Blue Fin ???

[Tuna Tom]

OK,

After attending two tunaholic meetings I have to admit I am completely and totally motivated to try and talk Pilar, Mel, Mr. Fisherman, etc., to try to target Blue Fin Tuna. In order to do so I need to do some research, thus the following questions. Also, because I am relatively new to the Salty Dogs, I apologise if the answers to my questions have been posted at some previous time. Here goes:

Who exactly, over the last two Tuna seasons, has experienced either their pole being ripped out of their rod holder and swum off with and or being completely spooled after a hook up?

If you have:

How and what were you using as presentation and when?
Ex)I was trolloing a green clone at 7 knots at the following "numbers" during July 17th. when....

The more information we can gather about: time of year, locations, any preference to presentation regarding trolling speed, color, how far off the stern, etc., the better chance of making a love connection with a hook-up.

Again, I apologise if this subject has been covered before, but I smell blood...tuna blood that is. Besides maybe my wife and two sons need some off shore lures etc., for Christmas, and they just don't realize it yet. Only kidding hon [img]graemlins/hearton.gif[/img] if you are reading this.

Tuna Tom :

[Threemuch]

Bluefin fever! If you get a rod ripped out of your fish on rod holder, then you used to have a fish on rod holder.

Step 1, replace all fish on rod holders with something much stouter.

Bluefin are notoriously line shy. Very rarely caught with handlines and 200 pound test leaders.

They guys that I know that target the big boys down in Norcal on the troll when they show use flourocarbon leaders, and fish WAY back. Most hookups come on cedar plugs or harnessed mackerel. Slower than normal albie speed, 4kts or so. They generally don't fish that way until they find the feeding school, which is apparent when 100-200 pound fish are crashing bait on the surface. I don't think they showed down there this year.

But most bluefin are caught on live bait in Socal and mexico. Some are caught on the troll mixed with albies, but these are usually small fish, 40 pounds or less.

[ 11-11-2003, 11:15 AM: Message edited by: Threemuch ]

[skein]

Ask the guy who caught a bluefin.

Ugly Green, what were you using, when did you catch it, and how come I wasn't with you? :grin:

Skein

[rockn'reel]

PLEASE! Please don't start talking like this! I just started buying tuna gear and I am gettting my boat dialed-in for Albi's! I cannot take another species to target! I don't remember reading about the striped marlin. LOOK WHAT YOU GUYS--AND GALS--ARE DOING TO ME!!!!!!!! This isn't fun, now I am going to have to start researching my options for striped marlin and bluefin. I guess if I go to Hawaii in June I will have to talk to the charters and work on my plan of attack. I TOLD EVERYONE THIS IS SOME SORT OF CARTEL! :grin:

[Pilar]

A blast from the past, Mr. Bill (Billfish) introduces himself to the Salty Dogs. Or maybe it was Bluto (Bluefin). I aim to find out next summer.

http://www.ifish.net/ubb/ultimatebb....=000464#000000

Tom, the key was wwwaaaaaayyyyyyy back. We were screwing around and letting 1/2 the spool into the water. If I remember right that fish was the #2 on a double and we had just turned into the first fish. I saw the rod buck hard out of the corner of my eye and pop up straight, then it went all the way down and CRACK!!!! the rod holder broke across the yoke and the rod cartwheeled like 10 feet in the air and landed in the wake. We were running a yellow (Chartreuse) and green Zukers 6", barbless double and 7' of 200# Ande mono leader. The reel was a 113HLW Penn (Wide 4/0) and the clicker was on, drag pretty loose but the clicker pawl was worn down. The scream was pretty muted the last few fish it caught.

The best part was Uglygreen giving us some crap on the radio. A few minutes later he added his rod, rod holder and reel to the butcher bill. We were laughing at him then.

Tom, this is war and we have a score to settle with 'Bill'. You're landing that first Oregon Big'un on 'Pilar'. Just get used to that idea before next summer. Thanks for the memories.

[ 11-11-2003, 01:30 PM: Message edited by: Pilar ]

[Tuna Tom]

I agree about way back, but have also picked them up on a plain cedar plug (seems to work best rather than any color)...right back in the wash...so go figure.

Thanks everyone for your responses so far.

Tuna Tom

[OceanBlue]

RnR - You gotta walk before you can run, my friend. Cut those teeth on albies, then join us for the big ones. :grin:

Tuna Tom - you don't need to talk anyone into targeting bluefin, silly! These guys want to go after new fish and are ready to eat up any knowledge they can find on the subject. YOUR biggest problem is going to be deciding which boat to get on, my friend. I'm pretty sure you're going to have a hard time deciding in which open seat to plant your behind.

