The line snapped out of the Roller-Troller outrigger clip and the rod just barely bent, but no line was coming off the reel like you would expect with a typical striped marlin strike. My son, Zane, looked at me and we both said the same thing…“Mako shark on the marlin lure”!
Zane scrambled down the bridge ladder and grabbed the rod and started winding, but the fish just kept tracking along at the same speed as the boat. Outdoor writer and good friend, Rich Holland, started clearing the other 3 trolling lines as Zane worked the fish closer to the boat. Rich just got the last troller out of the water, when Zane said the double line was coming out of the water. I looked over just in time to see the “mako shark” had grown a bill, as 150lbs of angry Catalina Island striped marlin exploded into the air just outside the port outrigger!
Rich, my son Zane (13) and I were off the east end of Catalina Island in Southern California trying to put a couple of the first Pop-up Satellite Archival Tags “PSATs” in our local stripers.
At the ready
A PSAT is an archival tag that is equipped to transmit the data via direct satellite upload when it “pops” to the surface. The PSAT’s major advantage is that it does not have to be physically retrieved like an archival tag for the data to be available. They have been used to track movements of ocean sunfish, marlin, sharks, tuna, swordfish and sea turtles. Location, depth, and temperature data are used to answer questions about migratory patterns, seasonal feeding movements, daily habits, and survival after catch and release. The sophisticated – and very expensive – $4000 PSAT tags had been supplied to us through the joint efforts of the Avalon Tuna Club, Paxon Offield and The Pfleger Institute of Technology (P.I.E.R).
We had been having a very successful marlin season on our boat “Kawakawa,” and were excited to be selected to place the tags. But, with an outdoor writer and two expensive PSATs aboard, the pressure was on to get the job done!
Zane’s marlin gave us a good scrap, but on the 30lb tackle he was soon boat-side and ready to be leadered and PSAT tagged. We were very careful to keep the marlin away from the props and also to keep him from hitting the side of the boat during the leadering and hook removal process. Luckily the fish was hooked right in the corner of the jaw and cooperated well once I was able to grab his bill in preparation for tagging. We removed the little magnet which was taped to the tag, and this turned on the PSAT transmitter. We then carefully placed the tag at the base of the dorsal and gently released the striper.
Satellite Ready
After high-fives and victory shouts we put the lures back in and continued trolling up the famous Catalina Island east end ridge looking for another striper. It didn’t take long before we were “wired” again on our second striper of the day in only 300 feet of water. Rich graciously insisted young Zane take the second fish so he could shoot photos. Twenty minutes later we had the fish to leader and were able to place our second PSAT in a perfectly healthy Catalina Island striped marlin!
We learned several months later from PIER scientist Dr. Michael Domeier, that one of our stripers immediately left Catalina water after we placed the PSAT and charged straight south 400 miles, where the tag stopped transmitting off Cedros Island in Baja, Mexico. Domeier theorized that the marlin had possibly been eaten by a predator, due to the data profile he received from the PSAT.
We were stunned and disappointed to learn that our second PSAT tagged marlin was re-caught the same afternoon after we placed the tag! It turns out the fish was re-caught by a boat fishing in a tournament which was held the same day we were out. Sadly, the fish was killed and the PSAT was removed by the boat that caught the fish. Dr. Domeier later recovered the PSAT and was able to upload the few hours of data from the overly-hungry striped marlin.
We were thrilled and honored to be one of the first boats in California to place a PSAT in a striped marlin. Since that day back in 2004 there have been many stripers PSAT tagged off Mexico, and a few more have even been tagged in Southern California. The data gleaned from the PSATs has greatly increased the knowledge base of the striped marlin’s habits at this northern limit of their usual range.
— Greg Stotesbury
For a complete list of our other featured blog posts and to see the full line of Guy Harvey Sportswear, please visit:www.guyharveysportswear.com
May 10, 2012
by admin
I wanted to add a personal note to the release below. It describes the fact that the Bimini Big Game Club and Guy Harvey Outpost have mutually decided to end their licensing agreement. As one who has spent his lifetime involved with various sportfishing activities and businesses, the importance of reopening the Bimini Big Game Club was easy to understand. The club’s involvement in the history of saltwater fishing was too important for it to remain shut down, as it was before our Guy Harvey Outpost team became involved. The entire Guy Harvey Outpost partnership (Guy Harvey, Mark Ellert, Charlie Forman and me) are all proud of the role our team played in reopening this iconic resort. Reopening the Bimini Big game Club would not have been so successfully accomplished without the leadership and brand strength of Guy Harvey, the vision and hospitality expertise of Mark Ellert, and the legal and business judgment of Charlie Forman. This ending of Guy Harvey Outpost’s involvement at the Bimini Big Game Club leaves behind a win-win situation. The Club is now open to the fishing and diving public, its owner has the opportunity to build on the success we helped to create, and value of the Guy Harvey Outpost brand in the resort world has been proven.
