Stirring the pot Check this out tuna anglers!

[Hamachi]

Read the 6th response down on on the "Anybody heard of any tuna out of Westport" thread. Let the games begin!!!!!

Scott (Hamachi)

[crabbait]

I'll save folks the trip and copy the post here.

Originally posted by Hamachi:

"Sounds good! But hey everybody - the albie fishing up here is usually awesome. Think of it like you're going out for salmon or dungies or rockfish... you can only use so many of these fish. If your're only going out only once this season, then load up if you can and freeze/can/smoke your entire catch. If you're going out constantly, (like many of you are doing, and I don't blame you), then start releasing these fish. You don't need to bring back 20 fish per angler just because you can. There's nothing wrong with bringing back a **** load of fish if you are going to properly utilze them. From your posts I read many of you are into the sink-the-boat mentality. Instead of handlines, which are are called meatlines in SoCal, where the fishing is usally more scratchy, try fishing plastics on light line, (12-20lb.), during a jig stop. Think quality, not quanty.

If you guys want to have some REAL FUN catching these fish, then bring out some live bait and fish them on 20lb after a jig stop. You guys that have fished down South know what I'm talking about. I Know you don't have anywhere to buy it... So go make it! When you fish mako or thresher sharks in SoCal, you go make your bait, (mackeral), before you go fish.

Trolling for tuna is for finding them so you can fish for them the proper and fun way. I know that statement is going to tee off some people. Please understand that I'm targeting the bring-back-as-many-as-I-can-just-because-I-can-mentality. If you are going out just to fill your frezer - have fun and good luck! But for the others... just stop the carnage!

Good luck and good fishing! And Check out my albie recipie on the "How comes albie sucks on the bbq thread"!
Dragging boatlines in hand over hand while your trolling lines are zinging is nothing to boast about. Like I say, if you're out once a season to load up then go ahead... you legally can. But what if everybody that legally could did? It's happened with other fisheries in the past.

[BUGLEMAN]

To a lot of people out here this is all new and are in a learning curve. I haven't heard of much waste going on. From what I understand, handlines (you can call them what you want) are the best way to get quality meat on the boat. Isn't it better to get a fish on board fast so it doesn't heat up. I sense a little negative insinuation from your post toward handlines. Don't get me wrong we all have our part to do in conservation but the overkill in every fishery in the ocean has been from the commercial take. I intend to only kill what I can eat or share. From what I can see no need to stir the pot here. People know what they want, getting it and are ear to ear over the whole deal.

Anyway are tuna really sport fish? What happens to a tuna when you burn it out on light line?

[Salmonator]

It's really hard to argue because almost everything stated is opinion and you know what they say about those . One thing that is fact, when the bite is hot it's not like it's so accessible that you can grab your waders and sneak out the door and make a few casts (unless I suppose you run a boat called Sea Jypzee or Julie Rose :tongue: ) I think those pelagic critters are plentiful and pretty safe out there taking into consideration the (normal) distance off shore and the weather here in Owreegon. Like I mentioned before, keeping way more than you need and giving it away for the sake of looking cool and scoring brownie points is wrong in my opinion (ooops, the "O" word). After carking tuna for three hours yesterday I think anyone that is catching tuna just to give away is a beer or two short of a six pack [img]graemlins/dork.gif[/img]

[ 07-21-2003, 09:24 AM: Message edited by: Salmonator ]

[WP]

Lets see: 21 fish for three guys (gals)= 7 fish a piece. At 20 lbs average, that produces about 60 lbs of loins per person. I swap loins for canning and get half while the canner keeps half so that is 30 lbs of tuna canned, not counting any trimming that gets done. My goal is to have 100 lbs for my personal use, 50 lbs for my mother and sister, 50 lbs for various others who deserve (IMO)my support. That is approximately 200 lbs of canned tuna or 7-8 trips of 21 fish. Many happy folks (boat mates) and never any wasted. If a trip produces less than 21 fish, usually I increase the boat hands share as I have the option to go more often. This does not include the fresh, and smoked tuna I enjoy so much! I could do without many species but tuna is truly delightful. The last I read the biomass of albacore was not in danger (actually increasing in recent years) and I have little direct effect on harvest rates. I think maybe I am inside the boundaries for tuna fishing....at least for me I am. For others, they must make up their own minds.
WP

[Sea Jypzee]

Ok, I heard reference to me up there, (even if it was spelled wrong. ).

Yes, I can and do go out for tuna often. Total count on my boat this season has been 63 fish. 2 crew mates first trip, 2 crew mates second trip. All came back in with fish for their own usage. I got all I personally needed (for self and relatives) on my first trip out, except for a few loins to put in the freezer for personal use. When I take people out now, about 99% of the catch is going to their own personal use. I may take a very small portion for 'fresh' loins, otherwise it's for crew's fish. (crew=friends and family, friends = long-term friends as well as other ifishers who join in).

I do not believe in taking fish just because "I can". I am firmly against wasting fish, and make sure that any I take in is properly handled after the catch. If I wanted to just take fish for the sake of giving it away, Saturday I could have easily boated 30+ tuna at the rate we were going. Instead we stopped at 09:00 and headed in because we had all we needed or wanted.

The Sea Jypzee is not cheap on fuel. A full day running out 30+ miles, trolling all day and running back in consumes roughly 120+ gallons of gas. When I go out, I don't come back in till I have enough fish to justify the trip. I may at some point in this season rig up some gear to try running out for some blue-fin or bill-fish...but a trip like that is going to be costly as far as gas goes, and will likely end up with little to no catch, so I must be more selective about when I make such trips.

