@21:59 I have literally watched that portion over and over again!! That was a massive Bluefin and kudos to you for letting it go. Many would have tried to fight it but you did the right thing. Another amazing Key West Waterman video!!!
For those that dont or didn't know bluefin make there way down the coast around the keys and then north into the northern gulf to spawn. There is a bluefin fishery in Florida which is highly specialized. Most encounters in the keys go just like the one we just watched. Typically while mackerel fishing one eats a live bait and thats that. I believe the Florida record is around 800 pounds and was caught out of either Pensacola or Panama city. We catch them occasionally mixed in with yellowfin on the otherside of the stream off the east coast typically in mid to late march. When I lived in marathon on 2 separate occasions, one in late January one in February, we actually had bluefin come into the chum slick while yellowtail fishing. Absolutely wild. As always my friend great video!! PS you did the right thing, break em off quick dont stress them.
Justin Drummond caught one a couple years back out of Port Aransas Texas that filled a third of the Gulf of Mexico quota and broke the Texas record by a long shot. It was deep winter and we all geared up our 80ws and trolled the day after, dudes were coming back to SPI with broken rods, empty 80ws and a rare occasional blue fin to show for it before they moved on
well that was absolutely one of the coolest eats ive ever seen on UA-cam...slow trolling for kingfish with a live runner and thats what eats it. AMAZING!
That Bluefin smash reminds me of me, my Dad and 2 Brothers fishing off the Outer Banks in the early 2000's. We were charter fishing for Dorado and Wahoo when the long line got smashed by a Giant Blue Marlin. It looked like a Volkswagen jumping out of the water. The Captain put me in the fighting chair and all I could do was hold on. We watched it for about 1 minute as it breached from starboard to port with INCREDIBLE speed before it snapped the line. I will never forget it !!
@@KeyWestWaterman I think you should enter the big game fishing tournaments, once you can fund it. IMO, you and your friends would be very competitive.
it's nice ( and rare ) to see you genuinely happy not sure you noticed but you have a life most would kill for and it's rare to hear you laugh like a kid , nice to see m8 .
That blue fin bite was epic. Some of my favorite memories are the one's that i got spooled or got away. Another great video as usual, Aaron you're the man!!
By far, my favorite videos are of you Catching, Cleaning, Cooking the food you catch. I've always wondered how to clean and cook the stuff I catch Not being familiar with what I catch, I throw back everything I catch because I don't know if it's poisonous or not. I have an autoimmune disease and don't know what is safe to eat. But you have done such an awesome job of informing me of how to clean, cook,and eat what I catch. Thank you.
This is the first time I've watched one of your videos. I really enjoyed it and you are living in paradise. I appreciate all of your explaining your techniques and tackle/gear. Thanks again and best of luck to you.
The bluefin made the hairs stand up on my arms ! What a turn on ! I have chased them a few times. There’s nothing like big tuna. I can remember fishing on the reef in the winter and seeing big tuna like that one crashing baits in our chum slick for yellowtail. I’m here in Key West visiting family. Weather has been terrible yesterday and today as you know.
If I’m not mistaken, at 21:56 you can see a swirl in the water like it missed and turned back or another monster may have taken a look at it. Incredible bite!
Awesome footage of the eat- rare stuff. You made the right call breaking it off. You’d be a while trying to get that thing even close to the boat with your tackle. And, as you note, playing it would only increase the chances of unintentionally killing it. Well done 👍
Oh sure....like you didn't plan that!! That was absolutely incredible. If ONLY you could plan that! Hooked one bluefin one time on an old Penn Senator conventional rod and reel combo. This was a year or ten (!) before GoPros and my video camera was rarely on duty when needed, but I could never forget that tuna as it breached on the surface to eat! Amazing thing to see then, but really cool to see it take your bait for a ride tonight! Glad we were there to witness it with you! Otherwise, just another fish tale. Great day on the water, thank you!
Nice day on the water. My dog heard you cat talking and went crazy. lol Great afternoon sitting on the porch overlooking the mangroves with your great wife. Awesome!
