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 have been to drive right down to Jacksonville. So after all I stated sure to the invite, however it was a busy morning the following 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 deal with and kit and made our method south round midday. We had a 400-mile drive forward of us and have been hoping to make that in round 6ish hours. After all, 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 easy 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 deal with for the following day’s journey. So we spent the following 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 carried out, we received a fast chunk to eat for dinner at Taco Lu’s, grabbed some meals to eat on the boat the following 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 will be a chilly and moist one. As soon as everybody was prepared we have been off, heading out into the Atlantic by way of Mayport. As soon as outdoors the go, we gunned it straight east in search of 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 completely different from the Gulf, being a much bigger physique of water it appeared 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 baggage.
This was nice timing as a result of one of many spinning reels had labored unfastened 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 baggage within the again, we have been off once more. We needed to run a minimum of one other 70 miles to get close to the Gulf Stream so at minimal one other two-hours trip. That’s how the following 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 attributable to 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 virtually 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 prime off the ahead and rear gas tanks. So we stopped and hooked up the pump to the bladder and crammed up the gas tanks. Then we wrapped up the bladder and tied it down on the entrance of the boat. Giving us a lot more room within the again. Whereas we have been stopped we observed just a few 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 may visibly see the birds, the machine wasn’t selecting them up. Additionally, the temp reader for the boat wasn’t studying the temperature proper as we have been working. It could solely learn true after we have been stopped for a while. However being already 100 miles offshore there was nothing we may 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 have 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 will be a really seen signal of life, with birds diving and fish busting. However we simply didnt discover them, the radar wasn’t selecting 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 seek 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 traces, a few rigged ballyhoo on the outriggers, a madscad, DTX minnow, and a madmac. As soon as the traces have 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 publish floating within the weed line and as quickly as we handed by we had a few large hits, one on a ballyhoo and the opposite on the madscad. Nate and Jack have been combating the fish however Jack’s fish received off quickly after, so we targeted on Nate’s fish which gave the impression to be a greater one. So we introduced in all of the traces 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 have been all stoked to lastly have a fish on board in any case that working we did within the morning.
Working 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 to seek out the weed line once more, however as soon as we received again on it it was on. We began selecting up mahi right here and there, not the largest fish however nonetheless meat to take dwelling. I additionally caught probably 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 just a few photographs and despatched it on its method after reviving the fish subsequent to the boat.
After the sailfish, we received just a few extra mahi for the field and because it neared 3 we pulled within the traces 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 best way again. Whereas time was a priority our larger concern was having sufficient gas to get again to the dock. With not seeing any birds on the radar and never having present studies although, we weren’t too hopeful. After an hour of simply watching the horizon whereas we have been making our method again, I noticed just a few birds within the distance to the south. This was the largest group of birds we had seen all day, we even noticed a giant frigate chicken. Quickly after sighting all of the birds we noticed tuna busting. Nothing large, however perhaps a giant faculty of skipjack or blackfin, however this was probably the most life we’ve seen all day. We put out a variety of lures as rapidly as we may and I tied on a popper as nicely. Jack made the primary forged with the popper and attached, however it received it off close to the boat. I attempted making one other forged however the rattling Alberto knot caught the mainline and tangle every thing up. After all, whereas this was happening 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 thing packed up so nothing would fly off on the lengthy trip again we made our method 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 needed, 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.
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