Catch and release tuna...

[Captain Michael Buffington]

I have a question for you east coast guys. I have never landed and released a big tuna, on second thought we sattelite tagged bluefins in the pacific for monterrey bay aquarium but the were caught on 250 fluoro to 300lb spectra and hauled in in under 5 minutes. I have read on here and heard from others about catching a limit and then catching and releasing a bunch more on fairly light tackle. I see them boated and flopping on the deck and then released. Do you guys think those fish survive? Don't anybody think I'm judging, I just am curious as to your opinion on mortality.

P.S. Ours were put in a sling like you see for dolphins and were kept wet with a deck hose in their mouth throughout the tagging procedure.

Mike

[SeaMent]

Mike, there are guys that are known to gaff and release "Blue Fins" in the tuna tournys in the Mid Atlantic

[Tuna Meltdown]

Mike, I often take the first tuna of the day for the grill and after that we catch and release and try to tag any other fish. I try not to boat them as the fish I am dealing with are good sized bluefin in the 50"-60" class. Not easy to get in and out of a Center Console. If someone wants pictures I will care fully place a lip gaff in the lower lip and leave the fish in the water, tag and then release it. This seemed to work well for me this season. Fight times were typically 10-30 minutes.
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[On The Edge]

I don't think anyone in our area has as much experience and knowledge about tagging SBFT as stew. He has worked for severial years with Dr Molly and the UNH folks in doing just this with a huge ammount of sucess. I am sure Capt Eric could answer most if not all of your questions reguarding the correct methods of tagging and releasing SBFT..
As far as us light tackle guys with smaller private boats, Dans method seems to be the most sucsessfull method. Keep fight times to a minimum, lip gaff, leave the fish in the water, tag, snap a few quick pics and release..

[chumtini]

Hey Mike. How's it going? There's a thread on it in the NE forum.

Best Way to Release BFT Question

[Captain Michael Buffington]

Hey Mike. How's it going? There's a thread on it in the NE forum.

Best Way to Release BFT Question

It's going...

My main question was what do you think the mortality rate is on average(I don't know if that makes sense). I guess I'm asking if you guys think most of them live?

Mike

[shoefish]

Mike-
First off, how are you? You still in PR? Hope you're well down there if you're still on the island.

I tried to do a few searches on the internet this fall after that NE thread to see if there has been a study on release times/methods for bluefin but came up blank. I was trying to figure out if fighting times, lip gaffing vs tail roping, swim times, J vs circle, etc had ever been studied but came up blank. I can only speak from my experience, but I think that mortality rates are fairly low so long as you follow common sense and fight the fish quickly and swim the fish if necessary. Judging by how hard these things kick boatside, I think that losses are really low. Now gaff in release (like in the backs, etc) I think would show a different story.

Why are you asking...you got something cooking? Will we be seeing Buffington doing a little guiding up here in the northeast next summer?

[Captain Michael Buffington]

Mike-
First off, how are you? You still in PR? Hope you're well down there if you're still on the island.

I tried to do a few searches on the internet this fall after that NE thread to see if there has been a study on release times/methods for bluefin but came up blank. I was trying to figure out if fighting times, lip gaffing vs tail roping, swim times, J vs circle, etc had ever been studied but came up blank. I can only speak from my experience, but I think that mortality rates are fairly low so long as you follow common sense and fight the fish quickly and swim the fish if necessary. Judging by how hard these things kick boatside, I think that losses are really low. Now gaff in release (like in the backs, etc) I think would show a different story.

Why are you asking...you got something cooking? Will we be seeing Buffington doing a little guiding up here in the northeast next summer?

but it was really the curious mind at work. I have caught more tuna than most folks would believe(long range thing really put up numbers as it did for waterman). I just see some of that catch and release stuff and wonder. When you swim them for a long time I know it has to makes a ton of difference, but I learned volumes from the marine biologist at Monterrey Bay Aquarium. There was a reason we jack-poled yellowfin, mahi, and just about everything on their list. The reason as you all well know was lactic acid buildup and mortality rates after the fact. We wanted them alive to make the sometimes 1000 mile trip back to SD. Now these fish were under much more stress due to being put inside the Shogun as opposed to swimming off into the deep blue. The bluefin for whatever reason did not take to jackpoling so they were caught as small as possible by rod and reel. They seemed to not do as well as their cousins in yellow and skip. The albacore fared the worse and were easy to catch. They are so fragile. I just wonder how many bluefins caught and released spiral to the bottom. The tags might be a good reference. How many taggers have been contacted with a recapture? How many recaptures have there been?

Mike

[Anthony of the ARK]

what i usually do is grab the fish under the lower jaw, then either remove the hook or bring it aboard and remove the hook on the deck. i try to keep the fish in the water as much as possible.

everyonce in a while i my hand hits something under the gill plate and the fish start to bleed, i dont think those fish survive. after alot of practice i have become pretty good at keeping them alive.

i think on most day 80-90% of released fish survive. i put the gaff away after we kill our limit.

[Captain Michael Buffington]

Mike-
First off, how are you? You still in PR? Hope you're well down there if you're still on the island.

I tried to do a few searches on the internet this fall after that NE thread to see if there has been a study on release times/methods for bluefin but came up blank. I was trying to figure out if fighting times, lip gaffing vs tail roping, swim times, J vs circle, etc had ever been studied but came up blank. I can only speak from my experience, but I think that mortality rates are fairly low so long as you follow common sense and fight the fish quickly and swim the fish if necessary. Judging by how hard these things kick boatside, I think that losses are really low. Now gaff in release (like in the backs, etc) I think would show a different story.

Why are you asking...you got something cooking? Will we be seeing Buffington doing a little guiding up here in the northeast next summer?

yes I am in PR. I have a tarpon charter tomorrow but the new boat can't get in the main lagoon because it's too big for the bridges. That handicapps me like a sob. Therefore I have not gone after my former clients because I don't want to lose them. I still have a great tarpon fishery here to fish, but like tomorrow, the bait is in the main lagoon so I forsee problems in getting it. I am just biding my time till me and Carom get the permits for OUR boat and then the floodgates will hopefully open. Till then I am contemplating a crewboat job. Not real happy about it, but this is barely making ends meet.

Mike