By CAM Staff:
By CAM Staff:Strapped into the harness and an hour and a half into a fight with a massive bluefin tuna, it peels off another 300 yards of line, reversing with ease the backbreaking effort it took to gain all that line in the first place. The captain has deftly maneuvered the boat over miles of water during the fight, seeking to ease line loss and strain on the angler while maintaining tension on the fish and some pressure to hopefully tire the beast.
You’ve seen the show “Wicked Tuna,” where they fight the fish from a rod holder on the transom Most commercial guys do it that way. It’s far better on the back, and likely more efficient and smarter. But you’re not here for efficiency. The idea is to feel, first-hand, the strength ad stamina of arguably the most powerful big game fish on the planet. With fights than can last hours, it’s going toe-to-toe, round after round with a monster – a test that will likely teach you something about yourself.
For those with the slightly masochistic streak it takes to want to battle with a giant bluefin tuna, there is no better place to do it than Prince Edward Island, Canada. Prince Edward Island, alternatively know as the PEI and “the giant bluefin capital of the world,” is Canada’s smallest province. It is situated in the Gulf of St. Lawrence just north of Nova Scotia. A couple of hours in the car will take you from Bangor, Maine to PEI. From there you’re in striking distance of several locations on the island that offers tuna charters.
There are likely closer, less expensive places to catch a tuna. But PEI has gained a reputation as the best location in the world for a shot at giant tuna heavier than a ton; sometimes very well over. Here a 400-pounder is a little fish, and a 700-pound, 9-footer is average.
The aggression of PEI tuna also allows the angler a more grueling and exhilarating experience as compared to other vacation spots. There is no need to fool fish with light tackle. Most captains use heavy gear that allows them to crank down the drag to wear fish, and the angler, out more quickly.
And there are certainly lots of fish, too. In summer and fall, anglers from around the world show up to test wills with these fish, which do not receive nearly the commercial pressure that the fish in other locations do. A favorite trick of the charter captains, when the conditions are right, is to chum up and “hand feed” these enormous fish right on the surface, right next to the boat.
Part of the reason the fishing is so good is because Canada keeps a very tight lease on its fishermen. Commercially, boats are only allowed one bluefin tuna a year from Prince Edward Island. Charter boats often run on a catch-and-release basis.
You won’t be going home with any sashimi after a trip to PEI, but you will have a sore back and the fishing story of a lifetime.