Message to Howie-many thanks!!!

[mikesopals]

This is a message to Howie out of Montauk Marine. This is Mike Gasparian-thanks so much for helping Rich(my son) and I learn about tuna trolling and the loaner rod! We set everything up per your suggestions(love the rubber band idea) and ran out to the Butterfish hole in our 20 ft center console. I'm pretty sure we saw you out there-we only had one hit each day but each was a nice bluefin-Rich had a 20lb and I had a 35lb. We've got the fever....and adding a few bigger outfits to our rod collection.

Maybe we'll see you this fall-our real passion is Albie's on the fly,so we usuallly spend about a week on the water in early October-my fishing buddy John R always makes the trip with me. Let me know if you want to chase some little tuna around in a smaller boat!

Is there much offshore action for tuna in the late Sept/early October timeframe. What is the technique, does trolling still work?

Take care-Mike G

[venture]

Hi Mike,

Your quite welcome. I am so pleased that you and your son had a safe and successful first tuna trip on your 20 foot boat. You can contact me anytime for any advice you seek regarding offshore fishing. It will be my pleasure. And as for the loaner rod, it was my pleasure as well.

As far as your question regarding the Sept/Oct bluefin season in Montauk goes, the fishing that time of year involves "chunking", which is a chumming technique with cut butterfish..The fish sometimes find your slick, and follow it right up to your boat, and many times you can see them racing thru your slick. You should have some conventional rods on the boat, baited whole or cut butterfish. You free spool your bait into the slick and let it naturally drift back with the handfuls of chunks drifting back...As soon as the reel takes off, through the reel into gear, point the rod at the fish, letting the line tighten, and your on...

And if you have tuna racing through your slick close to the boat eating your chunks, you can throw a large (3/0 - 4/0)weighted deciever, let it sink, and strip it in. Your apt to hit a big one on fly at that time of year. The fish are also bigger then, and average around 60#s and go up to 100#.

My boat (the Venture) may not be around then because it is sheduled to be up at the cape around Sept 15 - Oct 15 for the annual Giant Bluefin run. I have a professional crew working my boat for this fishing, and we are all preparing for a great season..My friend and mate, Ryan Mautner, is probably the best professional "Giant" fisherman in the north east. Last season, Ryan took first place in the prestigious "Hyannis All Trolling Giant Tournament"with around 8 fish in four days, with one that pushed close to 1000 pounds. He is also an avid fly fisherman, who has spent the last four winters professionally chasing Marlin to Bonefish in the tropics. Ryan and his brother ( a 100 ton certified captain) and myself are looking forward to a very successful season, God willing. Howie