NETKEEPER - Friday 8/14 Bluefin Tuna Gone Wild Trip

[Netkeeper Sportfishing]

Headed out to the Bluefin grounds with Ian Farruggio, Tom Motyka & Dom Licari. Decided to drop the anchor on marks and started to chunk & jig. After about 30 minutes of no hits and watching a few boats hook up as they drifted right by us, we elected to pull the anchor and go to the drift too. After a slow start Tom started getting hot with the jigs and landed our under fish which also popped his Tuna Cherry.

By noon we got away from the fleet and the fishing shortly thereafter it busted wide open for us mainly on bait with shots of tuna 2 and 3 at a time on and we eventually got our over fish. We watched small groups of tuna darting under the boat 10 to 15 feet down for at least an hour. The fishing got so silly at one point that we down the heavy artillary and started using Striped Bass Rods with Avet MXLs just for the fun of it.

All fish came on Shimano Butterfly jigs and Sardines but Sardines were the hot ticket for us. Both fish had empty stomachs. By days end we went 17 for 25 on bfts and 1 for 2 on skip jacks.

On this trip we took an Aftco Tail Rope with us and used it for the first time to land these fish for measurements & pictures. It took a little getting the timing down but eventually it became second nature allowing for a clean capture and release and not tearing up the fish. We also gave the quick rigs 6/0 circle hooks (much like an owner mutu) a try and they worked very well too. Not a single hook pull nor gut hook.

Besides the great fishing we were rewarded with great blue water conditions too. As much as we wanted to say "Epic", "Bluefin Tuna Gone Wild" was how we would best term this day given how most of the boats did.

[Netkeeper Sportfishing]

Some Tail Rope Pics
The Trevala Bend
A parting cool Tuna shot

[AndyS]

Great handy work on the camera, asked if it was a good tuna trip, all you have to say is "Oh the COLORS!!" Great report and photos !!

[The Sinker Man]

Great job Alan...Sounds like you guys had a great trip.

[Netkeeper Sportfishing]

Originally Posted by AndyS

Great handy work on the camera, asked if it was a good tuna trip, all you have to say is "Oh the COLORS!!" Great report and photos !!

Andy, on all of my photos I use a Flash and they call this Fill Flash sometimes. It also helps to have patient (and strong) subjects while the camera recycles to take the second picture after getting it wrong the first time. If your camera allows you to adjust the Flash Output, sometimes you have to tweak it to get it right. Here is a before and after example. Also while shooting subjects with hats from below, it illuminates their faces.

[JoeLongo]

Looks like some epic fishing to me, way to getem!

[Duffman]

Nice catching Capt!

Not for nuttin, the last thing I want in a pic is my face to be illuminated

[fsl1]

Way to go, Capt. Thanks for taking good care of those fish so we can catch them again. I've seen way too many "gaff and release"s this year and a ton of under/really under pictures posted. It's nice to see someone being responsible and letting them swim another day.

[Netkeeper Sportfishing]

No Tuna Trip is complete without the bloody deck shot.

[Happy]

Alan,
great report and incredible pics!!!