Had the pleasure of fishing with Chumtini and Carom last night chasing poons

[Captain Michael Buffington]

The lagoon was slow yesterday afternoon and the day before as well to the tune of one bite and one fish about twenty pounds. Had several fish bust on oue baits and boil on them, but those fish in my opinion are not aggresively feeding obviously and are seeing something at the last microsecond that turns them off. I cannot go lighter than 25lb fluoro and 3/0 owners and land fish. I opted to go to a pinnacle 3/4 offshore this morning after netting a couple of hundred threadfin herring. I got the unavoidable and dreaded call if you do something different that one of my friends Juan Carlos who has not fished in the last few days to establish a pattern has had 3 bites and is fighting the third who is still on as opposed to the first two. This is a split company trip and there is a wager between the two groups...F#%k...I think to myself, every time you chase the radio or cell you end up screwed...stick with the plan...first drift, one cero and one king mackerel, plus a 30lb cuda if it even counts. Second one king and lost a 30lb nassau grouper at the boat to a pulled hook(ate a freakin 10' leatherjacket). Third another king and puke on the boat...It was 2'. Guys ask to go home at 8:30 and I ask them to give me a chance for a tarpon for a half hour or so...First drift had something smoke me into the reef with 12lbs of drag from 50 yards away without ever stopping...Put out the second avet with braid as I got ready to rerig the other and the first doubled over and started to do the ZIPZIPZIP, I love that sound. 40 lber and pukeed the whole time and requested to go home after the pic and at the dock an hour early.

The afternoon was cool too, Omar had given me some info on the beach as I have spent most of my time here learning the lagoon top to bottom. It is not big, meaning the lagoon, but it is the key here. The beach is a fallback. Today I nmisinterpreted where he was meaning on the coast and hit the proverbial jackpot. 2 for 6 withanother of those mystery fish that smoked us 100 yards from the reef and was unstoppable...I have no idea, could be cubera, goliath, who the hell knows...I want to.
Mike

[chumtini]

Tarpon Night Fishing Video (part I) with Mike Buffington and Carom in San Juan, Puerto Rico. Monday night was the new moon.

http://www.chumtini.com/media/Videos...toRicoFun.html

Still crunching the rest of the videos.

[Captain Michael Buffington]

We had 4 bites and landed one tarpon, and got rocked several times by muttons...Got them again in the moring and afternoon and the next morning so hopfully things will improve. Bye the way chum, that was a hell of a vid!
Mike

[gottaflylee]

Originally Posted by chumtini

Tarpon Night Fishing Video (part I) with Mike Buffington and Carom in San Juan, Puerto Rico. Monday night was the new moon.

http://www.chumtini.com/media/Videos...toRicoFun.html

Still crunching the rest of the videos.

What did I expect...Night vision...

[shoefish]

Originally Posted by chumtini

Tarpon Night Fishing Video (part I)

You got me on that one Chum...

[Captain Michael Buffington]

The best night trip yet and it was for our very own TomS's sons+ bites in a small area for large tarpon and 2 snook. 29 bites...29 bites i said...unbelievable...John and Pat are great guys as well as their dad Tom. It has been a very enjoyable 3 days.
If you want consitent tarpon action that leaves the keys in the dust, give me a bit of notice to check tides and book a night trip. Chumtini and Carom will testify to its consistentsy and they hit a slow night.
Mike

[Captain Michael Buffington]

It was sick!!! Started in a 37 foot hole and had 11 on in one drift from 10 to 80 pounds. That shut down so we chased the tide to a tiny lagoon in a upscale neighborhood that went ballistic. They put on a show!! A big poon halfway out of the water, like every minute with 20 yards of showering threadfins for 5 hours. Consistent bites and bait jumping in the freakin boat all night. Tom S's son Pat is a diawa rep and brought bass tackle to a blue marlin fight...I was shocked, expected to see gears flying everywhere...not so. Diawa makes some good shit apparently. It was put to the test and passed with flying colors. I honestly hate cofee grinders, I am forced to use shimano stellas and hate those things, drags stick, and line twist...Tom brought braid for the diawas and gave me all the tackle. From now on Omar gets the freakin stellas, I'm sold on the diawa stuff....
Mike

[tom s]

Thanks Mike,was a great time,the boys just left from having dinner with their mother and I.They are still talking about the night bite and they cant wait to go back.Would have like to had a shot at the daylight fish on the flyrod,maybe next time.As usual the area has to be some of the best Tarpon fishing in the world.Tom

[Captain Michael Buffington]

I love having socal guys on the boat! They are the best anglers on the planet as a whole and your boys illustrate that fact to a tee...They were excellent fisherman as well as super good guys. I enjoyed every minute of it! I look forward to seeing you guys in the future!
Mike

[SoCal-P]

A year ago, my dad went to Puerto Rico and came back insisting that my brother and i join him the following year. Of course we accepted. The fishing, talent of captains, and quality of fish was everything he said and much, much more. My brother and i fished with Capt. Mike for Fri afternoon, all of Sat, and EARLY Sun morning and had the best fishing experience Sat night/Sun day we've ever experienced. The night bite was an experience unjustifiable by words. You can tell by my s*@#-eating grin in the pictures that i had a great time.

This tarpoon came in green as can be and started getting squirley in my arms. The damn thing kicked me in the back of my head!

Mike, great work! My bro and i had a blast!

Pat