4:00 -- "Sabiki's are always a nightmare" Bro! You've GOT to step up your game and get a sabiki rod then, life changing! I bought the Danco conventional two-piece 7'8" sabiki rod from West Marine for just $40 and use it to pier fish. Fun as hell and the rod cleverly stores your sabiki rigs inside safely, no screwing around. The Danco rods come in both convention and spinning, and in 2- or 3-piece. I heard the 2-piece is better since there are less hang ups on the inside for the small hooks to get snagged on. Danco also sells a sabiki rig kit to go with it (1 oz lead bell weights, sabiki dehookers, many sabiki rigs) but you probably aready have all that.
@@KeyWestWaterman -- Gotcha I never sabiki fished because I don't have a boat. But then learned that it's a great outfit to target topsmelt around a fishing pier near my house.
Kudos! Excellent content, flawless narration and pro editing. Can't wait to toss some fresh Kingfish into Old Bay boiling H2O. Again, Kudos and Keep Livin' Life Large ! Mui Bueno Livin' The Keys Dream!
Reminds me of working offshore of Fort Myers Beach about 55-60 miles, crystal clear water and I looked down and swore I saw a yellowfin. Told the Captain, "If I didn't know better, I'd tell you I just saw a yellowfin." He told me, "You're silly for thinking you know better, that's the magic of the ocean."
We had a marlin once while trolling ballyhoo dump a tld 25 in the Gulf stream about 35 miles out. We saw it come up behind a bait whack it and never saw it again . So much fun getting spooled
Definitely a Suoer Cool Experience. You made a Great Sportsmans Choice on the Bluefin. Always enjoy your content and videos are always helpful with Why and How you do things. Keep up the Great work
Seems like it's been forever since we've seen you fish deep! What a pleasure to see a real pro film it for UA-cam. So many poor examples get posted on other channels which perpetuates bad form. Situations like that is why I only troll conventional - not that it would have made any difference in this instance. Other surprises can happen though and it's nice to know your tackle can deal. Happy to see you get sorted with Shimano! Perhaps that Bluefin is a sign you should do more fishing videos! Regarding Mackerel as table fare. I believe it gets a bad rap because fillets are only good for a day or two - then it turns to mush. Same thing if you try to freeze then thaw. But properly bled and iced down you have about two days to eat in fillet form. Tight Lines!
Awesome! Ya never know what's going to happen on the water, which makes it all the more fun. As for Kings, as a youngster out of Miami we used to eat kings all the time, I just loved them, smoked or just steaked and grilled was awesome. Continue with your great vids, love them.
Fresh water Striper is kinda strong an most folks don't enjoy. Old guy boiled some small chunks in Sprite an seasoned it an we dipped it into cocktail an tarter sauce. It was good . We called it poor man's shrimp here in TN. Lol. Great job . Mark one off to the blue fin . Saw him eat that was awesome. !!
That eat from the bluefin was awesome! I have only had kingfish once. I saw it in my local supermarket as steaks and picked some up. I seared it and finished it in a spicy tomato and fennel broth with some mussels and clams and it was surprisingly good!
I’ve only had one bluefin on in my life and it was on the back of a coast guard cutter back in the 90s.. it wasn’t huge but it was over 100lbs.. got it up to the boat once then the line gave out.. the crew was excited because we were going to have fresh food because we were living on rice & beans after the refrigeration failed 🤷🏼♂️ we got into a mess of yellowfin later that day.. still a hellova fight & a fond memory
Thank you for the video.! It reminds me of why I love fishing, and particularly the keys. Big fan who used to live in little torch. You just never know what you might hook off the reef. My favorite sound in the world is the whine of an unexpected reel going off. It was special to see such an awesome fish, kudos for cutting it off. Savor the moment the sea gods provided! Thank you again. Fair winds and following seas👍.
