Tunaslam
08-09-2015, 08:07 PM
For the first time in nearly ten years I went fishing with Jeff W. on his newly acquired and re-furbished 26’ Shamrock, “Longfin” with his son Tommy. I drove down from my house in Diamond Bar, Sunday morning at 3:45 am, 8-09-15 and met Jeff and Tommy at their slip in Mission Bay at 5:30 am. Jeff had previously owned a 25’ Diesel powered Skipjack and I was saddened when he sold it ten years ago.
Jeff purchased a scoop of bait the day before, unfortunately 50% died overnight. The line for bait was already 25+ boats deep, so we passed up getting some fresh and set a course for south west of Oceanside, some 26 miles away. Another 50% of those remaining perished on the way, leaving us with a scarce 20 to 25 pieces still swimming.
We stopped on some small Kelp Paddies several times and nobody was home. Although you always hope to find your own fish, the game lately is to join the crowd, when found, hoping for the best. We spotted a fairly large group of boats just ahead at about 5 miles short of our desired beginning destination.
As we pulled up to the mass of boats, we didn’t see any signs of hookups, birds or crashing fish, so we continued on. There were several more groups of boats ahead of us. Believing this was a fishy area we put out the trollers, several cedar plug daisy chains and a Rapala. I have yet to be on a private boat this year that has caught a trolling fish and that held true today as well?
Approaching another group of boats, surrounding a giant kelp paddy, we did see some hook ups. So we set up a drift. After about ten minutes of chunking and soaking sardines, I was bit, and darn the line broke right at the Uni to Uni connection on the Flouro leader, can’t believe I did a bum tie? Usually check the knot strength securely? Bad on me!
The radio was alive with calls of numbers where fishing was supposedly wide open. One such call, which sounded more sincere than the others and was only 3.5 miles away caught our interest and off we went, as this spot had dried up with no more hook ups in sight.
Sure enough other boats had heard the call out and were joining the fleet exponentially. We did setup in an ideal position about a 100 yards off the big Paddy. Tommy got short bit almost immediately and I was bit within a few minutes. This time everything held and after a long initial run of about 70 yards of line on my 30 pound rig, the Tuna did the old Kamikaze run toward me. I wound like hell to catch up and did. Then it sounded and the battle was on. A few minutes later of tug of war, the tuna was at deep color and Captain Jeff stuck him as he came to the surface. Ouch, as Jeff stumbled and strained to lift the Yellowfin Tuna over the rail, his knee buckling under the force of lifting.
Jeff was not fishing, as he recently had knee surgery, and was hobbling on one leg. Having gone through my own knee surgery last year, I could sympathize immensely. Then Tommy was slammed and it was fish against rookie. Tommy’s biggest fish to date was about ten pounds. This would be his first Tuna! Wow, what a fight. The Yellowfin Tuna took several good runs and then settled down to some death spirals. Tommy worked the tuna to within 20 feet of the boat, yet it became a battle of willpower. This Tuna wanted nothing to do with the boat and Tommy put in a tremendous effort to keep the tuna in the death circle. He gained ten feet and lost ten feet, again and again. Round and round the fight continued. At last as Jeff and I urged Tommy on, lift up, wind down quickly, keep a bend in the rod, keep your rod out straight, don’t lift to high, etc. Tommy was tiring, yet he would not give up. Then a final pull and Jeff sunk the gaff into him. Wow, Tommy what a great fight and kudos to your endurance.
http://i1091.photobucket.com/albums/i394/tunaslam/Jeff%20Warren/100_4176%201024x642_zpsmltts1di.jpg
Both of us proud of our catch:
http://i1091.photobucket.com/albums/i394/tunaslam/Jeff%20Warren/100_4177%201024x638_zpsxgightnz.jpg
Nothing happened in the next 30 minutes, and we could see no one else hooking fish, so we started looking again. We were now down to about six healthy baits. Another set of numbers were called out on a smaller kelp paddy, where they said they had caught numerous Yellowfin Tuna on both live bait and chunks. It was only 3 miles north of us so we bit!
Several other boats were headed in the same direction, kind of funny. What the heck it has been working this year. We came on the numbers, and only two boats were present, yet they both were bent. Yep, it was a small paddy, however, it was holding. It wasn’t long before I got bit. A few minutes into the fight, the tuna went real squirrely, radical head shakes and rapid movements right to left and back, and then slack line. Crap, the hook had pulled.
With only a few swimming baits left in the bait tank, this was my last hurrah. I chose a free swimmer, hard to catch, and slimy green. Maybe ten seconds later I was hammered, and it was game on. This Tuna took a long run, and I thought it might be a big one. Then once again it did the Kamikaze right at me. Gaining a lot of line it then settled down to a tight circle, and strong pull. I didn’t gain much line for a few minutes; however, I could sense the tuna tiring. I gained more and more line and there was deep color. I short pumped the Tuna to within gaff range and once again Jeff struggled to hoist the Tuna aboard. Good job Captain Jeff.
http://i1091.photobucket.com/albums/i394/tunaslam/Jeff%20Warren/100_4181%201024x712_zpsbkb8pjxo.jpg
Out of bait and no fish attracted to our chunking, we finally called it at 2:30 pm. The wind did not come up until about 3pm. Sensational weather today.
