Fished Saturday, 30 Sep 06 with a great crew, Lanie, Michael Jr., Tom Kidwell, Greg Allen, and me. It has been a long time since Tom and Greg fished. Greg had been at Fort Rucker, AL for 7 weeks of training, hit the road Friday around noon, drove, 850 miles just in time to meet us at the docks at 3 am (with no sleep). Departed Salt Ponds inlet at 3:20 am and arrived at the cigar at 6:15 to a beautiful sunrise. Tom says lets push more south until I smell fish. Shortly after a tuna jumps out so we put lines line just south of the northern tip of the Cigar. Ran a 9 line spread of bars, chains, birds, witches, islanders, green machines, and Tom's planer rod down deep. Shortly after a big wahoo crashed the center rigger but attacks the big pink bird and sinks his teeth into it cutting the green machine leader behind it. We see some small mahi chasing our spread but they are too small for our baits. Shortly after, we realize the tuna that are at the Cigar are False Albacore so we push Southeast going out to 250 fathom. Water on the cigar and east was 70.5, ugly green, and scattered weeds.

Still nothing, we decide to push even further south to the triple zeros catching up the Oregon Inlet fleet around 10 am. We fished around the fleet and did a steady pick of Yellow Fin Tuna managing to boat 3 up to 55 lbs and lost 3. The water was only 1 degree warmer (71.5) but no weeds and a prettier green than just 10 miles north at the Cigar. Blue and white was the hot color and the bars got the most hits. Lost a screamer on a bar that broke a 150 lb leader. (note to self - get more blue and white witches and bars.)  Lost a wahoo on the  planer down deep. Had a white come into our spread to check out our spread but no hookup.







So now it's 3 pm and decision time. We are 86 miles from Salt Ponds and only 39 to Oregon Inlet. Even though we didn't make plans, no toothbrush, no extra food, 5 people with only the clothes on our backs, we decide we will run to OI, sleep on the boat and get up and get to the fishing grounds early to get another shot at the tuna. 10 minutes into our run to Oregon Inlet, a freak accident happens. One of my rocket launchers on the top rail, breaks off at the weld and a heavy Penn 70 crashes directly on top of Greg's knee who was just dozing in the bean bag chair. Greg doesn't look so good and turns as white as a ghost so we decide to run home and cancel our impromptu overnighter at Oregon Inlet. Nice smooth ride back and by the time we get him back, he seems to be doing better.

3 for 6 Yellow Fin Tuna

0 for 2 Wahoo

White Marlins in our spread

It was a great trip, beautiful sunny day, smooth seas out and back and best of all....tuna in the box.

Here is my video report for this trip.

Triple Zeros