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I am back at the casa after a week in Venice. Let's just say the fishing has been as good as you can get without a passport! On 2/21 I had the pleasure of fishing Marc Comaduran along with four of his bud's from the military along with two of their fathers. These boys have been fighting oversea's and needed to scratch the offshore itch. The day started out fishing butterfly jigs for aj's and scamps and after a limit of jacks we pressed on in search of larger prey. We set up shop in normal chunking mode and shortly after we had fish in our slick. After a little constructive words the boys got the hang of the deal and five minutes later we were on our first yellowfin. Thirty minutes or so later, marc was looking at a fat 90lb fish. The next fish took the chunk right out of the gate and we were on again. We put that fish in the box along with another one around 100lb and set-up for another drift. At this point the radio was lit up with excited chatter as it seemed everyone was hooked up or had yellows in the slick. Started the process over again and the bonitas' and blackfin were everywhere in the slick and then vanished! I looked over the side of the boat and "mackdaddy" was having his way with the chunks. I immediately pinned a large chunk of bone head on a snelled 7/0 Frenzy hook and layed the bait gently over the side. The chunk made it about ten feet and the tuna sucked it up like a vacuum cleaner! Marc's dad was up and we strapped him in the harness and let it rip! Twenty minutes later this fish came up tail wrapped and was quickly subdued! High fives all around and the boys and dads all celebrated with a cold beer! Later that afternoon at the dock Mr. Comaduran's tuna weighed in at 175.6 respectively. It was a honor to fish with these guys for damn sure! Mardi Gras day was next in line with Eric Newman, sales and marketing manager for Blue Runner food company along with some of his long time friends aboard the Team Blue Runner Triton. I will let chris tell the story....On Tuesday, Hunter Cabellero and crew catch 5 yellowfintuna between 140 and 205 pounds. Team Bluerunner boats a 196lb. yellowfin tuna and a 722lb. mako shark. A day later, the Sea Spray lands an 1149lb. mako, shattering the Louisiana state record and nearly topping the IGFA record. Huh?
I was one of the lucky ones to be aboard the Bluerunner for the excitement. Although our story now pales in comparison to that of the Sea Spray, the events of day were for the record books (if the sportswriters agree). Skipping Mardi Gras, we left Venice Marina in search of big yellowfin. We did make a quick stop for a limit of AJ’s and some huge grouper, but we forgot about those fish until the fish boxes were emptied.
At first it was a bit slow, and then at ten minutes before noon, the Gulf seemed to explode with life. The bonita, blackfin, kings, and sharks hit the chum trail by the dozen. We snagged a few bonita and promptly re-inserted them into the food chain as chunks of bloody meat. Three to four imposing hammerheads circled the boat, and we figured the yellowfin wouldn’t be far behind. As the anticipation onboard climbed, I noticed that several crew members used a new technique of sending Marlboro smoke signals. Apparently, it worked. Capt. William Wall and his mate, Mike Gray spotted the yellowfin first. Using an 80lb. Frenzy fluorocarbon leader and an 8/0 Frenzy circle hook (we like Frenzy), George Monsted pitched a bonita chunk that was immediately inhaled by a tuna. After feeding the fish several yards of line, he set the Shimano Tiagra 50 drag on the biggest fish of his life. An hour and forty-five minutes later, Michael Reitz, aka Chop, and I sank the gaffs into George’s 196lb. yellowfin. Once the high-fives were over, and we picked George up from the deck, we reset out drift.
Then Capt. Eddie Burger reports a mako hookup over the radio. Judging from the size of the airborne mako, Capt. Will offered his assistance and the use of our harpoon. Capt. Eddie gladly accepted and Capt.Will jumped onboard. Coincidentally, Capt. CT Williams was in the neighborhood, catching giant yellowfin with Capt. Hunter and collecting footage for his TV shows, The BigFish and Louisiana Wildlife. Not wanting to miss the action, Capt. CT joined Capt. Will onboard with Capt. Eddie.
Meanwhile, we went back to chumming, wondering about the fun Capt. Eddie, Capt. Will, and CT were having with their high-flying mako. As Eric Newman was deploying another pieceof chum, he screamed “MAKO”. Since Eric has been known to be a prankster, his initial outburst was met with skepticism. Then Chop, who has just returned from chasing grander black marlin in Australia, calmly declared, “It’s f#@ing huge!” Pandemonium engulfed the crew. With nerves of glass, I uncoiled the 500# steel leader and 11/0 Frenzy circle hook while Mike tied the swivel and rig a recycled bonita head. Within seconds of the bait hitting the water, the 722lb. beast devoured the offering. After the fish came tight against the Falcon custom bentbutt rod, Shimano Tiagra 50, Jerry Brown hollow-core, and Berkley Big Game mono topshot (gotta love the endorsements), Eric began the fight of his life. And this was no ordinary fight. For the first hour, we ran at 10-12 knots away from the fish as it chased the boat. Staying at fifty feet below the stern, she forced us to make clockwise circles to keep the line out of the props. She had us in a death spin. The smoke signals were now thicker than ever.
About halfway through the race to stay away from the fish, Capt. Will radios that Capt. Eddie’s mako made an escape, and that he and CT would returning to our boat. I told them to please hurry and to bring the harpoon. Kindly, Capt. Rimmer Covington also brought us a flying gaff for the moment of truth.
Fortunately, Eric had been training for a triathlon and he’s a general badass (he wears white sunglasses, for God’s sakes). At the two hour and thirty-five minute mark, the mako came to the surface and we angled the boat to intercept her course. As she came along the starboard gunwale, Chop wired the leader to play tug-o-war with the man-eating beast. As Chop held her close, Capt. Will sank the flying gaff just behind her head, causing an eruption of water and a loud clanking sound as she spun and redecorated the hull with the gaff-top. Once we wrestled her back to the boat, Mike snared her tail with a rope and she was tied off to face her doom.
Several folks deserve mention for their part in making such an incredible day possible. First, thanks to Capt. William Wall with Pelagic Chartes and mate, Mike Gray. Without their knowledge and tenacious enthusiasm this would've never been possible. To my friend, Eric Newman: Thanks for the invitation and congratulations on your fish. I’m so glad I was a part of it! Thanks to the guard at Venice Marina for graciously allowing the use of the forklift and scale to weigh the tuna and mako. The Venice charter captains need to be commended for their support and assistance, particularly Capt. Eddie Berger,Capt. Rimmer Covington, Capt.Hunter Cabellero, and Capt. Lee Mclean. Thanks to Capt. CT Williams for his help at the helm and the video documentation of our memorable trip. Watch for the footage on his upcoming show. Lastly, thanks to the sponsors of Team Bluerunner, specifically Triton boats, Mercury Marine, Berkley, Falcon Rods, Shimano, Frenzy Big Game Tackle, Braid Products, Yeti Coolers and Costa Del Mar.
The fishing in Venice and the outlying gulf of mexico has proven to be one of the best, big game fishing destinations in the world. Give me a call to book your next adventure. would
Captain William Wall
Pelagic Charters
1.225.454.5365
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After looking at the pics I think I'd still be running away from it
Originally Posted by Capt_John
