The mighty elusive Bluefin tuna.

[JOHN D]

First of all, I'm not quite sure were to put this because i left out of pp but fished more south. But anyway, today my father and I went out in search for bluefin. leaving the inlet it looked very promising with flat calm conditions so we looked around the three mile line untill we saw birds. When we finally found them we looked around and our guide said that it just looks like bass and as soon as he said that, i saw a volkswagen come out of the water. from then on it was game on. we had about 3 good shots at them but couldn't connect. unfortunatly, after about an hour of runing and gunning, the pea soup fog rolled in at around 10 am in which killed our day. There where alot of tuna out there, and had we been able to fish all day, we probably would have connected. but it was still fun. I always get a thrill at the sight of tuna coming out of the water.

If anything came out of today for me its, why isn't this a bigger thing? there are 200 pound bluefin 3 miles off the beach for Gods sake, and people are trying to catch bass a mile in from that. I just dont get it. I would probably just rather watch the tuna come out of the water than catch a bass, connecting is just a bonus. But then again, thats just my personal opinion.

John

[CatchEmUp]

That sounds awesome. Maybe it's the equipment it requires & the elusive/unreliable nature of those beasts when compared to bass?

[Scotty]

heard they were seen from one of the blackfish boats :eek: gotta love it!

[makokeith]

There are guys who target them. But they work real hard for them as the tuna are super boat shy and hard as hell to catch. Poppers and a fast boat are key. I have targeted them a bunch of times but it is beyond my skill level...

[loosescrews]

2 years ago we had them all around the boat for about 4 hrs out of BI in 4-6' seas which made running and gunning almost impossible in a 23' boat. Long story short we didn't connect. It was extremely frustrating. We should have hooked up but didn't. We saw them 4 times that season, but that particular day still haunts me. I can't wait to get another shot at em. Last week we limited out on stripers in a half hour and played catch and release the rest of the day. Stripers are much more reliable but there is something about seeing a fish that big and powerful sail through the air that will keep me coming back time and time again.

[Gerry Zagorski]

So what's the drill to try and catch these beasts inshore? You spot the fish, try and stay with or ahead of them and cast Poppers with specialized spinning gear??

Is trolling or anchoring up and chunking/live lining not productive?? I've heard many a story of people catching them regularly this time of year in the 70s and 80s in the Mudhole and even a story or 2 of them showing up at the Shrewsbury Rocks :eek: Would be fun to give it a shot one day but I'm sure you need the right gear and an experienced crew to land one.

I can just imagine casting a popper for Stripers, getting hit by one and just watch your reel get smoked :confused:

[sportfishingusa]

So what's the drill to try and catch these beasts inshore? You spot the fish, try and stay with or ahead of them and cast Poppers with specialized spinning gear??

Is trolling or anchoring up and chunking/live lining not productive?? I've heard many a story of people catching them regularly this time of year in the 70s and 80s in the Mudhole and even a story or 2 of them showing up at the Shrewsbury Rocks :eek: Would be fun to give it a shot one day but I'm sure you need the right gear and an experienced crew to land one.

I can just imagine casting a popper for Stripers, getting hit by one and just watch your reel get smoked :confused:


The drill? the drill with these fish, are that they are moving so fast and hard, if you get a crack at one you are lucky, but 10 times out of 10 you will come home with your head between your legs wondering wtf happened, these fish are not feeding to much and if they are they are doing it on the move and they are moving hot and fast.

We used to be able to troll them, put lures way back and basically turn around the school and throw the lures right in front of them and let them hang, sometimes it worked, but 99 percent of the time it did not.. These are school fish, the big fish will be in the hudson shortly i am sure.

I would save my time, effort, and money, and make the run to the hudson once that bite becomes good, but you will not here of that bite until it turns hot and heavy and every joe dick and moe decides to make the run. lol

[sportfishingusa]

First of all, I'm not quite sure were to put this because i left out of pp but fished more south. But anyway, today my father and I went out in search for bluefin. leaving the inlet it looked very promising with flat calm conditions so we looked around the three mile line untill we saw birds. When we finally found them we looked around and our guide said that it just looks like bass and as soon as he said that, i saw a volkswagen come out of the water. from then on it was game on. we had about 3 good shots at them but couldn't connect. unfortunatly, after about an hour of runing and gunning, the pea soup fog rolled in at around 10 am in which killed our day. There where alot of tuna out there, and had we been able to fish all day, we probably would have connected. but it was still fun. I always get a thrill at the sight of tuna coming out of the water.

If anything came out of today for me its, why isn't this a bigger thing? there are 200 pound bluefin 3 miles off the beach for Gods sake, and people are trying to catch bass a mile in from that. I just dont get it. I would probably just rather watch the tuna come out of the water than catch a bass, connecting is just a bonus. But then again, thats just my personal opinion.

John


All due respect, but your results are the reason people are bass fishing.. majority of the time trying to hook one of those migrating fish is like peeing into a 50mph wind with your zipper still up. hahaha

[dakota560]

[QUOTE=JOHN D]First of all, I'm not quite sure were to put this because i left out of pp but fished more south. But anyway, today my father and I went out in search for bluefin. leaving the inlet it looked very promising with flat calm conditions so we looked around the three mile line until we saw birds. When we finally found them we looked around and our guide said that it just looks like bass and as soon as he said that, i saw a volkswagen come out of the water. from then on it was game on. we had about 3 good shots at them but couldn't connect. unfortunately, after about an hour of running and gunning, the pea soup fog rolled in at around 10 am in which killed our day. There where alot of tuna out there, and had we been able to fish all day, we probably would have connected. but it was still fun. I always get a thrill at the sight of tuna coming out of the water.

