East coast canyon tuna trip

[West Lake Willows]

I have been talking with a few buddies up here in Canada and thinking about doing a trip off jersey this fall (late sept or early Oct) for tuna.

I'm curious your thoughts.

Option 1: haul my 26' pilothouse down. We are all experienced fisherman a few of us have our captains license, however, not very experienced with saltwater.

Option 2: take a charter for the first trip down then haul the boat in subsequent trips. Any recommendations of operators? Looks like no shortage from Internet searches. Would 2 day runs be better then a 30 hour or longer overnight run?

All thoughts and input appreciated.

Scott

[dawgaholic]

Option 3: Move to Massachusetts so NOAA can pay you NOT TO FISH!

http://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2012/03 ... t-to-fish/

Sorry folks, but this has really tripped my trigger this AM and in no small part because of War on FISHING being waged by this illegal alien run regime of THIEVES.

They didn't offer the THOUSANDS of family fishermen working the SE Atlantic Coast when they quite literally ORDERED THEM OUT OF BUSINESS. Congress didn't pass ANY LAW, this was strictly BarryO's operatives.

East Coast of the US today, ALASKA and the PacNW NEXT!!!!!!!!

[ken210]

Scott,

My personal recommendation is to head down and take a trip with a charter for the first trip. That way you can get the low down on what kind of rigs to use, water temps and all that to look for. And the only reason I say that is because I just took "vacation" and fished with my bro in the panhandle of Florida. It's a totally different kind of fishing from what I'm used to in Alaska. In my opinion. I think once you take that first trip with a charter you can dial in the techniques and slay the tuna. One thing I did notice is everyone is running tuna towers on there boats so they can sight fish for tuna and whatever else. Also head over to bloodydecks.com and check out the north atlantic fishing report section there is no shortage on info over there.

Hope that helps

[JETTYWOLF]

Dawg,

Don't discourage Cannucks from visiting, hell I have to sit thru 20 Canadian fishing lodge commercials just to watch Al Linder, and Babe Winkleman, catch a few Pikes, on TV!

There's a poor azz charter fisherman somewhere in New England that has 8 chillrens and they all need new winter shoes.

Or tell us how ya really feel? Offshore fishing is over and done for bottom species in the S.E. too, so the Yanks aren't alone.

[pjay9]

Some of the restrictions/regs for the Puget Sound are so effing bad I wonder why any one even tries to fish the south sound! So it is here in the PACNW already! Capt PJ

[JETTYWOLF]

-we usually have "our" home port in our profile. It's one of those things I've always pushed for, so people know where you hail from.....

ken210
Your location: world abroad - "where might this be?"

[ken210]

-we usually have "our" home port in our profile. It's one of those things I've always pushed for, so people know where you hail from.....

ken210
Your location: world abroad - "where might this be?"

Just that, I travel the world abroad for my job and I sold everything in Alaska so I don't have a home port. In the near future I'll have a Cat in Seward, Alaska and possibly an offshore plastic boat in Destin Florida.

[West Lake Willows]

Thank you ken210 for the advice. I was thinking the same thing, just wanted to see what others had to say.

I thought I would get a little more pertinent information then I have received.

I made a few calls to some captains and learned that the overnight chunking bite is really where the tuna bite is in September. Looks like 5 or 6 of us will make a trip down in early September and take an overnight charter out to the canyon. Maybe in the future I will bring my boat down, but not before seeing how it is done and getting a life raft and an epirb. A long way to be out there with out proper safety equipment.

Scott

[Sculpin]

Thank you ken210 for the advice. I was thinking the same thing, just wanted to see what others had to say.

I thought I would get a little more pertinent information then I have received.

I made a few calls to some captains and learned that the overnight chunking bite is really where the tuna bite is in September. Looks like 5 or 6 of us will make a trip down in early September and take an overnight charter out to the canyon. Maybe in the future I will bring my boat down, but not before seeing how it is done and getting a life raft and an epirb. A long way to be out there with out proper safety equipment.

