| TUNA RUDE Crew members earn Top Angler Awards After an exciting year of fishing in 2006 two Tuna Rude crew members came home with some new hardware. Paul won the Jr Heavyweight division in 4 categories: Snook, Tripletail, Cobia and Kingfish, a Sportsman Award for releasing 11 species of fish and a Sailfish Release certificate. Only 3 sailfish where released this year and two of these fish where released on the Tuna Rude! Then when the top angler awards where announced, our own Jr. angler Paul Wilson was awarded Jr ANGLER OF THE YEAR 2006! |
December 30, 2006 "The Boys hunt Redfish" By Capt Mark
With offshore blowing hard and the crew still feeling the effects from the sporty seas on Thursday Paul, Zack, Mark B and myself decided to target some redfish
this morning. There we only two days left in the FSFA Annual Points Fishing competition and Paul still needed a 5 lb Redfish on ultra light plus a release to reach
his personal goal for 2006. We launched locally and targeted an area that I haven't fished in many years. We where pleasantly surprised when we arrived at the
first spot to find a school of 50-70 redfish, unfortunately they too where surprised to see us and immediately broke into 3 smaller schools and went in different
directions. As Mark B. patiently poled us around the two boys worked the schools with Paul having a banner day landing 3 reds on three different artificial baits.
With offshore blowing hard and the crew still feeling the effects from the sporty seas on Thursday Paul, Zack, Mark B and myself decided to target some redfish
this morning. There we only two days left in the FSFA Annual Points Fishing competition and Paul still needed a 5 lb Redfish on ultra light plus a release to reach
his personal goal for 2006. We launched locally and targeted an area that I haven't fished in many years. We where pleasantly surprised when we arrived at the
first spot to find a school of 50-70 redfish, unfortunately they too where surprised to see us and immediately broke into 3 smaller schools and went in different
directions. As Mark B. patiently poled us around the two boys worked the schools with Paul having a banner day landing 3 reds on three different artificial baits.
December 28, 2006 "The Boys get thier first Sailfish" By Capt Mark
First thing we saw this morning was a 33T heading “IN” from the jetties as we where heading out. With rollers inside the port I figured it was rough but I
was hoping that is wasn’t rough enough to turn that brand new Contender around. After raising him on the squawk box I realize that it was Jessie on the
Reel Deal and he wasn’t bailing on the day he just forgot his sabiki rigs back in his truck. I offered him an 8 pack of rigs and he quickly did a u-turn and then
like a flash that 33T was cresting on the horizon. Real nice boat Jessie!
Onboard I had my father in law, Paul (little DW), my neighbor (another Mark) and his son Zack. It was very sloppy on the way out and we stopped at the
bouy to bait up. Our goal for the day was to put Zack on either a King, Cobia or Sailfish and Paul on a Sailfish, each achievement would be firsts for each
kid. Bait was everywhere down low but the Spanish Macks wouldn’t let any bait reach the baitwell. After going through half a dozen or more rigs we
decided to scratch the live bait effort and more than likely the sailfish opportunity and use dead cigar minnows.
Heading out to the bouy from the port the Jupiter was skipping on top of those sloppy waves at 40 mph and we quickly found out that its not what the boat
can handle but what the passengers can handle. There was a plea to take it slow to our next destination so 20 mph here we goooooooooo. It seemed like
an eternity to get out to 8A reef.
Arriving at 8A, we got there just at the end of a hot kingfish bite. First up was Zack who scratched Kingfish off his list of fish to catch with a 14 pounder that
came off the downrigger. Then the birds moved in and we released bird after bird for the next hour.
Next we watched all the other vessels leave the reef with their limit and the seas started taking effect on one of the passengers. After no action for a while
the bite turned back on and Paul was up and landed a big 21 lb King followed by his grandpa with a 16 lb King. We lost another fish then we got a real “slow
drag sound” on the flat line. We handed the rod to the Zack and he begins to chum in a bucket and hands the rod back. Now we call Paul back into action
and then the drag picks up momentum and before we know it the line on the TLD 20 is getting down to the spool. We see a sailfish grey hounding
Eastward, with 400 yards of line out. Not wanting either kid to miss out on this opportunity we have Paul and Zack double team this fish each taking turns
retrieving 100 yards of line at a time. At boat side Paul maneuvers the fish within reach of the gaff…..ah, just kidding….he positions the fish within reach of
Zacks dad who brings the fish aboard to remove the kingfish rig embedded in the fishes mouth. A few pics are taken and then a release. These two boys
will share their first sailfish memory for a lifetime.
