The Ode to Little Tunny Port Canaveral Fishing Report
That's right, you heard right. The secret word for tonight is little tunny! This is the Ode to Little Tunny Port Canaveral Fishing Report!
First though, upcoming events-
-October 11th-18th Third Annual SPACE COAST SURF FISHING TOURNAMENT. Learn more by going to: www.scisft.AnglersForConservation.org.
-October 25, Mosquito Lagoon Show and Tell Fishing Seminar. Learn more at http://www.spottedtail.com/mosquito-lagoon-show-and-tell-fishing-seminar/
-October 26 Mosquito Lagoon On-the-Water Show and Tell Fishing Seminar, learn more at http://www.spottedtail.com/mosquito-lagoon-on-the-water-show-and-tell-fishing-seminar/
I got out on the Atlantic out of Port Canaveral three times this week and two of those days the tunny were going off like I've never seen anywhere- not off Jupiter, not off Cape Lookout, just insane numbers of tunny going off on little anchovy-looking fishies. The birds loved it.
OK, so what are tunny?
Properly called Euthynnus alletteratus, tunny are the most common tuna in the Atlantic Ocean. Occurring in large schools and weighing up to 36 pounds (the current IGFA all-tackle record), it is the smallest member of the tuna family, and is one of the finest small game-fish in the Atlantic.
It's commonly called a false albacore or, here in Florida, bonito. It is sought-after as a sport fish due to its line-stripping 20+ mph runs and hard fighting ability when hooked.
They are absolutely fantastic on a light fly rod and tons of fun with a light spin rod. There were lots of them off Brevard County beaches this week.
On Tuesday son Alex and I put in a half day, launching at the wonderful new boat ramp at Port Canaveral. The wind was light out of the west. The tunny were going CRAZY, diving birds everywhere over large schools of breaking fish. We got a bunch on craft fur minnows and DOA CAL jigs, doubling up several times. Even got a selfie of us fighting fish.
We finally tore ourselves away to look for other targets. We found a large school of Spanish mackerel doing their best little tunny imitation and got several of those. They weren't too exciting after the tunny.
Then we found some tarpon rolling. We doubled up, using live menhaden. When Alex's fish made its first jump, at least 15 sharks came flying out of the water, all through the school of menhaden, one of the coolest things I've ever seen while on the water.
We could not get a bait through the sharks to the tarpon after that.
We hit a couple more tunny on the way back, and had the boat on the trailer at 1 PM.
On Wednesday my good friend Tom Van Horn joined me on the Spotted Tail, again launching at the Port. Tom had never caught a tunny on fly and wanted to get one. The fish were just as crazy as the previous day. The wind was still west but blowing with more gusto, waves slopping over the gunwales as we chased fish around. We hooked a bunch of tunny. Although we lost a bunch of flies (craft fur minnows, some tied like Clousers), the mission was accomplished.
We went to where the tarpon had been the previous day. They were still there. I hooked and broke off two, then the sharks ate everything we threw out there.
We both had errands to run in the afternoon, so again were off the water at 1 PM.
Thursday morning I had my annual physical, and was not intending to fish. When I got home though, Mr. Damien Kostick had called and wanted an afternoon half-day charter. Hey, the fish are off the Port, why not?
At 11:30 we launched the Mitzi. The wind was out of the east. It was light at first but it kept increasing in velocity. It got real sloppy out there.
The tunny had apparently vacated the premises. Crap.
We went to where all the tarpon and sharks had been the past couple days. Gone. Double crap.
We ran south all the way to Satellite Beach. We saw a single tarpon free-jump. We spotted a free-swimming tripletail. Damien got one cast at it. Then it spooked and dove. Other than that and the menhaden there were no signs of fish of any kind.
Heading north again, we spotted birds working to the east. We headed out to sea. The tunny were working out there, although nothing like the previous two days.
There were enough that by being patient and working it hard we got a half dozen or so. By now it was rough enough that the waves were washing over the deck pretty freely.
We went back towards the beach, still hoping to see some tarpon roll. We looked well up into Canaveral Bight and saw nothing at all. The boat was on the trailer at about 530 PM.
And that is this week's Ode to Little Tunny Port Canaveral Fishing Report.
Life is great and I love my work!
Life is short- Go Fishing!
John Kumiski
http://www.spottedtail.com
All content in this blog, including writing and photos, copyright John Kumiski 2014. All rights are reserved.
