| With the Summer over, the weather window for the weekend
was perfect and in traditional Nyati fashion a trip to take advantage of
the conditions were quickly underway. Scott, Gabe, Shane, Jay, Tyler, and
myself joined YT for another weekend adventure on the open water. It was
the beginning of a beautiful and calm weekend and YT jokingly mentioned about
bringing a kayak... well let there be kayaking as the heavens shined down
a ray of light on the Nyati with her plastic escape/harvest pod that was
neatly secured to the bow.
We headed out Friday night and arrived at our destination early
Sat Morning. As always our goal was billfish so we wasted no time getting
down to business.
We quickly hook up and Gabe gets in the chair. Taking off line
slow and steady, it decides to turn and blast through the water and breaking
the surface a couple times before throwing the hook. A tough loss but losing
is a learning process. We get lines back out.
As we troll our area, there is an abundance of Yellowfin Tuna
exploding on the surface. Gabe grabs a topwater and moves to the bow of the
boat to join YT in the surface sniper action. Almost instantly Gabe hooks
up and fish on! After a moderately short fight, Gabe gets up a beauty...
Shane and Gabe remove the 3 lil' Blackfin from their sleeping
quarters to make room for some more possible YF.
After a while the surface activity continues as YF blow up bait.
Gabe grabs his Avet and throws another topwater and soon attracts another
victim.
Another short fight and we get another awesome YF to the gaff. Gabe's
2nd daytime YF in just a couple hours.
After we box that Tuna, we try to keep focus on the billfish aspect
of things. Keeping an eye at random frenzies of Tuna, we troll around for
a few hours trying to pick up something. Our spread remains quite but we
continue to put in the effort. Late in the afternoon the Tuna go ballistic
once again. With the calm and optimal conditions, I get rigged up and deploy
the N.H.U. yak, aka Nyati Harvesting Unit.
My goal was Tuna and I had just the right recipe for action. While
not sure if it would work or not, I was going to troll in the daytime for
Yellowfin Tuna from the kayak. A couple more minutes of in-yak preparation
and I'm about ready to go.
I space out away from the Nyati and instantly begin trolling a magic
lure with mythical powers. Not sure what I would be in store for, I knew
I had a slight chance of encountering something. Jay takes video with his
digital camera documenting the situation. With the scattered weed around
I would have to work and try to avoid the mess as i'd keep the lure on the
surface about 20yds behind the yak. Trying not to stop, I continued with
a consistent stroke at an estimated blazing 2-1/2 knots. A few minutes into
the workout I am already getting tired and then it happens... the reel starts
jamm'n. Then stops. I grab the rod reeling in the slack and finally catch
up to the fish. He's there alright... Game On!
Unlike Sharks, Jacks, and King Mackeral... This is new territory for
me. The new unknown and I must adapt quickly to remain safe and to land this
fish. The sleigh ride continues for several minutes and I get him closer
to the yak. Then here it is, straight below and I have yet to see color.
I would work the fish and the fish would work me. I would get the upper hand
and battle it out gaining more line than the fish. Finally, I can see color.
Confirmation, Yellowfin Tuna. Determination is now setting in and I get the
fish on the surface. Not sure how green the fish is I delay sticking him
with the gaff for a couple more minutes.
The fish would run a couple more times but he is tiring and his day
is nearly over. Come to the light my son, yo' ass is sashimi! After strategically
planning out the gaffing senario in my head for the past couple of minutes
I wait for the perfect opportunity and then stick him. I hang on and pull
the Tuna in the kayak. The crowd cheers. The roughnecks on the rig - quite
mystified, ponder. Thanks to the mothership Nyati, in over 5000' of water
I finally get my Yellowfin Tuna from the kayak. Jay grabs a photo of perhaps
one of the only Yellowfin caught and landed from a kayak in the Gulf.
Still all smiles, the Nyati comes over like a Pirate Ship and steals
my bounty. I get back to it and jig for a bit. That got old and tiring real
quick so I threw on a live bait and trolled around for a bit longer while
there was enough light to provide a somewhat safe yakking enviornment.
I would have 2 live baits get nailed by mystery fish but never get
hooked up. By now the sun is closing on the horizon and time to call it quits.
The Nyati comes over and picks up the N.H.U. battle wagon.
As it gets dark, I eat and the boys get ready for the nighttime Tuna
bite. After a while we begin jiggin but things are slow. It takes a couple
hours for the BF bite to even activate. We get just enough to get some baits
and begin making several drifts. Gabe eventually hooks up and is on a good
fish. Not long and we get another solid Yellowfin in the boat!
About an hour later I put out a live bait on a drift and the result
is quite similar, like the others, a very healthy and solid YF Tuna.
Despite the chaos and surface activity during the day, the night remains
quite slow with the Yellowfin. We would give it a couple more hours before
leaving it to Jay and Tyler who eventually duke it out in a battle royale
and nail one right before Sunrise.
We wake up at 5am and get the Marlin stuff back out. The winds have
switched and picked up slightly but still a comfortable day. Not long and
we have a Marlin hit a bait... but no hookup. We continue on but the bite
is off. We start trolling our way home and pick up a couple of nice Cow Dolphin.
We are about to wrap up the weekend and then YT hooks finds good water
and hooks us up on a lunker. With the rain about to pour down for the first
time this weekend, the guys wake Jay and Tyler and they get Jay in the hot
seat. I cannot explain what happens, but heartpounding. Guess you just have
to check out the video link.
After Jay's epic battle # 2 for the weekend, it is about time to cruise
on home after another great journey on the water. We make it back home Sunday
night and clean the boat and fillet some primo quality fish for the next
few hours.
Once again we lived another fun adventure on the Nyati and thanks
to YT for conjuring up the idea for bringing the yak. To be able to withness
random mass feedings of Yellowfin Tuna on the surface for nearly the entire
day is a memory in the making itself. These robust beast of nature display
great power and majestic beauty gliding through the air and slicing through
the water. It is a sight that for many reason simply can't be put in words.
Thanks to Jay for some video and pics and also for being a good sport. Congrats
to Gabe on 2 hellacious topwater Yellowfin and thanks to Scott for spending
his fair share of time in the Capt. chair with YT. I know Shane and Tyler
caught Tuna til their arms fell off and had a blast much like everyone else.
From the crew of Nyati...
See you at the next frenzy on the open water!
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