Question: South of MV

[keithJ]

Are yellowfin tuna targetable in the dump, or do you have to make the haul down to the canyons to have a realistic shot?

I've heard of yellowfin being caught at the dump but I'm not sure if these are incidental catches or if it is possible to make a day trip out to the area at certain times of the year with the expectation that you will have a good shot at finding fish. Given the warm water we have south of MV now, I might be willing to make a run down there if there's a realistic chance. Last year I went down there mid august and we had lots of 73 degree water but nothing but skipjacks. Being a novice when it comes to offshore fishing, I can't help but wonder, does the dump pretty much die mid summer when the water warms? I think it get's too warm for bluefin so if the yellowfin don't really set-up in those areas, is there really any reason to venture down there? I'm sure there's mahi, maybe a white, and sharks, but a realistic shot at tuna would really get me excited. :brow

[backman]

a sporadic pick of yellowfin in the dump, but a better bite in the Lanes down to 50 fathoms.

My approach for the past couple years on a shelf trip has been to run to a temp. edge somewhere at dump level, then start trolling south till i find life or start getting yellowfin or albacore knockdowns.

[keithJ]

When you say mention a temp break, I'd image that you're looking for a break in the 70 degree range (something like 71 to 74?) Looking at the charts, I just don't see any water out there south of MV thats below 70.

Thanks again.

[kcoulouris]

Keith,
A buddy of mine fished Cape Cod most of his life on 30-40ft. sportfishing boats. Although very capable of Canyon trips, he preferred to hit the Star, 31FH, Fingers, and the dump area for YFT and the other species you mentioned. He claims that the last 2 weeks of July and the first 2 weeks of August were his most productive times in that area. I'm anxious to get down there myself, but with a 23ft. boat and the long haul down from NH, I need great conditions to make it worthwhile.

Try the free temp image in the link below for NY/MA in html format. In the 8/2/2006 image, I see a narrow 71 to 75 degree break below Nomans that looks promising.

http://www.sstcharts.com/

Good luck,
Kevin

[offislander]

I was out this past weekend and we got YFT, Long Fin's and Mahi's. --127-3- There was a nice temp break from 73 to 75 and fish were there for the taking. We were about 60-65 miles southeast of Montauk. If you are heading out this week drop me a PM for more specific details. Otherwise my intel will more than likely be outdated by the time you head offshore.

Good luck!

[keithJ]

Thanks Kevin. That is an interesting break that didn't really show up on my other chart. You may get those flat seas on Saturday. West wind 5 knots is promising! I'm keeping my fingers crossed.

[riptide]

"RI Yellowfin" Abound in the Dump :rolleyes:

[CMP]

I bet those are quite similar to the Vineyard yellowfins I've seen so often :rolleyes: ...

CMP

[kcoulouris]

Are you guys kidding me? There's NO chance for YFT at the dump and the structure north of there, even with SSTs in the mid 70's?

I'm sure this friend of mine knows what he's talking about. He's caught lots of Giant BFT up to 800lbs, won tournaments around Cape Cod, and was president of the Green Harbor Tuna Club for some time. He did move down to Florida in 2003, so could it be that YFT were common there 5 or 10 years ago?

[backman]

You may find yellowfin in the dump; you are more liable to find them in true blue or blue-green water below the dump in the lanes. Temp. is only one part of the equation; depth, water color; clarity and bait are others.

I've caught them at the NE corner; gee, that was almost 10 years ago; but I have caught a lot more south of 40 40 N than I have north of 40 40 N.


Also; as Terry and Mark point out an awful lot of bluefin turn into yellowfin the further north you go.

[kcoulouris]

Thank you for clearing that up. I guess I won't get my hopes up for a YFT that close to MV.

I'll also carefully inspect the pectoral fin length before I keep anything smaller than 47", at least until Aug. 25th.