The BIG show

Marty · 07-09-2002, 10:00 AM

O-K now that the tuna season has started I really feel compelled to tell you about an adventure while albie fishing out of Newport in October of 2000, and hopefully get you even more fired up. We were headed offshore for a late tuna hunt trying to find a temperature break that clearly showed up on the Terrafin map about 40 miles out. In a little more than an hour we were 36 miles out in glassy flat seas when we hit an temperature break that was 52.3 on the cold side and 57 on the warm side. There was floating debri, kelp paddies and an unmistakable current line with tuna birds cruising back and forth. On the cold side of the break we noticed some splashes in the distance and since we had a newbie on board I headed over to let him see the jumping porpoise or pilot whales that frequent this area(or so I thought). To my utter amazement we saw jumping tuna the size of small volkeswagens. O-K I have to stop here and tell you I have chased tuna in Hawaii, Calif. and in Mexico 3 or 4 times a year for the last 25 years. Meaning..........I know the species and have caught tuna approaching 100 lbs numerous times. This is just to let you know I wasn't seeing things or hitting the taquila bottle harder than usual. O-K back to the story...............These fish were in the 80lb to 250lb bluefin tuna (some I know were even bigger) and they were blowing up on fast moving 10 to 12" baits. They seemed to be in packs of 20 to 30 fish and were spread out in a large area. Many of the fish were clearing the water by 6 or 8 feet. We would first see a 30yd by 30yd area of bait all trying to jump out of the water at the same time, which was incredible enough, but a second later the tuna would launch thru the middle of the bait schools going 40 mph like some runaway missile. The rest of the tuna would tear into the bait from all sides and create an actual oil slick from the dead and injured bait. The tuna would come up for no more than 10 to 20 seconds in an area of foam and spray and then go down, only to come up again 100 yards away. At times we would have fish all around the boat, but never closer than 50 yards. We never knew which way to look as there would be huge fish boiling, greyhounding, leaping and splashing in all directions. I just can't put into words the visual awe and spectacule of spashes and white water eruptions of foam from 200 plus size tuna hitting the water. We trolled through the area for almost 2 hours and witnessed literally hundreds of jumps, splashes, boils and general carnage without any takedowns or strikes. I later found out that we needed to troll 100 to 200 yards behind the boat to have any chance at hooking the shy bluefin. Plus we didn't have any gear that had prayer of bring fish this size to gaff. I have seen plenty of tuna blowups, but the carnage that we witnessed will forever be ingrained in my mind, but after two hours we decided to head outside to blue water and get some albies. We had gone about 10 or 12 miles when I stopped the boat and told my partner that we would most likely never see anything like that again..........so we turned around and went back for another hour long show of mayhem. The tuna finally went down and in a daze we continued west and hit an area of feeding albies to fill the boat.

When we got back to shore we both ordered new fishing gear that would have a chance at catching fish of this magnitude. I just hope I get the opportunity again. Bluefin are frequent visitors to Northern California and have been caught in the 250 lb. range, with fish much bigger being lost. I have been told that in the late fall these fish will move into Oregon and Washington and feed on the plentiful offshore bait. So......... on those late season tuna trips be sure to bring one extra big rig and troll way, way back.............and maybe you also will be able to witness 'the big show'. Plus......be sure to bring a movie camera because very few people will believe you.

Marty

Captn · 07-09-2002, 02:38 PM

Marty, great story. I really enjoyed reading it. It gives me hope to get into some really big tuna later this year, if I ever get my damn boat fixed!!!

