TFF 2016 56 hour tuna trip ....

Okay guys and Gals .....

This is not your charter master speaking .

This morning I visited the folks at FW to inform them that in the absence of Willie and TOO we still had a large group of anglers wanting to go tuna fishing. I prepared and turned over to them a list that I pilfered from the thread on TFF that contained over 30 names that had expressed interest in going (see below). I asked them if we could designate this trip as open and select a weekend. They were quite receptive to that.

Because I knew of three folks that preferred the weekend of October 21 - 23 I selected that date. No one spoke up for any other date. So that date is tentatively reserved for this group.

The deposit is $400 due immediately. Your name will not be checked off of the list until this deposit is received by them. The total cost of the trip is $800 with the balance due before you board. The number to call is (361) 749-5448 and the person to ask for is John McNatt.

I would suggest that once you have secured your spot that you post up on this thread. That way you each can monitor the progress. There are a number of names not on the list that I intend to email this info. There are something like 6 - 7 individuals I am going to send this note to that have fished with us in the past and may want in on this trip so with the abundance of names they have I would suggest you call them now. You may be first! And everybody needs to be first at something in their life

I told them that most everyone that will be on the trip has fished a 56 hour trip on the boat a number of times and was familiar with all of the rules.

With this said I am turning you all loose.

And did I mention that I am not your not your charter master?

Bobby J.

2016 TFF 56 hour trip list


1. Charlie Williams

2. Bill Brown

3. Bobby Jones (?)

4. Billy Franklin (?)

5. Chuck Williams

6. Mike Izzo

7. John Wakeman

8. Ronnie Manning (?)

9. Boyd Vandy

10. Tom Salazar *

11. Co Vi Luong (?)

12. Fred Mallet

13. Fred Spencer

14. Tiffany Spencer

15. David Spencer

16. Robert Smith

17. James Smith

18. Steve Desaulnier

19. Joseph Ycu

20. David Gass

21. Steve Savage

22. Mark Greenburg

23. Louis Lugo

24. Robert Willis

25. Tom Cade

26. Brian Hefty

27. Jonathon S.

28. Kerry Neal

29. Brian Nesbit (?)

30. Mark Kyer (?)



* Tom can go Oct 21, 22, 23

(?) not certain yet

I called FW a few minutes ago and I guess that whoever you spoke to earlier today left and didn't pass the info along. He said to call back tomorrow morning.

You see, Tiff? That's why you all would never want me as a charter master .... nobody takes me serious. I'm the Rodney Dangerfield of charter masters.

Please remove my name. Thanks.

Due to unexpected events, i can't go with the group. Thx. Joseph

To: NotYourCharterMaster (NYCM).

Tiffany and David Spencer are in. Payment taken by FW.

Things are pretty bad out here in the oil patch.. I still plan on making the trip I'll give them a call in a day or two.

Boom! I'm in. Deposit taken.

John at Fishermans Wharf just called me and said that there were a few people who tried to submit their deposits and could not do so because the guy who answered the phone didn't know about this trip. He apologized for the confusion and confirmed that this trip is good to go. If you call and the left hand doesn't know what the right is doing again, ask for John and he will get you taken care of.

Bobby J, our charter master, should have been on top of this but I don't mind passing this information along.

He has assumed the role. Leaders dont need the title to be the leader. Long Live Bobby J!

Has anyone else put up their deposit?

Is there any flexibility on the dates? Just curious if there was enough interest to move it closer to a new moon dark night. Call me superstious but I'm a firm believer in the darker the night the better.

Maybe, but there were three folks that had interest in this trip could either not go that weekend or just preferred the October date the week before. If you will look at the moon for the date that was selected it's a good moon .... as is the weekend after the dark moon. Shouldn't matter at all.

Ok thanks. I was just curious and the date set definitely doesn't stop my interest in the trip.

It's to early for me to know if I can go sorry, just put me on Stand by.

