From the 371 on Saturday 6/4/16
My buddy and I fished all weekend..... Lots of scattered fish, and lots of skiffs running them over. Went 2 for 4 on the 100 lb class bluefin. The landed fish went 112 and 107 lbs. Both popper fish on 80 lb to 80 lb on the 90J. Tons of boat pressure with all the long range boats and 100s skiff in a small 2 mile area. Several times while sliding in on a school I would look behind me to see boats running up my wake and stopping within 20 feet of my stern. Pretty scary, and none of those schools would bite. The only bites we got were when we slid on schools well away from ANY other boats.... which is probably why the fish dissipated on Sunday 6/4/16.... I fished that same area on Sunday and the fish were gone.... too much boat pressure! Best bet is to get away from the boats and find your own fish. You don't need to find the foamers. Just find the terns. Our best stop was on three tern birds with no boiling fish seen.... we cast on the tern birds and had an instant double on jumbos....
Call for bluefin tuna carcasses!
NOAA Fisheries needs your help! Scientists at the NOAA Southwest Fisheries Science Center (SWFSC) need biological samples from bluefin tuna caught off Southern California. The waters off San Diego are known to be important foraging grounds for many highly valued sportfish. Working with sportfishers offers a unique opportunity to gather information and samples and conduct studies on catch composition, diets, migrations and reproductive state. Collecting additional samples from bluefin this year is very important for the ongoing research. Most importantly we NEED carcasses with guts and heads from bigger fish (100-250+ pounds).
As we learn more about these tuna and their diets we can begin to predict how changes in environmental conditions will affect local fishing. As in how do variations in sea surface temperatures, chlorophyll levels, prey abundance, and oceanography affect where the tunas go and whether they bite or not???
Results from stomach donations:
SWFSC scientists have been looking at bluefin stomach contents since 2008. The results have varied over the years with some years dominated by small squid and fish (La Nina years). Other years such as the recent El Nino years have been dominated by pelagic red crab (no surprise).
We examined a stomach from a 100 pound bluefin that was caught June 6th 2016. Even though the stomach appeared to be dominated by tuna crabs, closer examination with a microscope revealed the remains of 45 anchovy.
89 Anchovy otoliths were found in one bluefin stomach after sorting through the fresh remains of 50 pelagic red crab. Otoliths are often all that remain in stomachs after bluefin forage on fin bait.
We also examined a stomach from a 70 pound bluefin, caught May 25, 2016 This stomach was stuffed with small krill. When the bluefin are on krill balls it could explain their lack of interest in biting hooked baits or surface jigs. So, if the fish are on krill balls you might have better luck if you look for a different school.
Results from head donations:
The muscle tissue and otoliths (“stones”) from bluefin heads are used to help answer important questions about bluefin tuna age, migrations and their long term diets. For example, when do the bluefin leave the western Pacific and show up in the eastern Pacific? How long do bluefin stay off our coast before leaving to return to the waters around Japan to spawn? What prey species are most important to bluefin tuna?
Otoliths collected from the head of a 168 lb bluefun.
After processing the otoliths you can see the lines associated with days of age below. The circles show where the otolith was sampled to examine the chemical structure. Changes in chemistry in the otolith provide insight into movement patterns.
To date results reveal that most bluefin migrate to the east in their first year, with some additional fish coming in their second year. The migrations from the west to the east is estimated to be 2 months. Older, larger fish tend to be residents and have been off our coast for one or more years. Results from long-term foraging studies reveal that while bluefin are top level predators, they forage on a broad range of prey types and have a very diverse diet.
Reproductive biology results:
The heads, gonads, and guts from bigger bluefin (75-250 pounds) are very important. Last year, we looked at samples from the largest fish in our collection and determined that the females were all immature. Our sample size was relatively small and we really need your help getting additional samples to finish this study.
Ovaries collected from a 168 pound immature female bluefin caught in 2015. Thank you Ryan Lawler for donating this fish!
Looking at the ovaries under magnification we see the undeveloped eggs in purple.
The appearance of bluefin tuna off San Diego during summer and fall likely coincides with warmer regional waters and a peak in abundance of juvenile fish, crustaceans, and squid species. The data we are collecting is helping us to better understand the biological complexity of the region and will ultimately aid in developing an ecosystem-based approach for sustainably managing highly migratory species such as tunas off the California coast. As we learn more about tuna and their diets we can begin to predict how changes in environmental conditions will affect local fishing. Any samples you provide will help improve the quality of our science! Thank you in advance.
To donate the head, guts, or entire carcass from your locally caught bluefin tuna please give me a call, text, or email. Contact information is below….
Good luck and be safe out there!
