Ran ouffshore with my buddy Eric to take advantage of the weather window before the blow were experiencing. Got out to our first spot about 40 miles off the coast and found lots of life and lots of bait readings so we set up on the drift. Had whales around us all morning, possibly 15-20 of them eating bait fish schools that were all over, had false albies chasing the bait on top as well. Never had the usually fish marks in the bait marks down deep though, sat it out waiting for it to turn on but it did not in the morning. Made a move about 9 miles offshore to the second fleet who had a slow morning with very few fish picked, but the ones caught were nice fish. Watched a buddy on his 265 Express hook up to a 300lb class blue marlin on a sardine set down at 60 ft, after 15 min they broke the fish off, what an aerial show that fish put on. I knew they were under manned so I offered to hop on to leader the fish if they needed, but the fish broke off before they ever got it near the boat. They did manage a 140lb mako, saw about a half dozen makos and threshers hanging off boats today. Made a last ditch effort and ran back to our first location and watched a guy outside the fleet hook a schoolie smaller bluefin, we scouted the area and found the best marks of the day at 60-100 ft deep and set up on them off the fleet a little. Had a fish on within 30 min of stopping a a jig, though it was a falsie until I saw a yellow flash, was a rat yellowfin to my surprise! Let him go, not enough meat on a small fish like that to even kill it. Dropped the same jig back in and showed Eric how to jig for tuna and 30 seconds later he hooks up, thought it was another rat yft as it fought the same for the first min, then it took off and went deep, 10 min later we had a 44" bluefin being bleed. Had one more under fish on a sardine and released him as well. We made a move to stay on the marks and made some calls to friends who were near by to get to where we were, my whole network of boats came in and everyone got into the fishing, rods bent all around us, what a sight!! We managed 2 more under sized bluefin on the next drift, one on a jig and one on a sardine. Released both and moved to stay with the fish. Next 2 fish came on sardines, first fish taped out at 47" on the dot next to the boat but we decided to let him swim and released him. As soon as we finished setting the rods back out the flat line started screaming, it only was 25 ft off the boat!!! After a 20 min fight we had a 51" bluefin that scaled out around 90lb on the deck. Decided to call it a day on a high note and head for the barn, Could have stayed to play catch and release some more, guys were still hooking up all around us, but we wanted to get in and have the boat cleaned before dark. We did have a coupld other smacks on the jigs thoughout our jigs but did not come tight on those fish. Fish were caught on sardines set at 75 ft, and sting-o jigs in gold and silver at 75ft, gold was the better color today. Last fish of the day was caught on a flat line with 25 ft of line out. We literally left the fish biting today. Were able to run 35mph the whole ride in in flat calm seas!! Great day to be on the water and an awesome wide open bite to end the day!!
Nice fat bluefin.
Our under and over sized bluefin tuna.
Running home at 35mph
Nice fat bluefin.
Our under and over sized bluefin tuna.
Running home at 35mph