2012 TUNA trips
- Thread starter Sculpin
- Start date
spring fever
Well-Known Member
Yup it is great fun especially on the lighter tackle. Good point about the limits Bod. Most boats are simply not set up for that many fish. I know from the few trips I have done this year (with only one of them in the double digits at 18 fish) that my boat would be pretty much maxed out at 24 fish properly iced etc. With a 3 man crew that would be 8 fish each. I'm pretty ok with that
Cheers,
John
That would be my limit too John-no sense catching so much you can't take care of it properly. Going to see if I can deckhand a couple of times and then get Spring Fever into the fray. Lots to learn, but looks like a fun fishery. Mike
Birdsnest
Well-Known Member
The handlines are a blast IMO but from the looks of things they do not seem to increase the catch#'s. I am surprised by this. I preffer 200# test on my handlines. Gear is not cheap. On my last trip tuna were snapping 100lb test on the hand line. I can not afford to purchase and maintain more than 5 hali rods and reels so the handlines fit in nicely with my system where I am running 9 or so lines.
Osama Bin Hopper
Active Member
We had to stop fishing when we had 33 on board.
That was the deciding factor was that there was no more room to keep fish and keep them of quality. You should not kill something otherwise.
A sport boat cant fill the limit unless they are insane and semi-greedy I guess...
Full boats good enough for this little Jew.
That was the deciding factor was that there was no more room to keep fish and keep them of quality. You should not kill something otherwise.
A sport boat cant fill the limit unless they are insane and semi-greedy I guess...
Full boats good enough for this little Jew.
Birdsnest
Well-Known Member
My boat will not hold much more than 20. I did get my limit this year once but I was fishing alone so for the cost of that trip I think a limit of 20 is appropriate. I am not greedy and I am not insane. Fishing alone is a unique situation. Lets not start downgrading limits here. Its not salmon, or bluefin. NONE of my fish is wasted. A full boat is good enough for me too and the bonus of that is you can play around with poppers and other methods if the fishing is so hot. I still have not caught one on a cast lure....dang, nore have I filled my boat up more than once.
Any one else ever get there limit?
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Osama Bin Hopper
Active Member
Ya maybey didn't say that right.
All I mean is that in a 28 foot grady with kill bag coolers and hold to ice fish properly and hold what that boat could handle. Wouldnt have been appropriate to have taken more IMHO. However, a larger boat with more capacity and a few guys could and should be able to. Ample fish, just a matter of space!!LOL!!
All I mean is that in a 28 foot grady with kill bag coolers and hold to ice fish properly and hold what that boat could handle. Wouldnt have been appropriate to have taken more IMHO. However, a larger boat with more capacity and a few guys could and should be able to. Ample fish, just a matter of space!!LOL!!
Bod
Well-Known Member
The limit is just a number and it is the max you are allowed to take. I certainly don't see anything wrong with taking a limit, but I have made three trips this year and don't have a clue what I would have done with 60 Albies. But that being said I think my "share" of the catch has been around 10-11 and won't go to waste.
Hand lines are great and a lot of fun too. I think 4 or 5 of our fish yesterday came off of the two we ran, and I wouldn't be without them. The single action reels are more fun though.
Hand lines are great and a lot of fun too. I think 4 or 5 of our fish yesterday came off of the two we ran, and I wouldn't be without them. The single action reels are more fun though.
Likely you've all seen this before, but it's amazing, talk about limits and handlines !!!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lp_Rs75-5vI
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lp_Rs75-5vI
the fog ducker
Well-Known Member
its great ta here that you guys are in it for the sport ,and dont need ta whack 20 fish ta blow your load,
im sure there a blast on a single action rod Ken , sure id have one hangin off the back for sure , i just have an uneasy feelin out there ,i just wanna get er done and get home , im a ***** i guess...
id take 20 in a heartbeat , if my guys want 20 each as well , SWEET , all to them..im dreamin i know , one day perhaps..
the reality of it for me is , I love tuna , i have a pretty slick processing shed set up at home , and enuff canning equipment ta last 10 years ,and a new chamber sealer waitin for some serious work ,i may only get out once a year , and maybe only have one deckhand with me , so 40 isnt that un-realistic , as Jeff said , they just ran outta room , as a few others i talked to , 50 -60 a day came pretty quik for some, rediculous outtings of the past !!
