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View Full Version : 8/28 Report - If Tunoids had fingers


SamRiley
08-30-2004, 09:32 AM
They would be flipping us the bird...
Shaun and I met up in Woods Hole at dawn. We figured that with any kind of south wind, this would be about the only yak friendly Tunoid water on The South Cape. We paddled into The Hole and probed the rocks and docks. It was early in the tide and the water had not yet begun to cook. I paddle out to explore some birds (over Blues) and then get the frantic paddle in the air signal from Shaun. They are here. Water is moving, bait is balled up close to the docks... the stage is set. I spot a Gull circling above. As it loops in lower and tighter, I paddle into the zone. Sure enough, the Gull zigs and zags then dives for the chop. I'm 20' upwind when the first splashes appear. One backcast and forward haul later, I've tied what can only be described as a combination bimini twist and nail knot around my rod between the second and third guides. Tunoids splashing all around me, I sit there helpless as Shaun gets into range.... and then ties as ugly a knot as I had around his own rod. Pardon my French but we suck. We each bit off our flies and spent the next ten minutes trying to make sense of our lines. For the next few hours, there were splashes here and there but nothing as solid as the first shot. Figuring that this spot was dried up we headed back to shore, pulled out and drove to Buzzards Bay. This is where it really gets personal. We find a nice beach with a beautiful fetch for protection. We spot not one or two but three large flocks of birds over splashing fish. Problem is.... resident parking only. We dump the yaks, fly back into town and stash the cars. Literally running back to the beach Shaun says.... "you know they are going to be gone by the time we get back there, right?" Sure enough, they were. We paddle around for another hour following fast moving birds but it was clear that this wasn't to be our day. We head back in, get the cars and load up. Icecream truck pulls into the beach and as we stand there enjoying our bomb pops Shaun points back to the water.... tons of birds and Tunoids. I swear that they were flipping us the bird.

ruge13
08-30-2004, 09:59 AM
Add insult to injury....

Took a trip with my girlfriend and her family yesterday because her family wanted to see Martha's Vineyard. Did the tourist thing to show them around by car. Which you all know translates into, lets check out the gut, Chappy Light, Menemsha, Lobsterville, qibby, Katama, etc. "This is a great spot with a light house for pictures (and coincidentally has a rip right next to it that I am going to watch while you all read the signs and oogle the fake painted windows.

Anyway, Leaving Woods hole, Fish breaking.
Oak Bluffs Dock, Fish breaking
Chappy light, you know who was breaking in Edgartown harbor, boats running to them.
Menemsha, didn't see them but whole the girls were takign a bathroom break and checking out Larson's I talked to a guy on the west Jetty who said they were there, showing about every 20 minutes.
Along State beach in front of big bridge...Within wading distance I wanted to cry.

Water was flat, wind was low. Again, flipping me the finger (they do it with their tails)

Don't let Riley fool you...he didn't get skunked....he picked up a NE permit jigging to kill the bordom.

PhilDKreal
08-30-2004, 09:59 AM
Oh man. Of course the reason it is so funny to read this is because it's happened to us all and not just with tunoids and yaks.

Great post.

FishHawk
08-30-2004, 03:21 PM
Great post. Refreshing to hear . This seems to happen to me all the time.
FishHawk

rhodyflyguy
08-31-2004, 10:50 AM
How do you land a tuna, or any fish for that matter, in a yak, alone, with a fly rod? There have been fish all over the place in front of C-town breachway for a while, and i'm getting sick of the hassle of a boat, and have been offered a brand new yak free to fish :brow

SamRiley
08-31-2004, 10:55 AM
I wouldn't know..... have yet to catch anything larger than a foul hoooked Silverside :D

It's not tough. Time on the water is all it takes. For heavy fish I usually leader them in the last few feet.

Wes
08-31-2004, 01:04 PM
Grab the yak and go for it. Tendency at first is to high stick the rod which is not a good idea with heavy fish.

I have yet to hook up any 'tails from the yak on the fly either. Not too many knots but hard to look clever when you're wearing the line.

ruge13
08-31-2004, 07:55 PM
(Tunas/hard tails) When they tire they circle. Soon those circles can be manipulated to come right along the boat high in the water, simple tail grab without the need to high stick the rod. Don't be in a rush to land them or you end up popping leaders, pulling hooks at the boat ect. This is my biggest mistake, they are hard enough to catch in a kayak, but when you do you get so fired up a fight that should last 10 minutes, you try to cut to 1 minute and don't realize it. The result is never good, always a lost fish at the boat.
Same goes with any fish that circles under and behind, might want to flip up the rudder. When the circles are shallow they will hang you on it.

Fly rod is obviously a little harder to not high stick, but manageable.

Bass I will lip them. Bluefish, I don't waste my time tryng to get them with a boga or something like that. You end up high sticking the rod, even worse on the fly. I just get em close and grab them. You can uaually tail grab them with a good grip, or just behind the gills.

bigjoefish
08-31-2004, 08:19 PM
sorry to ask such a dumb question but I missed the memo that defined "tunoids". Are y'all refering to sbft or albies or something else?

If sbft then its great to hear that they are that close to shore.

Bob Parsons
08-31-2004, 08:25 PM
Reference is to bonito, false albacore, spanish macks.