[ 07-10-2002, 08:41 AM: Message edited by: captn ]

avid · 07-09-2002, 03:03 PM

That was a great story and I have no trouble believing it. I just finished reading Saltwater Gamefishing by Peter Goadby and the habitat charts in there show Bluefin occurring all the way north of Vancouver Island. The author says Bluefin can weight up to 1800 pounds. That would take a very big rod. <g> Seriously though, what rod do you have on board in case you meet up with mr. big? The habitat charts also seem to indicate that swordfish and striped marlin would sometimes be found off the Oregon coast. Has anyone ever seen or heard of those big boys off our coast? TIA

avid

Threemuch · 07-09-2002, 03:40 PM

My buddy Khan boated one of these bad boys out of Santa Cruz, CA. Just over 100 pounds, standup in a Boston whaler Montauk.

He was targeting them, and said you couldn't have hooked one by accident, they were so line shy. 200 pound Flourocarbon leaders with whole rigged mackerel on 50 pound class all roller guide two speed stand up gear with a harness.

avid · 07-09-2002, 04:11 PM

How far out does he take his Montauk; is that a seventeen footer? They are great boats and he must be a damn good sailor. Nice looking fish, no doubt.

avid

Booja 1 · 07-09-2002, 05:29 PM

Wow Marty..Foamin tuna..whatta sight huh?? if u guys had the right gear and somehow some live bait,,imagine droppin over and seeing a volkswagen boiling on yer bait...ask yourself do I really wanna set the hook.......

Great pic 3much..that is really impressive..big bluefin,,small boat and best of all,,a two speed..fish never had a chance..can you say sashimi..where's the soy sauce.......

BUGLEMAN · 07-10-2002, 01:41 AM

Way too impressive on both posts. I can't phathom it. Just awsome! Gotta be there.

Threemuch · 07-10-2002, 07:25 AM

Down in the SF Bay area, lots of guys run Montauks. And they fish em hard. You are pretty much fuel limited, but I know the backbrace has been out 40 miles. A montauk is essentially a bulletproof surfboard with 10" gunwhales installed and a center console. But a new one costs about 27K. Go figure.

These bluefin were fairly close in, only about 15 miles out.

Pilar · 07-10-2002, 08:04 AM

Damn!

Great post Marty.

I hesitate to tell the following story, but what the hell.

We saw a billfish on Sunday 30 miles off the Oregon coast.

Yes I know what a billfish is. I've caught them in Florida. I think it was a Marlin about 7' and it came clear out of the water about 200 yds from the boat near a tuna boil. The color was blue/black/purple.

What is that a black striped marlin? 7' is how much fish? 150lbs?

How would you catch that fish here? Drag a small tuna for bait?

Does anyone know?

avid · 07-10-2002, 08:36 AM

Saltwater Gamefishing, which has got to be the definitive tome, says to troll with live baits from the school where the fish came. The bait should be 90-130 feet back and you should troll at 4 knots.

They also suggest casting live baits to marlin seen swimming after schools of bait fish. You can also troll with dead baits, or drift with live or dead baits. Trolling with lures is also reported effective by the aforementioned book.

Blue, black and purple does that sound like:
Upper body dark with powder blue, cobalt or lavender stripes, lower body silvery white. Did the pectoral fins fold against the body? If these are both true it would be a striped marlin.

Those were great recounts of your weekend tuna expedition. I printed them out and offered them as evidence in my case for a boat to the boss, she was impressed. Keep up the good work and I may end up with a boat to go with my book. <g>

avid

BUGLEMAN · 07-10-2002, 08:54 AM

So my thinking is take along a tank ie. garbage can and throw the small tuna in it for Marlin bait. Catch greenling in abundance the evening before and put in the tank too.

I think I can get 80 mi on plane in the Searay. So far on 1 tank I have taken 3 trips talling at least 50 miles maybe as much as 60 and still reading over 1/3 tank on the guage. With just the existing fuel supply. Hmmmmmmm? So what would a little extra fuel do for me.

TUNA TUNA TUNA TOWN!!!!!!!!!

