Went back to the south ledge on 11/20 wed ,Got 9 more black fin! also 1 small king, 2 bonito, all by 10 am.
Need to get this pic thing right but for now, here they are.Bob-O 33palmetto
nice fish bob… looks like we chose poorly going to the deli instead of the south ledge… nice job…
Nice Job on the fish here are your pics sir.
Jeremy
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2006 16ft actioncraft flats 115 etec
Nice work…
He took the bait like a jugbelly redfish on an olive and white clouser.
let us know how those things eat. i’ve heard good and bad. just curious bc there is a big diff. in opinion. thanks.
The older I get, the better I was.
I have heard that the food quality is low myself but have never tried it. Last one we caught ended up as bottom fishing bait. Great pictures.
Chris Walton
aka The Tequila Monkey
www.ChrisWaltonRealEstate.com
They don’t freeze as well of YFT but you would be hard pressed to tell them apart when they are fresh. They are excellent.
Chris,
They are excellent to eat. All fish are better fresh, but you should be kicking yourself if you used such fine eating for bottom bait, unless you pulled up a nice snapper or grouper with it.
The only difference between men and boys is the cost of their toys.
Great eating fish! Seard with sesame seeds in olvie oil,thin cut.
I make rolls with it, that every one loves! 
Bob-O 33palmetto
Nice, Bob-O!! That’s what I’m talking about–red meat.
6ft-n-glassy, there is narry a better-eating fish in the ocean. Blackfin is as good as yellowfin, and maybe a little better, except that the steaks aren’t as big and you tend to get more tendon in the fillet. Otherwise, it’s just plain awesome as long as you don’t cook it. It’s really good rare–nice and tangy.
Gotcha Covered,
Lee Strickland
Strickland Marine Insurance, Inc.
843-795-1000 / 800-446-1862
so it’s only good if you dont cook it. i gotcha (no pun intended). knew there was a trick to it. how do you keep it fresh w/out freezing it? the times i have frozen yellowfin the freezing cooks it and turns it white. ended up making tuna salad w/ it. now i have heard that if you vaccum seal it, it will stay red but i have not tried that yet. anybody?
The older I get, the better I was.
Nice catch Bob-O! I just called William to tell him get his butt in gear so we can get my boat out there!
Regarding how they eat…I too agree they eat fantastic! I wouldn’t go as far as to say they are better than YFT, but that it just my opinion.
I am a huge advocate of the vacuum sealer. It will NEVER be as good as the day it was caught, but it can keep well. I cut the meat into loins. No matter how you cut it, be sure to get ALL of the dark red out (blood line)and minimize rinsing with tap water. Patting dry with paper towels works well for me. I also put a folded paper towel inside of the vacuum sealed bag near the top to absorb all moisture that is drawn up during the sealing process. Make sure the bag collapses completely around the meat. If it doesn’t, break the seal and start all over with a new bag. Doing it this way, I have been able to keep fish for a couple of months. Of course, tuna never seems to stick around that long in my house.
Semper Fi
Junior
The Hook Up
26’ TwinVee Weekender
DF140s
Raymarine C Series
Blackfin Tuna are really the best eating in my opinion - for sushi anyway.
Bled as soon as they die, and kept cool (not frozen). Sliced thin with Soy and sesame!
Nice photos! Sounds lke the bite was early, so if the wind will lay down, I’m going this weekend - leave @ 3:30 or 4am!
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Viva-Mahia and Mack-Attack I & II
Take a Fish boating!
We leave at 3a.m. from palmetto bay & just make it to the ledge by 5:45 at 32kt how fast are you?
Bob-O 33palmetto
Nice fish!!
oldschool
352 wellcraft
trip E-Tecs
My boat will run 55 if it smooth - which is almost never, so I typically run 25-32 knots … so I’ll miss the sunrise. Are you going this w/e? I’m going to go check the reefcast …
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Viva-Mahia and Mack-Attack I & II
Take a Fish boating!
6FT N Glassy,
That’s right. Blackfin and Yellowfin are crap if you cook them–taste like canned tuna. BUT, they are SUBLIME eaten RAW or rare! I’m serious.
Nf02na is right. The best way to freeze tuna is to use a vacuum sealer, like a “Foodsaver” from Walmart or Costco. Basspro and Cabelas have a better model. If you don’t want to spring for a sealer, then just use little ziplock bags, insert tuna steak, fill with water, burp out all the air, and seal the zippy deal. It works very well; we did it for years until the vaccum sealers came out. Some will argue about this, but I would bet that a piece of meat forzen inside of a block of ice like that will suffer less from freezer burn, because freezer burn is the product of cells freezing, thawing, and re-freezing, which happens because moden freezers have a defrost cycle to keep the frost crystals minimized. This thawing won’t happen in the center of an ice block. I still use the vacuum sealer because it’s so much easier/quicker and takes up WAY less freezer space. Regardless of technique, tuna is WAY BETTER fresh, and freezing it, even with the vacuum, reduces the sheer Peppermint-Patti-esque experience of eating it. It’s still very “good”, though.
Gotcha Covered,
Lee Strickland
Strickland Marine Insurance, Inc.
843-795-1000 / 800-446-1862
Bad, bad idea to have fresh water touch the tuna meat. It softens the meat, turns it white, and begins to accelerate the decaying process in the meat.
Next tip, never use a dull knife, sawing action, or pressure the tuna meat with your hands when cleaning tuna as it too damages the integrity of the meat, only use very sharp knives with a smooth cutting action as you clean the fish and cut the slabs. Use the least possible fresh water during the process, or none at all, and you’ll notice a big difference in the quality of the tuna preparation.
Now that is some good eats raw or cooked. Definately not bait…but you never know…you could eat some and fish with the rest.
Did it for years and years, HHIBuilder. No problem at all. Used to sell the offshore fish we caught to restaurants too. Use cold water. Still, like I said, I suggest the vacuum sealer as first pick. Water freezing is the next-best option. Not freezing at all is the absolute best. That’s why I quit keeping more than I could eat within 5-10 days (which is about how long the fish market will tell you your fish will last unfrozen on ice or in the fridge).
P.S. If you’re talking sashimi, then I agree with you, but that pretty-much rules out the whole freezing discussion anyway IMO.
Gotcha Covered,
Lee Strickland
Strickland Marine Insurance, Inc.
843-795-1000 / 800-446-1862