—Bill Shedd
Bimini Big Game Club and Guy Harvey Outpost end licensing agreement
ALICE TOWN, BIMINI (May 9, 2012) – Owners of the historic Big Game Club and Guy Harvey Outpost, LTD have mutually agreed to end the licensing agreement for the 51-room resort and marina, which re-opened two years ago as a Guy Harvey Outpost Resort & Marina.
Eric Jarvis, spokesman for the Southern California-based Hankey Group of Companies, owner of the Big Game Club, said the relationship using the branding power of world celebrated marine wildlife artist and scientist Guy Harvey coupled with the financial backing and support of the Hankey Group put the iconic fishing resort back in play as a popular family destination, adding scuba diving and backcountry fishing as available pursuits.
“We will continue to develop the property and make capital improvements, including the addition of a floating dock facility this summer, which will facilitate direct seaplane service,” Jarvis added.
“We’re glad to have written this chapter in the history of Bimini and the Big Game Club,” noted Mark Ellert, president of Guy Harvey Outpost, LTD based in Fort Lauderdale. “Our redevelopment of the property and revitalization of guest services restored the Club’s reputation for top-of-class water sports recreation and popularity as an out-island resort destination. Given this success and our comfort that an experienced management team is now in place, as the Club enters its third summer season we believe the time is right for the property to reclaim its independence and storied reputation as simply the Bimini Big Game Club.”
“The current hotel management in place has grown and improved sales and marketing and based on their performance and solid bookings through the summer, we felt we could move ahead on our own at this point,” said Jarvis.
Closed for two years, the Big Game Club, which was founded as a dinner club in 1936, was re-opened in 2010 following completion of a $3.5 million renovation that included all guest rooms, the new Bimini Big Game Bar & Grill, Hemingway Rum Bar and Social Lounge and the Outfitter Shop.
Just over 50 miles from Miami, Bimini has long been a favorite destination for angling and diving enthusiasts. With more than 200-record-setting catches in the waters around the tiny out-island, Bimini has earned its title as Sport Fishing Capital of the World. The diversity of diving experiences also makes Bimini one of the top dive destinations among recreational divers.
The Hankey Group of Companies is a privately held financial services, real estate and insurance organization based in Los Angeles, California. For more information on the Hankey Group, visit www.hankeygroup.com.
For a complete list of our other featured blog posts and to see the full line of Guy Harvey Sportswear, please visit:www.guyharveysportswear.com
AFTCO & Guy Harvey Sportswear thank the CCA for their leadership in the effort to get the U.S. Department of Commerce to reverse their “Idle Iron” policy. We are donating $2.00 for every Guy Harvey “Rigs-to-Reefs” shirt sold to the CCA to help them in their efforts.
CCA applauds Texas Governor’s call to protect Gulf rigs, artificial structure
AUSTIN, TX – In a letter to U.S. Department of Interior Secretary Ken Salazar, Texas Governor Rick Perry is calling for a review of the federal government’s “Idle Iron” policy that threatens to dismantle what is regarded as the largest artificial reef system in the world. In the letter, Perry says that the policy, which orders non-producing oil and gas rigs and other structures in offshore waters to be removed within five years of the issuance of the directive, will have profound negative implications for marine fisheries and the local coastal communities and businesses that rely on the fishing opportunities that these structures provide in the Gulf.
“I understand the factors that may have influenced the decision to order the blanket removal of these structures in the aftermath of the tragic oil spill of 2010,” Perry states in the letter. “However, a more balanced, reasoned response is required in light of irrefutable evidence that these structures are the basis for thriving ecosystems that harbor and sustain an immense diversity of life above and below the waterline, including seabirds, fish, turtles, marine mammals and corals.”
