Hi there. I'm relatively new to offshore fishing (<1.5 years). I have a 28.5' Albemarle with twin Yanmar diesels. My range, if I'm going at the right speed, is close to 450-475 miles, but I never go anywhere near that.

Last weekend I convinced a friend to go farther out with me, and we left from the Freeport Jetties to our destination at the Cerveza rigs to try and catch Tuna. We didn't know what we were doing, but got lucky and caught our first Yellowfin Tuna. Now we are hooked and are going out again this weeeknd. I have all the safety gear, plenty of diesel, and I never turn my engines off. We make it a day trip, so leave real early, and get back to freeport just as the sun is setting, so I'm doing a lot of night driving (although I've gone to falcon at night once).

Because we are not doing overnight trips, it's a lot of travel time, 3 hours each way, which leaves whatever is left in the middle for fishing. Since last weekend, I've done a ton more reading and we have much better plan of attack, from lures to setup, etc. for tuna.

I kind of liked those rigs, there were a few other boats there trolling, and active workers on one of them, so if something went really wrong, there were other humans around.

My question is this: Knowing that we are making it a day trip, is it worth the extra travel time to head farther out to the Boomvang area and surrounding rigs, or will the gap in fishing opportunity not be that large between the Cerveza and Boomvang areas. I think at Cerveza we were trolling in 900-1200ft of water if I recall.

Sorry for the rambling, but as inexperienced offshore fisherman, is it worth it to go a little farther out, or are we good at the Cerveza rigs?

Thanks for your time and advice.

--Jason

Meant to say we are NOT doing a lot of night driving on the water at all.

Yes, it is if your looking for YFT. Difference is fuel consumption and any extra gear needed that you currently don't have for safety precautions as 120 miles offshore much different than the 3 hours out range.
Others will be around to give more details and I'll try to chime in with what little I know a bit later, but the chance at the deep spars for YFT is so much better than Cerveza.
You know this trolling a bit, right?

You might get a stray yellowfin around the shelf rigs but it is really a [censored] shoot. Lots of blackfin around the shelf rigs though. Best bet are the spar rigs, drill ships, or semi submersibles. There is one semi within your range now and the yellows have been thick there. If you want yellowfins it is absolutely worth the time and fuel. Also you can catch blackfins at will at the spars. Be prepared to fish all night and not sleep. Another note...the yellows that are caught around the shelf rigs seem to run large. Every year there are a few (or more) 150+ yellowfins hooked on the shelf and around those rigs. Usually by folks pulling marlin lures. Most yellowfins at the spars run 30-50lb with the chance for a 80-90 pounder but there are bigger ones swimming there too. Clay

Thanks for the help. Sounds like if time permits, going that extra 30 miles or so past Cerveza is worth it if we are going after YFT.

Thanks again for the feedback, really appreciate it.

Jason

If its the Yellowfin you're after typically its gonna be the floaters, & although falcon & cervesa's, etc. get plenty of intermittent daytime fish,
it's the night time bite @ the floaters that brings the limits.
The yellowfin caught here are the typical 40-80# "schoolies" with an occasional 100+. Plenty of fun & freezer fillin's!
Most small-boat folks will leave around 10am-noon to hit the floaters at or just before dusk, fish all night, & come home in the morning. I beleive Boomvang is 105 nm from the Freeport jetties, heading 159 deg.
Boomvang, Nansen, & the drill rig (Noble Danny Adkins) are all pretty close together right now, & if necessary, Hoover is a possibility once you're out there depending on your fuel situation
One bit of advice, BV is normally chock-full of big Cuda's, so bring a bunch of hooks & leader & be prepared for lost lures. Yellowfin LOVE blackfin & Cuda chunks....................

Don't be afraid to drift 1/2-3/4 mile off the rig while hunting YFT's
they WILL follow your boat off the rig if you can keep them interested,
& it gets you out of the cuda's.

good luck & post a report!

Chances at tuna go way up at the floaters. People do catch them during the day but most fish at night for tuna and other species during the day on the way in and out.

Some people do troll but most jig, pop and junk for tuna. 2coolfishing is a wealth of information for this.

Brian is the expert.

[quote=lite-liner]If its the Yellowfin you're after typically its gonna be the floaters, & although falcon & cervesa's, etc. get plenty of intermittent daytime fish,
it's the night time bite @ the floaters that brings the limits.
The yellowfin caught here are the typical 40-80# "schoolies" with an occasional 100+. Plenty of fun & freezer fillin's!
Most small-boat folks will leave around 10am-noon to hit the floaters at or just before dusk, fish all night, & come home in the morning. I beleive Boomvang is 105 nm from the Freeport jetties, heading 159 deg.
Boomvang, Nansen, & the drill rig (Noble Danny Adkins) are all pretty close together right now, & if necessary, Hoover is a possibility once you're out there depending on your fuel situation
One bit of advice, BV is normally chock-full of big Cuda's, so bring a bunch of hooks & leader & be prepared for lost lures. Yellowfin LOVE blackfin & Cuda chunks....................

Don't be afraid to drift 1/2-3/4 mile off the rig while hunting YFT's
they WILL follow your boat off the rig if you can keep them interested,
& it gets you out of the cuda's.

good luck & post a report! [/quote

I am curious, how far offshore do you all catch blackfin tuna out of Freeport? are blackfin tuna as good eating as Yellowfin?

To me blackfin are excellent. My taste buds can't tell the difference

IF YOU DO FISH THE SPARS THERE USUALLY A GOOD BITE FOR YFT AN HOUR BEFORE AND AFTER DAYBREAK. GOOD LUCK ,I THINK YOU ARE HOOKED.