Sears Boys Trip to PEI

[Massbaytuna3]

Taylor and I just got back from an unreal trip to PEI. We spent a week fishing up there with Jamie and Troy and brought up a few Stellwagen regulars with us; Frank and Tom (Intensity) and Ed (Christine).

As Old Greg has posted already; it is nothing short of amazing up there. Aside for having tons of big fish, their fishery is special for so many other reasons. I really think the biggest thing that sets them apart from us down here in the U.S/ North East is the friendship and camaraderie that ALL of the captains have in North Lake. Sharing gear and bait, putting each other on fish on a consistent basis, even just allowing people to get right up next to you to hook a fish. Stuff that would leave anyone down here with a ding in the hull and a broken windshield…I really think there is something to be learned from that. Being able to fish for slobs 3 miles from the harbor in 60’ of water is a plus too…

The place was just as scenic and awesome since we left it last year. Once you make your way up around Souris and start working up the East coast of the island, you can see the ocean from pretty much any location all the way up to North Lake.

We got up there late Friday afternoon and headed right over to the Tuna Cup Banquet. It was a blast. We caught up with Jamie and Troy and their families, had a few drinks, some food, and enjoyed some music. Old Greg and crew had to shove off earlier that day (the fleet got blown out Friday anyways) so we accepted the second place awards on their behalf. We saw Dennis Braid and met up with a few other guys from the North East fishing up there for the Cup and following week.

Saturday we got blown out, which actually worked out well. Last time I was there I didn’t have much time to explore because of the way the commercial season was structured. We checked out some spots around the island, went down to the tackle shop to shoot the sh*t, picked up some food, and finished off the day rigging up for the next day.

The rest of the week was insanity. We hand fed every day; not always immediately, but eventually we got them to come up at some point. On the first day it was grease calm and the sun was sitting perfect during our biggest hand feed. It was so clear, that when we look back at the pics some of the fish look like they are hovering above the water. Pretty amazing. On the second day, the fish were a little finicky in the morning. They fed all night while the big herring boat fleet were hauling back. We would mark a few fish here and there in the morning and were able to hook one on a stick bait I rigged up. Once noon time rolled around it was all out madness and hand feeding. I think on the 3rd day it took us all of 9 seconds to hook the first fish…same went for the rest of the trip.

Basically it is an almost everyday ridiculous bite up there; most of the time it’s easy to get a hookup, other times you have to go back to “normal fishing” methods. During the trip we had 3 Hero Cams running, Taylor’s HD Cam, Frank’s Cam (same model used in the Deadliest Catch), and a Nikon photo camera. After briefly going through some of the raw footage (17+hrs worth); We have 8 hand-feed hookups on film (chair, holder, standup, backing down, screaming, crying, etc…), TONS of hand feeding footage (with some angles that non of the other PEI videos have), A few kite bites 10’ off of our transom, fish crushing hook less Shankas, multiple shots of wiring 600-1000lb fish, and some unreal underwater footage taken by a buddy up there who went diving for us. Plus all of the footage that Old Greg got…

Some of the personnel highlights of the trip were seeing Taylor beat a 700+ lbs fish in 50 minutes on stand up, getting to wire some real slobs, and experiencing several great battles in the chair. I don’t think any of the fights went over 60 minutes, with most in the 35-45min range. It was also cool to get reassurance on some of the things we have always been taught and told to do; We watched fish shy away from heavy leader right next to the boat and wouldn’t touch anything over 220 flouro. We saw fish who wouldn’t bite unless you hid the hook well and blacked out terminal gear…It was all proven…and disproven, haha. There were fish that ate 400 mono with a 12/0 circle hooked the eyes of a bait like it was a jelly bean.

Thanks again to Jamie, Troy, and both of their families for everything. They are a top notch group of people who treat you like one of the family when you are up there. If any of you plan on doing the trip North, you have to go with these guys. Hopefully you are lucky enough to get Bonnie to make you some seafood alfredo too…probably the best part of the trip!

As far as the video goes, I think the plan is to put together a short 4min teaser as soon as we can, and then probably put out the full 60+min version at the seminar in March…we will see. Taylor’s head is spinning already.

Now its off to chasing these things around in the Bay…

Pictures will be posted shortly.

-Bryan

[Gadaluvit]

Awesome! I can't wait to see some of this footage!!

[Pete Santini]

myself johhmie walker Big Al and a couple of others will be there sunday til wednesdsay next week Awesome trip glad you guys did well and mostly HAD FUN that what fishing i s about No matter where you Go pete

[sears720]

Just a short tid bit of the kind of footage we got up in PEI.

FOUL LANGUAGE!!

-T

[sears720]

Sportfishermen picture upload is difficult to use, I can't see the pictures they are so small in the uploader, so I will do my best on putting them in order.

Here are just some of the pictures, I will post more in a bit.

-Taylor

[sears720]

More.

[johnnywalker]

Great trip guys, that fish was moving, glad you guys had a blast and looking forward to your full videos, rumors are you have some sweet underwater hook ups and hooked fish; that will be sweet to see.
Cheers,

JW

[Bill_N]

That's a fattie!!! Can't wait to see the rest of the vid...