Tunaslam
09-24-2012, 09:44 AM
Fishing with Chris on his 50’ Viking, “Bad to the Bone”, Sunday, 9-23-12. I met Chris at the Police Dock in Shelter Island at 9:30 pm Saturday evening, along with crew Drew, Ramsey and Steve. Also on the trip was Chris’s son Steve Jr. We locked and loaded gear and were off to the bait receiver to pick up 2.5 scoops of lousy Sardines, of which 50% rolled and 50% of the rest were bloody and half dead. We put ½ a scoop in one bait tank where almost all were dead by morning, while adding only two scoops to the 3 scoop main tank. Heard everyone else had similar problems? I know EB doesn’t want to sell crappy bait; it just seems to be the high demand situation with no time for any bait to cure?
The game plan was to motor down at 10 knots to the D220 area and try our luck there, before heading north back to the 1010 Trench and look for kelp paddies along the way. We took shifts of two for driving, and Drew and I were up at 3:45am, for our shift of which we planned to shut down the boat before grey light. There were a half dozen Sport Boats mostly a little east of us, with a few shutting down before we did.
The ocean was sloppy, with 10 knots of wind which began capping before 7am. It appeared that the 1010 area was even rougher when we passed it? We turned on the spreader lights and were immediately joined by numerous squid, mostly 1 to 1.5 foot in length. We tried to catch some with squid jigs and regular jigs to no avail.
We were joined by only five Sport Boats at grey light and later only a few private boaters. We began trolling and within 10 minutes a double jig strike, with one falling off at gaff. Drew stuck Steve Jr’s first ever Yellowfin Tuna, about 10 pounds. Ramsey hooked a bait fish on light line and it took him a few minutes before landing another cookie cutter size Yellowfin Tuna.
Steve Junior with his first Yellowfin Tuna:
http://i1091.photobucket.com/albums/i394/tunaslam/Chris/100_2304640x480_zps5192a9e7.jpg
Back to trolling, boxed the area for a triple hook up with all three falling off, and no bait fish. Again boxed the area for nothing and proceeded a bit further south for a ½ hour before returning north to our original area where we had the two hook ups. Not sure who spotted the Kelp Paddy, nothing special in size, but very special in holding. With the jigs still in, we didn’t quite get to the Paddy before the sound of ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ was heard and I hollered Hook up!
Released a baby Yellowtail and continued on to the kelp. Holy smokes this paddy is loaded with fish; we saw Dorado and Yellowtail everywhere. Every bait in the water was bit, mass pandemonium or utter chaos, you can choose? Drew choose to gaff fish before getting a line in the water, then it seemed like we had five fish going and someone gaffing for a solid 20 minutes. I released one small Yellowtail after another and couldn’t get bit by a Do Do. I believe I was the only one that didn’t catch a Dorado today?
My next bait in the water was inhaled and this time it was no Yellowtail. The line was screaming out and this fish was a speed burner. The Tuna had moved in and I looked down and saw fish zooming in from under the boat in all directions. Boils everywhere as we chummed cut sardines.
I landed my first Yellowfin Tuna of the day, about a 12 pounder. It continued to be every bait in the water being bit, and I often selected a sardine that was barely wiggling, and it still got bit instantly. Oh how you wait for these kinds of bites? A picture of the littered deck of the fish not yet put in the fish holds:
http://i1091.photobucket.com/albums/i394/tunaslam/Chris/100_2301640x480_zpscafc66d2.jpg
A picture of the fish being re-positioned and adding ice to the fish holds:
http://i1091.photobucket.com/albums/i394/tunaslam/Chris/100_2312640x480_zpsad5e580c.jpg
The bite slowed and we were now ¼ of mile off the kelp, slowed trolled semi dead baits back to the paddy and yes we were bit along the way, mostly the smaller Yellowtail, and one bigger fish that broke the line. This time you could see more Yellowfin Tuna gathered under the Kelp Paddy and once again it was game on. I hooked a little bigger Yellowfin Tuna and so did Ramsey.
Myself with a decent Yellowfin Tuna:
http://i1091.photobucket.com/albums/i394/tunaslam/Chris/100_2308640x480_zps0e9ae733.jpg
Ramsey with probably the biggest Yellowfin Tuna of the day:
http://i1091.photobucket.com/albums/i394/tunaslam/Chris/100_2305640x480_zps1a4d5f53.jpg
Occasionally a bigger Yellowtail would beat the Tuna to the bait. I think Ramsey got one about 12 pounds, and several more reached 10 pounds with a few eights, which we kept, releasing the under five pounders right and left unless they were bleeders.
