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Water to table: Tuna school was definitely online

Sea2Ski
Sea2Ski Posts: 4,131
Headed out Saturday morning for tuna.  Left dock at 4:30 and want for the 60 mile cruise to the edge of the canyon.  Arrived in 1:50 and put the lines in. Water was flat calm, and there was not a lick of wind. Forecast was for the fan to start blowing about noon, so we were hoping for a quick hookup. But for now, flat calm seas allowed us to put out 17 lines to offer them a full buffet. 




We trolled for 7 min and the sounder lit up. Seconds later the first fish was on. Meat in the boat! It was a smaller one - about 30 lbs, but that transitioned the trip from a boat ride to a fishing trip. 


A few min later we get a triple hookup. 4 in the boat  

We get all the lines out, start cleaning the deck and did not get far.  If the sound of a screaming reel is music to your ears, 14 is a concert you will never forget.
5 rods hooked up waiting for someone to pick them up and fight the fish:


14 hooked up, two snap offs and 12 landed. Total in the boat: 16

 We put out 5 more lines, spun the boat around and another 5 rod knockdown. 
Total time: 2:17 to get our limit. We cleaned the deck and headed back to the barn. Good thing we left when we did.  It got really snotty out there with solid 5-8 waves hitting us on a the 45 starboard bow.  We were breaking the waves for some smaller 30-40 ft boats 


It took 3.5 hours to get back. 



Since then I have been eating tuna all different ways:




Ceviche

Steaks with roasted carrots and garlic scapes 

Tuna sandwich with wasabi mayo
Tuna Caesar salad

And a friend made an Asian noodle dish topped with tuna. 



Thanks for letting me share! 
--------------------------------------------------
Burning lump in Downingtown, PA or diesel in Cape May, NJ.
....just look for the smoke!
Large and MiniMax
--------------------------------------------------

Caliking said:   Meat in bung is my favorite. 
«1

Comments

  • alaskanassasin
    alaskanassasin Posts: 8,932
    I felt like I was there! Thanks for sharing 
    South of Columbus, Ohio.


  • Matt86m
    Matt86m Posts: 471
    Bravo!!! 17 lines?!!!!

    Im dying for a day on the water like that!

    You have some good eating ahead of you!
    XL aka Senior, Mini Max aka Junior, Weber Q's, Blackstone 22, Lion built in, RecTec Mini 300, Lodge Hibachi, Uuni, wife says I have too many grills,,,,how many shoes do you have?
     
    IG -->  matt_86m
  • Wolfpack
    Wolfpack Posts: 3,552
    Wow- in my next life...

    thanks for sharing
    Greensboro, NC
  • keener75
    keener75 Posts: 410
    That is an Amazing fishing tale!
    Thanks for sharing!
    St Marys, Ontario, Canada  LBGE
  • LetsEat
    LetsEat Posts: 462
    Beautiful!
    IL 
  • StillH2OEgger
    StillH2OEgger Posts: 3,896
    That is awesome! I want to know who was the slacker who had time to take all the photos even with all those fish on (-:
    Stillwater, MN
  • dbCooper
    dbCooper Posts: 2,678
    Very nice story and pictures.  And food!  Thanks for sharing.
    LBGE, LBGE-PTR, 22" Weber, Coleman 413G
    Great Plains, USA
  • hoosier_egger
    hoosier_egger Posts: 6,808
    Dang Mark! Epic day. Thanks for sharing 
    ~ John - Formerly known as ColtsFan  - https://www.instagram.com/hoosier_egger
    XL BGE, LG BGE, Med BGE, BGE Chiminea, Ardore Pizza Oven
    Bloomington, IN - Hoo Hoo Hoo Hoosiers!

