Re: Martha's Vineyard Tuna
 

We head out every year a few times on the other boat. This year we did not fair to well with Yellowfin but hammered the Schoolie Bluefin (50-75lbs)in early July. Some of the fish were taken within site of Noman's Land. Weather permitting we are always looking to hook up with other boats. We leave out of Newport or Marion Ma.

The best info is usually found on TY's Clearwater tuna fishing site, I will try to find the URL soon.. His board may be slow now but once the fish show up people are always willing to share very helpful info. The temp breaks are key alog with a general sense of a "fishy" area. I am still learning of the latter but have a good friend who is slowly sharing info with me on what to look for.

Hooper you should make it to the boat show so we can stir some more interest on this [img]images/icons/wink.gif[/img] The more boats out there will greatly enhance the chances of catching fish.

[ February 11, 2003, 01:36 PM: Message edited by: Trayder ]

Re: Martha's Vineyard Tuna
 

Dont Tease me like that Hooper !!!!!!!!

I may have to drag the boat up there to join in !!!! well ... when the boat is done ... that is

How far do you guys need to travel to get into yellowfin ??? and do they hang around or is it hit and miss???

Several of us have talked about doing that down here .... but the fish are usually out of range or come in for a day or two and by the time you get there (with the 8,000,000,000 or so other boats) the fishes are bye bye [img]images/icons/frown.gif[/img]

Re: Martha's Vineyard Tuna
 

Trayder-

Thanks for your reply, they are always informative and useful. I would love to hook up and meet you guys offshore this year. We will have to connect as the time draws closer...!

I would love to make it to the boat show, but Saturday will be really tough. Although, we arrive back in Boston that day, we won't be back until 9pm. I am really sorry I can't be there as I would love to spend some time chatting with you guys face to face.

It wil be done eventually, perhaps offshore this summer, or maybe we can pick a tourney this summer that would be centrally located for all to enter, maybe we might have something there????

Trayder thanks, as always you are doing a fine job with this site.

-Hooper www.stripersandblues.com [img]images/icons/cool.gif[/img]

Re: Martha's Vineyard Tuna
 

Jason-

How were you guys landing the football size bluefins? Ive heard that trolling doesn't work and you need to use a 30lb or so spinning rod with a Hopkins and chase them down with the boat after you hooked up so you don't get spooled...

The reason why I ask is that those small bluefins show up on the north shore of Boston every year, and I want to catch some!

Thanks-

Ed

Re: Martha's Vineyard Tuna
 

Hooper,
In my limited experience with the YFT, your best bet for hooking up is in the canyons - Atlantis, Hydro, Veatch - not a trip for a 23 CC. They are not real reliable further inshore than that, it's hit and miss. Guys do get them at the Dump and the Fingers, but it is not consistent. However, the school BFT can be had very easily (lately) around the Dump and just south of MV as Trayder mentioned. I'm not sure about the action east of Chatham except that the giant fishing is typically good there. If you have a trailer, try going to the CC Bay side for school BFT in September.

Ed,
Up around us, it seems sight casting to breaking fish works the best, but you can also troll green machines, small squid bars, jap feathers, etc. From what I've learned, the farther back the better. The school BFT will not hit close in to the boat like their bigger brothers or YFT.

Now I'm all hyped up. I can't wait to talk more about this at the boat show!

Re: Martha's Vineyard Tuna
 

Hooper- I forgot you were not going to be in town, we will miss you but you better beleive we will catch up over the spring, heck last year I was trolling along side you off of the Parking Lot/Scortons Ledge in CC Bay in August [img]images/icons/cool.gif[/img]

Ed- Scott is correct in regards to trolling, Green Machines, Zuccinni Zukers, Mexican Flag Zukers, all behind birds WAY WAY back. We got most of our hits on the riggers and the shot gun back 100-150 ft.

The other thing is the Bluefins we fished for in July seemed to have totally different biting habbits then the ones that were in your area in Aug-Oct. You are correct from what I have heard in regards to Hopkins and light lines.

