Tuna Off The Cape...FINALLY!!
I've been chasing Charlie (Bluefin) Tuna all summer. My friend bought a great boat and got me into tuna fishing and its become an obsession.
Been out a bunch of times with not even a bite! WTF. We target these fish on spinning gear. Big Shimano Stellas on a 7.5 to 8 foot tuna spinning rods.
A week and a half ago I finally hook into a fish. Its a big one. 65 inch range. We fight the fish for a half hour and "SNAP" leader fails. Heart break city.
We head back out yesterday. This has to be the day?!?! Day starts off great. We are seeing good schools of tuna destroying bait on top of the water and BANG....Capt hooks a fish. Its in the high 40 inch range. We fight the fish, get it to the boat, get the gaff in its mouth.....it shakes like crazy....lure and gaff come unbuttoned. Fish swims away. WTF!!!!
Hour later I hook into a 40 inch range fish......shakes the hook after 5 minutes. WTF, WTF!!!! I am now about to throw my rod overboard and give up.
Its approaching noon and we are near the shipping lanes off of Provincetown. All of a sudden we see some big fish, 65 to 75 inch range crushing bait! We get 2 lures in the madness and BANG. Double header!!! Both big fish. After 15 minutes of madness the Capt loses his fish. Line snaps.
The capt and I switch off fighting the fish and the battle lasted about 45 minutes. We are spent so hand the rod to Matt the Muscle (who hasn't caught a fish over 20 lbs) to close out the fish and get it to the boat so the harpoon can be placed in its head!!! We came very close to losing it on the prop right before we put the harpoon into its head! I can't believe how strong these tuna are but once you see one up close you realize its a gigantic football that's all muscle.
Final measurement was 69.5 inches. Estimated weight around 200-210 lbs???
Caught on a Shimano Stella 18000, Blackhole Cape Cod Special rod (8 feet), JB Hollow core 80 lb test with a "Wind O from Basil". I'm withholding the lure info...sorry!!!!
If anyone is interested in a light tackle Tuna Charter contact Capt Dom at Coastal Charter Sportfishing. He is the best. October is a great time to tuna fish off the cape. Look him up on facebook.
Commercial fisherman can only sell a tuna that's over 73 inches.
I'm not 100% sure but we have the current regs on the boat. We are recreational not commercial and I believe we can keep 1 fish per day over 27 inches. And we can only keep 1 fish over 73 inches per season.
No, any tuna over 73 inches are must sold to fish market. (Rules by federal) while you have rec tuna license, you can keep one tuna at 47-72, I think. Gotta ask my boss again. Ryan will answer this question when he can.
Great story - epic battles! Lucky a shark didn't get your fish like in The Old Man and The Sea!
72" I believe.
Great fish though. That's something I hope to try at some point in the next few years.
Isn't a legal fish supposed to be 70 inches ? That's what I thought anyway