2005 26' FS Tuna Loading Tricks

[OceanDozer]

Hey All - Newbie here, great forum, tons of great information for sure. Just bought a new to me, meticulously maintained 26 FS that I plan to "gently" rig for tuna off the coat of Cape Ann for next summer.

I've fished for a number of years on my brothers 31 Cabo. Picked up a ton of great tricks of the trade and nuances as to how to be successful in the fishery. Not looking to make a living but more about the fun and camaraderie of a hard fought battle with friends and family when working to land a BFT. Not sure if I'll fish Rec or go full on Commercial. Probably rec so I can keep the fish and distribute to those that will enjoy and use the fish we harvest.

That being said, the Cabo had a great tuna door. Not true for the 26 FS obviously.

For those that fish BFT, what methods are you using successfully to bring the fish into the boat. Knowing that a 72" fish could easily weigh 250-400lbs or more.

Do I trust the block and tackle method tied off to the T Top? Ive seen the tuna slide idea. Promising but a lot of re-work on the boat.

Would love to hear how others are retrieving their fish specific to the Regulators. I don't want to post to THT or DEBF as I'm trying to be specific to Regulators.

Thanks in advance for any ideas or comments!

[Capt Ken]

There are a couple of Regulators one a 23 and the other a 26 in the Marblehead, Salem area that have telescoping, collapsible, removable gin poles that fit into a socket in the rail and bracket in the deck for lifting tuna over the side using a block and tackle attached to the top of the pole.

[26fsCapeCod]

I use a block attached to the larger t top tubing where it splits to the outrigger base. Haul up head first and then just swing the tail in with two guys. Biggest I have done is 550#. Titan guide out of marblehead (i think) has a removable gin pole that goes through the gunnel and attached to the deck. Pretty slick but seeing as you wont be hauling in giants daily I think I would just buy a block and tackle setup and call it good.

[OceanDozer]

Thank you Capt Ken, we used to have something similar on a Blackfin 2y Center Console for lifting a jet ski in and out, the stand up verison and it was pretty slick. Don't want the entire gin pole fixed to the boat as tuna will only be a 15% of total usage when it comes right down to it.

[OceanDozer]

26fs Cape Cod - I believe Titan is for sale or recently was. Not far from where I am in Gloucester. That's the set up I am considering. I've seen a number of short vids online of the method you use and the only worry I had was dislodging the center console itself. Rigging some bigger ratchet straps to the opposite gunnel and trying to avoid the wracking seems like ist possible though and lets be honest, I am way out ahead of myself. Gotta get time on the water before worrying about loading the big one!

Thanks for the reply! Got my wheels turning......

[Tuna Hotline]

Originally Posted by OceanDozer

26fs Cape Cod - I believe Titan is for sale or recently was. Not far from where I am in Gloucester. That's the set up I am considering. I've seen a number of short vids online of the method you use and the only worry I had was dislodging the center console itself. Rigging some bigger ratchet straps to the opposite gunnel and trying to avoid the wracking seems like ist possible though and lets be honest, I am way out ahead of myself. Gotta get time on the water before worrying about loading the big one!

Thanks for the reply! Got my wheels turning......

This is a good option. A friend with a southport does something similar. He rigs one end of the ratchet strap to the cleat on the opposite side of the fish. Runs the ratchet strap up over the top of the t-top piping, and then winches the fish up. This spreads the load out across the top vs pulling on one pipe and creating a ton of torque.

[OceanDozer]

Tuna Hotline - It seems to make great sense to approach the loading that way. Spreading weight and taking your time. The ratchet strap idea has been coming up a lot in discussions with others that use their center consoles for GBFT. 500-700lbs is no joke in a sporty sea. Someone could get hurt easily and things break quickly when the boat starts to thrash around with that weight at gunwale height. Thanks for the reply. Hoping to be able to post pics of how we solve this issue next summer!

[26fsCapeCod]

It is true haha but you never know what will bite so best to be prepared, my first tuna ever was also my biggest and we luckily brought the block and tackle along. Certainly need to worry about dislodging the center console or tubing but a ratchet strap on the opposing side seems like a great idea.

[Tuna Hotline]

Originally Posted by OceanDozer

Tuna Hotline - It seems to make great sense to approach the loading that way. Spreading weight and taking your time. The ratchet strap idea has been coming up a lot in discussions with others that use their center consoles for GBFT. 500-700lbs is no joke in a sporty sea. Someone could get hurt easily and things break quickly when the boat starts to thrash around with that weight at gunwale height. Thanks for the reply. Hoping to be able to post pics of how we solve this issue next summer!

Definitely seems to be the way to go. If you have Instagram, my buddy's account is @Keeperfishingcharters and there are some photos of his setup if you scroll around.

[OceanDozer]

Originally Posted by Tuna Hotline

Definitely seems to be the way to go. If you have Instagram, my buddy's account is @Keeperfishingcharters and there are some photos of his setup if you scroll around.

Thank you Tuna Hotline - Ill check out @Keeperfinshingcharters page. Thanks for your input!