I want in! Reserve a spot or waitlist me. I'll call in next week to provide $$$ if a spot is still open.

There are spots available. Just call them and sign up. They have a list of names as possibles so just tell them you are not on the original list. All should be good.

nacho charter master.

Done - Thanks!!

What kinda rules are we talking about? I've only done ~36 hour trips.

My deposit was mailed today

I think the term "rules" may not be the best in this case. Maybe a better term would be "dos and don'ts". Mainly referring to general behavior around the boat and courtesy toward fellow fishers. I would imagine the same "dos and don'ts" that would apply to 36 hour trips would apply here.

PM me if you need further clarification.

Nacho chartermaster

Woo hooo!! Bobby is bringing Nachos!!!

I love it when the chartermaster brings food for all his anglers.
it's a sign they really care about the outcome..........

Whats up boys? Who's going to catch the most fish this year? Who is making the trip? Been quiet on here for a while......

Ok, so I've been thinking...This is an open boat trip and I'm thinking about moving my spot to a January trip. 1 because I'm having hip surgery at the end of August and this will give me more time to heal up. 2 because AJ season is closed and if we fish at the rigs that are close enough to deep drop I could catch some AJs also. It also seems like there have been some truly epic trips with bigger fish in the winter and the Whaoo bite has been better, or at least that has been my perception. So does anybody want to jump on a later boat as well and maybe have a crack at some AJs?

Chuck .... aside from it giving your hip more time to heal I think you would be making a mistake moving your trip to January just for the sake of an AJ. I have some friends that have basically quit tuna fishing at the floaters due to their January trips being so rough. And a lot of trips don't get out in January.

agreed. january is boom or bust. I have seen a wide open bite in late Jan
at BV/N years ago in true 6-8' seas. drift fishing is nearly impossible,
and sitting in the cabin, co-miserating with the barfers is just as fun

Yup .... maybe longtime tunahead Nate Rose will wander along here and tell us about his last two January trips ....

As the two of you are much more experienced than I and I value your opinions, I will have to reconsider moving my trip to January. Let me take some time to think on this....I have been out on a trip with 10ft seas once.. . Not a lot of fun..

time to wake this thread up! only 5 have committed . I will be bringing Poki mix.
mandatory tuna pic to get your blood boiling!

Tiffany and I are paid up and hopefully going. I may have an issue with a torn rotator cuff but if possible I will go and hang a rod over the side if nothing else.
Brother Fred is going gambling that weekend so he's out.

Lets go!

You're throwing too many curveballs David .... back off a little.

Look for some more activity to take place on this trip soon.

To those that have requested that their name be removed from the list it has been duly noted you can not go but we cannot edit the list on page 1.

Not yo charter master

As thread resurrectors (that didn't pass spell check so it may not be a word ) me, David and Steve are failures. LOL

But in the interest of getting something going on this thread for the benefit of this trip I know of someone that may be stepping in soon to try to get some organization going. But like me, he's not yo charter master.

While we wait I thought I would post an update on what I know about the list of names I turned over to FW months ago. Well ..... some of it is what I know but there might be some speculation in here too. You decide.

2016 TFF 56 hour trip list


1. Charlie Williams - Charlie does not know yet if or when he will be back in the states. If he gets back I'm sure he will go.

2. Bill Brown - Sarge told me he is getting married. Not sure what that means. Are his fishing days over?

3. Bobby Jones (?) - I still have a conflict for this date and am about 50/50 here. In the meantime I have signed up for a charter on the Pelican at DSH November 4-5-6

4. Billy Franklin (?) - Same as above

5. Chuck Williams - Chuck is having hip replacement surgery (any day now) and does not know for sure if his recovery will allow him to go tuna fishing in October. Let's all wish Chuck good luck!

6. Mike Izzo ;7. John Wakeman - Izzo and Wakeman got their butts kicked in Venice back in May and are still waiting for the bleeding to stop.

