MONSTER YELLOWFIN TUNERS........

[Ace1st]

have been caught off the coast of South Carolina in the past. Back in the late 70's the state record 241 lber was caught off Charleston.

It was common until the last few years to catch YFT's off our coast although they havent seemed to make much of a showing lately. Even when we were catching a good number of tuners we never saw the COWs like the state record fish. My largest out of Little River is 65 lber, though just a baby compared to a COW. Now I know the outer banks is TUNA CENTRAL these days but even there you dont see the COWS.

I guess my question is why not? Are these COWS not the same species of YFT's we see here or once they get a certain size do they change their migration patterns?

Surely some of these INTERNATIONAL TUNA SLAYERS have ideas as to this.

[seapower]

I don't know the answer to your question, as I have asked myself and other's the same thing. How about those huge yellow fin's I see in the gulf and on the west coast. I don't recall any fish of that class caught around here. Now of course I don't get out much, but I would think on the "wilder" east side of the stream those fish could be found. I've had some folk's say that's the case. They've said there are more tuna, billfish, etc.... than a man could want on the other side. I don't know, but I expect migration patterns have something to do with it to. There again they may just "raise up" in our water's. ????? Frank

[Ace1st]

Yeah.......I dont understand it either. I guess the gulf tuna are a different group. I have heard of Longliners out of Charleston hammering the BIG TUNERS 150+ miles out but youd think you would hear about a stray once in a while. One of these days Im gonna make that eastard side trip of the stream and find out for myself. Im sure it would take multiple days to do it, but if you can pick a good weathwer pattern it could be doable.

[Capt. Jon Tennant]

Ace, Jason who buys gbft at homers told me last year that the sword fish (long-line) boats he buys from up north hammered the big yellowbellys last year on the east coast all the way from the closed areas of charleston to way up north... said it was the most big (100+ lbs) yellows hes seen in a while. All were caught on the east side of the stream and beyond.

The bad thing for most of us is you not only have to have a boat with the range to get there, but you would need to be able to fish up or down the coast for multiple days to locate the fish. I think this is the biggest reason trips on the far side are usually all or nothing (with nothing having the biggest odds)... just not enough time to get on them. But if you put all you chips on the table & get lucky, the fishing would probably surprise everyone.

[Capt_John]

I've been to the east side of the stream several times on a sportfish boat and it's either absolutely red hot or dead as hell. Not much in between and not worth the fuel unless you have deep pockets. I've got some buddies from HHI that went this spring and crushed the tunas and huge mahis one day and didn't get a bite 3 days later.

[Ace1st]

So how far are we talking about? 100...200 miles off? Or further?

[Custom Canvas]

i'd say some where between 90-140 miles depending on where you leave from and how wide the stream is that day.

[calebw]

Right now it looks like it is going to be 132 miles out of MHC and 180 out of Little River inlet.

[Reel Compromise]

Hoping not to sound stupid, what does MHC stand for? Where is MHC?

[calebw]

MHC stands for Morehead City, North Carolina