Bluefin behavior article

[twofinbluna]

This came out over the summer but Kevin at OTW just sent me the link, so figured I would put it up. (unsure how many people here read OTW or not...for all I know you have all seen this already. The pics are my favorite part, they were best in the magazine since they were bigger, but still cool in smaller form.

http://www.onthewater.com/BluefinBehavior.html

[Frankie G]

Wish I could blow that pic up with the guy on the pulpit looking at the V's moving away from him. Good article. I've always wondered how stick boats know where/why a particular spot is good to prowl. It just seems like finding one that was running would be tough enough, let alone creeping up on it and getting within range to stick it. I guess, as the article points out, if the fish is intoxicated after gorging on herring, maybe they are a bit more reticent about their surroundings, hence easier to take.

Frank

[twofinbluna]

http://pic20.picturetrail.com/VOL1439/6944380/13313345/285797760.jpg


(Yes, Mods, that picture is my property!)

[twofinbluna]

http://pic20.picturetrail.com/VOL1439/6944380/13313345/285799517.jpg

[twofinbluna]

I know you know this, but please do not use those for anything you shouldnt!

[BHenchy]

Hey Chris, whose that in the last one--like the ash pole! :)

[twofinbluna]

Bill-

Thats Brooksy, back in the day. He could really hit them well with those wooden poles.

[twofinbluna]

Wish I could blow that pic up with the guy on the pulpit looking at the V's moving away from him. Good article. I've always wondered how stick boats know where/why a particular spot is good to prowl. It just seems like finding one that was running would be tough enough, let alone creeping up on it and getting within range to stick it. I guess, as the article points out, if the fish is intoxicated after gorging on herring, maybe they are a bit more reticent about their surroundings, hence easier to take.

Frank

I did my best to explain it, but it would take a book to even scratch the surface of it all.

Its real hard. Finding them is by far the hardest part, although getting them once you find them is really hard too. Real rewarding though when you do well.

That second picture I put it up, that bunch would be almost impossible to get on (too calm). The first pic would be a little easier to get on.

[BHenchy]

Chris--your uncle? I have a funnny story to tell you about him--met him only once, at Beacon Marine in Gloucester back in 1996. I had gotten up there really early to go out on a trip with Bill Chaprales, when he emerged from your Dad's boat at grey light, relieved himself, and then noticed me. He asked who I was, and what I did. I told him, to be advised, loudly, that "my lawyer can kisk your ass". He then went below to sleep again.

That's the one and only time I met him--never before, never since. An Alice in Wonderland moment to be sure.

[twofinbluna]

Yeah. Funny story too...1996, back when we had a lot better fishing!

[Frankie G]

I cannot imagine anything more intense or more rewarding for getting one. I usually drag bars, so it's obviously different. But damn! I just really cannot fathom the whole scene.

Frank

[twofinbluna]

Frank

Those bunches in the pics above are making a lot of wake...this picture is a better example of what they often do. This bunch was actually only inches below the surface and were all real big ones, but somehow they are making almost no wake. The way we find this bunch is looking for color.

There are 5 fish in this pic that you can see pretty easily if you know how to look for color. 4 of them are more obvious, the 5th is harder to see on the left edge of the pic. The water was real nice that day and so you can see the color better than normal, even though they are running into the sun. Its amazing though how such big fish can make such little wake, swimming 6 knots only inches below the water. If this bunch wasnt going into the wind, they would have zero wake.

(Despite being harder to find initially, this was a real easy bunch to get on.)

http://pic20.picturetrail.com/VOL1439/6944380/13313345/286200627.jpg