Fishing fighting chair

[mikemcgregor]

I have been invited to take part in a 2 day tagging of giant tuna in the Med later on in the year. I dont want to instal a permanent fighting chair and have identified a quad base swivel chair as the ideal solution. The only trouble is that they seem to be only available in the USA and the suppliers I have contacted are not prepared to ship them to Europe as they are too heavy/large.

Have tried to source them in the UK and Spain but no luck so far. Does anyone have any idea where I can get hold of one?

My boat is a Cranchi Pelican 32 and the local Cranchi dealers say they could fit a pedestal type onto the bathing platform for arond 2000 euros and as the tagging exercise is a "one of" I dont want to spend that much. Hence my choice of a quad base chair as it could double up as a normal chair when not fishing.

 

[Nautibusiness]

Avoid the chair.
You'll find that Bluefin will be easier to take with a good standup technique and appropriate tackle. As important will be a very good skiper and crew watching the fishes every move.

A good technique will see limited strain on the angler and the fish coming as quickly as from a chair.

Good chairs are VASTLY expensive. Bad chairs are pretty pointless.

I am lucky enough to be close friends with some of the finest Bluefin Tuna men in the world if you need any help advice or crew.

 

[sarabande]

are there any giant tuna left in the Med after the rapacious efforts of the commercial extraction boats ?

 

[mikemcgregor]

Avoid the chair.
You'll find that Bluefin will be easier to take with a good standup technique and appropriate tackle. As important will be a very good skiper and crew watching the fishes every move.

A good technique will see limited strain on the angler and the fish coming as quickly as from a chair.

Good chairs are VASTLY expensive. Bad chairs are pretty pointless.

I am lucky enough to be close friends with some of the finest Bluefin Tuna men in the world if you need any help advice or crew.

Thanks for advice. Have been tuna fishing now for around 10 years so think I am fairly ok on techniques etc. The organisers have "suggested" a fighting chair would be best so hence my request.

Cheers

 

[mikemcgregor]

are there any giant tuna left in the Med after the rapacious efforts of the commercial extraction boats ?

The WWF are hoping that the tagging will help identify what stocks are left and by electronic tagging they will be able to have a better understanding of what is happening.

Cheers

 

[omega2]

No chair required

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fCM-CFjilLA&feature=player_detailpage

We had to stand up for these, OK NOT GIANTS.

Then we did hit a big one. I put the kettle on!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9ky4AsOI49M&feature=player_embedded

 

[Nautibusiness]

are there any giant tuna left in the Med after the rapacious efforts of the commercial extraction boats ?

A few, not many.
It is still a breeding ground for the stocks that head out towards the Canaries and the remainder that head north following the bait shoals and gulf stream up the Western Approaches, around Ireland and the Scottish Isles to the North Sea and Baltic.

Last Summer there were a number of small school (young) Bluefin caught in the English Channel up as far as Lyme Bay with one being shot by a spear fisherman. Now I am not saying he did the right thing as I guess he wasn't expecting to see it, but it was exciting news to hear that Bluefin were back in the English Channel.

To add to my previous post.

Penn 50VSX Reel, loaded with 100lb braid and a 100 yard mono top shot of 80lb.
A larger reel loaded with mono will be advised by many, but go for the narrow spool version or you will find that the balance while fighting standup is all wrong and your wrists will end up in agony.
Any top quality 80/130 standup rod will do, but go for a nice soft tip (I can recommend custom builders for not vast money).
Don't skipper on the pad and harness. The only real option is decent Black Magic kit(http://www.blackmagic.co.nz/).

Use flurocarbon leaders and depending on lure or bait choice, circle hooks for easy removal of the hook. J hooks will be better on most lures though.

 

[Nautibusiness]

Sorry

Posted my last post and then saw your level of experience.

If you've been catching them for ten years you will know there is no need for a chair.
The chair is there for those with less experience where they are simply being the winch and the boat and crew is doing all the work.

