2013 Tuna adventures

[Birdsnest]

If your looking for buddy boats you should post where you are fishing from. The premium weather days are the best days to get buddy boats. Other than that you will be out there all alone and getting your butt handed to you.lol

How much money are you willing to drop on gear?

THe cheapest way to get started if you already have 4 or 5 hali rods is to fish Xraps. As much as I hate those things in all honesty you can get 6 or 7 for a couple hundred bucks and your good to go or good enough to go. Full spread of gear with 7 lines, rods and reels not included will be around $350. Home made splashers are real money savers. It doesn't matter what it is as long as it splashes. I highly suggest considering hand lines as well. Very fun. Yozuri K9 Dive board are fun too. take your cannon balls off and run them off your down riggers at 20 feet with a 15 - 20 foot leader. For the clones and zukers I suggest using the double hooks. This will keep your hook up to landed ratio way higher and do not stop the boat when landing fish.

I could go on and on and on. Did this help.

 

[dak]

Buddy boats are a good idea for safety but I also suspect they increase your chance of catching. The more commotion you make in one area the better your chances are of attracting the tuna.

 

[casper5280]

If your looking for buddy boats you should post where you are fishing from. The premium weather days are the best days to get buddy boats. Other than that you will be out there all alone and getting your butt handed to you.lol

How much money are you willing to drop on gear?

THe cheapest way to get started if you already have 4 or 5 hali rods is to fish Xraps. As much as I hate those things in all honesty you can get 6 or 7 for a couple hundred bucks and your good to go or good enough to go. Full spread of gear with 7 lines, rods and reels not included will be around $350. Home made splashers are real money savers. It doesn't matter what it is as long as it splashes. I highly suggest considering hand lines as well. Very fun. Yozuri K9 Dive board are fun too. take your cannon balls off and run them off your down riggers at 20 feet with a 15 - 20 foot leader. For the clones and zukers I suggest using the double hooks. This will keep your hook up to landed ratio way higher and do not stop the boat when landing fish.

I could go on and on and on. Did this help.

I have been following this thread for a long time and that is some great info Birdsnest. Can't wait to try this one day.

 

[Birdsnest]

Buddy boats are a good idea for safety but I also suspect they increase your chance of catching. The more commotion you make in one area the better your chances are of attracting the tuna.

I agree with the above in I am starting to notice some patterns in my fishing trips where I get stuck doing one of two things.

1. Fishing in between. This is when you catch fish in one area and you hear that fish are being caught 3 miles from you so you decide to troll over there which will take a half hour. 3/4 of the way there, for what ever reason you decide to go back to where you were catching. This really eats the time fishing in between and happens alot to me. I am now thinking buddy boat strategies for buddy boating ie, the bite stops and so one boat goes looking and the other stays put. I am also more willing to just pick up everything and run 3 miles instead of trolling just to get it over with.

2. Fishing when you should be running. I have my "spots" which i like to fish which are about bottom structure. All I want to fish those spots is decent temps and chloro. What happens often is after the long run out about 7 or 10 mile before the spot the water looks great and the decision is made to troll 6 or 10 miles to the "spot". The problem with this is that you get you get a double header and you are stuck back there searching for some incidentals. I never hook up and not go back for more so these days I am far more inclined to go to the spot and do the searching from there. I will also go to an upwind location of where I hope to be fishing for easier trolling if the search is on.

Getting the odd tuna is one thing and thats great but the real fun is when you find a large school. Thats often the challenge.

Thats fishing.

 

[Tidal Chaos]

Now there is hope for the weekend.

You going out this weekend Birdsnest? If everything co-operates that is. We are going to be out at Sculpins lot working and I am considering heading out if it looks good. Thinking of Father and Son or Loudon if there are going to be other boats out there some what close or if there is anyone else that is heading out.

 

[harper44]

If you buddy boating (smart plan). take the time to come up with a strategy before leaving the dock. Some of the best success we had last year was spreading out the fleet in the morning and finding the best school then ganging up on them.

 

[Sculpin]

I agree with the above in I am starting to notice some patterns in my fishing trips where I get stuck doing one of two things.

1. Fishing in between. This is when you catch fish in one area and you hear that fish are being caught 3 miles from you so you decide to troll over there which will take a half hour. 3/4 of the way there, for what ever reason you decide to go back to where you were catching. This really eats the time fishing in between and happens alot to me. I am now thinking buddy boat strategies for buddy boating ie, the bite stops and so one boat goes looking and the other stays put. I am also more willing to just pick up everything and run 3 miles instead of trolling just to get it over with.

2. Fishing when you should be running. I have my "spots" which i like to fish which are about bottom structure. All I want to fish those spots is decent temps and chloro. What happens often is after the long run out about 7 or 10 mile before the spot the water looks great and the decision is made to troll 6 or 10 miles to the "spot". The problem with this is that you get you get a double header and you are stuck back there searching for some incidentals. I never hook up and not go back for more so these days I am far more inclined to go to the spot and do the searching from there. I will also go to an upwind location of where I hope to be fishing for easier trolling if the search is on.

Getting the odd tuna is one thing and thats great but the real fun is when you find a large school. Thats often the challenge.

Thats fishing.

