Tuna tales 2011 - separating hype from reality

[DarkSkies]

Went on an offshore tuna trip yesterday with Fin and one his good friends. We managed 1 yellowfin, 60lb class, 1 dolphin, numerous gator bluefish, and 13 bluefin (C&R).

There were periods of hot action, and greater periods of inactivity as we troled for hours, and miles and miles. Lots of dead water for tuna, though most of the water we trolled was teeming with bluefish and sandeels.

The numbers he reported give no justice to the action we saw.

We really had to work for the fish. I have no doubt that if I wasn't with these 2 experienced old farts we would have had the same dismal reports that the majority of other boats had on Sat. (the "extreme" hot bite was on Fri, one day before we were there)







I'm posting this thread to put up a more detailed account of what we experienced, together with pics. I'll try to put it together little by little as I get a chance, with the pics being the last thing to be added. Please bear with me.

[DarkSkies]

The "new" method of chasing the scallop boats can work at times, and that has to be exciting for some. But it doesn't always work due to many circumstances.

I read a dozen reports of guys were out the same day we were, couldn't find fish on the troll, and saved themselves from the skunk by being at those boats. However, for me, I found it to be extremely boring, waiting for the exact moment the fish will turn on. And..a little dangerous as some guys were fishing less than 20 feet from the scallop boats. Early morning before we got there, quite a few fish were hooked and lost because some of the guys hooking them didn't have enough sense to move away from the fleet and any potential obstacles as soon as they were hooked up.

I found trolling to be a lot harder than that. It has its boring moments as well. A lot of boring moments until you find the fish. But you are also changing the spread until you find the pattern that works. And that pattern changes every day . You have to be willing to modify according to the conditions and bait. I found that to be the most challenging of all.

These guys were relentless, and it paid off. They don't always catch tuna, but their thinking patterns usually bring them to fish. And the way Finchaser rigs up, the strongest rigs, leaders, and swivels, crimps, line, etc available, they hardly ever lose a fish due to "user error".






**********What worked that day:
1. Green machine bird for the WWB line.
2. Cedar plugs
3. Purple Zucker chains custom rigged by Finchaser.
4. Spreader bars from Reel Seat Bait and Tackle-. This was the first time I got to see the quality of Dave's work in the offshore game. His spreader bars have a good reputation among the offshore crowd, but I had never really seen them in action and catching fish. On Sat they were like magic, and pulled more fish than any other profile.
Of course, we had to change things up quite often. In the AM, chartreuse was the color for the spreaders. Late afternoon, the hot color was purple with silver flash.

And again, the best gear means nothing if the guys running the lines don't have a lot of trolling experienice. Some guys troll for an hour or 2 and give up because they don't catch.

Fin and his friend had the energy to do whatever it took to get those fish to hit, relentless in their pursuit of the strike on the troll. They had more energy than me. I was so excited about going I couldn't sleep the night before, and was caught napping on the job several times.

Just an all-around pleasure and privelege to be around these 2 knowledgable old salts. I'm still playing the tapes over in my head, where we had dozens of tuna following the boat, as we played a hooked fish. Words are not enough to describe how awesome it was to see that, and the whole experience.

[plugginpete]

Heard about that bite. Fishing for tuna with clams, crazy chit!

[jigfreak]

We really had to work for the fish.

Boat fish still don't count.

[captnemo]

Well jigfreak, they certainly do count if you are spending hundreds in fuel costs for one outing.

And dark, I'm assuming you're talking about the scallop scene in the CC? The folks there, many of them on the charters will only fish for tuna that time, or once a year, or are on vacation and book a trip because they are in the area. So don't be so hard on them. Personally I agree with you. I would prefer to catch them on the troll as well. I find it much more exciting and less dangerous than drifting into the mob scene that has been there. I read one report where a boat hooked up with 6 tuna and didn't land one because of break-offs. The thing to do when fishing like that is motor away from the fleet as soon as you are in. A lot of folks don't know that, apparently, and that's why they lose fish.

[surferman]

If I could go out there fishing for tuna, Iwould not care if it was scallop guts, bunker, or salami they told me to put on the hook, I would do it! I can see the aggravation of all the boats clustered up together. I have seen some crazy pics posted on the net. Don't know if I would feel comfortable fishing that close to other boats, it seems intuitive you would lose fish this way. I mean, these are tuna! Some of them are real big.

[bababooey]

You have to factor the fuel costs into this, dark. When a guy is spending $600-1200/day on fuel costs, it really doesn't matter if you are baiting the tuna or harpooning them. Guys want meat, plain and simple.

[DarkSkies]

You have to factor the fuel costs into this, dark. .

I hope people don't think I am slamming this type of fishing altogether. I was specifically referring to the days when it's crowded. Some of the boats I saw were 15 feet away from the scallop boat. Lots of fish are lost when it's this crowded. To me that's the crazy part. Why hook a tuna if you aren't going to complete the cycle and bring it boatside? That's the part that I have trouble understanding.
However, as I try to say, to each his own.

Don't know if I would feel comfortable fishing that close to other boats, it seems intuitive you would lose fish this way. I mean, these are tuna! Some of them are real big.

And they are losing fish by being clustered so close together. That's all I'm sayin. I took some pics and will post them when I get a chance.

[voyager35]

However, as I try to say, to each his own.

Agreed