[Homerun04]

Just for Jenn -- I'll post my last (sorry for boring you all) fish story......

If you read my previous post you might remember I have been tuna fishing off the coast of RI for the past 10 years or so. Like all anglers, however, there was a time when I was REALLY a rookie (not that I think I have left my rookie status when it comes to tuna's). As such, I will always remember the day I lost my tuna fishing virginity off the RI coast.

It started one beautiful early September day 10 years ago. My neighbor, and close friend of mine, had invited me to go tuna fishing with him and a few of his work buddies. It seems that for the past several years they had made an annual event out of a tuna charter, but for some reason they were one guy short this year. Well, no need to ask me twice if I want to go fishing. Excitedly, we loaded in the SUV at 3:30 am and headed down to Snug Harbor to meet our charter -- with a stop at Snoopy's Diner for a good helping of grease (gotta love the feeling of greasy bacon and eggs after bobbing up and down 60 miles off shore for 8 hours!).

Well, being the "virgin" tuna fisherman, the guys were kind enough to position me as "lead-off" batter in our lineup -- meaning I had the honor of the first fish. We then had my neighbor as second (as he was next in minimum experience), and so on. Our #6 angler probably had 7 years tuna experience under his belt, so he was kind enough to wait his turn for the rest of us to get our chances.

So after about an hour of chumming and chunking, as luck would have it we get our first strike. Without hesitating too much -- and before I knew what was happening to me -- the mate on the boat had a gimbel belt around my waist and was handing me the pole. Awesome, I thought, my first tuna.

Immediatley as the mate let go of the pole and placed it in my hands, the rod slammed down against the gunnel of the boat and was bent over almost at a 90 degree angle. "WOW, these Tuna are REALLY powerful", I thought. Well, that tuna toyed with me for well over 45 minutes, moving from side to side -- and NOT ONCE could I get the rod off the gunnel of the boat! Back and forth. Around the entire boat I would go.

Somewhere around the half hour mark, as these things tend to happen, I began to hear the taunts from behind me. "Oh come on. It's only a 25 pounder." "What's the matter Mary, too much for ya?". "Next time can we fish with your husband". You get the picture. Of course, being a male of our species, that only made me more determined then ever to land this fish.

But, after an hour 1/2 on the tuna, and making no progress whatsoever, I finally had to give in (to my MUCH LATER IN LIFE DISMAY) and ask my neighbor to grab a gimbel belt to take over for me, as he was next in the batting order. I can remeber telling him, "If this is what tuna fishing is all about, this s--cks. I'm exhausted". He laughed. Oh the shame. I was berated with jeers from the crowd.

Now my neighbor, being no fishing slouch himself, takes the pole -- and again -- SLAM right to the gunnel. There was no way he was gonna lift it off the boat. He immediatey told the other guys (as they started to ride him as well for his inability to master such a fish) that perhaps their original 25 pound estimate was a little light. This fish was probably 50 - 60 pounds. He lasted another hour and 45 minutes, but sadly he too had to pass the pole to our #3 hitter.

Well to jump ahead, all 6 of us held the rod that day. Not one of us ever got the pole off the gunnel after 4+ hours. Each time another angler grabbed the rod our estimates seemed to increase. #3 batter said maybe a 100 pounder. #4 thought 130 perhaps. But slowly, nobody was laughing at me anymore for my pathetic initial display -- and I made DAMN sure they heard about it when it came their turn on the rod.

Needless to say I will never forget this fish. And to this day I consider it my trophy fish. We finally had our mate (a gentleman of 6'6", 250+ pound stature) handle the rod. He struggled as well. But after all was said and done, we boated a 230 pound yellowfin tuna -- my first tuna ever -- which was how I lost my virginity tuna fishing. Not a bluefin of that size, but a yellowfin.

I later found out that the RI state record was only about 250 or 260 pounds for yellowfin on rod and reel, and of course, that was done in a chair. We ended up selling the fish for a nice price, and she became soushy within 48 hours over in Tokyo.

Afterwards, we all celebrated our wonderful angling techniques, and no one left that day not considering themselves a "Master Tuna Fisherman". Funny how earlier in the day we were all "riding" each other for the other guy's inabiity to land the fish, till it became our turn on the pole. Amazing how that shared experience brought us all together in a way that 5 basic strangers left feeling like the closest of friends afterwards.

And if you want to see a YFT over 200 pounds....