[Birdnest]

Hamachi,

As I have posted in the past on this subject, I agree with you. Just because you can, doesn't mean you should. When I posted this question most of the responses were along the lines of "we don't get out that often, it is expensive(gas)" and so on.

We are sport fisherman and we do not make a living doing this.

I have no data to back up my stance, shoot I would love to do a little carking myself. I just can't see myself coming home with 600lbs of tuna in one trip. You know the feeling when you see an old black and white photo with 30 big steelhead on a stick with a couple of proud anglers, that is the same feeling this mentality gives me.

Please don't whip the Salty Pup tooooo hard, just my big fat opinion.

Tight Lines,

Joe

[Threemuch]

Here's some food for thought...if you catch fish and give it away, you are essentially commercial fishing FOR FREE. If you hate commercial fishing, this should bother you because you have become what you despise. If you like commercial fishing, this should bother you, because you are taking away someone elses livelyhood.

Boat limit for me is 5 fish each. I do give tuna away, but I am pretty selective about who I give it too, since it is pretty delicate and if not cared for properly, winds up being poor table fare.

[Pilar]

Last year My mate and I got maybe a hundred fish. We gave some to friends and family and we canned 12 cases of pints.

With the exception of 2 cases it got eaten, given as Christmas gifts and made some of my family very happy.

We give away some of all we catch, regardless of species. Few people know what good fish is as they are resigned to buying it at the market.

Hamachi, you raise good points about waste and senseless killing of fish to give it away. I will make more trips this year than ever before. We are happy now with 15 a trip. 5 for each fisher on the boat. If I get into a huge tuna boil I may take more than that.

Having gotten most of the years supply in the pantry with 39 fish to the boat ('Pilar') and another 9 from Saturday, it is time to try experimental gear.

We (Ocean Blue and I ) would very much like to be deckhands on a swordfishing boat. Or chase the big blue tuna wherever he swims. Maybe there is a billfish in our future.

If we start catching Billfish, then we need to worry about tag and release. Right now I think we are having an increasing impact on the Albacore but there is not enough impact to be overly concerned.

Catch as many as you want Hamachi or don't. It's up to you. Don't rain on the people here who are discovering this wonderful fish and feeding their friends and family with it.

The catch is self regulating. The ocean keeps up at bay on most days.

[ 07-21-2003, 10:47 AM: Message edited by: Pilar ]

[OceanBlue]

Hamachi - "fun and proper way?" I would respectfully disagree with you about catching TUNA! on light gear being "proper." Doing this with one or two fish for the sport of it may be fun, but IMHO, it is far from "proper."

Because we are in it for quality we prefer to boat the fish quickly. It is less about the fishing and all about the fish.

Bugleman - Yes, we have all but scientifically proven that fish that fight for a long period of time tend to produce a lower quality of meat. So sure, I'll boat one or two TUNA! on light gear for the "fun" of it, but that's going into the canner. I'll take mine from handline to sushi, please.

As Pilar mentioned, we're close to filling the pantry with canned fish for the year and we will soon have enough in the freezer for special occasions over the winter.... so yeah, we're onto other things for most future trips.

And if you are VERY lucky, you might get to sample some smoked tuna caesar salad at Ifishstock this year. :grin: We can do this only when we have enough stock of quality fish.

[Hamachi]

Thank you all for your responses to this post. I intentionally worded it the way I did to rile everybody up a little!

I hope I caused everyone to think a little.

Good fishing and be safe.
Scott

[Chaps]

I must agree that there are few hook-ups quite as exciting as flylining live anchovies into a patch of boiling tuna . . . yes! Hamachi, I remember your post last year about fishing longfins out of Westport . . . is the bait receiver there all summer? Might have to haul the machine over there next month.

[FASTWATER]

Well personnelly I usually only go once a year for albys so I do hoard fish! I do not give any away and usually keep around 30 or so each year for canning an loining. I end up with about 7 to 8 cases of 8 oz. jars and it is always gone by June of the next year. When it comes to bait fishing jig fish and handlines just bore me! Feeling of the smoking reel on a fresh hooked alby being held in your hand is one of the most awesome feelings I personnelly have experienced. I have caught huge bill fish,huge yellowfin,200# class and to many steelhead and salmon to mention but the thrill of albys on live bait is my fave!!! We burned up to brand new heavy duty reels in one day and I mean they were done not to be used again! So how much is too much I hope I never know but nothing is ever wasted around my house!!!PEACE

[Bendman]

I think it’s good that people, that can get out all the time share with family and friends. I know that it’s that way with me with salmon fishing. None of my family can get out and put forth the effort that I do when it comes to fishing. I always get asked what do I do with all my fish. I share. I share with people that I don’t even know. If I see someone fishing that obviously came a long way and seems bummed, I have gave them both my fish because I know I will be back tomorrow. Not everyone has the luxury of fishing every day. And I think that those of us that do is well served to share. I love fishing and although I’m just now wanting to get into this tuna fishing it’s the same deal . So when it comes spring time I think of salmon fishing like a job. Because I know I have a gift, one of which is ability the other is time. I take the whole spring off. So as far as I’m concerned please share your gift with other people that are not as able to catch fish. Just my 2 Bendman

[CATCH AND EAT]

I was waiting for you to dredge this thread up again. Surprised it took you so long Scott.