First trip = First tuna!

[Tuna Meltdown]

We left Scituate at about 5:45. We were only able to make about 1/2 dozen good size baits for about an hour’s worth of work. At about 7:15 I decided it was time to leave. On our way across to the bank we ran into a large wolf pack of 300-400 pounders chasing some unfortunate mackerel at the old "H" buoy location. We flung out one of our mackerel and bump trolled the area for 20 minutes but they went down and never showed themselves again. We continued on towards the corner and just west of the corner in some deeper water we saw a couple fish bust but nothing spectacular so I kept going east. We made it to Peaked hill and the place was a barren. I saw the shimmer on the horizon of what looked like a fleet at the Golf ball but that was another 7 miles or so away. I called Fred on the cell and he told me not to bother heading any further in that direction. Thanks Fred! I pulled a 180 went back to the SWC. It was now 9:30 and we really had not even wet a line except for the short time we saw the fish coming across. I found a spot away from the fleet and the gill nets on the western edge of the SWC and decided to set up there. A bait went out on a balloon first and then I got the kite in the air. With only 2 rods on the boat we were fishing, one on the kite, one under a balloon. 5 minutes go by and I hear Snap! ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ! I look up at the kite to see the line falling and falling fast. I immediately start reeling and the line comes tight, rod doubles over and reel is screaming. I start the boat and tell my friend, who’s biggest fish before today was a 30 pound striper, to get on the rod. My dad is going to be the gaff man. 35 minutes in we get color and I know this fish is big, 73”+ easy. We debate the issue on whether or not we release it or kill it. The decision is made to release as Sean, my father, and I do not have enough freezer space for 250 pounds of sushi. I grabbed the leader at about 40 minutes and my dad slipped the small gaff in its lower jaw. The fish did not like that and went nuts throwing the hook and then the gaff and taking off like a bat out of hell. There was a little blood but I believe the fish was still in good health. We were unable to get a tag in it, unable to get a picture of it as it all happened so fast. I figure the fish was pushing 80” from a rough measurement taken from where we had his head and from where the tail was on the side of the boat. This was my first true giant taken on a boat I own, my friend Sean’s first tuna and biggest fish he has ever seen. He will never look at stripers the same. It was father’s day and my father was on board. It was also the largest fish my father had ever been a part of catching. And finally it was the first tuna trip in the new boat and it performed flawlessly.

[WeCatchEm]

Congrats on the fish, saw you guys coming back in from scituate, thanx for the tip. Boat looks great btw. There was tons of pods chasing bait in the middle of Mass Bay and we just stayed running and gunning them. Hooked one that pulled the hook 30 feet from the boat on a popper.

[Tuna Meltdown]

Glad you were able to find some fish. We saw those fish on the way out in the morning. In fact I saw fish breaking from the old "H" buoy location all the way to the SWC.

[chathamblue30]

Congrats Dan way to go !!

[MarkP]

Nice work Dan. First trip for us was Thursday, doubled on 66 inch fish in the middle of the bubble feeding blubber, one on an okuma 50 wide a friend of mine gave me to try that blew up-what a piece of ****, but since it was a small fish, hand lined it for a few minutes and managed to splice if onto a Penn 50 and get it. Anyway, we thought we had a winner on the other one, but it was foul-hooked dead center of the lateral line. Oh well. The Nashville guys had a blast, loved the whale show and got some great pics. Hoping to get back at it later this week...

MarkP

[stew]

Mark, What model of Okuma was it? I have been fishing the new Makaira's for two season and have found them to be kick *** with huge drags and they have performed flawlessly for us. The older reels had issues. Capt. Eric

[stew]

Dan, that is how you break in the new boat. Pretty work. capt. Eric

[jmrecord]

Nice job Dan!.I saw your new rig in westboro getting glass looks nice..hope to get out soon too.

[MarkP]

Dunno what model, but not a makaira-3 years old and now on the bottom in about 253 ft of North Atlantic agua...

MarkP

[Seaker]

thats gettin it done Danny