You are currently browsing the monthly archive for July, 2006.
Mrs. Inga caught a nice action shot of a 106# yellowfin just before the gaff. It’s been a great summer so far and seems to be getting only better. Big dolphins, plenty dolphins, plenty tunas, and nice weather. Come see us in Venice.
Capt. Brett
To say that the tuna fishing was red hot this past week would almost be an understatement. I thought we did great on Tuesday, catching 10 by noon, but Tommy Killerbrew’s crew on Wednesday managed to top that, catching 10 by 11AM! When we had 8 in the box, I told them that I though we had enough. As I was saying that, Inga slipped two baits back over while I wasn’t looking and we had another double on before I could even rebuke the deckhand. But I never would have predicted what happened next. While we were fighting the last fish, the line came slack and the tuna swam up under the boat. This happens often when marlin chase the tuna you’re fighting, but this time the tuna on the line brought some friends with him. Two other free swimming tunas hid under the boat as a big marlin started circling the boat. The tuna on the line made a run for it, and his buddies followed. Meanwhile, another boat passed by and ended up hooking the marlin. What an event and what a great day.
Capt. Brett
Dan Black and crew showed no mercy this past Tuesday, whipping the tunas so fast that I lost count. The fish gave us a great air show, with plenty tunas blowing up all around the boat. We also had 3 big dolphin and a lucky circle hook wahoo. Back at the dock by 1:30- what a day!
Robin did a great job on this stubborn 111# yellowfin despite a serious amount of heckling. Good work on a tough fish.
Only in Venice can you fish offshore, bottom, and inshore succesfully in the same day. Not only did Jay Rooker and his crew from Houston accomplish this impressive feat, they got it done before 2 PM. Lisa and Elizabeth both caught their first tunas, not to mention some nice dolphin, several decent snappers, one keeper and a bunch of throw-back grouper, and enough bull reds to make them put down the rods.
Capt. Brett
Kasia and Elery started off our overnighter last week with this pair of yellowfin tunas just at sunset. I had trouble keeping Elery from taking Kasia’s tuna for the picture, and I think that Kasia did set a new boat record for the largest fish caught on the boat by someone (male or female) wearing a skirt. Kasia’s tuna weighed 98#.
After getting worn out by the snapper on day 1, the parks crew decided to try something rleaxing- like tuna fishing. Yeah right! The offshore action was non-stop. And while I had trouble making them stop bait-fishing, I had no trouble taking them away from the hungry tunas after we put 6 nice yellowfin and 5 big dolphin in the boat. Two of the bull dolphins were over 40 pounds. I’ve caught tuna/dolphin doubles before, but I think these guys set a record, catching all their fish as doubles, but never catching two of the same kind at the same time. Heck of a two trip for Dwayne and his crew from Blacksburg and VA Beach, VA.
Capt. Brett
Dwayne Parks and crew caught a few mangroves on the way in from an offshore trip last year and apparently they were hooked. When Dwayne called this year, he said the mangroves were #1 on the list for the boys from VA. I’m pretty sure they ended up with more than they bargained for. Not only did they catch their limit of red and mangrove snappers, but we ended up releasing several red snapper bigger than what we already had and I don’t think they lost more than one or two of the mangroves in the rig. Several of the mangroves weighed over 10#, with the biggest weighing 11.4#.
Capt. Brett
Don Marascalco grunts and groans as he heftys up his 121 yellowfin tuna. Don and his crew fished 2 days offshore and 1 day inshore and I’ll bet they’re still sore.
Capt. Brett
While his typical fish cry is “200 pound tuna,” John Watts of OK City, OK lowered his standards a little and proved that he was paying attention over the past few years of fishing with me, bring his A game to the table and landing this 138# yellowfin. We hooked this yellowfin in 230′ dirty green water. I’m not sure what I was doing fishing there, but it worked. The tuna ran around on the surface for a long time, amidst many incorrect species guesses. I wasn’t really sure the fish was a tuna until the last few minutes of the fight. Nice tuna, John.
Capt. Brett