[Uglygreen]

Yup - five minutes later after Pilar lost his pole, we had a pole holder ripped off the boat as well. Similar circumstances, purple/black cedar plug way back about half the spool on a senator 114H 6/0 reel spooled with 60 lb mono. I have all my stuff rigged with 120 lb florocarbon leaders. It was really wierd, we were in sight of Johns boat and had just gotten done making fun of him over the radio for loosing a pole when we had hit on one side and I was counting to ten looking for another strike when the pistol shot report came form the other side of the boat and the rod was flying thru the air doing end overs into the wake.

The bluefin we landed off my buddys boat was also way back, I think on a feather jig, I would have to look thru the archives to find out for sure. But it was way back - like 300 yards, and we were using 120 lb florocarbon leader as usual.

I saw two bluefin at the dock at Depoe this year, small ones, but blues for sure, dont know a lot of details except Wildhawg was eating scraps of sushi of the carcass of one of them and really liking it. So much so that he had to retrieve the carcass out of the dumpster looking for seconds.




UG

[ 11-11-2003, 02:01 PM: Message edited by: Uglygreen ]

[Metal Manipulator]

I haven't even made my first albie trip and you guy's are teasing me with going after Blue fin and Striped marlin, take it easy take it easy I can only obsorb so mutch mental hysteria. Guess I will just have to dream about it tonight. :grin:

[KeyWest]

Ok, now I won't be able to sleep tonight

[KeyWest]

You know - just a thought - if this thread is all BS - your the cruelest bunch of ?$?#$@ I know

[Reel Creel]

Tell us what to buy, where to get it, and how many then next summer... let the beatings begin with a new boat and a lot of new tackle we'll tear it up. just as long as big blue lays down long enough to fish :grin: keep this blue fin thing going somebody has know or figure out what works.

[Reel Creel]

and by the way i wont be able to sleep well at all either.

[gonzoray]

There are two bluefin tunas; southern blue tuna which is thunnus maccoyii and northern blue tuna is thunnus thynnus. Does anybody know which species we have here? Ray

[rockn'reel]

OceanBlue- I popped my cherry on albi last year! I also claimed two cherries last year :grin: . I haven't landed a marlin, but I hooked into a huge one last year that the guide went berserk after he saw the size. That and I have landed the Ono which is a bullet in the water. I think I can move up to the striped marlin and blues! In fact I might just go down to Cabo early next year just so I don't get rusty for the albacore next summer! OH YES, I WILL BE READY!

[Onokai]

Hey Tom .My Bluefin experince has been seeing football sized fields of bluefin jumpers before the Tuna purse seiners wrapped them up after spotting them with choppers and planes down in Montery bay a few seasons ago. Also saw huge schools there back in 98?? as well as a few huge fish. We caught two in northern baja this past August off my boat on cider plugs, a natural and a Dorado colored. on 60# test on some penn internationls. Never use plastic rod holders for these or any tuna.Safety lines always a good idea.Bluefins are line shy, boat shy, everything shy.Fish for them way back and try to present your lures to the school as the school comes on to them. Very hard to do! I used to extend my Tuna season fix by trailering down to Montery late season ( late October -November).As I live near the southern Oregon border often the tuna season can end earlier than I can tolerate. If you want to know more about bluefin or tuna check out the other board dedicaded to TUNA.There is a lot of info on bluefins in the older posts. It's the Bay area TUNA Club at <please send a me a private message for link> Go to disscsion, Tuna fishing- for us ONLY TUNA fisherman its the only way to make it through the winter. Mark

ONOKAI

[ 11-15-2003, 10:17 PM: Message edited by: crabbait ]

[OceanBlue]

July 2002... Musta been around the 21st. I believe there were 5 of us that went out of Depoe together. Corrirod, Gregotis, UglyGreen, Pilar and I can't remember the 5th boat and I don't think the Puffin went that day... was there a 5th that day? Anyway, as I recall, that was the day Rod couldn't buy a fish :grin:

We were trolling north, just inside "61 degrees", dragging a (If I remember correctly) black and purple feather on a 200lb mono leader attached to a yellow po' w/80lb tuff. The lure was WAY back... as in 200 yards or more. We decided to run at least one like this since we'd seen a striped marlin jump 2 weeks prior.

Wham! I hear a crack and Pilar cursing. I turned my head just in time to see the pole land in the center of the prop wash and Pilar looking poised to go in after it. :shocked:

This fish didn't take the pole outta the holder, it busted the holder!

We use lanyards on our standup gear now.

[Tuna Tom]

Whaler Man,

Thanks!! for the web site!!!!!

Pilar...check out the photo section on this web site. Specifically look at the "Carl Moore" picture and say Hell-Oh! to Mr. Bill.

Here is some insight for some regarding tackle. I'll assume everyone knows about Cabela's and Off Shore Angeling, But here are a few more to wet your whistle.