Sick bite! I jumped with the Bluefin lol! Your making me want to go get a king now. POMPANO have been on the menu lately! I got a couple Sheepshead I'm going to do the poor man's lobster with! I heard it was great with them. Thanks for the reminder, and thanks for the great videos! Boats looking great, I love them Mercs!! Cheers 🍻
I just speared my first Mangrove over 20 inches. Thanks again for inspiring me to get into this. It is one delicious fish. An free diving is so relaxing.
Definitely did the right thing I had no clue even got bluefin here in Florida and I bet you that thing was every bit of 150 200 pound fish maybe even more Great video as usual Aaron
Great video brother, i am half way watching this video at this point where you lost the 2nd fish, and wanted to suggest you to use circle hooks instead of J hooks, just try it... Now will continue watching❤
Great decision on the tuna early release, it was a monster. That decision is what I like about your channel. If there was one person on UA-cam that I would love to meet is you. Great video. PS I know live and fish 20 minutes south from where you grew up.
Was living in Northern Alberta, and Burbot were the fish that we did just this with, under the same name. The Burbot are a freshwater offshoot in the Cod family, ugly, slimy, and prone to coming back to life in the sink, when you thawed them, after a day of ice fishing. But soooo good food! I have been walked away from by a couple sturgeon over the years, where they just went, and paid me no mind. Good ethical call on that. The answer to "What do i say?", is like to be a really nice thank you note to Shimano, as well as sending them that clip of the breach hit of a WAY to big fish, eh? Thanks!
Loved to see that clever use of the kingfish! And that tuna was EPIC, dude!! Tangingi (Indo-Pacific king mackerel) with Mulungay (tender tree leaves) soup was the first fish that my Filipina wife cooked for me back in the early days when we first met in the Middle East. Filipinos call the fish Tangingi, and Arabian Gulf locals call it Kanad. Being a Bahamian-American "conch," I'm all about eating fish. So I will try almost anything at least once. It was a delightful surprise! And yes, I raised an eyebrow slightly before tucking into it ;). It had small white medallions of tender, mild fish, in a hearty, zesty, semi-clear broth filled with spices, vegetables, and leaves. Whenever king mackerel are in season, I gently remind her how much I enjoy that soup in the hopes of it reappearing... and it does. Here is an approximate recipe (for 2 or 3 people): - Boil together in a covered pot, several basic ingredients, as desired. We use some skin-on fresh ginger root (wash the ginger and then smash it a bit prior to putting it in), along with sliced small purple or red onions, sliced tomatoes, and a lemongrass stalk (more on that below). - My wife's favorite way to prepare the lemongrass stalk is (without cutting it) to slightly smush the hard part of the stalk by hand, and then fold the leafy green part over the hard part of the stalk lengthwise 2 or 3 times. Then horizontally wrap the remaining green part around the bundle several times, finishing it off by stuffing the final loop of green into the center to hold it all together in a tight bundle. It sounds complicated, but anyone who knows how to tie a line to a boat cleat or tie a hook to a fishing line will find it quite natural! - Hot boil for about 5 to 10 minutes or so, until the flavor and texture of the vegetables and spices suits your taste. - Reduce heat to a medium boil, and add a bit of salt, and the desired amount of fish medallions. The medallions are made from the de-skinned, de-boned, de-blood-lined steaks of a 5 to 8-lb mackerel (avoid the largest, tougher-textured mackerels). - Immediately after the fish medallions are put in, add some of the small green petal-shaped leaves stripped from 3 stems or twigs of the trade-winds-zone Moringa tree (you want to do this fast, in 10 seconds or less). - Then immediately remove the pot from the burner. The fish flash-cooks in the hot soup, so serving can be done by immediately ladling the soup into bowls and letting the bowls rest for a minute or so. We discard the lemon grass. The ginger breaks into pieces that