Twelve of us fished the Lump on the Caribean Sea Capt. Tomeny out of Fourchon. Left the dock at 10 pm on Friday 1/26. Got to the Rig closest to the Lump 5 hrs later. Nothing but small sharks, a few Bliners and trash fish. Arrived on the lump a couple of hours later took over 1 hour to set the anchor. More sharks and trash fish. Two very small YF and 1 small BF Tuna. Two of us had tackle for Tuna. Tried jigs and chunking with Boneta chunks, nothing was working. The rest of the folks used the boats tackle, which was in very sad shape and not really usful for fishing Tuna. 5 or 6 big fish were broke off and lost some of it due to the poor tackle. Since there was no Tuna being caught the deck hands did some fishing and intermittantly chuming. There was no consistancy in the chumming so we didn't get any fish coming to the boat. Massive tangles since the deck hands were putting out lines and sticking the rods in the rod holders on the fish box. The boat repositioned once and more trouble setting the anchor. Nothing but sharks and trash fish on that position as well. There was only two rod holders on the back of the boat so you couldn't put you rod in one and strip line off to let the chunk float with the chum. The deck hands had one tied up trying to catch fish. We left the Lump at 1 pm Sat and got back to the dock about 6 pm. Rough ride back. Looked like a line squal came thru. The boat had bunks and a shower but no fresh water to use the shower or sink to clean up a little. Water was running on the floor of the bunk room so couldn't set anything there. The engine noise was intense in the bunk room. The boat was rolling so much going back, it was difficult to stay in the bunk and sleep. The boat wasn't handeling the following sea very well going back. It looked like it wanted to broach. The lid flew off the box the few fish that were caught were in and the box was sliding around the rear deck. Since it must have many hundreds of lbs of weight in it with all that ice, I expected it to knock a hole in the side of the boat. I had left a rod in the rod holder on the box and expected it to be crushed but some junk on the deck prevented the box from crushing the rods and reels. I had gone on this trip to see if I wanted to charter this boat for a two day trip but I think not now. I have been fishing with Reel Peace captains out of Venice many times and done very well each time. Also fished on the Doubleups out of Cocadre and done well with them.
I don't know how experienced that crew is at The Lump, which is a unique fishery and requires specific techniques to be successful (from what I've read in reports). However, this crew and boat served as a good platform for our GEM '06 trip. Sorry to hear of your Lump experience with them. I happened to enjoy the engine sounds as it helps me fall asleep and stay asleep with all of the snoring! LOL
The constant chum line is A MUST. That day should have produced as i talked to Capt. Mike Ellis yesterday and he told me he had a couple over 100# that day. I am sad to say but just another Head Boat Fu**up. I am sorry most of the guys know how i feel about head boats. (all they care about is money) If you want to fish the lump next year call Devlin at Reel Peace about 2 months in advance to insure you get the date you want. www.reelpeace.com sorry about your trip, i am sure the next one will be more sucsessfull. If you dont mind me asking how much was the trip. You can fish with a private charter for about 300 a day, 4 per boat.
The trip cost was $290. I don't like head boats, and this one was one of the worst. I thought I would try it since the GEM trips were so sucessful. I am shure I would not want to spend two nites on the boat even if it was a good trip. I like the BigE and it is the only head boat I have been on and done well. I went on one of the Galveston head boat years ago and it was terrible. One has to fish with experienced Tuna fishermen to really have a good trip for Tuna. I will try and get a group of four and go with Reel Peace when the weather is better.
