# Trip from Pensacola to Venice



## matttheboatman (Aug 25, 2008)

Capt. Steve Gilliam and I successfully relocated the My Share 32' Regulator from Destin to the Venice, LA. Of course we stopped and put a line in the water to see if there were any tuna out there. Our first stop was the Petronous rig about 65 miles off Pensacola. The water temperature had gone from 61 degrees near shore to 72 degrees at the rigs. We instantly hooked up on our first pass with 2 blackfin tuna trolling Red/White stretch 30 lures. Steve was able to get cell service at the rigs with his AT&T phone and called in to report good conditions and great fishing. With darkness now upon us, we moved about 11 miles southwest to the Marlin rig. We found this rig to be absolutely covered up with blackfin tuna - in the 8- 12lb range. We jigged with diamond jigs - one silver and glow-in-the dark. We used 7' shimano bottom poles with Torium 30 reels freshly spooled with 60 lb Power Pro braided line. Both jigs caught fish, but glow-in-the-dark was more successful. Not sure the total, but the catching was non stop until we rested. 

We pushed out a little further and made a stop at the Ram Powel rig which we found to be covered with small toothy critters. The shark advocates should spend some time at this rig and see "the health of the stock" first hand. They ate everything we put in the water including metal jigs. 

Next stop was a rig known as Horn Mountain - about 11 miles south. The rig showed no life on the surface and very few marks on the depthfinder but no sharks. We began the process of cutting the blackfin into chucks and pitching them in the water, 3 or 4 chucks at a time every 3 minutes. About an hour into the process, a reel started screaming on one of the two poles we had deployed. Capt. Steve grabbed the rod and it was fish on! We did not know what we had until about 10 minutes into the battle and Steve reported he could feel head shakes, which is a sure sign of tuna. 10 minutes later the yellow fin was doing his traditional circle of death swimming near the boat. I grabbed the gaff and stuck him with a head shot. But the gaff pulled through and the fish was now swimming again but still hooked up. This time I got it underneath and was able to hoist him over the gunnel and in the fish box. Yes! And, 80lb on ice! We caught 1 more yellowfin in the 50lb class and then one about 25lbs. The bite slowed down and the fisherman were exhausted. So, we decided to point the bow to the mouth of the Mississippi river, engaged the autopilot and proceeded downwind about 7 knots until sun up. 

I found coming into South Pass interesting as the entrance makes a dog leg left, then a dog leg right before you get into the relatively straight river entrance. And, just to make sure you are on your proper navigation game, there are rocks just above the surface which can be completely covered at high tide. So, if you were to miss one of these dog legs, you next stop is boulder city. 

Note, the river temp was 47 degrees and coooooooold air. 

Capt. Matt
Signature Yacht Shares 
www.signatureshares.com


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## Garbo (Oct 2, 2007)

Very Very Cool. thanks for sharing....


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## Sig (Oct 4, 2007)

Are you going to be running charters out of venice?


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