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TUNA TALK CHAT TRANSCRIPT Presenters: |
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| <rc>< Welcome everyone to
what I hope will be the first of many "virtual seminars"
<rc>< Tonight will be kind of an experiment, not having pulled one of these off before. <rc>< Tonight's presenters are Derek Spingler and Nat Moody of First Light Anglers in Manchester, MA <First Light>< Good Evening <Jeff>< *applause* <rc>< rather than hit them hard with questions....why don't we let em start.....if you have a question.... <rc>< you can private chat me..... <rc>< does everyone have web touring on? <First Light>< I hope we are able to shed some light on a few questions <rc>< If not go up to options.....click on that.....then click on web touring.... <First Light>< I first must say that last year was an epic year for the school tuna <rc>< When do we start seeing fish....how long do we have to get ready.... <First Light>< I think we all hope that they return in the same numbers <First Light>< We saw our first fish up this way the first week of August <First Light>< when we were out giant fishing on Jeffries <First Light>< and the bank <First Light>< fish were off of the cape a couple weeks earlier <backman>< They were south of the islands till ~7/25 then they split eastwards <First Light>< exactly <First Light>< I have hear that those fish were smaller and actually may have been another body <First Light>< tough to tell <rc>< What brought them so close to shore this year? <First Light>< we started to see good numbers on our run to Cuttyhunk mid august <First Light>< bunker <backman>< we saw a bunch of 100#+ ones in early july then they turned into 40-50 pounders the week after; then 30 pounders after that <First Light>< we never saw many fish under 50lbs <First Light>< most 50 to 100 <First Light>< with some in the 100-150 class <Jeff>< Same off Race Pt <rc>< <backman>< that sounds like the bunches thsat went by in early july <First Light>< talking to the harpoon guys they agreed <First Light>< off the islands <backman>< lose the .jpg off your links and they will work <First Light>< didn't hear much from the guys fishing giants far offshore before their arrival <rc>< <First Light>< The water was a bit warmer this past summer but if the bunker return I think we will see them return <backman>< as I understand it they weren' spooky up there for a good month <First Light>< not at all <First Light>< the challenge was having your fly/plug stand out <rc>< how did you do that? <First Light>< it was also nice that the bait was small easier to cast flies <First Light>< fish around the edges of the bait balls <First Light>< let your fly drop out the bottom <rc>< did retrieve matter....fast vs slow? <First Light>< don't strip the fly just let it sit <rc>< NO movement? <First Light>< if the y were picky <backman>< low and slow...just like albies and bonito <First Light>< it seemed to work <rc>< <First Light>< generally though casting into the bait stripping to get the line tight to your hand then letting it fall <backman>< my boat has had one yellowfin on a fly last year and it was just as you describe -drifted on a QC325 for 30 or 40 seconds <backman>< the guy who hooked it was trying for a bull mahi under the peanuts - boiy was he surprised <Jeff>< Ok....so we must be talking fast sink lines then and not floating or int?....Even tho they are crashing bait on top? <First Light>< just returned from Costa rica, one epic day of yellowfin crashing tiny squid and anchovies <First Light>< almost all on dead drift <First Light>< generally we fished rio 550gr <First Light>< seemed to load the 14wt well and is less wind resistant >< one of their 'bluewater' lines, or standard sink tip? <First Light>< we also fished a sci angler bluewater line <First Light>< it has the strongest running line <First Light>< 45lbs <First Light>< rio is 40lbs <First Light>< i am trying to have them build a heavier one <Zorro>< Fly chukkin fairies <rc>< Jeff wants to know how important the retrieve is....when casting to school bluefin...... <<*)))><> what about leaders? <First Light>< it really depends on how the fish are behaving <First Light>< how fast are they moving <First Light>< how many fish <First Light>< size of the bait ball <rc>< You gonna tell em your secret indicator Derek? <First Light>< we splice 80 black dacron over the end of the fly line and the fished straight 40 or 50lb fluoro <rc>< <First Light>< splice is about 16inches <Jeff>< I like that idea <backman>< :) my kind of setup - no messing around with silly knots and class tippet <First Light>< only way to go <First Light>< good for the fish <backman>< How do you handle the edn game - hand line them up the last 10'? <First Light>< the last fish we landed this year was 76lbs in 18minutes <rc>< Did you have good luck releasing them? <First Light>< yes but a lot of clients wanted the sushi >< didn't you guys blow a lot of fly lines with a straight 40-50 leader? <First Light>< we would wear rubber gloves and grab the leader and then either gaff the fish, tail it or cut it off <First Light>< only two fly lines <backman>< tailing a 76# fish takes some guts <First Light>< that one met the gaff <First Light>< and yes it does <backman>< I'll bet - that almost the size for a harpoon <First Light>< depends how green the fish is <rc>< what percent fly vs spin did you guys do last year? <First Light>< 80% fly <First Light>< the hook up and land ratio was fantastic <rc>< Circle type hooks? <First Light>< 6/0 trey combs or 6/0 owner AKI <backman>< 18 minutes is green - we ended up releasing a lot of yellowin and albacore in the water by grabbing