Scott

Sounds like a good decision Scott. I have chartered a few times just to get to know an area and to make some new friends etc.(I know your a fishing guide but it's the same thing with a new area etc. for anyone).

The offshore stuff is a whole new world and it sounds like you are taking it seriously like you should. I got bit last year with a 50 mile run off the "opposite" side of you for albacore tuna and I have been infected big time. A life raft and an epirb are on the books for this year as well for this West Coaster.

Make sure you post up your trip

[West Lake Willows]

Sculpin,

I have been bit by the offshore bug as well. I was in Costa Rica last January and then Zanzibar in September, just love being way out there and watching the spread. The sound of a reel going off and the pandemonium that follows is such a thrill.

I definitely want to do a Jersey Canyon run on my own eventually as I find it a lot more gratifying when it is on my boat, with my gear and setup. However, I strongly recommend charters to guys up here on their first trip or two as I have seen so many people spend the money on gear, fuel, and accommodations etc, only watch them on the water doing the wrong things. I know fishing isn't all about boating fish, but it certainly helps to be busy on the rods. Often these guys are competent anglers and just need a push in the right direction. A charter would make their trips so much more profitable. I know we are in the same boat with heading down there. We are competent anglers but would accelerate the learning curve dramatically but taking a charter out there. The other issue is the safety equipment for sure. A raft and EPIRB are a must in my opinion if you are going to be way out there. No fish is worth a life and I have a wonderful wife that lets me do these crazy trips as well as three wonderful little children that I'm looking forward to watching grow up and take on a few of these trips.

Scott

[AlloyToy]

West Lake Canyons can be exciting, boring, dangerous, or the best trip of your life I would not fixate on Jersey but more so watch the gulf stream and the eddies that break off, the water temp, potential storms, and the temp breaks There are many ports to fish the canyon from including NY, RI, CT and MA

To give you an idea three years ago warm water from the gulf stream pushed in from block island all the way to Martha's Vineyard. There were marlin being spotted, and hooked at the mud hole, coxes, and the dump (approx 15-22 miles from shore) Mahi were all over the high flyers at the mentioned spots, and a good buddy pulled a bull mahi 40" long from a floatsam just a couple miles off the SE side of Block Island More toward the Vineyard guys were catching YFT, Wahoo, and Albies....this was all happening for 3-4 weeks in August

If you are going to charter make sure it is a reputable boat and captain that is going to work his tail off to find you fish. And has done his offshore homework Too many boats will take you for a glorified boat ride then feed you a line of BS on why you didn't catch......

If that warm water pushes in you would have no problem running your boat out of one of many of the south facing harbors especially with fuel expected to hit $5/Gal

Catch em up

Dawg let's not go there I hate this frikin state and it "hand out" government Sad part is they are sizing up the state to see how much more $$$$$$ they can drag out of us fishermen for our license

Just think the only rod you may have ever touched is you own JOHNSON but you go down to Wally World and purchase a fishing license for $27.50 then sell it back to the state for $500 What a return on investment

[West Lake Willows]

Alloytoy,

We are currently looking at www.jennyleesportfishing.com. I have a buddy (Capt Chris Gatley) that used to do some inshore guiding. He recommended a few charter operators and Jenny lee was one of them. I spoke to the captain and I liked his personality and attitude. Any experience or knowledge of the Jenny Lee?

Scott

[AlloyToy]

Alloytoy,

We are currently looking at http://www.jennyleesportfishing.com. I have a buddy (Capt Chris Gatley) that used to do some inshore guiding. He recommended a few charter operators and Jenny lee was one of them. I spoke to the captain and I liked his personality and attitude. Any experience or knowledge of the Jenny Lee?

Scott

Heard of Chris and have seen his online videos....no experience with JennyLee

[pacifictime]

I would highly recomend Canyon Runner Sportfishing out of point pleasant New Jersey.I have fished with them several times the past couple of years.These guys are the best hands down when it comes to putting lots of fish in the box.They have 2 boats a 48 viking and a 62 ritchie howe.

[Occams Razor]

Hi All !

