"Tuna Threatens Retirement, Kid's College"

Mark Mc · 10-24-2002, 09:59 AM

Just got back from a business trip to San Diego. We had 2 hours to kill before the flight back, so I insisted that we spend it at the harbor where all the long range boats tie up. After getting a tour of an 85 footer, like a salmon finding it's way to the spawning grounds, I ended up in the Fisherman's Landing tackle shop. Now, even though I've seen most of this stuff in the cataolgs & web sites, to be surrounded by all of the premiere rods, tackle, & all other paraphrenalia (sp?) put me into a psychotic narcosis. I went around grabbing different tuna sticks, then the cool plugs, then the assortment of "Fish Traps", and back to the rods again. I started to think about how much I could justify (to myself) spending here. One voice says "but you haven't fully contributed to your IRA this year, and you haven't made a deposit to Brenna's college fund for ages." The other (tuna devil) voice: "The stock market & economy are in chaos, and you have years to make it up. Besides, if you go broke, you can sell it all to Marty for 50 cents on the dollar, which is no worse than your investment record for the last 2 years. Go ahead....speeeend it...."
Stay tuned for the next chapter....

Deepslayer · 10-24-2002, 01:21 PM

Boy I am glad I don't work at the San Diego Division anymore Mark! :shocked: Now that I have the tuna addiction, so bad I would probably lose more than the kids college fund!
Oh wait! I still have a house down there! Maybe I can talk the wife into letting me transfer down there again!

With seven kids still at home, I should be able to get enough out of their college funds to buy a good tuna boat. And I could set up a campground and sanitarium, on my four acres, for tunaholics. Yeah that's the ticket! I can see it now.

OceanBlue · 10-24-2002, 01:28 PM

Oooooooohhhh! I'm all a-shiver... Deepslayer - you shouldn't TEASE like that! :shocked:

WP · 10-24-2002, 02:52 PM

Ed,
Call me...lets deal...I know we can work something out!

WP

Threemuch · 10-24-2002, 03:06 PM

Pilar, who needs premade teasers? Use splitshot and hoochies to run a couple teasers in front of your feather.
KB

Pilar · 10-24-2002, 03:09 PM

Kurt, tell me more.

We always used wire and hoochie rigs in Florida. I can't remember how to make them. You drag that stuff around until you get jumpers going and then feed them a bait or jig with a hook in it.

Threemuch · 10-24-2002, 04:38 PM

One of my guiding principals in saltwater fishing is that nothing is as easy a meal to a big predator as a small predator who is chasing his own meal.

So on my main leader, in front of my jig, I pinch on a small split shot, then slide a hoochie on. Put a couple of these in front of your feather, and it looks like your jig is hot on the tail of something smaller.

Feeding fish are not worried about protecting themselves. Predators key on this. Same reasoning that when bottomfishing a jig with a shirmpfly teasers outfishes a jig by itself.

KB

Sailfish · 10-24-2002, 05:10 PM

Pilar,

Have you ever thought about running some sort of spreader bar? When I used to live in Fl. we would pull a spreader bar with 15-20 Yo-Zuri squids on it about 50' off the transom on a cleat for yellowfins,sails,etc. and it seemed to work like a champ. I can remember a few times that we severely out fished the other boats around us using this set-up. The older feller that was nice enough to take me out said it was his secret weapon and that I could absolutely not tell anyone, much less steer the boat close enough for them to get a look. I think Stalker Outfitters has a pretty good selection you might look at if you're interested. It is kind of a pain in the ass to pull in at 7 knots, but having the appearance of a whole school of bait fish or squid chasing your boat seems to drive the ole' fishes crazy. Then again, if your Zuckers are gettin, hammered every 10 minutes without teasers(an excellent scenario), you probably need not bother. I figure it's always good to have all the tricks in your bag when goin' out 30 miles. You never know? Plus, it might be enough to entice your famous/mythical friend Bill to pay you another visit, or maybe one of UG's bluefinned buddies might come up for a snack eh?

Pilar · 10-24-2002, 05:48 PM

Zacktly!

My dad dragged a wire triangle about 6' across with a variety of skirts, feathers and jigs on it 50 feet back. Some of the rigs were rigged a foot apart on one line. He called it a christmas tree. This would provoke Seral Mackeral, King Mackeral, Wahoo, Dorado (called Dolphin in Florida) and Sails. They would zip in and out of the wake behind the boat and well behind the tree.

