Garibaldi Tuna Hunt

jacksalmon · 09-18-2005, 12:34 AM

After we got our two halibut at "the hill", we headed southwest to look for jumpers/bait chasers. Didn't want to go to far out so headed for 45.25/124/45 since Terrafin showed some warm h2o out that way.
Sure enough, there were more jumpers and groupies than I have seen all year and they were agressive and full of very small bait fish. It got so wild that when my buddy let his fish trap sink right below the boat to work a bird's nest out of the reel, he got hit. I told him to drop it again and on his line come Mr. Tuna, so I thought that might work for me as I reeled in from my 900 yard cast. I let the trap sink directly below the rod tip and started the trap up. Two jigs and then come a tuna. It was a great time on a flat ocean.
I just couldn't believe how many tuna we saw between 3 and 5 p.m. They were everywhere and they all fell for the traps. What fun!!!!! We called on the radio, but I guess nobody goes out of Garibaldi.

Spoonplugger · 09-18-2005, 06:17 AM

jacksalmon...sounds good. How many did you end up with?

Jerry

Marty · 09-18-2005, 05:30 PM

Jacksalmon.........we were at 45 25 and 124 55 and we heard you say something about tuna..........but our VHF was on scan and it quickly scanned to another channel and we never discovered your channel. Inn our area we had scratch fishing at best.........we saw about 9 or 10 different jumpers and caught 7 of them. The two newby's we had on board were already sore from the few fish we handed them, but I would have loved to put a small dent in the fish that were in your area. We had come in from the outside....... 125 10 and found zero. But thanks for trying and way to go with the good score.

Some thing the season is over!!!!

Marty............oh, what channel do you guys talk on??

jacksalmon · 09-18-2005, 07:43 PM

The famous Marty! It's funny, but we were just east of you guys. We might have gotten as far as 124.50, but, at that point, my buddy was driving the boat while I was scanning for fish, so I lost track of the numbers after I gave him the wheel at 124.45 and told him to head NW. But, we started at the junction of 124.45 and 45.25 before heading NW. Now, I'll be the first to admit that I am a rookie tuna dog, but I have fished for many years for many species and damn, there were a lot of fish out there. We would stop to cast traps and one of us would yell about the jumpers at 10 o'clock at 200 yards and then the other would yell about the pile at 3 o'clock at 100 yards.
But, the most interesting educational event of the trip occurred when we had two doubles immediately under the boat on traps that were jigged up after we let them sink on the cast rather than retrieving. I wonder if the jumpers once they go down are attracted to the boat once the motor is shut down. Can't wait to get back and experiment on that one.
I called out on channels 78, 68 and 14 and got no replies and saw no boats, so I figured we were all alone in the world, but we didn't feel lonely. It is so odd to find out there was another boat so close. Anyway, it was a great day and one of those that will always be brought up whenever the stories start to flow.
Also, I have learned so much from your posts and Mark Mc's that I have to thank you guys for all the info. Maybe we will run into each other someday. Adios.

Marty · 09-19-2005, 07:16 AM

I was so close to putting out a broadcast on channel 16 to see if you would answer, but since I had been on scan (not sure if I will do that again), I didn't hear your entire message. Very glad you guys got into the fish like that as it is something you remember for a long time. The catching is better when there are that many fish in the area as they are in the competition mode and they have to eat quickly or they will lose it to their buddy. Dang!! I thought I could smell tuna 5 miles away, but appartently we zigged when we should have zagged.

Jigging traps under the boat works very well at times. But usually when that works you can put the mega baits on and hook them just as fast and you won't have to waste the fishtrap body's.

Again............thanks for thinking of others and calling out when you were neck deep in fish.

Marty

Threemuch · 09-19-2005, 09:02 AM

JS-
Can you teach me to cast 900 yards?!?!?

Albies are notorious for hitting on the drop rather than the retrieve. I frequently cast a trap, let it out on the slide, then stick it in a holder while we clear other gear, and it is often bit. Congrats on sticking it to em and trying to get others in on the bite too.

Seelicious · 09-21-2005, 01:23 PM

Well done!