Photog Blog- By Jason Stemple

Red Snapper Show

The northern Gulf of Mexico can be a nasty place. As Steve said, when the wind blows, this place is no joke! So, we had some days when we could get out and chase pelagics, and other days when we were lucky to get out at all. We had the 39’, so that upped our game and allowed us to get out when others were stuck inside, but still on some days going way out just wasn’t a good idea. Luckily, the Gulf has a lot of options including cobia, tripletail and red snapper when going way out isn’t a great idea. On this day, we chose to hit a nearshore rig and have some fun pulling on red snapper and put some filets in the box.

sticking your camera in the water helps make the seas look big. gorpo 3+ black, f/2.8 1/850 sec

It’s likely that no other fish has been the center of as much controversy over the past few years as the red snapper. There is an extreme disparity between stock evaluations and ideas of whose to blame if there is indeed a problem. In the Gulf there seems to be even more issues: with all the oil and money involved, State and Federal agencies have much more to think about, when it comes to who gets to regulate the fish/fishing. Either way, there is no arguing that the oil rigs make excellent habitat for red snapper and that there are plenty of snapper rigs available. So we headed out to hit a rig with Captain Kevin Beach of Mexican Gulf Fishing Company with red snapper in our sights.

Our first stop, as usual, was to catch some bait. This time, we headed into one of the many shallow bays and threw the nets to catch menhaden instead of using Sabikis for blue runners.

steve prepping the net. nikon d300s, 135mm, f/4.0, 1/2000 sec

pancakes for breakfast! nikon d300s, 35mm, f/4.5, 1/1250 sec 

Right off the bat, they were hooking up on nearly every drop back into the rig. Many of the fish were pretty small, but eventually, Scott worked a live bait down through the smaller fish and pulled up a couple of keepers. Steve went a different direction and tried to 3 or 4 on at a time and was successful with a multi-hook rig, but Scott’s fish were bigger. A bigger jig was dropped back a few times to prospect for cobia as well, but none showed up at this rig.

Steve hooked up. nikon d800, 155mm, f/5.6, 1/1600 sec

steve with a single triple. nikon d800, 300mm, f/6.3, 1/2500 sec

scott with a nice red snapper. nikon d300s, 160mm, f/5.0, 1/1000 sec

Later back at the dock, the Bubba Blades came out and the snappers were fileted, some heading to the dinner table and others went into the Yeti Hopper for the plane ride back home.

ready for fileting. nikon d300s, 145mm, f/4.5, 1/1000 sec

snapper scales closeup. nikon d300s, 200mm, f/7.1, 1/640 sec

Scott working the bubba blade. nikon d300s, 135mm, f7.1, 1/800 sec

yeti hopper full of filets ready for the airport. nikon d800, 135mm, f/5.0, 1/1250 sec

Jason Stemple
www.jasonstemple.com
jason@jasonstemple.com
IG @jasonstemplephoto
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Photog Blog- Yellowfin Shows

The Yellowfin Tuna Shows

We came to Louisiana to sample the variety of offshore fishing available in the Northern Gulf, but #1 on our list was Yellowfin Tuna. The tuna fishery is strong and relatively reliable there, and we were fishing with the Mexican Gulf Fishing Company who have them pretty well dialed in. The winds had been blowing 20-30 for a bunch of days, so nobody had been out on the hunt, and this was the first day that it had laid down a little, so we were excited to get out after them. We met up at the marina at dawn and loaded a bunch of fishing gear into the Yellowfin 39 and a bunch of camera gear and crew into Captain Billy Wells’ boat and idled out. We came on plane in one of the many channels through the marsh and headed out towards the Gulf, passing by shrimpers, commercial fishermen and giant container ships on the way. 

sunrise at the marina. nikon d800, 35mm, f/ 4.0, 1/2500 sec

Out in the Gulf we ran out about 10 miles passing a few rigs on the way stopping at another to load up on bait. As we pulled up there were giant schools of blue runners just off the rigs pushing some sort of smaller bait to the surface where thousands of terns were dancing on the surface picking off the easy meal. It was an amazing sight to see. I guess these blue runners weren’t the right size for tuna, so Captain Wells set up the Yellowfin right up against the rig and Scott and Steve dropped sabiki rigs back pulling up doubles triples and occasionally a full pull of bait, filling up the livewell in a half hour or so. After shooting this for a little bit, I tried to get some underwater shots of the blue runners, with varied success. They were fast and wary of the boat, so my best shots came from casting a GoPro on a float rig that I built into the school and hoping for the best.