Sorry to hear that you didn't have good time on the Carrebean Sea. I have a three night/four day charter on the Carrebean Sea in June as I was pretty impressed with the GEM 06 reports. In a sense I predicted that the GEM 06 trip would be successful, not because of the boat they got on, but the area they fish and anglers on the boat. I don't think any one on the GEM 06 trip used boat rental rods. The Midnight Lumps fishing is totally different. As you have followed fishing reports, you would have known that there is no night bites on the Lumps except sharks. I did night fishing near the Lumps and found nothing but blackfin tuna at a rig near the Lumps The Midnight Lump fishing is not for quantity, but the quality. You rarely see any boat can limit out yft on the Lumps, but 100 - 150 lbs yft catches are common. You said you lost 5-6 nice tuna. Then you did OK. I would say 5 -6 hookup with nice yft on the Lumps are better than the average. If you or your group don't have any good tuna tackles, the small boat charters with quality tackles are definitely better choice. A friend of mine just came back from 14 day trip on the Red Rooster last week and he caught only a few small tuna for 14 days. He said he caught more tuna on a day trip charter out of NJ with me last fall than 14 days on the RR. That is fishing.
Ksong I agree with what you have said. I was primarly wanting to see what the boat was like since the GEM trips were good fishing. I was thinking of booking it for a multiday trip. The boat is awful. I couldn't stand to be on it for 3 nites and 4 days. Good fishing or not. Half the time the one toilet wasn't working. The boat is poorly maintained. One of the big ice chests was loose on the deck ramming the side of the boat. Don't leave your rods and reels on the rod holders when underway. There was no fresh water for cleaning up or showering. The boat handles poorly in rough seas. I think it's dangerious if a line squal is incountered. It could easily broach and roll over. This just happened to a Pilot boat off the Galveston Jetties. Al
Wow ALW! We have 2 very different perspectives of this boat! I know that since Katrina, that Capt Tomeny had pulled the Caribbean out and did A LOT of work on her. In fact, the entire boat had been steam cleaned, primered, and completely repainted. If anything, that boat is very well maintained. I don't doubt you when you say a toilet wasn't working or a chest was loose, but when you made the crew aware of this, what happened? It's true that the rod holders did not have inserts to guard against rail rub and one of OTI's demo rods got a nice little ring in the exposed part of the bottom grip. I know from experiencing very large (and building) seas that this boat handles rough seas very well. Now compared to The Big E in the same seas is not fair due to the E having unknown, but much larger displacement and about twice the length advantage. To state that this "could easily broach and roll over" is not accurate, but I think you should qualify how you know this or is it just an opinion. Don't mean to offend you and please take this as a need to clarify the facts so that potential Charters that may see this -and use this information to decide on chartering- and we need to ensure we're clear. If you can qualify that as fact, then I'll be the first to stand corrected and apologize! Thanks for contributing to the boards and I wish your trip would have been better in your eyes!
Ksong I agree with what you have said. I was primarly wanting to see what the boat was like since the GEM trips were good fishing. I was thinking of booking it for a multiday trip. The boat is awful. I couldn't stand to be on it for 3 nites and 4 days. Good fishing or not. Half the time the one toilet wasn't working. The boat is poorly maintained. One of the big ice chests was loose on the deck ramming the side of the boat. Don't leave your rods and reels on the rod holders when underway. There was no fresh water for cleaning up or showering. The boat handles poorly in rough seas. I think it's dangerious if a line squal is incountered. It could easily broach and roll over. This just happened to a Pilot boat off the Galveston Jetties. Al I believe your observations are correct. But you can not compare any other average party boats with the Big E. I feel Gulf Coast fishermen are very fortunate to have a boat like the BiG E. I fished on many party boats from Main to Florida, Gulf of Mexcio and West Coast. So I know what I can expect from the Carribean Sea. The little problmes you listed on the boat are very common on most old party boats. The Viking Fleet out of Tarpon Spring, Fl purchased one of Tomeny's boat which is very similar to the Carribean Sea. I checked the boat already and got some information on the boat from Viking's Capt. It is not a big boat like the Big E or any other 100' party boats on the East Coast which can handle big seas. That is why I choose late June when the weather is more favorable. My main concern to charter a boat in Gulf Coast is not the boat, but the captains and crews. I had many trips in Gulf Coast spoiled because of Capt's strange attitude toward customers even though they had beautiful boats. The reason I chose the Carribean Sea is that Tomeny and his crew's willingness to accomodate customer's need and their hard work. After I fish on the boat, I'll report my honest opinion on the boat and crews. Our trip is somewhat different from other regular overnight trips. The trip is for jigging and popping mainly though bait fishing is not discouraged and every one on the boat will bring their equipments and jigs/poppers. we even thinks about bringing a big net to release tuna unharmed. As we intend to release most fish and keep only some to eat, nobody on the boat will get upset even though he loses fish. If you suggest any other party boats with better services and better results in Gulf Coast, I am greatly appreciated because the trip on the Carribean Sea is just the first step to fish in Gulf of Mexico.
