I HAVE TO ADMIT THE DAYS LEADING UP TO THE WEEKEND HAD ALL THE CAPTAINS HERE IN MITA A LITTLE ON EDGE . INSHORE , THE WATER WAS COLD AND HAD THE COLOR OF ONE OF THOSE BAD CUPS OF JOE . OFFSHORE THE REPORTS FROM CORBETENA AND EL BANCO WERE BLEEK AT BEST , WITH A FEW PARGO AND SOME BIG RED SNAPPER SAVING THE DAY FOR SOME OF THE LUCKY ONES . WITH MORE CUSTOMERS LINED UP FOR THE NEXT FEW DAYS , I'M THINKING INSHORE ? OFFSHORE? FIRE? FRYING PAN ? GOTTA LOVE WHEN THE PRESSURE IS ON AND THE STAKES ARE HI..($600 FOR AIRFARE, $800 FOR HOTEL AND GRUB, $1500.00 FOR A FULL DAY WITH TUNATIME , AND NO FISH!?!? - PRECIOUS) I WILL NEVER LET IT END THAT WAY.... SO WHILE MY BRAIN IS SCRAMBLING FOR A GAME PLAN , SATELLITE CHARTS ARE SHOWING A RIVER OF WARM WATER SNAKING IT'S WAY IN TOWARDS EL BANCO , I'M QUIETLY THINKING...HOOORA . NOW IF I CAN JUST CONVINCE MY CUSTOMERS THAT WE SHOULD DELAY OUR TRIP ONE DAY , THINGS JUST MIGHT FALL INTO PLACE . YOU SEE, THESE CHICAGO BEAR FAN TYPES(MY FISHING CUSTOMERS) ARE COMPLETELY FIRED UP TO CATCH TUNA AND EVERY TIME I CALL THEM , THEY SOUND LIKE THEY'RE ON THEIR SECOND KEG YELLING "HEY CAPT SAL WHAT TIME IS IT ??"... THEN PROCEED TO BELLOW OUT THEIR OWN ANSWER : "IT'S FU!#$ING TUNATIME !!!!!! THESE GUYS ARE CLASSICS AND TOTALLY FIRED UP TO CATCH TUNA. I DO MANAGE TO TALK THEM INTO PUSHING THEIR TRIP UP ONE MORE DAY TO MONDAY.....THEY SAY "YOU'RE THE MAN CAP , WE'LL FOLLOW YOU INTO A BURNING BUILDING...AS LONG AS YOU SAY THAT'S WHERE THE TUNA ARE...( DID SOMEONE SAY PRESSURE??)
EARLY MONDAY MORNING FEELS A TAD OMINOUS OUT IN FRONT OF PUNTA MITA . THERE'S A LOW FOG HOVERING JUST OVER THE WATER AS WE WAIT FOR THE BEAR FAN TYPES TO BE DELIVERED TO US BY PANGA . WE CAN'T SEE ANYTHING BUT WE CAN HERE THE PANGA MOTOR GETTING CLOSER AND CLOSER AND THEN WE SEE THEM , (GORILLAS IN THE MIST??) AS THE ROWDY 3 CLIMB ABOARD (ONE OF THEM IS SPORTING ENOUGH CAMERA GEAR TO BE ON ASSIGNMENT FOR ESPN ANOTHER ONE CARYYING 4 CASES OF CORONAS AND PACIFICOS ...ALL AT ONCE ...AND DOESN'T EVEN LOOK LIKE HE'S STRAINING) BRAULIO , MY FRIEND AND PANGA CAPTAIN MENTIONS SOMETHING ABOUT NO FISH , ROOSTERS AT EL MORRO , RED TIDE...I SAY THANKS AND OFF WE GO.... STEAMING TOWARD EL BANCO WITH LOTS OF BEER , GORILLAS... AND ENOUGH HIGH HOPES FOR TUNA TO FILL A MOTHERSHIP . GAZING OUT TOWARD THE BLUE.... NO - MAKE THATGREENISH- BROWN , MY MIND IS STILL SCRAMBLING FOR A GAMEPLAN ALONG WITH A BLUR OF HAIL MARYS MIXED IN . I'M QUICKLY SNAPPED OUT OF MY TRANCE WHEN I HERE A LOUD VOICE FROM THE COCKPIT YELL OUT..... "HEY CAP, HOW MANY TUNAS YOU THINK WE'LL CATCH TODAY?!?" FOLLOWED BY THEIR NEW WAR CRY : "WHAT TIME IS IT?!?.....I SAID WHAT FU#$@ING TIME IS IT?!?...IT'S FU#@$ING TUNATIME!!! HOOORAA !!!" THEY YELL AGAIN , AS THEY BEGIN TO CRACK OPEN THE COLD CERVEZAS AT A LITTLE PAST 7AM...
