Get Reel tuna summer
Ever notice how things seem to go in cycles? At least for me, they seem to. Fish can come in cycles too, and this summer has proven that to be true.
Last summer, for instance, was a tarpon summer. Friends, family and I caught and released many of them here in the Florida Keys in 2010, making it a very good year in terms of our fishing exploits.
The summer before that, it was a combination of tarpon and dolphin. But in 2011, I have caught only a few of either of those species, although we did nail down another great episode of Sport Fishing Television, dolphin fishing with Capt. George McElveen of The Reel McCoy charters out of Bud N’ Marys marina here in Islamorada a few weeks back. Look for that on Versus in the first quarter of 2012.
For whatever reason, the summer of 2011 is shaping up to be a tuna summer. The blackfin tuna fishing has been off the hook (pun intended) on the Florida Keys humps this season, and I’ve enjoyed some spectacular action with them (see photo). And in my last blog, I told you about the great fishing we enjoyed recently in Bimini, finding late-season schools of nice yellowfins.
A combination of weird weather and a hectic work schedule conspired to (temporarily) interrupt my pursuit of tarpon, but the tuna have filled in nicely, so I’m not complaining. And who knows? There’s plenty of time left this summer to sneak in a blue marlin or two somewhere along the way. That would truly make for an awesome summer all the way around.
Photo: Colton Nagler (left) with a hefty Florida Keys blackfin tuna destined for the dinner table.