Melton International Tackle the 2003 catalog features a great presentation of all the different types of heads and colors you can troll. Page 29 has skirtlees lures ( A modern version of cedar plugs with big eyes with more of a Kona style to them. I could be wrong but I doubt they have been soaked off the Oregon Coast. What a great Fish-Mess present to one's self. Page 37 shows an actual photo of the holographic teaser Popeye was talking about. They also sell escape-proof snap swivels (that's the brand). If you read the article in this months Marlin you'll learn that escape proofs are rated #1. Melton also has some sexy Birds as well, but hey I'm reading the whole darn Catalog for you and spoiling all the fun.

Popeye at one time mentioned Captain Harry's in Miami. It is a great cross reference source for pricing.

Stalkers Outfitters This catalog features spreader bars. What is so neat is they show actual photo's of the the spreaders working in the water. Equally neat is the 5 pages of diagramed Spreads. Wouldn't it be fun if at the next tuna meeting we brought our own diagrams to truly compare. You know the old story that pictures say more than words ... this might open up a whole nother round of ta-kill-yah at the bar while people discuss/argue over what works. Actually their diagram format is both simple and accurate.

Tell you what, I'll make some blank ones if someone wants to meet me so they can scan them into a post for everyone to use.

Now if you'll excuse me, I just might call in sick and spend the rest of the day checking out that web site Whaler Man posted.

Thanks again Whaler Man!

Tuna Tom

<please send a me a private message for phone numbers>

[ 11-15-2003, 10:19 PM: Message edited by: crabbait ]

[northriver1]

Wildhawg was eating on our very small BF. It was caught on a hand line pulling a clone in the green/orange color. To be honest we did not realize it was a BF until we were at the fish cleaning station in DB. My buddy remarked about the short fin and a salty dog was kind enough to inform us as to the make and model of our fish. Not much help but there it is.

[Tuna Tom]

Ok, I'm stirring the pot.

Here ia a fun web site to fry a few brain cells over the winter. <please send a me a private message for link>

Here's an example of the kind of read.

Tuna Tom

Catchbiilfish.com says:

Personally, I need to know this stuff if I want to catch Mr. Bill / Mr. Big. You really don't get a second chance with Mr. Big. Only if everything is 100% perfect will you even get a chance to see him!

Many people use the terms crimping and swaging interchangeably. You hear people say things like "Use a swaging tool to crimp the hook in place." Crimping and swaging are most definitely not the same thing. Many people also use the term crimps and sleeves interchangeably. Again, they are not the same things. The result is confusion and some lost fish and gear.

A crimping tool makes a dent in the crimp (or sleeve). The same process and tools are used for putting terminal lugs and connectors on electrical wire. A swaging tool more or less uniformly radially compresses the entire sleeve. A crimp is almost always a single sleeve. A double sleeve (oval or kind of figure 8 shaped) is always used for swaging. There are double sleeves used for crimping, but they aren't very common. Also, some swaging is done with single sleeves, usually when only one line is run through it. The stops the commercial guys use on downrigger lines are a good example.

Crimps and crimping tools are only for wire. Use a crimp on monofilament and you are almost guaranteed to have a weak connection.

Swaging tools are for multistrand wire or mono. If you want to do heavy wire, 185 lbs. or more, a swaging tool will handle everything, with commonly available tools and double sleeves. If you want to use light wire (30#-90#) for leaders for wahoo, bluefish, etc, you will also need a crimping tool, or special (uncommon) small sleeves and swaging tool. Best to buy everything - swager, sleeves, and leader - from the same manufacturer due to differences in the diameter of mono leader material from different manufacturers. I use Jinkai aluminum double sleeves. Friends of mine use Momoi. They are very different - 400# Momoi leader just barely fits in 600# Jinkai double sleeves. Sevenstrand makes/sells swaggers, crimpers, and copper single and double sleeves that are good for wire, but too heavy for mono under about 300# (in my opinion). Copper sleeves work on mono or wire. Aluminum works on mono or wire too, but will corrode and weaken pretty fast when used on wire.

About a year ago Saltwater Sportsman had an article on swaging with results favoring swaged connections over knots on mono over 50#. I follow that recommendation in most applications, with just a few exceptions like using perfection loops for live bait marlin leaders, and where knot strength is secondary to abrasion resistance.

Practice makes perfect. There is a little "feel" that needs to be developed in order to get consistently good connections, particularly on lighter monofilament. Test what you have done using a scale. Melting a little ball of mono on the tag end of the leader adds a "belt and suspenders" security to the connection. Don't do this after swaging - you will damage the leader. Before swaging pull the tag end an inch or more through the double sleeve. You can then melt the end without heating up any other part of the leader. After the blob cools, snug it down on the back of the sleeve and then swage.

