Fish Tails Trip

[pelagic addicted]

[ATTACH=CONFIWe took a trip to the tails a week before the storm and this is how it went. On the water at midnight water was flat calm from Fishers Island to just around Montauk pt from then on the tide and waves had us slugging it out for the next four hours of course it would help if my boat was bigger. Arrive on the east flats and set up we start trolling and within thirty minutes fish on its an albacore. Now that we found a bite, we just keep working over the same track and keep getting a single knock down each time we repeated this for about three hours for a total of nine albacore one yellow fin and a few mahi and three pulled hooks that we never got boat side. We are now running low on ice and out of room so we head home for a nice 28knt two and a half hour ride. on another note albacore is now on my list of catch and release because I tried to cook this fish a bunch of different ways and it is still tasteless. The next time I will save the room and ice to continue hunting for the yellow fin.G]203936[/ATTACH]

[storm petrel]

Very artistic photos.....

Try boiling the albacore(after you loin it, that is). Makes the best tuna salad you ever had, and freezes well once boiled. Otherwise, they do sorta suck. Although fun to load up on 'em when they pack attack!

[Cape Fisherman]

Nice report!

Do you run out there solo in a 23'?

[pelagic addicted]

Nice report!

Do you run out there solo in a 23'?

When the weather allows I will motor to the canyons usually between the dip and east end of the tails, we have teamed up with boats as small as mine but it is usually a solo trip.

[rmoody79]

Nice report!

Do you run out there solo in a 23'?

God love you man, thats balls, not poking fun in anyway, I have a 23cc w a single outboard, and I just couldnt imagine ever having an engine problem or a rough weather patch with that far to get home but glad you caught fish.

[storm petrel]

My latest ride is 26', has a twelve foot beam and every safety gizmo known to man; open array radar, satellite weather, sat phone, 8 man offshore liferaft, multiple VHFs, etc.....and I still sweat bullets going canyon overighting in a smallish single-engine boat. I once did a day trip to the edge in my 23' Mako inboard. The next day on the way out of the harbor to fuel up, the shaft broke and I lost the prop. I've always wondered what I woulda done if the shaft had broken at the edge. HMMMMMMMMMMM.

It's not like twin engines are gonna save your bacon either, if you have a fuel problem, or lose all battery power. I see plenty of single engine downeast rigs out there. Bottom line is.......there's a big difference between the inconvenience and expense of having to get towed 70-100 miles, and paying the ultimate price 'cause you just weren't ready to fork over the $3,000 + for a liferaft.

So I'm still planning for another overnight trip (or two) in the small single engine boat. I'm not gonna be a hypocrite and say you shouldn't go in a 23' boat when I have done the same thing. But I would tell you to make sure you have a little insurance so that if you hit say, a submerged log at 30+ knots, you live to tell about it.

[pelagic addicted]

God love you man, thats balls, not poking fun in anyway, I have a 23cc w a single outboard, and I just couldnt imagine ever having an engine problem or a rough weather patch with that far to get home but glad you caught fish.

I know it is not the wisest thing to be doing and I would not blame anybody for giving me a hard time about it. I prepare the best I can with all the necessary safety equipment, and only go with guys that know what they could be getting themselves into. My biggest concern is the single screw because a boat can make it through some nasty water but only if it is under power.

[Cape Fisherman]

I give you credit! I run my 23', single I/O down to the southern end of the Dump, but that's it. A buddy and I have been talking about taking our two boats to Veatch's together, but we haven't pulled the trigger. Actually, this summer on a FAC day, while at the bottom of the Dump two 19' Whalers came buzzing by, from the south.

Do any of you guys use a SPOT? I picked one up last winter and am really impressed with it.

[Parapapam]

Not playing "Holier than thou" here because I took my 23 single from Cape Cod to Bar Harbor Me in a straight line. But I had a 30 foot Fortier buddy boat and every safety feature (3 PLBs, Raft, spare radios, 3 GPS's, water/food rations) and we were never out of sight of each other. But I still don't think it was the smartest thing I ever did. The trip home dodging thunder cells was particularly dumb.

Peligic Addicted, your responses have been polite and reasoned on the couple threads I read even when people were questioning you. Good for you and congrats on a good trip. Just think, and re-think your safety plans. That little girl is too cute to put her Dad at risk (I am assuming she is yours). She needs you.

Mike, even with a buddy boat, I would double think the trip. Both your boat and mine have the range to make the trip. But neither has the range to tow each other back from that trip. I doubt the buddy you are refering to has better range than I do. So if you are with him, he will save your life. But it will cost you your boat if things go wrong. Worth the risk? Your call. I know you are safety minded.

Mike

[scattered_grass]

nice catch man