HauntedByWaters
Life of the Party
I’d guess this has already been posted but I don’t see it. Interesting find and read: https://nwsportsmanmag.com/bluefin-tuna-washes-up-on-orcas-islands-east-sound/
Bluefin Tuna Found On Orcas Island
- Thread starter HauntedByWaters
- Start date
fisherman have been catching an occasonal Bluefin's out of Half Moon Bay on the Cali coast for the past couple of years as well...more graphic evidence of the Kuroshio/Black current being hyper-charged by increasing Pacific Basin temps, pulling pelagic migrations further north.
The new normal being there is no more normal
The new normal being there is no more normal
Currently being discussed at length here: https://pnwflyfishing.com/forum/index.php?threads/tuna-2023.5431/post-124006
I need to stay out of that discussion because it's giving me some really bad ideas... A discussion started about high speed plug trolling tactics for BFT in NorCal, and how they might work up here as well. Then someone was asking about BFT species, sizes, migration routes, etc... I posted some info and links to fishing for truly giant Pacific BFT off the west coast of New Zealand. Likely some of very same fish swam off our coast at one point. Anyway, that was a mistake because I started watching NZ bluefin fishing vids, and turns out they use similar high speed trolling there, except using large marlin-style clones..... clones being not entirely unlike large squid flies (you can see where this is going
).So paging @Nick Clayton to knock some sense into my thick skull:
I've gotta quit watching these BFT vids. Maybe I still do have some big tuna fever because it's giving me some really bad ideas.
This is what I'm thinking if guys start having success high speed trolling for PNW BFT. If this becomes a thing, I'm very tempted to put a hybrid fly/troll outfit together. Three reasons for that...
1) Trolling flies is extremely effective, at least for albacore, and I'm hoping for BFT as well. We (tuna fly lunatics) think, that has to do with the "matching the hatch" factor, and also how a trolled fly line imparts action to the fly.
2) I can't justify the cost of a 50W outfit when I wouldn't use it enough.
3) Trolling is a just tad more exciting when you're holding the rod and feel the hit (maybe not a good idea with BFT though.)
Anyway, the rough bad idea I have is to buy or build a custom 15-16 weight fly/troll rod with a fighting butt. Take the fly line off my Tibor Pacific reel and replace some of the 1200 yds of 50# Spectra backing with at least 300yds of 130# JB hollow core. Then stuff 50' or so of sinking line into the end with a wind-on leader. Add a fuse section and shock tippet. To that attach the same squid fly I posted earlier.
I think the difference with something like that fly vs a clone (even though it's technically more of a "lure" than a fly) is that it's light enough that the fly line moves it erratically as it's waving around in the propwash. I played with this a lot one day a couple years ago fishing it pretty tight when there was a marlin sighting in the area. It almost fished like a jet head in that the fibers would shed water as it popped free from a wave, then leave a trail of bubbles as it hit the water, loaded the rod, slowed, and accelerated again popping out of the next wave. All the while tracking the fly line wildly side to side. I should've gotten some video, but my spidey sense was tingling too much to get the camera out.
I say lean into it. I’ve been talking serious plans with some very motivated folks about chasing bluefin out of Washington next summer. Love to have you aboard.I need to stay out of that discussion because it's giving me some really bad ideas... A discussion started about high speed plug trolling tactics for BFT in NorCal, and how they might work up here as well. Then someone was asking about BFT species, sizes, migration routes, etc... I posted some info and links to fishing for truly giant Pacific BFT off the west coast of New Zealand. Likely some of very same fish swam off our coast at one point. Anyway, that was a mistake because I started watching NZ bluefin fishing vids, and turns out they use similar high speed trolling there, except using large marlin-style clones..... clones being not entirely unlike large squid flies (you can see where this is going
So paging @Nick Clayton to knock some sense into my thick skull:
Hell yeah!
Pretty sure Silverfly just passed out, hope he fell down near his phone and his heart is still okay.
Whoa, I think I'd better start fishing from our beaches more often.