[ 11-15-2003, 10:21 PM: Message edited by: crabbait ]

[Tuna Tom]

Just one more site and then I'll shut up.
<please send a me a private message for link>

Talk about a great read! This will help you stay alive during the those cold winter months. Be sure to check out Catains Spikes Tips & Tech. Section. Here's a Capt. Spike example minus the excellent color photo's.

Tuna Tom

Captain Spike says:

Skirted offshore lures are now available in a confusing variety of sizes, designs and colours. However most of these designs break down in practical terms to one of the following basic head shapes:

BULLET HEADS are a straight tracking lure. Depending on boat speed, the weight of the lure head and the height from which the lure is pulled, they will occasionally break the surface creating a bubble trail. Larger bullet heads are normally heavily weighted and seldom surface, smaller lighter heads do so more frequently.


Bullet head

Chrome bullet head

Versions made from chromed brass with jet holes ("jet heads") are popular and effective. Bullet heads tend to get blown about in windy conditions as they don’t hold the water well. Very attractive to tuna, wahoo and dorado. Billfish will also often take these but tend to prefer more active lures.




Flat face
FLAT HEADS. This head shape is cut at 90 degrees which causes the lure to track in a straight line, coming up at regular intervals to make a splash or "pop" before diving and carrying a long bubble or "smoke" trail.

The length and size of the smoke trail is determined by the diameter of the lure head (the same is true, incidentally of all lures, not just flat faces). The larger the diameter of the lure head or face, the longer and wider the smoke trail. Most flat face lures hold the water well, those with tapered heads being particularly good performers in poor sea conditions.




Chugger

CHUGGERS. These are flat face heads with a concave pocket scooped out of the face. These designs cling to the water very well and work particularly well in windy or marginal sea conditions.

The cupped face also causes the lure to swim with a distinct head shaking action which may be very tight or much more active and exaggerated depending on the lure's design.





SLANT FACE HEADS. Are split into two basic categories.


Pusher bait
PUSHER BAITS - which are designed to run on or close to the surface with an aggressive action, "pushing" lots of water, hence the name. These heads tend to have sharply angled faces and little or no taper. In fact the earliest versions were moulded in straight-sided glasses and cut at a sharp angle. Also known as straight runners. Straight-sided models are often called "tube baits". Usually do not run well in poor sea conditions, strong wind or chop, but one of the most proven fish raisers in calm to moderate seas because of the impressive pushing action.




Taper bait
Plunger bait
"TAPER BAITS" - which have a tapered nose and run beneath the surface most of the time with a long smoke trail, breaking the surface at regular intervals with a splash or pop, the aggressiveness of which is determined by the size and the angle of its face. Longer headed taper baits are popularly known as "plungers". More versatile than pusher baits, taper baits and plungers are still ideally suited to fairly smooth seas but some designs, depending on size, positioning, weight and shape, will perform in all but the most demanding conditions.

Lure selection
Selecting between these lure shapes, as has been hinted at, is primarily determined by sea conditions. In rough weather areas such as the Azores, flat and cupped face lures tend to be widely used. Boats targeting marlin in the calm waters of Kona and Madeira, on the other hand, tend to favour more aggressive plungers, tubes and straight runners. Using this guide as a starting point vary your lure style until you find the most suitable for the prevailing sea conditions in your waters.

[ 11-15-2003, 10:22 PM: Message edited by: crabbait ]

[Marty]

I caught a small bluefin of about 25 lbs. this year, July 20 in the area of 44 56.00 and 124 38. It was caught on a purple fish trap fished 80 feet off the port corner at first light.

Three year ago on Oct. 7, 2000 in the area of 44 50 and 124 52 we ran into what we thought (from a distance) where jumping porpoise. When we got closer we saw that they were huge bluefin tuna in the 125 to 400 lb. range that were aggressively feeding on mackeral or large sardines. They were in an area of an incredible temp break that was 58 on the warm side and 54 on the cold side and the edge was maybe 3 or 4 boat lengths apart. We trolled thru the massive display of jumping 'volkswagens' for almost two hours with no take downs. We didn't have anything that could have landed one and I did not know about how boat shy they are, as we had our spread too close to the boat. Before we saw any bluefin explosions, the bait would blow out of the water and attempt to fly.......and a second later 8 to 15 bluefin would blow huge holes in the patches of bait with some of tuna coming out of the water 6 or 8 feet high. We drove thru the carnage for almost 2 hours and decided to leave to find some biting albies. Went 10 miles and started thinking this may be a once in a life time show........so we headed back and watched em for another hour before they finally went down. When you trolled thru the area they had been eating, there was an oil slick on the water and when you looked down it was like a snow storm of scales slowly drifting down. The magnitude of what we had seen hit my fishing partner and I hard enough that the next day we purchased Heavy gear that could handle fish of that size. Don't know if I am tough enough to land a tuna that big, but I dream about that morning at least once a week and would give anything to have another opportunity.

Sweet Dreams!!!