8. Ronnie Manning (?) - Ronnie withdrew before the list was turned over to FW

9. Boyd Vandy - I haven't heard anything from or about Boyd but I know he's mad at those tuna .... real mad.

10. Tom Salazar * .... Tom originally said this was the weekend he could fish but has since had another wedding come up. Tom has signed up for the same trip Billy and I are on November 4-5-6

11. Co Vi Luong (?) Withdrew from consideration.

12. Fred Mallet - Fred still has interest and we might hear from him soon. Fred has also signed up for the Pelican charter November 4-5-6

13. Fred Spencer; 14. Tiffany Spencer; 15. David Spencer - David and Tiffany are down for the trip and ready to go. Fred has decided to go to Vegas. All three of these folks are also signed up for the trip I am on with DSH November 4-5-6

16. Robert Smith; 17. James Smith - I had some conversations with Robert and the last I heard he and James were still looking for a trip to settle on.

18. Steve Desaulnier - Steve is down for the trip and mad at those tuna.... stay out of his way!

19. Joseph Ycu - Joseph posted that he could not go. Not sure if it was a time conflict or what. Bummer

20. David Gass - Haven't heard any more from David and am not sure of his status.

21. Steve Savage - I don't know Steve Savage and do not know his status. If anyone knows him and has contact with him please refer him to this thread activity.

22. Mark Greenburg - same as above

23. Louis Lugo - same as above

24. Robert Willis - Robert will likely go wherever Robert and James Smith go.

25. Tom Cade - He may be Sarge's best man .... I dunno

26. Brian Hefty - The Jigster doesn't talk much these days so I don't know.

27. Jonathon S. - same as 21; 22 and 23

28. Kerry Neal; 29. Brian Nesbit; 30. Mark Kyer - The "Three Amigos" have decided to go to Portugal to catch their 50 - 75 lb. YFT this year

So there you have it.

We need to get this thread moving folks.

Footnote: Earlier this year there was some conversation from different folks that wanted to fish a different boat. During that discussion the thought of chartering both the Pelican and the Gulf Eagle came up. The charter trip I and some others here are on November 4-5-6 on the Pelican is full but if someone was to charter the Gulf Eagle for that same date then I doubt you would have trouble filling it. PM me if you would like info on that.

Hey Mr. Tamer,

Thanks for the update, I have two weddings in a row right in the prime of YFT season... not happy about that, but at least I have one trip on the board! Hope the TFF Tuna trip is a good one!

Tom - DeepBlueGulf

Will not be making the trip again this year as much as I wanted to go. Life and work are just getting in the way.. dont know if I'll make another trip any time soon.

Less than 2 months away.

I'm officially out on this trip now guys. Sorry. I will still be in rehab for my hip. I think Bobby misunderstood my surgery; it's not a replacement just a scope so hopefully I will be back in the saddle quickly. Good luck to you guys and please post a report. I want to see what I missed out on. Go get em!

Yep. you said hip surgery so I just assumed that it was a new hip since that's a going thing these days.

Anyway that has to be real soon right? good luck!

You can scratch me also

I am not for sure and am trying to work around it but I still don't know for sure if I going. We are signed up for this and the November trip but I still don't know for sure if I am going to require surgery or that I can avoid it by then. I went to an orthopedic surgeon today. He gave me a cortisone shot but from the results has not ruled out a rotator cuff surgery. The pain went away but he said that was not what we were hoping for. If the pain comes back it may be surgery.




Should we start a food thread?

Just got a call from Fisherman's Wharf. They are going to continue to hold the boat for our trip until Saturday, September 10th. After that time, they are going to open the trip to anyone else who wants to jump on. Again, deposits are due on Saturday, September 10th. (In hindsight, I should have asked how much of a deposit they need but I'm trying to finish up my work day so it slipped my mind.)

Thanks Tiffany .... I will pass this along to the person that mentioned to me that they might try to get this thing organized.

Lack of participation has me baffled for sure.

