2014 Episode Synopsis


Episode 248 : Tony’s Tuna and Microlead Salmon

Today, the Mercury Marine Destination takes us over to Prince Edward Island, then out on Lake Ontario for Salmon. After a beautiful drive in the RAM 2500 Longhorn, the first stop is North Lake, Tuna Capital of the World, and for good reason. The huge schools of Herring show up; and the monster Bluefin Tuna are right behind them, looking to fatten up for the long winter and their journey to the spawning grounds of the Mediterranean Sea and the Gulf of Mexico. They are here to eat and the Bluefin that show up are true monsters, averaging between 600 and 1,000 lbs. Some smaller, some much larger, but a wonderful average size it is. This is also the trip where the new RAM 2500 Diesel was just starting to break in, and averaged well over 1,000 kms on a tank of fuel. I am not sure what RAM has done over the last few years, but keep it up, the fuel efficiency is awesome!

In the comfort of the RAM, it doesn’t even feel like a long trip, especially with the expectations of monster Tuna being the driving force. Charlie and Terri once again join up with Captain Tony MacDonald of Tony’s Tuna Fishing for this exciting adventure. This is about as exciting as Big Game Fishing can be, and the size of these Giant Bluefin Tuna will absolutely amaze you. Not only is Tony and his crew as polite as can be, they treat every guest like family. This is truly a wonderful trip and experience. Family fun, or fishing buddies, you will have the time of your life. www.tonystunafishing.com or 902-357-2207.

Along for the fun this year, is Richard Yantha from Johnson Outdoors. Richard has never experienced this before and is in for a wonderful treat. Not only for the Bluefin Tuna fishing but the abundance of Whales and Sea life to be enjoyed in the area. This year, the gang decided to enjoy the fight of the Tuna from the gunnel. No pressure at all on the angler, all you really need to do is crank the handle of the reel and enjoy. This is something everyone can do of all ages, whatever physical condition, and when you need a break, simply step aside for the next person to start cranking. Everyone can have fun with these magnificent monsters. Leaders of 200 lb test Seaguar Fluorocarbon are a must. Not only for the abrasion resistant qualities, but these large eyed monsters would shy away in a second if the leader was not invisible in the water. Today, the 12/0 Mustad Demon Perfect Circle Hook #39959BLN was ideal, incredibly strong without being bulky and overly visible. The take was not as fast as past years, cold fronts and just plain nasty weather prior to the arrival of the gang were surely to blame, and both kites and floats were deployed to coax a hit away from the boat. With the experience of Tony and his crew, it didn’t take long.

Once the bait was taken, with only some steady pressure, the circle hook found the corner of the jaw perfectly, then be amazed as the line screams from the reel. It is not uncommon to follow these fish for up to 2 miles during the fight, even though sometime it feels like just going in giant circles, these fish simply go wherever they want until they start to tire. To say these fish are strong is an understatement. Circle hooks are designed to rotate and only hook the corner of the mouth, this way, even fish that suck in a bait deeply, it allows the hook to slide back up the throat, rotate, and only hook the jaw, perfect for live release fishing.

The Okuma Makaira 80W has a flawless drag, even with up to the 60 lbs of pressure needed to slow these monsters. This is truly a big game reel that can take on anything you want to fish for. Also a special note, the Seaguar Kanzen 130 lb test braid was wonderful and sliced through the waves like a straight wire, no belly like the commercial guys experience with the 130 mono. The big plus, downsizing to the 80W sized reels loaded with the thin braid, actually hold much more line than the 130 reels with 130 lb mono, so you can use a smaller reel and enjoy the stand up fight or a lighter outfit harnessed into the chair should that be your preferred method to fight these powerhouses. Also used this season was the new Seaguar Threadlock. This is an ultra strong, 16 strand hollow core braid for easy knotless leader connections to the Seaguar fluorocarbon leader material. No more knots and swivels to worry about getting caught in the rods rollers, etc.