Been awhile ! Saw this post and thought I would lend a hand since I do multiple Canyon trips each year. I would highly recommend you go on a charted Canyon trip your first time . Canyon trips are not for everyone and they are long drawn out waiting waiting waiting events that are both exciting and boring. You will see sealife like you have never in you life so bring a camera. If you get weezy in big seas you better bring meds too. The seas get mighty tall on the edge at times and if you do a 3 day trip you will find out first hand. Just be prepared. You will need rail/stand-up gear , jigging and chunking outfits and lite spinning for live bait. You will have a ball if you really like being out at sea and you will be nearly 100 miles out depending on where you leave from.
I highly recommend the Canyon Runner charter if you can afford it.
The Helen H does a top quality job and the run to the Canyon is alot shorter .
I hope you enjoy your first Canyon trip and you will be hooked on long sleepless nights waiting for the event at the rail.

[JETTYWOLF]

(sing as if it was one of the Hee Haw TV show songs and yer Buck Owens)

"Where, where, where, have you been.
Why did you leave me here all alone...........

I thought ya quit fishin
and sold yer rods on ebay.........
then found another forum
and BRRRRUUUP, you were gone!"

O.C. that songs fer YOU.



WWLakes,

Chris Gately made maybe one appearence here after I contacted him. I contacted him because I believe he lived in the town in N.J. that friends of mine you to hell raise in, many moons ago. "Milford". There was a bar called the Town Tavern in the small town of Milford. And whewwwww......did we have some crazy nights there.

Can't believe you could do a guiding thing from there. Is he not doing it ay longer? He owned a Pacific, but at last look, wasn't fishing in it?

[Occams Razor]

Hey Brother !

Me give up the big open sea ! No way ... ! Been holed up all winter fixen Internationals, Shimanos, ZeeBaas and Van Staals.
You got it rite though , seems alot of people do not plan to hit the water this season because of cost . Who can blame them ! Anyhow just getting Occams Razor ready for this season ....not much more to do. Just lower unit oil and grease and the big Honda is set . Switched over to Royal Purple HPS this year. Some Dyno tests over the winter showed HP gains , though small it still shows reduction in friction. So I switched for the big Honda.

Sorry to see you selling your Accurates ! The smooth sided early reels are very rear now in primo condition. I am sure you found something to replace them. They are hard to beat .....I managed to get a AR bearing to slip on my new Accurate 600 N Extreme last year on a 13ft Mako on the Mudhole so I have set up and stacked that beautiful Penn International 20 II I showed you at the end of last season and stacked the set to handle 100 lb braid. It is spooled with JB 80 and I just don't trust AR bearings anymore under extreme loads. Maybe that is why Accurate has modified the design with dogs nows. I wish they would dog the clutch plate instead of the gear set though. This Penn 20 is built to battle now . My new big jig reel ! Still thinkin about two speeding it but I want to fish it this season just I I set it up. I rearly use low speed anyhow unless I am fishing my 50s.

So How have you beem Jetty ? Hope the charter thing is still payen your bills and you are doin good.

[Occams Razor]

Anyhow back to the Canyon talk. If its anyones first outing on the edge I deffinately suggest you go out on either a charter or one of the 100 ' Cattle boats (limited ) trips. You truely have to learn the ropes to be sucessfull. Time up and time on the bunk are criticle ! The ride out should be just a couple of beers and then hit the bunk because the first nite is long !
I rig up on the way out and hit the bunk so when I hear the hook dropping I am fresh and ready... cup of joe as the start flippin chum and let all the newbies get their monster rigs in the water before you sadle up.
Tips .....when everyone is using big mono you will have a greater advantage with 60 - 80 Floro no more and small hooks !
Bring some of your own fresh bait too. If you hook up and bring the fish to hook and its decent , toss the Floro leader and rerig ! Beleive me I see this mistake all the time ! The boat lights make the mono shine like icles in the water and once floro gets stretched it will do the same. Don't go too deep unless you intend on a swordfish , 70 to 80 is a good start so you bait will flash in the shadows as the wolves come feedin. Have fun and be resectfull when one of the guys that know what they are doing hook up.. You will know belive me because when all hell breaks loose it will be easy to tell. Don't kill yourself either , Use the rail ! Don't be a hero. You will beat a good fish far faster on the rail that wrestling with him in your belt and harness. Have fun and save your money because it is addictive !

