Final Minute
So, I received an invitation to go bluewater tuna fishing from my good friend Jack. The one factor was I received the textual content late the evening earlier than we had been to drive all the way down to Jacksonville. So in fact I mentioned sure to the invite, but it surely was a busy morning the subsequent day getting all my stuff prepared for a visit to the opposite aspect of the Gulf Stream and leaving the home so as. However after a loopy morning, I met up with my good friend at his place and we loaded up his truck with all our sort out and equipment and made our manner south round midday. We had a 400-mile drive forward of us and had been hoping to make that in round 6ish hours. In fact, Atlanta site visitors had different concepts and delayed us about an hour, however as soon as we made it previous that rattling metropolis it was clean crusing down I-75 and ultimately I-10. As soon as we made it to Jack’s good friend’s home we received about to prepping all our sort out for the subsequent day’s journey. So we spent the subsequent couple of hours including fluoro leaders on all of the rods in addition to tying on all of the trolling plugs. After that was all accomplished, we received a fast chunk to eat for dinner at Taco Lu’s, grabbed some meals to eat on the boat the subsequent day, and went to mattress. We had an early begin at 3 am ready for us.
After a really brief sleep, we received about to load up the boat whereas all of Jack’s different buddies came to visit. Everybody donned some hotter garments and foul weather gear for the trip out, all of us knew it could be a chilly and moist one. As soon as everybody was prepared we had been off, heading out into the Atlantic by way of Mayport. As soon as exterior the move, we gunned it straight east searching for a rip that Jack’s good friend had instructed us to hit to attempt to discover the tuna. I’ve to say, the Atlantic is a bit totally different from the Gulf, being an even bigger physique of water it gave the impression to be a bit bumpier than I had anticipated for there being no wind in any respect within the morning. So after about an hour sitting up entrance on the bench seat with Nate, getting beat up by the swell, we determined it was time to maneuver to the again and sit within the bean luggage.
This was nice timing as a result of one of many spinning reels had labored free and it was a very good alternative for a loo break. So after the reel was reattached, everybody relived themselves, and we received located within the bean luggage within the again, we had been off once more. We needed to run at the very least one other 70 miles to get close to the Gulf Stream so at minimal one other two-hours trip. That’s how the subsequent couple of hours went, simply working east at 36mph with a cease right here and there to both get a rod located, pee, or let John chum the waters as a consequence of having a bit an excessive amount of enjoyable the evening earlier than. Whereas the bean bag was nice for making the trip out extra comfy, getting slapped round by the 100-gallon gas bladder we had within the again was not nice.
However the time of getting slapped by the gas bladder each time we hit a giant swell was nearly over, the solar began to peak over the horizon. This meant we had been working for over 3 hours now so it was time to high off the ahead and rear gas tanks. So we stopped and hooked up the pump to the bladder and stuffed up the gas tanks. Then we wrapped up the bladder and tied it down on the entrance of the boat. Giving us a lot extra space within the again. Whereas we had been stopped we seen a couple of birds within the distance, and even a few pilot whales simply chilling on the floor. We did have a slight concern although, we had a radar going to search for birds. However though we might visibly see the birds, the machine wasn’t choosing them up. Additionally, the temp reader for the boat wasn’t studying the temperature proper as we had been working. It could solely learn true once we had been stopped for a while. However being already 100 miles offshore there was nothing we might accomplish that we saved working.
After the gas up we saved working once more and crossed over the Gulf Stream. The swell within the Gulf Stream is an effective bit rougher than the encircling ocean, which shouldn’t have been as stunning for me because it was. However we went from 3-5ft swells into 5-7ft swells as we had been crossing the Gulf Stream. After we received previous that although we simply saved working, all morning looking for the tuna. When you get into them within the morning it could be a really seen signal of life, with birds diving and fish busting. However we simply didnt discover them, the radar wasn’t choosing something up. In order it neared midday we knew we had missed the morning chunk so it was time to go discover a weed line to search out some mahi for the field.
Fortunately after passing on a smaller weed line, we discovered a better-sized one quickly after. So lastly we began fishing, placing out 5 strains, a few rigged ballyhoo on the outriggers, a madscad, DTX minnow, and a madmac. As soon as the strains had been all out we simply trolled alongside the weedline. I additionally had my spinning rod arrange with a ballyhoo pitch bait to sight forged if we see any fish we’d see.
We noticed a giant log or put up floating within the weed line and as quickly as we handed by we had a few massive hits, one on a ballyhoo and the opposite on the madscad. Nate and Jack had been combating the fish however Jack’s fish received off quickly after, so we centered on Nate’s fish which gave the impression to be a greater one. So we introduced in all of the strains and began working the fish, ultimately bringing it boat aspect after a little bit of boat work. As soon as we received it shut Jack caught a gaff in it and introduced this good cow mahi into the boat. We had been all stoked to lastly have a fish on board in spite of everything that working we did within the morning.
Operating to the Otherside of the Gulf Stream – North Florida Bluewater Fishing
After placing our fish within the kill field we needed to perform a little looking out to search out the weed line once more, however as soon as we received again on it it was on. We began choosing up mahi right here and there, not the most important fish however nonetheless meat to take residence. I additionally caught essentially the most aggressive and misplaced shark I’ve ever seen on troll. Appeared like just a little sandbar shark that cleared the floor chasing the ballyhoo, that we rapidly tossed again in. Then we had some actual pleasure occur, we had a sailfish come and take a ballyhoo out of the unfold. We initially thought it was a small white marlin with the way it was combating, working in the direction of the boat initially then breaching the floor with its stomach in the direction of us. Jack 2(Jack’s good friend Jack) made brief work of it and John was the chief man and pulled the sailfish into the boat. We received a couple of pictures and despatched it on its manner after reviving the fish subsequent to the boat.
After the sailfish, we received a couple of extra mahi for the field and because it neared 3 we pulled within the strains to attempt to discover the tuna once more for the night chunk. So the plan was to only run in the direction of St. Augustine and hopefully see some birds on the way in which again. Whereas time was a priority our greater concern was having sufficient gas to get again to the dock. With not seeing any birds on the radar and never having present experiences although, we weren’t too hopeful. After an hour of simply watching the horizon whereas we had been making our manner again, I noticed a couple of birds within the distance to the south. This was the most important group of birds we had seen all day, we even noticed a giant frigate hen. Quickly after sighting all of the birds we noticed tuna busting. Nothing massive, however perhaps a giant college of skipjack or blackfin, however this was essentially the most life we’ve seen all day. We put out a diffusion of lures as rapidly as we might and I tied on a popper as nicely. Jack made the primary forged with the popper and attached, but it surely received it off close to the boat. I attempted making one other forged however the rattling Alberto knot caught the mainline and tangle every part up. In fact, whereas this was occurring up entrance the tuna didn’t hit a single one in every of lures in our unfold. So after a short bit of pleasure, we needed to name it a day, staying out any longer was risking getting stranded.
After getting every part packed up so nothing would fly off on the lengthy trip again we made our manner again. Not less than the wind that had began up was to our again to assist lay down the swell as we made the lengthy 4-hour trip again in, at the same time as we crossed the Gulf Stream it wasn’t too horrible going again in in comparison with the trip out within the morning. Whereas we didn’t get the tuna we wished, it was nonetheless a enjoyable first journey out into the Atlantic and crossing the Gulf Stream for me and I’m excited to get again on the market quickly to hopefully get into some tuna subsequent time.
