BGDmax03

Me and the crew have finally planned our long awaited "1st" tuna trip and are looking for any last minute advice that any of you seasoned tuna veterans may have to offer! :bowdown We will be arriving in Grand Isle on Feb. 10th and staying through the 14th. We have all been looking to get in on some of this world class tuna action for quit sometime and the trip has finally came togather! Our tackle consists of 3-50w on 50-80 roller rods, 3-30's on 30-50 rollers, 2-jigging/casting rigs loaded with braid, and our bait rods. The boat is a 31 Cape Horn and has 400+ mile range. From what I have gathered on here, the midnight lump is not all what it is talked up to be so we most likely wont spend alot of time there. Most of our fishing will be chunking/livebaiting but we do plan on trolling around some of the shallower rigs for those monster wahoo. Some of my questions for you are: where might we be able to find some hardtails, what will be some good producing rigs for big wahoo, what area should we be looking to start for YFT and how long to you give a spot thats not producing before moving on. We will be bringing 50-100lbs of fresh caught LY's with us for chunking but what else will be our best bet for chunk bait(bonita, cuda, small bft)? What will be the best thing to pull for the wahoo bite? Besides the "loop" which I know I have to steer clear of, are there any other navigational hazards that I should be aware of before leaving out from Grand Isle? Any advice on these topics or any other that I may have left out will be greatly appreciated :toast

PMac

I went out with Rimmer Covington a couple of Febuary's ago and learned allot. The wahoo hold very close to the rigs. He would run the baits within 10' of the structure and indeed that is where they were. Allot of people don't have success with Yozuri Bonitas and other swimming baits. Typically they are trolling too slow. 12kts for yahoo is not even close to too fast. Rimmer was probably doing 15kts. Depends on the sea conditions, the calmer the water, the faster I would troll.
Your best bet for bait is mullet. You can throw net them around the docks by the thousands. Keep some alive and chum the rest. He cuts his bait for YFT into 2"X2" chunks. You do not "hook" the chunk, you slice a "pocket" in it and slide in a 6/0 circle hook so that it is completely hidden. You pull slack in the line and you lay it in the water so the hook doesn't slide out. You hold the boat in one spot or anchor and you keep the line slack at all time and let the chunk drift back naturally. You let it drift along way from the boat, I mean you will pull line until your arms ache! Let it go 200yds before reeling the hook back in. Keep chumming about every 2 minutes with 8-10 pieces of mullet. Kites work well for YFT who are busting the surface but won't eat. Again, keep the boat away from whatever structure you are fishing and let the kite get way away from the boat. Some people will tell you tuna are stupid and easy to catch and at times they are. Those fish get allot of pressure this time of year and keeping your distance from them will help catch more and bigger fish. I am no expert on YFT but that is how one of the best did it when I was there two years ago next month.

Xiphius

We have run out of Grand Isle a couple of times and it was a nice break from Venice...put in at Bridgeside Marina which is located on the right when you get into Grand Isle the channel was well marked but that was before Katrin, Ike, and Gustov. The run into the Gulf was not too bad there is a sandbar that shifts around at the entrance but it was 4-5' deep..just get in line and follow some of the charters...Reel Screamers used to run out of Bridgeside. The YF last year were located east of thelump around the area previously known as the horseshoe rigs these have been dismantled..but still demarked on the charts. Where you staying down there? Hope for a couple of calm days and some screaming drags...

BGDmax03

Hey thanks for the info guys:toast I am going to make reservations tomorrow at the cabins at Bridgeside Marina if available. Anyone have experience with this place? I am open to suggestions here too!

Freespool

If you get a real calm day and feel like making the trip run on down to Green Canyon. The fish down there are much easier to catch and there is usually plenty of them

mdrobe2

I have stayed at the Bridgeside Marina in Grand Isle and it is fine if you are a serious angler looking for a bed and not some aristocrat looking for a resort, if you know what I mean. It was about 70 bucks a night but they were flexible on the checkout time and you can get a decent shrimp po-boy at a restaurant called the Star Fish,I believe. Should be plenty of camps/beach houses for rent if you don't stay at the marina. WATCH YOUR SPEED in south LA- especially Golden Meadow and Grand Isle. It's like Gulf Breeze. If it says 25 and you are running 26 with out of state plates get ready for a ticket. You have to stop and pay a toll now to get down there unless you pay it ahead of time on line. I used an inshore guide down there named Dee Price who would probably help you or give you some phone numbers if you need any local info or bluewater tips. PM me if you want Dee's number.

__________________
Mike
2009 Key West 1520 Pro
2009 70 HP Yamaha 2 stroke
Garmin 540S GPS/Bottom Machine
Sound by Clarion and Bazooka
Coastal Night Lights Transom LED's
Minn Kota Riptide Co-Pilot/Auto Pilot GPS Enabled Remote Control Trolling Motor

BGDmax03

Freespool - I have read a little about the Green Canyon and like you said it sounds like the place to be...what kind of run is it from Grand Isle?



Mdrobe - thanks for the feedback on Bridgeside...sounds like a good fit for us! We are looking to spend our money fishin' not on the lodging!

Freespool

I am not sure how far from GI it is as I have never fished out of there but have spent alot of time fishing out of Venice.

Captain Woody Woods

Bout 95 miles on a 203 degree heading from Grand Isle to Brutus, one of the northern most rigs in Green Canyon.

reel trouble

Yes the lump has been off the last couple of years and is fished very very very heavy. Not uncomon to be 30 - 40 boats achored on a place the size of a football field or so. Very crowded but when its good its real good. Lots of big Beeliners on it if you get bored and want to bottom drop. Green Canyon rigs usually produce bigtime on tuna. Its a run but its well worth it!!