Final Minute
So, I acquired an invitation to go bluewater tuna fishing from my good friend Jack.  The one factor was I acquired the textual content late the evening earlier than we had been to drive right down to Jacksonville. So after all I stated sure to the invite, however it was a busy morning the following day getting all my stuff prepared for a visit to the opposite aspect of the Gulf Stream and leaving the home so as. However after a loopy morning, I met up with my good friend at his place and we loaded up his truck with all our sort out and equipment and made our approach south round midday. We had a 400-mile drive forward of us and had been hoping to make that in round 6ish hours. After all, Atlanta visitors had different concepts and delayed us about an hour, however as soon as we made it previous that rattling metropolis it was clean crusing down I-75 and finally I-10. As soon as we made it to Jack’s good friend’s home we acquired about to prepping all our sort out for the following day’s journey. So we spent the following couple of hours including fluoro leaders on all of the rods in addition to tying on all of the trolling plugs. After that was all performed, we acquired a fast chunk to eat for dinner at Taco Lu’s, grabbed some meals to eat on the boat the following day, and went to mattress. We had an early begin at 3 am ready for us.
After a really quick sleep, we acquired about to load up the boat whereas all of Jack’s different buddies came visiting. Everybody donned some hotter garments and foul climate gear for the trip out, all of us knew it might be a chilly and moist one. As soon as everybody was prepared we had been off, heading out into the Atlantic via Mayport. As soon as outdoors the go, we gunned it straight east in search of a rip that Jack’s good friend had advised us to hit to try to discover the tuna. I’ve to say, the Atlantic is a bit totally different from the Gulf, being an even bigger physique of water it appeared to be a bit bumpier than I had anticipated for there being no wind in any respect within the morning. So after about an hour sitting up entrance on the bench seat with Nate, getting beat up by the swell, we determined it was time to maneuver to the again and sit within the bean baggage.
This was nice timing as a result of one of many spinning reels had labored free and it was a very good alternative for a loo break. So after the reel was reattached, everybody relived themselves, and we acquired located within the bean baggage within the again, we had been off once more. We needed to run not less than one other 70 miles to get close to the Gulf Stream so at minimal one other two-hours trip. That’s how the following couple of hours went, simply working east at 36mph with a cease right here and there to both get a rod located, pee, or let John chum the waters attributable to having a bit an excessive amount of enjoyable the evening earlier than. Whereas the bean bag was nice for making the trip out extra snug, getting slapped round by the 100-gallon gas bladder we had within the again was not nice.
However the time of getting slapped by the gas bladder each time we hit an enormous swell was virtually over, the solar began to peak over the horizon. This meant we had been working for over 3 hours now so it was time to prime off the ahead and rear gas tanks. So we stopped and connected the pump to the bladder and stuffed up the gas tanks. Then we wrapped up the bladder and tied it down on the entrance of the boat. Giving us a lot extra space within the again. Whereas we had been stopped we observed a number of birds within the distance, and even a few pilot whales simply chilling on the floor. We did have a slight concern although, we had a radar going to search for birds. However regardless that we may visibly see the birds, the machine wasn’t choosing them up. Additionally, the temp reader for the boat wasn’t studying the temperature proper as we had been working. It will solely learn true after we had been stopped for a while. However being already 100 miles offshore there was nothing we may accomplish that we stored working.
After the gas up we stored working once more and crossed over the Gulf Stream. The swell within the Gulf Stream is an effective bit rougher than the encircling ocean, which shouldn’t have been as shocking for me because it was. However we went from 3-5ft swells into 5-7ft swells as we had been crossing the Gulf Stream. After we acquired previous that although we simply stored working, all morning looking for the tuna. When you get into them within the morning it might be a really seen signal of life, with birds diving and fish busting. However we simply didnt discover them, the radar wasn’t choosing something up. In order it neared midday we knew we had missed the morning chunk so it was time to go discover a weed line to seek out some mahi for the field.
Fortunately after passing on a smaller weed line, we discovered a better-sized one quickly after. So lastly we began fishing, placing out 5 strains, a few rigged ballyhoo on the outriggers, a madscad, DTX minnow, and a madmac. As soon as the strains had been all out we simply trolled alongside the weedline. I additionally had my spinning rod arrange with a ballyhoo pitch bait to sight forged if we see any fish we’d see.
We noticed an enormous log or publish floating within the weed line and as quickly as we handed by we had a few large hits, one on a ballyhoo and the opposite on the madscad. Nate and Jack had been combating the fish however Jack’s fish acquired off quickly after, so we centered on Nate’s fish which seemed to be a greater one. So we introduced in all of the strains and began working the fish, finally bringing it boat aspect after a little bit of boat work. As soon as we acquired it shut Jack caught a gaff in it and introduced this good cow mahi into the boat. We had been all stoked to lastly have a fish on board in any case that working we did within the morning.
Working to the Otherside of the Gulf Stream – North Florida Bluewater Fishing
After placing our fish within the kill field we needed to do some looking out to seek out the weed line once more, however as soon as we acquired again on it it was on. We began choosing up mahi right here and there, not the most important fish however nonetheless meat to take house. I additionally caught essentially the most aggressive and misplaced shark I’ve ever seen on troll. Seemed like a bit of sandbar shark that cleared the floor chasing the ballyhoo, that we shortly tossed again in. Then we had some actual pleasure occur, we had a sailfish come and take a ballyhoo out of the unfold. We initially thought it was a small white marlin with the way it was combating, working in the direction of the boat initially then breaching the floor with its stomach in the direction of us. Jack 2(Jack’s good friend Jack) made quick work of it and John was the chief man and pulled the sailfish into the boat. We acquired a number of pictures and despatched it on its approach after reviving the fish subsequent to the boat.
After the sailfish, we acquired a number of extra mahi for the field and because it neared 3 we pulled within the strains to try to discover the tuna once more for the night chunk. So the plan was to simply run in the direction of St. Augustine and hopefully see some birds on the best way again. Whereas time was a priority our greater concern was having sufficient gas to get again to the dock. With not seeing any birds on the radar and never having present experiences although, we weren’t too hopeful. After an hour of simply watching the horizon whereas we had been making our approach again, I noticed a number of birds within the distance to the south. This was the most important group of birds we had seen all day, we even noticed an enormous frigate hen. Quickly after sighting all of the birds we noticed tuna busting. Nothing large, however perhaps an enormous college of skipjack or blackfin, however this was essentially the most life we’ve seen all day. We put out an expansion of lures as shortly as we may and I tied on a popper as properly. Jack made the primary forged with the popper and attached, however it acquired it off close to the boat. I attempted making one other forged however the rattling Alberto knot caught the mainline and tangle all the pieces up. After all, whereas this was happening up entrance the tuna didn’t hit a single one among lures in our unfold. So after a short bit of pleasure, we needed to name it a day, staying out any longer was risking getting stranded.
After getting all the pieces packed up so nothing would fly off on the lengthy trip again we made our approach again. No less than the wind that had began up was to our again to assist lay down the swell as we made the lengthy 4-hour trip again in, whilst we crossed the Gulf Stream it wasn’t too horrible going again in in comparison with the trip out within the morning. Whereas we didn’t get the tuna we needed, it was nonetheless a enjoyable first journey out into the Atlantic and crossing the Gulf Stream for me and I’m excited to get again on the market quickly to hopefully get into some tuna subsequent time.