Marty

[Nofish]

I absolutely love this discussion thread. More...please...more....

[Tuna Tom]

OK Marty,

If I wake up tomorrow stuck to my sheets, it will be your fault. That was an awesome post!

I knew they were out there..I knew it!

Thankyou, thankyou, thankyou.

Besides I can always just wash my sheets.

Tuna Tom

[Boedy]

Is this what you guys are after?

[KeyWest]

Cruel, very cruel.

[Reel Creel]

Tuna Tom,
could we please get together about this thread? i live in Beaverton and am a hands on guy. i can read some of this stuff until blue in the face and still wonder if im doing this right. Rod took me out this summer and got my first Tuna(Thanks Rod ) then i shared this with two buddies. After seeing some sharks that were 6 to 8 ft i thought catching those guys would be good. lets get the big boys, call if you want to drink a few beers and pass on some wisdom. 503-502-6270
Perry Creel,

[Tuna Tom]

Tuna: Physiology, Ecology and Evolution

This book is a multidisciplinary volume that overviews the most recent literature covering the physiology, biomechanics, evolution, and ecology of tunas. It examines critical areas of molecular and organismal physiology, phylogeny, ecology, and evolutionary biology. Recently developed techniques for electronic tagging of fish are presented. The book covers all aspects of tuna biology, from metabolism and cardiovascular research to reproductive biology.


Edited by
Barbara A. Block
Hopkins Marine Station, Pacific Grove, California, U.S.A.
E. Donald Stevens
University of Guelph, Ontario, Canada

If you call here, they can probably help you get a copy:
Stanford University
Hopkin Marine Station
Tuna Research and Conservation Center

<please send a me a private message for contact info>

Tuna Tom

[ 11-15-2003, 10:24 PM: Message edited by: crabbait ]

[Onokai]

Tuna Tom I'm Glad to see you light up this board with all the tuna replies in just one day. Lets all keep up the tuna talk. I've only been fishing tuna since 96. The best year by far was 97 el nino. sailfish off the coast, killer whales under my boat,Close dorado, ok ok TUNA TUNA TUNA. jumpers triples, quads and even a cinco hook up. This year was not that but no complaints. I only use rod and reel no hand lines.Mark

ONOKAI

[Nofish]

Here's the link to the Tuna Research and Conservation Center's website:
<please send a me a private message for link> Way Cool
Cheers...Bob

[ 11-15-2003, 10:25 PM: Message edited by: crabbait ]

[Popeye]

In September 1999, I was fishing handlines outside of Heceta Banks, right on the edge of the shelf, when I got hit. It was on an outside 120' handline with a weighted chartreuse & green clone. I just happened to be watching the line when it hit and snapped. It parted my 220# Jenkai leader! :shocked:
5 minutes later, the same thing happened on the other outside line, rigged the same. When I retrieved the handline......I was shocked and awed that the 300# tuna cord was snapped! :shocked: :shocked: :shocked:
This year, in August, we were fishing the same place (Mr Fisherman was aboard), and we snapped another leader.
I have never had the pleasure of seeing what hit, but I CAN tell you, it's quite a rush when it happens!
Next year, I'm probably going to be fishing much more with rods. Especially now that I have a fighting chair, and good harness.

[BUGLEMAN]

Drool, Drool and Drool ahhh Tuuuunaaaah.

[Tuna Tom]

Wow Popeye!!!

There was Mr. Big!

Some thoughts:

Put a two speed out instead of a hand line. The two speed reel is like a transmition. If an albacore hits, you leave the rod in the rod holder and basically surf him into the boat with the line never getting pulled out. If Mr. Big comes by, you have a chance.

Revist your terminal tackle for that one Mr. Big set up...250# leader, minimum...crimps, etc. I use to fish 4 months, every week, out of every year for Tuna in the 150# to 250# class. My point is, if you are not working with the maximum best terminal tackle at 100%, you will never even see the fish. You think Albacore head shake...imagine 200#'s of head shake...pop goes the 150#. Honestly though, I've banged them on 80#, but that was standup jigging...trolling is a very different story.

GET IN SHAPE!! I use to go into training for these guys. If you are not ready, I can promise you the time will come quickly when you can not even turn the handle. Fingers, wrists, bi's, lower back(duh) and abs all have to be in shape. Otherwise the fight turns into a survival trip and is no fun.

Finally I want to again thank Onokai/Whaler Man for turning me on to <please send a me a private message for link> I took his advice and went back a whole year on the Tuna fishing disscussion board. Popeye, there is an article about a 5 1/2 hour battle with a Grander Blue Fin
You might want to go back and make sure that chair is fasten down tight after reading that article.

PS. There are some great SWORD FISH postings as well. I've included just one to give you an idea.


