SW FL-Bonita Beach: two 28 lb. blackfin tuna made my day!

[fishbuster]

[cool]Monday, 4/23, the seas were still rough, but a little calmer, and I fished with Sandy Hook, son Rusty, Rusty's young son Charlie, and a friend, Sam. Fishing in 33 feet out of New Pass with shrimp, we caught ten keeper lane snapper, grunts and porgies, and released gag grouper shorts and blue runners.

Tuesday, I headed out on a 260 degree heading from New Pass with Ron Musick, Dick Arnell, Justin Baker and friend Jim. We started a chum line and were bottom fishing with live shrimp in three to four foot seas. We started to catch some pretty nice yellowtail and mangrove snapper to 16 inches, along with a lot of porgies. Suddenly, one of the rods took off running, and we thought it was a bonito, a king mackerel or a shark. It spooled down to the bottom of the spool, and after three more long runs, we worked it back up to the boat to finally get a glimpse. When we saw its 3 foot length we figured it wasn't a bonito. Then we saw the black on its back and knew it was a blackfin tuna. I grabbed a hunk of squid to put on another pole, and tossed it out. We were still rejoicing over the first one when a second one the same size hit. So we got two of those, which are the first two I have caught in all my years of fishing. It was a very good morning (see photo.)

Wednesday morning I fished Estero Bay, in the area of Wiggins Pass, with Ron Constantini and Rick Staubach. We caught a keeper redfish and a nice 16 inch sheepshead, and released smaller sheepshead and cravalle jacks.

Thursday it was still kind of sloppy even close-in at the reefs off Bonita Beach. I fished with Frank Vayda, and friends. We caught fourteen Spanish mackerel to 24 inches—a barracuda in the area ate a couple of them. We also caught a keeper sheepshead and mangrove snapper. We released short grouper and a 40 inch lemon shark.

Harvey Cleland and friends Ed and Tim fished Estero Bay with me, in the Wiggins Pass area, on Friday morning. We fished with live shrimp until the tide quit moving, and caught four keeper sheepshead and keeper mangrove snapper. We released cravalle jacks.

I fished Estero Bay again Saturday morning with Terry Major and her friends, Carol, Cheryl and Rhonda. We caught a keeper sheepshead and mangrove snapper, and released a 20 inch snook.
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[CaptJoeVerdino]

Way to go Dave, those are some nice Blacks. Funny to hear that and not be talking about grouper. Just curious what depth were you fishing? I lost a couple fish the other day in 80-82ft and thought they were big kings. We had three hook ups on shrimp and all three ran hard and fast and then they just spit the hook.
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[fishbuster]

Thanks Joe. We were in about 75 feet when we caught those balckfins. Maybe that's what you had on, but there's a lot of sharks out there too. I feel like this will never happen again, since it is the first time I have ever hooked tuna. I was planning to target therm on vacation in the Keys, but I never expected to hook up on them here.
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[masterplaster]

Hey fishbuster. Joe got me on here not to long ago. You fish futher south than I do so when the summer gets here you just get in behind these shimpboats when they anchor up you will do fine on the black fin. You may get bonito at first but the black fin will fight thier way in. The deeper the water the better but it best to be at least 70 foot.
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[fishbuster]

Thanks masterplaster. I have gotten into plenty of bonito but no tunas. I am hardly ever out that far...but now I got tuna-fever[sly]
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[CaptJoeVerdino]

Thanks for the info Dave, you might be right about the sharks we have been getting them a lot too. The fish I'm talking about seemed a bit fast for a shark but who knows they might have been black tips, I heard they can get going in a hurry.

I'll second masterplaster on those tuna behind shrimp boats. I got in good with a guy a few years back and I could call him on the VHF for his location. The guy would even use his by-catch to chum for me while I fished with clients. Really nice guy, never accepted anything in return. I offered everything from water to beer and even asked if I could bring him anything special on my next trip out. He always said no thanks.

I always had the best luck between the 240 ledge and the mushroom ledge from 70-80ft. Had to fight the bonito before the tuna moved in, and a bonito belly chunked up always worked well as bait. Used to get fish from 15-20 lbs all the time.
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[fishbuster]

Cool, Joe--thanks for the info. Guess I will just have to run way out there from time to time. Maybe while things are slower in the summer time, I can do some personal fishing out there. All season is booked pretty tight, and I get a lot of families and half-day trips--just can't get way out there on those...then, if I get a day off, I choose to stay in the AC! Tomorrow I have a full-day trip--maybe the winds and seas will be calm enough to head out that way.
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