| Imagine yourself waking up at 3 a.m on a | | | | My feeling was right, we had hooked into a nice |
| gorgeous early summer morning. You've got your | | | | fish. Little did I know what was to come next. |
| rods, reels, and equipment loaded up in your truck. | | | | Just as I had set my brother up in the fighting |
| You've got your cooler packed with a few | | | | belt and he had started reeling the fish in, the |
| afternoon snacks and some drinks. You're heart is | | | | right rod started buzzing. We must have raised a |
| pounding with the thoughts of being out on the | | | | good amount of fish because the third and final |
| ocean, free from the everyday stress of work | | | | spreader bar was nearly taken down too! |
| and reality, and the hopes that this could be the | | | | Knowing that two fish was more than enough, I |
| day you hook the trophy fish, your giant. You | | | | quickly reeled in the center bar to avoid hooking a |
| drive down to the dock, load up all the equipment | | | | third fish and being in way over our head. |
| into the boat, and prepare for the long journey | | | | At this time we were very novice bluefin tuna |
| out into the open ocean. With a full tank of gas | | | | fisherman and we figured that my brother could |
| and your adrenaline pumping you fix your sights | | | | reel in the one fish, we could land it, and then he |
| on the horizon and open up the throttle. Just as | | | | could put on the fighting belt and bring in the |
| the sun is coming up over the horizon, you | | | | other fish. Big mistake! Not only is this a bad idea |
| remember that following the sun leads to the land | | | | because we had a limited crew but also because |
| where giants roam the sea just below your feet. | | | | of how tiring reeling in back-to-back fish can be. |
| After an hour of steaming out into the open | | | | Also, leaving the fish hooked and dragging it for |
| ocean your heart is pounding out of your chest | | | | several miles can be very detrimental to the fish's |
| with the first sighting of whales. You remember | | | | health. We hadn't realized just how big the fish |
| hearing that whales are the number one sign that | | | | that my brother was fighting was so we just |
| bluefin tuna must be nearby. You see the fleet of | | | | kept the boat on idle speed and let the second |
| boats, already with their spread set and working | | | | fish stay hooked, hundreds of feet below the |
| the waters around the whales in hopes of hooking | | | | surface. After about fifteen minutes, we finally |
| the big one. You now know that this is the spot. | | | | caught our first glimpse of the fish that my |
| This is where you are going make your stand, set | | | | brother had been struggling to bring in. As soon as |
| your spread, and wait for that sweet sound. The | | | | the fish saw the boat, he took off back down to |
| sound that keeps you going back, day-after-day, | | | | the bottom of the ocean and the battle started all |
| the sound of the drag screeching at a thousand | | | | over again. After nearly forty-five grueling |
| miles per hour, it's the sound of all of your | | | | minutes, both fish and fisherman were completely |
| patience and persistence culminating in a moment | | | | exhausted and I brought out the gaff for the final |
| that is yours. It's you versus the fish. | | | | step in landing the fish. I gaffed the fish in the |
| Now that I've painted a picture in your head of | | | | back shoulder, and we pulled the fish over the |
| what you can expect when you go bluefin tuna | | | | edge of the boat. Seeing that this was clearly the |
| fishing, I'm now going to tell you a story of one | | | | biggest fish we had ever caught, we pulled out |
| of my own personal early bluefin fishing | | | | the tape measure to see just how big our fish |
| experiences. It was early July and the setting was | | | | was. Fifty-six inches! A true monster in the eyes |
| exactly as I described it. It was one of those | | | | of a couple of novice fisherman. |
| days, weather wise, that you dream about. The | | | | In pretty much a state of shock and pure |
| sun was out, the water was calm, and the fleet | | | | euphoria we had almost forgot that we had been |
| was out in our regular fishing spot. | | | | towing another fish for the better part of six |
| My brother and I had set our spread behind the | | | | miles. Pure luck, no doubt, is the only explanation |
| boat. We had been working a small pod of whales | | | | for the second fish staying on the line. Seeing that |
| for almost two hours without even a bite or a | | | | my brother was completely exhausted from |
| sighting of tuna. Starting to get a little frustrated, | | | | reeling in his fish, I put on the fighting belt and |
| we decided to move away from the fleet to a | | | | started reeling in the second fish. As I was reeling |
| rather large circle of birds that were sitting on top | | | | in the fish, my brother began packing the first fish |
| of the water about a quarter mile away from the | | | | in ice and placed it in our pelagic fish body bag. |
| whales and the rest of the fleet. I was driving the | | | | After about fifteen minutes we brought the |
| boat and my brother was watching the spread as | | | | second fish up, gaffed it, and got it in the boat. |
| we approached the birds. All of a sudden I had a | | | | The reason that the second fish came up so fast |
| strange feeling that we were going to hook up as | | | | was because it had already been tired out from |
| we went through the birds. I turned to my | | | | being dragged for so long! With two fish in the |
| brother and excitedly said, "Get ready, we're | | | | boat and an exhausted "crew" we decided that |
| about to get some action!" | | | | we had had enough fishing for one day. With a full |
| Skeptical of my gut feeling, he reluctantly stood | | | | fish locker and a very satisfied feeling, we |
| up and got ready for the bite. Just as he was | | | | steamed back to the dock and closed the book |
| standing up, the left rod started screaming. A fish! | | | | on the day we doubled up for the first time. |