If anything came out of today for me its, why isn't this a bigger thing? there are 200 pound blue fin 3 miles off the beach for Gods sake, and people are trying to catch bass a mile in from that. I just don't get it. I would probably just rather watch the tuna come out of the water than catch a bass, connecting is just a bonus. But then again, that's just my personal opinion. [QUOTE=JOHN D]

JD,

If more boats tried getting in on this fishery absolutely no one will hook up. These fish are super shy, in shallow water and spook in a blink. They're moving fast but they are feeding and the right presentation at exactly the right time with exactly the right lure and maybe just maybe you'll connect. It's the equivalent of trying to find big foot!

That being said, there is nothing like seeing 100 - 200 bft porpoising out of the water chasing bait. Absolutely insane sight but this fishery is a crap shoot at best and 99% of the time for most of us mere mortals you won't have to clean the fish box when you get back to the dock. BUT that time you do you'll have a trip of a lifetime to remember!

One such trip three years ago early November. First time trying and must have been beginners luck. Like you mentioned, it took us about 15 minutes to find birds working and saw tuna coming clear out of the water. Seemed like small schools of 4 - 6 tuna at a time. Chased schools for three hours. Stopped on one school and my son went to the bow for a cast. Was using a three ounce surface plug. Cast, retrieved with no luck and was looking around to see if there was any other surface action for his next cast. While waiting, his plug was sitting on the water a few feet from our boat. Out of no where a 57', about 130 lb bft comes up, turns completely on it's side and inhales my son's plug. It was without doubt the most incredible strike I've ever seen in my life. Ryan fought the fish for about 45 minutes to an hour before we got her on board. Absolutely incredible trip which we'll never forget. Fish was loaded with sand eels and for all you sushi lovers out there I will tell you this fish had the best fat content of any tuna I've ever caught. Don't know if it's the colder water this time of year but I remember while steaking her out oil was dripping off the knife.

Dakota

[GeoffT]

A fishing buddy of mine did connect with one of those triple digit bluefins while trolling for stripers on Friday. Seriously undergunned with a bass tackle, he fought it for 3 hours but couldn't quite get it close enough to gaff it because every time it saw the boat it would effortlessly go on another run. The line finally broke. He was devastated even though he knew it was a lost cause. It came close enough couple times to estimate it was about 6 feet long.

[SnackAttack]

It's great and fun. We just never talked about it. God knows now Johnny Law will be out there looking to bust inshore tuna guys now, but I guess it should be easy to tell, if you are a fisherman, just what is being targeted by the type of gear guys have.

[JOHN D]

Personally, I like that they are so hard to catch. It makes it that much more worth it when you get one. Plus i would go back just to see them come out of the water again any day.

[CatchEmUp]

I know nothing about tuna regs- but if the guy that was striper fishing was able to boat that Bluefin, would he have needed a permit to keep it?

[GeoffT]

I know nothing about tuna regs- but if the guy that was striper fishing was able to boat that Bluefin, would he have needed a permit to keep it?

Yes, they had a permit to keep one.

[Dino]

Yikes... Why blow up the bite. More boats fewer bites and December jersey bluefins are the trickiest in the game

[JOHN D]

Yikes... Why blow up the bite. More boats fewer bites and December jersey bluefins are the trickiest in the game
dont worry, i didn't tell anybody exactly where its happening.

[O'Connor]

guy on another nj board had one today while wire lining a bunker spoon for bass. He landed the fish after a long fight...looked like it was in the 150 lb class.

[squan63]

i chased them sunday before the fog came in also 4 about 4 hrs u prob saw me. with the proper gear. hit them in the head with a stickbait and trolled hogys on floro over them no one interested not giving up tho

[Capt Sal]

It is all about what bait they are chasing!Big sand ells or herring and you can jig them.Rain fish is a bitch.They are doing a hundred and the bait is tiny and the water is clear.Fast troll with tiny Jap feathers works sometimes?

As far as years ago in the fall we chunked them.The butter fish were there and you could anchor up on readings.Trying to anchor up on migrating bft dong a hundred is a waste of time.Smaller is betterer!!!:)

[Rottilover]

Somebody please tell me what Jap feathers are?

[Gerry Zagorski]

Smaller trolling lures with lead head and colored feathers usually used when targeting fish feeding on smaller baits.

[Rottilover]

Thank You

[Flukinator]

dont worry, i didn't tell anybody exactly where its happening.

Hahaha, these fish are not hard to find this time of year.

1. Get in boat, start engines, cast off lines.
2. Go east, look for birds or fish sailing out of the water.
3. Get ready to be frustrated for hours.
4. Go home.

This isn't a secret fishery that will be over-exploited and knocked down by more boat traffic. It's literally happening up and down the NJ coast, anywhere from 0.5 to 100 miles offshore from now until next spring, on any given day. Most people that try it will not catch anything, and probably give up. I've done the chasing, only to give up and settle for some blackfish instead. It's a lot easier on the wallet and heart!

[broken bobber]

Bluefin blowing through schools of blues and bass this morning off the S Rox.....