[ 07-10-2002, 12:26 PM: Message edited by: BUGLEMAN ]

OceanBlue · 07-10-2002, 09:15 AM

So, Pilar, in response to question about this weekend??? Hmmm... Do you think I can call marlin the way I call tuna? :grin:

Pilar · 07-10-2002, 10:09 AM

You would never have to prove your love for the ocean in any other way.

For the rest of you I must tell you a story about my friend and companion Jennifer.

She talks to the fish. At first I thought, ok this must be like telling your car to start or the computer to find a file but ....

They started listening. She was driving the boat and talking to them. Then she would announce "Man your battle stations!!!" and within a few seconds all hell would break loose in the cockpit with reels barking and peeling. So she was talking to them and they were answering?

Then she would talk to the fish while reeling it in. This must be a girl thing because I've never seen any of my male friends do it.

'Come on fish, that's it, come to the boat we'll make it quick and painless for you, No, No, No, (drag burning) where are you going?, Come on fish .....'.

I think she was pretty unconcious of it and it was pretty cool.

Jennifer the fish whisperer ..........

Mr. Fisherman · 07-10-2002, 10:53 AM

Boys, boys, boys....

You know what I have to say about all this....

SHOW ME, don't tell me :grin:

I have a large rod and will travel

I got a friend or two with big guns two....

So would hooking into a VW size Blue Fin be "Lucky"?

Hmmmm, let's find out.....

avid · 07-10-2002, 06:37 PM

Pilar,

You have continually wowed us with limits of salmon, halibut and you just about sank the boat with albacore. Now we want to see one of these bad boys! <g>

avid

Marty · 07-10-2002, 11:34 PM

Pilar

With the water as warm as it is, I would think that marlin are around in limited numbers. The last big El Nino a 150 lb. stripped marlin was caught and landed out of Westport, Wa. The marlin hit one of the tuna jigs he was trolling and it was fortunate (not so for the fish) that he had a bigger rod and reel to handle it. I know that at times the offshore long liners get a number of marlin fishing for swordfish. A marlin jig is just like a tuna jig except instead of 6 or 7 inches long they are 10" to 14" and they are trolled the same as your tuna jigs. A deckhand on the Misty out of Newport swears up and down that they landed 2 wahoo when they trolled past a kelp paddy two years ago. I might believe the reports of yellowtail and barracuda when the water gets really warm, but wahoo seems a bit far fetched.................but I'll tell you one thing ..........................I NEED TO GO FISHING SOON!!!!!!! Weather permitting I will be heading out this weekend.

Marty

Mark Mc · 03-29-2004, 10:09 PM

I think it's time to dredge up this old post. Yea, doing this to the salty dogs in the Spring is like pouring gasoline onto a fire, but what the heck!!!! :grin:

Salty Walty · 03-29-2004, 10:38 PM

Mark it's time to go to sleep now. Please!

Mark Mc · 02-15-2005, 08:15 PM

Probably my very favorite post in the whole i-fish world...to the top once again....if you dare read it!!

CATCH AND EAT · 02-16-2005, 09:49 AM

Very, very Cruel.

SPAZZ · 02-16-2005, 07:11 PM

Marty, That aint right. That just aint right.

Here I sit reading this dreaming of my first tuna hunt.

God I cant wait. God willing I will cark my first tuner this year. Thanks for the story.

-Brian

Onokai · 02-16-2005, 07:37 PM

OK Mark now we all can't sleep well for awhile. I just ordered squid lures for some big Humboldt squid which are off SF and Fort Bragg now. seems they may be out front here too..
Since that 97 season in Montery with the big bluefin I always carry my maradures and big fish lures and a few big guns in the rod holders. This post should put all on notice to be pepared for them when you get to see some..I'll throw some more gas on the pile- Here is a small one. Mark

Mark Mc · 03-01-2006, 09:23 PM

Time to dredge up one of my all-time favorite posts.

From Maaartin (say with Spanish accent).

Mr. Fisherman · 03-02-2006, 04:30 AM

Mark, stop that.

