DECEMBER REPORT IN A HAND BASKET

[WAHOONBOX]

LIKE MOST TUNA CREWS, THE DOLLAR OR LACK OF DA DOLLAR WAS FIRST ON THE LIST AND THE MINDS OF THE RUN-OFF CREW THIS YEAR.....NO MORE QUICK STARTS OUT THE GATE FISHING EVERYDAY WITHOUT EVEN LOOKING AT THE WEATHER..... VERY CAUTIOUS SPENDING AND MUCH CARE WAS GIVEN TO PROTECT WHAT EQUIPMENT & RESOURCES WE ALREADY HAVE ON BOARD....

TO DESCRIBE DECEMBER '09 TUNA FISHING IN A HAND BASKET.....THE RUN-OFF STARTED OUT ON FIRE AND WE NOW SLOWLY SMOLDER TO BLACK ON WHITE ASH ALONG WITH THE REST OF THE DWINDLING FLEET.....4 FISH/ 5 BITES THE FIRST 4 DAYS OF FISHING FOR US.....WE WERE BLISTERING THE FISH!

NOW LOOK AT US....THE ONE DAY THERE WERE 10 KILLED WE DIDN'T FISH....AND YET WE CONTINUE TO GRIND IT OUT WITH CONSECUTIVE 13 HR DAYS....8 DAYS STRAIGHT WITHOUT A BITE .....RAIN WIND CLOUDS & LITTLE SHINE.....DOESN'T MATTER .....WE ARE THERE....... SOME CREWS, GOOD CREWS THAT WERE FIRECRACKER HOT LAST YEAR SADLY SOME HAVE NOT HAD A BITE THIS DECEMBER.....IT'S ALL A MATTER OF PUTTING YOUR BAIT IN DA RIGHT PLACE AT THE RIGHT TIME AND HAVING YOUR SHIT IN PERFECT ORDER FOR THAT ONE PRECIOUS BITE .

HERE IS AN EARLY MORNING RUN-OFF TRAIL CAM PIC:


WELL THANK YOU JESUS FOR HEATED SALONS WITH MICRO-NUKERS IS ALL I CAN SAY...AND THANK YOU ONE MORE TIME FOR ROSILINA FROZEN MEATBALLS AND SWEET BABY RAYS BAR-B-QUE SAUCE.....


WHAT WAS ONCE A COMMERCIAL FLEET OF 200 PLUS BOATS IS NOW 80 GIVE OR TAKE....AND MOST DAYS I SEE NO MORE THAN 20 OUT THERE POUNDING BAIT AND HUNTING THE PREY ......SOME GUYS HAVE ACTUALLY HAILED OFF APPROACHING INCOMING TRAFFIC ONLY TO FIND OUT THEY WERE CRANKING ON AMBERJACKS OR A STUPID SHARK.....I MEAN THEY WERE SCREAMING ON THE RADIO "TURN TO YOUR STARBOARD CAPTAIN!!!!!" TURN TO YOUR STARBOARD ...I AM STRETCHED OUT!!!!"......AND ALL THIS RUCKUS FOR A 50 POUND AMBERJACK ON A FIFTY WIDE......SOME CAPTAINS PRE-MATURALLY CALL IN HALF THE FLEET TO THEIR SO-CALLED BFT BITE ONLY TO FIND OUT THAT THEY HAVE CAUGHT A BLACKFIN OR A THRESHER....SOME CAPTAINS ACTUALLY UPPED THE RPM'S AND RAN TO THESE PREMATURE "GOT HIM ON" CALLS......AND THAT TRANSLATES INTO PRECIOUS FUEL MONEY DOWN THE TUBES....

BLUEFIN FISHING IS MERELY LEGAL GAMBLING.....ONE LUCKY CREW RECENTLY FOUND OUT WHAT GOOD LUCK WAS ALL ABOUT...THEY FOUND A ONE ARMED BANDIT THAT PAID OUT A WHOPPING 40 BUCKS A POUND FOR THEIR DECKED PRIZE......HOLEY SMOLEY....40 BUCKS PER WILL HEAL A CREW VERY FAST....PRETTY WORK GENTLEMEN

YESTERDAY , NEW YEARS DAY, WAS HANGOVER DAY FOR SOME CREWS....SOME VHF TALK WAS ABSOLUTELY DRUNKENING...AND THE FLEET WAS BLESSED WITH HEARING ABOUT ALL NIGHT WAR STORIES OF JIM BEAM AND HOT AND NOT SO HOT CHICKS....SOME CREWS WERE LAID UP IN V-BERTHS UNABLE TOO FUNCTION FROM THE ALL NIGHT REVELRY ASSOCIATED WITH NEW YEARS CELEBRATION......IT ALWAYS BLOWS MY MIND THAT THE WORLD POPULATION CELEBRATES JAN1 WITH ALL NIGHT BINGE DRINKING ...I MEAN ALL WE ARE DOING IS BREAKING OUT A NEW CALENDAR BOOK AND HERE PEOPLE CELEBRATE THAT LIKE THEY WON THE LOTTERY THE FOLLOWING PICTURE SUMMARIZES NEW YEARS DAY ABOARD THE "RUN-OFF'



JAN 1 SHOWED A SLICE OF LOVE TO ONE CREW THAT I CAN POSITIVELY CONFIRM A FISH DEAD ON DECK.....CONGRATS TO THAT ONE CREW...THAT HAND OF CARD$ SHOULD YIELD SOME PRETTY YEN....