“We are grateful to Gov. Perry for weighing in on this issue on behalf of recreational anglers, divers and everyone who cares for a vibrant marine environment,” said Pat Murray, president of Coastal Conservation Association. “A more reasoned process is exactly what is needed to preserve these structures that form the basis of thriving marine ecosystems off Texas and all over the Gulf of Mexico.”
Perry’s letter is the latest effort to counter the federal government’s misguided removal policy. At its April meeting, the Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council moved to begin the process of classifying rigs and other vital artificial reefs as Essential Fish Habitat (EFH). If artificial reefs are eventually designated as EFH, all federal agencies would then have to consult with NOAA Fisheries on federal actions that may adversely affect them. Additionally, Sen. David Vitter (R-La) and Rep. Steve Palazzo (R-Ms) have filed legislation that would prevent rigs and other structures from being summarily removed from the Gulf of Mexico, and the issue continues to generate a high level of interest from other lawmakers.
“Gov. Perry has shown again that he is a true friend to Texas’ recreational anglers,” said Mark Ray, chairman of CCA Texas. “We greatly appreciate his leadership in elevating this important issue and standing up for the best interests of our fisheries and the coastal economies that depend on them.”
For a complete list of our other featured blog posts and to see the full line of Guy Harvey Sportswear, please visit:www.guyharveysportswear.com
Apr 25, 2012
by admin
Doug Olander, Editor of SportFishing Magazine, continues to provide leadership on the important issue of offshore oil rigs and the valuable habit they provide. Some misguided individuals from the extreme side of the environmental community are advocating removal of the rigs without considering the valuable habitat they provide. Doug’s recent blog below shares the good news that the Gulf Coast Fishery Management Council has recently voted to list the oil rigs in the Gulf Coast as “Essential Fish Habitat” and “Habitat Areas of Particular Concern”. While this is not a final solution in keeping the underwater portion of the rigs in place, when they are decommissioned, it is a step in the right direction.
Guy Harvey and AFTCO are supporting this effort with a special Rig-To-Reefs T-shirt designed by Guy and distributed by AFTCO and its retail partners. $2 from the sale of each shirt is being donated to the Coastal Conservation Association (CCA) to support their educational efforts on the value of maintaining this important habitat. – Bill Shedd
Gulf Rigs to Become ‘Essential Fish Habitat’
Every angler who fishes or ever might fish the Gulf of Mexico, as well as every true environmentalist who cares about the Gulf, owes a major “thank you!” to the Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council.
As I write this (Thursday morning, April 19), the council has just unanimously voted to go forward with the process that will list the Gulf’s decommissioned oil rigs as Essential Fish Habitat and Habitat Areas of Particular Concern, official federal designations designed to protect critical habitat.
This action can be huge in the battle to save about 650 rigs – covered in tons of living coral – from the U.S. Department of the Interior, which has ordered the oil industry to destroy and remove them within the next five years.
The council’s vote directs its staff to prepare the necessary management plans, and it will likely be some months before the council will have a final plan to approve and send on for the Secretary of Commerce’s signature later this year.
But process is in motion!
In a blog last week, I urged council members to vote for EFH. Now I thank them for their wise judgment in taking this important step.
For a more thorough analysis of this action and its implications, don’t miss Sport Fishing’s editorial in the June issue.
—Doug Olander
For a complete list of our other featured blog posts and to see the full line of Guy Harvey Sportswear, please visit:www.guyharveysportswear.com
Additional second chance promotion offers players the chance to win the fishing trip of a lifetime!
WEST PALM BEACH —The Palm Beach International Boat Show got off to a lucky start Thursday with the announcement of a brand new Florida Lottery GUY HARVEY® Scratch-Off game. Fishing and boating enthusiasts in Florida regularly wear Guy Harvey sportswear and starting on April 3, they can try their luck with this new game.
Capturing the colorful wildlife illustrations created by Dr. Guy Harvey, the $2 Scratch-Off game will feature six scenes of original Guy Harvey® Collector’s Series artwork.
“Today was a fun day to launch this new product that Floridians and visitors can really feel good about purchasing,” said Florida Lottery Secretary Cynthia O’Connell. “Not only do we expect this ticket to generate about $3.5 million for Florida’s education system, Dr. Harvey is also donating his licensing fee to the Guy Harvey Ocean Fund, a non-profit organization that directly benefits Florida’s coastlines.”
