[QUOTE=JOHN D]First of all, I'm not quite sure were to put this because i left out of pp but fished more south. But anyway, today my father and I went out in search for bluefin. leaving the inlet it looked very promising with flat calm conditions so we looked around the three mile line until we saw birds. When we finally found them we looked around and our guide said that it just looks like bass and as soon as he said that, i saw a volkswagen come out of the water. from then on it was game on. we had about 3 good shots at them but couldn't connect. unfortunately, after about an hour of running and gunning, the pea soup fog rolled in at around 10 am in which killed our day. There where alot of tuna out there, and had we been able to fish all day, we probably would have connected. but it was still fun. I always get a thrill at the sight of tuna coming out of the water.

If anything came out of today for me its, why isn't this a bigger thing? there are 200 pound blue fin 3 miles off the beach for Gods sake, and people are trying to catch bass a mile in from that. I just don't get it. I would probably just rather watch the tuna come out of the water than catch a bass, connecting is just a bonus. But then again, that's just my personal opinion. [QUOTE=JOHN D]

JD,

If more boats tried getting in on this fishery absolutely no one will hook up. These fish are super shy, in shallow water and spook in a blink. They're moving fast but they are feeding and the right presentation at exactly the right time with exactly the right lure and maybe just maybe you'll connect. It's the equivalent of trying to find big foot!

That being said, there is nothing like seeing 100 - 200 bft porpoising out of the water chasing bait. Absolutely insane sight but this fishery is a crap shoot at best and 99% of the time for most of us mere mortals you won't have to clean the fish box when you get back to the dock. BUT that time you do you'll have a trip of a lifetime to remember!

One such trip three years ago early November. First time trying and must have been beginners luck. Like you mentioned, it took us about 15 minutes to find birds working and saw tuna coming clear out of the water. Seemed like small schools of 4 - 6 tuna at a time. Chased schools for three hours. Stopped on one school and my son went to the bow for a cast. Was using a three ounce surface plug. Cast, retrieved with no luck and was looking around to see if there was any other surface action for his next cast. While waiting, his plug was sitting on the water a few feet from our boat. Out of no where a 57', about 130 lb bft comes up, turns completely on it's side and inhales my son's plug. It was without doubt the most incredible strike I've ever seen in my life. Ryan fought the fish for about 45 minutes to an hour before we got her on board. Absolutely incredible trip which we'll never forget. Fish was loaded with sand eels and for all you sushi lovers out there I will tell you this fish had the best fat content of any tuna I've ever caught. Don't know if it's the colder water this time of year but I remember while steaking her out oil was dripping off the knife.

Dakota