Yellowfin's ?

[Davy Holt]

Thanks folks and for once i must admit , Davy is not trying to put the blame on me, I am the one who suggested it all, even down to watching i fish in the first place, absolutely love the programme

 

 

See it's not my idea.. I'll be the one that is dragged along kicking and screaming for a change

[jabee]

See it's not my idea.. I'll be the one that is dragged along kicking and screaming for a change

 

Mmmmm....you being dragged kicking and screaming to go fishing............right!

 

[Newt]

Norrie - unlike Ascension Island, Dom Rep has PLENTY of night life but watch out you don't get something given to you that you would have preferred to avoid.

 

It was our last stop before returning to home port (and wife person) in San Juan during our annual trip up toward Florida servicing the lighted Sea Buoys and my dispensary always had a line of nervous guys wanting treatment for what they might have gotten before we got home. :D

[Norrie]

Norrie - unlike Ascension Island, Dom Rep has PLENTY of night life but watch out you don't get something given to you that you would have preferred to avoid.

 

 

Newt, I get the drift of your post !!!! BUT...With Shiona accompanying me, there will be NO night life..!!!!!! Not for me anyway !!!!!

[Fin-S]

Hi Davy,

Much will depend on the size on the fish you are looking for. Puerto Vallarta (?) in Mexico and Ghana off Africa's west coast would be the best for truly large fish - over 300lb. For medium sized yellows, 100 - 250, I guess the California long range boats would be a good bet, or the tuna fleet in Cape Town if you don't mind the long run. For the small footballs, Kenya is OK, but Kilwa in Tanzania would be better as they have a decent run of larger fish up to 200lb, and lots of them.

As for tackle, a well balanced stand up outfit should handle most fish, provided ther angler can hold 20lb of drag for at least 2 hours. I use tld 50/2's spooled with 100lb braid and a top shot of 100m 80lb Ande, on Calstar 50 5/6" stand up rods. Using the TLD's versus the heavier Tiagras or Intl's means smaller anglers can use their energy to fight the fish rather than hold up the tackle. Wherever you choose, enjoy the battles with the strongest fish that swims!

[ol man o the sea]

I seemingly have a boat trip (complete with armed guard) booked in the Dominican Republic in September next year, courtesy of my brand new son in law......well he will be on the 17th.....hopefully will catch one or two then....

Hi Norrie, glad to see you and the wife are going for Yellowfin.

I hope you both have the stamina and strength to fight this obstinate fish, you get them just out of reach of the boat and they decide its time to go back to the bottom and whoa there you are starting to haul them up again and again and again until you get in your mind this time or cut the line; at least that was how I felt with the 79 kilo one I caught off Lagos Nigeria before the fishing there was spoilt.

Ghana or Ivory coast is probably where they are when coastal cruising now I would think, but check it out before you book, IGFA reps in the area should know.

Cheers and dont forget the reel where ever you go, with plenty of line too Ha Ha

[PanamaJack]

Hi Norrie

As several others that have responded Yellowfin, and all tunas for that matter, are incredible strong and certainly on that first explosive run very fast and unstoppable. They shut their mouth and gill covers down making them particularly 'aqua'dynamic (?). But, in that they're not breathing they run out of oxygen….eventually.

 

Bearing that in mind, that's the time, after that first run finishes, that you can really pressurise them – providing you’re using appropriate tackle. As a technique push the drag up to strike, or even slightly above, and pump. You’ll have their head facing towards you and it’s important that you keep them moving before they fully recover. I prefer using short pumps, never moving the tip more than 18"s - but keep moving them.

 

During this phase, as they start to recover, you'll find them constantly 'bumping' to try to get their head round for another power dive. (I've found them fairly predictable. Unlike Marlin or say Makos they're not going to accelerate towards you and then turn.) So, providing the tackle is adequate and the fish not too big, you can get them to the boat reasonably quickly.

 

Big ones though - 200lb plus fish - are something different. Using 130lb class tackle, bent butts and lots of drag you’ll very quickly discover what the chair's arm rests are there for - self preservation and to prevent the early bath!

 

If, when the fish surfaces, the crewman grabs the leader quickly just wind the swivel up to the tip ring and ease back the drag. Should it be slightly out of reach though keep the pressure on and the fish, if it doesn't dive, is likely to circle. Of course, as it comes round the 'inner' part of its circle, that’s the time to recover line.

Dave

 

Hi ol man o the sea

The commercials, particularly the French and Spanish seine netters, are continuing to rape the extensive populations of Yellowfin and BigEye throughout the Gulf of Guinea unabated. One particularly effective technique they're now using are unanchored FADs (Fish Aggregation Devices) that shoals of juveniles - those that haven't breed - collect around. (Even though the shoals will range fairly long distances from the FAD they seem to return. And the FADs are tracked by satellite.)

 

Whilst most of the BIG Yellowfin all see to come from the eastern Pacific, the Gulf of Guinea still contains some monsters - 300lb plus fish.

Dave

[steve pitts]

Hi Norrie

 

Bearing that in mind, that's the time, after that first run finishes, that you can really pressurise them – providing you’re using appropriate tackle. As a technique push the drag up to strike, or even slightly above, and pump. You’ll have their head facing towards you and it’s important that you keep them moving before they fully recover. I prefer using short pumps, never moving the tip more than 18"s - but keep moving them.

 

During this phase, as they start to recover, you'll find them constantly 'bumping' to try to get their head round for another power dive. (I've found them fairly predictable. Unlike Marlin or say Makos they're not going to accelerate towards you and then turn.) So, providing the tackle is adequate and the fish not too big, you can get them to the boat reasonably quickly.

 

Dave

 

I wish I'd read your post a month ago Dave!

I found that a yellowfin of around 100lb was unstoppable, but then I was using a spinning rod and fixed spool!

 

Once it had dived to around 120 metres, I could feel a sudden relaxing of pressure against the rod (and my arms) and was then able to pump the fish up to within 10 metres. I guess that they have some sort of aversion to boats, as once it saw the bottom of the boat (or my ugly mug) it took all the line back again.

If you have some time to spare, you might like to read about it over on the caranx.net site

http://www.caranx.net/forums/index.php?showtopic=2772

 

I shall take more suitable gear next time.

 

Cheers

Steve

[Pelyma]

Awesome story, that shouldn't be hidden away - it needs to be published for the word to read.

[Norm B]

I wish I'd read your post a month ago Dave!

I found that a yellowfin of around 100lb was unstoppable, but then I was using a spinning rod and fixed spool!

 

Once it had dived to around 120 metres, I could feel a sudden relaxing of pressure against the rod (and my arms) and was then able to pump the fish up to within 10 metres. I guess that they have some sort of aversion to boats, as once it saw the bottom of the boat (or my ugly mug) it took all the line back again.

If you have some time to spare, you might like to read about it over on the caranx.net site

http://www.caranx.net/forums/index.php?showtopic=2772

 

I shall take more suitable gear next time.

 

Cheers

Steve

What a fantastic read, I feel like chartering that boat and going now. I can smell the salt and beer.