Medium/Giant Tuna fishing from a 272 New England

[Jamato14]

In the process of purchasing a Grady 272, and curious of any folks in New England who use it for giant/Rec medium fishing or if it’s even possible or plausible. My last boat was a 23’ CC with a bracket and was easy to fish from but had no family amenities. this boat I am going to be using a lot for family time, inshore fishing and haddock fishing and overnighting (my GF and myself no kids for now), but also want to fish it the few days a year I’m free. When talking to an experienced boater/giant fisherman he advised against fishing it due to the rear seating and not great spots for putting rods etc especially with the euro transom (but agreed the boat itself is great). Anyone do it and do it safely? If so any tips for setting up the cockpit to fight a giant or a northern New England medium rec fish from the 272? Any thoughts on if it’s worth it (all gears already accumulated it’s a matter of setting up the boat), or is the boat more of a striper/haddock/weekender boat (which is also fine just looking to see if it’s reasonable to really fish one a few times a year safely).

 

[SmokyMtnGrady]

Well, a guy caught an 1,100 pound or so blue fin in a Grady 225. So, there is that. You are going fishing for fun not for money or to earn a living from your boat. In that case, maybe the 272 isn't the best but you know what, go out and have fun and see if you can boat a big one.

 

[Legend]

I use my 282 Sailfish all the time for tuna and have ha no issues. If you are targeting true up to 1,000 pounds plus you would probably need a winch to get it in the boat as they won't fit through the door. The boat is very capable of handling/catching any sized but the issue is getting the big ones in the boat. The boat layout is ideal for fishing tuna Outriggers can be helpful but not necessity. You did not mention if your were fishing recreational or commercial. If fishing recreational fish are limited to <73". The season or recreational has a one trophy fish per year >73" but it generally closes before the tuna arrive in the NE. If you are looking at commercial it can get quite a bit more expensive as there are many additional safety requirements ie Life rafts etc.

For gear I use a standup harness and Shimano TLD 80 Reels. The reels have been great and the standup experience can't be beat. Some recreational use bigger reels and opt for fishing with rods in the rod holders. The 80s are light enough you can with a harness or in the rod holders

You will not be alone on tuna grounds with a Grady as there are many Grady's models fishing there. It may be tougher finding a Sailfish for sale in New England this year than finding the tuna. Good luck!

 

[NH Seafarer]

Fish for them all the time in my 228. I do however, target the smaller tunas. had a 100" fish on last year and it was a frigging rodeo. Ended up breaking my rod. Luckily no one was hurt and we managed to get the fish boatside in a fairly short amount of time to release it. I have a Rec permit and the Trophy season >73" has been closed the last couple of years. I am planning to use lighter hooks this year so we can pull the hook out of their mouth with 40# of drag if we get another giant. I'd rather do this then fight the fight half to death just so I can get the hook out of their mouth. Use the Owner Mutu not the Super Mutu hooks or the sailfish hooks they make. They bend around 40-50# of pressure.....

 

[Kizuna]

>73" Trophies closed earlier this month. On May 11th, I think.

 

[Kizuna]

Oh and I agree with what I think Smoky was saying. If you're fishing commercially for a living a Grady might not be the best boat for the job. But recreationally, and for fun, you can fish just about anything.

 

[GEII]

That boat will be fine. You should consider installing a couple of swivel rod holders for Tuna Fishing.

 

[Fishtales]

In all but the roughest stuff you will be fine.

 

[Jamato14]

Great info all. My last boat I was rec but being in northern New England and fishing when I do where I do and with the other boats I fish with was considering getting the commercial permit this year purely due to the fact I’m out the 70% of the time when the buyers were buying last year and most fish around me were 73-85”. By no means is it for a living, it’s more of in out here anyway so if I land one I might as well sell it if it’s probably going to be a legal giant based on what I’ve seen where I fish. I have all safety gear ex raft which with the islands near some of the spots I fish I’m inside enough to not require a raft commercially, but over time would get one (normal buddy boat I am with doesn’t have a raft and legally is full commercial in the same spots but can’t chase the bite when it’s offshore a little further). My concern would be where to fight the fish. I’m used to the rear corner of the transom or the bow (center console no seating/step), the sailfish would have to be setup to fight off the side. I have a 0* and 15* swivel in the closet waiting for the closing to install but wasn’t sure if it was doable to fight them on this boat from the side. Glad to hear folks are doing it, where I’m out of its mostly downEasts, sportfishes and CC’s hunting them (granted I’m still new to the fishery so haven’t seen everyone). Thanks for the tips and advice, looking forward to the closing and being an active member here!