First thing we saw this morning was a 33T heading “IN” from the jetties as we where heading out. With rollers inside the port I figured it was rough but I
was hoping that is wasn’t rough enough to turn that brand new Contender around. After raising him on the squawk box I realize that it was Jessie on the
Reel Deal and he wasn’t bailing on the day he just forgot his sabiki rigs back in his truck. I offered him an 8 pack of rigs and he quickly did a u-turn and then
like a flash that 33T was cresting on the horizon. Real nice boat Jessie!
Onboard I had my father in law, Paul (little DW), my neighbor (another Mark) and his son Zack. It was very sloppy on the way out and we stopped at the
bouy to bait up. Our goal for the day was to put Zack on either a King, Cobia or Sailfish and Paul on a Sailfish, each achievement would be firsts for each
kid. Bait was everywhere down low but the Spanish Macks wouldn’t let any bait reach the baitwell. After going through half a dozen or more rigs we
decided to scratch the live bait effort and more than likely the sailfish opportunity and use dead cigar minnows.
Heading out to the bouy from the port the Jupiter was skipping on top of those sloppy waves at 40 mph and we quickly found out that its not what the boat
can handle but what the passengers can handle. There was a plea to take it slow to our next destination so 20 mph here we goooooooooo. It seemed like
an eternity to get out to 8A reef.
Arriving at 8A, we got there just at the end of a hot kingfish bite. First up was Zack who scratched Kingfish off his list of fish to catch with a 14 pounder that
came off the downrigger. Then the birds moved in and we released bird after bird for the next hour.
Next we watched all the other vessels leave the reef with their limit and the seas started taking effect on one of the passengers. After no action for a while
the bite turned back on and Paul was up and landed a big 21 lb King followed by his grandpa with a 16 lb King. We lost another fish then we got a real “slow
drag sound” on the flat line. We handed the rod to the Zack and he begins to chum in a bucket and hands the rod back. Now we call Paul back into action
and then the drag picks up momentum and before we know it the line on the TLD 20 is getting down to the spool. We see a sailfish grey hounding
Eastward, with 400 yards of line out. Not wanting either kid to miss out on this opportunity we have Paul and Zack double team this fish each taking turns
retrieving 100 yards of line at a time. At boat side Paul maneuvers the fish within reach of the gaff…..ah, just kidding….he positions the fish within reach of
Zacks dad who brings the fish aboard to remove the kingfish rig embedded in the fishes mouth. A few pics are taken and then a release. These two boys
will share their first sailfish memory for a lifetime.
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December 24, 2006 "Daughters First Cobia" By Capt Mark
jig I thought we would land both on one hook! They each fought to hit this jig aggressively and the winner
jig I thought we would land both on one hook! They each fought to hit this jig aggressively and the winner
jig I thought we would land both on one hook! They each fought to hit this jig aggressively and the winner
was a 24 lbr that my daughter fought. Water temp was in the high 60's and very milky in color. On the way
was a 24 lbr that my daughter fought. Water temp was in the high 60's and very milky in color. On the way
in I put little DW at the helm to get his wheel time. The sooner he can handle the Tuna Rude, the sooner I
will fish again!will fish again!will fish again!
jig I thought we would land both on one hook! They each fought to hit this jig aggressively and the winner
jig I thought we would land both on one hook! They each fought to hit this jig aggressively and the winner
jig I thought we would land both on one hook! They each fought to hit this jig aggressively and the winner
was a 24 lbr that my daughter fought. Water temp was in the high 60's and very milky in color. On the way
was a 24 lbr that my daughter fought. Water temp was in the high 60's and very milky in color. On the way
in I put little DW at the helm to get his wheel time. The sooner he can handle the Tuna Rude, the sooner I
will fish again!will fish again!will fish again!