Re: Martha's Vineyard Tuna
 

Hooper I'm in for a multi boat trip off Chatham. I had info that they came within four miles of the light last year, I think of memory serves me correct you need to go 7+ to get in to the footballs regularly. Also if you get into Cape Cod bay they are very plentiful. I know a guy who commercial fishes for them in the bay and did well last year the largest was 838lbs, [img]images/icons/shocked.gif[/img] he caught it by himself in his 19' Casco Bay which is a copy of the 18' SeaCraft, theres a pic at the Bait Shack in Orleans. I would just like to get in to the footballs and not loose my tackle. School tuna are at the top of my list of things to do this summer. [img]images/icons/grin.gif[/img]

Re: Martha's Vineyard Tuna
 

That far north is a bit of a trailer ride for me, so who wants some gas and beer money to let me ride along and watch this happen?! [img]images/icons/confused.gif[/img] [img]images/icons/cool.gif[/img]

Re: Martha's Vineyard Tuna
 

Mark-

You are always wlcom to join, problem is: we usually do not we are going until 24-36 hours before a trip becaise of weather and bite issues.

Re: Martha's Vineyard Tuna
 

These new bargain airlines make it worth the trouble for me to give it a try if anyone knows that they are going two days later.

I've fished enough to know that sometimes you end up watching the boats pitch around in the marina on their mooring lines in the wind.

I'd love to be the proverbial fly-on-the-wall if anyone is going after those "footballs".

Likewise, we have some fairly decent jack fishing down here in Savannah in June if anyone wants to come along and do a number on your back muscles. Have a peak at the current Orvis fishing catalog for photos of some of the ones we got this past June.

Re: Martha's Vineyard Tuna
 

Mark- You are on!!

Martha's Vineyard Tuna
 

Hi Guys-

It's winter and my wheels are turning like crazy, because during the season, I am too damn busy to think of these great things, but now that the mercury is dropping into the single digits, I have nothing but time!!!!! So....

I would really like to try running offshore this summer, say south of the vineyard to try some standup yellowfin fishing. Or east of Chatham for the schoolie bluefins. Has anyone on this site fished these areas and done this type of fishing??? I have done giant tuna before but never the footballs and I think it would be a blast not to mention very tasty.

I know there are guys local to Cape Cod. Maybe we could set up a multi boat adventure if there is any interest....? Think of it, a fleet of SeaCrafts spead out over the Dump whacking yellowfins! I know there are guys out there who get fired up like I do when you think of that! I guess I am a bit more fired up b/c I repowered and want to try anything new.

I would be interested to hear from anyone who has done any of this type of fishing in this area. It would seem to me that current info would be extremely important for success....

All for now, -Hooper [img]images/icons/grin.gif[/img]

Re: Martha's Vineyard Tuna
 

You guys are killing me !!!!!!!

I'm ready to throw the beast in the water and look for Winter flounder !!!!!!! guess its a little early for that .... and the Ice might be a problem [img]images/icons/grin.gif[/img]

Re: Martha's Vineyard Tuna
 

Why go off MV when you can go in Boston outer Harbor in eraly July when the macks are still around - liveline some for BFT [img]images/icons/grin.gif[/img]

Or how about the fall push with guys catching Bluefin FROM THE BEACH!!!! That's how close they were to shore!

Yeh - I'm in, boat or no boat!

Re: Martha's Vineyard Tuna
 

Hooper,

This past season, we like Trayder did well with the school bluefin South of MV on the 30-fathom curve during the early part of July. One trip we even had a mako shark bite a 35 pound bluefin in half right off the transom...quite an exciting moment. We were catching them on lures fished behind birds but we were also getting them “up tight” in the wash on small jet heads. These tuna after a couple of days of high winds out of the North moved off towards Chatham towards the end of July and then eventually worked their way up in to Cape Cod Bay.

The inshore tuna “wishing” south of MV seems to be a hit or miss thing from year to year. One year we were catching 50-60 pound Yellowfins about 6-7 miles south of Cuttyhunk! Other years the tuna fishing South of MV (except for the Canyons) is a total bust… Unfortunately, over the past few years the Yellowfin haven’t pushed up into the Dump/fingers area in any numbers. A few guys caught some here and there in the Dump but last year the only consistent spot (inshore??) was a slug of warm water about 17 miles to the north of Atlantis Canyon. We made the run, which was about 65 miles south of Wasque and managed to completely frustrate ourselves, as we couldn’t seem to hook up with any yellowfin. We were talking with another boat within radio range that was slamming the yellows…but alas we had a frustrating day where we got skunked (however we did manage to catch some nice 15- 25 pound Mahi to salvage the day.)

