[Threeweight]

We dropped in at the 44.52x124.52 when we saw whales spouting and big bait lines 200 to 300’ down, w some tuna looking marks scattered in. Lines in the water around 8 am and hooked up a quad of bruisers within 10 minutes. Only managed to land one ne due to a comedy of errors. Steady action till about 10:30 trolling back and forth over the school, then went dead. We still saw the fish go on my electronics so we stuck it out vs chasing radio fish. Bite came back on at 1 and by 2:00 it was WFO with Triple’s every time we crossed over the pod. Blue tuna scampi and pink swim baits trolled at 5.5 to 6 mph were the ticket. Very nice grade of fish and my infloor boxes were stuffed with 20 when we called it. We lost 10 or 12 more to pulled hooks. Biggest weighed 25# on my scales.

 

[Threeweight]

Saturday as well. I don't like the S. wind but right now it looks like a 35ish mile run West to tuna water.

 

[Threeweight]

Final count on Wild Card was 21 chonky albacore, 40# of mackerel,one nice ling and a rockfish. Almost all of our tuna came on trolled blue tuna scampi or custom swim baits.

We scratched out 7 by 10:30 or so then it went dead. Bite turned on around 2:00 or so and was pretty steady until we ran out of space and ice. Saw scattered little pods of jumpers who refused our chum and casted offerings… had good luck trolling around them.

We put 147 miles on the boat for the day.

 

[Threeweight]

Contemplating a Saturday run if the forecast cooperates… don’t like the south wind but the clock is ticking down in the 4th quarter of the season now.

 

[Threeweight]

Anyone going for it tomorrow? I’m definitely on the fence with how the forecast has progressed. Frustrating. I’ve got a great crew lined up but looks like the ocean has other plans for us.

Huddling a my crew… wind forecast is right on the edge of go/no go for me. Windy .com is showing a little squall coming through Saturday night.

 

[Threeweight]

We pulled the plug today based on the revised windy forecast… next 5 days look pretty unsettled.

 

[Threeweight]

I am watching it... there is a big blow coming through on Thursday that could scramble the chloro up and make locating fish a little tricky. Windy.com's forecast is currently showing the wind shifting over the course of the day Saturday, which I don't like (basically running into the wind both ways, which slows you down on these short days), but it is generally mild (on the current forecast).

Watch the afternoon forecast of the S. wind, though ... as it stands now, it predicting an 8-9 mph south wind in late afternoon on the tuna grounds, building to 15ish mph Saturday night. If the stronger south wind arrives early, it might make for a slow, uncomfortable ride home for some boats.

I am going to try and assemble a crew and have them on standby.

 

[Threeweight]

Looking at today's Satfish maps, I'd aim for 44.55x124.50 and troll northwest. The wind tomorrow might totally change that.

Greenwater hogs are a thing and there may be some pods scattered in closer, but you can waste an entire day trolling randomly trying to find them. Watch for birds/jumpers/whales/current rips/big temp breaks on the ride out, and if you see something interesting stop and watch your electronics for concentrations of bait/tuna looking marks. If you feel good about a spot, drop and troll for 15-20 minutes. If no love, pick up and run towards the bluer water.

Some days you get lucky and find a pod of hogs in close this way, some days you don't. The chloro is a more reliable indicator of concentrated fish than temperature, IMO.

 

[Threeweight]

Wild Card is iced down and planning to run. Hopefully the ocean cooperates… windy dot com forecast has shifted from ok to not good and back again a few times today. We will be on 78 as well.

 

[Threeweight]

We called it with 16 albacore and one small bluefin around 2:30 when conditions started to deteriorate too much. Most of our albacore were on blue scampi, with the bluefin and a couple of big hogs coming on Nomad MadMacs. We had 2 albies that would of pushed 30# before they were bled. Most of our fish were from 45.08 x 124.52.

First 20 miles home we were plowing straight into some ugly south wind chop at 17 mph… it mellowed inside the banana and we had a beautiful ride in @25 to 30 after that.