we leave in the soup. The lemongrass and ginger give the soup its "zing," while the onions and tomatoes add to the base, and the Moringa leaves give it some extra texture and another layer of favor. The fish provides the tender meaty portion. Prior to this, I didn't each much mackerel, and only occasionally had it as grilled steaks. In my opinion, it is much better when boiled in soup, and in fact, this is my "preferred" fish for this dish. When boiled in the soup, it has a much more delicate flavor that balances very well without overpowering the other ingredients. I find it superior to boiled grouper heads and carcasses, and I even like it better than boiled whole fish like snappers and grunts (my wife is a whiz at all of that stuff too). If you are looking for the leaves, the Moringa tree is nearly ubiquitous worldwide in tropical and sub-tropical places, as well as arid areas, (USDA 9 & 10 zones). So I reckon folks will have a good chance of finding it in the Keys, if desired. The tree's name means "twisted pod" in South Asian Tamil, a reference to the visual appearance of the young seed pods. It has various other local names like Cabbage tree in Africa (a nod to the taste and texture of some varieties of the small leaves when boiled), Malunguy tree in South-East Asian island areas, and Drumstick tree in India (where largest tonnage is produced commercially). The mature dried seed pods look somewhat like drumsticks, and I'm guessing someone may have actually tried using them for that purpose a time or two (I wonder how that went!). It is also found in the Caribbean, South America, and Oceania. As soon as my wife had taught me that these trees have edible leaves, I almost immediately started having no trouble spotting them all over the southern and central Middle-East, Africa, and Asia. They are often planted in front and back yards as trees, as well as trimmed-up as smaller bushier versions used in rows. In Arabia our Sri Lankan neighbors had a tree, from which my wife was gifted a branch. She cultivated that branch into another tree, and since then has used the resulting branches to grow all of our subsequent trees, over many years and even across housing relocations. The Moringa tree family has 17 varieties. There are 3 Wikipedia articles devoted to it and its varieties. I was hardly surprised to find several varieties of kingfish worldwide too. But, I was very surprised at how good they tasted in soup!
Little Shimano music! You need to plan a trip next year in December-January up here in NC. Blue fins off the beach in many cases. Weatherman does alot of drinking in december and January!!! Lol
Absolutely phenomenal video capture of the breaching Bluefin !!!!! Holy COW! You are Honorable and did the correct thing. Bravo Sir....... Sometime place a trolling camera on you line so you could see the Hit from under water! Let me know if you ever had the opportunity to try the Flasher with glow Squid at depth to see if it worked with that frequency of light..... Cheers from Wisconsin.
We in Destin also like kingfish too. We usually cube it up like you but prob twice the size cubes and roll it in an eggwash then 1/2 and 1/2 flour and cornmeal with Everglades spice mixed in and then flash fry it in a big wok with peanut oil. You serve it with tarter sauce and a salad or avocado slices.👌👌👌. Try it and tell me I’m crazy.😎
Epic epic epic episode! Definitely in the top 5 list, the blue fin coming out of the water makes the highlight reel. Also enjoyed the longer episode and the day at sea! Best wishes 🍻
Small world! In addition to smoked Kings, Spanish Mackerel, & mullet, Dad & my Grandmother cooked ‘Poor man’s lobster” just to mix things up. With the butter, it was like popcorn to me. Always had grits with coffee or leftover red eye gravy as a side.
Oh man that bluefin smash.... I feel your dilemma: my buddy hooked a giant while livelining menhaden for stripers this fall, they chased it for 3 hours, and then transferred the rod and the angler to my boat because my budd had to go... It towed us 18 miles, both me andthe angler were whooped and the weather started to turn on us. The little Avet SX gave it all it had but it wasnt enough- we had to cut and run. We said the same exact words: "THeres nothing I can do here."
