Today Shaun and I decided to go out and try for some tuna on the spining gear ourselves. We got up at 0600 and got a nice leisurely start. We splashed in Sandwich and ran out in to the Bay. I headed for the numbers where we got fish the other day. Within a 1/2 mile of my numbers we spot some nice size fish spraying halfbeaks. We get our shot and I get tight on the second cast. I worked the fish hard since we were hoping to do some tagging today. About 50' from the boat I pulled a bit too hard and POP! I break the fish off. Single hook on a Got Styper rubber so the hook should rust out and I got back most of my flouro. Back on the hunt.
A few minutes later we Ruge gets tight on another fish with a money cast and he leans on the fish HARD. Once again SEE YA! Pulled hook! We are now 0 for 2 but really not that upset. The bites are coming fast and the fish are all around. These are the days we try to find the limits of the gear and we have gone beyond the limits twice.
Next shot comes on some breaking fish a few minutes later. This fish gets worked over and gets the lip gaff and darted with a Tag A Tiny tag and released. 58" and nice and fat. We are on the board and the fish are still around. Once again we are back on the hunt.
The bite slowed up on top and we began to hunt the fish a little deeper. We found a few whales and birds with some nice marks under the boat. Ruge makes a blind cast and an absolute MONSTER takes two swings at it. Both misses, but this fish is HUGE!!! Ruge gets the second cast in and a "smaller" fish eats. Ruges tight and says the fish is "not that big" With that statement the fish tears off an insane run and Ruge can't even slow it down. Half the Penn 950's spool is gone which is about 350 yards of line and still going. I fire up the Contender and we are in pursuit! Ruge's all over this fish but it wants no part of him or the boat.
Twenty minutes into the fight. We get color a few times 80' out from the boat. Its a nice fish, but still doesn't look that big. On the horizon is a HUGE elelctrical storm and its heading our way. Mike C calls on the cell to tell us the WX chanel shows it to be a nasty one and we should head for the barn. I tell him Ruge's 30 minutes deep into this fish and he's not breaking it off. Mike C wishes us luck and I get to dropping the antenna, stowing rods, getting the HD video camera into its dry case and suring up everything for the impending Doom and Gloom.
Five minutes later we are in a monsoon! The lighting is crashing between us and land, the rain is coming down in sheets and Ruge can't move this fish. At 45 minutes I get a grab on the leader but I can't get a shot with the lip gaff. The fish is now a legit "caught" fish, but we want to photo and tag it. It takes another 5 minutes for Ruge to get the fish up to leader range again. I get the leader and make a quick shot with the lip gaff. The fish is smoked and so is Ruge. We now get the first REALLY good look at the fish and Ruge says TAKE IT! I'm shocked at how big this thing is on the lip gaff. Ruge gets the real gaff and sinks it into the fish's mouth right next to the lipper. The two of us heave ho and the fish comes over the gunnel. Its a STUD! I grab the cloth tape and get a good measure on the fish......68"!!!!
SIXTY EIGHT INCHES is the largest tuna on spinning gear we have taken on my boat. It's Ruge's largest fish ever! We are pumped! As much as we were hoping to tag and release the fish he was cooked enough that I could hold him with the lip gaff without any struggle. It's Ruge's first fish of the season he's kept and the first one I've taken personally.
Final tally for the day 2 for 4, with 1 tag and release 58'er and on 68"er on the boat. The fish was landed on a St Croix Saltwater Premier 7' Rod rated 20-40# with a Penn 950ssm Reel loaded with 650 yards of 50# Spiderwire Ultracast and 8' of Seaguar 50# flouro. Both fish ate a Got Stryper white rubber bait that the guys at Got Stryper asked me to try out for them. I guess they work! The water temp was 67 degrees and the fish was full of sandeels, although we saw them chasing halfbeaks. Th water was 140' deep and it was clear and sunny at first then the sky opened up and we got soaked in the middle of a downpour.
Overall what can I say? It was a KILLER day OTW. We were trying out some new baits and a leaning on the fish to get a good feel for what the gear would take. I think we found out the biats work well and we have a pretty good idea of the limits of the gear. I think the St Croix / Penn Combo has a keepr tuna left in it, but not much more than that. I'm guessing 73" is gonna be the limit on this gear. It's nice to have a combo that makes a 50# sporty but still has the stones to do a fish like this when the time comes. A HUGE congrats to Ruge for a fish of a lifetime! HD Video to follow!
8/19 How Ruge Rolls with Riptide!!!!! 