"Last year during my yearly tournament on the east cape of baja, we cast to a sword about 250 pounds..as we were getting ready with the drop-back rod with the bait out of the baitwell, the deckhand grabbed the mullet and WHACKED it against the side of the baitwell, killing it...we cast to the fish, and he ate it right away (the deckhand, a guy I have fished with for years down there has caught 7 swords in 13 years, swears that swordies prefer dead baits hands down, and the way he ate this made me a believer) we fought the fish for three hours thirty-three minutes by the clock, and we leadered the fish three times...he cam unbuttoned the last time just as we were preparing a big flying gaff....got some great pictures of the fish right next to teh boat, though,,,,these fish are the most amazing fighters I have ever seen, making marlin look like mackrel..."

Get in Shape
Tuna Tom

[ 11-15-2003, 10:28 PM: Message edited by: crabbait ]

[Marty]

We only have 219 days left before the tuna are back within fishing range !!!!!!!!. Someone should put a countdown window somewhere on the salty dogs web page that automatically clicks down one day at a time so we know how much hibernation time is left.

Marty

[Onokai]

Tuna Tom. The batc web site( bay area tuna club) as you can see is all about TUNA. Bat Batsford hosted the site for many years but passed away last year. His son took over and renamed the site. All the real old posted from past years are no longer avaliable. The curent site only goes back one year. As you saw I'm known on that board as ONOKAI which is my boat name. a 23 foot outrage Bosto whaler with a 250 yamaha which has a drinking habit. For many years we have been talking bluefin. They see them much more often in Montery Bay/ Santa Cruz than our northern waters but they are here in the colder waters on the inside usually where no one is looking.. Good luck on your bluefin quest we are having some this weekend on the BQ. Mark

ONOKAI

[Onokai]

Hey Bob thanks for the site info I'm ordering up the tuna book. You must be the same R, Bob from the batc board I've read. Any other good tuna boards I'm unaware of??????. How was the hunt. I'm still waiting for my underwater salmon photos to come back fro the salmon R.I'm hoping this board breaks into a tuna only section.There must be some tuna only folks such as me. mark

ONOKAI

[Salty Walty]

My friends and I have hooked a few (2 or 3) Bluefins out of Santa Cruz,CA. Haven't landed one yet, break offs and spooled. All were on light line #30-#40 and #80 fluoro leader and trolled way back 200-300 feet on Mex. Flag and Blue and White feathers, single hook also note they were smaller baits too. The fish were in #100-#150 class. They were in cooler water (58-59} than the albies (62-64). We got one close to the boat after fighting it for 30 min. Mark saw the size of it and realized that he would have to try and gaff and bring the beast into the boat took some of the color from his face. Kind of like the look on chief Brodies'face when Jaws came up in the chum line. The year before I caught a #67 albie and this fish was twice the size! It finally broke off and Mark was relieved. Sorry no info from up here but there is what we have had luck with and a fish tale.

[Nofish]

Hi Whaler Man Mark,
Yep, I am one in the same (RBob). I think this site (Salty Dogs) is fantastic. They seem to be great folks and helped us a lot with our Oregon tuna runs this past summer. They digress now and again to talk about halibut and salmon, but this is mostly a tuna discussion board. I prefer it to the Bay Area site mainly because the Oregon waters are closer to home.

I am thinking of purchasing that same tuna book, but even with my background in zoology, I am afraid much of it will be over my head. I think I will let you be the guinea pig on this.

We had a good hunt in the Klamath Basin - lots of grain fed mallards. Do you sell your underwater photos of salmon and steelhead? I would love to see them sometime.

One more question Mark, have you ever set traps for shrimp off the NoCal coast? I am interested in trying. Cheers...Bob

[Nofish]

Speaking of underwater photos...and sticking to the theme of tuna - I would like to recommend a video with amazing underwater video of tuna and billfish. This was part of a series produced by the BBC and Discovery Channel: Blue Planet Seas of Life. Here is the Discovery Channel link: <please send a me a private message for link>

The particular episode I am referring to is "The Open Ocean". Absolutely amazing footage of free swimming and foraging tuna. They focus a portion of the episode on an area around an underwater seamount. A must see for any tunaholic trying to make it through the long winter.

The video can be purchased through any of the regular online outlets for almost nothing. After seeing it on TV, I am ordering a copy for the library.

Has anyone else seen this? Cheers...Bob

[ 11-15-2003, 10:30 PM: Message edited by: crabbait ]

[Marty]

Bob........you are right about this video. A friend has the entire series and I have watched it a dozen times. Spectacular to say the least. I thought about bringing it to a TA meeting. Another great video is the Tribute To Tuna tape about vintage live bait fishing from the racks. 200 and 300 pounders being crashing the water 3 feet from the boat. Talk about some blow-ups.


Marty

[Tuna Tom]

Bob,

Maybe I missed it which is entirely possible, but is there a specific title to the tape versus the whole series... I'm very interested. I remember the time I saw the Tuna feeding scene. It was about two days that went by before I realized I was still walking around with my mouth open.

