10/11 - 10/12 offshore tuna trip - epic yellowfin bite

[Jigman13]

Shoved off at 5 am from Montauk on 10/11/22. After a slow but steady steam we arrived to a city on the sea in the Hudson. Set up on the outside of the fleet and started chunking immediately at 10:30 am. Within minutes we had bruiser yellows right off the starboard side shooting through the slick. We hooked up x3 immediately. Two spit hooks and one fish landed. Couple rusty guys onboard but everyone got real loose real quick lol. We proceeded to get waves of fish throughout the entire morning into early afternoon. No rats. Nothing under 65/70 lbs. One fish was 53" and extremely round.

We had 4 in the box. Then we got boarded by the coast guard. I had to nearly sedate my father as he was on the verge of flipping out on them for doing this while we had fish eating out of our hands. As the 2 coasties are doing their thing I keep chunking and paying out baits. Hooked up for 15 mins and the coasties got to watch me put the screws to an 80 lb fish.

After we landed the fish, it took a while for the coastie zodiac to position properly and picked up their guys. My dad was pissed but it is what it is. We took a little cruise out of the fleet so I could process the fish on deck, ice them and check all leaders, knots and hooks etc. Retied a few, guys got some drinks and back up on the drift we went.

It slowed down a bit as guys started heading for the barn. We moved around and eventually picked a spot to drift for the night on the opposite wall. Deployed some sword lines way out and worked three chunk lines in tighter. Every squid i netted went straight down, 50', and got demolished. Butter slivers with the hook passed through once (like a squid strip) was ticket. 50 to 75' down. Set the drag and boom. Like clock work every 10 min from about 1030 pm until 2 am. With 12 fish on ice from 65/70 to roughly 100 lbs, we had our limit and released a few others. Spent the rest of the night drifting for a sword but came up empty. Cleared the deck and cleaned up at sun up and pointed the bow home.

I decked 9 fish. My body hurts. My hands are swollen. My back will not forgive me lol. My dad said he hasn't seen tuna fishing like this since the 80s. He's 73 and has been doing it over 45 years. His buddies onboard--60s and 73--said the same thing. I turned 40 today. I feel 73 lol. Can't imagine what they feel like today hahaha

Went through 2 spools of 60 and 2 spools of 80 fluoro. At night 80 is all you needed. Get on them if you have the means. It's epic.

[Ol Pedro]

Way to go. Doing it right and catchin um up! I only wish that some of the other boats followed your example.

[Pennsy Guy]

Very good, excellent in fact. By the way, age is only a small part---it's all technique and desire...at 40 you're well into the start mode...take it from another senior. lol

[hammer4reel]

Sounds like some awesome memories shared with your dad and crew .


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[AndyS]

Awesome !!!

[CODCHALY]

I'm glad I don't feel 39. That was a bad year for me. I fell 67 feet, construction accident. I'm 70 now, and fishing the Big Ones no different now than 30 years ago. My Wife times me, "How long Kat" ??? Twenty minutes, seemed more like hours. U had a Great Trip, J M !!!
My Dad took me fishing since I was three years old. I take His GrandKids.

[Jigman13]

Most of the damage was done with a talica 16 on a custom bogan stand up rod my father had built years ago. Once I found my rhythm I was beatin em up good on #80 fluoro and BKK 6/0 circle hooks on that set up.

At night we used the tiagra30s and a few 80s in case a large model bigeye or swordie paid a visit.

Chunking is so much more fun than trolling!

[Duffman]

Outstanding report!!!!!! That is one impressive cleaning table shot. I think anyone regardless of age would be well beat up at trips end.

[Capt Sal]

Originally Posted by Jigman13

Most of the damage was done with a talica 16 on a custom bogan stand up rod my father had built years ago. Once I found my rhythm I was beatin em up good on #80 fluoro and BKK 6/0 circle hooks on that set up.

At night we used the tiagra30s and a few 80s in case a large model bigeye or swordie paid a visit.

Chunking is so much more fun than trolling!

I was just wondering if you had all mono on the reels with a floro leader? I am you dad's age and have caught all my chunking tuna with good old Ande Mono and a floro leader. Actually that is a lie because in the sixties and seventies we didn't have floro.We would shoe polish the leader to get the shine off. Your dad must be in good shape and KUDOS to him!!!!

[Jigman13]

all reels are using hollow core with wind-on tops shot of mono, then swivel to fluoro leader. A couple set ups, the ones we use for jigging, are solid spectra with a 25' fluoro wind on, some shorter. The only mono on the boat is used for top shots. Everything else is braid, spectra or hollow core.