We had drifted quite a ways from the paddy, and were about to return when Junior got bit hard. This fish was a bigger model. Ramsey was next to hook a bigger fish and fought him for quite a while before the hook pulled at deep color. I landed another Yellowfin Tuna before getting bit almost the second I hit the water while so did Ramsey. Junior was gaining on his Tuna and finally drew stuck him, a nice Bluefin Tuna. I also landed a Bluefin Tuna and so did Ramsey. What a magic Paddy?
The three amigos with Bluefin Tuna:
http://i1091.photobucket.com/albums/i394/tunaslam/Chris/100_2307640x480_zpsb5bf41b6.jpg
Totally exhausted I made my way to the cooler for a cold Dos Equis Amber, wow that that went down smooth! We were way off the fish by this time and again moved back to the Paddy. Very low on bait we decided to save the last few swimmers for a possible Albacore at the Trench on our way home, and we starting using iron, swim baits and Wax Wings to entice a bite, of which we did get some. I caught and released five Yellowtail in a row on a 6x Jr, dolphin color. Chris caught a Yellowfin on the Wax Wing, several fish were caught on swim baits. What a thrill. Tiring of throwing the iron, I put on a swim bait and immediately got bit by another Yellowtail, about 8 pounds.
Another private boater had joined the party and it appeared everyone on board was hooked up. I once more threw the Iron and this time was bit by a Yellowfin Tuna. Another cast, another Tuna, which I released as it was only about a six pounder.
So we left them biting, it was now 10:45 am. Chris set a course for the lower eastern part of the Trench as running west was not a good option with building seas and 15 knot winds. Put the trollers in at as little after noon. Conditions were real sloppy, and in the distance it was a sea of white caps. We trolled until 3:30 pm before calling it a day. We did stop on some enormous Paddies for nothing. The radio reports on the 1010 were not positive, with many poor reports in the rough seas. Sure was glad we were on a 50 footer to head home, as water was coming over the 20 foot high bridge.
Slowed down in US waters to clean fish, was almost in the dark before we finished. We arrived at the dock at 8:30 pm. I arrived home in Diamond Bar after 10:30 pm, one happy but tired camper. One more look at a bunch of fish.
http://i1091.photobucket.com/albums/i394/tunaslam/Chris/100_2311640x480_zps55a154a3.jpg
Thanks a bunch Chris, had an absolute blast, your yacht is sweet, hope to do it again soon. Nice meeting you Ramsey, good to fish with you again Steve, Junior and Drew! What a great group to fish with, everyone did an outstanding job.
Hook up! Cory
The game plan was to motor down at 10 knots to the D220 area and try our luck there, before heading north back to the 1010 Trench and look for kelp paddies along the way. We took shifts of two for driving, and Drew and I were up at 3:45am, for our shift of which we planned to shut down the boat before grey light. There were a half dozen Sport Boats mostly a little east of us, with a few shutting down before we did.
The ocean was sloppy, with 10 knots of wind which began capping before 7am. It appeared that the 1010 area was even rougher when we passed it? We turned on the spreader lights and were immediately joined by numerous squid, mostly 1 to 1.5 foot in length. We tried to catch some with squid jigs and regular jigs to no avail.
We were joined by only five Sport Boats at grey light and later only a few private boaters. We began trolling and within 10 minutes a double jig strike, with one falling off at gaff. Drew stuck Steve Jr’s first ever Yellowfin Tuna, about 10 pounds. Ramsey hooked a bait fish on light line and it took him a few minutes before landing another cookie cutter size Yellowfin Tuna.
Steve Junior with his first Yellowfin Tuna:
http://i1091.photobucket.com/albums/i394/tunaslam/Chris/100_2304640x480_zps5192a9e7.jpg
Back to trolling, boxed the area for a triple hook up with all three falling off, and no bait fish. Again boxed the area for nothing and proceeded a bit further south for a ½ hour before returning north to our original area where we had the two hook ups. Not sure who spotted the Kelp Paddy, nothing special in size, but very special in holding. With the jigs still in, we didn’t quite get to the Paddy before the sound of ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ was heard and I hollered Hook up!
Released a baby Yellowtail and continued on to the kelp. Holy smokes this paddy is loaded with fish; we saw Dorado and Yellowtail everywhere. Every bait in the water was bit, mass pandemonium or utter chaos, you can choose? Drew choose to gaff fish before getting a line in the water, then it seemed like we had five fish going and someone gaffing for a solid 20 minutes. I released one small Yellowtail after another and couldn’t get bit by a Do Do. I believe I was the only one that didn’t catch a Dorado today?
