Sculpin
Well-Known Member
Those look cool. Thanks for the link tubber.
Tuna Talk
- Thread starter Sculpin
- Start date
Those look cool. Thanks for the link tubber.
firelight
Active Member
Birdsnest
Well-Known Member
New guy here on the forum. I just could not resist putting in my 2 cents in this topic.
Caught this bluefin of Tofino this summer.
This is it on a plate:
I have been fishing tuna off tofino for 3 years with varied success. The initial cost for gear is a bit staggering but I managed to make my own noisemakers to get me by.
These did catch fish but they are not as good as the commercial product but I caught alot of fish on them so far.
My favorite noisemakers are the outriging boats. They come in left and right and will splash nice while pulling your clone. These work really well and I would estimate that half of my fish are caught on these. I bought one and made some others out of wood. The ones I made work good in calm weather but if it gets rough they did not work as well as the factory item. They are fished best just in front of the wake your boat makes at 6 or 7 kns. In this position they are only 25 feet from the boat. These were often the first to get hit.
When I hook up it is difficult to keep going strait while one or 2 rods are getting spooled. I do a 90degree turn with the boat and slow it down to 3 kn after holding on as long as possible.
I try to bring a bucket of 4 to 6 inch chunks of 2x4. As soon as one rod hooks up I throw one piece of wood out to help me pin point the location. This way I can go back to the wood and know I am close to the spot where the hook up was. We are never out there when it is windy so the wood usually is reasonably stationary. This is faster and easier than looking at the plotter. This way I can stay on deck and fish.
Cooling fish is a problem when space is limited so what I have been doing is bleeding the fish for a while and when I have a moment lob off each side of the tuna and then put it in a fish bag and then place that in ice. This ensures fast quality even cooling with far less ice. I do this with a very large knife and take the whole side at once and leave the skin on and the pin bones and the blood line. All that I deal with after on shore.
After reading all the posts I can see where I fall short:
1. Not having terasurf or that sea temp website. Subscription pending$$$
2. No cedar plugs.
3. No RapX's
I found some plans on the web for a planner board that can be pulled up to 10 kn. I will be trying that this year. Also I would love to get one on a cast lure but every time the boat hooks up it is so busy that it is hard to find a moment to cast. I have had the chance when there is lots of people on the boat but never caught one that way. Any suggestions on what to cast. I have been using a clone for I can really huck it far but I would like to try something better.
Good thread!!
One other thing:
If you have an I-phone get a app called SHIPFINDER. I use this in fog to get better info on ships traveling my area. Any vessel using AIS will be shown on this app. Of course there are always non participating fishing traffic like myself but it is comforting to see the ships on the APP but you need service to update it. I usually have service out to 12 miles so I just have a look at it before I leave service. This app is also not useful once you have been out there for 12 hours. It will show ships on the whole west coast. There are no guarantee's with this stuff so always use extreme caution. I will call Tofino Traffic on vhf 73 for complete info but the fact remains, there will always be traffic that is not participating. Radar is a must.
I also use this app for catching the ferrys to and from VI. Its handy!
Caught this bluefin of Tofino this summer.
This is it on a plate:
I have been fishing tuna off tofino for 3 years with varied success. The initial cost for gear is a bit staggering but I managed to make my own noisemakers to get me by.
These did catch fish but they are not as good as the commercial product but I caught alot of fish on them so far.
My favorite noisemakers are the outriging boats. They come in left and right and will splash nice while pulling your clone. These work really well and I would estimate that half of my fish are caught on these. I bought one and made some others out of wood. The ones I made work good in calm weather but if it gets rough they did not work as well as the factory item. They are fished best just in front of the wake your boat makes at 6 or 7 kns. In this position they are only 25 feet from the boat. These were often the first to get hit.
When I hook up it is difficult to keep going strait while one or 2 rods are getting spooled. I do a 90degree turn with the boat and slow it down to 3 kn after holding on as long as possible.
I try to bring a bucket of 4 to 6 inch chunks of 2x4. As soon as one rod hooks up I throw one piece of wood out to help me pin point the location. This way I can go back to the wood and know I am close to the spot where the hook up was. We are never out there when it is windy so the wood usually is reasonably stationary. This is faster and easier than looking at the plotter. This way I can stay on deck and fish.
Cooling fish is a problem when space is limited so what I have been doing is bleeding the fish for a while and when I have a moment lob off each side of the tuna and then put it in a fish bag and then place that in ice. This ensures fast quality even cooling with far less ice. I do this with a very large knife and take the whole side at once and leave the skin on and the pin bones and the blood line. All that I deal with after on shore.
