Seems like the dolphin run is coming to a close or at least slowing down substantially for this year? The reports of 15-20-30 fish are being replaced by 3-5-8 and the word “slow” feathered into the reports. Reports from up north look good.
My unscientific analysis is that with the mild winter, the run started a little early (our best day was around April 23 or so but that was after several trips cancelled) but due to the consistently crappy offshore conditions, it was tough to get out in April.
Hopefully there’s a few more double digit days left.
Hopefully, the dolphin arent going the way of the yellowfin tuna, hopefully it’s just another cycle.
In the 90’s you didn’t catch 30 dolphin a day. Heck, you usually caught more yellowfin than dolphin. Those we’re the good old days, YFT steaks piled up on the dock, boy I wish they would come back.
Could you imagine what it’d be like if YFT reports started coming through. Access to the boats, equipment, knowledge on how to get out there/be successful has increased drastically since the 90’s. How many people who would never consider it in the 90’s would be all over it now? You’d have to wait in line to get out of the harbor.
Yep one person would spot for the jumping fish and keep eyes on it for the captain. Everyone would man a rod and usually 4 or 5 of the 7 rods would go down. The work wasn’t too bad on 50s or 80s but occasionally you would get one that was a little more stuborn. Usually fighting straight down on the transom not coming up. 4 tuna loins from each fish, all the blackened tuna you could handle.