Royal Star Report

[HAYMAN]

04/26/08
Ron Jew - 287, 209
Tim Shields - 269
Ed Janowski - 220, 215
Jack West - 225
Tom Cahillane and Dave Hall combined - 254
Chris Yamada - 202
Andy Cooperman - 271
Bill Grimsley - 215

As difficult as it is to imagine that the final day at Socorro could have bested the prior four days of absolute glory fishing, yesterday did. Yet another marvelous example of how these islands change from day to day are yesterday's results that included the ten trophy yellowfin tuna listed above in addition to thirty others in the 175 - 195# class. But for a relative few exceptions from the 67 yellowfin tagged yesterday, everything we hooked was big and came from a series of morning drifts and a classic evening ripper that was straight from the play book of old school Revillagigedo islands giant yellowfin tuna fishing. Try to imagine the final stop where fourteen of our sixteen anglers were simultaneously reefing on yellowfin in the 190 - 287# class under the lights in flat calm conditions in crystal clear, piercing blue water. The images produced, the sights and sounds as we all focused on the momentous task at hand were unbeatable in the arena of trophy yellowfin. Between the two different "Kamikazes" charging around the boat with their electric blue backs and gleaming yellow second dorsal fins high out of the water, the big dolphins setting up shop to chase hundreds of doomed flying fish that gathered around, the numerous giant yellowfin that appear so huge as they approach the surface reflecting the glow of our lights off their massive shimmering sides, and the show on deck as the crew worked miracle after miracle avoiding disasters that could potentially cost anglers their fish of a lifetime, the action epitomized why anglers are so impassioned with long range fishing. The fact that these occasions might happen alone is worth the price of admission. That is of course if you are a fisherman. Combined with all the above mentioned antics, was the process of scooping and man handling these monsters as the process of tagging and, as importantly, photographing the incredible, awe invoking beasts is crucial to the success of this project. I have to say that with everything going on it was as hot and heavy as I have seen in my twenty two years of long range fishing.

What a day. What a finish. What a trip. Honestly, I can not even begin to do this fishing justice through my efforts to describe in writing. The one thing I do know is that this group of anglers, who committed to a visionary idea and contributed to the future of the yellowfin tuna fishery by providing tags and specimens for tagging in the process, were rewarded one hundred fold for their efforts. Unlimited, zero competition access to the finest trophy yellowfin tuna fishery in the world to forward the scientific understanding of yellowfin tuna movements and behavior through tagging is not a sacrifice - it is a privilege that very few have the opportunity to know. Fortunately these anglers now do and rest assured they will carry the memories of this amazing voyage for a lifetime.

So, now we are finished though we will pay Isla San Benedicto a short visit tomorrow to see if we can't pick off one or two more jumbos before calling it a trip. Look for reports to continue as we head up the line as I will have time to formulate a few more thoughts and of course statistics to share. For now we are almost delirious with pride and appreciation for the outcome of this trip.

Tim

[Lend-a-Fish]

Great report.

[HAYMAN]

04/28/08
So far we have been mighty pleased with the weather as we continue the northerly trek towards home. While enjoying the calm seas and offshore scenery, I have been reflecting on this voyage and the incredible success of Revillagigedo tagging project to date. To validate this perspective, first I believe it is time to share statistics that are not necessarily the whole measure of a successful trip, but are definitely the measure of successful fishing. That said I want to emphasize that the vast majority of the smaller fish, or fish under one hundred pounds this voyage, were in the 75 - 90# class. With fishing for large yellowfin tuna being so spectacular, we never did dedicate much effort towards distributing large numbers of tags in smaller, school size tuna. I would guess conservatively that perhaps fifty of the three hundred ninety nine tags deployed in yellowfin tuna this voyage were in fish under fifty pounds. Otherwise a total of 233 yellowfin tuna over one hundred pounds were tagged and released with twenty of those surpassing the two hundred pound mark. Of the 233, less the twenty that surpassed the two hundred pound mark, at least fifty were in the 175 - 195# class while a conservative 80% of the remainder were 130 - 175#. Of particular interest this voyage was significant number of fish in the 190 - 200# class or fish that had the classic 68X48 measurements that we have coined "on the fencers" because of their scale weights that are always between 195 and 205 pounds depending on how much weight they are carrying behind the "shoulders". Some make it and some don't but in the case of this voyage none of the 20 or 25 tuna we measured in this range were included in the count of two hundred pounders.

As I stated above just rattling off a bunch of numbers quickly becomes mundane and really does little to express or reflect the all important atmosphere on board that surrounds the catching. That is the true measure of success. Are the anglers and crewmen appreciating and enjoying the experience while they are battling big fish? For those readers unfamiliar with this type of fishing it is probably hard to believe that one couldn't have a good time in any of these settings I have described. Believe me, if order breaks down through a lack of crew experience, or anglers lose their cool from a lack of professional direction, it can be a disaster of tangled gear, flaring tempers, damaged pride, and broken hearts. Such was not the case this voyage, and really never is on Royal Star, but deserves mention regardless as our crewmen and anglers worked together to land a remarkable number of fish while having the time of their lives doing it. As I stated in a previous report, this was giant yellowfin tuna fishing paradise.

In any sport, the scenic element adds such tremendous value to the overall experience. The passage of time and the memories of what transpires are both significantly enriched by the environment in which one is surrounded. I can think of many examples that validate this perspective two of which are mountaineering and hunting. Suffice to say there are countless sports that people embrace not solely for the exercise but also the ability to access special, unique, and extreme settings. The Revillagigedo islands fall under this category. These tagging voyages to the Revillagigedo reserve provide access to perhaps the most amazing tuna fishing environment in the world today. Slugging it out with these huge fish with the spectacular backdrop of Socorro, Clarion, San Benedicto, or Roca Partida only half a mile or a mile away is a memory that never fades. Between the fish, the birds, the dolphins, and even the notorious sharks, the beauty of a vibrant, healthy ecosystem leaps out at anglers while they engage in the passion of their sport. The tagging element of these voyages only adds to the experience - take it from the twenty plus veteran long range anglers who have returned on these voyages in some cases three times. With the additional dynamics of the tagging process, the unlimited, legal fishing access to the Revillagigedo reserve, and the spectacular scenery of Mexico's Revillagigedo islands, these voyages make an impression on anglers that is unmatched by anything I have seen in my twenty two years of long range fishing. As I stated several days back, the tag and release element of these voyages is not a sacrifice. One is not making a concession when embarking on these voyages. I don't see these experienced long range veterans begrudgingly accept the release of these trophy yellowfin tuna. I see anglers motivated by the process and enthusiastic about their participation in such a visionary project. As I said, the ability to participate in this project is a privilege not a sacrifice. The statistics and enthusiasm following the now four hugely successful prior Revillagigedo tagging voyages leave no room for doubt - in my opinion of course.

If you made it through this report thanks for reading. I haven't had the opportunity to get too long winded this trip but now that travel time is upon us the wheels are turning. Look for tomorrow's report with more details and the all important acknowledgements as there are many individuals who deserve tremendous credit for making this project, and the incredible fishing experiences associated with it, a reality.

[MikeyLikesIt]

pictures pictures pictures!



Nice, thanks for the write up!

[wahoodad]

Originally Posted by MikeyLikesIt

pictures pictures pictures!



Nice, thanks for the write up!

Mikey, it's just copied and pasted from Royal Star website. I'm sure pics will go up soon, check there.