" Giant " Blue Fin Tuna .... a story

Old Smoothound · #1 10-13-2004, 04:37 PM

Hi everyone I’m back from my Tuna fishing trip.

Well what can I say but…….. It was the most fascinating fishing trip I have ever been on. I now know what squid bars are what 130lb class rods and reels feel like to handle and what a fighting chair is for!
The story goes like this:
We got onto the boat 9.30am Irish time, which is really 10 or maybe 10.15am. We steamed out for 1 ½ hours to our chosen area, there had not been any sightings of Tuna the day before so we had 48 square miles of the Atlantic Ocean to search! But after maybe an hour of zig zagging there they where…. The most awe-inspiring sight I have ever witnessed in my life. We spotted 100’s of Gannets circling and diving into the sea after the baitfish that had been driven to the surface by the Tuna.

Then without warning the first of many gigantic Blue fin Tuna “Busted” the surface of the water some 900 metres away chasing after the poor old baitfish. Time and time again the Blue fin’s broke the surface, we gathered ourselves together and tackled up our trolling gear. I can truly say that it is the most awesome natural spectacle I have ever seen. 400 – 800lb fish crashing and leaping through and clean out of the waves, my hands were shaking with the “rush” of adrenalin pumping through me.

But as quick as it started, the Blue fins “went down” then 2hours later it all started again this time we were ready and we trolled our squid bars through them time and time again… but no strikes! After about 2 hours we had a strike. The outrigger popped or should I say went crack, the line whizzed through the air and the trolling line zizzed out. In 3 seconds over 300 yards of line came of the reel. The rod hooped over and still the fish was talking line(the drag is set at 36lbs!) It was my pals turn and he started to reel the line in to keep a tight line on the fish and went to climb into the chair to play the fish and all went slack. S..t, the fish had gone. We got the squid bar back to the boat and the centre of the line of squid was all but missing. The fish had hit the middle of the line of plastic squid and had bitten clean through 400lbcw mono!!!!

Gutted is not the word! We settled back down to troll again replacing the wrecked squid bar and within an hour, crack, whiz, zzzzzzzzzzzzzzz as another “Giant” hit our lures, my turn this time, I kept a tight line on the fish for what seemed ages, but in actual fact it was only a matter of minutes, yet again went to climb into the fighting chair and all went slack again, another one had bitten clean through 400lbcw mono again this time further to the left. Gutted or what!! Well to cut a long story short that was it, we saw a few more “Giants Busting” then we had to make our way back to port (to drown our sorrows), but I have booked again for next season and god willing I may have one that is well and truly hooked!

As a footnote the Blue fin Tuna is the fastest and strongest fish in the sea, it can reach speeds in excess of 60miles and hour and can feed whilst swimming at 5 knots! Its Dorsal fin is retractable as are the lateral front fins and this is what makes it the undisputed express freight of the sea!
Here’s to next season!!

Cheers
Shaun

Norfolkboy · #2 10-13-2004, 04:43 PM

unlucky about not landing any, but that's fishing. Atleast you got to feel 1 for a few minutes, and saw some great sights

glad you had a good time, and maybe next time eh!!

SteveMingo · #3 10-13-2004, 04:47 PM

Nice story - I wish I was there. It would be like christmas all over agian.

Fishing Forum Admin · #4 10-13-2004, 04:47 PM

Sounds great and a lifetimes exp....

Look forward to any pictures and a chat about it over a beer sometime soon

One thing I did not get a postcard ?