AT LEAST THREE DAYS OF CONSISTENT BLOW IS THE FORECAST NOW....TIC TOC TIC TOC....AND THE DAYS DWINDLE....


EXCUSE ME FOR A SEC....PHONE IS RINGING....."HELLO...."


























IT WAS THE BEAST.....HE SAID FOR ME TOO COME DOWN TO DA BOAT ASAP ....WANTS TO CHANGE OUT THE TOPSHOT ON ONE OF THE 130'S

LATER GUYS....


'BOX

[swell rider]

Very Well put!!! Less is more these day especially fishing BFT..There was a time at least for me that I felt you needed to fish everyday reguardless of weather or how good or bad the fishing really was to be succesfull, but after spending 25 yrs of commercial fishing in the Bering Sea, Gulf of Alaska and the NE Canyons I've taken the Fish Smarter Not Harder approach..Bryan Hunt and I have been payed well for our fish this year so going at it slower than most means more$$$ in our pockets and thats why we do it for the $$$ not the Ego, though it's still a true rush when we hook up..I'll get my fish in any weather fix once the Tuna season closes, it's back to Alaska to fish I guess all this cold windy weather is just a warm up for what Im going to be faced with...

[Cane]

Great report Box, hang in there one more month to go

[dunn6253]

Hell of a start for the RUN-OFF, hopefully an even better finish for you guys. Maybe I'll bring some Quinzy Man/Redbeard/Dunn Deal luck to all the crews down in MHC in a couple weeks.

Good luck the rest of the season to all.......

[codfishshark]

"BLUEFIN FISHING IS MERELY LEGAL GAMBLING.....ONE LUCKY CREW RECENTLY FOUND OUT WHAT GOOD LUCK WAS ALL ABOUT...THEY FOUND A ONE ARMED BANDIT THAT PAID OUT A WHOPPING 40 BUCKS A POUND FOR THEIR DECKED PRIZE"


Well put I wanted to make the trip down for the season bad real bar...tried talking to the boss big no, called around told the buyer find me a spot im in it no go ahhh blank it!! Stayed up north set gear beat myself on skates still plugging away barely serviving man i love this stuff. Just had a relapse to our best day this fall. 5 hook ups, 2 pulled hooks and a chaffe off. Oh yeah 2 in the boat wow that day was worth it. OHH SH*T they got it they got the disease yeah thats right the white one......1.08lb for one and a whopping 1.80 for the other...8 hours on a rod for that never mind the expenses...CANT WAIT FOR THE FALL~!

[WAHOONBOX]

ON THE BRIGHTER SIDE:

I TALKED TO A CREW MEMBER OF THE "QUEENS ANNE REVENGE" TODAY


HERE IS HIS STORY:

THEY HOOKED UP YESTERDAY AT 6:40 A.M.......HE STATES THEY SHOULD HAVE NEVER BOATED THIS FISH....AND THAT LUCK PREVAILED

WHEN THE 92 INCHER HIT THE RIGHT LONG RIGGER...HE TOOK IT STRAIGHT DOWN INTO THE PLANER AND GEAR.....PLANER AND SWIVEL WRAPPED UP ON THE MAINLINE....AS THE PLANER NEARED THE BOAT...HE TOOK A PAIR OF DIKES AND CUT THE BLADE FREE.....THEN 20 MINUTES LATER....THE FISH WAS CLOSE TO SURFACE BUT STILL A WAYS OUT....A GANNET FLEW ACROSS THE MAINLINE AND WRAPPED UP ON IT....THEY SUCCESSFULLY RELEASED THE GANNET.....


THEN ...AS THE SWIVEL NEARED THE BOAT....A SECOND GULL DOVE ONTO THE SWIVEL...THEN SWAM BESIDE IT BITING ON IT


I AIN'T MAKING THIS SHIT UP....NOPE...YOU CAN'T MAKE THIS SHIT UP! 7 HRS LATER FOR MANY REASONS SOME UNKOWN TO THIS SEASONED CREW...THE BEAST RECEIVED THE DART


CONGRATS TO THE CREW AND THANKS FOR THE STORY!

[calebw]

Thats one heck of a story. 7hrs to get the fish in

[clt_capt]

Great story, but let's hope there are a bunch more fish over the next month. May the new year be better to everyone.

[offshore]

Man the weather out of OI has been brutal to say the least . Thank God for deer season to take my mind off fishing for a while. Hopefully we will get out soon. I guess its that time of year to edit some footage... Hope you guys lay the smack down on them soon !! Mark

[Fighting Irish45]

good insight Marty