[JETTYWOLF]

Dang I laugh when I read that song from ole Hee haww...I pretty much know all the hee haww songs by heart.
I jus re-wrote it for you.

Yeah replacing the Accurates with 2 shimano's. A Curado 300EJ and the br, and new, Shimano TranX PG.
I still have 4 larger Accurates. Just didn't use the lil' ones much, any more.

I'll be "Larry Dahlberg'n the fish this summer". Long casts - tight drags and maybe even toss in a Waxwing or two! Heavy casting rods, lots of Powerpro.

Yep, just answering emails for memorial day and first of June now. Hills and Valleys, as usual in this "Navy" town. But I'm surviving still.

Got me a 08' Dodge with a Cummins, back in Late October "tweaked it" and can pull the azz out of a water buffalo, now.

Been running Royal Purple in the Honda, and in the lower unit. Not the special marine stuff, as it just isn't around here, so I'd have to order it. Maybe next time.

NOTICED a right away "quietness" of the ole Honda 225, she jus purrs now. And on the 1st trip with it I could tell right away. Also used a RP oil filter.

Blew a BIG tip one day and said, what the hell. A $95 oil change is still cheaper than a Honda dealer!

[Occams Razor]

Jetty:

Stick with RP and you will not be sorry believe me. Its is really good stuff.... There are others but pure race oil and double the price . If you were going to run you engine to the pin under full load all the time I would recommend going a step up . But you will notice a huge difference in the lower unit . The metal collected at the magnet will be so small you will be so surprised.. The fine dark powder that the magnet collected is bearing particles and the metal chips shavings are gear sheddings . That will all virtually dissapear .

I have a major find in fuel additives too but I am still testing . It is amazing stuff also. The best I have ever seen in testing . Good news for the engine we run on the worlds worst fuel quality is about to find a top quality cure . I will keep
you posted .

Gave up Accurates for Shimanos ! I don't know about you Jetty. Shimanos are smooth but they are no where near as tough as Accurates. I love Penn Internationals (old ones ) too because of their simplicity but nothing on the market touched a
Accutate ATD . They are pure TANK reels ! Just need to take care of them . I pulled Reelman duty later in the summer with Shimano 130s . Smooth reels .....But with Accurates I can do whatever 130s can do with an Accrurate 80 and the again their 80 to a Accurate ATD 50. Accurate ATDs are that good but very exspensive but are they strong !

The big 130 class reels are only usefull if you need capacity with big mono. With their new drags I never go half spool anymore. Todays forged hooks are insane strong to !
Anyhow its all about our beloved toys of the game.........

[JETTYWOLF]

I mostly "inshore or coastal" fish, and I wanted for myself a few more true casting reels.
I cast 2-4 ounce plugs.

River2Sea- Larry Dahlberg designed 8", 4oz. subsurface "wide- glide".

Already hooked, but lost (pulled the hooks) a 50 pound Cobia last week on it. Guess it didn't get hooked well enough.
No cast and retrieve with the Accurates, that's not that kind of reel.

This bad boy is made from an offshore shimano inside. I believe a Talica-20 guts in a low pro caster.

Shimano TranX - HIGH SPEED 6.6:1

My kinda casting reel and my "bucket list" fish of a life time, giant Golden Dorado with lure-re-shaping JAWS.

Ohhhhhh, I can't wait to get mine!
Easily can catch big Cobia, King Macks, Amberjacks, Cuda's....Tarpon & Shark.

I still have my ole Accurate 870's and use them for not casting to bigger fish, but either balloon-Chum, or bottom fishing for big Redbass/tarpon in the river and inlets, with customers.

When they came out with this reel there was people taking names for waiting lists, via people just like me.