King Mackerel one of my favorite eating fish off the grill! Prep as follows: - filet & skin, cut out dark blood line - marinate 2 hours soaking in pan with your favorite Italian dressing - pat dry with paper towels - brush on melted butter, lemon juice, salt, pepper, garlic powder, whatever your favorite seasonings are - grill in a enclosed basket , keep basting, flip once during grilling, until filets are white and thin blade goes through easily, remove from grill and basket - enjoy eating, kingfish is stunningly good!😊
Aaron , when I retired out of Orlando , I fished out of Cape Canaveral for 30 years. Fished alongside many great captains and owners. Dolphins Leap Marina, (aka Sunrise Marine) Saltwater Concept tackle store, Cape Marina etc. the ports changed so much. Good tuna roll on that bait. 👍
Changed so much more than I care to see. I grew up at the port in the 90’s. Back when grillz was just a tiki bar in a dirt patch! And the boat ramps were right next door.
Awesome video, thanks for sharing a native Floridian recipe. We ate kings like this a few times. Would be awesome to do a series featuring lesser known “delicacies” lol.
Wow Aaron, when I saw the surface hit I was like what the hell was that !! I think you did the right thing cutting it loose, I also agree it had to be over 300 based on scale of your boat. And you were totally right that you never really stood a chance with that spinner against a big boy like that.. Not only to see such a hit but to capture totally at random, amazing.
Great video as usual. Landing a big fish is hard enough by itself, but also moving rods, driving the boat, moving the camera and finding the gaff??? Unbelievable job. That tuna was awesome and you absolutely made the right decision. Would live to try King cooked that way!
We call them king mackerel here in South Africa. We cut them into steaks and grill them on the braai (BBQ) with lemon butter basting. Very tasty. Great day fishing , I love your content.
Wow Aaron I thought that was a shark not a tuna! Sweet shot of the eat! Up here in MN we also have a similar “poorman’s lobster” underutilized fish dish made with burbot, a.k.a Eelpout, which is essentially a fresh water cod. It is prepared in almost the same way except you boil it in lemon-lime soda (sprite or 7-up) instead of water and old bay, then dip in butter and eat… 😊😊😊😊
Random but I’m jealous of your live well! Looks like it stays sealed up pretty well being pressurized. I have a 25 open and tried to pressurize my livewell and almost sank the boat the hull had so much water in it and burnt up the bilge pumps!
Kingfish seasoned with lemon pepper and lime juice some salt, and wrapped in tinfoil. Cook it on the grill is sooo good. Only catch is it has to be fresh. Can’t freeze it. Give it a try and see what you think.
Ya might have had a chance with another guy but bluefin are beasts and that one was a good one. Still awesome just having one on and feeling their power. Nice job.
Done in Trinidad and Tobago king fish is one of the most sought after fish, it’s good table fair, I guess it depends on where you grew up, we usually fry slices then curry, or even make ceviche with it.
@21:59 I have literally watched that portion over and over again!! That was a massive Bluefin and kudos to you for letting it go. Many would have tried to fight it but you did the right thing. Another amazing Key West Waterman video!!!
For those that dont or didn't know bluefin make there way down the coast around the keys and then north into the northern gulf to spawn. There is a bluefin fishery in Florida which is highly specialized. Most encounters in the keys go just like the one we just watched. Typically while mackerel fishing one eats a live bait and thats that. I believe the Florida record is around 800 pounds and was caught out of either Pensacola or Panama city. We catch them occasionally mixed in with yellowfin on the otherside of the stream off the east coast typically in mid to late march. When I lived in marathon on 2 separate occasions, one in late January one in February, we actually had bluefin come into the chum slick while yellowtail fishing. Absolutely wild. As always my friend great video!! PS you did the right thing, break em off quick dont stress them.
Yup! Always a treat to see them. First once I’ve seen while fishing. I’ve seen close to a dozen while diving for wahoo.
@@KeyWestWaterman the first one I ever encountered was diving for wahoo. Was not ready to see a minivan swim by.
Justin Drummond caught one a couple years back out of Port Aransas Texas that filled a third of the Gulf of Mexico quota and broke the Texas record by a long shot. It was deep winter and we all geared up our 80ws and trolled the day after, dudes were coming back to SPI with broken rods, empty 80ws and a rare occasional blue fin to show for it before they moved on
well that was absolutely one of the coolest eats ive ever seen on UA-cam...slow trolling for kingfish with a live runner and thats what eats it. AMAZING!