them under the jaw above the gills in the water and quickly tiwsiting the hook out <First Light>< that works great <backman>< if done right it was a 20 second clean release <backman>< of course touch the gil and its sushi time <rc>< A few of us are gearing up for Spin for this year.......rod? Line? <bassbob>< What is the best setup for a spinning rod and what do you use for lures and how do you fish them? <First Light>< toddbft photo was tailed and released >< how did you guys rig between fly line and backing? same thing with 80# dacron spliced loops? <First Light>< we were using the St.Croix saltwater series one piece SWS70MF <First Light>< 15-30lb rod <First Light>< we used 6500 penns and baitrunners <rc>< <backman>< :) josko swears by the 6500 <Jeff>< How many fish per drag washer? <First Light>< with 35lb cortland spectron <First Light>< great reel <Flyle>< gotta love black dot <rc>< were you happy with the spectron? <First Light>< we had some trouble on the bait runner with the spectra sliding up against the plastic of the bail and melting the plastic <First Light>< cortland yes power pro no <First Light>< i may actually fish more straight mono this year <Flyle>< power pro is better in a 4/0 for bottom fishing <First Light>< tought to cast the 35lb at times <backman>< curious about the risk of 35# spectra - I have 50 and its scary when its buzzing out <First Light>< certainly is <First Light>< no riskier <rc>< how do you mean risky? <backman>< look ma - no finger... <Flyle>< hehe <First Light>< we actually had no trouble even with folks who had never been around it <backman>< spectra will cut you cod fishing; I'm terrified what it would do with a 20 MPH fish <First Light>< you learn fast <First Light>< only bad when your hands are wet <rc>< <First Light>< no trouble with it on the fly either <Jeff>< If there was one thing you learned this summer that really stuck in your mind about catching these fish, what would it be? <First Light>< there is a tailed and released fish <First Light>< finding the feed <First Light>< and keeping your distance from the bait balls <rc>< <Flyle>< yup its all in the approach <First Light>< I think most times folks were drifting into the bait a breaking it up <First Light>< not necessarily spooking the fish <rc>< Derek, in your talk you told us to watch for a particular bird........... <backman>< I have a friend <First Light>< shearwater <First Light>< see baitball <rc>< Always? how come not gulls? <First Light>< the shearwaters are the ones that dive below the water like on Blue Planet <First Light>< helps concentrate the bait as the fish are pushing them up <backman>< how about storm petrels -the little flitty ones referred to as tuna birds? <First Light>< the terns were another decent sign <John>< Have any of you used the Hi Vis line-straight mono? <First Light>< gannets ok but the tuna didnt seem to like them <backman>< yes for trolling <First Light>< petrels were generally around <rc>< <Flyle>< release that one right into the wasabi.... <First Light>< indeed <First Light>< that was his first <rc>< <First Light>< he hooked about 7 or 8 fish during the season and was the one who landed the fish so fast in the end <Flyle>< cool <rc>< how far north did you find fish? <First Light>< that would be the other key point we learned this season was simply how much pressure you could put on these fish <backman>< do you find that if you keep them coming they turn into puppies after the initial run, right up to the circle game at the end when they see the boat? <First Light>< we caught two fish up off of Seabrook power plant <Flyle>< up past the isle of shoals <Flyle>< caught several about 3 miles north <First Light>< there were fish but we did not go <First Light>< always a lot of fish by boone island <Flyle>< seemed to be following the 20 fthm curve <backman>< whats the distance from manchester to isle of shoals? <First Light>< yes unless the bait was too thick inside <bassbob>< How about spinning lures. What type and how do you fish them? <First Light>< about 40 miles <Flyle>< figured <First Light>< yo-zuri hydro metals <Flyle>< surface poppers <doug b.>< size? on yozuri's? <First Light>< we did not but some customers had luck <rc>< <First Light>< 40 and 60g on the yo-zuri <backman>< laugh but a 6 oz 6.95 diamond jig dumped out 200 yards and jigged back when its 50' down works also. <Flyle>< when they were busting up here we were using 2-4 oz poppers <First Light>< we also used megabait and braid jigs with good success <First Light>< what type <rc>< <Flyle>< both Atoms and Saltys <backman>< the standard bridgeport one with a single 7 or 8/0 hook. <First Light>< live bait jigs <doug b.>< Now Ron, <doug b.>< Those megabaits don't work <John>< When the fish are on the peanuts I bet the Storm WildEyes would be deadly... <First Light>< yeah but the hooks in the small ones are questionable <Flyle>< Biggest thing I learned this past year <backman>< anyone try sluggos? The chatham boys do well with them... <Flyle>< is to replace split rings with at least 6x <Flyle>< and get rid of those trebel hooks <rc>< <Flyle>< replace with a 4x gamagatsu 7/0 octopus <bob>< replace the hooks on the storm plugs works <bassbob>< The WildEyes are deadly, but the hook is weak and straightens out in 10 min. <John>< have you had one straighten on you? <John>< even on spinning gear? <bob>< in honor of this discussion I'm eating smoked BFT belly <First Light>< we landed one on a spro buctail but the fish was smaller <First Light>< i like the weight of the metals for covering the water <John>< any special retreives work better than others? <First Light>< better than the slug go's <Flyle>< i keep both rigged in the boat <bassbob>< I straightened the hooks on both the small and medium sizes <First Light>< again depends on the bait balls <Flyle>< steel and poppers <Flyle>< didnt like sluggos <First Light>< a lot of the metals worked well falling out of the bottom <Flyle>< yup <First Light>< or a faster retrieve then initially thought <backman>< anyone try pitching an eel at breaking fish - thay could be fun! <Flyle>< poppers worked better if they're slashing on the surface <Quicksilver>< not for the eel <First Light>< had customers set up with tinker mackerel with fish all around and could not get a bite <rc><
