RIPTIDES ON THE BOARD 2010

[mjcjr1]

Just got the call...... a 71" fish on a popper with the stella "Big Gun" Combo...Sweet!!!

Tight Lines,

Mike C

[Riptide Charters]

I had a charter today that needed to reschedule. My sports son broke his thumb and was not going to be able to fish. I didn't want to waste the day so I grabbed my mate Ruge and his girlfriend a.k.a "Fish Chick" and headed out to see if we could hang a tuna on topwater gear. We had seen them yesterday but were unable to get one landed. Today would be different!

We hit the water mid morning in Sandwich and headed out to yesterdays numbers. After a long ride we found lots of life, but no tuna. We decided to take a REALLY long ride and look where likely nobody else had been. The ride was a bust at first. We ran for almost an hour without seeing anything. I hit my turn around point and headed back. Thats when things got good. We found birds and fish feeding like mad on huge schools of sea herring. It didn't take long to match the hatch with big Williamson's poppers, Ocean Lures RTS Heavy SP's, and Hedon Super Spooks.



Ruge drew first blood on a Williamson's Popper and it was a corker. The fish were crashing all around us and when 225# of Charlie takes a popper its a sight to see! Ruge worked the fish like the pro that he is and in 15 minutes pumping hard on the Stella/ Big Gun combo he got me my shot and I button-holed the fish with the Poon. We were shocked to see the tail of the tape after we hoisted the fish over the gunnel.


71 INCHES on a TOPWATER PLUG!!!!!



After a bunch of congratulations and a ton of pics the fish got boxed and we were back in action.



I get the next cast into the fish with Capt. Ruge at the helm. The Ocean Lure RTS SP Heavy hit smack in the middle of the melee and in two twitches the tuna CRUSHED IT! GAME ON!!!!



Somehow we lost a part to my Black Magic belt so we had to use Ruge's Braid Plate and the BM Harness. In short order under HEAVY drag we got the fish boatside and grabbed the Streamline Leader for a clean release. 2 for 2!

Another slashing pod of fish anther money cast with the SP and I'm tight AGAIN! This time after a hellish run the hook pulled and the fish was gone.

"Fish Chick" is not one to be outdone and when she got tight on the Super Spook there was no girly games to be had. 40# of drag on the Stella and "Fish Chick" got evil on a PIG of a fish.



We figured this fish was our "Trophy" fish for the season (Over 73") but we will never know. After 40 minutes in the harness at crazy drag pressure Ruge and I decided to give the fish a "little more drag" SNAP!!!! The line parted as we bottomed out the Stella 20000SW !!!!!!! Shame on us. "Fish Chick" doing great adn Ruge and I tried to rush the process and SHE paid the price for us being in a hurry. A HUGE gig on us!

Things were winding down but we managed a few more hookups only to have pulled hooks on these beasts under the heavy drag we were using to land them quickly for release.

Final tally 2 for 6 on some SLOB tuna. We kept the 71"er and could not better it today. The feeds were insane and the fish were SUPER aggressive. The best part....NOT ANOTHER BOAT IN SIGHT!!!! Thats how we do it and thats how we like it. We don't follow the fleet, we don't chase reports. We run long and hard and find our own fish and make them bite!

Overal just a sick day and the first (Two) Topwater tuna in 2010.

[stew]

Nice!!!!! I like the "Tale of the Tape", no BS here on length. Great work guys. capt. eric

[SaltyDog]

Nice job Riptide! Heading out on Monday in the little boat from sandwich to find my own as well. Cant believe you hung those fish on a treble, playing with fire!

[AndyP]

Like your style. Charlie definitely does eat, just not where it might be convenient for most anglers. True professionals make it look easy, although it is far from easy. Lots of variables.

[yellow2]

Quick Question

Can't you measure straight down the lateral line and up and over that tail fin? If so, the fish would tape out a little bigger, no?

[Riptide Charters]

Quick Question

Can't you measure straight down the lateral line and up and over that tail fin? If so, the fish would tape out a little bigger, no?

Not sure, we always went bottom jaw to the apparent "fattest" point to the little notch in the tail. it could have tapped a little bigger, but since we were not able to sell it, no big deal either way. Any for that size + or - a inch or two is a trophy. It's Ruge's biggest tuna ever and thats all that really mattered.

[jakespeed]

Congratulations nice fish.way to get the season started.

[sashamy]

actually u have to measure them from the tip of the nose to the the fork, don't get caught measuring from the bottom jaw if you want to sell one....or if you eventually get a slot...measure from the tip of snout over the top fin to the fork, you get about an inch going over the pec fin rather than going under it....Doug\

[sashamy]

nice fish for a spinning rod any way you look at it