Gambler 36hr tuna

[tunajoe]

Agreed, but that was practically all trolling, which in my opinion is not fishing unless you are the one deciding the spread, color patterns, location, etc.
Wondering how the last 24 hour trip went that came in today? Hopefully they got em!

[Jigman13]

Originally Posted by tunajoe

Agreed, but that was practically all trolling, which in my opinion is not fishing unless you are the one deciding the spread, color patterns, location,

If you're spending the $$$ to be out there, its fishing.

[John D.]

It’s funny how no one mentions the fact late May-aug has replaced the fall fishery or how bigeye fishing has been incredible. Maybe stop resisting the pattern and adapt to it?

[Pennsy Guy]

It really hasn't replaced it--it's 2 different approaches---May-Aug into early Sept it's 99.9% trolling, from then on it's the chunk---never quite understood it but it's true...only twice did we have a chunk catch in mid-August(many yrs ago on a private boat--we went every wkend). We even tried in early August(chunking) but it only worked twice.

Originally Posted by tunajoe

Enjoyed the read Pennsy. Was rooting for you out there. Up and down the line, reports have been horrible. We are in a a pattern that has existed for at LEAST the last 6-7 years and it's not a good one. The fall tuna fishing is just not what it was. Wonder if it's due to over fishing by other countries, global warming, who knows?? These captains try hard - certainly not them. It seems that for every ONE good trip there are 10 poor ones. Good trip = AT LEAST 25 tuna on the decks - an average of ONLY 1 per person. How many trips over the last 5-7 years have you heard of where 25+ tuna (good sized not small ones) were caught? It seems like the days of 50-60-70 tuna per trip are long gone. Yes, there are certainly some, but they are fewer and farther between. You can see the PB's changing their fishing patterns (spending more time on mahi and tiles) because fall tuna fishing has totally sucked. Shout out to the captains for doing that and trying to at least put some fish on the decks.

Tuna Joe,

Personally I believe the answer to your question is the same problem every fishery is faced with which is a more populated world with greater global demand for fish, coupled with technological advancements being used by commercial concerns supplying that demand. Maybe the big eye fishery has improved because commercials haven't figured out yet how to economically harvest them. Whens the last time you saw big eye tuna in the market compared to how often you see yellow fin?

There's an application you can track commercial fishing vessels based on their transponders. I'll try posting it later. When you look at it, you'll have the answer to your question. It's insane the amount of commercial vessels operating and the pounding these species take year round. Add to that illicit harvesting and black markets and the tonnage harvested would shock us all. I saw three small pieces of Ahi tuna at Costco the other day selling for $65. With prices tags on fish that extreme, these fisheries don't stand a chance. Years ago there were significantly less boats fishing the canyons, today they're parking lots even during the week. The food chain is being decimated, fish on average are smaller and catches on average are a shadow of what they were years ago for every species with a commercial presence. It's that simple. And for certain pelagics, as has been previously pointed out in this and other posts, over fishing from foreign countries is a major contributing factor to their overall decline.

Only when a fishery is no longer economically viable will it stop being commercially targeted which will be too late. And then they'll have no choice but to target another species until that fishery is destroyed as well. The balance that existed for years in the worlds oceans is being destroyed and what we're seeing is the beginning of severe long term consequences in my opinion.

[John D.]

Not trying to play marine biologist but it’s easy to say it’s the comms or global warming. With tuna it’s as simple as if the food water is in the area. When was the last time you saw a LEGIT eddy break off or see the steam push vertical instead of horizontal off of NC? It’s been 5 years. That’s how long.

[AndyS]

I think Carlos from the board is now on the ICCAT, The International Catch & Can Atlantic Tunas, any input would be helpful.

https://www.iccat.int/en/

[Pennsy Guy]

Originally Posted by AndyS

What time did you leave the dock ? Forgot to add in the Pollock on your fish total. Thanx for the in depth report, I know you wait all year for these trips.
Those squid are great eating !!

Andy, fixed It...left 8:00 AM, back next night after 9:00...

[Meat Hunter]

Just got back from Jamaica tuna trip. Last 2 were ZERO tuna... too much squid and other factors. Interesting to see how Voyager make out this weekend.

Not going to elaborate.


Meat Hunter

Originally Posted by John D.

Not trying to play marine biologist but it’s easy to say it’s the comms or global warming. With tuna it’s as simple as if the food water is in the area. When was the last time you saw a LEGIT eddy break off or see the steam push vertical instead of horizontal off of NC? It’s been 5 years. That’s how long.

I'm not suggesting weather, water temps, bait don't all impact fish movements but my opinion is the world's oceans are getting smaller due to technology advancements and world demand for fish is increasing exponentially. Steam might be pushing horizontal but see more yellow fin tuna in the fish markets today than years gone by so someone's harvesting them. Individual owner operators are being replaced by conglomerates with the financial resources to more efficiently harvest those resources. One species after another is being pushed to the brink until it's no longer economically viable to target. Ling / whiting in the mud hole is a perfect example years ago. Throw cod and mackerel into the mix as well. Small mesh netters destroyed the ling / whiting fishery until it wasn't economically viable any longer and they moved on. Same thing is happening world wide with every fishery with a commercial presence. You can't over fish a resource which is dependent on its own reproduction and expect it to sustain its existence......it's that simple. Problem as always is money talks and many of the ocean's resources are failing under the pressure.

Do the research and look at harvest numbers in this case with tuna and the problem jumps off the page. Countries now netting juvenile tuna, keeping them alive, feeding them in fish farms until ready to be brought to market and making millions in the process. What impact is this practice having on reproduction and who monitors and evaluates it?

I'm not an advocate of over regulation, I am an advocate of sensible fisheries management. You can't expect salt water resources where no stocking takes place and fish are harvested virtually year round to sustain themselves without adequate reproduction levels being managed relative to overall harvest. It's a losing proposition.

Interesting read on Fish Aggregating Devices (FAD's). The oceans resources are being destroyed by commercial over-harvest fueled by corporate greed and technology advancements. View the data in Figure 5. to get an idea of what's happening in our oceans which most of us aren't even aware of.

https://academic.oup.com/icesjms/art.../1/215/2418180