The 1st Slow Pitch in the Caribbean with a stunning result!
We had the first slow pitch jigging report from St. Martin in the Caribbean.
What an exotic place it sounds like!
His first report was about his fishing just for 15 minutes. He went out just 15 minutes to try out his new gears… And he even caught a nice amberjack… How casual the fishing can be! It sounds pretty much like heaven to me.
His second report on the following day is even more stunning… WOW…
Congratulations Laurent!
[highlight1 variation=”orange”]Rod[/highlight1] Evergreen Poseidon Slow Jerker 603-6
[highlight1 variation=”orange”]Reel[/highlight1] Shimano Ocea Jigger 2000NR-HG
[highlight1 variation=”orange”]Line[/highlight1] Shimano Ocea EX8 PE1.5
[highlight1 variation=”orange”]Leader[/highlight1] Seaguar FXR fluoro #10
[highlight1 variation=”orange”]Jigs[/highlight1] Seafloor Control Rector 180g
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Hi Totos,
I went to try the gear close by for 15 min and lost 3 out of 4 hooks on the 1 st drop ( I got hit 4 times ) and caught a nice little amberjack on the 2 nd drop using a Rector 180g. Loved it !!!! Awesome action, you really feel everything that is going on with this thin braid. Going back tomorrow more seriously to try the rest.
Thanks again
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Hi Totos,
Today I slow pitch for about 45 min in 90-120m depth the same rector 180 g I used yesterday.
The result was stunning, the 1st drop a 5 kg yellowfin tuna, the 2nd drop a 7.5kg mutton snapper, the 3rd drop I hooked up but I lost the fish and the hook to a shark, the 4th drop I caught a small red snapper and called it a day.
All this while 3 guys are high speed jigging next to me and not hooking up.
Everyone on my boat was very impressed and I am still amazed by how effective this technique is. Thanks again for the gear, it’s perfect. I love the PE1.5 EX8 Shimano braid and the rod is just perfect.
I didn’t even get to try out the other jigs!!!
Cheers Totos !!!
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Hi Laurent
Brilliant result what a wonderful part of the world you live in. Great range of fish must have been fun on the light gear congratulations. I’m just starting out slow jigging myself so know how exiting it is.
Mark
Hi Mark,
Thanks for the compliments . The last time i was this exited was when i started high speed jigging…
Totos has opened a Pandora’s box for all us with these slow pitch jigging/jerking techniques, and i can’t thank him enough for doing so.
Fishing with such light gear is really fun and not as back breaking, you know exactly in what position your jig is and know approximately when the action will trigger the bite.
Now my only problem is that i am torn between sharing these techniques or keeping it a secret down here for now…ahahahahaha!!!
Arigato Totos Sensei,
Laurent
I’m really amazed how effective and exciting this game can be.
I’m not a sensei Laurent. I’m just a weekend angler. Just translating what Sato Sensei has created. I’m a big fun and student of this game as much as you are.
I think you should enjoy slow pitch by yourself for a little more while!!! There are a lot of different situations you can try different tactics. Then you would feel more comfortable sharing this game with others. But don’t sweep out your fish!
Looking forward to more of your reports!
Congrats for your start!
If they guys next to u did not collect A bite, it’s even more amazing.
By the way, the tuna in the photo is not a yellowfin, at least it’s not the one with the huge yellow back fins we know.
Keep on slow!
Hi Dimitri.
I know. It’s amazing he caught all the fish. But you know, sometimes it happens when you have hi-speed jiggers around. Hi-speed jigging switches on the fish. When they are activated and start looking for a bait, there is this guy who looks crippled, weak, or scared. An easy bite. It’s actually nice to hang around hi-speed jiggers.
I think Yellowfin tuna develop longer fins as they grow old. I think it’s just a juvenile.
Nice account, that one with the jiggers around… I can try that.
Thought YFT has these long fins from the beginning.
Thanks!
Hi Mark,
This is from the IGFA website :
“Most large yellowfins have overextended second dorsal and anal fins that may reach more than halfway back to the tail base in some large specimens. In smaller specimens under about 60 lb (27 kg) and in some very large specimens as well, this may not be an accurate distinguishing factor since the fins do not appear to be as long in all specimens.”
“This is probably the most colorful of all the tunas. The back is blue black, fading to silver on the lower flanks and belly. A golden yellow or iridescent blue stripe runs from the eye to the tail, though this is not always prominent. All the fins and finlets are golden yellow though in some very large specimens the elongated dorsal and anal fins may be silver edged with yellow.”
http://www.igfa.org/species/60-tuna-yellowfin.aspx?CommonName=60-tuna-yellowfin.aspx
Hi all,
Great post Laurent. I read an interesting article recently by Julian Pepperel about the common miss-identification of juvenile yellowfin and big-eye. Apparently populations commonly overlap – well, on the east coast of Australia anyway. We get plenty inshore in the 4-8kg range, and I’ve always thought they were yellowfin, but I’m now suspicious that some big-eye may not have been accounted for. And I want to go fishing with Dimitri where there’s only yellowfin big enough to have the long sickle fins! Beautiful.