giants in the canal

[MakoMike]

Originally Posted by beaver

Does anyone know of a confirmed landing from shore? Doubt that any type of gear could hold a BFT 100lb+ from shore, but i bet a football could be taken with enough line and the right gear. I've handled some smaller bluefins (around 30lbs) with light tackle from a boat and imagine that they could be taken from shore. Any regulations from land? Could we see "Bluefin Tuna Landed from The Canal" on the front of the Globe this weekend.

I know of a kid fishing in Montauk at Hither Hills State park that landed about a 30-pounder two years ago. It made the local paper and I think I heard that he got a summons.

[Pete_G]

Originally Posted by beaver

Does anyone know of a confirmed landing from shore? Doubt that any type of gear could hold a BFT 100lb+ from shore, but i bet a football could be taken with enough line and the right gear. I've handled some smaller bluefins (around 30lbs) with light tackle from a boat and imagine that they could be taken from shore. Any regulations from land? Could we see "Bluefin Tuna Landed from The Canal" on the front of the Globe this weekend.

We had a couple customers come in (with the fish) and ask "What's this fish, I caught it on a popper from shore?" back in '05 when the little 20# bft went nuts off Rhode Island. If there's a couple I know about there must have been a whole lot more. The tuna were simply suicidal that year and people were catching them on everything everywhere so in the end it's not that impressive since they were so small but it can happen.

In hindsight, I wish I had taken the time to hit a few from shore, for bragging rights if nothing else. It would have been VERY easy at several locations in Newport. You probably could have jigged one from Newport Bridge on a couple of days.

I know of a spot on Monday (not in RI) where shore anglers had a real good shot at giving 100+ # BFT from shore a try.

[stiff tip]

well i saw one {gbft} again today at about 7am cape side pole 80... some bass?blues braking early ,but no hits ..droped the plug right on them too. only sm fish on tins.east end ....fishin inhaled [sucked] today, slow 4 everyone i talked to ..day or night .... soon very soon ????????? i hope

[Mike P]

Originally Posted by stiff tip

well i saw one {gbft} again today at about 7am cape side pole 80... some bass?blues braking early ,but no hits ..droped the plug right on them too. only sm fish on tins.east end ....fishin inhaled [sucked] today, slow 4 everyone i talked to ..day or night .... soon very soon ????????? i hope

Saw one tonight a little west of there--it was the highlight of the night.

I did have a bass hooked for about 2-1/2 seconds

[beaver]

Pete, I did hit those fish back in 2005 from a boat. They were great on light gear, but even the 20lbers required some chasing when using my bonito gear. I was amazed at how close they got to NPT and Sakonnet Point. It can certainly be done. I guess I was saying I'd be more impressed with one landed in the Canal, none the less that would be pretty f-ing cool. Lets hope they come back next year.

[Pete_G]

Originally Posted by beaver

I guess I was saying I'd be more impressed with one landed in the Canal, none the less that would be pretty f-ing cool. Lets hope they come back next year.

Oh yeah. It would be quite the feat. I think a 100 to 150# fish can be done with standard canal gear assuming good rigging and the angler was real good at riding the limits of his gear. But you'd probably see tears at some point during the fight.

[Circlehook]

Complete hypothetical, lets say you had the chance to get somthing in front of a tuna in the canal. What would be the bait to cast to them, and what would be the tactic once they started peeling line.

I would guess to get up to the service road and take chase, but at some point you would have to apply the brake to turn them. What can you do to stop a tuna?

I trust my gear with stripers, I know what I can and can't do, but that is bass in current to 30 lbs. My PB in canal to date is 32.

What would you do if hooked to a tuna? I have never caught a tuna, be it boat nor surf.

[stiff tip]

if it were me i would toss a gibbs mackeral pencil popper in frout of it and pop the hell out of it, also have 300yds of 65 pp for line , fast feet to run the rocks ,a good rod with a "stiff tip" a top end reel , a bottel of jack-d , strong back big balls and a good PRAYER ...and u still wouldn't chance w/ a 100 lber

[BasicPatrick]

Thanks Stiff Tip for posting what needed to be said...there is no way on God's green earth anyone could land a 100# BFT in the Canal with the very rare execption of a "stunt" that cut the fish so it bled out and then just the dead weight would be hard to pull in...nope...no way...fun for a fantacy but unrealistic on so many levels.

Now a 20# fish is a different story...that is possible on Canal Gear.

[Pete_G]

Originally Posted by BasicPatrick

Thanks Stiff Tip for posting what needed to be said...there is no way on God's green earth anyone could land a 100# BFT in the Canal with the very rare execption of a "stunt" that cut the fish so it bled out and then just the dead weight would be hard to pull in...nope...no way...fun for a fantacy but unrealistic on so many levels.

Now a 20# fish is a different story...that is possible on Canal Gear.

After landing a lot (and I mean a lot, like a gross, possibly unethical but entirely legal number) of 20# bft on 10 weight fly rods and also light spin rods with 14# Fireline (neither of which results in a excessively long fight) I'm guessing a 20# fish would just about skip across the surface on heavy Canal gear.

Obviously this all all speculation as the scenario is rare on multiple levels, but a slack tide, a heavy surf rod, 300 yards of braid, some good luck, and 100 pounds of tuna has a chance of coming to shore. I wouldn't want to hook it at the very end of a hero cast though. Crank the drag into the upper teens, palm the spool when you can, and you'll gain ground. Someone call me when you see a school of them raging in there at slack tide and I'll prove it.

What a lot of guys are landing that size fish with from the boat just isn't that far away from a heavy surf rod. I've seen personally and had too many friends beat 100# fish quickly without chasing the fish with the boat to think it's not possible. If the tide's moving, well, that's a whole different ball game. Almost no chance then.

[Pete_G]

Pondering this ridiculous scenario even more I think the lack of real depth in the Canal is a GOOD thing as far as the fight goes. It's the up and down part of the battle that's usually the toughest in the boat on spin gear, not the straight line runs.

And dealing with a fish once you got it near the rocks without a gaff would be difficult at best...

Yes, I've put too much time into thinking about this. No, I'm not going to try it.

[keeperreaper]

Ant tuna over 50/60 lbs would be a bear to land in the canal based on the current and the rocky shore. I would bet on the fish winning this one if the angler was using regular canal gear. The canal being shallow favors the fisherman. Bur remember it is illegal to land one from shore since the permits are for VESSELS only.

[Mike P]

Originally Posted by Circlehook

What would you do if hooked to a tuna? I have never caught a tuna, be it boat nor surf.

In the Canal? I'd reach for my folding scissors as fast as possible and save as much of the spool of line as I could.