Author Topic: Going tuna fishing for the first time on Friday. what to expect? (Read 3785 times)

nico · « **on:** July 14, 2009, 11:06:10 PM »

The title kinda says it all. I've been salt water fishing my whole life (bottom, trolling, chumming, deep sea, live-lining, etc.) but have never been after anything as big as tuna. I know there's at least a few fishermen here who can give me an idea of what it'll be like.

I must say though, the thought of having to leave at 2am to get to the boat before 5 kinda cuts down on the excitement factor. But, I guess if we have a few lbs of fresh tuna Friday night it'll be worth it.

never_retreat · « **Reply #1 on:** July 14, 2009, 11:26:15 PM »

Were are you fishing?

nico · « **Reply #2 on:** July 14, 2009, 11:48:55 PM »

Ocean City, MD

Northwoods · « **Reply #3 on:** July 15, 2009, 01:24:30 AM »

Only went tuna fishing once. A few weeks after 9/11, left out of San Diego. Puked the whole way to the grounds (in spite of the Dramimine), and of the 30 people on the boat only 20 fish were caught (and of course 1 guy got 4-5 of them). Talk about a miserable trip.

seeker_two · « **Reply #4 on:** July 15, 2009, 06:18:12 AM »

Tuna does not wear glasses....

http://www.starkist.com/images/charlie_01.png

280plus · « **Reply #5 on:** July 15, 2009, 06:41:28 AM »

You can tune a piano but you can't tuna fish!

Jamisjockey · « **Reply #6 on:** July 15, 2009, 07:55:09 AM »

Bonine is a alot better than Dramamine.
I take it its a charter? Defer to their experience.
Stretch the night before. Tuna are like missles with fins, and even a small one will wear your back out.
Check with the charter to see if there is anything you should bring.

Harold Tuttle · « **Reply #7 on:** July 15, 2009, 08:23:27 AM »

Tuco · « **Reply #8 on:** July 15, 2009, 08:50:50 AM »

I hear a tuna pulls real good.

Harold Tuttle · « **Reply #9 on:** July 15, 2009, 08:56:20 AM »

I was out on a buddies boat for the day off of Ocean City MD,
we were skunked and they were getting miffed

At about 5:30 pm we saw a big Tuna Jump

They Plotted the GPS and we started to troll the area in wider circles.
I was rather glad we didn't get into a 3 hour fight that evening

coppertales · « **Reply #10 on:** July 15, 2009, 11:19:28 AM »

MMMMMM...lots of sushi......chris3

freedom lover · « **Reply #11 on:** July 15, 2009, 12:51:52 PM »

Quote from: coppertales on July 15, 2009, 11:19:28 AM

MMMMMM...lots of sushi......chris3

Eating raw fish seems to me like a great way to ingest some nasty parasites.

Marnoot · « **Reply #12 on:** July 15, 2009, 12:54:09 PM »

Quote from: freedom lover on July 15, 2009, 12:51:52 PM

Eating raw fish seems to me like a great way to ingest some nasty parasites.

That's why it is best to ingest only sushi-grade raw fish. It has been flash-frozen to these specifications to kill parasites:

". . .which is accomplished by 'freezing and storing seafood at -4Â°F (-20Â°C) or below for 7 days (total time), or freezing at -31Â°F (-35Â°C) or below until solid and storing at -31Â°F (-35Â°C) or below for 15 hours, or freezing at -31Â°F (-35Â°C) or below until solid and storing at -4Â°F (-20Â°C) or below for 24 hours' which is sufficient to kill parasites. "

freedom lover · « **Reply #13 on:** July 15, 2009, 12:56:54 PM »

Quote from: Marnoot on July 15, 2009, 12:54:09 PM

That's why it is best to ingest only sushi-grade raw fish. It has been flash-frozen to these specifications to kill parasites:

". . .which is accomplished by 'freezing and storing seafood at -4Â°F (-20Â°C) or below for 7 days (total time), or freezing at -31Â°F (-35Â°C) or below until solid and storing at -31Â°F (-35Â°C) or below for 15 hours, or freezing at -31Â°F (-35Â°C) or below until solid and storing at -4Â°F (-20Â°C) or below for 24 hours' which is sufficient to kill parasites. "

Who says the freezing kills the parasites? The fishing industry?

