Serious Business

[BugChucka]

This year my goal is to get into some tuna.... I'm dead set on getting a big boy. Does anyone here have any experience with them?

[Steve H.]

Only a few attempts with hardware (heavy spinning and trolling tackle). I haven't hooked up personally and my opportunities pursue these the last couple years have been few.

My friend fishes around Cape Anne and has hooked up on the typical stuff - Kastmasters, etc. on spinning rods and while trolling. I couldn't even imagine hooking up with one of these on a fly rod. It's definitely do-able though. I think you just need to invest in a 14 wt. and put in the time. Eventually a school of busting fish will pop up within casting distance and bingo -- ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[BugChucka]

I can't stop imagining that zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz.zzzzzzz......

[BugChucka]

Check this guy out.........!!!!!!!!


http://www.saltwaterflies.com/jon_benstead_northshore05b.jpg

[Fish_King_7]

Im with ya man!!! I want one of them sooooo bad but i dont think i can afford all the gear. I would like to build a 14wt, and prob will but then i have to buy a new real, and a very good one at that and new line and a fighting belt, and thne i still have to find the time to go not to mention i dont have a boat yet. AAWWWWW........i need more friends with boats :D

Caleb

[JimC]

I'm no tuna guru but I've got a boat, access and usually pretty good intel. I'll trade a trout trip for a SBFT trip but no guarantees. I've got a 14wt and a reel with 700 yds of backing ready to go!

At the boat (http://im1.shutterfly.com/procserv/47b5cc32b3127cce95b0fcc49f3f00000096108AaNW7hm5cNm )
Bent rod (http://im1.shutterfly.com/procserv/47b5cc32b3127cce95b0fcc11e0a00000016108AaNW7hm5cNm )
Even the blind squirrel... (http://im1.shutterfly.com/procserv/47b5cc32b3127cce95b1a176ff7700000015108AaNW7hm5cNm )

[Fish_King_7]

I might just have to take you up on that trip next summer Jim. I am only going to be 16 in July, but I still know my way around :D . I wouldnt mind showing you some spots at all and maybe even get you into a fish or two. I have always wanted to catch SBFT but just dont have the money for it. I do have the flies though ,lol :lol:
Let me know when , and well have to keep in touch if ur still interested in the summer

Caleb

[JimC]

Caleb I'll be in touch. I'm far, far from an expert on this fishery but in the way of setting appropriate expectations, here are a few things I know:

It may take several trips, hundreds of miles and many gallons of gas to even see fish.
It may take many more trips to get into a situation to even get a few decents casts off.
You can have 3 or 4 great shots but if the fish are being selective you don't have much of a chance for trial and error to match the bait.
It may take a season to get into a situation where the fish are feeding such that you can get a reasonable shot with a fly rod.
Big fish are 600-1,100 pounds. We're playing with babies.You could probably land a 30# fish on a 10 wt in a reasonable time. (< one hour) if you beat the fish with the boat. I'd bet on the fish and not the angler. (I've a friend that took a 50# fish on a 9wt in almost 3 hours).
It's completely addictive :lol:

[Steve H.]

I know about the "hundreds of miles". I've spent a lot of time and money looking for these fish. One time I left out of Salisbury, went around Cape Anne, zig-zagged across Stellwagen Bank for hours, reached the tip of Cape Cod, turned around and headed back to Salisbury. A full day on the water, $200 in gas, and not a single fish sighted.

And that's just one of many fruitless trips in search of the mighty tuna.

[HarryM]

Maybe I'm just lucky, but I have gone tuna fishing 4 times and have caught fish every time. Every one of those times I was either on a party boat or a charter. Once on a party boat out of NY City/Sheepshead Bay to the Hudson Canyon (a big deep indentation in the continental shelf where big tuna tend to hang), once out of Old Saybrook, Connecticut to fish off the coast of Block Island, once off the NJ Shore also to Hudson Canyon, and once while vactaioning in Puerto Vayarta Mexico on a private charter. My biggest fish was the first one at Hudson Canyon, a 100 pounder. All fish were on spinning or trolling tackle, never on a fly rod. If you get into a school of them in the midst of a feeding frenzy, I would imagine that it would be pretty easy to hook into one w/ a fly rod. I think that if the fish are running under 30lbs, you could probably use a 10wt rod ???

I'll try to post a pic, but I'm not that techenically advanced so it might not work.

[Steve H.]

Sounds like you've had some good fishing opportunities, Harry. I can only wish that someday I can venture out to some of those spots you mention.

Based on my experiences, though, catching school bluefin tuna in northern New England (north of Cape Cod) is definitely a hit-or-miss game. These are very elusive fish up this way and no one I know would ever guarantee a productive trip no matter what the circumstances. All about putting in the time (and money!).

I think JimC's post really sums it up 100%. Couldn't agree more with every point he makes.

[HarryM]

Here's that pic of a Tuna I promised. Of course this was taken 25 years ago when I was in my early 20's. Ahh... those were the days :cry:

[s2ary]

So which guy's the Tuna? :lol:

[StrBender]

Check with the guy's at First Light Anglers in Rowley, MA. They are real good at this type of fishing! They have a web site for contact information. When I need anything and don't have time to visit Tom's shop, they are my main fly shop.

[jhicks]

I saw an episode of Tred Barta on OLN some months ago. He was off of Mauntok in search of big tuna on light gear (20lb test). He got this really big guy Olaf to do the dirty work. They hooked a beast and fought it for 4and a half hours. Circling and Circling. Poor Olaf was just about dead when they finally pulled in the 400lb Tuna. Great episode.

[s2ary]

Yes well that guy is an A$$$ because even if he tried to release the fish it is DEAD. Tuna heat up and cook from the inside out on long fights .

It amazes me the fact that such a short little pee hole in the snow can be so insecure about his inadiquate manhood to the point that he would do such a thing on TV. :evil: :evil: :evil: :evil:

[mtnzone]

s2ary I was thinking exactly the same thing....

[s2ary]

This in yer face fishin stuff has got to stop. :evil: :evil:

If it is the show I'm thinking about the guy is a total idiot to start with. :evil:

He's not even a red neck he is a petite man with over compensation disease. I saw a show oncw ear he was trying to impress this lady hunter, she towered over him by about 8 inches, and he is doing stuff like talking in a mirror to himself and typical soap opera gags. Rediculous, that might have been the last time I watched a lineup of fishing shows on ESPN. :roll:

[Solid]

I'm pretty sure he keeps those fish.