Marty,
What a great idea. If no one minds we should show that tape next meetinng. I have the tape too. One of us should bring it to the next time. Just let me know if you are bringing yours or not.

Tuna Tom

[Nofish]

I just ordered the video from Barnes and Noble (online). They have it for 12.99 and it is listed as:
The Blue Planet: Seas of Life, Part 3 - Open Ocean
Enjoy - Bob

[Onokai]

Bob I bit the bullet and ordered my copy for $99. from Barnes and Nobel. I'll let you know how tecnical it is. I'll get to it this Winter. I'm just trying to capture salmon and steelhead u/w photos. Not sell them . I have been shooting underwater while diving for the past 20 years. The diving thing is sort of like the tuna addiction.After 20 years I noticed i have two boats, two commpressers, 25 scuba tanks tons of U/w photo gear, and huge travel bills to places like Truk lagoon ,solomon, Islands , Australia,the carribean, Palau,San Benidicto island Mexico,You get the picture just like our TUNA addiction. I do have great U/w photos of these locations. The Salmon & steelhead are a challenge.
As for traping shrimp that I have not tried that yet. I too am very far north of the bay area and as you am in a noman land for good tuna info. I have fished Coos Bay most seasons and had great luck there.I'll keep up on this Tuna board as well. Mark

ONOKAI

[Tuna Tom]

Whaler Man,

In August/ September the summer steelies blast up the Columbia. Strange thing is when they hit certain warm water, they go into tributaries and just hang and boil till the temp drops a few degrees and then fush! (if that's a word) and their all gone, heading up river. Still, there are a few places where they hang for weeks! There is even one place where you aren't allowed to fish for them and you can see 40 or more steelies hanging out on top with more blasting up from below. It's a great steelie fix for myself and I have often laughed that I don't film it. I've never seen anyone else around ( I guess because you can't "fish" their ) , but I'm sure you already know there is more than one way to "catch" a fish. It's been sort of a place where the earth shares and I just go and watch.
Whaler Man, want to film it next year? It's a trip.

Actually there is another river where they hold up as well, but you can keep them. I tend to catch and release their because it's soooo much a sight cast kind of thing. Like the perverbial shooting fish in a barrel. My buddy still laughs about my releasing an over 15#er from their last year. It was sort of an oops...did I really want to realease that one.

Tuna Tom

[Nofish]

Tom,
I am certain the episode is called "Open Ocean". It is hands down the best stretch of film I have seen on tuna. I kept asking myself "how did those guys do this?".

Marty,
Where can you get a copy of "Tribute to Tuna"? I need to try to make your next TA meeting. Long haul but it would be worth it I think.

Another good video is called "Tuna Cowboys" - it's about a bunch of crazy Aussies that net up a a pile of bluefin tuna and tow them hundreds of miles in these huge floating pens. The "cowboys" have to dive daily to remove evil sharks and make net repairs. They eventually land in Australia where the bluefin are grown and processed for sushi in Japan. I think I saw it on National Geographic Explorer. I happened to record it when it was on. Pretty amazing stuff. Cheers...Bob

[Miss B Haven]

Ok- so I got spooled, or almost spooled. I actually clamped down on the spool with a glove when I was in the backing and parted the line at the backing knot.

Don't know what the lure was cause the cockpit crew was doing the presto chango routine on me. I thought it was a blue mackeral cedar but that plug was hanging in "used lure" spot when I got back.
It was on the long rod I run off the flybridge- 100 yards I'd guess.
I thought it was JUST another Albi until I got the boat stopped, started down the stairs with the rod and realized that the fish wasn't slowing/stopping even though the boat was. :shocked: [img]graemlins/1zhelp.gif[/img] It was running just as fast/hard as when the boat was doing 6 1/2 knots. I was seeing backing at that point. [img]graemlins/eek13.gif[/img]

Somewhere out there there's a freight train dragging around 300yards of 65 lb bright yellow tuff line. If you catch it I want my line back. :grin:

[crabbait]

Ok guys, from the Acceptable Use Policy: "You may discusss any commercial product. Please note that only www.ifish.net sponsors have the right to post contact information. All non sponsor contact information, including e mail, web addresses, and physical addresses, will be removed upon notice. [Note that commercial advertising supports Ifish. Advertisements do appear on Ifish, but we try to keep them to a minimum in the general discussion group. Also, several special areas are provided for commercial interests.]
Members are permitted to include one link (URL) of their own homepage in their signature file."

This includes links to other fishing boards.

I am going to go back through this thread and remove the links and replace them with "send me a private message for a link". If you do not want to respond to the private messages, please edit the note from your post.

I would also appreciate it if any of you read this before I get to your link, please edit your own posts.