back to my original question , what ? how ? can we transport our possession ? while out there ,
speaking to a local knowledgeable fisheries officer , an ex albacore tuna fisherman ,he agreed that ,having no size limit , and each fish`s loins are all in the one package ,sorted in a manner that could clearly identify , and ultimately count how many fish you possess in total , , i could process them out on the pond and make room for more if motivated... piece of cake , he also mentioned that he has seen a considerate increase of sportys targeting them , asked him if a slot size may come in affect soon : )....
yada,,,im done....
leave this thread for you experts... ; )
fd
im sure there a blast on a single action rod Ken , sure id have one hangin off the back for sure , i just have an uneasy feelin out there ,i just wanna get er done and get home , im a ***** i guess...
id take 20 in a heartbeat , if my guys want 20 each as well , SWEET , all to them..im dreamin i know , one day perhaps..
the reality of it for me is , I love tuna , i have a pretty slick processing shed set up at home , and enuff canning equipment ta last 10 years ,and a new chamber sealer waitin for some serious work ,i may only get out once a year , and maybe only have one deckhand with me , so 40 isnt that un-realistic , as Jeff said , they just ran outta room , as a few others i talked to , 50 -60 a day came pretty quik for some, rediculous outtings of the past !!
back to my original question , what ? how ? can we transport our possession ? while out there ,
speaking to a local knowledgeable fisheries officer , an ex albacore tuna fisherman ,he agreed that ,having no size limit , and each fish`s loins are all in the one package ,sorted in a manner that could clearly identify , and ultimately count how many fish you possess in total , , i could process them out on the pond and make room for more if motivated... piece of cake , he also mentioned that he has seen a considerate increase of sportys targeting them , asked him if a slot size may come in affect soon : )....
yada,,,im done....
leave this thread for you experts... ; )
fd
Sculpin
Well-Known Member
I think your the only one this year Birdsnest. You were solo and like you said you just about hit your boats capacity. I agree that we should not start downgrading limits here. Many of us have explained how it works with the number of crew on board etc. These last few trips have been memorable for some but they are not the norm at all. I can think of my first trip this year and it was one very expensive albacore lol. We are just trying to get more folks involved up here because it is such a great fishery. We have a limit in place already. We actually always had a limit of 20 in place but it is just listed this year. In previous years they fell under other fish.
I think the boats capacity is something everyone should adhere to and try to keep their catch in the best shape possible and for safety. I think most folks do this already but it can't be said enough. Add up the weight of those fish, the weight of the ice (assuming you have the proper amount for the number of fish you caught), location of the coolers or kill bag's for stability purposes, and you will be surprised at your boats capacity. To overload a boat is irresponsible for safety sake. They are just fish and you need to get your crew and yourself back home alive. It is supposed to be fun.
I don't think we should be saying this method or that (heavy tackle vs light tackle) is any better than the other either. The last thing we want is for DFO to start implementing gear or size restrictions etc.
Cheers,
Sculpin
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Sculpin
Well-Known Member
Here is a reply to my thread on the AAB forum I thought I would share. This fellow is from Hawaii and has been fishing tuna commercially and professionally (guide) for quite some time. I like reading what others have to say about Albacore tuna fishing from other parts of the world. This reply is quite informative.
"The number one tuna lure for any smallish tuna under 40lbs, visiting the top of the ocean, in my opinion and experience, would be a 3" long or 4" long, chrome head (could be jetted or otherwise) with white, pink, and blue in the skirt. King Busters work really good.
The idea being no matter what they are eating, its in there, the color, and flash of the chrome is there...Fished way, way, way 400-600ft back on the middle/center rigger, far back on the outriggers, medium (8 to 12 waves) and short in the boats foam(4 to 10 waves) on the back corners. If possible fished without snap swivel, or with medium sized black sampo ball bearing snap swivel. Leader length has to be AT LEAST two arm spans, three is better. 30-60lb test leader....Troll 8-10kts till strike, then speed up once one or two are on, to 11 or 12kts or so. Continue at higher speed until they are in the boat. Do not ever slow down below 8kts, boat by throwing them in the boat if on higher end of the leader size. Gaff or net or throw in if on the smaller end of the leader size. Also we usually work Down Seas with fish on if possible. It always safer and easier.