The $2 GUY HARVEY® Scratch-Off game offers cash prizes of up to $30,000 and overall odds to win of one-in-4.37. Additionally, non-winning GUY HARVEY® tickets may be entered in the Guy Harvey® Sportsman’s Paradise Second Chance Promotion on the Lottery’s website.
Four drawings will be held between April 25 and June 27 with 12 winners selected in each drawing.
• Grand prize winners will receive a Sportsman’s Paradise fishing trip for two to one of several fantastic fishing destinations including St. Petersburg Beach, Duck Key, the Bahamas, or Grand Cayman Island, where one lucky winner and a guest will get the opportunity of a lifetime – to go fishing with Guy Harvey himself!
• Second prize winners in the drawing will receive an original Guy Harvey® framed watercolor painting and the third prize winners will receive a $200 gift certificate to GuyHarveySportswear.com.
“This partnership with the Florida Lottery is unique and I am happy to be here in Florida to launch a product that will help Florida’s schools as well as the state’s precious natural resources,” said Dr. Guy Harvey. “I am especially looking forward to fishing with the winner of the Grand Cayman trip. We will have a great time!”
The Florida Lottery is working closely with the Florida Fish & Wildlife Conservation Commission to promote the game to Florida’s licensed anglers and to help underscore the importance of conservation to Florida.
“Acknowledged as the ‘Fishing Capital of the World,’ Florida has vast natural resources we are duty-bound to protect,” said Chuck Collins, Regional Director of the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. “Every effort to highlight the beauty of our waters, the abundance of species and our need to respect and conserve them for residents, visitors and our future generations is a worthwhile effort.”
For a complete list of our other featured blog posts and to see the full line of Guy Harvey Sportswear, please visit:www.guyharveysportswear.com
AFTCO, the American Fishing Tackle Company, recently announced the launch of a new website. The site includes easy direct links to both the Guy Harvey and Al Agnew e-commerce sites— AFTCO is the clothing licensee for both of these famous artists. The website also includes old photos depicting the company’s long history of marine conservation and industry involvement that dates back to 1958.
The new website provides a wealth of information for consumers. Saltwater anglers can now find answers to questions about AFTCO roller guides, rod parts, gaffs, fishing harnesses and belts, outrigger clips, Unibutts and all other AFTCO tackle items. In addition to the websites rich history of conservation and tackle, it also showcases AFTCO’s complete line of Fishing Tackle and Fishing Clothing. In the video section, users will find a collection of the cool saltwater fishing videos to share with friends and much more. Visit AFTCO.com for the complete line of AFTCO Fishing Gear.
About AFTCO & Guy Harvey’s Relationship
In 1999, AFTCO became the licensee for Guy Harvey all over print shirts. Then in 2004, AFTCO became the official licensee for all the Guy Harvey Sportswear that is seen on this site. Since that time, the two brands have worked together to build the ever expanding Guy Harvey brand. AFTCO and Guy Harvey have not only grown the Guy Harvey brand, but have worked together in partnership on many conservation issues. In 2010, AFTCO and Guy Harvey teamed up with AFTCO’s retail partners and sales reps to raise $500,000 to support marine research projects for studying possible implications from the BP oil spill. Most recently, AFTCO and Guy Harvey have teamed up to help raise money for the “Rigs to Reefs” campaign through an oil rigs to reefs shirt.
For a complete list of our other featured blog posts and to see the full line of Guy Harvey Sportswear, please visit:www.guyharveysportswear.com
“The finning of sharks for shark fin soup is a horrible activity. It is the equivalent of cutting off the hands of a monkey in the jungle and then turning him loose. Of course that could never happen, because such atrocities on land are more visible than those that take place at sea. Much of the ocean is out of sight out of mind, and that is why the efforts of Shawn Heinrichs and others to bring shark finning to the public’s attention is so important.”
– Bill Shedd – AFTCO President
At a fishery in Kesennuma, Japan, hundreds of salmon sharks are lined up, weighed and then their fins are sliced off.
