Blackfin tuna, BHorsely?

[BrianBM]

Do Blackfin tuna ever get as far north as Cape Lookout? You see bigger little tunny then Long Islanders do; if the blackfin reach you at all, what size do they reach?

[bhorsley]

Just now, BrianBM said:

Do Blackfin tuna ever get as far north as Cape Lookout? You see bigger little tunny then Long Islanders do; if the blackfin reach you at all, what size do they reach?

oh yes they are here and up to Cape Hatteras.  Out of Hatteras Inlet seems the best action.  Every October they move inshore around Cape Lookout.  Two years ago I was working  a bait ball and friend was on the other side of the ball.  Both of our crews cast into the ball.  My guys hooked two albies and his clients were fishing jigs caught a 28 and 29 pound blackfin.  We see them loping at times.  I have not cracked the code on fly yet.  Most of them are caught by anglers living baiting for king mackerel. 

[BrianBM]

Ahhh.

 

I'd like to get back to Hatteras, to Buxton, while it still exists. I have drum on the brain, but if I were going to pack fillets on dry ice for the drive back to NY, I'd much rather pack tuna.

 

So many fish! So little time!

[Mike Oliver]

Brian stop dreaming. Do it. Time is short for both of us.

 

mikey

[BrianBM]

Gaaaah, tell me about it.  I will get a new shoulder in February. Until then, I can't cast, shoulder the 12 ga at a skeet range, and even crank on a reel for blackfish for more than a few moments.

[Oakman]

1 min ago, BrianBM said:

Gaaaah, tell me about it.  I will get a new shoulder in February. Until then, I can't cast, shoulder the 12 ga at a skeet range, and even crank on a reel for blackfish for more than a few moments.

Perhaps we should start calling you Steve Austin?

[BrianBM]

  It could come to that.  Bleah.

[drumrun]

Live baiting from Oct - Dec and sometime all winter out of Hatteras can be insane. Fish gather over the bad bottom and you never know what you may hook, king mackerel, cobia, blacking, bluefin, occasional white marlin and sailfish. It's truly amazing when it's on.

[BrianBM]

Oooohh, that sounds good to me.

[BrianBM]

12 hours ago, drumrun said:

Live baiting from Oct - Dec and sometime all winter out of Hatteras can be insane. Fish gather over the bad bottom and you never know what you may hook, king mackerel, cobia, blacking, bluefin, occasional white marlin and sailfish. It's truly amazing when it's on.

The only one of these that I've caught are a few bluefin. Just that recitation of species is enough to get me drooling.

[bhorsley]

found a school of menhaden yesterday with gannets and pelicans bombing it.  Sarah and I pulled up and checked it out.  We saw several bigger swirls--too big for albies but too small for bluefins.  I had what I believe to be a very nice blackfin roll right at my feet.  I got a bite on spin and screwed it up 

[RJ]

On 12/8/2022 at 5:49 PM, Mike Oliver said:

Brian stop dreaming. Do it. Time is short for both of us.

 

mikey

Merry Christmas Mike  RJ 

 

And All of the SOL Fly Fishers!

Edited December 15, 2022 by RJ

[Mike Oliver]

Thanks Bob. Compliments of the season to you sir.

 

mikey

[BrianBM]

We'll see how the casting goes when my arm is repaired. But I'm not proud - I'd be perfectly happy to collect blackfin, or skipjack, or bonito on live bait.