As the leaves display vibrant coloring and the temperatures cool off long enough to give a tease of what winter should be, deer hunting typically becomes the conversational focal point. While anglers might feel left out, they can spice up their game with the big tuna activity heating up.
With such a ferocious bite and a hotbed of activity, Blake and Lakelynn Devine of Devine Sportfishing Company seize the moment to provide charter trips yielding typical catches that range anywhere from 150 to over 200 pounds.
Widely known throughout Venice as Lake and Blake, they launch their 38-foot Bluefin Catamaran outfitted with four 300 horsepower Yamaha outboards straight out of Cypress Cove Marina. They run tuna trips year-round, but the fall season starts something special.
“We run tuna fishing throughout the year, but the big ones show up in the winter,” Blake Devine said. “You start to see them move in around October and continue until March.”
Exciting fishing
According to Devine, the big tuna typically linger at the continental shelf. Some days, the bite occurs right where it is expected, but other days, the shelf is skirted to zero in on good activity.
“Some days the bite is right where it is expected, but other days you might have to travel 30 miles,” Devine said.
Once that ideal casting zone is identified, Devine said it is time to go to work. The bait of choice ranges from mullet and pogies to topwater lures, with nothing fished under a cork. When the water churns and the bite starts, Devine describes it as an exhilarating experience, with 90 percent of the fish busting the surface of the water.
“When a big tuna hits the bait, it is like an explosion going off,” he said. “It’s like a Volkswagen hitting the bait.”
With such a promise of exciting fishing opportunities, Devine points to the growing popularity of fishing for big tuna. That excitement comes during the colder months, which brings specific elements to the table that seem to disregard basic fishing rules.
Clear water has always been thought to provide a better environment for fishing, but the big tuna catches happen in dingy or what could be described as clean green water. Devine said wind is more prevalent in the winter months, and that can provide a challenge when fishing for big tuna. Those same months usually also bring more rain, but that does not thwart any notions of catching trophy tuna.
“Rain and wind come with the territory,” he said. “It’s just part of wintertime fishing.”
Trophy tuna
Devine and his wife have a reputation for knowing the ins and outs of catching tuna in the Venice area. With that experience comes the skill of reading the water and studying the schooling patterns. While most trips call for a sunrise departure from the marina, other days might provide better results with a later charter.
“A typical day has us leaving the dock at sunrise,” Devine said. “On a good day when the bite is absolutely hot, we are back to the marina between 11 a.m. and noon.”
While the legal limit might allow for more, Devine and his wife set a limit of three big fish per boat. A full boat includes six anglers, all hoping to land that trophy tuna.
“I want people to appreciate the experience,” he said. “With the limit that Lake and I set for the boat, people are going home with over 400 pounds of tuna meat. That is plenty.”
After combatting weather patterns and selecting the bait, Devine points to one critical component of catching record-sized tuna. Patience is necessary.
“You have to be patient,” he said. “A lot of people give up and move offshore. We keep at it, and we know we’ll find the fish. The biggest tuna we recorded was 222 pounds, and already this year, we have seen one at 216 pounds and another at 220.”
