Just completed the Venice, LA trip for YFT with mediocre results. Day 1 was cold and sporty.
Temperature was 34 degrees as we left the dock, wind out of the north at 20Kts.
Normal drill - run out to the lump and troll around with hard baits until we marked fish on the
sounder. Then anchor and start chumming. You anchor in about 230' of water.
We landed lots of bonito the on both days - which were chunked up and used for bait. About noon we got the first hookup:
Fought the fish for about 1.5 hours and lost it at the boat. Captain estimated the fish at around 200#. A real heart breaker!
A couple hours later, however, another hook up:
And an hour after that - YFT on board!!!
Fished for about another hour when a large Mako showed up. The captain baited up with 1/2 a bonito and WAM!
Very spectacular fight - the fish leaped clear out of the water three times before finally being subdued:
Tally for day 1:
5 Blackfin tuna (around 20#)
1 YFT at 158.2#
1 Mako at 358#
Day 2 the conditions deteriorated, as did the fishing. We stepped on the boat at 6A to find ice on the decks.
30 degrees and blowing out of the north at about 35 knots. It was on our backs going out, and forecasted to come down in the PM - so off we go.
Tally for day 2:
1 Blackfin tuna around 20#
There was a lot of buz at the marina about last Tuesday (you should have been here Tuesday) as there were lots of big fish caught. Who knows - the cold front could have affected the fishing??
KeyWest
Venice LA Tuna Report
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