Whereas acres of bunker and striped bass have created white-water feeds inside casting distance of the seashore this fall, bluefin tuna are placing on a present of their very own. Final weekend, I used to be lucky sufficient to witness a spectacular collision of tuna, stripers, and bunker simply off New York Metropolis. As one other angler on board mentioned: “In 20 years of tuna fishing I’ve by no means seen something like that.”
Story Time: The Most Insane Tuna Feed I Have Ever Seen
We began out trolling strains and chasing a couple of sporadic blow-ups within the distance. Finally, we stowed the double-wides and readied the popping rods on the bow, steaming for the primary pile of birds we noticed.
“Whoever’s good at casting get the f*** to the entrance of the boat, NOW!” Capt. Chris Anderson yelled from the helm. “OHHH MY GOD!!!” I heard from the bow as I ducked below the wings to get there. I’d’ve been able to truck by way of the display like a soccer participant at homecoming if it hadn’t already been unzipped. I jumped onto the seat because the engines got here to a halt, almost getting thrown overboard. As I scrambled up, I witnessed a spectacle that I’ll hopefully take with me to my grave.
It began with bunker, in a single spot, erupting as if a whale was breaching on them. Then, it appeared like all the ocean round us was changed by bunker. That was when the large eyes, dorsal fins, and tails grew to become seen. At the least a dozen bluefin have been raking by way of the fish, creating explosive feels like a cannon ball hitting the water (Recognizable from my previous life as a pirate). “There’s friggin’ large bass on them too!” mentioned the angler subsequent to me as he got here tight to a big striper on his RonZ.
I haphazardly launched my jig into the chaos, instantly bumping into bunker and inside a couple of cranks, coming tight. I don’t suppose I’ve screamed with such euphoria since I opened a Nintendo gaming console on Christmas years in the past. Sadly, it was only a 30-pound bass. I’d by no means unhooked and launched a giant striper so quick in my life.
This all went on for lower than a minute. Extra boats arrived, and I watched in pity as a younger angler in a close-by heart console got here tight and instantly snapped his line. He screamed in agony. I continued making awkward casts just some ft from the boat, however I rapidly felt like my ambitions have been misguided. On this state of affairs, capturing these tuna on digital camera would have been a significantly better possibility than a fishing rod. It was throughout as rapidly because it occurred. And though we discovered extra feeds that day, we by no means noticed a scene like that once more.
This sort of tuna fishing is named “ghost looking” for a motive.
Bluefinsanity on Social Media
For a number of weeks, Instagram has been flooded with footage of unimaginable inshore tuna feeds off New Jersey and Lengthy Island. These clips and pictures present only a glimpse into the insanity.
Associated Content material
Massive Bluefin Tuna Habits
Chasing Late Season “Ghost” Tuna in New Jersey
LISTEN: Bluefin Biology w/ Dr. Walt Golet | OTW Podcast – Ep. 37