This is about as good as Big Game fishing can be, and while there is a worldwide shortage of these monster fish, and since each fish is extremely valuable to the worldwide fish markets, the future is unknown. However, the population that shows up here is still strong, and a live release sport fishery is here for anyone wanting to enjoy one of the largest, toughest sport fish in the world. Unlike some of the media attention the Tuna fishing has received from the New England states, where quotas are set and commercial fishermen try to land as many as they can in the season, argue and fight with each other on the water and back at the dock. The commercial and charter fleets in P.E.I. help each other, are very friendly, and largely work as a team towards this wonderful release fishery. They actually call other boats over when into an active school of Tuna. The captains of the commercial Tuna fleet in P.E.I. are only allowed one fish per season, Tony included, so the catch and release fishery is extremely important to the area and everyone treats it with a great deal of respect. Also to preserve this fishery, only one live released fish per charter is allowed, and that is released at boat side very quickly, so keep your cameras handy. A break off close to the boat also counts as a landed fish, so cherish the ones you get boat side pictures of, all catches are not picture perfect. Take advantage of this fishery now, you never know when things might change.

Then it is out on Lake Ontario near the City of St. Catharines for Salmon. Charlie is looking to show a dynamite technique with a new product. Leadcore has been difficult in the past, it is heavy and requires a larger reel, but it does work! Well, Western Filament has developed a new leadcore called Microlead, it is 30 % smaller and 3 times stronger with the same 5 feet per colour sink rate. Now your set up can be lighter and you can use smaller reels. This new thinner line also allows you to do something that was before unheard of, Charlie is using this with his Dipsy Divers to get deeper quicker and it works very well indeed.

Charlie doesn’t like using snubbers with his Dipsy Divers, they are bulky and highly visible, but something is needed to absorb the shock of hits, or the big Salmon will break you off in a second. What works perfect, is to replace the snubbers with 15 feet of 30 lb test Seaguar Fluorocarbon, not only does this absorb the shock, but it is invisible and adds to the stealth presentation. Joining the two lines together with a Double Uni Knot works great as a connection. Fishing with Dipsy Divers adds a tremendous amount of stress to your equipment, rod holders need to be strong and the rods and reels of high quality. Charlie is using the new Okuma Cold Water line counter reels and they are proving to be flawless, so are the new Okuma Blue Diamond rods, this set up is both great quality, and won’t break your bank account. Having your boat set up with the Cannon track system and Cannon adjustable rod holders is ideal for different presentations, the track allows the sliding of the rod holders to any location needed, and the Cannon rotating adjustable rod holders adjust to any position. If you are looking for an easy to tow, easy to launch larger boat, that is steady and stable and can handle the big water, have a look at the Crestliner 2150 Sportfish. With the SST transom, this welded Crestliner is almost 23 feet in length and feels and fishes like a larger boat. This vessel has a load of room in it! The new walk up transom is also a new addition for the SST transom. This SST cut-away step allows much easier access into the boat from the water, or even while on the trailer, with wide, easy to navigate built in steps.

Three feet behind the Dipsy Diver is the fish attracting Hot Spot Agitator, this flashy attractor, has surprisingly low water resistance, and has been working like a charm for the last two seasons, especially with the bright glow of the Moonshine spoon behind it. These spoons glow brighter and longer than anything Charlie has seen on the market, and the finish is bullet proof. This Agitator/Moonshine combination has been tremendously effective for the last three seasons, out fishing even natural bait. With a specific trolling speed needed, Charlie opts to troll with the big 300 hp Mercury Verado 4 stroke motor. Most do not want to troll with the main engine, especially if a kicker is also on the boat, but these motors are designed for it, and with the addition of the Mercury Smart Craft digital gauges, Charlie can dial in the exact RPMs he wants the motor to troll at for precise speed and lure actions. No more fighting for slight throttle adjustments, thanks to the Mercury Smart Craft Gauges, perfect.

Continue to Episode 249

Go Back