# 2 Venice Overnight Trips 7/1 and 7/15



## J.R (Sep 26, 2015)

7/1/2016. Finally was able to make our first overnighter of the year last Friday 6-24-16 out of our home base in Venice. Left Belle Chasse about 2:30 pm made a quick stop at the camp in Happy Jack to pick up a few items picked up the boat from Light House boat storage and was heading down the river by 6:30. After a 2 1/2 hr run we arrived at the targeted Mississippi Canyon Blocks. Started off a little slow with a 20lb blackfin coming in the boat off of a 6oz diamond jig, was marking fish but they were down between 275-300 ft. We kept noticing fish breaking water right outside the light ring but only manage one strike on the Bullet Popper, from reading another report seam to be those toothy critters was what was breaking water.

Made a quick jump and started catching black fin every drift on the 170 flat fall jigs and diamond jigs. Finally a 40 lb yellowfin grabbed a Pink/Silver flat fall with another hooked on free lining pogey chunks. Made one last jump back to where we started and concentrated on chumming and drifting. Was showing some big marks down at 150' so the chumming was slowly bringing them up. Ended up catching 2 solid 60 lb yellowfin on free lining pogeys and 1 40lb yellowfin on a our 200 gram blue/silver vertical jig. Had a few more grab our free line but didn't get a hook on em. With time running against us at this point, I dropped our 200 gram complete glow in the dark and had an immediate hook up that was a solid fish unfortunately he popped the 80lb fluorocarbon, had to bear down on him with more drag before he spooled us, should have dropped that jig earlier in the night. The tuna love the solid glow in the dark sides we added to the flat falls, you can see them things flashing as you freeline them down and man do they save your jigging arm.

Overall we were happy with the night. Ended up with (4) 40-60lb yellowfin and 20 blackfin a few of them were a solid 40lbs, barely fit in the SeaVee coufin box, I'd say 2 more decent size and we wouldn't of been able to close the chest. Caught several 14-16" that were being cut up for chumming bait the ones that didn't make it to the cutting table will make it too the dinner table. Beautiful night to be on the water with 1' seas essentially the entire night, everyone got back safe and sound. Will do it again soon.

R.M Please visit www.strikertackle.com to view our products

7/15/2016
We made our 2nd overnight trip of the year last Friday night. Started off poorly with 1 of a 4 man crew backing out on us less than 30 minutes before he was suppose to meet in Belle Chasse. 2nd man of the 4 man crew out of the blue got sea sick at our first drill ship stop.. He understood that we were 50 miles out and there was no turning back, eventually he did the deed and fell asleep. That left Jimmy and I to fish the rest of the night trying to make drifts, freeline 2 poles and keep the boat in position and throw a jig over when possible. Plus 1-2' forecast was off by a bit, ended up being 3' with the occasional 4' mixed in, not bad just added to the difficulty. All the spots were loaded with blackfin, but unlike last time the majority of the schools were made up of small 3 -10 lb fish. Made a few moves to nearby rigs and drill ships only to find more of the same. Picked up a nice blackfin here and there, kept a few small ones for chum. Then about 4:00 the sea sick one woke up felt better and in 30 minutes the tuna began to bust the top water eating hardtails and seas laid down to 1'. Seasick hand freelined his first chunk for the night and I'll be a son of a *****, nice 20 lb blackfin starts ripping line. We hook a nice yellow on the bullet popper and pulled the hook. The next yellowfin that hit bullet popper came clean out the water after a 30 minute fight he hit the icebox. Had 2 or 3 strikes on the bullet poppers that never did get hooked. By then the sun was about up, still had blackfin hitting the water but they were spread out pretty good, decided to head in while she was nice and laid down. All in all we ended up with (1) yellow and (15) blackfin. Caught most of the blackfin on the flatfall jigs except for (2). Made it home safe and sound, was a long night.

NOTE: Don't let someone who just woke up from being seasick take pictures of try and gaff a tuna. Pictures are blurry and hit 2 tuna in the upper loin.

R.M Please visit www.strikertackle.com to view our products


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