Once loaded with bait, we set up to make a run out to a rig in deeper water that Billy thought could be holding tuna. The wind had laid down a lot but it certainly wasn’t slicked out, so the 45 minute ride was still pretty bumpy and the forecast was for the winds to ramp back up in the afternoon. Eventually, we arrived at a rig way out in a couple thousand feet of water and we began pulling out the camera and fishing gear. Steve and Scott threw out some live chum and dropped a couple baits back while Billy got on the radio and talked with one of his friends who had been working the area for a half hour or so. The report was not encouraging and after only 5 minutes, Billy wasn’t feeling it and made the call to move on. On the camera boat, we had just finished working out the kinks after the long bone jarring ride and were not thrilled when we got the call that it was another 27 miles to the next spot. So we locked down the gear and settled back in for another 45 minute run.

the stena forth. nikon d300s, 16mm, f/5.0, 1/1600 sec

Finally, we arrived at our fishing location, the Stena Forth, a huge mobile exploratory drilling ship that had been testing the bottom for oil in 5000 feet of water for over a year in this spot. Almost immediately, we started marking bait and fish on the Simrad and the first few handfuls of freebies tossed out the stern led to impressive surface explosions. Baits were quickly dropped back and it didn’t take long for a nice double of Yellowfins to be hooked up. After 10-15 minutes Steve had brought his fish to the boat where it was gaffed, but Scott’s had a few more pounds on it and took a little longer. Eventually both fish were lifted on board and things were looking up. The double had taken us down current alongside the Stena Forth, so we idled back to our initial location off the Stern of the rig and started live chumming again.

doubled up on yellowfins on a yellowfin. nikon d800, 200mm, f/6.3, 1/640 sec

that's a lot of sushi! nikon d800, 98mm, f/5.0, 1/2000 sec

This time Billy and Scott dropped baits back and Steve started hucking a new topwater Orca plug they had received from Shimano. Billy was first, making quick work of a nice tuna, even though he said he hadn’t had the chance to actually fight one himself in a long time. After that Scott and Billy doubled up, while Steve continued to throw the topwater plug hoping for the big explosion. Once both Billy and Scott’s fish were landed they heading back to the spot and everybody started throwing topwater. This time Steve and Scott doubled up on top, but Steve’s fish was a bonita and came in quickly. 

Billy and Steve lift scott's topwater fish on board.nikon d800, 200mm, f/5.0, 1/5000 sec

steve's topwater fish finishes off the day. nikon d800, 190mm, f/6.3, 1/2500 sec

Eventually Scott got his topwater fish to the boat and Steve gaffed it and they put it quickly on ice with the others. It was starting to get a little late in the afternoon and as promised, the winds and waves were picking up. We decided to pull back up to the spot one more time and toss out the rest of the freebies for one more try. As before the live chum led to big blow ups a ways behind the boat. Steve continued to bomb them with the Orca plug and was finally rewarded with the big bite he had been looking for. Once more we drifted down with the fight alongside the Stena Forth and Scott stuck the big fish as Steve worked it to the boat. As they pulled it aboard you could just see the tip of the plug sticking out of its mouth. With that last fish we called it a day, with a long bumpy ride home and a lot of tuna to clean back at the docks. 

the start of a long bumpy ride home. nikon d800, 135mm, f/4.5, 1/1250 sec

Yellowfin Yachts Releases their Brand New 24 Carbon Elite Series

Yellowfin Yachts Releases their Brand New 24 Carbon Elite Series   

Sarasota, Fla. Yellowfin Yachts, Inc. is pleased to announce the all new Carbon Elite Series. Based on the popular 24 Bay hull platform, the 24CE will incorporate a new laminate schedule, deck layout and console providing more space inside the interior cockpit.

  “The uniqueness is what you’ll find beneath the gel coat,” says Heath Daughtry, Vice President. “There have been plenty of companies in the past and currently that use the words “Kevlar” and “Carbon Fiber”. I believe we are the first to properly apply this advanced technology. The boat will be constructed with a Carbon / Kevlar blend. We have taken some of the most complex material in the industry and developed a laminate schedule that is over 20% lighter and 17% stronger than our current inshore line of products.”

    The new deck will include a forward step creating easier access to the foredeck. Beneath the step is a 290+ quart cooler spanning 68” across allowing storage for most nearshore pelagic species. The inner liner under the forward deck has also been enhanced with three separate chambers for storage. Trolling motor batteries will be stored below the floor of the center storage area as in our current model. The port and starboard side compartments are designed for fly rod storage and 8’ spinning rods. There is also plenty of room for additional items.

    The newly designed console will accept two 12” monitors on the dash and will incorporate a footrest.  A forward door gives way to a large opening with inside storage. Rod holders located on port and starboard will carry 8 rods vertically and safely.

   With the bay boat market becoming more saturated by the day, we will continue to maintain the distinct separation of our product from the rest of the field. This dedication has kept Yellowfin at the forefront of technology and design.

  “I’m extremely proud of our team of professionals that have been working on this innovative project.”

   We will be debuting this new model in February at the Miami Boat show booth #3176.  For more information please contact Heath Daughtry @ (941)753-7828 or YFY.Heath@gmail.com
  

Photog Blog: By Jason Stemple

Lousiana Shows

An Introduction:
I’m a freelance photographer, a fisherman and a fan of fishing shows. A few years ago I
was invited to shoot with the Into the Blue crew on all their shoots and I jumped at the
opportunity. I had never been an offshore guy, mostly fishing the flats and inshore waters
and fly-fishing for trout when away from the sea. So, for me this would not only be a
great photography gig, but a chance to learn from some of the best in a realm of fishing
that I knew very little about. As a bonus, I would get to travel to some great locations,
spend my work days on the ocean and witness some incredible fishing and nature at its
best. I will periodically post here with my experiences and images to go along with the
shows as they air. Please feel free to ask questions or give me shout if you want to talk
fishing, photography or the mixing of the two.

