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 After trying while on vacation for many years to catch a Tuna without success I wondered what it was all about. I then had the opportunity to join Capt. Eric Stewart on Tammy Rose and I caught my first 200 pound fish. I was exhausted and elated to finally have caught one, I even took some back to the house for the BBQ and it was spectacular. Fast forward 3 months to Halloween 2013, I caught my first giant on my own boat, 122" long and weighing in at 818 pounds. It took nearly 4 hours to land on stand up gear and nearly killed me! That said, I was well and truly hooked, and the following year I landed 34 fish and have never looked back.Tuna fishing is very different than chasing Bass or Blues. To begin with, it requires special equipment and techniques and everything has to be of a much heavier class to manage fish that are pure muscle and are ranked as the fifth fastest fish in the sea with bursts up to 47 mph. Imagine being hooked into a 500 pound fish going at the same speed as you on the freeway!

 

Tuna are classified as Highly Migratory Species by NOAA and as such have special license requirements for recreational and commercial fisherman, along with quotas and seasons when you're allowed to catch them. It can be confusing and its important that you know the rules associated with your permit. Ask one of the Goose Team for details and they will fill you in. There are different techniques for targeting Tuna, these being: • Trolling • Live Baiting • Casting and Jigging artificial lures Trolling Traditionally done with spreader bars, trolling can be highly effective in the early part of the season when the fish are cruising higher in the water column. In addition to bars, you can troll lures and rigged dead 'Ballyhoo to give the fish more options. Trolling can be be quite hypnotic as you stare to stern willing one of the bars to get hit. When they do, all hell can break loose! Live Baiting Very popular for targeting larger fishand used extensively with commercial fishermen, live baits are suspended in the current from balloons at different depths. Mackerel, Herring and Bluefish are common baits in the NE. You may see somebody using a kite when out fishing, these are used to keep a bait tight to the surface to mimic a distressed fish Casting and Jigging This is becoming ever more popular as it can be done from smaller nimble boats that don't have outriggers etc for trolling. It is also a cheaper entry point than trolling. Finally as you are casting at fish you can often (not always) chose the size of fish you are going to catch. The adrenalin really flows when you see circling birds and fish busting the surface and the fight on a spinning rod can be a full on adventure. In addition to the rods and reels which are different for the various techniques, you are going to need a harpoon, basket and line, strong gaffs and a tail rope. It is also important to 'swim' a fish after a Phil and Sam with the prize. long fight to let it release the lactic acid, there are various ways to do this and some great new technology is coming on the scene to make this work a lot easier. Finally, you will need a lot of ice, a tree saw, strong filet knife and a kill bag if you don't have a locker on the boat big enough to hold your fish. When you get home with a large fresh tuna in the bag, you will be amazed at how many friends you have. The taste is out of this world! If this sounds like fun, come see us at the Goose and we will help you get started!

 Capt Phil