# 10 days bluefin hunt starts from tomorrow



## ksong

10 days bluefin trip starts from tomorrow. 
Korean TV fishing host, Dong M Shin is coming with other fisherman and we are going to fish bluefin with Capt Jimmy the Greek for 4 days in Cape Cod and head for PEI for giant standup fishing with Cape Greg for 4 days. 
Fall run of bluefin just started in Cape Cod right in time.


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## V-Bottom

Which Korea?


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## ksong

I thought herring run was over when we arrived in PEI, but they said herring run didn't start yet. That explained whey they said giant fishing was just OK. 
Herring usually arrive there for spawning in late Aug and early Sept and giant congregate in herring spawning ground. But it didn't happened when we arrived there.

We were going to fish with Capt Greg Norton from Sept 16 to Sept 19, but we decided to fish on Sept 15 as we arrived there on Sept 14.
Capt Greg arranged for us to fish with Cape Dave of the Tide and Time Charter.
We booked with the Roller Bay Inn for four days from Sept 15 and we couldn't get the room on a short notice. So I searched around a lodge and found the Inn at Spry Point. The lodge turned out to be a hidden jewel.







We made a late start out of North Lake. Fishing ground is only a few miles from the harbor. There were about 20 boats. As herring run didn't start yet, we didn't mark many tuna on the screen. But we start to mark tuna by 10;30 am and it didn't take long to hook up a giant on dead herring.

Dong Shin fought the first giant using Black Hole Giant rod. It took about 50 minutes to get the fish next to the boat, but 700 lb - 800 lb giant pulled the hook while holding leader line. So we didn't take many pictures.


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## ksong

While I was fishing bluefin in Cape Cod last week, the water temp was 62 degree, but PEI's water temp was warmer. That explain why herring run didn't start yet.








Capt Dave set up for the second tuna, but they wanted to go to the model after catching the first giant as they were very tried from long drive last night.


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## ksong

Herring run finally started next day.
Capt Greg Norton ran a long way from North Lake. When we got there, there was no boat, but we marked tuna pretty good.

When we chum with herring, it didn't take long giant gather under boat and ate our chum. 
The next three days, we fought two giant in 600 lb - 900 lb a day.
About 16 giant were caught using Black Hole Giant rods between Capt Greg and Capt Spencer boats while we were there. 
We killed one giant in 600 lb for filming. 
It was a great trip for Korean TV fishing team as they got all they wanted.

It is easy to catch mackerel. But it was strange that giant took dead herring we thrown, but they just ignored live mackerel on the second day. 
We had two giant on dead herring on the second day.
But it was opposite on the third day. They went after live mackerel immediately when mackerel touched water. 


This is rod/reel setup we used on our trip.Black Hole Giant acid wrapped rod/Penn 80S with 1:1 low gear ratio upgraded by Cal Sheets.
We found acid wrapped rods work great for giant. .


Mel's 80S. He spooled with 200 lb /JB Hollow/150' 200 lb Jinkai mono. He set the drag at 65 lb at full and marked 50 lb and 55 lb so that you know what drag you use while fighting.
We didn't lose single giant for the whole trip mainly because his reel setup.


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## ksong

tagging device


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## ksong

Mel's fight


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## ksong

Finally herring run started.





There are good population of winter flounder in PEI as well as halibut.


Another Mel's fight.
Mel is 70 years old, but he can fight. he fight very relaxed and he landed all giant within 45 minutes - one hour. He is perfectionist as far as tackle is concerned. He said his braid/mono connection by splicing never failed once.


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## ksong

I finally had a chance to fight a giant. When there was no 2 catches limit a day in 2009 and 2010, I fought 3 - 5 giant a day for thee days.
I was wondering how I feel to fight a giant as I become 67 years old now.
I landed 600 lb giant within 30 minutes. Not bad for an old guy. 
The bent butt is OK, but I feel it is better to fight with straight butt for me.

The Black Magic belt and Braid's harness is a great combo to fight giant.
But the downside of Black Magic is the thin padding. It hurts my lap too much.















Look at the bend of the rod. Giant pulled hard under the boat on 60 lb drag and I couldn't unhook the harness lug.
I thought the rod wold explode. I am very impressed.


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## ksong

PEI trip was successful by any standard. I know some boat didn't catch any tuna. I believe it is Capt Greg's experience where to fish and how to fish. 
The TV fishing show will be a big hit in Korea.


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## ksong

It is not over yet.
They wanted to fish bluefin on poppers in Cape Cod on the way down. 
Capt Jimmy the Greek found tuna popping here and there. 
But tuna ignored even they cast poppers right in the middle of boiling tuna. 
Finally Dong M Shin hooked up a 100 lb tuna and the whole fight was filmed for TV show. 
8' Black Hole Cape Cod 80 Graphite/Stella 18000 were used.

They were so happy that they asked me to arrange a destination for the show next year.
I said " ASCENSiON !!" without any hesitation.  So we are going to Ascension next year.


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## fullon_harvest

Cool report! I'm glad the trip/filming/catch was a success. 

Thanks for sharing.


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## hog

wonderful Report Kil.....

Always look forward to reading of your great fishing adventures from around the world ....


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## Permit Rat

Glad I saw this thread. I commercial fished the giant tuna one year, off Chatham, Cape Cod. We got all ours by trolling bar rigs on rod and reel. I caught 11, biggest at 850, although most fish were 500-550 lbs. I find it interesting that no matter the size, all the fish took just under an hour to land.

It also seems that the ends of the season are the best for BFT on artificials. There are a lot more smaller fish around and the water temp is cooler. Even though they are warm blooded to a degree, tunas seem to spend more time at the surface when the water is cooler.

PS...I hope that by ASCENSION, you mean the island (marlin?) and not Ascension Bay. There have been a few bad reports coming out of that area in recent years.


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## ksong

Permit Rat said:


> Glad I saw this thread. I commercial fished the giant tuna one year, off Chatham, Cape Cod. We got all ours by trolling bar rigs on rod and reel. I caught 11, biggest at 850, although most fish were 500-550 lbs. I find it interesting that no matter the size, all the fish took just under an hour to land.
> 
> It also seems that the ends of the season are the best for BFT on artificials. There are a lot more smaller fish around and the water temp is cooler. Even though they are warm blooded to a degree, tunas seem to spend more time at the surface when the water is cooler.
> 
> PS...I hope that by ASCENSION, you mean the island (marlin?) and not Ascension Bay. There have been a few bad reports coming out of that area in recent years.


I fish bleufin in Cape Cod regularly. I plan to fish on Tueday and I have 5 days trip in Cape Cod from Oct 15.
As you mentioned, small tuna and big tuna are mixed together. While fishing inshore close to Peaked Hill Bar areas where many 100 - 200 lb tuna have been caught, one boat I know hooked up 1000 lb giant with 8 lb live bluefish and they lost the giant as leader line broke. The area is only a few miles from the land.

Ascension Island in South Pacific, not Ascension Bay.


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## SharkBait >*)\\\><(

awesome thanks for sharing, i want to fish PEI one day on standup gear


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