2 of 4

Write now Article Tools

Imagine yourself waking up at 3 a.m on a gorgeous early summer morning. You've got your rods, reels, and equipment loaded up in your truck. You've got your cooler packed with a few afternoon snacks and some drinks. You're heart is pounding with the thoughts of being out on the ocean, free from the everyday stress of work and reality, and the hopes that this could be the day you hook the trophy fish, your giant. You drive down to the dock, load up all the equipment into the boat, and prepare for the long journey out into the open ocean. With a full tank of gas and your adrenaline pumping you fix your sights on the horizon and open up the throttle. Just as the sun is coming up over the horizon, you remember that following the sun leads to the land where giants roam the sea just below your feet. After an hour of steaming out into the open ocean your heart is pounding out of your chest with the first sighting of whales. You remember hearing that whales are the number one sign that bluefin tuna must be nearby. You see the fleet of boats, already with their spread set and working the waters around the whales in hopes of hooking the big one. You now know that this is the spot. This is where you are going make your stand, set your spread, and wait for that sweet sound. The sound that keeps you going back, day-after-day, the sound of the drag screeching at a thousand miles per hour, it's the sound of all of your patience and persistence culminating in a moment that is yours. It's you versus the fish.

Now that I've painted a picture in your head of what you can expect when you go bluefin tuna fishing, I'm now going to tell you a story of one of my own personal early bluefin fishing experiences. It was early July and the setting was exactly as I described it. It was one of those days, weather wise, that you dream about. The sun was out, the water was calm, and the fleet was out in our regular fishing spot.

My brother and I had set our spread behind the boat. We had been working a small pod of whales for almost two hours without even a bite or a sighting of tuna. Starting to get a little frustrated, we decided to move away from the fleet to a rather large circle of birds that were sitting on top of the water about a quarter mile away from the whales and the rest of the fleet. I was driving the boat and my brother was watching the spread as we approached the birds. All of a sudden I had a strange feeling that we were going to hook up as we went through the birds. I turned

• 1
• 2
• next page >>

Add your voice

Know something about Cape Cod, Massachusetts: World-class saltwater fishing?
We want to hear your view. Write now!