Sandwiches nothing! You make steaks out of those bad boys!

I remember watching a docementary on tuna fishing many years ago. They used heavy rods (very heavy) with a relatively short line on it (maybe 6 feet) that was tied to a very large barbless hook with chicken feathers tied on it. They would get on a school of surface-feeding tuna and begin by tossing the lure over, hooking a fish (immediately) and with a mighty heave, hoisting the fish right up and over their shoulders onto the deck. The fish would come off the barbless hook and someone else would shove it down into the ice-filled hold. The guy with the rod would throw his lure right back into the frenzied school of fish and immediately have another one on. There were several guys all doing this at the same time; it was wild to see the fish flying over the guys' shoulders onto the deck of the boat!

Soon, the more agressive, smaller fish would all be caught, and the larger fish would start biting, so they'd hook two rods and lines to one lure. Then two guys would work together to haul the larger fish up, over and onto the deck. Then it would take three guys and three lines. Finally, they would have four guys with four rods and lines all hooked to the same lure to hoist the very large tuna up and over their shoulders onto the boat. It was crazy to watch!

They eventually had to stop and go find another school because the remaining fish were too large for even four guys to handle that way.

I see that the guy who caught this one fought the fish for well over two hours - that's a little different from the film I described - but a whole lot more sporting. 

My hunting buddy, Steve just called me from Florida this morning. He was driving to meet some guys he met down there last year who go out onto the Gulf in a 27' boat. He said this time they are going to fish today for Amberjack - same as they did last year. But they are going to spend the night out there on the boat, and tomorrow go after Yellowfin Tuna using strips of the Amberjack for bait!

I told him to take lots of pictures, so hopefully, I'll have a report for you in a couple of days.

Well, in the world of tuna, that ism't nearly as big as the Bluefin get on the east coast.

Th world record for a giant bluefin was caught just off the coast of Canada, either New Brunswick or Nova Scotia, back 35+ years ago. 

It went 1496 pounds.....

They catch them all up and down the coast, with 500+ pounders even off of the Carolinas.  They're prettty cool.