Ksong I think it's dangerious if a line squal is incountered. It could easily broach and roll over. This just happened to a Pilot boat off the Galveston Jetties. Al Al, you brought up an interesting subject. Here is a story of rogue waves which hit a 125' big party boat out of NJ. It is not uncommon to encounter unexpected wind or waves while fishing. When I fished on a 45' boat in Kodiak Island, AK, we went offshore as the weather forecast was 10-20 knot. As soon as we anchored, it got worse and worse. It blew 30-40 knot steadly with gust up to 50 knot. To make matters worse, the current was against wind and we had waves from all different directions. The captain said that was the worst he ever experienced even though he fished in notorious Alaska water for many years. I am glad I am still alive. http://www.thebassbarn.com/forum/showthread.php?t=84291
Ksong I have fished the Gulf of Alaska several times. Luckey to have good weather there. Usually the boats won't go out if it dosn't look good. I try to pick the bigger boats. Waiting for my King Salmon mount from the Keani river. I caught a 75lb 54.5 inch there last summer. Sure like the Alaska fishing. Al
Al, 75 lbs king salmon ???? That is huge one. I go to Alaska or British Columbia to catch king salmon or halibut almost every year, but my biggest one is still in mid 40 pounder. I saw a 120 lbs king salmon wich was caught on a commercial boat on the wall of South Terminal in Vancouver, BC. Les Anderson's World Record 97.25 lbs. King caught in Kenai River, AK
alw, i think the boat's "charms" can be forgiven but the main fault was that we didnt stick to the plan that was discussed. we didnt stop for bait, the captain & crew gave up targeting tuna 2 hrs after reaching the lump. they were using cut bait on bottom and the rest of the fishermen on the boat was happily catching sharks & b-liners. my only regret on this trip is that i didnt get to test the fin-nor's monster drag on a bigger fish so i can write a better report..
ALW, I was on the GEM trip with Ragman. I've had the pleasure of fishing off every head boat in the GOM with the exception of the Big E. I will be on it in May. However, we got hit with one of the biggest fronts of the year while we were out and had to make a decision to come in early. The ride back was through tens and twelves at times, and while the speed of the boat was that great, it wasn't a rough ride at all. The boat handled rough water EXTREMELY well. As far as it being clean, it was one of the cleanest boats I've ever been on. As Ragman stated, the boat was completely overhauled after Katrina, and was it tip top shape. As far as the toilet not working properly, can't vouch for that since I wasn't on the trip myself. During our ride out, I slept for over six hours in the bunks and found them very comfortable, and the engine noise was relatively low. I also slept 5-6 hours on the way back in, even through the rough seas. While the boat isn't as fancy as the Big E, I will put Tomeny's Charters up against ANY other operation on the Texas Coast! His bunk house was extremely clean, and for $15 bucks a night to have a place right 75-100 feet from the dock, you can't get any better than that. To as TNG points out, I think there may be some other factors involved. As far as fishing, well it is just that, fishing. Otherwise they would call it catching. I've been on some of the biggest trips of my life, and the fish just weren't there. There isn't anything anyone can do about it, but suck it up and go out again some other time. Don't want to sound rude, but I don't think you are giving Tomeny's the proper credit they are due. The deck hands we had were some of the best I've ever seen, and Tomeny was an EXCELLENT captain.
