Striker Offshore Tackle - Venice Overnight Trip

[strikertackle]

Finally was able to make our first overnighter of the year last Friday 6-24-16 out of our home base in Venice. Left Belle Chasse about 2:30 pm made a quick stop at the camp in Happy Jack to pick up a few items picked up the boat from Light House boat storage and was heading down the river by 6:30. After a 2 1/2 hr run we arrived at the targeted Mississippi Canyon Blocks. Started off a little slow with a 20lb blackfin coming in the boat off of a 6oz diamond jig, was marking fish but they were down between 275-300 ft. We kept noticing fish breaking water right outside the light ring but only manage one strike on the Bullet Popper, from reading another report seam to be those toothy critters was what was breaking water.

Made a quick jump and started catching black fin every drift on the 170 flat fall jigs and diamond jigs. Finally a 40 lb yellowfin grabbed a Pink/Silver flat fall with another hooked on free lining pogey chunks. Made one last jump back to where we started and concentrated on chumming and drifting. Was showing some big marks down at 150' so the chumming was slowly bringing them up. Ended up catching 2 solid 60 lb yellowfin on free lining pogeys and 1 40lb yellowfin on a our 200 gram blue/silver vertical jig. Had a few more grab our free line but didn't get a hook on em. With time running against us at this point, I dropped our 200 gram complete glow in the dark and had an immediate hook up that was a solid fish unfortunately he popped the 80lb fluorocarbon, had to bear down on him with more drag before he spooled us, should have dropped that jig earlier in the night. The tuna love the solid glow in the dark sides we added to the flat falls, you can see them things flashing as you freeline them down and man do they save your jigging arm.

Overall we were happy with the night. Ended up with (4) 40-60lb yellowfin and 20 blackfin a few of them were a solid 40lbs, barely fit in the SeaVee coufin box, I'd say 2 more decent size and we wouldn't of been able to close the chest. Caught several 14-16" that were being cut up for chumming bait the ones that didn't make it to the cutting table will make it too the dinner table. Beautiful night to be on the water with 1' seas essentially the entire night, everyone got back safe and sound. Will do it again soon. All of our products can be seen www.strikertackle.com

R.M.