IT'S GONNA BE A LOOOOONG DAY CAPITANO , MY DECKHAND OSCAR MUMBLES AS WE STEAM AHEAD .
MEMORIES OF AN OLD TV COMMERCIAL ARE FLOATING THRU MY HEAD FOR SOME REASON...."IT'S 7AM , DO YOU KNOW WHERE YOUR CHILDREN (TUNA) ARE?"... NO I DON'T , TO BE HONEST RIGHT NOW I HAVE NO CLUE , I'M BANKING HEAVILY ON THE SATELLITE CHART INFO AND IF I'M RIGHT , THERE SHOULD BE HUNDREDS OF GOLDEN FOOTBALLS TEARING UP EL BANCO....OK , OK , MAYBE NOT HUNDREDS ...I'LL SETTLE FOR DOZENS AND JUST A FEW IN THE FISHBOX WOULD MAKE OUR DAY .
....WHEN YOU COME AROUND THE POINT AT PUNTA MITA , WHERE THE BAY OF BANDERAS MEETS THE PACIFIC , THERE IS ALWAYS A STRETCH OF "BUMPY" WATER WHERE THE TWO MASSES OF WATER COLLIDE .... MY TWINVEE ATE UP THE STACKED UP 5- FOOTERS LIKE PUGSLY GORGING DOWN DOUBLE D MUNCHKINS ON SUNDAY MORNING . THIRTY TWO FEET , 12 FOOT BEAM , 500 HP , AND THE FIRED UP GORILLAS IN THE COCKPIT DIDN'T EVEN SPILL A DROP OF CERVEZA . TWO MILES THROUGH IT AND THE WATER SETTLES BACK DOWN TO THE USUAL LONG SMOOTH SWELLS ....BAD WEATHER OR ROUGH SEAS CAN'T SAVE US NOW . A LITTLE UNDER AN HOUR LATER WE MAKE THE 40 MILE RUN , EL BANCO STARIGHT AHEAD , EXPECTATIONS ARE HIGH , THE WATER LOOKS GOOD , BUT THERE IS NOT A BIRD IN SIGHT AS I YELL OUT TO OSCAR TO PUT OUT THE HEX-JETS , PINKS ON THE LONGS , PURPLE AND BLACK ON THE SHORTS , AND TWO BRAIDRUNNERS IN THE SHORT CORNERS SIHOUETTED RIGHT UNDER THE PROP WASH . I CALL THIS MY "GOOD MORNING SPREAD" , ALLOWS ME TO COVER ALOT OF GROUND FAST.... SEE IF THERE'S ANBODY HOME FOR THE FIRST HOUR OR SO ( I THINK I HAVE A-D-D OR WHATEVER YOU CALL IT , I HAVE TO SWITCH GAMEPLANS EVERY HOUR OR SO....TROLLING , KITEFISHING ,LIVEBAITING ,BOTTOMFISHING ....WHATEVER WORKS... I'M FEELING GOOD NOW ... I'M THINKING TO MYSELF ...IF I WAS A TUNA , OR ANY OTHER FISH FOR THAT MATTER , I WOULD BE ALL OVER THAT ... AS I LOOK BACK ADMIRING MY CAREFULLY THOUGHT SPREAD.... AN HOUR GOES BY IN MINUTES AND THEN THE MINUTES START TO FEEL LIKE HOURS (....YOU CAPTAINS OUT THERE KNOW WHAT I'M TALKING ABOUT.) THERE'S MUMBLING IN THE COCKPIT , SPIRITS ARE TAKING A TURN FOR THE WORST. OSCAR SAYS SOMEHTING ABOUT BOTTOM FISHING . NOT YET.. I'M SCANNING THE WATER WITH INTENSITY NOW AND SAY TO OSCAR "GO BACK AND TELL THEM YOUR FAVORITE FISH STORIES OR SOMETHING." ANOTHER HOUR MELTS AWAY AND MY STOMACH IS KNOTTED UP LIKE A BIRD'S NEST ON A TRINIDAD . SUDDENLY OSCAR ,WHO THANK THE GOOD LORD HAS EYES LIKE AN OSPREY , TELL ME "BIRDS , BIRDS , CAPITANO..AND LOTS OF THEM!"