They are all tough calls and she is a BIG ocean lol. My feeling last year (during the shootout out of Bamtown ) is that we should have stuck to Darren's gut feeling and stayed at the spot we started at. I did a run and gun due to radio talk but it never paid off. We ended up back at the spot we started and then started hitting fish after 7 hours of pain (no hits). Totally my fault.

However last trip out it slowed down for us, after a nice whack at them, and we did run and gun towards our buddy boat and it did pay off. I think the buddy boats need to stay pretty close like within 5 miles of one another. Last September long weekend was unbelievable for how everything lined up. Boats were only a few miles apart and we all managed to stay on a pretty big school. Figure 8 here and a figure 8 there and we all were into double digits. Firm believer in the buddy boats.

 

[Birdsnest]

There are now usually 3 to 5 boats out of tofino on good weather days as we approach the end of the chinook season. I expect that number will increase slightly as well so there certainly will be a decent number of boats, most participating. I think most of these boats are on VHF 78 so it would never hurt to call. I will be due my weekly tuna fix so I will be looking to go next chance i get which currently appears to be the weekend.
That was great trip we had and it was funny how at least one time during that trip we all were thinking of going to where the other boats were. I just about did the run to where you were a couple of times but we had a decent school as did you. Problem was that they would stop biting for an hour or so at a time. You would be getting them then we would be getting them then one of the other boats would get em. It sounds funny but it can be frustrating. That was a great day but you know that some days we are not all going to find our own schools to fish. The best days are when other boats are out.
For sure lets keep it touch.

 

[Tidal Chaos]

There are now usually 3 to 5 boats out of tofino on good weather days as we approach the end of the chinook season. I expect that number will increase slightly as well so there certainly will be a decent number of boats, most participating. I think most of these boats are on VHF 78 so it would never hurt to call. I will be due my weekly tuna fix so I will be looking to go next chance i get which currently appears to be the weekend.
That was great trip we had and it was funny how at least one time during that trip we all were thinking of going to where the other boats were. I just about did the run to where you were a couple of times but we had a decent school as did you. Problem was that they would stop biting for an hour or so at a time. You would be getting them then we would be getting them then one of the other boats would get em. It sounds funny but it can be frustrating. That was a great day but you know that some days we are not all going to find our own schools to fish. The best days are when other boats are out.
For sure lets keep it touch.

K will do, we will touch base once we know what we are doing.

 

[Sculpin]

Buoyweather says Saturday and Sunday all of the sudden look good! I guess we will see on Friday lol. I would never go out until looking the night before and have a two day window. Not worth it. Might not be getting much work done this weekend .

 

[Fishtank]

I'd be leaving from ukee what water temps am I looking for?

 

[dak]

Buoyweather says Saturday and Sunday all of the sudden look good! I guess we will see on Friday lol. I would never go out until looking the night before and have a two day window. Not worth it. Might not be getting much work done this weekend .

Hey Sculpin, you got the boat operating again? definitely would like to get out Sat and/or Sun. I've just got the Sirius Satellite Weather installed on the boat which also overlays the SST on the chart plotter. Should be a big help in locating the kill zones.

 

[Birdsnest]

I'd be leaving from ukee what water temps am I looking for?

Make sure you calibrate your temp gauge at the dock with couple of thermometers. 58 F is a good start. 60 F is real nice but you need clear water.

 

[mikep]

Ok guys looks like I am going to be getting my first shot at tuna this season......saturday/sunday in tofino. The Boat is already sitting at the gov dock out there and I am going to make the final call on friday. We are running a 33' persuit anyone else looking at heading out from tofino this weekend?

 

[seadna]

I'll probably be fishing for tuna someplace on Sunday. Depending on the chloro, it will be either at the end of JDF Canyon or Nitinat Canyon. At present, the clear water looks closer off the end of JDF Canyon.

 

[Fishtank]

I'll probably be fishing for tuna someplace on Sunday. Depending on the chloro, it will be either at the end of JDF Canyon or Nitinat Canyon. At present, the clear water looks closer off the end of JDF Canyon.

Where can you look at images of chloro for the pacific?

 

[Sculpin]

Where can you look at images of chloro for the pacific?

You need a subscription to Terrafin for accurate shots. You get sst's, chloro's, current, and upwelling shots. 99 bucks a year and well worth it if you want to get into this fishery.

Tempbreak.com has a Washington shot that is ok and free. Not as accurate as Terrafin.

 

[tykkyt e blue]

You can also use Ripcharts for a slightly different view ( all the same data, just diff ways of using tools to plan your trip )
When I went out on Sunday the 25th, the temps I saw matched very well with the charts, but the chloro did not. I never really saw blue water... very clear green yes, but def greeny

 

[Olde School]

Hello, guys.

I have just been asked by a very experienced fishing buddy, who has an amazing rig (trust me), to head to Bamfield on Friday, since the weather report for Saturday is excellent.
We are preparing to run out for tuna, but will feel a whole lot better about doing it for the first time if other boats are heading from Bamfield as well.

Please PM me if you are going and willing to travel in contact. Thinking of the whole safety in numbers angle.

How about it, Sculpin, Birdsnest, etc?

Thanks.

Smiley.

 

[dak]

Has you buddy fished tuna before? Does he have the gear? I am planning on running out for tuna Sat and/or Sun. Stop by Mills Landing Friday evening so we can meet and make plans. Looking forward to it! Hopefully there will be others joining us as well.