<backman>< the 2 hooked on my boat with metal were dropped into a mass of trolled up fish and left alone for 20 or 30 seconds. <John>< time of day seem to matter? <First Light>< as someone said it looks like they are dropping washing machines into the water <John>< tides? <First Light>< first and last light were actually slower <Flyle>< mixed in were a few volkswagons too... <First Light>< very visual feeders <rc>< <rc>< volkswagon! <First Light>< slack tide is always a favorite <backman>< interesting - 1st & last light is the right time in the canyon middle of the day eas slow. <John>< never understood the slack tide and tuna thing... <First Light>< these fish were balling this bait and I think they needed some light <Flyle>< the current helps the tunas control the bait balls <backman>< different show - we rarely see visible fish out there but at dusk/dawn they come up and attack slower trolloing than by day. <First Light>< i would also say that at least 90% of the time the fish were working up wind <rc><
<First Light>< some days the tide did not matter at all, but a couple of times in Ipswich Bay they would show a little more on the slack <First Light>< off of Thachers the current actually would help <rc>< did you have many days when you couldn't find em? <John>< what was the closest fish to shore you guys hooked up? <First Light>< not for those 6 or 7 weeks although the second week in september they vanished for three days <First Light>< 1/2 mile maybe less <backman>< didn't the sept. storms scatter them and chase them out? <First Light>< we also covered a lot of water and one of us would fish dawn the other dusk <First Light>< time on the water is critical <bob>< What are the thoughts that the fish we saw last summer was an aberation due to temperary warmer water conditions? <John>< what was your average milage covered per trip? <First Light>< tough to say, we couldn't get out there to see on some of the storms <First Light>< warmer water helped but bait is key <rc>< (for those latecommers) <First Light>< five years ago we so large bodies of fish on the bank <rc><
<First Light>< 20 round trip but not offshore <First Light>< north or south <backman>< I keep thinking of pic's of my grandfather who lived in NewburyPort till '34. He was perhaps 5' tall and had pics of hi with fish shorte than him. There's lots of historical reports of them in Ipswitch Bay in those years. <First Light>< we generally found most of our fish between Halibut Point and Nahant <First Light>< that's when they used to harpoon them in the surf of plum island <rc>< We're goin on 1 hour guys....which is as good as I coulda hoped......more questions? <First Light>< i also have talke to a lot of people who saw acres and acres of 600-900lb fish each fall <First Light>< please feel free to email any to derek@firstlightanglers.com <doug b.>< thanks derek! <backman>< thanks <Jeff>< Pretty good chat derek <rc>< Derek and nat also do great slideshow.... <First Light>< pleasure <Flyle>< enjoyed it <Jeff>< thanks for the effort <rc>< Thanks derek....! <rc>< everybody's welcome to stick around...... <First Light>< Lets just hope they return!! <rc>< AMEN! <bassbob>< Is it better to shutdown the engine or just keep it in neutral running while casting to breaking fish? <Flyle>< you saifd it\ <First Light>< we left the motors running in neutral, suzuki 4-strokes <First Light>< i think the on and off of the motors can spook them <Flyle>< same here <bob>< agreed <rc>< so just leave it running.... <First Light>< yep <Flyle>< same to be said for changing throttle <backman>< enough fish are caught in the wash of big boats trolling to make me think a steady drone does not harm, its the changs that spook the fish <First Light>< think how close the stick boats get to giants <backman>< ever seen one working - its quite a show - they literally climb up on the fishes back at 3-4 knots <Flyle>< and I'd like to ask everyone to PLEASE be respectful of others around the schools feeding <backman>< zig this way; turn that way, even back around to keep on a fish they are stalking <First Light>< they were pulling up on these bait balls all fall and taking a look <Flyle>< running in on a school at 20kts and casting is not nice <First Light>< never saw them make a throw <First Light>< at the little ones anyway <backman>< my tower gets my head about 15' up and I can tell the difference between a 4' and 5' fish from there - they have to see even better from their lofty 30' perches <bassbob>< When a fish goes deep and holds below the boat, how do you get it moving? <First Light>< hope you all have a great evening and please feel free to call the shop or send an email <rc>< Thanks again Derek! <First Light>< you need to simply sort out its circles and lift <First Light>< you can try moving the boat a bit to try and get him to turn but generally it is knowing the amount of pressure and being patient <First Light>< take care all <rc>< cya! <rc>< We're trying to get others to do this type of chat.....
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