest your arms. You don't use your arms near as much with the harness - different technique.

Altho a dodgy leg may hiunder that a bit. But the harness is a necessity imho.. 

Alan

TLD 30 is a 30 lb (15 kg) reel. Common thinking is to set drag at 1/3rd of breaking strain (5kg) and not move it. I use dive weights and/or 2L milk bottles set mine if you don't have a scale handy.

It is a lot easier to take the boat to the fish than bring the fish to the boat. If you can reach the helm head down your line at a 20-30 degree angle (so not to run over the line) and wind in slack as you can. Every wind will get you closer to the fish.

A harness with rod clips means you can clip in and be hands free if need be - makes it so much easier to steer the boat, clear other gear and leader the fish.

You have truly got the bug now - good luck!