Ohthatguy

The biggest I have is a Shimano Terez XXH rod, (80-200#) with a Fathom 60 2 speed with 100# braid. This and a lot of luck is probably only good for a 200# BFT. If I hooked onto a 300#, pretty sure I'm toast. I have a few other poles with 100# and 65# for my dropper rigs if I don't just switch over to the bigger rod. In the dark, 200# leaders and then when it's light, 80# fluoro IF they will bite it, otherwise dropping to 60#. For the yellowfin and Dodo trips later in the year, my SPM12ii on 50# is perfect unless you find the BF. Also a spinner with 50# is a blast on YFT and Dodos. If the big BFT are what you are chasing in August, they won't let you even put 30 in the water. They are begging people not to use anything less than 80#. The big fish are no joke. You can rent a heavy set up at the marina for 125.00 for a 1.5 day trip. Also if you are using flatfalls, switch out the stock rings and hooks... Fishing is expensive. Fishing for big BFT can get ridiculously expensive but tugging on a 100+# tuna is something you will never forget. I'd suggest watching the reports prior to your trip to see what they are chasing. EDIT: I would love to hear what others are using to successfully land the big ones. Captain speaks from 2:00 to 30:00 about the big BFT and is worth watching.

Sounds like a boat got into some yellowfin today. Up to 50#. Both alone and mixed with BF.. Let the chaos begin...

I hope he is only talking about being able to enter the animal into the record books....

In the end, it's all academic and the pros and cons arguments for any weapon mean little. If only X amount of animals can be harvested to maintain GnF objectives, it's simple math and just a matter of dividing up the hunts between the different methods. As technology progresses and hunter success rates improve, there has more regulation or fewer tags issued to balance out the equation.

As it should.. I doubt anyone envisioned this silly thing when designating a separate muzzy season.

Returned this morning from a 1.5 day on Sea Adventure 80. Quick version: I have never fished this hard or long on a trip before. As soon as we set out and the Captain gave the talk, he said we should go get sleep now and not hang out or goof off as we were in for a marathon. He wasn't kidding. We woke up on fish at 2:00AM and chased fish non-stop until 10:30 that night. Not a crazy bite and many stops ran the fish off or produced no fish but many had singles or doubles so it was a slow but steady trip. Huge amount of fish out there and only 20 miles out so over 60 boats in the AM. When the Red Rooster and all the other nice long range boats are in close, you know it's good. Schoolies were taken on fly lines and dropper rigs down in the 75-125' range. Big boys down between 175-300' was the call so I spent all my time down deep but blanked. Again.. Another big or bust trip for me. Finished with around 40 fish on deck and a few at the 100# mark. Quite a few break off's and one nice fish straightened out a 4/0 Owner at the boat after a two hour fight. Another spooled a deckhands reel in just a few minutes. Big snipers and dropper rigs got the action by the bigger class fish most of the day. (Around dusk it seemed to be the 100g and under jigs got the action.) Captain, food and crew all get HUGE thumbs up and would absolutely recommend the boat. (I have been on this boat before and don't remember being this impressed so not sure if it was a different crew or ??) The fish are there and chances will rarely be any better at landing a trophy so if a big BFT is on your list, go.

Link to the Commission meeting: (Apologies if it was already posted) https://www.azgfd.com/agency/commission/commission-cam/

Little PSA. If you are thinking about chasing the BFT soon and are in need of any gear, don't wait until the last minute to buy it. I have found the pickings to be slim especially on the bigger +250g jigs. I thought I scored with J&B Tackle but they processed my order, shipped it late and only after it shipped did they inform me that 40% of my order was backordered. (Even though the items could be placed in my cart and showed them to be in stock)

Well that escalated quickly. About 220K acres now between the two.. More than the Bush fire..

Totally agree but all I do is fish the cattle boats so inevitably you will wind up crossing/tangling lines with someone and in that fight, I want the sharper knife.. And having 700+ yards of line is not a bad thing in my opinion.

I usually test everything before going out so I was happy with it all last year. That makes the results that much more confusing.. My gear isn't going to put out 50+lbs of drag but I want as much insurance as possible and 50# knot strength shouldn't be a problem for 100# braid. Maybe it's time to step up to hollow core and be done with knots all together.

I decided to check some gear for the upcoming trips and wow was it disappointing. My 2 year old 80# and 100# Power Pro braid will not lift 50lbs even after getting it wet.. Tried the Palomar, modified Palomar, Uni, Modified Uni and my favorite, the San Diego Jam knots.. Tried braid to mono knots and the braid broke every time vs 80# mono. (Didn't test the FG as I already decided to go buy new line before tying that silly thing.) Then decided to check the mono alone and had the failure below that I was not expecting. I was testing using this spare rig from a 250 Flatfall (Shimano, not a knockoff). It is likely last years but at the most it's two years old. It failed at about 60lbs. Shimano states it is 250# braid on that size jig. I have always changed out the hooks on my jigs when the 100# BFT are possible but always figured it would be the hooks, not the braid that failed. All line and gear is stored in the house so they didn't cook out in the garage at all. I heard there was a LOT of counterfeit Power Pro out there and that is specifically why I purchased it from Bass Pro back then. Don't know the reason why but it's not holding up now but I get to spend another chunk of money on new string.. Probably hit Phx Fishing and let them load up all my reels. Much better to find out now than after losing a good tuna. Check that gear and tight lines!!

After some tuna destroy some gear...

Bit late but we boated 70 total last weekend and kept 30 nice crappie from an overnight outing. Bass bite was great in the evening including this nice 6-4. Not the week to be slammed with work.

I just cashed out! Guy made me an offer I couldn't refuse.. I'm now retired and will be outbidding Bill at the auctions and buying a tuna boat. He paid me in cash too!!

Just for fun...

Looks like G&F agrees with you. One of the many times I have seen them flying.... below me... And yes I confirmed it was G&F.. They own the plane. (Or at least did)

From 2010, by Amanda

Counting "more animals" is completely missing the point.. And FWIW, I usually go to the highest point possible when glassing for animals. Where do you typically sit with your 18/56's?

The problem with data is... Garbage in, garbage out... Many hunters will provide total crap when asked for info. (I wonder how many elk hunters would say they wounded 5 bulls and tagged none) Weather, bullets, lions, cars, bears, wolves, disease, starvation, yotes and arrows all kill deer. G&F can see how many made it through each year, roughly, without any input from anyone. As I see it, their job is to tweak the knobs on the controls that they can to try and maintain the populations they want. All the while, trying to please 15 different groups at the same time.

Coati's are not listed under the Predatory & Fur-bearing Mammals. They are under Other Birds & Mammals. Commission Order 14

Well that sucks. Not an urban legend. lol In the last 3 months, I set up 2 Lowrance 12Ti2 units and 2 Garmin 93SV UHD units on the table and I had to hold the negative lead on all of them to get them to work.

If that is a touch screen and it's out of the boat, touch the negative battery terminal while touching the screen...