... NOW I KNOW HOW COLUMBUS FELT WHEN THEY GOT THEIR FIRST SIGHT OF LAND . THE BIRDS WERE FAR OFF AND I DIDN'T WANT TO WASTE ANY TIME... SO WE REELED EVERYTHING IN AND I PUSHED THE THROTTLES HARD TOWARD WHAT LOOKS LIKE A SMALL DUST CLOUD SWIRLING OVER THE WATER IN THE DISTANCE . WE CLOSE IN , I BACK OFF ON THE THROTTLES AND OUT GOES THE SPREAD ...."PUT THEM OUT A LITTLE FARTHER BACK I WHISPER TO OSCAR (... AS IF THE FISH CAN HEAR ME FROM 200 YARDS AWAY) . WE'RE CLOSING IN NOW AND I'M EXTRA CAREFUL NOT TO GET TO CLOSE . I PICK UP THE PACE TO 10MPH AND START MAKING A BIG WIDE TURN AROUND THE MASSIVE SCHOOL OF BAITFISH . WAVE AFTER WAVE OF THEM SHOWER THE SURFACE...THERE'S LIFE HERE . I KEEP MY DISTANCE AND HALFWAY AROUND THE BAIT AND FEEDING TUNA I MAKE A 90 DEGREE TURN AWAY FROM THE GOLD , OUR HEX- JETS STRAIGHTEN OUT.... RIGHT ON TARGET HEADING STRAIGHT TOWARD THE CENTER OF BAIT - GRINDER.... THE JETS LOOKING LIKE SMALL FLYING FISH ON A SUICIDE MISSION . I DON'T THINK ANYONE WAS BREATHING FOR OVER A MINUTE , JETS WERE HALFWAY HOME AND THERE ARE NO TAKERS??!!?? ( I THINK ABOUT HOW I HAVE NO LIVE BAIT TODAY BECAUSE OF THE COLD WATER INSHORE.. ) . THE SPITTING JET HEADS ON THE LONG RIGGERS CROSS THE OUTER EDGE OF THE SARDINE BANQUET...STILL NO TAKERS(SOMETIMES THINGS ARE JUST TO DAMN PERFECT!!)... I'M THINKING PLEASE , PLEASE AND ALREADY STARTING MY NEXT HAIL MARY... THEN THE BEAUTIFUL SOUND OF RIGGER CLIPS POPPING ... REELS BUZZING , AND 4 BEAUTIFUL STALKER RODS BENT OVER IN TIGHT ARCHES...KILLS THE SILENCE. !!!I TRY TO KEEP MY COOL AS I GIVE OUT FREE INSTRUCTIONS...SLOW DOWN , JUST PUMP AND REEL, KEEP IT SMOOTH AND BRING THEM IN ONE AT A TIME , NOT ALL AT ONCE!!! ( IF THEY CAN SEE EACH OTHER , HOOKED UP TUNA WILL SWIM TOGETHER , SO TRY TO ALWAYS KEEP THEM AS FAR AWAY FROM EACH OTHER AS POSSIBLE WHEN YOU'RE REELING THEM IN - THIS GOES FOR DORADO AND WAHOO AS WELL). AS I MANUEVER THE BOAT WITH A SOLID QUAD HOOK UP , THE FAT 30 - 60 POUNDERS START COMING IN ONE AT TIME OVER THE GUNNELS , BLOOD EVERYWHERE ...BEAUTIFUL FRESH TUNA BLOOD! (WITH ALL DUE RESPECT TO THESE INCREDIBLE ANIMALS, I DO DEEPLY ADMIRE AND RESPECT EVERYTHING THAT LIVES IN THAT BIG BEAUTIFUL OCEAN )... THE FISH HIT THE ICE AND WE KEEP FISHING TO THE DRUMBEAT OF KICKIN' TUNA IN THE FISHBOX...AND AC/DC ON THE STEREO.
"WHAT TIME IS IT !?" THEY HOLLERED AS THEY SWEATED AND REELED IN THE FISH.... AND NOW OSCAR AND I HOLLERED BACK..." IT'S FU@#%ING TUNATIME ...HOOORA!!" ( FINAL TALLY WAS OVER 20 TUNA , 1 GAFFER DORADO ,4 CASESOF CERVEZAS , AND 5 HAPPY CAMPERS....PRECIOUS)
THANKS FOR READING..SEE YOU ON THE EDGE...CAPT SAL STANDING BY / WWW.TUNATIMESPORTFISHING.COMWWW.TUNATIMESPORTFISHING.COM