Bobby it will be late November before I get back so it's a no go in October for me sir.

OK Charlie.

Give me a shout if you make it down this far.

I'll buy lunch at this fancy new eatery in Rockport.

news flash- the "fancy new eatery in Rockport",
is closed, temporarily, while we establish a new location.
stay tuned, it's gonna be good............

Oh boy! Expansion, progress! I love it.

Will there be a dress code?

not expansion, relocation.
ties not allowed, scissors on site......

How about sleeveless tuxes and jeans for the guys and blouses and cut-off jeans for the ladies?
Perfect blend of redneck and fancy.

Well, I guess I'll just have to buy Charlie's lunch at the new "fancy new eatery in Rockport".





I was hoping to wear my thong er I mean thongs in there.

Can Wednesday's be wet t shirt night? I'll come on down if so! Got a few dollar bills already folded!! Lol!

nobody wants to see you in a wet T-shirt, Ronnie.............

I like Tiffany's angle, though.

tell you what, If I can sell the dam thing in the next 4 weeks, I'll jump on the pelican
trip nacho has so graciously reserved for us.

30 days and counting!

will be trying the new large size Halco 190s , for some large size tuna! you can't catch tuna sittin on the porch

Halco 190's? I've been out of the loop.

I'm looking.

https://tackleexpress.com/products/halco-max-190

Question for anyone or Brian. I got my first look at the new Halco 190 today.

I think replacing the split ring is a given but you think putting two instead of one would let it work right?

Have you wetted that new Avet yet?

No and its a no go here.

Tiffany was informed that she and I are the only people paid for the trip and they are cancelling it.

Just by chance if you should look at the BlueFin in the future and need another let me know, I really like my new HXW Raptor

Dang.

sorry the trip didn't make, guys (& tiffany)


re: Halco 190- David, upgrade all the hardware. Owner #6 (220#) split rings, & a welded solid at the tow point. Mark & I will be fishing
this lure @ gibraltar next week. gonna need some mongo-size single hooks
on the 190, otherwise 5/0 ST-66 trebles.
a little concerned about the cast-fatigue of this lure.
we shall see..........

I just found out that the conflict I had with this trip is now not going to happen.

A day late and a dollar short.




Since the Halco 130s are trolled down under where they were originated more than they are cast don't you think the 190s were intended to be trolled?

I looked for them in Roy's last week but they didn't have them.

Indeed, Bobby.
but some folks are hard-headed, so I thought I'd let them
figure it out, while I video'd with my phone.......
otherwise, I see no serious improvement over the standard Marauder, but the prices are about on par, so it's a wash to me.

Sorry guys, I have not been on here in a while. Had back surgery in March and am still on the mend. No deep sea this year for me.
I was put down as Steve Savage #21. it's Scott Savage aka. Cactusfishman

I heard a rumor that the TOO has boycotted Fisherman's Wharf regarding holding trip reservations for a wanna be Charter Master.

True?

I can't speak for the TOO part but there is a person on a neighboring board that likes to reserve the best moon dates 2 - 3 years in advance. And this seems to be OK with FW

Maybe his money is greener than ours

Does anyone know what became of his trip? Was it just completely wiped out or did it convert to an open boat trip?

Just curious.

It was scrapped. Not enough interest so they cancelled the boat. We reserved the following weekend so we'll have an early glimpse of what that actions like before the November trip.

Well that's cool Tiffany .... I think. I sure hope David doesn't have shoulder issues for our trip. Kinda nervous about that here.

Going two successive weeks I'd say y'all are are lot madder at those tuna than I am.

These trips are the only vacations that I get every year so I'm taking them!

Figuring out where to store the tunas we bring home is a problem best solved after the trip.

Good luck this coming weekend Tiffany! I hope you can stir up those tuna. Catching has been a bit tough so far this season.

Has David recovered enough to go too?

Good luck Tiffany. Ley us know how the trip goes.

Fixed it for ya, Bobby!

