# Sunday offshore trip to Chevron Oil Rig



## rpaldrich (Jul 15, 2009)

Got out of the dock at 0600 and headed to the submerged (I guess) chevron oil rig listed on the Pensacola fishing chart. Seas were calm in the pass but got up to 2-4' on the way out. Took about an hour in our 23' Sea Ox. Once at the spot quickly saw fish on the finder and set up outriggers and poles. We used a variation of baits/lures because we don't have much experience offshore fishing...Within 5 minutes of trolling around we picked up a 4' cuda off of a dolphin lure with a cigar minnow on the end. Next a Remora decided he wanted a bite, and we threw back, (didn't ID that one until we got back--its the parasetic fish that sucks onto sharks). After rebaiting the lines with a combonation of squid and cigarminnows, threw them back out and within 15 seconds picked up something big on the silver trolling spoon..almost took out all 300yds of line on my 30 year old passed down Daiwa 20lb spinning reel, but was able to bring back to the boat pretty quickly. I had it within sight and was waiting for my buddy to clear a line off the side of the boat we were going to land it on when a huge barracuda flew out of the water and hit whatever was on my hook. So I pulled it in and was only left with a fish head--which I'm sure most of you have experienced plenty of times. I think it is a bluefin tuna...what do you think?



After only about an hour and a half it had gotten real rough out there, i'd estimate 4-6' with some big ones in between, so we decided to go back to Pensacola Pass to get out of the waves. Would have stayed and hopefully filled our cooler the way it had been going.. Return trip took almost double the time, and we got completely soaked. Fished the pass for flounder but only picked up a lot of catfish. 



So what do you think? -- is it a tuna? By the way, the skies were awesome on the way out.


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## User6882 (Feb 4, 2009)

looks like a blackfin head to me, doubt it was a bluefin


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## Deeplines (Sep 28, 2007)

1st pix looks like a Bonita, 2nd pix looks like a blackfin. 

Hard to tell. Thanks for the report.

Did you keep the Cuda? That one looks like it may be eating size by the pix. I wouldn't chance it if it was over 40" though.


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## Captain Woody Woods (Oct 2, 2007)

> *rpaldrich (10/25/2009)* I think it is a bluefin tuna...what do you think?



Definately definately definately not a bluefin tuna. 

Nice pictures.


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## Telum Pisces (Sep 27, 2007)

Definately more cajones than me. I made it out to 15 miles to our fist spot and I was taking water over the bow. I had walls of water that was straight up and down beating us. We came back in to try and dive a close in spot only to have 0 feet of visibility with seas still tossing me all over the place. We tucked our tail between our legs and came back in. It definately built to 4-6' offshore today. Not the 2-3 feet they were calling for.


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## rpaldrich (Jul 15, 2009)

So not a bluefin...maybe a blackfin or bonita then? --- we did keep the cuda...its right at 40" long....



When we left it was 2-3, and about an hour later out at our spot it was closer to 4-6..never trust a forecast haha...and yes we got absolutely soaked on the way back in.. good thing for scruppers thats for sure.


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## ryanbr (Oct 10, 2007)

Sounds like ya'll were trolling too close to the rig if you caught that many cuda.

Chris


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## NavySnooker (Sep 10, 2008)

great job giving the offshore a good try.. please be careful while venturing offshore.. as you stated, you don't have much experience offshore and safety is always paramount for any crew.. be advised of the SAR and coast guardchannels in case the seas get really bad.. I wish you the best, as I'm sure most members would, in your future fishing trips offshore.. just remeber, if you're not sure about something, ask someone on here.. this place is a huge wealth of knowledge.. TIGHT LINES!!


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## ShurKetch (Oct 2, 2007)

Definitely a Bonito or Blackfin..........appears more like a Bonito!!


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## slipsinker (Apr 28, 2009)

Looks like a blackfin to me......


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## fred (Dec 28, 2008)

I'd say blackfin, eye lookstoo big for a bonito.


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