Haha def was wild!
99😅😊
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So cool,,you got this Ole Man smiling.
That Bluefin smash reminds me of me, my Dad and 2 Brothers fishing off the Outer Banks in the early 2000's. We were charter fishing for Dorado and Wahoo when the long line got smashed by a Giant Blue Marlin. It looked like a Volkswagen jumping out of the water. The Captain put me in the fighting chair and all I could do was hold on. We watched it for about 1 minute as it breached from starboard to port with INCREDIBLE speed before it snapped the line. I will never forget it !!
Wild!
@@KeyWestWaterman I think you should enter the big game fishing tournaments, once you can fund it. IMO, you and your friends would be very competitive.
After a tough day of school there is not much better then quality family time and Key West Waterman videos!! Thank you Mr. Aaron, keep the coming!
Better hit your shooling harder so you can learn when to use then and than.
@@schmingusss 😂 nothing like being a grammar tool to someone and misspelling a word in the process. What a chode. Thanks for the laugh.
@@schmingusssbet you did real well in "shool"
Absolutely monster tuna. My jaw dropped during that slow-mo! As a new englander I appreciate that you let it go and hopefully it makes more bluefins.
it's nice ( and rare ) to see you genuinely happy not sure you noticed but you have a life most would kill for and it's rare to hear you laugh like a kid , nice to see m8 .
Hard not to smile ear to ear with a bite like that! Fully living the dream i set out for 10 years ago. Most days it’s hard to believe.
That blue fin bite was epic. Some of my favorite memories are the one's that i got spooled or got away. Another great video as usual, Aaron you're the man!!
Haha right! Def was wild
Splash zone that keel guard and smooth it out, we use it for snags that cut our net meshes on net boats in Alaska.
I keep playing your reaction over and over… this was a Classic Key West Waterman!!
That bluefin strike was EPIC!!!!
By far, my favorite videos are of you Catching, Cleaning, Cooking the food you catch. I've always wondered how to clean and cook the stuff I catch
Not being familiar with what I catch, I throw back everything I catch because I don't know if it's poisonous or not. I have an autoimmune disease and don't know what is safe to eat. But you have done such an awesome job of informing me of how to clean, cook,and eat what I catch. Thank you.
That surface shot of the bluefin was amazing.
Good for you for just popping it off sooner rather than later. Much better than fighting it for hours and wearing it out. Much respect
This is the first time I've watched one of your videos. I really enjoyed it and you are living in paradise. I appreciate all of your explaining your techniques and tackle/gear. Thanks again and best of luck to you.
The bluefin made the hairs stand up on my arms ! What a turn on ! I have chased them a few times. There’s nothing like big tuna. I can remember fishing on the reef in the winter and seeing big tuna like that one crashing baits in our chum slick for yellowtail. I’m here in Key West visiting family. Weather has been terrible yesterday and today as you know.
If I’m not mistaken, at 21:56 you can see a swirl in the water like it missed and turned back or another monster may have taken a look at it. Incredible bite!
Awesome footage of the eat- rare stuff. You made the right call breaking it off. You’d be a while trying to get that thing even close to the boat with your tackle. And, as you note, playing it would only increase the chances of unintentionally killing it. Well done 👍
Oh sure....like you didn't plan that!! That was absolutely incredible. If ONLY you could plan that! Hooked one bluefin one time on an old Penn Senator conventional rod and reel combo. This was a year or ten (!) before GoPros and my video camera was rarely on duty when needed, but I could never forget that tuna as it breached on the surface to eat! Amazing thing to see then, but really cool to see it take your bait for a ride tonight! Glad we were there to witness it with you! Otherwise, just another fish tale. Great day on the water, thank you!
Nice day on the water. My dog heard you cat talking and went crazy. lol Great afternoon sitting on the porch overlooking the mangroves with your great wife. Awesome!
Never tried kingfish boiled. For the most part, I am a mackerel hater, but I will have to give this a try.