Thanks for understanding, guys.

[Miss B Haven]

Crabbait- you are such a .................................................. .................................................. .................................................. ........ good mod! :grin:

[Mr. Fisherman]

You can likely send this information through the original Pac Northwest group on Yahoo.

I have never seen a complaint about sending links there and as we are just sharing information, not actively marketing products I would not have a problem reading about it and having the opportunity to link to those pages.

Crabby is right about the use policy.
There are other ways to share the info, lets use them and make the mods happy.

Anyone wanting information on joining that forum can email me. I'm not posting it here.
Put Fishing information in your message header so I can sort it out from all the spam I get.
Better yet, PM me...

[ 11-15-2003, 10:44 PM: Message edited by: Mr. Fisherman ]

[Nofish]

Crabbait,
I certainly will abide by the rules of the forum as you have stated. If you don't mind my asking, does this restriction include posting links to non profit foundations such as the Tuna Research and Conservation Center? Purchases through this outfit help support research on tuna and other pelagic critters. It would seem to me that posting links to sites like this would be in the best interest of this forum. Cheers...Bob

[Tuna Tom]

Mel,

Or Fisherman, or Pilar, or anybody. How many boats in the tunaholic fleet have outriggers?

Tuna Tom

[KeyWest]

Key west does

[Miss B Haven]

Minaki has real ones (22 footers I think). I have 8 dollar specials (used fishing rods in pole holders). Ask him who catches the most fish though! :grin:

[Robalo Bill]

Tuna tom.....I run 15ft aluminum outriggers. I tag 2 standup rods on these usually the TLD30 2 speeds. I like to drop these back 150ft or more..I can run 6 lines without tangles, even on tight turns.

Bill

[Nofish]

Mel,
I have wanted to try the same thing you use (old fishing rods)for outriggers. How do you rig them? Do you have pictures? Cheers...Bob

[skein]

I think there's lots of us who are thinking about outriggers, and I'm worried that the info might get lost in this two-page bluefin thread.

Would any of you consider starting a new thread dealing with outriggers? It will not only freshen things up a bit, it will make it much easier to archive and search later on.

Anybody game?

Skein

[Miss B Haven]

Skein- I'll bite later. Start the thread and I'll post my home made instructions unless Pilar or somebody beats me to it. I think he's using the same setup. If you don't get to it I'll start it later.
Gotta run and see my Dad right now.

[Onokai]

Tom
Ive got taco outriggers, I posted the info on the outrigger thread Tom. I would not leave home without them. They increase your catch. In mexico most fish came on the outriggers. Off the southern Oregon Nor-Cal coast i'ts been about a third of the hits. I only fish one rod per outtrigger but they never tangle and it keeps the Chinese fire drill team less busy.Mark

ONOKAI

[Mr. Fisherman]

Tom, to answer your question, sort of, it is an ever increasing number.
I just got a new piece of boat jewlery for Sea Lion but I haven't mounted it yet.
I have found outriggers for as little as a couple of hundred bucks but I'm still fooling around with "cheaper better". Maybe you can help me refine this?
I have other stuff to spend my hard earned money on and too many other places for it to go...
Like lights for fishing at night

[Tuna Tom]

Mr. Fisherman,
Seems the outrigger post that has branched off from this one has alot of answers. In short, somewhere around 1/3 of your hits tend to come from running just one line off each outrigger (according to Whalerman). I believe this is very true; especially with your longer lines being run off them. Some people in the area run more than one line off each outrigger, so who knows. Suffice to say they catch fish. Personally, I prefer one outrigger / one line. Simple works good for simple Tom.
What I feel needs to be stressed!! is that it is alot easier to run far lines off them. Thus, getting back to Mr. Big/Bill you can always keep a line out while playing with the Albacore. To me, the saying, "if you want to catch a fish, you've got to have a line in the water" never rang more true. Slowing down and or speeding up can certainly bring on a strike from Mr. Big. Seems to me its a long boat ride out so you might as well just run some basics in order to keep your percentage of fishing time in the water the highest along with maximum precentation being the highest. Personally, I'm more focused on Mr. Big which is why I asked the outrigger question.

One more thing. If you listen to the post, setting up and breaking down depending on whether you are running out or not...in rough seas or not...is a pain in the a#$. Suffice to say, money answers only some of that question. Back in Florida we just ran out and then set up...except during lightning! That sure was not a treat. Can we say we were "stupid"? or "Salty Dogs"? Ah, now I remember, we were stupid, salty dogs! But, I digress. Suffice to say you are probably going to be setting up and breaking down. Ask yourself which set-up, anchoring of your system, works best for you on your boat. Make it simple to get to and get to often. If your goal is to avoid the hassel...well...outriggers take some work. It certainly is worth it and occassional you get try out some of your non-board postable, salty dog language.

Tuna Tom