Cape Lookout Bluefin Tuna bite heats up!

[Fish Finder]

Today was the first day that a good number of boats looked for the bluefin out of Morehead City. We have had some very cold weather and north winds that we needed to help just start the bluefins and the bait. Jump start it did! The water was slick calm and a good number of bluefins were caught and hooked up from the eastside of the Cape Lookout shoals over to the west side of the shoals around the R #8 Trawler Bouy and the Knuckle bouy as well as Big Ten and Little Ten areas. The bite really heated up in the afternoon. I saw and heard of a good number of bluefin tuna in the mid 80 inch range all the way up to 97 inches. The bite should continue and even get better. This is within 3 days of when the bite started last year. Last year it started on December 10th.[excited] Capt. Joe Shute

[TightLiner]

How many boats do you think hooked up? How many fish were killed? I think two boats in the fleet hooked up off Hatteras. They said the bait was so thick that they were snagging bunker on the deep baits!

[whitebite]

I was told that 20 fish were sold yesterday

[capt. jakeg]

I hear Marty got an 80''er today. Good job fellas. Sounds like there is a bite in hatteras too. Big easy went 1-3 landing a fish that dressed out at 267# in hatteras and several other hatteras boats hooked up yesterday in Hatteras as well. A morehead boat fought a fish for 7.5 hours yesterday and lost it. I'm READY.

[tolmaz]

oh man...u got my blood pumpin now[excited]

[HIT N RUN]

Talked to Lee (LC) they had 2 on today from a double. 1 pulled off right away & the other stayed tight for over an hour but the line broke. Rom (the capt of the Release) said it was a big fish to say the least. Lee tested the drag again after the line broke & it was set at 44lbs. Sounds like they are back!!![grin][grin]


Bill.