HERE IS THE FULL REPORT AS PROMISED, WRITTEN BY CORNFED:
We left late wednesday night, en route for Manchester, MA. We had to get the party started correctly though and how better to do it then a round of JACK AND CAPTAIN.
We knew we would be taking part in something special: BIG TUNA CLOSE TO SHORE. We landed at Logan around 7AM thursday morning and headed for central command (Bart's house). We were low on sleep, but who needs sleep when you're getting a chance of a lifetime?
We made our way down to the Yacht Club and readied HUNTER III, a 29' TOPAZ.
We made our way out to Stellwagon, but mother nature didn't want us to play that day. We were greeted with 20 to 30 knot winds and 4 to 6 ft wind waves. The ocean conditions are a little different then we have here at home. There isn't really an ocean swell out there, but the wind coupled with a conflicting current and shallow water can really make for some sharp waves.
About the bank:
Stellwagon sits about 17 to 20 miles offshore from Manchester/Gloucster area. Deep water is considered to be 300' out there. The bank comes up to 70 ft or so in a few places and maybe even shallower. It was filled with sand eels, aka sand lance and this was the primary bait for the BFTs.
Check out the comparison below:
The diver is a xrap mag bunker 30, but the sand eel is better compared to the dark/silver xrap. Damn near an identical match. now you can see why the fish eat these things.
We made it out to the bank, had lines in for maybe an hour and it just wasn't manageable. So we headed back in, gassed up, and got ready for the second day. We checked the weather report that night and it was more of the same so we stayed inshore and visited Gloucster.
Here is what a 1000lb Blue Fin Tuna tail looks like.....
Tools of the trade:
DAY 3:Finally.....a break in the weather and time to PUT THE WOOD TO SOME BFTS! We left the dock around 0530 and made our way out to stellwagon. We were there right before sunrise and had lines in for two minutes before we heard that SWEET SWEET SONG OF FISH ON AND TIME TO KICK SOME ASS!!!!!
I ran over to the reel and started winding down while Alan pinned the throttles to make sure she came tight. Everyone else worked the lines to clear the way. LINE WAS DISAPPEARING LIKE THAT WAS IT'S JOB!
I WAS THINKING TO MYSELF "THAT'S RIGHT BITCHES......THIS AIN'T NO SALMON!!!!!"
This first hookup came on the Beastmaster 30/50. 100#PP, 100#mono, 90# fluoro to a BOMBER CD30 that was getting ripped to pieces by something that didn't really want to be on the other end of the line and had a pretty bad attitude about it.
I worked the fish to the boat, but he just didn't want to play my game. I inched the drag forward a little bit.....then a little bit more....then Bart notified me that the BEND IS YOUR FRIEND but THAT BEND IS GOOD ENOUGH!!!! After a few break neck speed runs and a permabend, I was able to work the fish slowly to the boat. 20 minutes from the hookup, I heard that phrase that WE ALL KNOW AND LOVE>>>>>>> WE GOT COLOR!!!
My adrenaline was pegged. This was the first time in my life I got to fight something that made the reel warm, made the line go "tink, tink, TINKTINKTINKTINK, tink, made the rod remember what it was made to do, and made me truly appreciate the situation I found myself in. This was a chance of a lifetime!
BART got ready to throwdown, MA style, as he had done many many times before.....
He sunk the first gaff in there and Dick was right there with the second.
The fish just went absolutlely ape shit.
But you can't stop these guys from bringing her over the rail.
Fighting a fish like that makes you feel alive. It makes you appreciate everything that was done to get to that point in time. I couldn't have asked for more. This was a fish I have been waiting for for a long time.
As soon as we got my fish in, we got the lines back out and not even 10 minutes later, the reel was SINGING AGAIN!
TT was on the rod and ready to DO WORK!
We brought this one to leader and I was able to get some really good pics of this beautiful fish before we released her.
The easiest and safest way to release these guys for us was to slide the fish in through the tuna door, place a towel over the fish's eyes so they calm down, take the hook out, slip the tag in and lip gaff the fish to swim it if need be. TT prepared to swim the fish but it was really unnecessary as TT got a bath he didn't expect. The fish was fine and good to go.
After that second fish, the diver was annihilated. the beak was broke off the wire was twisted, the paint was scratched, chipped, and banged. THESE fish are bad ass and they did a number on the plug.
We fished a couple more hours through the early afternoon, but the seas picked up and the bite was off. Time to head for the barn.
Representing like you know we do!
We headed back to the barn for pics, brews, and sashimi.
LOOK AT THAT LOIN!
We got home and went to bed, resting for the next day's fight.
DAY 4:
Knowing that it was an early morning bite, we made our way out the grounds shortly before 5AM. We had lines in before first light and were ready to THROWDOWN!
GOOD GOD>>>>Look at those freakin' spreader bars!
About an hour into the troll....I got to see something outrageous. I got to see A Blue Fin Tuna NAIL A SPREADER BAR LESS THAN 40' OFF THE TRANSOM....holy shit....are you kidding me? I still have goosebumps thinking about it as I sit here and type this now.......
I was waiting for that song again, but the reel wasn't ready to sing just yet. The fish missed the hook, but was still close buy.
A few moments later the LEFT CORNER comes undone and she is singing AMAZING GRACE.....look at the line disappear. That's what I'm talking about! I am on the reel and the fish is running but the hook pulls and the line is slacked. They're still not ready to play....Damn near pulled the wire out of the plug!
It's quite alright though ya see because a couple minutes later the RIGHT CORNER is ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ ZZZZZIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIINNNNNNNNNNGGGGGG
TT grabs the rod and gets to work....
Talk about a beautiful fish!
TT getting that tuna smell on him again./...
Breakfast TIME!!!@
We had seven bites that day, four of which made it to the boat. We nailed the morning bite and worked hard until the afternoon tide change.
We were perfectly content with what we had experienced over the past few days but nobody could have guessed that we would have ended our trip with a GIANT....
Center Rigger....
WAY WAY Back....
Bomber CD30......
JUST GETS ABSOLUTELY POSITIVELY VIOLATED!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
TT jumps the rod and we suit him up (rod belt and harness) for the FIGHT. Up till this point, the line had disappeared, but we were never really worried about getting spooled.....
But after watching how fast this fish took the spool to half....I began to wonder just a little bit what kind of beast could do this...
Alan's on the sticks, chasing the fish and making sure we stay tight.
Bart tells us that this was THE ONE based on how the fish was fighting on top of the water and how big the head shakes were.
Todd fought that fish for an hour plus and he wasn't budging. We were chasing the fish at 4 to 5 knots and line was still going off the reel! That should tell you something about the strength of these fish. Not only was the fish travelling at that speed but it was overcoming the drag of the reel! And he didn't cooperate one bit. After a hard fought battle, the leader parted and we were all left wondering WHAT IF. We left him there for another day and another season. Sleep well Blue Fin Tuna and good night. We will be coming to KICK YOUR ASS NEXT FALL!
Thanks Bart, Rosie, Dick, and Alan for everything you have done to make this trip possible for us. It was the biggest fish I have ever caught and it was the best fishing experience I have EVER had. Todd and I appreciate absolutely everything, and we thank you from the bottom of our hearts.
TT - Thanks for letting me write the report.
~CORNFED OUT!
~TOWER TODD OUT!
FULL REPORT: DOING WORK on Stellwagon 
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