No takers on our Open Boat Tuna trip yesterday (Friday Sept 13) so being that the boat was fueled up, iced up, and loaded with bait, my deck hand Dave Flood, and I, decided to run ourselves. We broke the inlet at 4AM. It was a very mild NE wind so the sea condition was mellow. We ran 60 plus miles to the spot. When we arrived at 7AM, there were no birds, no slicks, no whales, no readings,….nothing. Started putt-putting around the area and stumbled on two chick birds and a single shearwater. Said “Oh well, that’s more than we’ve seen, so let’s go on the drift”. A few minutes in we had mackerel on the surface around the boat, Saw a good size splash and then the bow rod went off. Got to it, threw the lever, it was there, and then it wasn’t. Reeled in an empty hook. Finally marked a single fish at 110 feet. Put a bait down to that depth and ten minutes later we are hooked up. Decked a 50 lb yellowfin. Another runoff, bit off by a shark, leader was all scraped up. Go back for another drift, hook and lose another fish, appeared to be a tuna by the run. Hook pulled. At 9AM Dave sets up on a fish that won’t stop dumping line off of his 30 class. We run it down, but it takes two more big runs before we can stick a gaff in his 105 lb yellowfin. 55″ length, 39″ girth. His biggest tuna ever. Couldn’t happen to a nicer guy. All Dave does is help people on my boat catch fish. We were back in by 1:30 PM. Here’s some video, it’s not great, it doesn’t include the end game because I couldn’t film and assist with the gaff: www.youtube.com/watch?v=YJZC2j2Bc68

Looks like the wave heights are up for a little while so we will be fishing in the bay for weakfish, kingfish, blowfish, and the mixed bag on ultralite tackle.

We will be announcing more tuna dates as soon as there is a good weather window.

Thank you,

Dave

Dave DeGennaro

Hi Flier Sportfishing

732.330.5674 cell

hiflier.com

Pics:

Dave DeGennaro (black shirt) with 50 lb Yellowfin Tuna

Dave Flood of Mantua NJ with bent rod and the 105 lb Yellowfin Tuna