9/25 - 50 fathoms

[backman]

Kind of blew the optimal weather window yesterday by trusting Fishweather and windalert who forcast sturm und drang Sunday night versus's NOAA's light and variable. Guess who was right this time - NOAA!

Left at 2 AM into a slow swell with rain and fog on the way out; not that those mattered in the dark! The plan was to head towards Atlantis blind as there had been no temp pictures in 8 days and to pull up on a decent break. We found it at dawn - 67 to 73 in less than a mile; 2 visible breaks on the flat calm water.

We worked in and out of it for an hour; dead, no life and started to troll south. 2 miles down we found a pot line right on 50 fathoms with birds flitting here and there. The pots were loaded with mahi. Moving off of it we ran into a school of porpoise more interested in feeding than playing with us. A couple circles to hang with them and we doubled up on yellowfin; a rat 30 pounder and a nice 50-60 pounder, both on bars.

I chased the porpoises a bit but got distracted by another pot line with birds sitting and diving on the pots - again - the mahi pack attacked us - whatever else was there never came up despite a lot of passes on our part. I made in retrospect a bad moved to chase the pot line west versus following the porpoises northeast.

We worked southwest about 5 miles; lots of life - birds, mahi, finback's, one big tiger shark, but nothing but mahi under the pots. I had one visual of about a 4 or 5' wahoo swing and miss on a plug in tight, but other than that it was mahi and more mahi though I have no doubt other pelagics were in there.

75.4 degree clear blue water - best water I have seen all year just below 50 fathoms.

The break was dead and lifeless on the way back up but there was a ton of life - 4 big leatherbacks, shark, porpoise and mola in the top of the Lanes. Weather permitting I'll be fishing this area and water again - definitely life there.

All alone, didn't see a boat till we passed the hooter on the way in.

[tunaddiction]

nice job larry...Im still hoping for one more trip

[Relentlessfishing]

Larry,
Great report as always. You went you caught, how many of us were at the dock? From the reports coming in as far east as Hydro still ,and all the way to the Hudson which is experiencing a Longfin bite none of us have seen in years right now . I think that beautiful blue water in the middle of it all is about to bust wide open. I could be wrong but I hope not.

WELL DONE

[Albiemanmike]

Larry,Great report as always. You went you caught, how many of us were at the dock? From the reports coming in as far east as Hydro still ,and all the way to the Hudson which is experiencing a Longfin bite none of us have seen in years right now . I think that beautiful blue water in the middle of it all is about to bust wide open. I could be wrong but I hope not.WELL DONE

A guy on another site I frequent got 32 Albacore, 1-75 lb. YFT, a 195 Eyeball and a 175 lb Mako out at the Hudson Saturday. Sounds like one of the best bites of the season except for the crazy bite earlier way east.

[storm petrel]

We had some nice yellowfin at night over at W. Atlantis....slobs to just over 100 lbs. Nothing but a small wahoo and a few mahi on the troll. The water was alive with life at night, lots of sharks, a wahoo swimming around the boat, crazy runoffs. We caught at night in 71', 350-500 feet of water. The other boat we heard of that also caught was in 600' and 75 degree water.

[keithj]

Nice trip! Those are some filthy big yellows. I really hope i get one more shot out there this year...

We had some nice yellowfin at night over at W. Atlantis....slobs to just over 100 lbs. Nothing but a small wahoo and a few mahi on the troll. The water was alive with life at night, lots of sharks, a wahoo swimming around the boat, crazy runoffs. We caught at night in 71', 350-500 feet of water. The other boat we heard of that also caught was in 600' and 75 degree water.

[Fortunate One]

We had some nice yellowfin at night over at W. Atlantis....slobs to just over 100 lbs. Nothing but a small wahoo and a few mahi on the troll. The water was alive with life at night, lots of sharks, a wahoo swimming around the boat, crazy runoffs. We caught at night in 71', 350-500 feet of water. The other boat we heard of that also caught was in 600' and 75 degree water.

I've yet to see a 100lb yellow caught in these waters. Have any pictures?

[storm petrel]

Yes...see above.

[backman]

gorgeous fish - we were happy with one in the 60 pound range; but that big one is wonderful to see!

[storm petrel]

It was sort of like the old days (except for the bunch we dropped/broke off/missed/flubbed etc). Maybe we'll have a great chunk bite this fall?