Anybody freelanced Venice For Tuna?

[mudflat]

Has anyone went or going, id like to try it? I know it would be a tough trip to plan due to weather and other issues.
Have access to RV, truck and boat.
Thinking mid month.
No, I don't wanna pay a guide, rather get skunked.

[cajunwannabe]

I've never done it but have a camp there. Get a Sea Tow membership. Only run major river passes (SW Pass) out to the Gulf. If it's foggy, stay on the hill. That's all the advice I can give.

[bitesize]

Your boat have radar? If no, stay home

[Saltydog235]

Went with Kevin Beach, MGFC, last March, when your guide says to sit down and shut up because the fog is so thick he's nervous, then you know it is serious. Had foul weather gear on and water was pouring off from how thick that was. He told us it is always like that in the mornings due to the Miss being cold. That fog bank didn't break until we were 15-20 miles off. Catching bait, you couldn't see 10' off the boat, standing on the bow, the console of a 42' Freeman was an outline. You'd hear a boat coming up but couldn't see it, all of a sudden you'd see an outline and haze off the electronics. Spooky stuff, he dang near ran over a couple of guys in a jon boat riding the middle of the channel. If you can get out and head to the rigs, the technique was stupid simple, a live menhaden thrown out and wait a bit, throw some others out so they are stunned when they hit the water. Small 20-50# fish up top, you can see the bigger fish down below on the sounder though. I want to go back sometime with a crew and target the allisons. Those charters are expensive, $2,000-$2500 plus $900-$1100 for fuel plus tip, going without a guide would definitely be a lot cheaper.

[12341234]

When do you want to go and what are you looking to do. Right now is easy while they are on the lumps. Summertime is good smaller fish, but you also have other options and your live baiting verse chunking. You can still catch them on the troll or chunking spring and summer.

[mudflat]

Boat has radar. I've driven in fog many times and know not to be stupid. If anything we are lacking is proper rod and reels, but I've seen them catching them on spinning tackle so ours will suffice.
Plan would be an RV to sleep in, truck and boat driven separately. I've seen all the YouTube videos and methods. Worse case red snapper/grouper and wahoo.
What marine forecast should I be looking at?
Thinking middle of this month, based on a good 5 day weather window.

[Short_track_champ]

Boat has radar. I've driven in fog many times and know not to be stupid. If anything we are lacking is proper rod and reels, but I've seen them catching them on spinning tackle so ours will suffice.
Plan would be an RV to sleep in, truck and boat driven separately. I've seen all the YouTube videos and methods. Worse case red snapper/grouper and wahoo.
What marine forecast should I be looking at?
Thinking middle of this month, based on a good 5 day weather window.

Send it! Just be save in the fog. I've caught tuna/yellow tail on a spinner, as long as it has enough drag.

We use Windy.com for wind and swell forecast.

*what size boat??*

[willk]

If those tuna guys had to fish in South Carolina they would never go out. They tried telling us about how rough it was one day and we all laughed at them.

[Short_track_champ]

If those tuna guys had to fish in South Carolina they would never go out. They tried telling us about how rough it was one day and we all laughed at them.

Nothing a patch and a bowl can't fix.

[Black Bart]

Boat has radar. I've driven in fog many times and know not to be stupid. If anything we are lacking is proper rod and reels, but I've seen them catching them on spinning tackle so ours will suffice.
Plan would be an RV to sleep in, truck and boat driven separately. I've seen all the YouTube videos and methods. Worse case red snapper/grouper and wahoo.
What marine forecast should I be looking at?
Thinking middle of this month, based on a good 5 day weather window.

They use Talica 25's down there; your outfits should be plenty.

[12341234]

Pretty sure the fish will still be on the lumps. When we fished there it’s chunking, our outfits was a 50 with 80lb braid, 100 yards of 80 mono and 30 foot of 60-80 floor, and a 5/0 heavy gauge circle hook. Start with flats of manhaden chunking mix in Bonita and kingfish as you catch them. Depending on the water temp some guys will start pushing offshore looking to live bait. Right out the inlet or just inside look for manhaden or threadfin. Carry lots of savings different sizes and colors some of the close rigs have horn bellies I think they call them or the offshore rigs have blue runners and discos. Offshore we fished smaller rods and reels but mostly talicas had the same drag as a 50 and fished the same line set up size the hook according to bait. You can still chunk or troll ballyhoo out there and do ok if you don’t have live bait. The offshore chunking is different than the inshore. You want to put small amounts like 3-4 pieces at a time and wait till you can’t see them anymore before adding more. And the most important part is make sure your hook is completely hidden.

[cajunwannabe]

Your boat have radar? If no, stay home

I've never in my life seen fog like we get down there. My record is being fogged in at camp for 5 days straight, by day 3 everyone was getting real twitchy. No horizon, no sky above. I'd put out trotlines and after 5 days I used an old Garmin gps to retrieve them. Didn't get one bite on all those trotlines either.....it was surreal.

[jwterry3]

Went with Kevin Beach, MGFC, last March, when your guide says to sit down and shut up because the fog is so thick he's nervous, then you know it is serious. Had foul weather gear on and water was pouring off from how thick that was. He told us it is always like that in the mornings due to the Miss being cold. That fog bank didn't break until we were 15-20 miles off. Catching bait, you couldn't see 10' off the boat, standing on the bow, the console of a 42' Freeman was an outline. You'd hear a boat coming up but couldn't see it, all of a sudden you'd see an outline and haze off the electronics. Spooky stuff, he dang near ran over a couple of guys in a jon boat riding the middle of the channel. If you can get out and head to the rigs, the technique was stupid simple, a live menhaden thrown out and wait a bit, throw some others out so they are stunned when they hit the water. Small 20-50# fish up top, you can see the bigger fish down below on the sounder though. I want to go back sometime with a crew and target the allisons. Those charters are expensive, $2,000-$2500 plus $900-$1100 for fuel plus tip, going without a guide would definitely be a lot cheaper.

Ditto on this for both my trips…epic fishery though

[Saltydog235]

Ditto on this for both my trips…epic fishery though

Epic is right. I’m headed to Ketchikan this August for a week. Salmon, Halibut, Lingcod and Rockfish. Our 3 days with the guide was less than 1 day in Venice.

[flopduster]

I’ve done it twice, both times in the fall though.
Fishing the lumps would be cool but the fog and narrow weather windows kept me from trying this time of year.


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[trash2]

Lot of good info but listen to what 12341234 is telling you, pick his brain

[saltedbutter]

I can't wait to hear about this trip. Its on my bucket list to do the same. Just curious, what boat you pulling there and how many guys you going with?

[DG34YF]

PM sent

[lil 2 sleepy]

I had this idea and took a boat down and intended to leave at Cypress Cove and go back and forth. Broke a driveshaft inside the block and had to limp in 60 miles on trip 1. Left the boat for 2 months but had to bring it home to fix. Never made it back.

It sounds great but being able to do it enough to justify is freaking hard. Hiring a freelance captain for a day or three on your own boat for $500/day, is the fastest way to get a good track on the gps and finding fish.

At a minimum follow a few well know boats out the cuts. Stay on plane and right on their ass

[lil 2 sleepy]

If those tuna guys had to fish in South Carolina they would never go out. They tried telling us about how rough it was one day and we all laughed at them.

This is also fact