This Cape Cod tuna fishing trip began with a slight hiccup, when the boat engine would not start. However it was a simple fix and after a quick jump start we were good to go.
I was fishing with MFCC member Ari Goldschneider on his 22 foot Seahunt center console. By 4:30AM we were departing the harbor, en route to the tuna grounds in hopes of trolling up a football size bluefin tuna or two.
Sea conditions were a bit choppier than Ari and I had expected. There was a decent breeze blowing in from the northwest, but we both hoped it would die down once the sun peeked its head above the horizon.
At 5:47AM that sun finally did begin to show itself. I cannot help but notice that the sun is rising a bit later each morning, as we approach late summer here on Cape Cod.
We still had several more miles to go before dropping lines in the water. With Ari at the helm I got a chance to relax, which was a nice change of pace for me. I now understand why they say the best boat is a friend's boat!
Before I knew it the skies were bright and the seas had begun to lay down. It sure is nice when the weather cooperates.
The plan, as it always seems to be when tuna fishing, was to find an area with some life. Ari had some good numbers from a previous trip to work off, so we headed there first.
We could see several shearwaters flying about. The birds were not really focused in on anything but seemed to be looking for life themselves, just like us.
At this point I took the wheel while Ari readied the lines. We had just about arrived at Ari's hot spot, plus there were some birds around, so we figured why not give it a shot.
Ari had the full spread out much quicker than I anticipated. We began trolling with the seas at our starboard. The spread looked very good skipping along the surface behind the boat.
I settled in for what I figured could be a long day of trolling. For me, tuna fishing is most often "tuna wishing." Long days spent trolling or sitting at anchor waiting for that elusive bite is the name of the game.
So needless to say I was quite shocked when one of the drags began hissing, the rod bent over, and Ari yelled "fish on!"
I could not believe it! No more than 10 minutes into the troll and we were hooked up with our first tuna. That sort of action does not happen often - at least not for me!
Ari fought the fish while I shot video. I will share this entire fishing experience with you in a video report which I will edit and publish later this week here on MFCC.
After a good little battle we had the fish close to the boat.
As Ari kept tension on the line I reached over the gunnel and pulled the little guy aboard.
This was by far the smallest tuna I had ever seen in the flesh, but I was pumped! Ari was pumped as well and probably a bit relieved that we were able to put at least one fish in the boat, right off the bat.
This was the first tuna I have had a role in catching so far this season. Hopefully this is a good omen of things to come.
Overall this was a fantastic trip and I can't thank Ari enough for inviting me to come along to document the experience.
For more information on this trip, MFCC members can click below to read the Extended Fishing Report. In the Extended Fishing Report we'll discuss more about:
- The areas fished and where we found the most life
- Techniques used and what's been working best for footballs
- The details regarding what Ari and I saw and experienced during this tuna fishing trip
- Plus a whole bunch more
Tight lines and take care,
Ryan
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