As you will see over the next few shows, we made a trip to Venice Louisiana this season
to fish with the guys at the Mexican Gulf Fishing Company. I was fired up for this trip as
I had heard plenty of stories over the years about the fishing down there. Besides a
standard New Orleans party trip a lifetime ago, I had never been to Louisiana, and
certainly never experienced the fishing in the northern Gulf of Mexico. We arrived from
all different directions, a few of us meeting up first at the New Orleans airport then
altogether at a little Cajun restaurant just outside of the city. We filled the table up with
Gumbo, po-boys, boiled and fried seafood and a little fried gator, before loading back up
and heading further south till we ran out of land.

Mexican Gulf Fishing Company had set us up at some elevated condos a mile or two
from the marina and a stone’s throw from the Mississippi. You could look straight across
from our deck at the dike which failed to hold back the water during Katrina, and see the
waterlines way up the sides of buildings that weren’t as high as we were standing. We
awoke the first morning to 20-30kt winds as the weatherman had predicted and were
happy to be inside setting up gear, and shooting tips as opposed to getting beat up and
wet in what we could only imagine were huge seas.

The next day despite still solid winds, we were able to get out with the help of a new
Yellowfin 39’ and I was able to finally get the full Venice, Louisiana experience. There
was a lot more for me to take in then just the fishing, which I will get into more next
week. On the way to the marina we passed buildings still flat on their sides from Katrina
and cars and trucks hundreds of yards out in the marsh. Then as we approached the
waterways, the multitude of industries started to appear- oil drilling and exploration,
shrimpers, crabbers, commercial fishermen and charter fishermen all were out in force
seeming to coexist. The amount and variety of vessels is mind boggling, and I found my
mind wandering trying to figure out what each boat’s purpose could be. There seems to
be a whole industry built just around transporting workers back and forth from the oil rigs
with boats and helicopters constantly on the move. Once on the water, there’s even more
to see, I’m used to the offshore fishing in the Keys, where once you head out of port
you’re out in the open ocean pretty quickly. From Venice we would have a 30 mile run
through marshes and rivers before getting out into the Gulf. And once you got out into
the Gulf, there were structures in every direction as far you could see. Each structure was
a little different and had different purposes in the oil drilling and transport industry and
I’m sure each had different characteristics that would affect its ability to hold fish or bait.
So each day we would venture out, first to a structure that would be holding incredible
amounts of baits and load up before moving on to explore other rigs that would
hopefully be holding the big predators the area is know for. The first 2 shows highlight an
amazing day chasing big Yellowfin Tuna around a mobile exploratory drilling ship, but
I’ll talk more about that day next week.

Scott and steve pulling on some big yellowfins. nikon d800, 200mm, f/6.3, 1/640 sec

Jason Stemple
www.jasonstemple.com
jason@jasonstemple.com
IG @jasonstemplephoto
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Questions: Rod and Reel for Yellowfin

Aaron hit us up with an email. 

Hi my name is Aaron from boca raton and i want to go trolling for yellowfin tuna in the Bahamas but i don’t want to go and spend all of my money on penn internationals. Do you know of any alternative rod and reel combos and if so what kind of line should i spool it with.
                            Thanks,
                                    Aaron F.

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This one is easy.

Shimano TLD 50W LRS. loaded with 80# braid. Best bang for the buck.

-Scott Walker

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I hope that helps Aaron.  Send us a picture of that big Yellowfin.

Questions: Anchoring

Hi guys, I was watching the Dry Tortugas, it was a calm day, how many feet of anchor line did you use ?? If it would have been 3 to 5 feet would you have anchored and how mush line would you have used ?? Why don't you like to give your location ?? I would love to go there but I feel it's a waste of time if you haven't been there before !!!!!!  Love your show , I've pick up a great deal of information on different fishing solutions.   
Thanks  Ed

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Hey Ed,

We use three times the depth of the water plus the length of the boat. If we told you where we fish there would no longer be any fish for us to film for you!

Thanks for watching the show!

Scott Walker

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From Steve:

Ed,
  3-5 footers are not a problem.  I personally like to use 6X the amount of line per depth. So, 100ft depth = 600 ft of line. The most important piece is the length of chain. When rough, the longer the better.   If it's calm you can usually get away with less.
You don't need GPS coordinates if you go to the fort, there are fish everywhere.  All we did was ride around and look for hard bottom. The whole place is a fish haven! Took maybe 30 minutes to find a spot.  
And the park rangers are very helpful and would be more than happy to point you in the right direction while there.
Thanks for your questions and good luck!
Capt. Steve

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Want to ask Scott and Steve a Question?  Click Here!