Shawn Heinrichs, one of today’s premiere underwater photographers/cinematographers, was recently featured in one of HDNet‘s Dan Rather Reports segments titled, “All for a Bowl of Soup”. Shawn’s investigative report has produced one of the most disturbing, yet insightful looks yet into the Asian shark fin markets. The evidence captured on film gives viewers a perspective on the death and destruction of shark populations in a way that has likely never been seen before:
* hundreds of bags labeled as “Anchovies from Mexico” overflowing with shark fins
* 6,000-7,000 fins – one day’s haul in just one shop – being sorted, washed and dried
* sharks being finned alive on fishing vessels, then dumped back into the ocean to drown
* a “tuna fishery” that processed less than 100 tuna, yet thousands of sharks – which were caught “accidentally” as by-catch
* a finned nurse shark, still alive, slowly dying on a reef – within a marine sanctuary off Indonesia
If you wish to gain a new perspective on the horrors of shark finning and develop an understanding of the unsustainable destruction that shark populations are experiencing on a global level, then please watch the 7-minute video below (the full 30-minute segment can be downloaded from iTunes, search “Dan Rather: For a Bowl of soup”.
For a complete list of our other featured blog posts and to see the full line of Guy Harvey Sportswear, please visit:www.guyharveysportswear.com
This article was originally published by EurekAlert! global news service.
University of Miami study shows alarming accumulation of BMAA neurotoxins in shark fins; may pose a threat to shark fin consumers
MIAMI – Sharks are among the most threatened of marine species worldwide due to unsustainable overfishing. Sharks are primarily killed for their fins alone, to fuel the growing demand for shark fin soup, which is an Asia delicacy. A new study by University of Miami (UM) scientists in the journal Marine Drugshas discovered high concentrations of BMAA in shark fins, a neurotoxin linked to neurodegenerative diseases in humans including Alzheimer’s and Lou Gehrig Disease (ALS). The study suggests that consumption of shark fin soup and cartilage pills may pose a significant health risk for degenerative brain diseases.
“Shark fins are primarily derived through finning, a practice where by shark fins are removed at sea and the rest of the mutilated animal is thrown back in the water to die,” said co-author Dr. Neil Hammerschlag, research assistant professor of Marine Affairs & Policy and director of the RJ Dunlap Marine Conservation Program (RJD) at UM. “Estimates suggest that fins from as many as 70 million sharks end up in soup. As a result, many shark species are on the road to extinction. Because sharks play important roles in maintaining balance in the oceans, not only is shark fin soup injurious to the marine environment, but our study suggests that it is likely harmful to the people who are consuming them.”
Seven species of shark were tested for this study: blacknose, blacktip, bonnethead, bull, great hammerhead, lemon, and nurse sharks. Samples were collected from live animals in waters throughout South Florida.
“The concentrations of BMAA in the samples are a cause for concern, not only in shark fin soup, but also in dietary supplements and other forms ingested by humans, ” says study co-author Prof. Deborah Mash, Director of the University of Miami Brain Endowment Bank. The Bank supports basic and clinical research and holds one of the world’s largest collection of postmortem human brains encompassing a wide range of neurological disorders. In 2009, Prof. Mash and her co-authors published a study in the journal Acta Neurological Scandinavica, demonstrating that patients dying with diagnoses of Alzheimer’s Disease and ALS had unusually high levels of BMAA in their brains up to 256 ng/mg, whereas normal healthy aged people had no BMAA, or only trace quantities of the toxin present. “BMAA was first linked to neurodegenerative diseases in Guam, which resulted in the progressive loss of structure and function of neurons.”
The shark study found a similar range and even higher BMAA in the fins tested. The new study found levels of between 144 and 1836 ng/mg of BMAA, which overlapped the levels we measured in the brains of Alzheimer’s and ALS victims. Surprisingly, this level fits with the BMAA levels in fruit bats examined by Paul Cox, animals which concentrate BMAA from their diet of cycad seeds. He linked ingestion of fruit bats to the severe ALS/Parkinsonism dementia that afflicted many people in Guam.
“Not only does this work provide important information on one probable route of human exposure to BMAA, it may lead to a lowering of the demand for shark fin soup and consumption of shark products, which will aid ocean conservation efforts,” added Hammerschlag.
Guy Harvey & tiger shark – Bahamas. Photo courtesy of Neil Hammerschlag.
For a complete list of our other featured blog posts and to see the full line of Guy Harvey Sportswear, please visit:www.guyharveysportswear.com
When John Rafter asked me “Pete, if you knew tomorrow was going to be the last day you ever got to fish in your life, but you could be wherever you wanted to be, and in the prime time or season, where would you choose?” A thousand images flooded my brain. “That’s really tough. There are so many places.” I replied.
“What about St. Thomas?” Rafter queried, “We were talking about this at Oden’s Dock in Hatteras and someone said that was the best blue marlin fishing ever.”
