I recall 2 back to abck trips in 1993 in April.
Trip 1:
25 yellowin.
Trip 2:
17 yellowfin 2 mahi.
Fish were spotted jumping on surface. Troll in front of school and bam 4 or 5 rods going 30# to 40# fish.
Little did I know the fishery would all but disappear.
When do you guys recall it peaking?
Same here in 93. Caught 5 yf in the 40# range in the blind. Caught quite a few in 2000. Caught a few more in 06. Havent seen any since.
We had some trips in 2007 when we would get 3-4 a trip. In 04’ we got 17 at Bubble Rock in an hour. I have talked to a few old timers who have said they dissapeard for multiple year periods in the 70’s and 80’s. Can anyone else confirm??
yep. when the blackfin leave the yellowfin will show back up
Acres of YFT busting at GTH in the early 2000’s sometimes.
We used to catch YFT on wire. Used to even throw nice sized ones back. How many could you stand to grill or sear after a trip?
Hard to believe.
Seems like after 06ish is when they decided to stay away from the western edge.
Bigger blackfins than previously being caught right now…
Somebody or some thing is catching the YFT that used to come inshore for us or there’s been a change in the water or the bait or something.
A couple things have happened since the 90’s… world demand for tuna skyrocketed, regs on sharks have gotten very strict, marlin, sail and sword numbers have come way up, and SST has gone up every year. Not that it is global warming or anything- it is just a cycle we’re going through. Nothing new.
The enviro’s will find a way to blame the fishermen any way they can… they won’t consider the populations of competing species like swords and other billfish that have gone up as the YFT population has gone down. I believe there are other areas where YFT landings have gone up as ours have gone down also…
Maybe redstripe is right. I know fishing is always different year to year. Never thought of it being a half decade different from a half decade or anything. Certainly possible.
Luke 8:22-25
quote:Seem to remember it about the same as Bully down here off Sav Seemed far more common to catch a few YF than wahoo back then Also very few BF as well and like Phin says most were on wire only time we got anything on mono was ceder plugs cause thats all we had on mono as they were rigged out of the package The best YF bite I ever saw off charleston was in 1999 during the Hilton tourny we were locking 50s down and slinging 30-40#ers in the boat 3 or 4 at a time trying to kill a marlin couldnt waste time on um That year was also one heck of a billfish bite during the tourny seemed like we almost topped the bigrock for total billfish and that was in July
Originally posted by bullySame here in 93. Caught 5 yf in the 40# range in the blind. Caught quite a few in 2000. Caught a few more in 06. Havent seen any since.
late 70’s and earlry 80’s didn’t see many yfts just blackfins. It will cycle back around when temp. or bait cycles change I just don’t think we are smart enough to know what made the changes
My last catch was in 2007 as well. I have heard from some captains that have fished here for years saying they have disappeared and then reappeared. I don’t know if anyone is sure why. Once thing for sure is that they still catch them off North Carolina!
Sea Js Sportfishing
I think the yft are avoiding the SAFMC’s waters