Crack Oar

Left Montauk late Sunday for what was going to be a 2 night 3 day trip. Ran out towards the tails and dropped the lines in 10 miles from the tip. Trolled just past dark with nothing to show for it. Setup in 500 feet on the east wall for the chunk. We had some squid in the lights within a few minutes. Managed to net a few and also a flying fish. As we were planning a long trip and most of us were shot before we even made it to the boat most of us went in to take a nap around midnight. I personally was totally useless as I had just herniated a disk in my back on Tuesday and was full of pain killers. We left the new guy who we just met in the cockpit on watch. Well apparently, the fish showed up around 1:30 am and instead of opening the salon door and getting the others to help he tried to be a hero and catch then alone. After loosing 2 fish during the next hour he finally decided to let everyone know that the fish were hitting. Once we had a few more guys fishing we landed the next 5 fish before the bite shut off. Why this guy did not do his job of letting us know fish were around is still unknown. But we all felt he wanted to just try and be a hero. In the end, it cost us at minimum 2 fish and an hour of the bite. At dawn, we were setting up for the troll when a large storm cell moved in. We ran out of the storm and set out the spread. The plan was to troll towards Veatch and spend the night there. The seas had already started to build and the weather report changed to s**t. We decided to troll for a few hours and then called it quits due to the weather. We ended the trip with 6 YFT up to 70 lbs and around 6 or so Mahi to 8 lbs. All in all it was a good trip but wish the weather would have been better so we could have stayed longer.

orion23

Cracked Oar-
Glad to hear a night bite is starting. What were you using for hook bait, squid or butters and what depths were the yft running? As soon as the weather settles down a bit, we have a crew waiting for a run to B.C. Thanks

Boonebird

Sorry Crack Oar for trying to get one fish in by my self. The other one on the 70 with 40 lbs floro. Snapped by its self I added to much drag. I have never used 40 lbs floro before nor a 70. We the combo I add it happens. You cant win them all.Orion to answer your question. Half butter fish where used along with live squid. The squid was done a 100 feet. The butters where on yo yo rigs. The fish where in the lights a couple times and where just out side the lights. Thanks again for an aw some trip.

orion23

Boonebird, Thanks for the response and thats is the way it happens; boredom then all hell breaks out. BTW going 5 for 7 on 40 & 50# leader is pretty damn good in my book on yellows of that size.

gerg

Don't know if it's typical, but the 70's I've fished with have a hair trigger on the drag. A really small movement of the lever off of freespool will almost fully engage the drag. There doesn't seem to be incremental adjusting you can do at the low end. It becomes almost all or nothing.

The reels belong to other people, so I didn't monkey with them. It could have been the way they were set ot just common on these reels, but I can see how you could easily add too much drag if you are used to 50's.

Sounds like a good trip. Fish happens.

fightingcouch

congrats on the night bite

if you are chunking with 40 pound test fluro you should have been using 30's. when you have that much more line strength the line will snap very easily. there will be to much stress and presser on the lighter of the line when the breaking strength is much more.

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gman

Why were you guys using 70's with only 40lb fluro on them? Ive never used anything less than 60 for tuna

gman

look at the bright side, you guys got tight on some sweet yellowfin and got in safe before the bad weather started.