My first bluefin 68" 210lbs.
- Thread starter tunagrady
- Start date
Last September. I was warned how addicting it would be if I hooked up, this is the first of two I caught. Can't wait for the run to start.
journeyman
GreatGrady Captain
Tuna,
Thanks for the compliment. If I had noticed when I took the photo I would have flipped up the fender.
Thanks for the compliment. If I had noticed when I took the photo I would have flipped up the fender.
Beautiful fish!! Its very addicting!!! I once thought about how much my offshore gear has cost over the years and cringe haha...its slowly approaching the cost of the boat with the way I'm going. Going to need a bigger boat soon...running out of room for all of the gear we bring!!
Gradyfish - nice looking ride you've got there. Speaking of offshore gear, any advice on outriggers for my 268 Islander?
Personally I like lee jr's but for a walkaround you need to consider passage forward more then I do. There are some good hardtop mounted outriggers, but spend the extra money for a pair that does not flex much, some flex more then others. As far as length, 18ft or so would be ideal, 16ft min IMHO. A longer rigger will allow you to double rig them and get 2 lines off each outrigger which is ideal when conditions allow that many rods. Also, if you run bars, the higher the tip the further back you can run the bar without it digging in and spinning. The choice between hardtop mounted and lee hrs is hard, and really comes to personal preference. Some people want the space to walk around and would rather have them on top. Look wise lee jrs look more rugged but looks aren't everything, functionality is more important to most. Think about how often you go forward on your boat, is it mostly at the dock or not. Would you rather reach up high in the cabin but have something protruding down in the helm area or would you rather have a mount outside the cabin in your walkway taking up about 4 or so inches of space but places a mount down low where its easier to grab. Price wise you will be looking at similar prices. Best bet is look at pictures online of both styles and see what suits you best. In the end they both work just as well.
Gradyfish - wow, a lot to think about, you've mentioned many things I haven't considered. I sure appreciate your time and feedback. Good luck this season, enjoy that beautiful boat.
That's actually my buddy with the tuna in the pic. And yes, I think I was interrupting something when I took the picture.
Awesome!
tunagrady, That is one awesome fish! Kinda like killing a 10 point buck on your very first hunting trip! Everything else is going to seem small! Certainly hope that you get into an even bigger one! Don't blame you for sharing! Definitely some braggin' rights there! 8)
tunagrady, That is one awesome fish! Kinda like killing a 10 point buck on your very first hunting trip! Everything else is going to seem small! Certainly hope that you get into an even bigger one! Don't blame you for sharing! Definitely some braggin' rights there! 8)