Chunking! (08-14)

[Pinoyfisher]

Launched out of Oside, headed due west with some crappy Oside sardines and nearly 20lvs of chunked fresh OB pier mackerel.

Saw some terns just 3 miles out, but nothing showed. Gunned it west after the swells died down a bit. Out 10 miles when we spot huge swath of something breaking the surface. At first I thought it was porpoise since it was such a wide area, maybe 300yds. As we slowly slide into it we see tuna doing its best porpoise impression!!! I pin on a 'dine and toss out.... nada. So I put my rid into a holder and bust out the chunks. A small handful is dropped into the water and I watch them intently to see what happens as 2 other boats slide in on the school. The chunks sink out to 20' or so and the tuna go nuts on it!! I'm basically hand feeding them! Everyone quickly reels up and switches to chunk

I'm fishing 30lb flouro and a 2/0 hook. I pin on 2 chunks and let it sink, couldn't even count to 10 before I get hammered!! Solid fighter that takes my around the boat once. I'm still wearing a sweatshirt, it's f'ing hot, plus  I'm fighting a fish = sweat pouring down my face and heavy breathing. You'd think I had a 60lb fish on! 5 minutes of angry fish and the gaff is sunk... yes!!! The skunk is off, I can breathe now. As I re-tie, I look up to see my buddies Anthony and Alex also hooked up and 2 guys in one of the 2 boats also hooked up... hell yeah!!

Everyone is chunking except the other boat, who I see are flylining sardines. Tough to see people with bent rods while you sit in the middle of it not hooked up. The hootin' and holler' doesn't help either... Lol! So I scream at them to chunk it up. 2 minutes later, bendo for them! I shout out a congratulatory "wooooo!!"

This plays out for about an hour and then the fish sink out. One of the boats lands 7 and we also get 7. I go 4 for 4. One on live bait and the rest mack chunks. Anthony is 2 for 4, all chunk. Alex 1 for 2, chunk as well. Didn't find out how the other boat did. We make a move to a small paddy maybe half a mile away for nada, but a cool mola swimming around the boat. Decide to call it since the captain (Anthony) had plans.

Sweet! Solid fishing & home early enough to take a shower and a nap before picking up the kiddos!  Never really looked at what was caught, but I know my 1st one wa a bluefin. Will look at the rest tomorrow. Got em in an ice bath to firm up the meat before filleting.

Pics:

Alex on his solo fish.


My BFT at deep color.


Bluefin


In the eye.


Mola


Also saw a nice little school of opies at the launch. Hard to tell, but there's some 3lbers.



I need a bigger cooler.

[sasquatch]

Good call on the chunks.

[Tim524]

Nice, the guys on the other boat owe you a beer.....or two

[Eric H]

Very nice

[faster u fool]

very, very nice..

[Latimeria]

Great call on the chunks!  Bravo Mike!
I got to rebuild all of my carbs and get my boat running.  This is driving me nuts!

[j.rasta]

Chunky tuna on dakine chunk bait! Nice of you to tell the other boat what was poppin B)

[WheresMyBeer]

Yay chunk ...

[Pinoyfisher]

Yay chunk ...

Thanks for the intel Dave!

[Latimeria]

Yesterday, they didn't take the chunk but wanted live bait.  A story of two different days from what some of the guys were saying, but chunking them to the boat was awesome.  Watching free swimming tuna was crazy... and don't get me started on the giant school of small (bonito or skippies) chasing the small bait, which was being chased by the HUGE 30-40 pound class dorado which was being followed by big yellowfin!  What a crazy adventure yesterday!  Wow!