TUNA!!! - Striper Talk Striped Bass Fishing, Surfcasting, Boating

B-assman · 07-29-2005, 08:26 AM

Caught my first ever tuna this morning. I've chased them before but never hooked up. This morning I fast trolled a deadly #^&#^&#^&#^& through a feeding school off ****EAST COAST OF THE USA**** and BANG! What a great fight. Took about 15 minutes to get it in the boat. The fish took 3 big runs - all this was on light tackle (6ft spinning rod with 30lb fireline and 30lb floro leader).

Im not sure but I think it's a small bluefin - can anyone confirm that?

Great way to start the day!

zacs · 07-29-2005, 08:55 AM

yes, small bluefin. I tried to email you but it keeps bouncing.

Congrats!!! Awesome catch.

Cod Hunter · 07-29-2005, 09:19 AM

Awesome job! Pretty fish. I'm still looking for my 1st.

Fish On · 07-29-2005, 09:55 AM

Awesome catch!

MakoMike · 07-29-2005, 10:01 AM

Yep, Its a little bluefin, I hope it was over 27 inches and you had your permit?

B-assman · 07-29-2005, 10:13 AM

Thanks Guys - fish was released to catch again! It was a thrill. I'll definitely be chasing them again. Guess it's time to get that permit!

Mr. Sandman · 07-29-2005, 11:02 AM

Great to see them so close. They are in and out around here. Make sure you have a permit! They are checking out here!!! In theory you can't even attempt to fish for them with out one. (claim you are blue fishing if you don't have a permit and are stopped and release any tuna) It is simple and cheap to get the permit.

BTW those taste great!

gf2020 · 07-29-2005, 12:56 PM

Quote:

Guess it's time to get that permit!

http://www.nmfspermits.com/

B-assman · 07-29-2005, 01:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by gf2020

http://www.nmfspermits.com/

Thanks - permit purchased - printed out - I'm Legal

blue oyster · 07-29-2005, 08:03 PM

nice job

i get my permit every year but no fish yet

Van · 07-30-2005, 04:33 PM

SWEET.............

I fished for them last week, saw a bunch, but no hook-ups.

Still learning.......and I got some info from a couple of friends.

NEXT TIME>.............

keeperreaper · 07-31-2005, 11:15 AM

Got 2 east of Cape Cod yesterday. Biggest around 200 and released the other about 125.

Fish On · 07-31-2005, 11:19 AM

Congrats! On the troll or chunk?

quick decision · 07-31-2005, 11:55 AM

Released? NO comercial permit?

keeperreaper · 07-31-2005, 12:52 PM

On the troll. The bigger one came home the other is swimming around somewhere. The boat I was on has "angling" permit. I have Commercial on my boat. Eveyone left happy and got a boat load of steaks. Going back tomorrow. The fish have been in this one general area for quite a few days now.

S-Journey · 07-31-2005, 09:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by B-assman

Thanks Guys - fish was released to catch again! It was a thrill. I'll definitely be chasing them again. Guess it's time to get that permit!

Very Cool that you let it go! I congratulate you on your catch and commend you for the release!

A lot of people that take and kill fish like that don't relize that they are just babys and is like catching a striped the size of the palm in comparision. Yes they are a great fight, ex on gear like you used but with the lack of giants around these parts in recent years and a major increase in the targeting of juvinile tuna it is really good when they get released (no mater how tasty those buggers are :-0 )

Great job!

MakoMike · 08-01-2005, 06:40 AM

On a boat with a general permit he would have had to release both of those fish, they were too small. On a boat with an angling permit they are only allowed to keep one fish, so the other had to be released.

keeperreaper · 08-01-2005, 07:54 AM

MM,
You are correct and that is why we released the smaller one. I will be out tomorrow on my boat looking for giants.

Bronko · 08-01-2005, 07:59 AM

Hey Keeperreaper...

Just kidding, congrats! We were in the bay and had two schools surface right next to us within the first 1/2 hour of fishing on Saturday. Couldn't get them to eat. Had a couple of nice shots, but no dice.

You gonna chase anything with stripes anytime soon?

Pete_G · 08-01-2005, 08:00 AM

Be careful mentioning spots for inshore tuna, unless you want to share a school of tuna with 4 35ft pleasure cruisers, 8 giant center consoles who should really be offshore, 10 21 fooot CC's, 4 Zodiacs, 3 10ft tin boats, a canoe, and several kayaks, with everyone using a different approach to catching them and at best a 1/4 of them having permits. All this taking place in 2 to 4 foot seas.

