Fished Monday and Tuesday with Sami from Saltwater Tackle of Brooklyn this week. We went 0/4 on Monday and 0/0 on Tuesday.
A number of fish were caught by the commercial fleet. We were only jigging and popping. One dressed out at 280# which would put it around 360# total. Another fish was landed Tuesday that went 99" which puts it right around 500#. Quite a few other fish were caught as well. We had our shots the first day but those fish will take advantage of any weakness they can exploit.
Got hit by a rogue wave on the way in our 55’ sporty that (**() near flipped the boat.
That place is so frustrating and the fish are animals, literally. Can’t wait to go back and try again in 2 weeks.
There is no run and gun in a 55’ sporty. The water up there is BIG. I would not bring my boat or fish with someone who did not know there way around. Spring, summer, fall, no problem. Winter, no way.
We took a rogue wave of 10’ in a consistent 3-5’ SW wind chop. A 30’ boat would have been swallowed, instantly.
We run one large hookless bird/bar combo and look for marks on the sounder and go from there. We would have hung a fish if we had ballyhoo’s out but that isn’t how we roll. The fish are big this year. They all look to be 80"+ right now. To big to keep for recreational anyhow.
quote: Got hit by a rogue wave on the way in our 55' sporty that (**() near flipped the boat.
if I get up there on one of these trips I will be sure to stick a piece of coal up my ass because nearly flipping a 55’ would at least bring me home a diamond…
Not to be a smart azz…Real question. I assume you are using a heavy braid, but what kind of rod/reel setup are you using that can cast really well and manage the possibility of a 500 lb tuna…? I know from past reports you have caught some big ones up there.
Not to be a smart azz…Real question. I assume you are using a heavy braid, but what kind of rod/reel setup are you using that can cast really well and manage the possibility of a 500 lb tuna…? I know from past reports you have caught some big ones up there.
Typical setup is not one you will find at your local retailer.
-20K Stella is the reel of choice for jigging
-18K Stella for casting
These can hold around 400 yards of 80-100# hollow braid. The good stuff will break around #130 pounds. You can upgrade the spool to a 25K aftermarket spool which will get you another 80 yards. These reels can produce over #50 of drag. I usually start around 25-28# and go from there.
Rods are rated by their PE rating which is relative to the line. PE is the Japanese line rating syatem which is around 12/1 ratio. Meaning a PE2 line is about 24# rating, PE6 is about #70.
The jigging rods will have a GRAM rating as well. Which usually goes up to 500G, although I’ve seen them higher. This rating is somewhat relative to the weight of the lure you can fish with. Sometimes it is a trade-off as to whether you need a light tip to work the jig or a heavy rod to land the fish. I fish 400-500G in that fishery.
Popping/Casting rods are very specialized for the action of the bait you are throwing. Poppers, stickbaits, lipped/crankbaits in my mind all work better with a different tip action. Then of course you are hooked to a frieght train and the rest of the blank comes in to play.
It is not an inexpensive sport. The fish this year are 300-500# and there is a reason Shimano is bringing a Stella 30K to market this year.
One good setup will average $2000. Of course I need:
-1 stickbait rod
-1 jigging with spinner
-1 jigging with conventional
-1 popping