What a blast to fish with you again Jeff. Great to share a rail with you Tommy, you are a chip off Dad’s block for sure. I hope to fish with both of you again soon.
Hook up! Cory
Jeff purchased a scoop of bait the day before, unfortunately 50% died overnight. The line for bait was already 25+ boats deep, so we passed up getting some fresh and set a course for south west of Oceanside, some 26 miles away. Another 50% of those remaining perished on the way, leaving us with a scarce 20 to 25 pieces still swimming.
We stopped on some small Kelp Paddies several times and nobody was home. Although you always hope to find your own fish, the game lately is to join the crowd, when found, hoping for the best. We spotted a fairly large group of boats just ahead at about 5 miles short of our desired beginning destination.
As we pulled up to the mass of boats, we didn’t see any signs of hookups, birds or crashing fish, so we continued on. There were several more groups of boats ahead of us. Believing this was a fishy area we put out the trollers, several cedar plug daisy chains and a Rapala. I have yet to be on a private boat this year that has caught a trolling fish and that held true today as well?
Approaching another group of boats, surrounding a giant kelp paddy, we did see some hook ups. So we set up a drift. After about ten minutes of chunking and soaking sardines, I was bit, and darn the line broke right at the Uni to Uni connection on the Flouro leader, can’t believe I did a bum tie? Usually check the knot strength securely? Bad on me!
The radio was alive with calls of numbers where fishing was supposedly wide open. One such call, which sounded more sincere than the others and was only 3.5 miles away caught our interest and off we went, as this spot had dried up with no more hook ups in sight.
Sure enough other boats had heard the call out and were joining the fleet exponentially. We did setup in an ideal position about a 100 yards off the big Paddy. Tommy got short bit almost immediately and I was bit within a few minutes. This time everything held and after a long initial run of about 70 yards of line on my 30 pound rig, the Tuna did the old Kamikaze run toward me. I wound like hell to catch up and did. Then it sounded and the battle was on. A few minutes later of tug of war, the tuna was at deep color and Captain Jeff stuck him as he came to the surface. Ouch, as Jeff stumbled and strained to lift the Yellowfin Tuna over the rail, his knee buckling under the force of lifting.
Jeff was not fishing, as he recently had knee surgery, and was hobbling on one leg. Having gone through my own knee surgery last year, I could sympathize immensely. Then Tommy was slammed and it was fish against rookie. Tommy’s biggest fish to date was about ten pounds. This would be his first Tuna! Wow, what a fight. The Yellowfin Tuna took several good runs and then settled down to some death spirals. Tommy worked the tuna to within 20 feet of the boat, yet it became a battle of willpower. This Tuna wanted nothing to do with the boat and Tommy put in a tremendous effort to keep the tuna in the death circle. He gained ten feet and lost ten feet, again and again. Round and round the fight continued. At last as Jeff and I urged Tommy on, lift up, wind down quickly, keep a bend in the rod, keep your rod out straight, don’t lift to high, etc. Tommy was tiring, yet he would not give up. Then a final pull and Jeff sunk the gaff into him. Wow, Tommy what a great fight and kudos to your endurance.
http://i1091.photobucket.com/albums/i394/tunaslam/Jeff%20Warren/100_4176%201024x642_zpsmltts1di.jpg
Both of us proud of our catch:
http://i1091.photobucket.com/albums/i394/tunaslam/Jeff%20Warren/100_4177%201024x638_zpsxgightnz.jpg
Nothing happened in the next 30 minutes, and we could see no one else hooking fish, so we started looking again. We were now down to about six healthy baits. Another set of numbers were called out on a smaller kelp paddy, where they said they had caught numerous Yellowfin Tuna on both live bait and chunks. It was only 3 miles north of us so we bit!
Several other boats were headed in the same direction, kind of funny. What the heck it has been working this year. We came on the numbers, and only two boats were present, yet they both were bent. Yep, it was a small paddy, however, it was holding. It wasn’t long before I got bit. A few minutes into the fight, the tuna went real squirrely, radical head shakes and rapid movements right to left and back, and then slack line. Crap, the hook had pulled.
With only a few swimming baits left in the bait tank, this was my last hurrah. I chose a free swimmer, hard to catch, and slimy green. Maybe ten seconds later I was hammered, and it was game on. This Tuna took a long run, and I thought it might be a big one. Then once again it did the Kamikaze right at me. Gaining a lot of line it then settled down to a tight circle, and strong pull. I didn’t gain much line for a few minutes; however, I could sense the tuna tiring. I gained more and more line and there was deep color. I short pumped the Tuna to within gaff range and once again Jeff struggled to hoist the Tuna aboard. Good job Captain Jeff.
http://i1091.photobucket.com/albums/i394/tunaslam/Jeff%20Warren/100_4181%201024x712_zpsbkb8pjxo.jpg
Out of bait and no fish attracted to our chunking, we finally called it at 2:30 pm. The wind did not come up until about 3pm. Sensational weather today.
What a blast to fish with you again Jeff. Great to share a rail with you Tommy, you are a chip off Dad’s block for sure. I hope to fish with both of you again soon.
Hook up! Cory