Not a barn burner on straight big fish yet but no shortage of action as once again the fifty to eighty pound yellowfin were abundant and eager here at Isla Clarion. The significant difference here is a mix of bigger fish in the 120 - 200 and bigger size class that seemed to arrive in every stop and provide an opportunity for those anglers who put their time in at the rail. We definitely had significant shark action in the mix but similar to Roca Partida we thankfully sacrificed mostly hooks and time to the annoying pests that focused primarily on the baits rather than the hooked tuna. Overall conditions were beautiful with perfect weather and good indications of the mid range tuna all around the island. As we spent much more time stopped and fishing than underway looking however, I can't really say we gathered a complete picture of what Clarion has to offer. But with three full fishing days remaining I suspect that we will know sooner than later, needless to say we have no plans to relocate and are presently enjoying a piece of fishing paradise here at Clarion. Exactly one hundred tagged yellowfin tuna are evidence of this belief and I am very confident that everyone on board presently agrees.

Big fish of the day once again goes to the uncanny Dr. Dave Hall whose roll on trophy yellowfin continues to amaze and impress us all. One thing I can tell you about Dr. Dave is that when fishing for giant yellowfin tuna he never, ever fishes with light gear, short top shots, fluorocarbon, miniature hooks, or sized down reels. More often than not his choice of gear is an 80 size reel with an accompanying size rod or if fishing gets touchy he will step down to a 50. His success on big fish around these islands is no coincidence and the consistency of his results cannot be attributed to pure luck. Time at the rail, using the right equipment, and certainly a good sense of timing are the main reasons for his consistent success. In short, he is always fishing for a big one and as a result almost never gets caught flat footed. I am certainly impressed and genuinely admire someone who is so effective at what he loves to pursue. Dave's bruiser today came in at exactly 200 pounds. We also had several other good opportunities on jumbos we couldn't capitalize on today due to the garden variety of reasons that typically arise when engaging in battle with yellowfin tuna over 200 pounds. Unlike the offshore fishery for giant yellowfin tuna that is basically obstacle free, the bottom structure at these islands presents a whole different set of challenges. Believe it or not, the bottom here accounts for about thirty or more percent of big fish losses as the panicking hooked jumbo tuna take off over the edges of ridges and reefs grating monofilament and spectra alike into frayed oblivion. One would not typically think of a tuna using structure to their advantage in fighting situations but around the Revillagigedos it is a common tactic that has cost us a lot of big fish. It all goes back to that heavy gear I was referencing with Dr. Dave's success. The giant yellowfin around these parts play by a different set of rules than their offshore brethren. As such the only way to really stack the odds in one's favor is to use a bigger hammer. I love that saying.

Tim