I think it would have been better fishing with people that had good tackle and offshore technique. I have very good tackle and have done quite a bit of offshore fishing. The boat was clean. The engine noise was intense in the bunk room. You are wrong about that. Water was running on the floor of the bunk area but the floor was clean. Who needs a head when there are 5 gallon buckets. I found that I would not like it on a multiday trip and my fishing buddy that went with me didn't care for it either. Capt Tommeny did not stop for live bait which would have been a plus. He didn't do a good job of putting us on the fish. I have done better with the Venice capt's. The deck hands were terrible, they went to fishing instead of keeping a chum line going. They were throwing pogeys on the deck stomping them to mush and then washing them overboard. The folks that were on the trip had no equipment but the boat's except for me and TNG. The trip was sold as a tuna trip and there was no posibility of doing much good with the rotten junk fishing tackle furnished them. I think the folks liked catching the Bliners and little sharks and trash fish. The boat and Capt Tomeny are set up to fish the close in rigs for bottom fish. I will stick to the Big E as far as head boats. I know yall have fun on this boat and that's why I wanted to try it, and one day was enough for me.
First mistake, never expect good boat equipment on a head boat. They are used and abused. A private charter will provide much better equipement, but price per day per person will be several times that of a head boat. The fastest way to make bait is to either stomp on it and wash it overboard. Or put it in a bucket and use a shovel and mush is up. Either way works, so there shouldn't be an issue. Go out on Dolphin Docks or even The Gulf Eagle and then compare boats. New Buch and The Cavalier don't even stand a chance next to Tomeny's as far as the way they are kept clean. I fished the same boat you did, and it was one of the best fishing platforms of any boat I've been in on the gulf. Plenty of room to move all the way around the ship. It is a center console, so wasn't a concern of high sticking, and while there was not that many rod holders, just use your plate and drop down straps, and it is as easy or easier than a rod holder if you are chunking. Several of us came off the GEM trip and agreed that the Caribean Sea was the perfect set up for a tuna boat in the gulf. Most Tuna fishermen bring their own gear. And yes, I'm sure his boat equipment was the standard bottom rigs that he uses for Snapper and other reef fish. Simply because that is what his biggest market is. I know I wouldn't let a bunch of rookies and tourist use my high end rods and reels when throwing 10-14 ounce baits. That would be an absolute nightmare. Heck, most of those people have enough problem keeping a reel from backlashing when dropping an 8 oz weight down for snapper! So sorry about your bad trip. But, I just can't imagine how less than 4 months after we get back from the GEM trip with some of the most experienced Tuna fishermen in the gulf that just RAVED about this boat, Captain, and Crew, how Tomeny's operation could have fallen apart in less 120 days.
I am not trying to argue with anyone just state my opinion. Live bait wouldnt have mattered unless you want ajs, If you can catch live mullet that would be the only live bait i would use. The lump is a CHUNK fishery hands down, sure you can catch em on jigs and topwaters SOMETIMES, but CHUNKS(not mush) are the bread and butter of lump fishing. If you ask 30 captains from venice or fourchon they will all tell you the same thing. CHUNK CHUNK CHUNK. I believe the presentation of the chum matters, they need chunks to feed on. Sharks and kings will be attracted to the mush as it puts the scent in the water very overpowering simular to a chum churn. They work it is not something you want to do constantly, rather just a few pumps here and there. Last i checked no one payed 1300 bucks to catch kingfish and shark. Theer is no need to argue about the boat. CMON its a head boat what do you guys expect they are filling their wallet, and that is what they care about. They captain knew damn well that penn senators spooled with 5 year old mono will not get the job done against lump tuna. Most of the capatins fish 50ws and 30ws for them. By the way it is very possible the boat could have needed some repairs after the gem trip and prior to alw report. Most of you guys have boats and know that they always need maintenece of some sort.
alw, i just wrote my account of the trip to back your version & then erased it. i've decided to let this trip become just a memory, nothing against boat, captain or crew. i learned a few things from the trip & hope to be able to hook & boat my 1st yf in the near future. peace
I encourage you to post your account too! There are no bad feelings on this thread, just different perspectives of a boat and two different trips. Reasonable expectations, from a fisher and a Capt/crew, will come about thru these types of topics and experiences, only if you share!