Drive with the direction the birds are flying over the pile and just ahead of them, never against the birds. Birds correspond with certain foods, different in your area but eventually you can figure out whats in the pile by the birds. High flying orbiting over one area usually means big fish. You can follow the birds to the fish in the mornings usually, they mostly sleep on land and head back to the pile in the early am. Birds are different in every area of the world but if you learn your areas birds you will be on the right track.
If the tuna are down and the pile isnt moving to much you can try jigging with a 8-16oz spreader bar and a pink surgical tubing jig on a double hook. 3 to 4 arm span leader attached to one side of the spreader bar. other side to mainline. drop past the deep pile and jig back through it. in hawaii you get a tuna on every drop."
Very interesting stuff about the smaller baits, the all around color choice, direction of travel, and the bird stuff is awesome. Anyways just food for thought.
Cheers,
John
"The number one tuna lure for any smallish tuna under 40lbs, visiting the top of the ocean, in my opinion and experience, would be a 3" long or 4" long, chrome head (could be jetted or otherwise) with white, pink, and blue in the skirt. King Busters work really good.
The idea being no matter what they are eating, its in there, the color, and flash of the chrome is there...Fished way, way, way 400-600ft back on the middle/center rigger, far back on the outriggers, medium (8 to 12 waves) and short in the boats foam(4 to 10 waves) on the back corners. If possible fished without snap swivel, or with medium sized black sampo ball bearing snap swivel. Leader length has to be AT LEAST two arm spans, three is better. 30-60lb test leader....Troll 8-10kts till strike, then speed up once one or two are on, to 11 or 12kts or so. Continue at higher speed until they are in the boat. Do not ever slow down below 8kts, boat by throwing them in the boat if on higher end of the leader size. Gaff or net or throw in if on the smaller end of the leader size. Also we usually work Down Seas with fish on if possible. It always safer and easier.
Drive with the direction the birds are flying over the pile and just ahead of them, never against the birds. Birds correspond with certain foods, different in your area but eventually you can figure out whats in the pile by the birds. High flying orbiting over one area usually means big fish. You can follow the birds to the fish in the mornings usually, they mostly sleep on land and head back to the pile in the early am. Birds are different in every area of the world but if you learn your areas birds you will be on the right track.
If the tuna are down and the pile isnt moving to much you can try jigging with a 8-16oz spreader bar and a pink surgical tubing jig on a double hook. 3 to 4 arm span leader attached to one side of the spreader bar. other side to mainline. drop past the deep pile and jig back through it. in hawaii you get a tuna on every drop."
Very interesting stuff about the smaller baits, the all around color choice, direction of travel, and the bird stuff is awesome. Anyways just food for thought.
Cheers,
John
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Finished Business
Well-Known Member
Sounds like I should visit my buddy living in hawaii with a rod or two in tow!!!!
I liked the one post, "Once you are on them you only need a handful of tackle" ....in my limited experience, this is what we've found, once you are on them, so long as you have a hook with some color you will stack up.
I really liked Birdys PMO's, but the bowling pins bounced around a little much and caused interference with our lines. I would also stray from the bright orange paint and go with a grey (to match overcast) and blu/white for those cloudy/sunny days. Until I'm proven otherwise, I will keep to black/purple zukes and clones...
Birdsnest
Well-Known Member
Well I just checked the water temp and I think it is officially over for me this year. A friend of mine did the run out yesterday and had perfect conditions until 40 miles when it just went for crap and they did not fish. He said it was weird but that is the nature of the sea around here. He also said there were commies everywhere so if you are willing to do the 55 miles or more off tofino there is a chance to get some tunas still.
firelight
Active Member
Its one thing to fish and not catch anything but to not fish is a real bummer. Sculpin made a good call for us not to go this weekend. this is such an awesome fishery I'm sure we are all pumped for next year already. I'm going to take a turkey out of the freezer, finish the firewood and dream of cabo in november.
If anyone goes give us a report.
T
tofinofish
Guest
Regardless of not getting to dump the Tuna gear, it was a sweet day for early October. We picked up a few Black Cod and Other critters on the way back in where the water was almost like a lake. To get within 3 miles of a few Commercial guys fishing and have to turn back was something I can live with....no Tuna is worth feeling uneasy about your situation, especially after surviving over 30 years on the water.
hambone
Well-Known Member
Do you guys also use AIS in deciding where to fish? If you go to shipfinder.com you can see where all the commie boats are. I realize this doesn't help you at all for weather, but it might be a nice tool to verify what is happening out there, assuming they are catching fish.
