So how does one find a fish? Captain Cal is our Pal! Cal is John's Maine Man for sure. Figuring out where to fish is an art. Cal owned Saco Bate and Tackle shop from 1986 and sold it last year and now Captains for folks like John or will charter as well. Tuna are caught via trolling (rigged mackerel daisy chains or plastic squid) or chunking (with hand fulls of bait fish thrown overboard). These fish are targeted for the famous Tokyo raw fish market (Tsukiji Market). We are talking big dough here- at auction in Jan 09 a 440 lb blue fin brought $173,000 and in Jan 10 a 510 lb'er brought $180,000. But as John, our Ogunquit Snopes, told us, these high prices have to do with good luck bidding for the New Year. And speaking of good luck-it was Bubba's lucky day-hee haw! After "fighting" the fish for 45 mins it's his. A real beaut!
Alas, after all that hard work- what do I do now? You sell it of course! Brokering Tuna is a highly competitive business. Seek out a tuna buyer that has been around for a while and successful to sell your first tuna to. The fish has to be at least 73 inches long and ours just made it. So off to the broker they boys go. Having the money spent in their heads- local blue fin fetch about $10-$30 a lb. No soap boys, it's 2 inches short? huh? we measured it....nope your measuring from the wrong part of the jaw. Oh bollix! So it turned out to be a catch and release day but never the less a whole lot of fun. So the only thing Keith was really left with is tuna blood on his jacket. Head to the laundry room Bubba.
Caught here from his boat the Seaquest. 95" long and 458 lbs! Maybe next season Bubba.
Never mind Green Peace adding Blue Fin to their "red list". Hey John, can't we farm those Blue Fin? But the real question is why do men fish? Maybe Herbert Hoover had it right...."To go fishing is to wash one's soul with pure air, with the rush of the brook or with the shimmer of the sun on the water. It urges meekness and inspiration from the decency of nature, charity toward tackle makers, patience towards fish, a mockery of profits and egos, a quieting of hate, a rejoicing that you do not have to decide a darned thing until next week. And it is discipline in the equality of men-FOR ALL MEN ARE EQUAL BEFORE FISH!"