  • OconeeDawg
    OconeeDawg Posts: 149
    Where is this?
  • ColbyLang
    ColbyLang Posts: 4,406
    East coast? Need to come try the big boys down here in Louisiana out of Venice. 
  • StillH2OEgger
    StillH2OEgger Posts: 3,896
    I should add that you could turn this thread into a "Cooking with Tuna" book rather easily. Hard to beat fresh fish, and that is a great run of meals.
    Stillwater, MN
  • Ozzie_Isaac
    Ozzie_Isaac Posts: 21,679
    Epic!!

    I would rather light a candle than curse your darkness.

  • kl8ton
    kl8ton Posts: 6,423
    This is fantastic.  One for the memory bank!  Do you think it was the pending weather pattern shift that had them going crazy?  I know a lot has to do with right place and right time.

    Outstanding all around. Congratulations!
    Large, Medium, MiniMax, 36" Blackstone
    Grand Rapids MI
  • Wow! What a day! Thanks for sharing. 
    Keepin' It Weird in The ATX FBTX
  • Sea2Ski
    Sea2Ski Posts: 4,131
    That is awesome! I want to know who was the slacker who had time to take all the photos even with all those fish on (-:
    That slacker was me.  When you hook that many fish at once, a technique you can try (because it certainly does not always work) is to keep the boat in gear and up a few knots. That sometimes tows the fish whom no one is actively fighting after their first run. That is an effort to try and keep them straight behind the boat while you stagger the length of line out so they do not school up and tangle.  Then the real fight is on with those first fish: they are freshly hooked, green as can be, and you are also fighting the current induced by keeping the boat in gear.  Your arms turn to jello. Once some of the fish are in, eventually you can idle and fight the remaining fish “properly” when there is a lower chance of getting tangled. But those lines are Also typically the furthest out. So although the fish may be a bit more tired, you may have 300-400 yards to reel in.  As soon as you get one fish in, you take a swig of water, shake out your arms and grab another rod. I also grab a few pictures if I can. I hope that makes sense.
    --------------------------------------------------
    Burning lump in Downingtown, PA or diesel in Cape May, NJ.
    ....just look for the smoke!
    Large and MiniMax
    --------------------------------------------------

    Caliking said:   Meat in bung is my favorite. 
  • Sea2Ski
    Sea2Ski Posts: 4,131
    Where is this?
    This was out of Ocean City MD.  Fish were on the edge of south poormans canyon
    --------------------------------------------------
    Burning lump in Downingtown, PA or diesel in Cape May, NJ.
    ....just look for the smoke!
    Large and MiniMax
    --------------------------------------------------

    Caliking said:   Meat in bung is my favorite. 
  • Sea2Ski
    Sea2Ski Posts: 4,131
    kl8ton said:
    This is fantastic.  One for the memory bank!  Do you think it was the pending weather pattern shift that had them going crazy?  I know a lot has to do with right place and right time.

    Outstanding all around. Congratulations!
    @kl8ton  Not sure.  These fish are opportunistic feeders. Unless they just fed well, they are pretty aggressive. The key is finding them.  Up here, we have to look at satellite shots where you can see the eddies off the Gulf Stream, then we can see water color and clarity then find the temperature breaks. The bluer the water, the less chlorophyll, the sharper the temperature break, the better of a chance to find both bait and fish. Find the bait, and you find the fish. The bait has to be there, but it can not be too thick. We have driven through schools that are sunning themselves by slowly cruising on their side on the surface and they will not feed. Few things are as frustrating as that. 

    So while you can use technology to help put you in the general area, there is still a lot of luck involved.  The number of boat rides far outnumber the number of great fishing trips like this. But it is days like this that keep calling me back to the deep blue. 
    --------------------------------------------------
    Burning lump in Downingtown, PA or diesel in Cape May, NJ.
    ....just look for the smoke!
    Large and MiniMax
    --------------------------------------------------

    Caliking said:   Meat in bung is my favorite. 
  • buzd504
    buzd504 Posts: 3,877
    Great pics and great eats.  That looks like a fantastic trip.  I've reeled in tuna like that and it's exhausting.
    NOLA
  • northGAcock
    northGAcock Posts: 15,173
    Not a fish eater myself....but love the pictures and journey. Welcome back to land. 
    Ellijay GA with a Medium & MiniMax

