5
5-Salt Fever
Guest
I should have post this a week ago but I got tripped up attempting post SST and Chlorophyll shots for southern WCVI.
Anyway...now is the time for you lads to chase tuna….. before this week’s north winds blow the warm water too far offshore for sport boats to reach.
Tuna like 58 degree water and 60deg even more. In our waters that temp line is where clean/sterile water (low Chlorophyll) - the blue water. You will know it when you drive into it as your prop wash will be decidedly, cleaner and blue….not at all the green/gray with which we are extremely familiar.
Right now that water, 58-60deg and low chloro can be found along the 100ftm line straight out from Barkley Sound 35-44miles.
If you have the fuel and the proper safety gear, head out with bunch of tuna clones or chartreuse hoochies rigged with 3/4oz egg sinkers in the head of the hoochie and double tuna hooks on 100-200lb leader 6ft long. Bring your heavier reels (penns, shimano Tekota 800's, TLD's or other similar drag sized reel) troll about 5-7mph with everything out 75-100 ft back. Set the clinkers on and wait. Look for birds, floatsam, kelp patties, a single log,...anything for smaller bait to hang around. Sound scrazy but we have pulled 15-20 tuna trolling circles around a 4x4ft sheet of ply wood. If you see jumpers or tuna finning on the surface while running, slow up 100-200 yard away and get your gear in the water.
If no luck trolling jumpers - try motoring up and cutting engine about 75-100yrd away so you will drift into them while tossing 3-5oz silver jigs, or swim baits - Crippled Hearing jigs work very nicely.
If no jumpers, keep driving out until you hit 59-60deg water and begin trolling.
Hunt in teams and spread out a 1-2 miles of each other and call the others in to the bite. Singles, doubles or triples do not qualify as a bite until your get those every time you troll back through your last strike area.
We can talk about proper handling, ice procedures, and cleaning if somebody posts they are heading out.
Check the below links for latest SST charts:
Free:
http://coastwatch.pfel.noaa.gov/cwbrowse/cwatch-web/cgi-bin/catalog.cgi?region=wn
http://coastwatch.pfeg.noaa.gov/coastwatch/CWBrowser.jsp
http://www.osdpd.noaa.gov/PSB/EPS/SST/data/washngtn.c.gif
https://www.navo.navy.mil/cgi-bin/graphic.pl/metoc/380/19/0-0-5/0
Not Free – but very easy and complete with good details and Chloro charts
http://www.terrafin.com/sstview/index.htm
Anyway...now is the time for you lads to chase tuna….. before this week’s north winds blow the warm water too far offshore for sport boats to reach.
Tuna like 58 degree water and 60deg even more. In our waters that temp line is where clean/sterile water (low Chlorophyll) - the blue water. You will know it when you drive into it as your prop wash will be decidedly, cleaner and blue….not at all the green/gray with which we are extremely familiar.
Right now that water, 58-60deg and low chloro can be found along the 100ftm line straight out from Barkley Sound 35-44miles.
If you have the fuel and the proper safety gear, head out with bunch of tuna clones or chartreuse hoochies rigged with 3/4oz egg sinkers in the head of the hoochie and double tuna hooks on 100-200lb leader 6ft long. Bring your heavier reels (penns, shimano Tekota 800's, TLD's or other similar drag sized reel) troll about 5-7mph with everything out 75-100 ft back. Set the clinkers on and wait. Look for birds, floatsam, kelp patties, a single log,...anything for smaller bait to hang around. Sound scrazy but we have pulled 15-20 tuna trolling circles around a 4x4ft sheet of ply wood. If you see jumpers or tuna finning on the surface while running, slow up 100-200 yard away and get your gear in the water.
If no luck trolling jumpers - try motoring up and cutting engine about 75-100yrd away so you will drift into them while tossing 3-5oz silver jigs, or swim baits - Crippled Hearing jigs work very nicely.
If no jumpers, keep driving out until you hit 59-60deg water and begin trolling.
Hunt in teams and spread out a 1-2 miles of each other and call the others in to the bite. Singles, doubles or triples do not qualify as a bite until your get those every time you troll back through your last strike area.
We can talk about proper handling, ice procedures, and cleaning if somebody posts they are heading out.
Check the below links for latest SST charts:
Free:
http://coastwatch.pfel.noaa.gov/cwbrowse/cwatch-web/cgi-bin/catalog.cgi?region=wn
http://coastwatch.pfeg.noaa.gov/coastwatch/CWBrowser.jsp
http://www.osdpd.noaa.gov/PSB/EPS/SST/data/washngtn.c.gif
https://www.navo.navy.mil/cgi-bin/graphic.pl/metoc/380/19/0-0-5/0
Not Free – but very easy and complete with good details and Chloro charts
http://www.terrafin.com/sstview/index.htm