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During December and January, the giant bluefin tuna show up off the coast of North Carolina. I have found myself living in dead bait country, but this is the first time I've had a chance to tangle with these tuna. The tradition here in NC is to pull four lines, two on top (Islanders w/ horse ballyhoo) and two on the planers (Islanders w/ horse ballyhoo). I have had conversations with my father and others about pulling other things for them. Anyone raised in the south is not open to anything different than ballyhoo. Some of you know a little about me and some of you don't. I grew up on Long Island and began my offshore experience fishing for sharks and yellowfin tuna. We pulled green machines, feathers, tuna clones amoung others with success. The reason for this post is to explore what others pull succesfully for giant bluefins. There has to be something better than Ballyhoo, what do you think???

Happy New Year

I think you better be glad your old man is buyin you nifty diesels, thats what I think..BTW I'll be happy to let you fly me down and show me how todo it......

Hey Timmy, Come on down. They're called frequent flyer miles. I would love for you to show me how to do it and we would love to see you. I've got some single malt to share with you.

Everyone, disregard what Thuddddd has to say

Thuudddd, there are a bunch of redone hatts down here. I heard you need a working boat. Teach me to fish and go boat shopping.

Hey LDS, yo ole UV here.....we get some giant bluefins in the Gulf now and then, some say they spawn there. Usually in May. The few I've hooked up were caught on the UV bait, a 12" wide range Softhead in black and red or black and orange with twin 180 degree 11/0 Mustad 7732 hooks. But here we are fishing them in 300+ fathoms vs. you guys in thin water where they must get real stupid and eat cut bait.

Yo Fren'

UV

LSC(yea you and UV know who started it and waht it means) Let me get the tubbin it's new barn, and I'll head down.

Chris- I have dragged mullet on spreaders at very very low troll speed. fish lolling on top.Super effective on Giants if dragged correctly.

Where on LI did you grow up> Where did you fish out of?

he still ain't growd up, far as wez can tell

Back in the 70's out of Montauk, Eddie Murray's ritual was spending the day rigging daisy chains of Mackerel with the hook sewn into the last one. Then out south of Block Island to slow troll two daisy chains, one from each corner of the stern just at dawn. The strikes were explosive. They'd be back before noon, usually with two fish per boat. They'd come back quick to sell them to the Japanese who were waiting. The catching by this method was consistant. This was before the big umbrellas of today were born. The long 5 to 7 Mackerel daisy chains swam beautifully on a slow troll. Walter

Here's a link to a picture of a 1152 Lb. bluefin caught off of South Pass, La. in 2003.

http://www.bigmarinefish.com/photos_blu ... a_pg6.html

JR

walterk wrote:Back in the 70's out of Montauk, Eddie Murray's ritual was spending the day rigging daisy chains of Mackerel with the hook sewn into the last one. Then out south of Block Island to slow troll two daisy chains, one from each corner of the stern just at dawn. The strikes were explosive. They'd be back before noon, usually with two fish per boat. They'd come back quick to sell them to the Japanese who were waiting. The catching by this method was consistant. This was before the big umbrellas of today were born. The long 5 to 7 Mackerel daisy chains swam beautifully on a slow troll. Walter

When I was young ( too long ago) I fished those same rigs with my dad from Shinnecock and Montauk. We did it back then on a 25' FB. I remember doing it on our first 31, a sportfisherman, which we all liked better than the 31 cruiser we had later. But then it moved to artificials, big and small.

The mullet rigs I have fished as recently as the late 90s, from Fire Island up to Gloucester. In fact,if I remember correctly, Cookie Murray was fishing these back then out of Gloucester as well. A spreader with 2 mullet on each wing, then a daisy chain of mullet with the hook in the last one. And when I say slow, I mean dead slow.

A split tail mullet with egg sinker under the jaw was always a favorite of the Cat Cay fishery-I remember seeing Murray Brothers rig one on one of their videos---when done correctly it swims great.

The top boats all pull Ballyhoo. They run them because thats what pays bills. I hate them but when I am down giant fishing thats what goes out. You could pull a Greenstick, they like that some days. Speed, depth, and condition of your running gear are most important. They wont talk about it but many of the top boats if they dont catch after two trips pull the boat and put new cutlass bearings. There are a hand full of guys catching fish every trip, the rest are smoking cigars and telling stories about how they know how to do it, its just not working today because the fish bla bla bla. Copy how the best boats do it. Pay their mate money at the bar to show you their rigs, speed, depth, where they fished over the past days. Cash rules everthing! Or if you Know better than enjoy catching BLA BLA BLA.

Brewster, how do you like that Green Stick? How easy is it to use? I have never fished on a boat with one, but I have heard stories about how effective they are.

The only thing that works for the giants up here is live bluefish and kites.
Trolling is great for the mediums, but for the bigs that's history.
Talk about patience!!!!!
JG

Grew up in Setauket, right next to Port Jefferson. The boat was kept in East Hampton and we ran out of Moriches. These were the days before we had the best boat ever built. Now we are in Morehead City, NC. Last time we went out was sunday and had a good day. Came in, sent the fish to the dock with a friend and it's sitting on the auction block in Japan. 76" 204 lbs dressed out for sale. Not a big fish, but certainly not a small one. The funny thing is that almost all the strikes come on the baits fished deep. The surface trolled baits do almost nothing. Would trolling a bird help these baits out? Might try mackeral or mullet like some of the suggestions say. Maybe they will draw some more attention.

UV, Happy retirement.