Marnoot · « **Reply #14 on:** July 15, 2009, 12:59:18 PM »

Quote from: freedom lover on July 15, 2009, 12:56:54 PM

Who says the freezing kills the parasites? The fishing industry?

The FDA. (Specifically the FDA Food Code, 3-402.11).

Jamisjockey · « **Reply #15 on:** July 15, 2009, 05:30:18 PM »

Meh. I've eaten bites of certain species right at the cleaning table.

thebaldguy · « **Reply #16 on:** July 15, 2009, 06:50:05 PM »

My girlfriend and I looked into a tuna trip in New Jersey a few years ago. I was shocked at the price and the terms of the trip. It was $1300 for a 20 hour trip, and you didn't get to keep the tuna. That's right; you didn't get to take your tuna home. They were property of the boat, and they only gave you a few steaks. If you got a giant tuna (300+ lbs.) they sold it and gave you half the cash.

We didn't go.

Harold Tuttle · « **Reply #17 on:** July 15, 2009, 07:09:32 PM »

Tuna Catching violations are serious business

Jamisjockey · « **Reply #18 on:** July 15, 2009, 09:04:59 PM »

Quote from: Harold Tuttle on July 15, 2009, 07:09:32 PM

Tuna Catching violations are serious business

Very much so. Most species of migratory tuna are regulated by the Feds.

nico · « **Reply #19 on:** July 15, 2009, 10:59:50 PM »

Quote from: JamisJockey on July 15, 2009, 07:55:09 AM

Bonine is a alot better than Dramamine.
I take it its a charter? Defer to their experience.
Stretch the night before. Tuna are like missles with fins, and even a small one will wear your back out.
Check with the charter to see if there is anything you should bring.

Boat shoes and food are all they said to bring. Like I said, I'm not exactly new to the water so I'm not all that worried about getting sea sick. I was basically wondering how the fishing would compare to, say, rockfish. Most of my fishing the last 5 or so years has been on charters trolling or chumming for rockfish in the Chesapeake Bay. The biggest rockfish I've caught was 42" and maybe 15lbs. I've heard tuna fight like bluefish, but have never even seen a bluefish more than ~16".

Quote from: thebaldguy on July 15, 2009, 06:50:05 PM

My girlfriend and I looked into a tuna trip in New Jersey a few years ago. I was shocked at the price and the terms of the trip. It was $1300 for a 20 hour trip, and you didn't get to keep the tuna. That's right; you didn't get to take your tuna home. They were property of the boat, and they only gave you a few steaks. If you got a giant tuna (300+ lbs.) they sold it and gave you half the cash.

We didn't go.

wow, that's absurd. I've never heard of a charter like that (although 20 hours sounds pretty long). With every one I've been on, it's understood that you keep what you catch. We're paying $800 for the day (not sure how many hours). I can say with absolute certainty that if they try to pull that kind of thing, the mate isn't getting a tip.

Here's the boat we're going on:
https://www.tunavision.net/Home_Page.php

eta: googling the name of the boat, I found this site that says they caught a 155lb tuna this season.

InfidelSerf · « **Reply #20 on:** July 15, 2009, 11:54:20 PM »

Bring a nice creamy horseradish sauce and some lemons. :)

MillCreek · « **Reply #21 on:** July 15, 2009, 11:58:45 PM »

I would imagine using a net would make it easier to scoop up those little cans.

Stetson · « **Reply #22 on:** July 16, 2009, 04:50:51 PM »

Be sure to use the fighting chair.

Went tuna fishing in Hawaii when I was 15, it seemed like my back hurt for a year after wards and the one I caught was little (28lbs 7oz). I didnt use the chair at first because I was a teenager and knew it all and was stronger than anyone there, and it was a little fish...

nico · « **Reply #23 on:** July 18, 2009, 09:29:28 AM »

sooooo basically the day sucked. Three out of the four of us were seasick the whole day, and the only fish we caught was a single ~10lb mahi mahi. Of the other boats that were out, 4 or 5 of them hooked one tuna and one of those boats fought it for over an hour and a half then gave up and cut it loose. If we hadn't caught anything and nobody got seasick, or if we caught a couple 100+lb tuna despite the puking, it would have been fine, but the combination just sucked. My stomach still feels a little funny from puking all day yesterday

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Author Topic: Going tuna fishing for the first time on Friday. what to expect? (Read 3785 times)