St. Thomas is a lovely island and the Virgin Islands have great diving and snorkeling in crystal clear bays over sand so white it hurts the eyes—and some of the best reefs in the Caribbean. With 5 to 10 bites a day on blue marlin not guaranteed, but also not unusual, it conjured up fond memories.
“I’d have to think about that and Cape Verde would probably win if I was going after blue marlin. There are even more fish there, and lots of action would probably win out over someplace like Madeira, which is such a gorgeous place just to be, that the fishing is almost a bonus. In Madeira, even though the action is not as red hot when you do get a bite, it is likely to be a real monster. But the biggest blue I ever saw was off Mindelo in Cape Verde so that’s a tough one.” I mused.
I make my living fishing for monster marlin and tuna and love that kind of fishing even though it can be hard work and is often stressful when we’re under pressure to produce. When I fish for the sheer fun of it, I’m often targeting smaller fish.
The Great Barrier Reef is the ultimate. Not just lots of marlin, but monsters over 1000 pounds..."
“I haven’t had a chance to take Bimini after bonefish yet.” I told Rafter. “I can remember wading the flats east of the island she’s named after at sunrise, and that’s pretty darn gorgeous. With a rising tide and those schools of fish pushing up onto the flats trying to pick out tails and get a bite out of those spooky devils, if I could only fish one more day I’m not sure I wouldn’t like to share that with my little girl.”
Then I thought about tarpon. It’s cooler and yuppier to fish with fly rods on the flats and that is also great fun, but Boca Grande won for that scene. I remembered the sun setting in the west just as a full moon was rising in the east. Calm water shimmering in the light that never really quit with the big full moon spring tides carrying all that LIFE. Weed and crabs and minnows all going with the current and then the tarpon— thousands upon thousands of them rolling in huge packs of prehistoric predators eating every bait we put out. No records, no pressure to perform, just fish after fish jumping, fighting, and being released-healthy. I’d hate to think I’d never see that again.
“What about those days we had in Hatteras when the bluefins were THICK?” Rafter interrupted my silent thoughts.
Boy could I see that in my minds eye. Enormous shapes zooming through the water eating chum before it could get really wet. Giant tuna eating chicken wings and squashed Pepsi cans if they were thrown in the cadence of the cut up baitfish chum. The line crackling off the reel. Using 100 pounds of drag on custom Cal Sheets Penn 130 reels with a top shot of 300 pound line.
Or sunny days off Cat Cay and Bimini in the old days with even bigger tuna running before the sea. Harder there to get a bite but even bigger fish!
“And the diving there is truly wonderful. The dive industry is WAY bigger than fishing down under. We get to snorkel and dive in the best spots that even the dive boats don’t go to – in fact, the fishing guys found most of the dive spots when we were the only ones out there and that was only during our short black marlin season.”
Then Rafter stopped me cold. “You know what? Ernie Foster was in the crowd at Hatteras and here’s what he said. ‘Boys, you never know which day IS going to be the last one you do get to go fishing. You better enjoy each one as if it WAS the last.’”
Thinking about this has made me appreciate my time on the water even more and I’ve resolved to concentrate even more than I already do on two aspects of my fishing.
Share it with kids. There is no better way to enjoy a day on the water than taking a kid fishing. Someday, I’m going to finish a book I’ve started called “Mentors” partly about men who took me fishing. In the meantime, I’m going to do more of what my grandmother called “Paying for my raising.”
Help out the fish. Only strong resources and good management can ensure what I have loved for future generations to enjoy.
For a complete list of our other featured blog posts and to see the full line of Guy Harvey Sportswear, please visit:www.guyharveysportswear.com
The past few years in Southern California, we have been plagued with the “La Nina” condition, which keeps our offshore waters cooler than normal in the summer months. Our typical warm-water run of striped marlin, dorado and yellowfin tuna never makes it far enough north for us to reach them during “La Nina” years from ports in So Cal. Fortunately for us large, schools of bluefin tuna do sometimes make it above the US-Mexico border on cold water years, as they have a better tolerance for the cool and nutrient rich California current. The bluefin take advantage of the tremendous amounts of bait which congregate along well-defined current lines during cold water years. Our local bluefin are tough to catch, but worth the effort and are the best eating of any of our local offshore species.