My next bait in the water was inhaled and this time it was no Yellowtail. The line was screaming out and this fish was a speed burner. The Tuna had moved in and I looked down and saw fish zooming in from under the boat in all directions. Boils everywhere as we chummed cut sardines.
I landed my first Yellowfin Tuna of the day, about a 12 pounder. It continued to be every bait in the water being bit, and I often selected a sardine that was barely wiggling, and it still got bit instantly. Oh how you wait for these kinds of bites? A picture of the littered deck of the fish not yet put in the fish holds:
http://i1091.photobucket.com/albums/i394/tunaslam/Chris/100_2301640x480_zpscafc66d2.jpg
A picture of the fish being re-positioned and adding ice to the fish holds:
http://i1091.photobucket.com/albums/i394/tunaslam/Chris/100_2312640x480_zpsad5e580c.jpg
The bite slowed and we were now ¼ of mile off the kelp, slowed trolled semi dead baits back to the paddy and yes we were bit along the way, mostly the smaller Yellowtail, and one bigger fish that broke the line. This time you could see more Yellowfin Tuna gathered under the Kelp Paddy and once again it was game on. I hooked a little bigger Yellowfin Tuna and so did Ramsey.
Myself with a decent Yellowfin Tuna:
http://i1091.photobucket.com/albums/i394/tunaslam/Chris/100_2308640x480_zps0e9ae733.jpg
Ramsey with probably the biggest Yellowfin Tuna of the day:
http://i1091.photobucket.com/albums/i394/tunaslam/Chris/100_2305640x480_zps1a4d5f53.jpg
Occasionally a bigger Yellowtail would beat the Tuna to the bait. I think Ramsey got one about 12 pounds, and several more reached 10 pounds with a few eights, which we kept, releasing the under five pounders right and left unless they were bleeders.
We had drifted quite a ways from the paddy, and were about to return when Junior got bit hard. This fish was a bigger model. Ramsey was next to hook a bigger fish and fought him for quite a while before the hook pulled at deep color. I landed another Yellowfin Tuna before getting bit almost the second I hit the water while so did Ramsey. Junior was gaining on his Tuna and finally drew stuck him, a nice Bluefin Tuna. I also landed a Bluefin Tuna and so did Ramsey. What a magic Paddy?
The three amigos with Bluefin Tuna:
http://i1091.photobucket.com/albums/i394/tunaslam/Chris/100_2307640x480_zpsb5bf41b6.jpg
Totally exhausted I made my way to the cooler for a cold Dos Equis Amber, wow that that went down smooth! We were way off the fish by this time and again moved back to the Paddy. Very low on bait we decided to save the last few swimmers for a possible Albacore at the Trench on our way home, and we starting using iron, swim baits and Wax Wings to entice a bite, of which we did get some. I caught and released five Yellowtail in a row on a 6x Jr, dolphin color. Chris caught a Yellowfin on the Wax Wing, several fish were caught on swim baits. What a thrill. Tiring of throwing the iron, I put on a swim bait and immediately got bit by another Yellowtail, about 8 pounds.
Another private boater had joined the party and it appeared everyone on board was hooked up. I once more threw the Iron and this time was bit by a Yellowfin Tuna. Another cast, another Tuna, which I released as it was only about a six pounder.
So we left them biting, it was now 10:45 am. Chris set a course for the lower eastern part of the Trench as running west was not a good option with building seas and 15 knot winds. Put the trollers in at as little after noon. Conditions were real sloppy, and in the distance it was a sea of white caps. We trolled until 3:30 pm before calling it a day. We did stop on some enormous Paddies for nothing. The radio reports on the 1010 were not positive, with many poor reports in the rough seas. Sure was glad we were on a 50 footer to head home, as water was coming over the 20 foot high bridge.
Slowed down in US waters to clean fish, was almost in the dark before we finished. We arrived at the dock at 8:30 pm. I arrived home in Diamond Bar after 10:30 pm, one happy but tired camper. One more look at a bunch of fish.
http://i1091.photobucket.com/albums/i394/tunaslam/Chris/100_2311640x480_zps55a154a3.jpg
Thanks a bunch Chris, had an absolute blast, your yacht is sweet, hope to do it again soon. Nice meeting you Ramsey, good to fish with you again Steve, Junior and Drew! What a great group to fish with, everyone did an outstanding job.
Hook up! Cory