# Tuna from Orange Beach



## dannymarg

Hi,
Can anyone help me with how far offshore from Orange Beach you have to go to get to Yellowfin fishing areas/rigs. And the names of the closest rigs to target yellowfin. Any extra info would be appreciated. Thanks Danny


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## MSViking

Unfortunately it's a long long way then a long way past that!! All the traditional tuna rigs out of OB (Petronius, Ram Powel, Marlin Etc..) are covered up with MS river flood water, ugly trash filled water. To get to blue water you have to run around 150 miles to the SW. Best advice is subscribe to Hilton's or talk to a friend that has it to get current water clarity data, reality is it does not look like the water is going to improve anytime soon or if at all this summer (water at the rigs)

Robert


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## dannymarg

Thanks. Any other input would be great!!


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## samoajoe

MSYellowfin said:


> Unfortunately it's a long long way then a long way past that!! All the traditional tuna rigs out of OB (Petronius, Ram Powel, Marlin Etc..) are covered up with MS river flood water, ugly trash filled water. To get to blue water you have to run around 150 miles to the SW. Best advice is subscribe to Hilton's or talk to a friend that has it to get current water clarity data, reality is it does not look like the water is going to improve anytime soon or if at all this summer (water at the rigs)
> 
> Robert


 
A guy I work with was at the Nipple yesterday and was surrounded by a school of decent yellowfin. But you're right, the current water conditions make it hard to catch them with any sort of consistency. I do know they were not hitting trolled lures of any sort. There was not any live bait being trolled so that may have had something to do with it.


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## whome

Ram Powell and a few other rigs in that area have been covered with yellowfin the last 2 weeks...


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## dannymarg

Capt. Jon Pinney said:


> Ram Powell and a few other rigs in that area have been covered with yellowfin the last 2 weeks...



Thanks for the info!!


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## hmsmithjr

Heading to Marlin, Ram Powell, Horn on saturday morning to spend the night and try for the tuna. Not sure how the water will be, but we will have a lot of different types of bait to make sure we cover all bases. 
Maclin


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## MSViking

Last weekend numerous boats ran to Ram and Marlin in search of tuna, we did not as we went further to the SW, but I know of the boats that went to Ram only one caught a YF. I have no idea if it was due to lack of technique or conditions, I know they tried hard. I also know the water looked horrible as I ran past it Sat., which is not to say there are not tuna there, I don't know.


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## hmsmithjr

MS,
Thanks for the info, I read your report and wish that I had the range to go as far as you went. I am restricted to Horn Mountain and maybe the deepwater pathfinder just SE of Horn. Unfortunately my extra run down Mobile Bay cuts into the range. Anyway as long as the weather is good we are going to try our best. I do have some DD numbers that can save the day if necessary but I want some yellowfin, I have been out of steaks since the spring.
Maclin


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## Chris V

There were quite a few tuna caught at beer can and marlin this past weekend. Most were caught live baiting with small hardtails and live menhaden. The tunas were there and you had to be patient but they were decent size fish and from everyone I talked to in the store, they were in the 80-90lb class.

That dirty water only goes so deep and underneath it is clean water and plenty of fish. You just have to use different tactics to get your baits deeper or stick it out for those intermittent surface frenzy's. A couple of our regular customers caught a 450-500lb blue on Sunday in filthy water just NW of Ram while trolling open water and we caught a white 2 weeks ago in water that looked like a cattle farm watering hole. Tunas are even less picky than bills and the last 2 weeks have further proven that with some recent catches.


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## MSViking

Chris V. knows from which he speaks! Thanks for the detailed info Chris!

Robert


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## hmsmithjr

Chris,
Thanks for the info. My gameplan is going to be chunk or slow troll liveys. I should be able to cast net a bunch of pogeys and mullet at sand island on the way out, then top off the livewell with hardtails at a rig. Did anyone say whether the tuna were real leader shy? I have 60 & 100lb flouro right now but can get whatever I need before I leave.
Thanks, 
Maclin


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## Kevdog540

Thanks for the good news Chris. We are leaving in the morning be back Saturday, hopefully I will have a decent report to post when we return.


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## hit man

Good luck guys...anybody going Saturday night? Any reports around Petronis?


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## Chris V

Maclin, I haven't been out offshore because of my Tarpon fever I get this time of year so everything I know is from what I hear in the store. I haven't heard anything about the tunas being leader shy but if it were me I would start with 80 fluoro and figure it out from there. 80lb fluoro is a good all around and if the fish are shy, then drop to 60 or 50lb. Getting live baits shouldn't be hard.

If you're coming out of perdido pass, the bouy has been holding some beautiful little butterbean hardtails and the Allen (liberty ship) has had some cigar minnows on it for the past couple weeks.


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## hmsmithjr

Chris,
We are leaving out of weeks bay, so we will have plenty of areas to stop and catch bait. Thanks for the intel and Hopefully I will have something to report when we get back Sunday.

Hitman,
we are heading out Saturday morning about 10:00 am and spending the night. Don't know where yet, but somewhere between beercan and horn mountain. I will be in a white 26 regulator. Rarebreed standing by on 68.
Maclin


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## Kevdog540

We will be headed back from the ram saturday around noon. Give me a shout on 68 and I'll let ya'll know how it looks out there.


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## hmsmithjr

Kev,
Thanks for the offer. I am hoping to be getting close by noon.
Maclin


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## 34yellowfin

Kev and Mclin, How was the fishing at the rigs?


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## hmsmithjr

Started at the beercan and hit marlin, ram, and horn mountain. Gave each one its fair share and never even really saw any good marks that indicated yellowfin. Sea Spray and another big resmondo were at the ram, but i never saw much action from them either. The water wasn't great but it was clean green and sometimes really clear. Caught a 10 lb dolphin and a tripletail on a log north of the beercan, and 2 big yellowedge grouper.
Maclin


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## tnwoodie

*Chris Please Contact Me*

Chris, can you shoot me an email with you phone number. I will be on Dauphin Island next week and will be fishing the Horn and beyond. Bob [email protected] Thank You. Bob


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## wildmarlin

*No luck*

The trolling has been terrible offshore over the past week off orange beach. Green water, zillions of jellyfish. Save your fuel for better days.


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