LOL ...... yep.

We still usually get more fish huh?

Bobby, I am recuperating as fast as I can. My right arm is doing everything but lifting out to the side. Any weight and it hurts.
I may be casting left handed but I'll definitely be casting in November.

This weekend is set for Tiffany and Larry. He is the neighbor who looks out for everyone on the block kind of guy. A real gem and this is as close as we can get to letting him know how special he's been to us. He'll be happy to catch anything so hopefully they load the boat.

David

Hope he and tiff whack the 100 pounders!!!

Well, things change. This time Larry's grandson had a workplace accident. He fractured his head yesterday afternoon. He was at the hospital all night and Tommy is doing alright today. He may be released but needs to be monitored for several days so Larry is not on the trip.

I guess I'm up.
Asking for a few prayers for Tommy. Larry is handling it well but really needs to be home.

David

Prayers for Tommy.

That's amazing how things happen.

Just be careful David .... we need you next week. There is sure nothing wrong with chunking for tuna and saving the shoulder. I've caught lots of tuna that way .... and some big ones too.

Good luck.

wish I could be joining you fine sumbiches
guess y'all are just gonna have to try to make the ##'s without me........
just show me some tuna carnage & I might make it till january.

How did the trip go this weekend?

Home at last. 17-18 fishermen so the boat wasn't too crowded. Total count on YFT was 17. All but one was caught on the first night of fishing. Spent almost all of the time at Perdido with a short excursion to the Canyons. Fish were caught on poppers, halcos, jigs, chunking and trolling. The second night, we never got a bite within 100 feet of the surface. A pod of dolphins had moved in to chase bait, flyers and even a few of the BFTs that we were pulling up. Most of our fish on the second night came on jigs that were dropped down to about 300 ft deep.

Capt Jay and the crew were awesome as always. I got to chat with Capt Jay before heading out on Friday morning and he said that the water temp had just started dropping below 80 degrees. Maybe the fish will start turning on just in time for the Pelican.

Speaking of Pelican, we heard rumors that they tore up the YFT this weekend. Anyone hear any details?

Not sure about the Saturday trip but I went out on the Wednesday trip and 20 anglers kept 141 yellow fin tuna and 10 sharks.

Tiffany ... James & co. did well. Not sure they "tore them up" but they fished Gunnison/Santa Anna the first night and Boomvang/Nancen the second night. They had 10 fishermen and got 27 YF. Like y'all, they had some good ones too (3 @ 100+). They fished alongside James' buddy Timmy on the Dolphin Express who got 31 YF (14 fishermen) fishing about 6 - 7 hours longer. Here's the pic and James comments below ....



Well we just got in from a tough one... Rough enough all trip to prevent any real rest, which always makes it extra plesent. Thank goodness the fishing was extremely slow! Lol

Anyway, pushed out to Santa Ana for the first night... there were fish there but it was a very tough, inconsistant night. Wound up with 7 nice ones and 8 barely keepers for all our efforts. Motored to Nancen for the second half of it. Tons of cudas just shredding everything. Wound up catching 12 more nice ones and headed home at 10pm with 27 yft 66 bft and a dozen cudas. Please, remember it is everyones responsibility to help kill the baracudas when you are out there.


More tuna carnage .....

Here is the group shot and rack from your trip. It was great to see you, David and Joseph again. Can't wait til Friday.





And here is the rack from the Dolphin Express trip ....

well, that's only 81 fish over the boat limit for yft......

you sure not a few blackies in there, too?

It was blackfins Brian. James sent me the pic of the trip. He said it was 151 though

Good Luck tunatexas (Mike H) this coming weekend on Scat Cat - post your big YFT

Pelican on its way in. We should be arriving around 5:30AM.

A limit of YF plus some nice bottom fish..... and a HUGE shark!

saweet!

Awesome trip!! Congrats!!

Just saw the pics on 360. Nice trip!! Sounds like it was a blast! That mako was a freaking beast!