Underwater Expeditions

[Underwater Expeditions]

Underwater Expeditions

Underwater Expeditions Home Page
info@underwaterexpeditions.com
Monday thru Friday
979-233-1811
713-225-3497
Starting in May 2009 we will offer 12 hour trips as well as long range tuna trips!
2009 Schedule will be posted on our website in Jan/Feb!

[Snagged]

Originally Posted by Brokejeep

Has anyone fished off this boat on or near labor day weekend? if so how was the fishing ? kind of fish caught how many etc. My wife and I are wanting to go at that time and am wondering if it is a good time to go.
Thanks

I've fished this boat a number of times on long range trips and always found it comfortable.

[SkeeterRonnie]

i have been on it once. YOu forget you are on a fishing vessel.. its super niiicccceee!!!

[Bellyups]

Originally Posted by Brokejeep

Has anyone fished off this boat on or near labor day weekend? if so how was the fishing ? kind of fish caught how many etc. My wife and I are wanting to go at that time and am wondering if it is a good time to go.
Thanks

Welcome to the board. This time can be very productive for yellowfin tuna, especially a 52 hour trip.

[Brokejeep]

Thanks guys. We are wanting to do the 52 hour trip. I talked to a guy who said to buy our own rods and reels. Any advice on what rigs we need to pick up to do this. I don't mind spending a little more money on quality stuff since this is probably something we will do many times.

[Snagged]

Your own equipment become complicated depending on the type of fishing you wish to do.
For simple bait fishing a 50# and a 80# rig wil work.
If you want to get into popping and jigging a Stellar and an OTI will work well.
Once you start buying specialty tackle your lost.

[Uncle Russ]

Not only does snagged find the boat comfortable, he is extremely wealthy and has been known to take a private flight off when the tuna bite is not going well and he becomes bored with catching piggy perch off the bottom.

As he says, be very, very afraid of getting into tackle addiction. If you do want your own gear, buy one rig for deep dropping and chunking, and a big spinning outfit for all casting--tuna and light stuff--and maybe a short jigging rod to put the spinner on--and be happy with that. There are some poor idiots on this board (I won't name any ) who spent so much time and money buying tackle, they didn't get to go fishing for a long, long time. Then they leave their stuff sitting on the dock.

These people are known as ho's.

There is a gentleman on this board named Mcgolfer (Rick) whose signature line is "No limit on tackle." Do not, under any circumstances focus on this line--when you see it, hold up a silver cross and close your eyes quickly.

Russ

[Brokejeep]

I have ambassador's 6500 and found 7000s and Penn 310gti and 330gti for very good prices, are these reels good enough? I don't know what a 50# or 80# is or a Stellar OTI ,but I will find out.

[phil2008]

Hey Brokejeep-

I went to Fishing Tackle unlimited last night (fun place, but dangerous). The folks there were very helpful and knowledgeable and helped me walk with:
1. Fin-Nor 9500 Spinning reel on a Hopper rod (roughly $400)
2. Avet HXW 5/2 on a Hopper rod (roughly $600)
3. 60# braid and Floro top-shot (roughly $150)
4. 80# braid, 80# mono
5. Poppers and jigs (roughly $200)
Total price tag $1400

I’m counting the days until the Aug 1st 52 hour Big E trip. While a bit more than I wanted to spend, I look at this as an investment. Previously, I had always gone for more bottom of the price range gear and wanted to buy gear with better longevity this time. This will be my first trip on this particular boat, but from everything I have read, it sounds very comfortable and accommodating.

[tngbmt]

take the finor back !!
the heavy POS will only frustrate you. hopper rods are great.

[Uncle Russ]

Jeep: I am passing along info here that folks a lot wiser on the subject than I am gave to me (and some of them may well correct me):

The outfit for bottom fishing and chunking (or drifting out live bait such as piggy's or flying fish) should be something capable of handling 350 plus yards of 80 - 130 pound Spectra Braid with enough room on the spool for a 15 - 25 foot wind on leader (which you will use for the chunking). Bottom of the line for this work would be something along the lines of a Penn 16 VSX or even smaller--an Accurate 665 Wide. A cheaper alternative would be one of the Shimano graphite frame reels. The rod should be between 5 1/2 and 7 feet, either with roller guides or conventional guides that will handle Spectra. Both should be capable of handling maximum drag that is about 1/4 to 1/3 of the nominal breaking strength of the line you have spooled up. So, for example, let us say you have an Accurate ATD 12 (which is capable of a whole helluva lot of drag) and you have it spooled up with Jerry Brown 80 pound line (an excellent brand--whether hollow or solid type) and you have it mounted on a Calstar 700H--you could safely crank the drag up to 20-27 pounds without harming the rod or breaking the line. And most folks would tell you that is just about the range of drag to use for Yellowfin.

Now say, you were going to fish that rig on the bottom. Some people really like to honk down on the drag for big amberjack or grouper--to keep them from going into structure. It is generally agreed that that particular rod will bottom out (although it probably won't break) with more than 25 pounds or so of drag--certainly 35. Few people use that much.

The second rig should be something you can cast and jig with--ideally, you would get two different rigs for this--but let's assume you are keeping it as cheap as possible. You buy the best spinning (or, if you have a good thumb, the best casting conventional reel you can afford--and spool it up with 65-80 pound line.) For lure fishing, you would use a shorter leader (2-4 feet) and for jigging something around 15-25 feet. Most folks would prefer a 7 - 8 1/2 foot rod for casting and a much shorter, Japanese style for jigging--although some experts such as KSONG regularly use 7-9 foot rods for jiggin as well--these usually conventional types so they can use the rail without pinning the line to it.

That is kind of the Party Boat 101 course--with lot's more you can learn by reading back through (or scanning) the posts on "deep drop", "chunking", "popping", and "jigging". Same same on Noreast.com

Russ