 

[Legend]

Fishing from the side has not been an issue for me. My experience with these fish is you need to be able to fish them from every angle bc they bounce around like an out of control rockets

 

[Renegadeniantic]

Great info all. My last boat I was rec but being in northern New England and fishing when I do where I do and with the other boats I fish with was considering getting the commercial permit this year purely due to the fact I’m out the 70% of the time when the buyers were buying last year and most fish around me were 73-85”. By no means is it for a living, it’s more of in out here anyway so if I land one I might as well sell it if it’s probably going to be a legal giant based on what I’ve seen where I fish. I have all safety gear ex raft which with the islands near some of the spots I fish I’m inside enough to not require a raft commercially, but over time would get one (normal buddy boat I am with doesn’t have a raft and legally is full commercial in the same spots but can’t chase the bite when it’s offshore a little further). My concern would be where to fight the fish. I’m used to the rear corner of the transom or the bow (center console no seating/step), the sailfish would have to be setup to fight off the side. I have a 0* and 15* swivel in the closet waiting for the closing to install but wasn’t sure if it was doable to fight them on this boat from the side. Glad to hear folks are doing it, where I’m out of its mostly downEasts, sportfishes and CC’s hunting them (granted I’m still new to the fishery so haven’t seen everyone). Thanks for the tips and advice, looking forward to the closing and being an active member here!

I recommend you read The commercial regulation for commercial fishing before you decide to change your HMS permit from recreational to the general category. as a commercial fisherman in that category you Are basically limited to fishing for giants, you no longer can possess the smaller bluefin, or any sharks when out on a fun trip. also Pending where you are in northern New England and the times of the year due to water temps your also required to a have Gumby suits on the boat. i contacted the NMFS in Gloucester and realized the restriction “after I did it” and realized that I could no longer ”recreational” fish for the offshore species. I quickly changed my permit back to recreational. Just my 2 cents...

 

[capeguy]

I had a 282 and had no problems. I do not fish commercially and try and target 60-73" as much as possible although you never can predict what you may hook up to. We fish standup with Talica 25s and Terez rods with a harness. we position the angler in the starboard, aft corner by the door for the fight and move the boat to keep the fish at a 45' angle off the stern as much as possible. You have a rod holder right there if you wish to fight from the gunwale. You have plenty of boat for this. Commerical is a different game that I can't comment on.

 

[Jamato14]

I recommend you read The commercial regulation for commercial fishing before you decide to change your HMS permit from recreational to the general category. as a commercial fisherman in that category you Are basically limited to fishing for giants, you no longer can possess the smaller bluefin, or any sharks when out on a fun trip. also Pending where you are in northern New England and the times of the year due to water temps your also required to a have Gumby suits on the boat. i contacted the NMFS in Gloucester and realized the restriction “after I did it” and realized that I could no longer ”recreational” fish for the offshore species. I quickly changed my permit back to recreational. Just my 2 cents...

Thanks for the insight, I had my CC fully rigged for commercial permits including Gumby suits offshore flares epirb etc. where I fish I primarily see giants, and last year of the 10 days I fished 7 were “open buy” days, so I was out in giant territory with a rec permit. I’m going back and forth and haven’t decided but appreciate the input. Either way I’m going to be on the water in the same areas for haddock so I won’t be missing any days it just depends on what I put out for gear based on open days. Either way I’ll decide after I take possession assuming the survey goes well tomorrow. Thanks for the insight I appreciate the information from someone who has done both and will definitely take the info into consideration