Venice Report

[Drifter]

Three of us were on business in New Orleans and we made a one day trip to Venice Wednesday. We charted with Pocoloco, Jerry Allen but Lee Mclean was our captain.

Weather was great - maybe 1.5 waves We made bait and headed out to Medusa. No luck with livies so we started chunking. On the first drift, Steve hooks into a good fish. About 45 minutes later, he had joined the "100" YFT club. No other hits so we move to another rig about 5 miles away.
Steve YFT.jpg
On the first drift James hooks up but we lose it. He quickly hooks up again and the fight is on. 40 minutes later, he also joins the "100" club. No more hits the rest of the day but another boat nearby hooks into a sail. About 2 hours later, they release it at the boat. We had a great view of the sail dancing on its tail
James YFT.jpg
On our way in we catch a very nice Bull Dolphin and a skinny.

On a tought day for fishing, Captain Lee did a great job putting us on a couple of 100 pounders. Although I swear he looks like he's only 20 years old, he's clearly a seasoned veteran!

Now it's on the Big E 76 hour trip

Venice June 2008.jpg

[Mitchw123456]

Yall had some nice tuna, I was sitting up at the grill drinking a cold one when yall came in.

[Uncle Russ]

Way to go Gentlemen--but one question--was "maximum drag" used on that Wahoo?????

I will add from information already received that with those fish, all three of these undeserving yahoos ahd now joined the 100-pound yellowfin club, much to Uncle Russ's shame and chagrin.

Russ

[Drifter]

Thanks Mitchw123456, sorry we didn't get a chance to meet - maybe next time.

UR - the skinny was so puny I didn't even know he was hooked

Maximum drag - The Venice Captains like 14 - 17 lbs of drag when fighting large Tuna (if they can't pull line with their hand at full strike they quickly lighten the drag) - turns into a 1 hour fight. For our 76 hr Big E trip next week, I'll set my drag around 26 lbs at strike so I can increase pressure as the fight progresses.

[Uncle Russ]

Louis:

I think I saw that Wahoo this morning when i was taking a leak.

You and I never, ever, did things the same way. That's why I pissed you off when I worked for you. I prefer to start out with lower drag, then tighten as I go along--with the exception of freespooling it at the gaff if ordered to do so.

Russ

[xs_tackle]

Originally Posted by Drifter

. . . iThe Venice Captains like 14 - 17 lbs of drag when fighting large Tuna (if they can't pull line with their hand at full strike they quickly lighten the drag)

Do they just assume customers are idiots; or, is it that you're using THEIR rigs and tackle?

[Uncle Russ]

Jep: I cannot speak for all Venice captains, but Captain Eddie on our trip a year ago, did in fact set the drags very low--I'm thinking about where Louis said--certainly under 20 pounds--and we were all using our own gear. I think (although he can correct me if I am wrong) that his concern was mainly to avoid pulled hooks. And in fact, we had only a couple out 15 or 16 hookups--and I think all of those were on a rod that was set quite a bit higher. Our success rate in landing those fish was phenomenal--and I don't remember any given fight lasting even 20 minutes. (of course, no tuna was over 75 pounds, either.)

[xs_tackle]

Originally Posted by Uncle Russ

Jep: I cannot speak for all Venice captains, but Captain Eddie on our trip a year ago, did in fact set the drags very low--I'm thinking about where Louis said--certainly under 20 pounds--and we were all using our own gear. I think (although he can correct me if I am wrong) that his concern was mainly to avoid pulled hooks. And in fact, we had only a couple out 15 or 16 hookups--and I think all of those were on a rod that was set quite a bit higher. Our success rate in landing those fish was phenomenal--and I don't remember any given fight lasting even 20 minutes. (of course, no tuna was over 75 pounds, either.)

Maybe I responded too quickly because of an instance in which a headboat capt reached over my shoulder to test and reset the drag on my B2-665 reel as I was successfully bringing in a 90+ lb YFT. He said it was set at 40# (it wasn't and he couldn't have known if it were b/c you cannot pull much more than 20# on one wrap of 60# spectra barehanded w/o drawing blood and he didn't). I had not missed any tuna on that trip and I didn't lose that one. But I do recall a time when, while kite fishing, I intentionally tested and lost a hookup on a much larger YFT by using 40+# of drag--and the Capt let me do it b/c it was my choice. It was a good learning experience . . . seeing that in moderate seas a YFT could pull me across the deck and up to the rail. Of course, I got him to the rail, too.

[LEXPRO]

Nice fish guys!

[Drifter]

I certainly don't have the YFT experience of most people on this forum but having gone on 6 YFT trips and catching 7 myself, I've seen pulled hooks on every trip. On my Wednesday trip, one was pulled after 5 minutes with drag set lightly at strike (I could pull the drag with one hand at strike). One Venice crew Tuesday told me they lost the first 5 hookups and they were on a charter where the Captain uses a light drag at strike (under 17lbs). I believe sometimes for any number of reasons, you just lose fish.

Jeb, my three Venice Captains lowered the drag on my gear (actually all our gear). While I didn't agree, I allowed it as it's their charter and boat. I will admit that a couple of times I increased the drag (when the Captain wasn't looking) to add more pressure on the tuna.

In fairness, it's possible that sometimes bites are few and far between, and the Captain wants to eliminate a pulled hook from excessive drag on gear he hasn't adjusted himself.

Captain Lee followed the Tuna with the boat to limit the amount of line the fish was taking which was very helpful. I don't believe this will be an option on the Big E next week.