Venice La. 8-20-21 overnighter report

[Captain Mike Ellis]

I had a good group of guys out for a overnighter on saturday. The ringleader of the group Peter Bonde put this post up on Florida Sportsman. It is nice when your clients describe the trip. Captains can make even a so so trip sound good but when your clients put a report up you know it was a good trip. I have pictures to load up this afternoon of the trip.
Or "The Midwesterners Excellent Fishing Adventure".
After a slight delay due to the general incompetence of Delta airlines, the team assembled at N.O. International Airport. JT handled finance, AC was on cocktails and adrenaline and I had weapons. Like most of you experience in this situation, a great deal of anticipation had preceeded this event and all team members were trying in vain to keep their expectations in check. The day before I had been in contact with JT no less than a dozen times to occupy more time while we waited to start this epic.

We found out that the absolute limit of a Ford Taurus is 3 large guys, 2 small bags, 1 rod tube and 5 coolers measuring no more than 62 inches all dimensions added together.

We stopped at Salvos Seafood on the way down for some local cuisine. It was all you can eat night and I am happy to say that we were some of the smaller people in there. Unlimited shrimp, crab, rock crab claws for $16. Beer cheap and cold. SO far all good.

We drove the rest of the way down to Venice w/ only one tragic encounter with a raccoon that moved like he just came from where we ate. Checked into the Lighthouse Lodge which was perfect. Clean, well run and again cheap at $60.

The next morning JT and I were woken up by AC who couldn't sleep at 6:30am. Ok I guess we'll go grab some breakfast and lay in provisions. After a great breakfast (Where AC does not believe me when I tell him we're staying out all night) we filled a cooler w/ water, gatorade and food and waited for Captain Mike Ellis. Next time we gotta sleep in a bit - it makes the wait much easier. We met up and headed to the Venice Marina to launch. 20 minutes later we were loaded w/ 600 pounds of ice and motoring down the mighty Miss. A few stops to sabiki some baits and away we went. The first rig we stopped on was not real active although we saw a few tunas break a ways out. Captain Mike was not impressed and we moved on to another. AC was first to hook up there to a YFT of about 25.

We kept fishing there waiting for more YFT's to show and kept catching Blackfins. And more Blackfins. And more. We've caught BKfin in Fl a bunch of times but not like this. Not only was the place lousy with them they were alot larger. I think our biggest was pushing 30 pounds. I was throwing flies where I estimated the flying fish would land and finally hooked up w/ a nice Black. This picture should be captioned: " About Freakin' Time."
We ran to numerous rigs through the night looking for YFT's. It was a spectacular evening w/ a full moon and FAC seas. AC crashed for about three hours around midnight but JT and me didn't want to miss something so we grabbed a cat nap between a run to a new rig @ 3 am. You have got to see the flyingfish launching around these rigs at night. You can see them very clearly and you can certainly see the explosion in the water when the tunas that have been tracking them see them land. Woohoo! We're hanging around some rigs and catching more BKfins but Mike wants to be set up for the light. So we run to Mike's Secret Dawn spot for the morning bite. Like clockwork were on something decent right at first light. JT's up and here's the result. About 50 lbs.

No sooner than this one is bled and iced we're on again and this time it's my turn. Now it's not a fly rod so I had to figure out how all the high tech stand up sh$#@!t worked but some short pumpin ("forget the ESPN big verticle rod bend") and viola. 60 and change.
Get him in eating shape and baits back in. We hook up shortly thereafter again and AC is up. Capt Mike observes large quantities of line dumping off the big reel and calls for the big harness (UH OH). So AC becomes attached to somethin' big and the boys are cheering and coaching and generally busting his chops. You can tell this shot is taken early in the fight cuz he's not bucketing sweat and his face isn't beet red.
He gave this beast hell for about and hour and then passed the rod to me. Not bad for a dude that usually catches perch outta Lake Michigan. I'm on him for about 20 minutes and even with the harness putting all the pressure on my legs and butt- I have new found respect for AC for fighting this thing for so long. After further excitement Capt Mike gaffs him and we both drag it over the gunwale. As Mike said: "That is a stud summer Yellowfin"

Weighed in at 142 pounds. And I wanted to catch one on fly. Uh, sure. The other charters at the dock were making the type of comments that just pump up your captain and his clients. OH YEAH!
So here's the team at the end of our overnighter w/ Captain Mike. The ride in was punctuated by point blank lightening and subwoofer crushing thunder.

So major props to Captain Mike the hardest workin' man in the charter business.
We'll see you in January. If not sooner!!!!

[Shark Tagger]

what a slob of a tuna!!! 142lbs is a great catch!