BY KENNY PRIEST
EUREKA – It was a day that Eureka tuna anglers won’t soon forget. After several less-than-stellar days, the stars finally aligned for the small fleet that made the 30- to 35-mile run south last Saturday. It wasn’t the number of fish that stood out — it was the size. The majority of the albacore caught were 25 pounds or better, with some fish pushing 40 pounds.
The fish were reportedly spread out along the 125-line, from the 46-line down to the 38-line, where a hard break pushed water temperatures up six degrees. The action ranged from boats reporting single hookups to others hooking eight at a time, and everything in between. A couple of common themes emerged from the fleet: when the fish are this big, you only have room for so many, and several anglers left fish biting at the end of the day.
Hearing the reports, a handful of boats, including a few charters, ventured back to the same area last Sunday. Conditions weren’t quite as good as Saturday, but the fishing sure was. Big fish were again on the chew, and boats loaded their coolers with as many as they could hold. When a 20-pounder is the smallest tuna in the box, you know you’ve been blessed with a pretty special day.
Looking ahead, there appears to be a small weather window for Thursday. Unfortunately, the forecast is starting to deteriorate, and the water appears to be breaking up. Whether the fish stick around will likely depend on how much the ocean conditions change over the next couple of days.