Pilar · 03-02-2006, 06:31 AM

Damn .. dog.

My knuckles are already all bloody and I can't wrench any faster.

id. painter · 03-02-2006, 07:30 AM

Its stories like that ,,,,,,,,,,
One of the best
on ifish for sure ....
Rock on !!

id. p.

id. painter · 03-02-2006, 10:31 AM

Spazzz.
They pull way hard. Be warned..... :grin:
id. p.

Mark Mc · 04-03-2006, 09:33 PM

Just in case you ran out of things to dream about... :grin:

kenai · 04-03-2006, 10:04 PM

That story is responsible for more gear purchases than any charkbait special ever offered. (worked on me 3 yrs and counting). Great story, well told.

skein · 04-03-2006, 10:24 PM

It's damn near midnight, and I just read this post again - for the 438th time.

I must have known you were going to do this, Mark, because I went out and sat in my boat today and dreamed of big fish and punished reels, and rods bent beyond endurance. It was a good sit.

Time on the blue is coming....

Skein

Mr. Fisherman · 04-04-2006, 04:30 AM

Thanks a lot.....

Pilar · 04-04-2006, 07:47 AM

My photo will include the fish .. guarantee.

Bait O' Eggs · 04-04-2006, 07:59 AM

Can you explain this cold sweat I am going thru?

Zodiac-Fisherman · 04-04-2006, 09:06 AM

Quote:

Thanks a lot.....

You should have seen the look on my face when I realized the spool was stripped naked.

OceanBlue · 04-04-2006, 09:15 AM

And here I thought my blood pressure was under control - dang, where'd I put the meds?

Note to self: Stay off Ifish while at work! Between the gorgeous weather and re-reading Marty's post on break, I'm completely ruined for the rest of the day!

CATCH AND EAT · 04-04-2006, 10:55 AM

You know it is just this kind of reocurring post that keeps my pockets empty but my freezer full. :grin: It is cruel, it's mean, it's in your face, it's, it's...it's...Ray how many more days?

5 Salt · 04-04-2006, 11:04 AM

Fever....terrible fever for the tuna I have.

Again last night, I watched the Dennis Braid Video "Stand-up to a Giant". In the video, Dennis boats a 605lb Nantucket Blue-fin in 19 minutes on a 130lb class stand up rig. Thing is, Dennis can't be more than a 145 soaking wet and he didn't look like he was getting man-handle by the fish - quite the opposit in fact. The video also shows equipment, line, leader, and bait rigging in detail. This one is worth adding to you library.

Sure gets the juices flowing thinking about this exotic right off our home beach. I mean, one often reads about these Bluefin laying deeper and below smaller tuna and Bonito and can't help but wonder if we were to start to specifically target with deeper trolls and bigger/better Bluefin lures the Oregon fleet wouldn't whack 10-15 per summer. This fish is no different than the day somebody showed you how/where to egg/bobber or run a Kwikfish in the same river you had been steelheading for years - the right lure, bait rod and reel and you got a whole new ball-game in the same water. Look what Pilar and other Salty Dog Founders have done for Sport Caught Albacore fishing in the past 5-years or so.

I just can't sit still thinking about the posibilities.

5 Salt · 04-04-2006, 11:18 AM

This could be you in 6-7months!

5 Salt · 04-04-2006, 11:20 AM

Good article on stand-up to giant bluefin: http://www.noreast.com/magazineissue...s=50&a=211

Freakwater · 04-04-2006, 11:34 AM

That's not getting "man-handled"?

Freakwater

5 Salt · 04-04-2006, 11:53 AM

Quote:

That's not getting "man-handled"?

Freakwater

605lbs Bluefin in 19Mins?!?

cheers

Pilar · 04-04-2006, 01:46 PM

Dang! Look at that bend.

Tuna Tom tells me you have to convince the fish, pull like hell and throw punches when they get that big. He aught to know he caught a bunch of them out of Jersey.

