With My Own Two Eyes

[rossman]

I had an experience last Saturday that I have been hesitant to post up because I figured that you folks would think I had finally gone over the edge.
I was paddling from the San Roque launch to the island and was about 3/4 of the way there when I saw a fish greyhound about 70 yards in front of me. My immediate thought was, man that looked like a tuna. Then he came out of the water again and I thought, man that is a tuna. Now I was in about 160 feet of water, and at least a mile and a half from anything deeper than that. While it was clear and blue, the water temp down here is still only about 63 degrees so my brain could not wrap itself around the possibility that there might be a tuna in this area. There are some brute bonito around here but this fish appeared to be 20+ lbs. I was able to fire a megabait in the direction of the jumper but it was a bit out of my range so no love.
So that's my story and unless someone can suggest an alternative, I'm sticking to it.

[walrus]

Back in my younger years, we hear stories of fishermen catching Tuna from the shore down there. So, why not!

[ctfphoto]

LOL, and today is........

[rossman]

LOL, and today is........just now realized what date it was and was going to post a disclaimer that this was no joke and your post popped up. I did in fact tell my son about it two. days ago, but he will probably deny it.

[wiredantz]

time to start chumming and land a tuna from the kayak;)

[Iceman]

bluefin, I have no trouble believing it

[blitzburgh]

bluefin, I have no trouble believing it

What he said

[rossman]

What he said

I haven't checked with the locals but I have never heard of bluefin in this area. One of the reasons I ruled out bonito aside being so large, was because it was a much lighter color. Pretty use it was a yellowfin.

[chris138]

I've seen a school of 40lb bluefin foaming in 80ft of water by SKR. Totally believe it, expect that the water temps seem to be high for BF down there. Are you in an upwelling area?

[Zed]

You can call it a flying water buffalo if you want until you have a pic of it on deck. Then youll get at least 3 different opinions on your mystery scombrid.

PS local water temp hit 67 today and your swell is coming down. Laguna had so much water movin.

[kayakfisherman]

Whatever it was, I'm so jealous you're down there
living the dream.

[janines.fishtales@cox.net]

Whatever it was, I'm so jealous you're down there
living the dream.

x2

So do you live there now?!


BTW, years ago I was working on the Mission Belle. We were a mile off the beach near Encinitas..... and absolutely loading up on BFT. It all goes in cycles. Sometimes they are near, and sometimes not. Maybe they are near...

Janine

[vincentek9]

40-70lb bft being caught around the butterfly. some bft seen around the 9 mile bank. been waiting to see if they get closer as the water warms up.

[monstahfish]

I believe it. I once saw a 20ish pound bluefin launch a few feet out of the water in boston harbor. The area is only around 20 ft deep at low tide but not more than a mile from 100 ft deep areas. On the east coast the bluefin show up when the water is around 63-65 and will sometimes get caught from shore or spool someone more often than not, later in the season.

[sitinsidejim]

hey Rossman no water is too shallow down there. caught two yellowfin tuna and a dorado in the channel between the point and acunsion island trolling cd 14 rapala. my friend caught a yellowfin fishing for calicos on a white kalin grub. when you get a chance ask shari she should remember she should have pics. anything is possible down there. l am jealous from all your reports. looks like you are haveing a good time. going to gonzaga in may can not wait. maybe see you there going for two weeks. good luck sitinside jim

[sitinsidejim]

by the way I believe you no matter what day it is. sitinside jim

[Zed]

Excelente Jim!
Hope to see ya in May too.

[rossman]

hey Rossman no water is too shallow down there. caught two yellowfin tuna and a dorado in the channel between the point and acunsion island trolling cd 14 rapala. my friend caught a yellowfin fishing for calicos on a white kalin grub. when you get a chance ask shari she should remember she should have pics. anything is possible down there. l am jealous from all your reports. looks like you are haveing a good time. going to gonzaga in may can not wait. maybe see you there going for two weeks. good luck sitinside jim

Thanks Jim, that is good information. That channel is really shallow. An interesting thing I have noticed about the channel. As the whales migrate North around this time of year about 20 to 30 percent go through that channel while the rest go out around the island. They seem to understand that it is a risky place because the come up to the channel at their normal leisurely pace of 2 to 3 mph. They spout a few times, fluke and then sprint through there. It seems the resurface on the other side much quicker than you would expect.
Hope we cross paths in May.

[HAVABASS]

Does anybody else remember when the tuna pens in Ensenada broke and people were catching them by hand in the surf on Mission Beach?

Maybe some still around???

[momo fish]

Had those dreams many times...

Does anybody else remember when the tuna pens in Ensenada broke and people were catching them by hand in the surf on Mission Beach?

Maybe some still around???

[the dude]

Mission Belle 3/4 day boat caught 4 today ...it's gonna be a crazy year.

[momo fish]

Think you were right all along as they are moving on up.... Tuna off a kayak this year? Looking very very promising...

http://tapatalk.imageshack.com/v2/15/04/02/91e31de73de64cf2739c30e69f35aaa9.jpg

[YakDout]

Didn't they lift the Bluefin ban in mexico sometime in August? Why did the boat release em?

[vincentek9]

Didn't they lift the Bluefin ban in mexico sometime in August? Why did the boat release em?

they said they would lift the bft ban.... but no official paperwork yet. therefore, bft are still illegal in mexico.

GOOD NEWS is the bft are in US waters already. upper 9 mile bank and the butterfly. we'll see how/where they move in the next few days/weeks.

[udowinkler]

Hey, buddy!


I just saw your story printed in the Discover Baja magazine, the one about the 47 pounder YT you caught and took a photo of on your pick up's tailgate.

Congratulations, Mr. author!

[Zed]

Link:
http://www.discoverbaja.com/wp-content/uploads/April-Newsletter1.pdf

[rossman]

Very nice! Gary Graham emailed me and asked if he could use some quotes and pictures for something but I thought it was only for his Baja Bites on Bloody Decks. Should I start working on a screen play?

[Zed]

Old Man and the Sea has been done.

[udowinkler]

I can't be 100% sure, but I think that some whales travel between Asunción island and the rock point by shore, is that they remember the fish boils and the great fishing right in front of the house you are staying in, Ross. :you_rock:


Thanks Jim, that is good information. That channel is really shallow. An interesting thing I have noticed about the channel. As the whales migrate North around this time of year about 20 to 30 percent go through that channel while the rest go out around the island. They seem to understand that it is a risky place because the come up to the channel at their normal leisurely pace of 2 to 3 mph. They spout a few times, fluke and then sprint through there. It seems the resurface on the other side much quicker than you would expect.
Hope we cross paths in May.

[rossman]

Yes, I saw three of them go through that strait this morning. The whales down here seem to relish interaction with humans. In southern California they tend to swim in a straight line and because the zealots up there consider anybody that comes when thin 100 yards of them is harassing them, you can paddle perpendicular to their course and avoid interactions with them. Down here, if you try to avoid them, they simply make a course change so they can get a closer look at you.

[Irishman]

That's the best part of fishing. I've seen and caught what 99% would say no way. Highlight of this was about 10 years ago, 1/2 day boat out of Point Loma, I was young and dumb with fishing and laughed at for trolling a feather....but I did hook and lose what myself and about 6 others on the boat described as a marlin....don't laugh but we all saw the same thing...jump from water, line go off like crazy and a fish that when jumping had the long bill and so on. It was within view of point loma and late August. I was dumbfounded and the guys that saw it said the same...lasted about 30 seconds
You never know where a fish decides to go, think 40 years ago and the stories of ppl catching yellows from the piers