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The Economical Choice |
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Sometimes money is the reason Sometimes it’s because you’ll be fishing alone, or with a friend or two, not enough to share the costs of a charter. Other times it’s something else. Capt. Dave DeGennaro from the Hi Flier, Barnegat, a charter boat that fishes Barnegat Bay and the inshore ocean, targets tuna from party boats every year. He can tuna fish on his own boat, a 23-footer, and does. He also takes trips on friends’ boats and on other charter boats that he books. Yet he’s fished on these party-boat trips every year for two decades, since Jersey’s fleet regularly started taking the trips to the tuna grounds on the continental shelf. “Why party boats?” I ask Dave. “I don’t know,” he says. It’s like being asked why you like ice cream. But why should anyone take these trips on a party boat instead of a charter? Maybe it’s the feeling in the air when the anglers gather at the boat an hour before departure. Or your thoughts when looking into the eyes of a tuna just landed. Or maybe it’s the chance to fight one of the world’s strongest fish, and come home with tuna steaks. But these experiences are no different than on a charter boat. So why a party boat? Why not? It does cost less, and you can go by yourself or with a few friends, and the experience is the same. So that’s the reason, although charters can offer opportunities that party boats can’t, like personal services, amenities, and freedom For beginners, party boats can be an economical introduction to big-game fishing. |
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For tuna veterans like Dave, the trips are merely another means to reach the fish, one of several opportunities. Some anglers are driven enough to take advantage of each. Tuna--mostly yellowfins, but sometimes longfins and occasionally bluefins or a bigeye--are the main fish caught. A few mahi mahi are usually hooked, and sometimes swordfish are fought, or maybe a mako shark. But tuna are the main goal. |
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Sometimes anglers use a single jig to catch squid. Why not use three to catch three squid at a time? |
For whatever reasons, the tuna only respond to chunking later in the season, from about the end of August through November, and earlier in the season they bite on the troll or on trolled lures. Dave prefers September, October and November for party-boat tuna fishing. October is his favorite, because the largest concentrations of yellowfin tuna, the main quarry, often arrive. He remembers the most consistent bites during that month. But every year is different, and, for example, the fishing this year was “on” when this article was posted in August, but it could very well be hopping later, too. |
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Each month offers advantages and disadvantages. The weather’s more reliable in August and September. Many an October has been a washout from non-stop, offshore storms. Sometimes November is too cold, and other times tuna swim the canyons in December and January through winter. But the party boats will certainly end their trips after November if not sooner. Dave brings several rods. His tuna rod is a 50-class standup outfit, and he brings a spare in case of malfunction. Similar rods can also be rented on the boat. He also brings a 30-class rod with a conventional reel for “flat lining,” or fishing with no weight, usually during daylight in the morning. |
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It’s impossible to know why the tuna respond better to flat-lining during sunlight, but Dave guesses that it’s a more natural presentation than using weight, and maybe that matters when the fish can see better during the light. |
A 180-pound swordfish is fought. |
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Dave also brings a 10-pound-class spinning rod for jigging squid for bait. Plus he carries a 15- to 20-pound-class spinning rod for mahi mahi fishing, if the dolphin show up. The actual tuna fishing can involve some tips, tricks or techniques, but then again, it’s fairly simple. |
The sword is landed. |
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The inexperienced can ask the boat’s mates for help with determining the right depth and how to reach that depth or how much weight to use. The depth of the fish can vary from night to night. On party boats, Dave uses a 7-foot leader of 90-pound fluorocarbon line with a heavy gauge tuna hook. He attaches the leader to the main line with a quality, ball-bearing, 150-pound swivel. Egg sinkers are often used for weight. |
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