Spindrifter · 04-04-2006, 02:25 PM

Man just when I thought I felt good about spending all my money on my kitchen remodel.....MAN! What was I thinking? Wasting my TUNA! money on my house?!! John, how many days do I have to get my TUNA! gear account back up? Ok, what can I sell.....

5 Salt · 04-05-2006, 12:19 AM

Quote:

Dang! Look at that bend.

Tuna Tom tells me you have to convince the fish, pull like hell and throw punches when they get that big. He aught to know he caught a bunch of them out of Jersey.

Look at his drag lever all the way to stop - big pressure on the fish!

5 Salt · 04-05-2006, 12:28 AM

More stand up rigs pics and nice PDF article on how the whole set up works as the following link:

Standup Rigging - PDF

Mark Mc · 04-05-2006, 08:02 AM

This is a good time to mention that......the phrase "standup rod" is not normally applied to just any rod used for tuna (i.e. the simple use of a 7 ft rod). True "standup" rods have the reel seat much closer to the butt end, are relatively short (6 ft or less), have a gimball, a huge amount of backbone, and often have a really long foregrip so you can hold it way forward (up the rod).

Mark Mc · 06-12-2006, 06:35 AM

Bump, for Eddie. You are now infected :grin:

Mr. Fisherman · 06-12-2006, 07:18 AM

Stop.... it....

Sublime · 06-12-2006, 09:28 AM

Mmmm, Bluefin!!!

Here's Crabby with one from last year.

Mr. Fisherman · 06-12-2006, 09:51 AM

pffttt, they were both young ni that pic...

How many days Crabby?

crabbait · 06-13-2006, 03:49 PM

126

Mark Mc · 02-11-2007, 10:22 PM

For the guy asking about big bluefin.

And for Marty

Mr. Fisherman · 02-12-2007, 07:08 AM

Stop...

Mr. Fisherman · 02-12-2007, 07:08 AM

it...

Mr. Fisherman · 02-12-2007, 07:09 AM

MARK!!!

HOGGEMIN · 02-12-2007, 10:54 AM

No Mark bring it on...

I think we need to do a little more targeting of these beasts. Or I will have to go East or to New Zealand on Cascade Charters through iTM fishing show.

Onokai · 02-12-2007, 11:11 AM

This thread is like a strain of the flu-this year it WILL infect others who had not yet caught it. It is a costly flu-thousands will be spent just getting ready to catch it-I called the CDC today and they had an alert out on it -this strain it called Bluefin- iteous
Symptoms inculd but not limited to
buying large reels and heavy rods
Large spools of heavy line -
tons of needless larger lures-
Look for glazed look in eye when the word's( fish the size of volkswagons are used)
The list is long and these few are dead give aways -If you feel you may have this coming on stay away from other fishermen. Mark

HOGGEMIN · 02-12-2007, 11:18 AM

No worries I have already taken the plunge now all I need are a few more larger lures, But no worries we have EAT-ME lures close by.

John I will take 8 of your best Bluefin clones.

FinFansea · 02-12-2007, 11:47 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Onokai

This thread is like a strain of the flu-this year it WILL infect others who had not yet caught it. It is a costly flu-thousands will be spent just getting ready to catch it-I called the CDC today and they had an alert out on it -this strain it called Bluefin- iteous
Symptoms inculd but not limited to
buying large reels and heavy rods
Large spools of heavy line -
tons of needless larger lures-
Look for glazed look in eye when the word's( fish the size of volkswagons are used)
The list is long and these few are dead give aways -If you feel you may have this coming on stay away from other fishermen. Mark

Man, you guy's are killing me! I've yet to catch a Pacific Coast bullet (hoping that will change this year), new boat and no blood. I've had 2 dreams in just this past week and this isn't going to help any.

Mr. Fisherman · 07-03-2007, 09:24 PM

Welcome another blast from the past....

It's on......