So Hooper, in your spare time join me in praying to the “Tuna God” in hopes of having next years tuna season be even better than this seasons! [img]images/icons/wink.gif[/img]
But beware! Once you get bitten by the offshore bug you will forever be addicted....

Re: Martha's Vineyard Tuna
 

If you guys don't mind telling, what are you using to cast at these schoolie bluefin? We have them here in the fall starting in late Aug. They seem to be following the the large pods of migrating bunker. I've hooked up trolling Clark spoons, but never thought of casting to'em.

Re: Martha's Vineyard Tuna
 

Finster, I cam close to getting some to hookup that were mixed in with some albies just off Nashuena until the Yahoos start putting them down. These were real small fish - 15-20 pounders but I was also only using a light St Croix with a small spinner [img]images/icons/shocked.gif[/img] - would have been a ball... At first we thought we had schools of just Albies but then the tuna started jummpin in thru the same schools. Had a couple chases on small 1 ounce Megabait jigs which were roughly the same color and size of the peanuts that everything was keyed in on.

Now this was inshore fishing, had I had my longer casting rod, I could have casted onto the rocks [img]images/icons/grin.gif[/img] ....

Re: Martha's Vineyard Tuna
 

I get people that tell I'm full of crap when I talk about inshore tuna. Since then I keep my mouth closed. I usally have the fish to myself, while everyone else is dropping 8oz. of lead to pull up a 14" croaker.... go figure. [img]images/icons/rolleyes.gif[/img]
My biggest problem is I'm usally on the boat by myself and it's hard to run and gun that way.

Re: Martha's Vineyard Tuna
 

Finster, try a 1 1/2 oz. Yo-Zuri Metallic Sardine (black or green) re-rigged with a stronger split ring and a single 7/0 hook if they're chasing peanut bunker. That's what was doing the trick around here last season.

Re: Martha's Vineyard Tuna
 

I'll give it a whirl. I had a blast last season with the albies, bonita and spanish mac's with the flyrod. The weather sucked though, you really had to pick your days in between nor'easter's. I assume you Mass guy's had the same deal with the weather.

Re: Martha's Vineyard Tuna
 

The fall was almost a total washout for us. From mid-September on, the wind just blew like crazy. For us, timing was everything, since the boat came out when the weather went downhill - the lower unit let go (on our way to chase school BFT of course!), and by the time the insurance company settled on the claim and our mechanic fixed it, it was late October. We were able to get in 10 days of excellent albie fishing on MV from shore though, so that made things better, but it sure was painful hearing all the guys come back with stories of catching 60-80# bluefin on medium spinning gear and flyrods only 2 miles off the beach in Scituate and Gloucester.

Re: Martha's Vineyard Tuna
 

We had a great late summer/early fall run. Hit the school BFT's numerous times off P-Town and the backside of the Race. ChugBugs worked generally well among others. Decent fishing up until nasty winds in late September and onward. Didn't even have a chance to go offshore for the giants. Made a few trips to the BC Buouy east of Chatham working south to the BB late in the summer and got skunked. Insane winds squashed any dreams of trying it in the fall. Curious to see if the small BFT's show up again in the bay next fall, it's not a regular showing.

Hooper, your site looks pretty cool. We should meet up next spring and hit the early run off Monomoy.

Re: Martha's Vineyard Tuna
 

Their pretty consistant here in the fall. I've seen 100+ lb'ers getting airborn in the schools of 4lb. bunker......whata sight. I had one spool me this year on a penn 930, whata joke. I was in the boat by myself, pulling four rods...What chance did I have? [img]images/icons/rolleyes.gif[/img]

If you guys up in Mass ever need heads when the action heats up, I'm game. I can always hang at my cousins in Chatham. [img]images/icons/grin.gif[/img] [img]images/icons/grin.gif[/img]

Re: Martha's Vineyard Tuna
 

For those of you who know Barnstable Harbor, we were throwing spoons at schoolie bluefins at the Barnstable bell bouy last August. We didn't catch at thing but we had fun. This year, I want to take one of those things!!!