The gig then was to go for a wide circle around the floating weeds or whatever the fish were keying on and put out dead bait on a wire. We almost always dragged a pair of Ballyhoo outside the wake on outriggers but the rest of the gear would go in.

And sometimes all hell would break loose. I dont remember enough about that rig to make another one but I may try it anyway unless you know of one for sale already made.

'Puffin' is another proponent of your theory, Kurt. He made some pretty far out Halibut rigs this summer.

10-24-2002, 06:51 PM

[ 10-24-2002, 08:23 PM: Message edited by: Keta ]

10-24-2002, 07:31 PM

Are these pictures what you were talking about?

[ 10-24-2002, 08:32 PM: Message edited by: Keta ]

Pilar · 10-24-2002, 11:10 PM

You've got 2 voices Mark Mc? I only have one and it's the guy with the pointy tail.

Did you get any itty bitty cedar plugs? Or how about premade teaser rigs? Never see any of that stuff here.

Pilar · 10-25-2002, 08:22 AM

Lee, thanks for the book, it is the right one. You are all over it. The Vee shaped teaser is the closest match.

Where did you find them?

Hook-up · 10-25-2002, 05:40 PM

I have seen some rigs like Keta posted at Captain Harry's Bait and tackle. I get their catalog. They are based in Florida.

Miss B Haven · 10-26-2002, 07:18 AM

We got rid of the kids. The cats were allergic to them! :whazzup: :shocked: :grin: .

bait boy · 10-26-2002, 01:58 PM

All of Ketas rigs are for sale on Ebay. I have bid on a few of them but the big rigs are over $50.00

Sailfish · 10-26-2002, 04:24 PM

Check out www.stalkeroutfitters.com These guys seem pretty serious about the tuna thing. If you get a catalog then start savin'. They got all the goods for the tuna afflicted, including a wide range of spreaders and teasers and about a thousand other things that cost a ton of money that you probably absolutely MUST have. Asta luego 401K. Sorry.

Miss B Haven · 10-26-2002, 05:52 PM

401K ? - You mean you still have one? (I mean one with money in it!) :depressed:

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RFA Janice · 10-26-2002, 06:20 PM

Mark: Nawww. "Narcosis" not. "Trance?" Maybe. Just a plain old "psychosis" where you weren't responsible for your deeds? Maybe.
But your description sounds kinda like a "frenzy." Only this isn't too good for explaining to the wifey, maybe. How about "irresistible urge"? "Psychotic compulsion"? That may be more like it. I'll look around for remedies. Probably will be related to frequent fishing. :grin:

10-26-2002, 06:29 PM

Thanks Bait Boy,
I've been out of town chasing skunks on Winchester Bay. A few gave me the fin but no hits :depressed:

I have several pounds of 316L16 weld rod. If someone was to find some 316 SS shafting (??1/4", 5/16"??) I can weld some spreader bars. It looks like hooches would work for the attractors.

I made it to England (SP?) Marine in Charlston and had to run out of the store before I spent NEXT WEEKS unemployment check. Got some Tuna Clones (10 @ $40.00, they didn't have any feathers), heavy mono and hooks.

My brother is looking at a 25' Carver for me this week.

[ 10-26-2002, 07:41 PM: Message edited by: Keta ]

willametteriveroutlaw · 10-26-2002, 09:10 PM

I have been drooling over your Tuna reports all year and started talking to a couple of old timers about tuna fishing.. A couple of them mentioned that leaving a tuna on one of your hand lines at all times seemed to help their success. They said that the tuna see one of there compadres swimming and will come in to investigate. I don't know if this is legal or is common knowledge, but I thought I would kick it out there anyways.

Deepslayer · 10-26-2002, 11:48 PM

Wouldn't work at my house! The six cats and four dogs like the seven kids still at home! :shocked: Yeah my wife tends to go overboard!

Pilar · 10-27-2002, 06:51 AM

WillametteRiverOutlaw ... That's a good tip. I try that when one of the handline fish is pretty small. Otherwise a fish will tear hooks out or snap the leader. Dang those things can pull!

For sure one fish one almost always leads to others. Don't you wish you could see what is going on under your boat when the **** hits the fan?