    Well, I married me a wife, she's been trouble all my life,
    Run me out in the cold rain and snow
  • JohnInCarolina
    JohnInCarolina Posts: 34,739
    Always love your threads Mark!  This did not disappoint.  
    "I've made a note never to piss you two off." - Stike

    "The truth is, these are not very bright guys, and things got out of hand." - Deep Throat
  • Photo Egg
    Photo Egg Posts: 12,137
    You know it's a good trip when you start filling wheelbarrows...
    Very Nice!
    Thank you,
    Darian

    Galveston Texas
  • JohnEggGio
    JohnEggGio Posts: 1,430
    Fantastic photos, and really enjoyed the discussion of the fishing strategies.  I’ve never been out to the canyon - long way out.  I lived in West Palm Beach for 10 years - fished in the Gulf Stream there.  I always joke that I prefer fishing the Stream off S Florida because you know which way to swim...

    Those tuna dishes look amazing!  Wow!  Thanks for sharing!
    Maryland, 1 LBGE
  • LetsEat
    LetsEat Posts: 462
    I had to return for a second look this morning. Spectacular!
    IL 
  • Foghorn
    Foghorn Posts: 10,227
    Phenomenal trip, post, meals.  Thanks. 

    XXL BGE, Karebecue, Klose BYC, Chargiller Akorn Kamado, Weber Smokey Mountain, Grand Turbo gasser, Weber Smoky Joe, and the wheelbarrow that my grandfather used to cook steaks from his cattle

    San Antonio, TX

  • StillH2OEgger
    StillH2OEgger Posts: 3,896
    Sea2Ski said:
    That is awesome! I want to know who was the slacker who had time to take all the photos even with all those fish on (-:
    That slacker was me.  When you hook that many fish at once, a technique you can try (because it certainly does not always work) is to keep the boat in gear and up a few knots. That sometimes tows the fish whom no one is actively fighting after their first run. That is an effort to try and keep them straight behind the boat while you stagger the length of line out so they do not school up and tangle.  Then the real fight is on with those first fish: they are freshly hooked, green as can be, and you are also fighting the current induced by keeping the boat in gear.  Your arms turn to jello. Once some of the fish are in, eventually you can idle and fight the remaining fish “properly” when there is a lower chance of getting tangled. But those lines are Also typically the furthest out. So although the fish may be a bit more tired, you may have 300-400 yards to reel in.  As soon as you get one fish in, you take a swig of water, shake out your arms and grab another rod. I also grab a few pictures if I can. I hope that makes sense.
    I feel like I was there! I think I got sore muscles just from reading this. Thanks for sharing.
    Stillwater, MN
  • Kayak
    Kayak Posts: 700
    That looks like a great time, but there would have been some serious chumming on the return trip!

    Bob

    New Cumberland, PA
    XL with the usual accessories

  • speed51133
    speed51133 Posts: 691
    edited June 2020
    Was this your boat? Can you estimate the cost of fuel for the trip? What is the market value of the tuna caught? Was it your intent to keep it all? Do you ever sell your catch? Is it yellow fin?
    XL BGE and Kamado Joe Jr.
  • Legume
    Legume Posts: 15,936
    Now I’m craving a tuna steak.  Hopefully I can hookup at the store today.

    love this post.  I could live off of tuna.
    THANK YOU FOR YOUR ATTENTION TO THIS MATTER
  • Brisket_Fanatic
    Brisket_Fanatic Posts: 2,885
    This is awesome!!! 

    NW IA

    2 LBGE, 1 SBGE, 22.5 WSM, 1 Smokey Joe and Black Stone

  • lkapigian
    lkapigian Posts: 11,549
    Awesome!, last time we had a haul like that was due to Linda Chumming the waters 
    Visalia, Ca @lkapigian