by Captain George Gianacopolos
Most Fish travel in schools, but the last time I checked they have not educated themselves to outwit these modern devices.
Before I get on my pulpit and preach about the evils of moden-day fishing, let me confess to being a sinner as well. As captain of the Blackjack, I am as guilty as the next man for using gadgetry to pursue my catch. On top of that, ever increasing costs per trip and any captain would agree that you need the extra advantage of technology.
I am going to write about having fun when you go fishing. As to the proper tackle, rigging techniques, what lures to use, etc., between the internet and reputable fishing magazines and tackle shops, you can get all the information you need. So this article is about having fun and improving your fishing attitude when you go tuna fishing, which is a grueling and expensive sport.
On any given day, you will see a concentration of boats trolling on a temperature break, which is the very likely beginning point to start your trip. Always remember, though, fishing is not an exact science. We know the fish should be at this spot because of water temp and conditons, but perhaps someone forgot to e-mail or text message the fish to be there. On several occasions I have seen several boats stay in an area and troll and troll this temperature break to no avail. Even with all this wonderful technology, you still have to hunt and find your quarry. If the fish aren’t there, move! Find bait pods and mark them down. Revisit these spots later, put some bait or bunker oil in the water, see if the bait will move to the surface or become more concentrated. Find some more bait and recheck your spots, maybe tuna will find the bait. Also, look at water color and clarity, sea life, etc. Fish the water around you. Spread out and search the area, go a little deeper, go off the shelf and see what’s around you.
The worst place to stay is the area where 25 boats are trolling, and driving fish and bait deeper. Find your own water and enjoy the fishing experience and the true beauty of this last frontier. What I love about it is that you never know what you will see. Something huge can break right in front of you. I often joke that your are more likely to bump hulls on a good fishing day than getting in a traffic accident on a crowded holiday highway. But it wasn’t always like this, and it wasn’t long ago that a day of fishing held mystery, memories and the promise of large catches. The fisherman’s attitude was to enjoy the experience and not look for instant gratification of how many fish caught andhow much they weighed. Remember, this is your hobby for relaxation. Unwind and relax.
No matter how good a fisherman you are, the biggest contributing factor to catching fish is good old-fashioned dumb luck! The largest blue marlin I ever caught in the Northeast canyons actually caught me. It was in the mid-’80s. Reaganomics was in full swing, the Soviet Union was having a going out of business sale, and Madonna and Bruce Springsteen were at the top of their game. I left my marina for an overnight trip to the Edge. On the early morning troll we were doubled up on bigeye. We cleared the cockpit, reeling the outside lines up to the tips of the outriggers and letting the lures dip in the water.
After fighting and landing both tuna, the celebration began; however, out of the corner of my eye I saw this big blue marlin crash the lure and snap it right out of the left outrigger and start grey hounding away. We were off again trailing him. After a battle we pulled him alongside the boat for photos and off he went, leaving a wonderful memory that will always bring me back to fishing the canyons.
Before I get on my pulpit and preach about the evils of moden-day fishing, let me confess to being a sinner as well. As captain of the Blackjack, I am as guilty as the next man for using gadgetry to pursue my catch. On top of that, ever increasing costs per trip and any captain would agree that you need the extra advantage of technology.
I am going to write about having fun when you go fishing. As to the proper tackle, rigging techniques, what lures to use, etc., between the internet and reputable fishing magazines and tackle shops, you can get all the information you need. So this article is about having fun and improving your fishing attitude when you go tuna fishing, which is a grueling and expensive sport.
On any given day, you will see a concentration of boats trolling on a temperature break, which is the very likely beginning point to start your trip. Always remember, though, fishing is not an exact science. We know the fish should be at this spot because of water temp and conditons, but perhaps someone forgot to e-mail or text message the fish to be there. On several occasions I have seen several boats stay in an area and troll and troll this temperature break to no avail. Even with all this wonderful technology, you still have to hunt and find your quarry. If the fish aren’t there, move! Find bait pods and mark them down. Revisit these spots later, put some bait or bunker oil in the water, see if the bait will move to the surface or become more concentrated. Find some more bait and recheck your spots, maybe tuna will find the bait. Also, look at water color and clarity, sea life, etc. Fish the water around you. Spread out and search the area, go a little deeper, go off the shelf and see what’s around you.
The worst place to stay is the area where 25 boats are trolling, and driving fish and bait deeper. Find your own water and enjoy the fishing experience and the true beauty of this last frontier. What I love about it is that you never know what you will see. Something huge can break right in front of you. I often joke that your are more likely to bump hulls on a good fishing day than getting in a traffic accident on a crowded holiday highway. But it wasn’t always like this, and it wasn’t long ago that a day of fishing held mystery, memories and the promise of large catches. The fisherman’s attitude was to enjoy the experience and not look for instant gratification of how many fish caught andhow much they weighed. Remember, this is your hobby for relaxation. Unwind and relax.
No matter how good a fisherman you are, the biggest contributing factor to catching fish is good old-fashioned dumb luck! The largest blue marlin I ever caught in the Northeast canyons actually caught me. It was in the mid-’80s. Reaganomics was in full swing, the Soviet Union was having a going out of business sale, and Madonna and Bruce Springsteen were at the top of their game. I left my marina for an overnight trip to the Edge. On the early morning troll we were doubled up on bigeye. We cleared the cockpit, reeling the outside lines up to the tips of the outriggers and letting the lures dip in the water.
After fighting and landing both tuna, the celebration began; however, out of the corner of my eye I saw this big blue marlin crash the lure and snap it right out of the left outrigger and start grey hounding away. We were off again trailing him. After a battle we pulled him alongside the boat for photos and off he went, leaving a wonderful memory that will always bring me back to fishing the canyons.
