This Huge Yellowfin fell for a Purple Crystal
Yummee on
The Sportfisher Excel.
Note: This beautiful lure is still ready to catch another one.
Smiles all around, this huge Yellowfin Tuna
comes over the rail after falling for for a
Yummee Fly’n Fish on
the Sportfisher Excel
Note: The Yummee is still ready to catch another one.
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Jason Fleck's
Bio: Jason grew up around California’s long range fleet where he
followed his father Joe into the family business of long range fishing.
Jason has been the Chef on the Luxurious Long Range Sportfisher Excel
for the last 9 years. It is a job that gives him plenty of opportunity
to fish and experiment with new and better methods of catching fish.
Probably no other man alive has hooked more huge Yellowfin Tuna on
Yummee Fly'N Fish than Jason has. In doing so has become known
throughout the long range fleet as an expert on fishing Yummees for huge
Tuna. We at Carolina Lures are delighted he has taken the time to pass
on his expertise with us here.
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JM (Jim Mckeral) Hi Jason welcome aboard JF (Jason Fleck) Glad to be here JM: Tell us about your unique style of fishing Yummees JF: Most of our Yummee Fishing is done at anchor or on the drift. We have had terrific success trolling the Yummees both off the rod and on the kites but since we carry 20 anglers that method doesn't allow maximum angler participation i.e. we like to have as many lines in the water as possible and trolling isn't the best way to do it. JM: So most of what we are talking about is from an anchored boat? JF: Yes JM: OK, in what areas do you normally use the Yummees? JF: Two of our best areas have been at Hurricane Bank and Alijos rocks both are off of Mexico and in these areas flying fish are hot prey item for Tuna. Although we have also caught Tuna on Yummees in other areas even when the fish seemed totally focused on other prey items such as sardines JM: How do you rig them up when your anchored? JF: I start with a 10/ J hook and I bore a hole from the tail to the hook slot so that when the bait is rigged the hook bend is right at the top of the lures tail. That way when I hook a fish the lure slides up the leader and doesn't get torn up. I then attach a helium balloon with a rubber band 25 feet up the line from the bait and use a 4-6 foot 300 pound test mono leader. Lately our leader brand of choice has been Soft Steel Ultra. JM: How do you fish this set up? |
More Huge Tuna Caught using a
Yummee Fly'n Fish on
the Excel Sportfisher.
Note: The Yummee Fly'n Fish is still in good shape and ready to fish
again.
| JF: We run two kites weighted so that one fly's starboard and one to
Port and on these we run live baits. Then we run the Yummees on the
Helium balloon right down the center between the kites. When we first
deploy the lure/balloon it appears the Yummee Fly'N Fish is running away
from the boat and we often get explosive strikes right near the boat. If
no fish hits I let it out 200-300 feet and then crank it back in so that
it is kind of flying/skipping along. This drives tuna nuts and often a
whole pack of fish will rise to the Yummee Fly'N Fish sometimes one fish
will hit it fail to get hooked and another fish is right behind it and
you hook that one. It is really wild. JM: How long of a drop back do you use when you get a strike JF: I come tight as fast as I can, you want to crank like crazy until your tight to set the hook. JM: What is your biggest Tuna to date? JF: The biggest we have landed was a 260 pound fish, I have hooked larger fish only to lose them for various reasons. JM: Is the bite sporadic or just wide open? JF: It can be both, but some times the Yummee is the hot line I often hook 20 or more a day and that is wild when you are only running one Yummee at a time. JM: What is the hook up ratio with your present rigging? JF: I have it down to about 50% of strikes, that is pretty good because the lure is skipping along and they often will strike, not hook up and strike again and then get hooked. I really like having the hook in the tail and the faster you come tight at the strike the better the hook up. JM: That is a good hook up ration. What about when you are trolling them either from a kite or rod tip. JF: The hook ups seem much better. JM: Do you ever just let the Yummee Soak out there or are you always working it? JF: I always have it moving, either it is on it's way out or being wound back in. JM: What kind of rigs have you had success trolling with? JF: One of our hot trolling rigs was a daisy chain of two swimming Yummee Fly'N Fish being chased by an original skipping model. Like I said we don't troll too much but sometimes the tuna move and we have to go find them and when doing so we like to troll some Yummee Fly'N fish. |
Left picture - Angler Tim Turis and his 232
Pound Yellowfin Tuna Caught on a Swimming
Yummee Fly'n Fish on the
Sportfisher Excel
right picture - Jason Fleck (white shirt)
and angler with another huge Tuna caught with the
Yummee Fly'n Fish
Note: The Yummees
are still in good shape ready to catch more
huge fish!
| JM: You really seem excited about fishing Yummees, what is it
that gets a veteran angler like yourself so fired up? JF: Well for one the thing the strikes are spectacular, secondly the way we fish the Yummees it gets me away from the crowd because the balloon will allow me to either fish way astern or way off to one side and in that case I am the only guy fishing there. The solitude is is peaceful and enjoyable but there is an added bonus, because as paid crew, I don't want to be fishing right in where the paying customers are fishing and give an impression I am competing with them. We are here to see our clients catch as many fish as possible and I love to pass of the rod to one as soon as I hook up on a Yummee Fly'N Fish. JM: How do you fish the swimming models besides trolling? How do
you rig and fish them?
Contacts:
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