After reading all the posts I can see where I fall short:
1. Not having terasurf or that sea temp website. Subscription pending$$$
2. No cedar plugs.
3. No RapX's
I found some plans on the web for a planner board that can be pulled up to 10 kn. I will be trying that this year. Also I would love to get one on a cast lure but every time the boat hooks up it is so busy that it is hard to find a moment to cast. I have had the chance when there is lots of people on the boat but never caught one that way. Any suggestions on what to cast. I have been using a clone for I can really huck it far but I would like to try something better.
Good thread!!
One other thing:
If you have an I-phone get a app called SHIPFINDER. I use this in fog to get better info on ships traveling my area. Any vessel using AIS will be shown on this app. Of course there are always non participating fishing traffic like myself but it is comforting to see the ships on the APP but you need service to update it. I usually have service out to 12 miles so I just have a look at it before I leave service. This app is also not useful once you have been out there for 12 hours. It will show ships on the whole west coast. There are no guarantee's with this stuff so always use extreme caution. I will call Tofino Traffic on vhf 73 for complete info but the fact remains, there will always be traffic that is not participating. Radar is a must.
I also use this app for catching the ferrys to and from VI. Its handy!
Last edited by a moderator:
firelight
Active Member
Birds nest the ship finder app is good but I added an AIS capable VHF to my boat this year cause where I fish there is no cell service. It hooks up to my plotter and places ais targets on the screen.
I can't go for tuna in my boat but I still need to look out for the big guys in the fog at swiftsure.
Nice post
I waiting to slice a tuna with a big knife for sure.
I can't go for tuna in my boat but I still need to look out for the big guys in the fog at swiftsure.
Nice post
I waiting to slice a tuna with a big knife for sure.
Birdsnest
Well-Known Member
I am wondering why all the commercial splashers are orange? Is it so the fisherman can see it easily or do the fish like orange. I made mine orange but I am pondering painting them white and blue. I am really considering painting the outrigging boats with a white bottom and blue/silver sides.
Sculpin
Well-Known Member
I like to know about the orange colour as well. Most of the local stuff here on the Island is for commercial fishing and it is almost all orange. I do have a bird that I picked up at PNT in Parksville that looks like a flying fish that is white on the bottom and blue on the top.
Your killing me with the photos!!! Awesome man. I can't wait till August / September.
Your killing me with the photos!!! Awesome man. I can't wait till August / September.
Finished Business
Well-Known Member
Sculpin
Well-Known Member
.
Thanks for the edit there FB. Your right. I sure hope to get a chance at an earlier run out this summer. Subscribed to Terrafin and I will be watching closely. Some customers of a buddy of mine nailed them on the August long weekend last summer and they didn't have to go out very far.
Dogbreath
Well-Known Member
The largest size Deadly Dick works for Tuna everywhere-cast it out and count to 5 then bring in back @ a medium speed-no jigging just a straight retrieve.
If that doesn't work let it sink to a count of 10 and burn it back.
You may want to beef up the rings & put a single on it.
Sculpin
Well-Known Member
You can cast a big hammer as well......
http://www.swimbait.com/hammer.htm
These seem to be quite popular with the folks down south of us. I'm going to pick up a few in the next coming months. You rig them in a weighted jig style head and can troll with them as well. When your all done killing the tuna and your back to port and ready to relax you can use one of these to help you out lol!
http://www.swimbait.com/hammer.htm
These seem to be quite popular with the folks down south of us. I'm going to pick up a few in the next coming months. You rig them in a weighted jig style head and can troll with them as well. When your all done killing the tuna and your back to port and ready to relax you can use one of these to help you out lol!
High Velocity
Member
I've used these extensively with great success. Oh, wait, you're talking about fishing, aren't you ?
Sent from my iPad when I should be fishing.
Sculpin
Well-Known Member
Lol! welcome to the site High Velocity.
Sculpin
Well-Known Member
With temps creeping in and some reports from down South on Bloodydecks I think I'm going to get the gear ready this week and just have it ready to go. I was going to wait a few weeks but Birdsnest got those damn critters on my mind again LOL.
[SOnOAloRV1E] http://youtu.be/SOnOAloRV1E
[SOnOAloRV1E] http://youtu.be/SOnOAloRV1E
Last edited by a moderator:
Birdsnest
Well-Known Member
Sculpin
Well-Known Member
Well that sure looks cool. Is that 3 boards joined somehow?
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