Get'n Jiggy
01-31-2011, 02:57 AM
This is bjd report he posted on 2cool. :grinpimp: We had a great time!!
Started watching the weather window last week and new we couldn't make the ideal Thurs/Fri trip 'cause of work obligations, and hoped that it would hold through Fri-Sat. Aaron (Gettinjiggy) had asked that I keep him in mind for crew since he was unable to make our last several trips. So with the weatherman closing the window as the week progressed and Aaron coming from Dallas, we decided to keep it a go Thursday night - and the Friday morning fcst didn't change, just hoped the 20kt winds would really start Sat afternoon and not in the morning.
Got a good start and headed SE with steady 13 - 15kt winds from the west so we kind of quartered the seas. Made ~27mph until last 30 miles when she opened above 30. 2 boats fishing already and 2 more rotated in/out through the night. Things started very slow and even the Bft were finicky or scarce and definitely smaller than last trip (up to 30 lbs). Couple hours later I got first real hit on a Maguroni and hooked up to a 30# YFT - first fish in the box! There were quite a few blow ups during the night and we placed the poppers and Maguroni within 5 ft of their nose many times - but they weren't having anything to do with it. Jigging got us some BFT but they were smaller (5 -15#). Aaron had had enough and started chunking - wham! hooked up with a 40# YFT right away. Next pass David joined him chunking and another 40#er. I join the chunking party and nada - nothing all night even after changing floro leader from 80 to 50 to match what they were using. (I bought some 80# Ande mono as a 120ft top shot and it has a lot of "memory" - comes off in ringlets - could that have spooked 'em? That top shot is probably gone for next time!
So the good part - Aaron gets a great strike while chunking but on his "midget" rod with the Avet (2 spd). Is really working this fish and I'm wondering if that set up is the problem? 30 minutes later we see the fish and it has got great sickles - it's got to be our first 100# fish! Another 15 min of "death circles" and we still see the fish but to just pull him takes (15#) drag out. Anyway, I think Aaron just felt sorry for me as captain and wanted me to have a part in the first 100# for the boat and passes me the rod. 5 min later and he is 6 ft under the water - Aaron reaches as far down as he can and hits him with the gaff. All hell breaks loose, I see Aaron about getting pulled out of the boat and then that tuna smokes another 150 ft of line, and the gaff is floating away in 3-4ft seas. Can't throw another line to snag the gaff 'cause the fish circles cover the entire side of boat. Fight the fish - getting 6 - 12 inches as he circles to the boat and thumb the line as he's heading away (thx to Gman's article on that technique!). Get him to the surface and Aaron hits him with the other gaff, gets help pulling him in the boat. High fives for the first 100# on the boat! A really thick fish.
No more Yft the rest opf the night. Things were pretty dead from midnight to 5 and the seas were kicking up. Decided to start idling home in the dark ~6 and then powered up at light. Seas had some 4s but the wind was mostly at our back so not too bad other than spray occassionally. Got to Surfside Marina to measure our fish. Opened the box and the sickles were still big but the fish had shrunk! Weighed in at about 80# - ***! We have caught 75 - 80# fish (weighed) and this one fought like a 100# - gonna give him credit for that.
Great to get out in the winter on a productive and safe trip! Trip total - 4 Yft to 80#, about 25 BFT - kept 3, 20#ers. Cuda's were not as bad, boat only lost 3 jigs (William - they were all the glow goobers so Luke will probably be calling!). Also heard from other boats: 1, 30# at Hoover, 1, 60# at Bmvg, 1 60# at Cerveza. Sounds like a slow bite overall for Fri-Sat.
Started watching the weather window last week and new we couldn't make the ideal Thurs/Fri trip 'cause of work obligations, and hoped that it would hold through Fri-Sat. Aaron (Gettinjiggy) had asked that I keep him in mind for crew since he was unable to make our last several trips. So with the weatherman closing the window as the week progressed and Aaron coming from Dallas, we decided to keep it a go Thursday night - and the Friday morning fcst didn't change, just hoped the 20kt winds would really start Sat afternoon and not in the morning.
Got a good start and headed SE with steady 13 - 15kt winds from the west so we kind of quartered the seas. Made ~27mph until last 30 miles when she opened above 30. 2 boats fishing already and 2 more rotated in/out through the night. Things started very slow and even the Bft were finicky or scarce and definitely smaller than last trip (up to 30 lbs). Couple hours later I got first real hit on a Maguroni and hooked up to a 30# YFT - first fish in the box! There were quite a few blow ups during the night and we placed the poppers and Maguroni within 5 ft of their nose many times - but they weren't having anything to do with it. Jigging got us some BFT but they were smaller (5 -15#). Aaron had had enough and started chunking - wham! hooked up with a 40# YFT right away. Next pass David joined him chunking and another 40#er. I join the chunking party and nada - nothing all night even after changing floro leader from 80 to 50 to match what they were using. (I bought some 80# Ande mono as a 120ft top shot and it has a lot of "memory" - comes off in ringlets - could that have spooked 'em? That top shot is probably gone for next time!
So the good part - Aaron gets a great strike while chunking but on his "midget" rod with the Avet (2 spd). Is really working this fish and I'm wondering if that set up is the problem? 30 minutes later we see the fish and it has got great sickles - it's got to be our first 100# fish! Another 15 min of "death circles" and we still see the fish but to just pull him takes (15#) drag out. Anyway, I think Aaron just felt sorry for me as captain and wanted me to have a part in the first 100# for the boat and passes me the rod. 5 min later and he is 6 ft under the water - Aaron reaches as far down as he can and hits him with the gaff. All hell breaks loose, I see Aaron about getting pulled out of the boat and then that tuna smokes another 150 ft of line, and the gaff is floating away in 3-4ft seas. Can't throw another line to snag the gaff 'cause the fish circles cover the entire side of boat. Fight the fish - getting 6 - 12 inches as he circles to the boat and thumb the line as he's heading away (thx to Gman's article on that technique!). Get him to the surface and Aaron hits him with the other gaff, gets help pulling him in the boat. High fives for the first 100# on the boat! A really thick fish.
No more Yft the rest opf the night. Things were pretty dead from midnight to 5 and the seas were kicking up. Decided to start idling home in the dark ~6 and then powered up at light. Seas had some 4s but the wind was mostly at our back so not too bad other than spray occassionally. Got to Surfside Marina to measure our fish. Opened the box and the sickles were still big but the fish had shrunk! Weighed in at about 80# - ***! We have caught 75 - 80# fish (weighed) and this one fought like a 100# - gonna give him credit for that.
Great to get out in the winter on a productive and safe trip! Trip total - 4 Yft to 80#, about 25 BFT - kept 3, 20#ers. Cuda's were not as bad, boat only lost 3 jigs (William - they were all the glow goobers so Luke will probably be calling!). Also heard from other boats: 1, 30# at Hoover, 1, 60# at Bmvg, 1 60# at Cerveza. Sounds like a slow bite overall for Fri-Sat.