Yankee Capts 5/12/11 o 5/15/11

[mmcauliffe]

I needed this break from work bad, so I've been looking forward to this for awhile.

I wish I could report huge catches but despite perfect weather, the coolers were a bit on the light side, especially mine.

Many aboard complained they thought the 'tougas is finally reached it's "over fished" point. I don't know, I haven't been at this long enough for an opinion on that one way or another. The ones voicing this opinion claim they have done dozens of trips over many, many years. I can say I thought the fishing was pretty slow for THIS trip but it was better than when Chris, Pat, Bruce and me all went last year.

The weather, well, you couldn't ask for better. Sunny, low 80's daytime, upper 70's at night. Waves 1-3ft all weekend with the exception of a weird tide & wind combo that rocked the boat for a couple hours, still pretty mundane.

We seemed to either have ripping current or none at all. Tangle city (of course) when the current was ripping.

The green slime was an issue for I would say well over half the drops.....sucked, Nothing good about that crap.

That said, there were some very nice fish that came over the rail, a couple monster Muttons and a last minute 50-55lb Black Grouper.

I had a couple firsts. I caught my first grouper, three actually (all Red's) but all short. I caught my first Blackfin Tuna, one of two caught on the boat this trip.

I had a couple BIG fish cut me off. I'm pretty sure by the way one fought I had a second Blackfin Tuna on, fought exactly the same way the as one I landed.

Second cut-of was interesting. Three of us side by side had our rods go off within a fraction of a second of each other, bing, bing, bing, like a zipper. I was broke off immediately (30lb line & 30lb leader), the guy next to me lost half of his line on a 4/0 before getting cut off. The third guy fought for quite awhile before finally getting cut-off. I gotta think it was a shark that made a pass and gobbled up all three of our baits at once.

So I did manage to reach my objective actually, modest as it may have been.

A) To get away from work for more than one day.
B) Get on the ocean, on a boat, and catch a couple eatable fish.
C) Have FUN

First time on the Yankee Capts' for me. I liked the YC boat better than the FFF. They charge quite a bit more for a trip than the FFF did and IMO the YC nickle and dimes you on the meals, coffee, drinking water. The mates were friendly enough and on top of a fish when you caught something but they didn't help load or unload coolers like the FFF crew did. They (YC) were a bit stingy on boat bait as well, chopped everything up in small pieces. FFF left the squid and 'hoos whole.

I'm sure there is alot more I can report on but my brain is a bit numb right now with a long trip, the drive home and scrambling to get this fish cleaned and in the freezer. I pretty much just got in. Never cleaned a Tuna before...had to go to Youtube to see how LOL. I kinda butchered it but gotta learn sometime.

[clarence2society]

sounds like somethin big caught all three of you in diff bodily areas....interesting adrenaline boost though. nice cuts SUSHITIME

[PhishingPhanatic]

Thanks for the report Mike. The Tortugas is a vast area, much of which is closed to commercial fishing, I find it hard to believe it is "fished out". Some trips are slower then others, especially when the conditions aren't right. Did you have fresh gogs or other bait with you, besides the boat bait?

[gruntking]

i would really be kicking myself in the arse after wasteing all that money just to catch pierfish besides the tuna

[mmcauliffe]

Did you have fresh Gogs or other bait with you, besides the boat bait?

I showed-up with no fresh bait sacrilegious I know lol. Simply didn't have the time nor the resources.

But other than "boat bait" we sabiki'd some 'Gogs Saturday night. We also (first day) caught Kings, Bonies, a Cuda all of which we used for bait.

I also used some of my smaller Yellowtails for cut bait which produced short catches.

[mmcauliffe]

i would really be kicking myself in the arse after wasteing all that money just to catch pierfish besides the tuna

It was every bit as much about getting away from work, cell phones, internet sales and fax machines and just relaxing for me as it was catching fish.

[cudaman]

Thanks for the report. It seems that this time of year the green slime is overwhelming in the Tuga's reef area and it's making the fish go else where. Too bad! you will hear it over and over "May used to be a great month to fish the reefs in the Tugas". Once the cooler waters come in you don't read about green slime anymore. I wonder if it has something to do with the chemicals BP used for the oil clean up. Anyways, a bad day fishing is always a better day than the best day working.

It wasn't this time, but next time you will slay them, just keep going....


October is coming

[threeouncesinker]

I hear the current is a killer out there recently.

[killula]

I fished with Chris Baker one of the head marine biologists working with louisiana noaa, he said its from bacteria that is the cause of the green slime its been around the last 2 years around the same time the oil spills started. I wouldnt start pointing the finger so fast tho. He said its mostly from global warming thats causing the sudden growth of that algae. One positive is theres no a abundance of food for baitfish, but too much of that green stuff around cant be good. I started to watch a green movie called A inconvenient truth from al gore, man is it a wake up call. Im going to do my part and try to lower my co2 emission for me and my family, and plant a tree or two in my yard.

[bolo]

I guess this is your warm up trip. Shaking the rust off.

[mmcauliffe]

I guess this is your warm up trip. Shaking the rust off.

Indeed lol...really looking forward to the August trip

[fishnfool73]

Green slime has been around a lot longer than the oil spill. Better luck next trip Mike.

[GO4EM]

Glad you had a good time. Enjoy that fresh tuna sushi!

He said its mostly from global warming thats causing the sudden growth of that algae.

....paging Pat

[bolo]

Green slime has been around a lot longer than the oil spill. Better luck next trip Mike.

[bolo]

I guess this is your warm up trip. Shaking the rust off.

Indeed lol...really looking forward to the August trip

You will do a lot better in the August trip. If Pat caught fish then you can too.

[mmcauliffe]

I guess this is your warm up trip. Shaking the rust off.

Indeed lol...really looking forward to the August trip

You will do a lot better in the August trip. If Pat caught fish then you can too.