Well the morning did not disappoint. All the anticipation, preparation, and prediction combined for exactly what we called as the 75 - 100# tuna pushed into the shallows at daybreak running smack into us along the way. Throw a handful of opportunities at cows in the mix, and a few handfuls of 50 - 60's, and the setting was reminiscent of so many classic Socorro bites etched in my memory. It was a very good time and highly productive as anglers threw their weight into the effort with youthful exuberance. By the end of the second hour however, the effort was whittled down considerably. As my chief mentor Steve Loomis always said, "it all boils down to horsepower". Such was the case by mid morning.

Getting dragged around by spirited 75 - 100# yellowfin on heavy gear has a unique way of wearing one down. Funny thing is that this type of action, on this size class tuna, is actually more arduous that reefing on two hundred pounders. Generally speaking the bigger fish tend to settle in to a relatively stationary position after the initial few runs. This allows anglers to position themselves to pull to their maximum ability and focus on the fine points of fighting their fish. Not so much with the mid grade yellowfin racing around against buttoned down drags on heavy gear. Everyone works harder to maintain order and keep their lines in front of them during this type of action that puts anglers through the ringer; challenging and exhilarating to say the least.

All in good fun. And that was definitely the predominate theme as everyone thoroughly enjoyed the action packed morning. Afternoon was a different story as the catching wound down to one here and there despite continuing to see plenty to fish for. This scenario is as regular as rain at this island though and did little to detract from the lingering stoke of the morning. In fact, after the amount of energy most anglers expended from 0500 - 1130, the more leisurely pace of the afternoon was rather well received.

Finally, photo of the day features long time Royal Star veteran Liz Franzino with another extraordinary catch in less than five months! And while today's 212 is dwarfed by her mammoth 315 landed in January, today's burly bruiser was no slouch. Most extraordinary about these fantastic accomplishments is that Liz is a whopping 4'10"; petite is an understatement when describing her physical attributes. If this doesn't prove that the door is open to anyone wishing to target giant yellowfin I don't know what will. I regret to say that my photo skills are not well represented by today's efforts, but the catch makes up the difference. Look for tomorrow's report from our next westerly destination.

Tim Ekstrom

Photo Here...