Feb 18th Orca Tuna Wahoo Report-C-Note

[c-note]

Decided to hit OI with the weather window Saturday. Was a dicey call up until Friday afternoon. Left my house at 3am Saturday with Carson and Mike. Got to the fishing center and pushed off a little before 6 adding Joey and Porkchop. Decided to hit the 560 in 100 fathoms and after a nice 40 mile run we crossed the grass into the cobalt blue of the stream. Lots of birds working up and down the line and tons of life. Water 72.1 degrees.

We slowed the boat and to our surprise a small killer whale was just 20 feet off our port side. It was a male because of his straight dorsal fin. He just sat in the waves and kind of faded away. Awesome sight.

In the stream the waves were about 6-8 foot but they were swell and not wind waves so we just rode them up and down. The morning was electric with life all over birds, small fish jumping, bait in the screen and fish marks. We had our first fish on at the 560 in 120 fathoms. Long rigger pops and screams line for a short while. Not a Bluefin. We got it close and saw wahoo. Nice! Carson fought it and I gaffed it. Good way to start the day.

The charters had started below and above me and they all moved below looking for the tunas. We had very nice tuna marks where we were so we stayed put. I thought they were going to go all the way to the 400 but the didn't. The tuna marks were constant all day with quarter sized areas of bluefins on the screen fairly often. Lots of fish out there not tons of bites for the fleet. Hopefully it picks up.

Our first tuna strike came on the opposite long rigger. Carson was putting the bait in the outrigger clip and it was ripped out of his hands. We were tight withw BFT. Took us all the way to the backing, Carson passed the rod and when porkchop came tight he was gone. Damn.

Second tuna strike came in the same area around 11:30 and we had 4 rods bit. This all started when Carson was jigging a short rigger bait over the marks. Ripped the line right out of his hands. The three other baits were all bit right behind the hook clean. We are tight and Carson is on the rod again. Fight last about an hour and I have steel into a 130lb Bluefin tuna. While the fight was going on we saw a large killer whale going for our tuna and thought we would lose it to him but he didn't take it. Just kind of looked at it and faded away.

When I got back to driving I looked up and saw the fleet coming back up the line. Must not have been anything down below. With all the boat traffic the bite was lost. Great day out there. Weather calmed and the life was amazing with tuna, killer whales, other whales, dolphin, manta rays, countless sharks and wahoo. It was national geographic style. Don't want to fall out of the boat.

Final Tally

1 for 5 bites Bluefin
1 Wahoo

Great to get Carson, Mike, Joey, and Chop on the boat felt like old times.

We have an awesome video I should have that done by Tuesday.

[Earesponsible]

Awesome Congrats on what sounds like an amazing day. I can't wait for next weekend. Come on weather!!! I am dying for a topwater bluefin this year.

What a day!!! I just went from really excited to excessively excited.

Strange no BFT bites while actually trolling. Sounds like everyone has been doing better casting and jigging.

I would love to see some orcas but hopefully they will not show in dominating numbers like last year.


Thank you much for the report.

[Rockhound1]

Great report, and congats guys.

I can't wait to get down there in 3 weeks.

Looks like its going tobe an early Spring this year.

[tonydivefish]

That's pretty work Conner, What size rod/reel did that 1st one take to the backing? Sounds like a pretty decent fish.

[StepChild]

Nice job on the catchin guys! Congrats as well on callin ur weather window right! I sure hope somebody turns the fan off soon and it corresponds with my schedule ...

[suncoug]

Good job guys and great report! We went out from HI and ran up to about 420 line, where the fleet apparently found BFT on Friday but there was no life to speak of out there and no tuna either. With wind staying fairly strong until past 1PM, we didn't want to take a chance to run up higher. We came back down to 280 Rocks and there were lots of life there but we never marked any tuna.

[DAWGONIT]

Looking forward to video.

Evan.

Fishing from the Norfolk to the DeSoto Canyons aboard the newly repowered GW 330 Express DAWGONIT

[jzd]

thanks for the report...now, just waiting on the wind...

[Regulator]

Nice Report Conner, pretty cool that the Orcas are around, as long as they don't munch on my tunner. Hoping to get down toward the end of the week, but weather right now not looking too good. Sure it will change a few times before it hoses the trip.

[c-note]

All the bites were on the troll in a group of fish we had found away from everyone. I think that was the key.

I was wrong on the backing. It was the 80 planer rod that went from 100lb braid to 130 mono and that was almost to the backing 130 JB hollowcore. The braid went out then the mono almost went to the backing. Seemed like a larger fish.

The Tuna we caught was on a 50 Wide Shimano never got to the backing 80lb diamond braid first time use. We the perfect rod for the fight.