By any standard we all enjoyed a heck of an afternoon. Real deal action on extremely spirited trophy yellowfin, coupled with this epic setting, met the definition of “long range fishing” and then some. Wow! That said this is no easy business here. As mentioned in yesterday’s narrative one really has to gear up, both physically and mentally, to go toe to toe with this grade of fish in this arena.

Big gear - 100# fluorocarbon at a minimum, 130 is better, is the first element of success. One can break out the lighter outfits and hope, and a few will come aboard by luck and chance, but the bigger gear absolutely swings the odds in our favor by a wide margin. Not to say the big gear comes with a guarantee either, the local enforcers and inevitable tackle failures still account for some heart breaking losses, but the percentage of success is much higher with heavier outfits.

That goes for reels too. The smaller reels rigged up with heavy top shots just don’t have the torque and heavy duty components that 30 size reels and above do. We presently have a graveyard of smaller reels from the last two afternoon’s attesting to this fact. The bigger reels can be a little cumbersome to fish with, especially when using sardines for bait, but the benefit they afford anglers when one of these beasts is on the line is significant.

If I were an angler on an upcoming voyage out here I wouldn’t leave those specialized reels behind; they will come into play again if the fish move off the edge or any number of other conditions change. Just take heed of today’s advice and bring at least one larger size outfit - a 30 or 50 size reel, in the event opportunities like we had today continue. The fish bite on the heavier outfits just fine and once you enter the octagon it makes all the difference in the world.

Today’s photos feature first time Royal Star anglers Courtney Wenzel with a 130 pound class yellowfin, and Steve Peck with a nice yellowtail captured amidst the tuna fray.