When the bluefin show in the Gulf of Catalina they can usually be located over the offshore banks and ridges, such as the 43, 182, 289 and San Clemente Island ridge in purple-blue 62 to 68 degree water. One of the keys to locating bluefin is to look for fast moving spots of terns or petrels fluttering over the surface and crashing on bait. Bluefin spend a great amount of time at the surface feeding and “breezing”. Their surface roaming, tight schooling behavior makes them particularly vulnerable to the fleets of purse seine boats from Mexico and San Pedro. By the time these fish reach local waters they have usually been harassed several times by the relentless seiners. This makes them even more boat shy and sensitive to engine noise, generators and sonar pings.
Bluefin tuna are one of the most highly prized and best eating in the world
Bluefin are notoriously boat shy and difficult to hook from small private boats with smaller live bait capacities than the bigger party boats. Party boats can chum tremendous amounts of live baits and attract the bluefin to the boat, but smaller private boats have to take the baits to the bluefin and use stealth tactics to get their share. This requires some modified techniques to get them to bite consistently.
After locating an area with schools of bluefin showing on top and bird schools working around them, we immediately start glassing with gyro-stabilized binoculars to find the larger spots of fish and birds. This past season you could even watch for “jumpers” (free jumping tuna) in the working bluefin schools and then target the spots with the bigger fish. Our secret to getting the Bluefin to bite was to turn off all the sonar units, both up-and-down and side scanning, and then position the boat above the direction the fish were working. We would then shut down the motor and wait for the bluefin to get into casting range of our fly-lined sardines and small mackerel. Many times the bluefin would shy away or go down for no apparent reason, but every once in a while the whole school would be crashing bait all around the boat in a virtual frenzy! Even when actively feeding, the super-shy bluefin would only hit a perfectly presented bait that swam as soon as it hit the surface. Bluefin tuna can be the most frustrating fish in the world, but there is nothing like the thrill of the first run of a fat bluefin hooked on light tackle on your own boat after a stealthy approach!
Our favored bluefin tackle is a light 7 ½’ to 9’ live bait rod with the best casting reel available, spooled with 300 yards of 30-50lb spectra backing, with a long 20-30lb fluorocarbon top shot. Many of the schools of tuna run 15-25lbs, but then there are the occasional schools of 40-80lb fish. You won’t land many of the 70-80lb bruiser-bluefin on the light gear, but then you’ll never get the bite if you don’t use tackle that can fly-line a small live sardine or mackerel bait. We had several tragedies on big tuna this past season, but we also landed a fair amount on the light gear. We tried using 30-40lb fluorocarbon leaders, but found we got bit the best using 25lb pink-tinted 100% fluorocarbon with a 1-2/0 light wire, ringed circle hook to suit the bait. The circle hooks reduce the bite-offs from the larger sharp-toothed Bluefin, but we still lost some of the bigger models to chewed leader after long fights on the light gear.
Due to their superior quality on the table, we handle the bluefin we catch in a special way. Ideally, we head gaff the fish to avoid any gaff holes in the precious loins or bellies. We then immediately cut a couple of the gill arches with a pair of poultry shears, then make a small cut at the base of each side of the caudle peduncle (tail) just down to the backbone. Once the gills and tails are cut, we place the tuna head down in a bleed tank of circulating sea water and let the tuna bleed out completely before slipping them into an insulated fish bag full of ice and saltwater slush. This process insures all your efforts to catch the elusive and boat-shy bluefin tuna are rewarded with prime sushi loins and bellies at the end of the day!
— Greg Stotesbury
For a complete list of our other featured blog posts and to see the full line of Guy Harvey Sportswear, please visit:www.guyharveysportswear.com
I would like to welcome you to the Guy Harvey Sportswear web site. Here we will feature my blog where I will report on expeditions, adventures, and various marine conservation efforts. We will also include various guest bloggers, videos and photos that I believe you will find interesting, whether you are a serious fishing or diving enthusiast, or simply someone who cares about the marine resource, loves living the coastal lifestyle, or just wants to learn more about Guy Harvey sportswear.
I would like to welcome you to the Guy Harvey Sportswear web site. Here we will feature my blog where I will report on expeditions, adventures, and various marine conservation efforts. We will also include various guest bloggers, videos and photos that I believe you will find interesting, whether you are a serious fishing or diving enthusiast, or simply someone who cares about the marine resource, loves living the coastal lifestyle, or just wants to learn more about Guy Harvey sportswear.
