SW FL-Bonita Beach: two 28 lb. blackfin tuna made

[fishbuster]

Monday, 4/23, the seas were still rough, but a little calmer, and I fished with Sandy Hook, son Rusty, Rusty's young son Charlie, and a friend, Sam. Fishing in 33 feet out of New Pass with shrimp, we caught ten keeper lane snapper, grunts and porgies, and released gag grouper shorts and blue runners.

Tuesday, I headed out on a 260 degree heading from New Pass with Ron Musick, Dick Arnell, Justin Baker and friend Jim. We started a chum line and were bottom fishing with live shrimp in three to four foot seas. We started to catch some pretty nice yellowtail and mangrove snapper to 16 inches, along with a lot of porgies. Suddenly, one of the rods took off running, and we thought it was a bonito, a king mackerel or a shark. It spooled down to the bottom of the spool, and after three more long runs, we worked it back up to the boat to finally get a glimpse. When we saw its 3 foot length we figured it wasn't a bonito. Then we saw the black on its back and knew it was a blackfin tuna. I grabbed a hunk of squid to put on another pole, and tossed it out. We were still rejoicing over the first one when a second one the same size hit. So we got two of those, which are the first two I have caught in all my years of fishing. It was a very good morning (see photo.)

Wednesday morning I fished Estero Bay, in the area of Wiggins Pass, with Ron Constantini and Rick Staubach. We caught a keeper redfish and a nice 16 inch sheepshead, and released smaller sheepshead and cravalle jacks.

Thursday it was still kind of sloppy even close-in at the reefs off Bonita Beach. I fished with Frank Vayda, and friends. We caught fourteen Spanish mackerel to 24 inches—a barracuda in the area ate a couple of them. We also caught a keeper sheepshead and mangrove snapper. We released short grouper and a 40 inch lemon shark.

Harvey Cleland and friends Ed and Tim fished Estero Bay with me, in the Wiggins Pass area, on Friday morning. We fished with live shrimp until the tide quit moving, and caught four keeper sheepshead and keeper mangrove snapper. We released cravalle jacks.

I fished Estero Bay again Saturday morning with Terry Major and her friends, Carol, Cheryl and Rhonda. We caught a keeper sheepshead and mangrove snapper, and released a 20 inch snook.