Mother's Day Tuna, Sword, and Sharks (w Video)

[Mike Avery]

Did our first overnighter of the season aboard Seaduction this Mother’s Day weekend, Sat/Sun (12-13 May 12). Doug O, Capt Bob (of Black Magic Sportfishing), and Wesley answered the crew call with Lanie and I so we headed out at 9 am Saturday. I was torn between the break by the Washington Canyon and the water down south out of OI. The weather decided the coin toss as the weather up north was worse than south so south it was. 100 plus mile trek to the fishing grounds.

Edit: Adding video:

https://vimeo.com/42173778




Ran by a sliver of warm 67 degree blended water at 40 fathoms on the 800 line with a solo green sticker working the area so put lines in there. Worked that area for a while but nothing. Talked to Dave on the Oblivion who said there were tuna on the 700 line at 200 fathoms so headed there (thanks Dave). Caught up to the OI fleet late in the afternoon to 68-69 degree water just as the boats where heading home. Normally this is the time to do well with the pressure off as the boats are leaving. Could not buy a bite except for one bonito. Headed a little more SE to 670 to find the hard change at 74 degrees and weed line and still could not buy a bite. Searched the boat for bananas so that was not our problem.

Setup our night drift on the 690 at 200 fathoms. At dusk was putting out our first sword bait. Bob and I were looking at the clip on light to see if it was on or off when a big 250 lb hammerhead rises up and swallows my perfectly rigged, purple died, mantle/head sewn in place, squid and goes down. I hand the rod to Bob and a 45 minute fight begins before we even get one bait down.



From that point on it was one shark after another. Hammerheads, lemons, duskys, and even 2 makos. On baby mako (released) and one small, but keeper mako so he made the fish box. Hammerhead were really bad, we estimate no less than 20 hammerhead during the night. Talked to a green sticker spending the night that said the deeper water had less sharks but sharks were thick even at 450 fathoms.

Bob and Wesley pull an all nighter battling sharks all night while Doug, Lanie, and I go down for some sleep. Wesley is hardcore, cutting bait all night for the chum chucker and trying to catch squid on squid jigs. They both hang tough all night never getting more than 10 or 15 minutes of rest before another line goes off. Now here is the funny part. About 430 am lines start going off again. Doug gets out of bed to go help. With a rod bend over and reel screaming, Bob and Wesley see Doug in his socks on come out of the cabin and say, "Hey, your fresh, you take this rod." Doug fights the fish for 45 minutes later to bring up a nice 56 inch, 86 lb sword. Bob and Wesley battle sharks all night long and pass one rod off all night and it's the sword. Lanie and I slept through the whole thing and it was a nice site to see a nice sword laying on the deck of Seaduction when I come out of the cabin.





Put the spread back out at 530 am and find the tuna on the 817 line at 150 fathoms. Work this area until 9 am putting 8 YFT in the box. Some were some nice sized, some were small BLT.











Run home at 9 am knowing the weather was suppose to breeze up in the afternoon and I was 100 miles from home still. The crew slept well on the ride home.



We weighed the sword hoping it would make the 100 lb citation but was only 86 lbs.



Great Mother's Day weekend on the water. Can't wait to do it again. I got some great video that I'll put up later.





Final tally:

20 or so hammerheads (released)
4 lemon or dusky (released)
2 mako (1 released, 1 kept)
8 YFT
1 Bonita
1 sword

[makkim]

Way to go Mike and crew, can't beat getting a sword on your first overnighter. Maybe shaping up to be a good fishing season.

[alhamilton]

Good job Mike and crew, that's putting the meat in the boat on the first trip of the season. Nice sword and tuna and a heck of a job fighting sharks all night............

LEON

"PoorBoy's Toy"

[cirwin]

Great job Mike and crew! Nice talking to you and glad you found the meat for your efforts.

-Craig

[FinFan]

Mike,

Great trip, I think we have a new mother’s day tradition here. Put it on the calendar for next year! I always enjoy my trips offshore with you and this one exceeded the norm. Got to thank Bob and Wes for being so generous, they were both thrilled to see some fresh meat come out of the cabin to start cranking sharks in. Great crew, end game on that sword went perfectly, no chaos what so ever and going 8 for 8 on the YFT was impressive, everyone that came tight we landed! If the weather was not getting sloppy we probably could have limited out.

Doug O

[Persistence2]

Really nice Mike and crew. Congrats!

[jengel]

Great adventure Mike and Crew, awesome report! Glad you guys landed the sword!

[b8 boy]

Nice start to the season!!! Guess the coin fell the right way when you picked going south. Too bad all those sharks were not swords. Nice catch Mike & Crew!!!! Martin

[fshnbaybe]

Sounds like a good tradition to me Doug. I'm in!
A few more pics from the trip.
Saw Sea Change out there. Watched them haul some fish in


All day Saturday and early Sunday morning we were covered in two tone dolphin. They were very active and playful.






Ready for the next trip!

[Black Magic]

Mike & Lanie,

That was an EXCELLENT trip. Great captain and crew, and all around great fishing! We need to do that again. Next time we'll give Doug a chance to put his shoes on before reeling in the big one... lol.

This morning for breakfast I had Yellowfin over easy with a side order of Swordfish and Mako! - Delicious! :)~

Thanks again, Bob