Owyn Snodgrass
Fisheries Biologist with Ocean Associates and NOAA Fisheries
[email protected]
(858)342-6372
My buddy and I fished all weekend..... Lots of scattered fish, and lots of skiffs running them over. Went 2 for 4 on the 100 lb class bluefin. The landed fish went 112 and 107 lbs. Both popper fish on 80 lb to 80 lb on the 90J. Tons of boat pressure with all the long range boats and 100s skiff in a small 2 mile area. Several times while sliding in on a school I would look behind me to see boats running up my wake and stopping within 20 feet of my stern. Pretty scary, and none of those schools would bite. The only bites we got were when we slid on schools well away from ANY other boats.... which is probably why the fish dissipated on Sunday 6/4/16.... I fished that same area on Sunday and the fish were gone.... too much boat pressure! Best bet is to get away from the boats and find your own fish. You don't need to find the foamers. Just find the terns. Our best stop was on three tern birds with no boiling fish seen.... we cast on the tern birds and had an instant double on jumbos....
Call for bluefin tuna carcasses!
NOAA Fisheries needs your help! Scientists at the NOAA Southwest Fisheries Science Center (SWFSC) need biological samples from bluefin tuna caught off Southern California. The waters off San Diego are known to be important foraging grounds for many highly valued sportfish. Working with sportfishers offers a unique opportunity to gather information and samples and conduct studies on catch composition, diets, migrations and reproductive state. Collecting additional samples from bluefin this year is very important for the ongoing research. Most importantly we NEED carcasses with guts and heads from bigger fish (100-250+ pounds).
As we learn more about these tuna and their diets we can begin to predict how changes in environmental conditions will affect local fishing. As in how do variations in sea surface temperatures, chlorophyll levels, prey abundance, and oceanography affect where the tunas go and whether they bite or not???
Results from stomach donations:
SWFSC scientists have been looking at bluefin stomach contents since 2008. The results have varied over the years with some years dominated by small squid and fish (La Nina years). Other years such as the recent El Nino years have been dominated by pelagic red crab (no surprise).
We examined a stomach from a 100 pound bluefin that was caught June 6th 2016. Even though the stomach appeared to be dominated by tuna crabs, closer examination with a microscope revealed the remains of 45 anchovy.
89 Anchovy otoliths were found in one bluefin stomach after sorting through the fresh remains of 50 pelagic red crab. Otoliths are often all that remain in stomachs after bluefin forage on fin bait.
We also examined a stomach from a 70 pound bluefin, caught May 25, 2016 This stomach was stuffed with small krill. When the bluefin are on krill balls it could explain their lack of interest in biting hooked baits or surface jigs. So, if the fish are on krill balls you might have better luck if you look for a different school.
Results from head donations:
The muscle tissue and otoliths (“stones”) from bluefin heads are used to help answer important questions about bluefin tuna age, migrations and their long term diets. For example, when do the bluefin leave the western Pacific and show up in the eastern Pacific? How long do bluefin stay off our coast before leaving to return to the waters around Japan to spawn? What prey species are most important to bluefin tuna?
Otoliths collected from the head of a 168 lb bluefun.
After processing the otoliths you can see the lines associated with days of age below. The circles show where the otolith was sampled to examine the chemical structure. Changes in chemistry in the otolith provide insight into movement patterns.
To date results reveal that most bluefin migrate to the east in their first year, with some additional fish coming in their second year. The migrations from the west to the east is estimated to be 2 months. Older, larger fish tend to be residents and have been off our coast for one or more years. Results from long-term foraging studies reveal that while bluefin are top level predators, they forage on a broad range of prey types and have a very diverse diet.
Reproductive biology results:
The heads, gonads, and guts from bigger bluefin (75-250 pounds) are very important. Last year, we looked at samples from the largest fish in our collection and determined that the females were all immature. Our sample size was relatively small and we really need your help getting additional samples to finish this study.
Ovaries collected from a 168 pound immature female bluefin caught in 2015. Thank you Ryan Lawler for donating this fish!
Looking at the ovaries under magnification we see the undeveloped eggs in purple.
The appearance of bluefin tuna off San Diego during summer and fall likely coincides with warmer regional waters and a peak in abundance of juvenile fish, crustaceans, and squid species. The data we are collecting is helping us to better understand the biological complexity of the region and will ultimately aid in developing an ecosystem-based approach for sustainably managing highly migratory species such as tunas off the California coast. As we learn more about tuna and their diets we can begin to predict how changes in environmental conditions will affect local fishing. Any samples you provide will help improve the quality of our science! Thank you in advance.
To donate the head, guts, or entire carcass from your locally caught bluefin tuna please give me a call, text, or email. Contact information is below….
Good luck and be safe out there!
Owyn Snodgrass
Fisheries Biologist with Ocean Associates and NOAA Fisheries
[email protected]
(858)342-6372
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