Wide Open Bite

[Dr. Fish]

Headed down to one of my most favorite places on the planet this weekend - Venice, Louisiana. Weather has been real bad but thankfully this past Saturday was pretty decent with seas 3-4'. The plan was to search for some early season Dolphin but the strong winds over the past several days didn't allow for the sargasso grass to form up along currnet lines. We patrolled a big area of scattered grass and despite good conditions the Dolphin just were not around. It's still about 30 days early but we wanted to give it a shot. So, around noon we regrouped and changed gameplans. We switched gears and went looking for Tuna on the long rod and boy did we find them. We found a huge number or super stud sized Blackfin Tuna feeding on bait around one of the oil platforms. From the moment one of my flies hit the water it was game on! Whe n the dust settled after around 3.5 hours I had boated 8 Blackfin Tuna between 26 and 33.5lbs. They were crushing one of my favorite olive bunny files I tie on the 3/0 C71S SS Circle Streamer hook. I had 10 takes, 8 hook ups and 8 landed fish. Not too shabby. I've caught countless Blackfin on the fly over the years but without a doubt, this was the biggest size class of Blackfin I have ever gotten into. We kept a few for the grill and released the rest. I was not until I got up the next morning and checked the state and IGFA records that I realized that I released 3 fish that would have broken the IGFA 10kg tippet class record. Oh well . . .
The plan is to maybe go looking for them again this afternoon if the wind lays. It's blowing 20 here right now and after a beating in 7-9' seas yesterday I have no desire for more. Seas are supposed to start dropping later this afternoon so we'll see.

I'm fishing with my good buddies from the Mexican Gulf Fishing Company which is the same group I fished with last August that is featured in the current May/June issue of Fly Fishing in Saltwater magazine. These guys really know their stuff and we always have a great time. Time to go tie some more leaders . . . : )

[tlerm]

Thanks for the report Dr. Fish. Sounds like it was a blast. Just one question, where was your camera? You know, you've set the bar high for yourself. We've come to expect pictures from you.

[Dr. Fish]

I had a freelance journalist on the boat so he was very busy shooting photos. I was busy reeling and holding fish for him to shoot so my camera didn't make it out of the bag. Stay tuned though. He said he'd share a few pics and I'll be taking photos the rest of the trip. If the weather cooperates that is. We got blown out today as it's blowing 20+ with big seas.

[saltydancindave]

Howdy Dr Fish, is it the same flying fish pattern fly but tyed on a circle hook ?

[Dr. Fish]

Howdy Dr Fish, is it the same flying fish pattern fly but tyed on a circle hook ?

Tried to reply remotely a couple times but it didn't stick. . .

The pattern the Blackfin were crushing was a simple olive bunny strip fly, not the flying fish. This was the first time I've used it on the Tuna in that color. I can tell you that BIG American Red Snapper are real fond of that olive bunny fly. In fact the current Women's 10kg Red Snapper record was caught on that fly. I'll be using it more in that color for Tuna now as well.

[saltydancindave]

Blackfin tuna are expected this month out in the gulf in the 80 - 140 foot range while big keeper snapper & grouper should be somewhere 20 - 50 miles offshore. Doubt I'll get there, but if the olive bunny strip fly is just a rabbit tail, flash & some cross-cut palmered up the hook I'm set! Tied a bunch of these up to imitate the pass crabs for tarpon off Boca Grande beaches