As you know, with giant Bluefin the trick is to keep them moving towards you, hence short quick pumps on standup works best instead of long slow pumps from a chair.
Let the fish turn and get it's head it will run off another 300 or 400 yards and you are back to square one. This is what invariably happens from a chair or a standup "pod" and trolling rod.
When a giant tires it will make circling movements that ever decrease in size. The real danger here is that it will get around your props when close to the boat.

 

[mikemcgregor]

Sorry

Posted my last post and then saw your level of experience.

If you've been catching them for ten years you will know there is no need for a chair.
The chair is there for those with less experience where they are simply being the winch and the boat and crew is doing all the work.

As you know, with giant Bluefin the trick is to keep them moving towards you, hence short quick pumps on standup works best instead of long slow pumps from a chair.
Let the fish turn and get it's head it will run off another 300 or 400 yards and you are back to square one. This is what invariably happens from a chair or a standup "pod" and trolling rod.
When a giant tires it will make circling movements that ever decrease in size. The real danger here is that it will get around your props when close to the boat.

Not yet caught a giant tuna. Most have been schoolies and have be relatively easy to catch and release.

Your tips are welcome and will note. However I get the impression that the organisers and the WWF (who are sponsoring the event) are going to want some form of fighting chair as they anticipate some really big tuna. It could also be a case of "elf and safety" rearing its head as well!

 

[Nautibusiness]

Not yet caught a giant tuna. Most have been schoolies and have be relatively easy to catch and release.

Your tips are welcome and will note. However I get the impression that the organisers and the WWF (who are sponsoring the event) are going to want some form of fighting chair as they anticipate some really big tuna. It could also be a case of "elf and safety" rearing its head as well!

Fully understand what you are saying, but try and point out to them that due to the way a Tuna fights (long powerful steady runs), the easiest way to beat them and bring them to the boat in a tired, but not fought to death, state is to use stand up.
Fish well over the grand will come this way.

Using a chair the technique is really not conducive to fighting these fish and fish that are beaten will often die through exhaustion... kind of defeats electronic tagging for conservation purposes.
Also, a decent chair using modern chair techniques uses the seat to simply somewhere park your bum while a fish runs. The entire actual fight takes place with straight legs and feet firmly on the footplate. Keep the back and legs straight, lean back towards the seat base (but don't fully sit) when the fish runs and once it slows and turns you rock forwards on your feet, keeping your centre of gravity behind you, and gain line as you do. Lean back as soon as you have gained a turn or two on the reel and repeat.
Try sitting in a normal or old style fighting chair and use your back and winding hand to fight a giant Bluefin and you will be done in within ten to fifteen minutes.
Loads of pictures and videos around of good standup and chair technique.
I've also got one of me on a 750 Blue Marlin showing the worst possible standup technique (I'll say that it was down to inappropriate harnesses...).
When you see the good and bad alongside each other you can really see why a poor chair will be next to useless and also why a good stand up technique will kick giant Bluefin butt against any other technique.

 

[mikemcgregor]

Fully understand what you are saying, but try and point out to them that due to the way a Tuna fights (long powerful stead runs), the easiest way to beat them and bring them to the boat in a tired, but not fought to death, state is to use stand up.
Fish well over the grand will come this way.

Using a chair the technique is really not conducive to fighting these fish.
Also, a decent chair using modern chair techniques uses the seat to simply somewhere park your bum while a fish runs. The entire actual fight takes place with straight legs and feet firmly on the footplate. Keep the back and legs straight, lean back towards the seat base (but don't fully sit) when the fish runs and once it slows and turns you rock forwards on your feet, keeping your centre of gravity behind you, and gain line as you do. Lean back as soon as you have gained a turn or two on the reel and repeat.
Try sitting in a normal or old style fighting chair and use your back and winding hand to fight a giant Bluefin and you will be done in within ten to fifteen minutes.
Loads of pictures and videos around of good standup and chair technique.
I've also got one of me on a 750 Blue Marlin showing the worst possible standup technique (I'll say that it was down to inappropriate harnesses...).
When you see the good and bad alongside each other you can really see why a poor chair will be next to useless and also why a good stand up technique will kick giant Bluefin butt against any other technique.

Thanks for your advice.

Cheers and tight lines!