I am definitely in on a group trip. Keep me posted!

Hey, deepsushi, did you run a SeaCraft north of the Canyons??? That musta been quiet a long run...

I will drop back in when I return from Florida. Hopefully I can post a few pics... I would love to get a redfish or a snook! There are supposed to be good runs of King Macks too. We will see!

See you when we get back! [img]images/icons/grin.gif[/img]

-Hooper is at www.stripersandblues.com

Re: Martha's Vineyard Tuna
 

Count me in too! I'll drag the Mako down from Newburyport or I can always be the chum bucket guy or airhorn guy in someone elses boat. I need to learn more fishing techniques from you pro's.

Scott, we definitely should go fishing in Boston Harbor this summer. Sometimes I wish I still kept my boat in Quincy because I used to sneak out of work at 4:30, rush home to Brookline, drive down to Quincy and be out fishing in the harbor by 5:45. I was always afraid that my boss would see me from one of the commuter ferries....how funny would that have been. Can't do that anymore now that the boat is on a trailer in Newburyport.
-Ed-

Re: Martha's Vineyard Tuna
 

Hooper,

We were in a 26 foot Mako that has twin 150 mercs on the back. It was a FAC day (just like those glassy calm days up in Cape Cod Bay) which allowed us to run at about 30 knots and If I remember correctly it took us around 2.5 hours from Wasque. Just as we got there and had the boat out of gear getting the rods ready and enjoying a little break from the long run...

KAABOOOMM!!!! A huge bang and the whole boat shuddered. The two girlfriends along for the trip started to freak out "yelling WTF was that" [img]images/icons/blush.gif[/img] ? It took me a second to remember past canyon trips.... and as I remembered what causes that type of noise I looked over to my friend and we both kind of smirked at each other...the noise was a sonic boom courtesy of either the Concorde or one of the local F -15's from Otis. When I looked up I could see from the contrails that the jet had gone directly overhead giving us the full blast from the sonic boom. [img]images/icons/grin.gif[/img]

edit:

Heres the website that Trayder was talking about:

http://www.clearlight.com/~tyrone/index.html

As a result of some real nasty flame wars last season it has gone to a private board where you have to register and make a contribution of $20 bucks. Its a valuable resource to getting a sense of whats happenning on the Northeast offshore scene.

[ February 13, 2003, 07:53 AM: Message edited by: deepsushi ]

Re: Martha's Vineyard Tuna
 

Ed, we'll definitley plan a trip this year. If you think you had it good in Quincy, I work in Quincy and the boat is in Hingham, so it's a simple left turn off route 3A to the marina on my way home. If traffic cooperates, I can leave work at 4:45 and be on the boat at 5:00-5:10 [img]images/icons/grin.gif[/img] .

deepsushi, regarding Ty's report board, I don't blame him for going private. There were some real jerks on that site, especially the supposed comms that didn't want any of the recs sharing information. I can understand it being your livelihood and not wanting "amateurs" interfering, but everyone was an amateur at one point.

In case some of you aren't aware, Rutgers University has a decent free water temp site at http://www.thecoolroom.org/fishermen/fish_sst.htm . Although not as accurate as the paying sites, it does a pretty good job.

Re: Martha's Vineyard Tuna
 

Hey Deep-

I hear ya on that KaBoom! [img]images/icons/grin.gif[/img] It had to be about 930am or so right? I would say it was the Concorde leaving NYC. That has happened to us on several occassions tuna fishing offshore. In fact, on most summer mornings you can hear it happen while on land here on the Cape.

-Hooper

Re: Martha's Vineyard Tuna
 

15s from otis... I've heard distant sonic booms fishing Wasque & Smith's Point on Nantucket and not long after see 15s & on a rare occasion 16s...

When I fish the derby I see & hear the 15s about every third day.

Ahh, the DERBY [img]images/icons/grin.gif[/img] - Watch out Buddy V! I'm coming after Ya for the winning bass!