If you think spot burning for stripers is bad, you haven't seen anything. Till you nearly hit some jackass in his kayak 3 miles out in dense fog who then proceeds to yell at you for moving in on "his" fish when he should really be thanking you for not running him over it's tough to realize what a inshore tuna report does to people. Nevermind the fact that the fish seem to get gun shy when they get a lot of pressure from the run and gun tactics.

Just wait till Friday when someone opens their mouth to the ProJo. Be careful out there, don't get too crazy over the tuna and end up on the rocks in the fog like someone always does every year.

keeperreaper · 08-01-2005, 10:46 AM

Pete,
I think "East of Cape Cod" is general enough but I do agree with you that spot burning just kills the fishing and the "sport" boats show up thick.

Bronko- when are you gonna get on the boat for some tuna fishing? We are pretty deialed in right nw to them. Next Saturday I will be fishing for stripers if you wanna go. The spot we usually go to is yielding real nice fish. PM me.

B-assman · 08-01-2005, 11:02 AM

Post and pics edited - Post is now "spotless"

Mr. Sandman · 08-01-2005, 11:56 AM

Got several them this AM in my neck of the woods kept a small 22#er for diner

Also picked up 20 bones and 4 bluefish. It was great and to top it off I was in my office by 10:00am.

That is what I call a good day at work!!

Fish On · 08-01-2005, 01:01 PM

Nice Jim! Did you pick up the tuna and bones on the troll or casting? Must of been a heck of a fight on small tackle. Thanks for sharing.

Mr. Sandman · 08-01-2005, 02:21 PM

I had my 82 yo father-in-law on board who wanted to catch a few blues and we were planning going to fish inside the sound (in the fog) this AM to satisfy my wife who wanted me to take him fishing but didn't want me to push any limits with him on board. But when i saw the FLAT calm clear conditions I said...change of plans, lets go offshore a bit and see if we can find something that has more excitement...."don't worry, you will still catch a few bluefish" I told him.

My boat bone rods are a light to med St Croix stick and small shimano tekoda level wind with braid and a rather long floro leader. I was trolling yo zuri deep divers today. I didn't see much surface action. The deep divers were hitting the sweet spot. A nice body of bones have moved in now. The tuna are getting closer and closer, what amazing fighters! these fish made series of long fast runs. I kept hearing the drag go off and every so often my father in law would say...wow! he is taking an aweful lot of line out, this is no bluefish!

(I wish we could catch these from the surf, I would give up chasing stripers to catch these critters from the beach.)

When I dressed out the fish, I slipped him some sushi and got an expression that was priceless. MAN!!! is that tender!

Bronko · 08-01-2005, 04:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by keeperreaper

Pete,
I think "East of Cape Cod" is general enough but I do agree with you that spot burning just kills the fishing and the "sport" boats show up thick.

Bronko- when are you gonna get on the boat for some tuna fishing? We are pretty deialed in right nw to them. Next Saturday I will be fishing for stripers if you wanna go. The spot we usually go to is yielding real nice fish. PM me.

I'll be in touch. My brother had a few nice bass last night at a spot in Andy's hometown slinging snakes. Its picking up out there.

Pete_G · 08-01-2005, 09:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by B-assman

Post and pics edited - Post is now "spotless"

Not much of a flotilla out there tonight, just a few boats. Including a LARGE boat charging around unable to actually catch any. I love it. Topwaters are the key right now for some reason, put away the metal.

Fish On · 08-01-2005, 10:15 PM

I'll bet that made your wife smile. That's awesome!

thefishingfreak · 08-01-2005, 10:56 PM

whats this spot burning crap? it's boat fishing.
i know there are tons of school bluefin in mass bay. some arround the dump. some arround n/e corner of stellwagen. some arround sothern jeffrey's
sharks are in too.

have at it

spot burning

Pete_G · 08-02-2005, 08:08 AM

If Arlington was on the water and it was named specifically as a spot for inshore tuna you'd be a little defensive too. The town in question has little more then 2 miles of South facing shoreline so if you throw a bunch of boats in it gets crowded quick.

Not everyone can easily get to Stellewagen or Jeffries, but everyone and their brother can easily get to the inshore sBFT in the spots they are currently located. Boat based spot burning can be at least as bad as shore based.