Pulling the stick is not for everyone. It took me several years to get good at it. It is dangerous also. The main line is 800# with nine droppers all with 400#. The bird creates 100# of drag on the rig when it is being pulled and has a 200# breakaway. This means it will cut your fingers off in one second. It is not legal to run more than two baits anymore due to new NMFS rullings, unless you have a longline permit. 10,000.$ fine for each bait over two. I did not run my stick last year because of this but will be putting it back up for this comming season and running two baits.

East of Chatham (Cape Cod) most everybody trolls plastic squid spreader bars. I Have found that the larger 13" squid spreader bars in Black/green with large glow stinger works best. Another top producer is drifting and chunking. The last thing that is gaining popularity is fishing live bluefish off of kites. Back in November a good friend of mine got 2 giants in a week fishing live bluefish off of kites. Both fish were 750 pounds +.
Our Giant fishery is pretty much a thing of the past up here of the Cape. The Herring isn't around do to the mid water trawlers. Watch the pair trawlers make a set and you understand quickly why.

jackryan wrote:Here's a link to a picture of a 1152 Lb. bluefin caught off of South Pass, La. in 2003.

http://www.bigmarinefish.com/photos_blu ... a_pg6.html

JR

If I recall correctly, that fish was caught about two days after the UVI had ended. I heard that it hung there for a week......

Chris,

Make sure you have the right tackle if you go giant fishing. 130's are standard issue and for Gods sake DON'T try it alone. I lost a friend a few years ago while he was giant fishing solo. These fish are the real deal. A far as bait, horse bally with Ilanders, blue & white, black & purple, pink & white.

Dan
www.finchasersportfishing.com

Fished them on stand up 130# tackle in the mid 1990's off Hatteras. Saw the fight kick the ass off many a grown men. We used dead whole menhanden drifting/chunking off wrecks in the January- March time frame. I have a wall of release citations. It was like connecting your line to a speeding frieght train. An experience that I will never forget - next to the UVI 7 of course!!!

Back in the day, I remember we would chum for giants in the Mudhole off New Jersey. We also would fish off Montauk, Block, or Cape Cod. We would use everything from butterfish, bunker, mackeral, bluefish, but the bait of choice seemed to be fresh caught live whiting and second choice would be live ling. Unfortunately, I haven't seen a live whiting in 15 years.

wow ----------mack what a set of balls .a 130 stand up i hope to god you have a rope fasten to a cleat around your waste.caught a 496pounder and refused any help 4 hours later fish was in the boat.i had a right leg tremor and was suffering from exposure.
capt habb use two styrofoam coffee cup with 15' of line wrap between cups,then 5 butterfish in a chain with hook in last fish.engines idle all day off block island fish would hit and damm near spool a 130 we had to back down with tons of water coming over transum (41 hat) what a display of power and speed many more after that and try my first stand up on a 80 two speed.a 186 pounder that knock me for a loop.the crew put a rope on me because with that braid set the reel is connected to you and the old saying "if you lose that two speed 80 you best go in the water with it"i just can`t belive a stand up 130.

Bob-Was that capt. Walter Haab on the Seacon out of Montauk? Walter

yes it was, may he rest in peace. a great teacher and a teriffic son to carry on .walterk i also brought a est. 750 pounded to the boat and released it because the quota was filled.

i just scan these old pictures one is the 496bluefin the other is a real fat yellowfin on ultralight tackle.i caught huge mako shark,billfishand a badass swordfish but nothing conpares to a giant bluefin.

Bob,

Memories are golden... Who's the kid in the photo?????

Br,

Patrick

Mack wrote:Fished them on stand up 130# tackle in the mid 1990's off Hatteras. Saw the fight kick the ass off many a grown men. We used dead whole menhanden drifting/chunking off wrecks in the January- March time frame. I have a wall of release citations. It was like connecting your line to a speeding frieght train. An experience that I will never forget - next to the UVI 7 of course!!!

That is intense. I have only fished stand up (when sport fishing that is), except one time off Kona. 80s stand up are tough enough when you pass the 45 minute mark, I can not imagine a 130 standup.

I need to edit this, I meant the 15 minute mark, let alone 45 minutes!

i found a picture of you also ;out west taking a break perhaps shooting a couple of buffalo for lunch with your 73 winchester.

Chum and a live herring or whiting used to be great. Chumming is also obsolete up here. Dog fish are so thick you can walk on'em. When the wind dies and the live bluefish gets down 10' the dogs will eat them alive.
They'll eat a bare hook. Naturally the Feds have limited the catch on dogfish, and they wonder why the groundfish stock is low.

i found a picture of you also

Ahhh.... The Chicago Worlds Fair in '92. Remember it well!

i through you would get a laugh as for me it must have been the turn of the century---i had brown hair

Bob L.- yes, I have to say there were a few times when I questioned safety and felt like there was a chance of going over the rail. We actually fished using the "buddy system." Each angler with a line in the water had a "spotter." Fun time.

J Graham wrote:Chum and a live herring or whiting used to be great. Chumming is also obsolete up here. Dog fish are so thick you can walk on'em. When the wind dies and the live bluefish gets down 10' the dogs will eat them alive.
They'll eat a bare hook. Naturally the Feds have limited the catch on dogfish, and they wonder why the groundfish stock is low.

That is not hyperbole (almost). The Dogfish are by far the worst I have ever seen.

mack look at the jan. issue of saltwater sportman page 48.all about standup guy who had 200 giants under his belt and went overboard on 201 from your area check it out.-------------bob