213 lb blue fin 1.5 day

[Adams Khanh]

Just got back from my trip. Spent a week down in San Diego. Left Sunday night around 9pm arrive in San Diego around 4 am. Drop off a few things left to the dock to be on the boat a 5am. My first trip was on the liberty for a full day on Monday. Fishing was nice a lot of life. Boiling schools everywhere fished just about an hour away from the 43 bank. Unfortunately I did not land a thing. I did get bit though. Key was long soak live and nice sardine. 1/0,2/0, size 1 hooks are recommended. 15-40 lb fluorocarbon top shot line. Dad landed two, on 20lb.  As for boils jigs, colt snipers, small bass poppers will work. But you habe one chance to get the perfect cast after they the fish dive down and they are gone. Let the jig sink a few seconds and slowly wind through it. Most of the book fish are all snagged.  Dad fish weighed from 20-35 lbs. and he got his limits.

Returned from the one day Monday night and got on a over night the same night on the pride Aztec. Reach the hunting grounds around 3am loookijg for fish and could not find any at night. Ended up doing long drifts during the day. I manage to catch my limit fishing 20lb. Dad caught one and Kevin landed his first blue fin ever and also snagging his first yellow fin ever.










Our last trip was aboard the condor on Wednesday we got off the boat Tuesday night and spent the day hanging out and relaxing be for getting on the boat Wednesday night. Jimmy the capitan one of my best friends is the operator of the boat. Dad ending up cooking dinner for the entire boat. Losuiana sauages and steak and ox tail soup for 27 people of the boat. Everyone  enjoyed a nice dinner before heading out the San Clemente. Arrived at 2am only person up was jimmy he got on the first school of fish while everyone was still sleep gave a wake up call no one woke up. He hooked the first fish just little over 100 lbs  to get it to the boat and call for a gaff and no one around he ended up losing the fish at the boat. Jimmy came down into the bunks to personally wake up everyone to start fishing cause the school
Of fish was still on us. Got up fished a 250gram flat fall glow in the dark.
250 gram rigged with 500 lb barrel swivel
130 flouro
Chafe gear
Assist hooks
9/0 j hook
Stocks split rings

I suggest everyone upgrade split rings or get welding rings and bump line up to 150-200lb

Kevin hooked his fish right next to me .
Set up
United composites Raptor 76
Penn torque 40narrow set up by Alan Tani.
250g shimano flat fall rigged same way as me.

His fish was 95 lbs
Second blue fin ever and he just got his biggest tuna ever and fish ever.




It took him less than 10 minutes and half away around the boat to get the fish on deck.


I ended up hooking the fish right when Kevin fish hit the deck.
Fish where 400ft down up to 180 ft.

Drop my flat fall down to 250ft down and the flat fall stop dropping so I pushed the drag to strike and started to wind fast. Remember guys I can not stress this enough wind through the bite. Don't hook set.

Gear
Uc centaur 76
Makira 16. Set up by Alan Tani
Flat fall.
Had the fish on for 45 minutes. I keep bumping the drag up till the fish stopped.
Fish tapped 71x49
188 gilled and gutted.
Most landing did 12/15% added to the the gilled and gutted weight
For estimate weight

Tips for gear and tackle and trip
Rods
Bring a few rods 20-100lb.
I would bring a light line set up for 20 lb.
Jig stick for our surface iron or colt sniper or popper.
Rail rod with the right reel.

Terminal tackle
Hooks 1/0,2/0 , size 1
Rubber bands for rubber band sinkers
Couple different size torpedo weights
Flouro Carbon 15-100lbs
Egg weights

Surface irons
They have been eating mint
Small colt snipers and poppers

Flat fall
Any color flat fall works. But glow is everyone's choice
Condor has a 201 on the flat fall. In a purple and gold color I believe sand eel was the color. But any color works. Crimp 150-200 lb line minimum. 500lb barrel and split rings or do welded rings. Chafe gear.

Yummy flyer bite was very slow aslo but I would bring a kite rod Incase

Long soak a bait. Light line
Save your energy during the day and fish at night or early morning  using the flat fall.

[Brendan]

Nice job. Congratulations.
Tight lines Brendan.

[theswimmer]

That a really nice fish Adams!
Congrats!

[MarkT]

Wow, WTG. 3 overnighters in one week and you guys caught BFT on all of them topping out with cows!  Hard to beat that!

[swill88]

WOW!  Khahn's family can fish!

Great report Adams!

Steve

[thorhammer]

wow great trip and write-up!

John

[foakes]

Great trip!

Really nice to get a couple of cows, and some other quality fish on just a quick buck-and-a-half day trip!

Congratulations, and thanks for sharing...

Best,

Fred

[alantani]

i loan out the makaira reels all the time.  i also have a pair of original super seekers for loaners, a 1x3 and a 2x4, that i usually match the reels up with.  this time the seekers were already out on loan, so i was caught short when khanh called.  that's how he wound up with my personal custom uc rods!  there aren't too many other guys that i would trust with these.  

the rod is half of the equation, the reel is the other half.  for a 100 pound class rod, you need to be able to hang a 30 pound weight on the rod.  with the butt at a 45 degree angle, the tip has to bend down until it is half way between the butt and the top of the arc.  that's how you figure out the proper drag setting for the rod!  for a 100 pound class reel, you need 500 of 130 pound braid or 700 yards of 100 pound braid (your choice) and a 25 yard topshot of 100 pound fluoro.  you need to set the drag to 30% of the line weight or 30 pounds at strike and then have the reel deliver 50% or 50 pounds at full.  older reels will not deliver the 50% needed at the top.  most are down under 40%.  

now you have a properly balanced 100 pound set up.  in puerto vallarta last january, i landed a 215 pound yellowfin in 15 minutes.  khanh took 45 minutes for his first ever cow bluefin.  now that he's had a chance to pull on a fish in this class, i am certain that his times will come down dramatically.    he has been here at the house before when we've talked about techniques for landing these big fish.  it was fun talking to him yesterday to see how it had all come together.  congratulations, kid!

[Donnyboat]

Thanks for the photos & the report Adams, well done, & thank you Alan, for all of your info, cheers Don.

[David Hall]

Booked my trip on the condor for next Wednesday!

[steelfish]

wow, so envy

congrats, thats a lot of meat for lots of nice dinners

[Shark Hunter]

Great Report Khanh!
Congratulations!

[alantani]

Booked my trip on the condor for next Wednesday!

go get 'em!!!!!!

[Adams Khanh]

Thanks guys!

[Benni3]

Wow,,,,,that's a great trip