11/04/12

A pleasant welcome today as the grade of tuna we sought was in sync with our expectation and then some.
Ironically I was just commenting on the lack of mid grade, 40 - 70# yellowfin thus far this season not
suspecting they were poised to make a showing right here. We didn't light them up by any means, though we
certainly would have liked to, but aside from one protracted mid day lull we scratched away accumulating
a dandy score by days end. Throw in the usual ridge variety, including a few skinnies, ballslappers, and
even a few stripped marlin, and the day was a solid success.

Between the consistent wahoo and variety action along the ridge, the big fish potential not far below,
and the offshore production on big dorado and school size yellowfin outside I have to say that the
present set up is about as ideal an example of fall ten/eleven day fishing as one can imagine.

I would even assign the classification "near perfect" to what has been going on during the past ten days.
Stellar working conditions, super market type fishing where one has the ability to choose a destination
to target the specific species and size class, including giant yellowfin, they desire, and multiple zones
of production keeping the fleet well distributed as opposed to piled on top of one another - this is good
fishing; this is what voyages at this time of the year are all about.

And nothing in the conditions appears to favor dramatic change in the wrong direction. Based on what we
are seeing now it would not surprise me in least to see such fishing carry over into December. One big
storm or other unforeseen cataclysm could change things of course, we are all well familiar with
Neptune's penchant for mischief, but that aside all things at present point toward many more good days to
come. I know we still have a few open spots on upcoming voyages, including the eleven day departing next
Saturday, so now is a great time for anglers waiting for the right signs to jump on.

Photos today feature a pair of long time Royal Star veterans demonstrating the classic ridge variety and
premium grade of tuna targeted today. Willy Cloyes does the honors with a fine, jig caught Wahoo, and
Mark Rhodes with a fifty five pound class yellowfin tuna.

Tim Ekstrom

Photo Here...

Photo Here...