I caught a lot of kings when I lived in Florida. We used to bake it wrapped in foil with butter and old bay. It was as good as any fish we caught!
4:00 -- "Sabiki's are always a nightmare"
Bro! You've GOT to step up your game and get a sabiki rod then, life changing! I bought the Danco conventional two-piece 7'8" sabiki rod from West Marine for just $40 and use it to pier fish.
Fun as hell and the rod cleverly stores your sabiki rigs inside safely, no screwing around. The Danco rods come in both convention and spinning, and in 2- or 3-piece. I heard the 2-piece is better since there are less hang ups on the inside for the small hooks to get snagged on.
Danco also sells a sabiki rig kit to go with it (1 oz lead bell weights, sabiki dehookers, many sabiki rigs) but you probably aready have all that.
I had one for years lol and I never used it! I sabiki bait like 5 times a year.
@@KeyWestWaterman -- Gotcha
I never sabiki fished because I don't have a boat. But then learned that it's a great outfit to target topsmelt around a fishing pier near my house.
Kudos! Excellent content, flawless narration and pro editing. Can't wait to toss some fresh Kingfish into Old Bay boiling H2O. Again, Kudos and Keep Livin' Life Large ! Mui Bueno
Livin' The Keys Dream!
Try grouper or Snook that's what some people call Poor Man's Lobster in Southwest Florida
So much love and respect for you being VERY responsible on your knowledge and rules and regulations. Always love your vids please keep it up!!!
Both of you are awesome as partners in life as a couple. Been watching a long time. Thank both of you for sharing. ❤
Reminds me of working offshore of Fort Myers Beach about 55-60 miles, crystal clear water and I looked down and swore I saw a yellowfin. Told the Captain, "If I didn't know better, I'd tell you I just saw a yellowfin." He told me, "You're silly for thinking you know better, that's the magic of the ocean."
We had a marlin once while trolling ballyhoo dump a tld 25 in the Gulf stream about 35 miles out. We saw it come up behind a bait whack it and never saw it again . So much fun getting spooled
We were screaming watching!!!!!!! What a freaking wild experience on the water!!! So glad the camera caught it, great video 🎉🎉🎉
Haha it was awesome!
That was cool! The first time I’ve ever seen you get so excited! Great video!
And thank you for taking us along. Appreciate you and yours
Most amazing eat I’ve seen. Especially since it was completely unexpected and perfectly in frame. Thanks for sharing that!
23:27 the sound of that big boy ripping drag is music to my ears ☺️🌊
Definitely a Suoer Cool Experience.
You made a Great Sportsmans Choice on the Bluefin.
Always enjoy your content and videos are always helpful with Why and How you do things.
Keep up the Great work
Seems like it's been forever since we've seen you fish deep! What a pleasure to see a real pro film it for UA-cam. So many poor examples get posted on other channels which perpetuates bad form.
Situations like that is why I only troll conventional - not that it would have made any difference in this instance.
Other surprises can happen though and it's nice to know your tackle can deal.
Happy to see you get sorted with Shimano! Perhaps that Bluefin is a sign you should do more fishing videos!
Regarding Mackerel as table fare. I believe it gets a bad rap because fillets are only good for a day or two - then it turns to mush. Same thing if you try to freeze then thaw. But properly bled and iced down you have about two days to eat in fillet form.
Tight Lines!
Awesome! Ya never know what's going to happen on the water, which makes it all the more fun. As for Kings, as a youngster out of Miami we used to eat kings all the time, I just loved them, smoked or just steaked and grilled was awesome. Continue with your great vids, love them.
Fresh water Striper is kinda strong an most folks don't enjoy. Old guy boiled some small chunks in Sprite an seasoned it an we dipped it into cocktail an tarter sauce. It was good . We called it poor man's shrimp here in TN. Lol. Great job . Mark one off to the blue fin . Saw him eat that was awesome. !!
That eat from the bluefin was awesome! I have only had kingfish once. I saw it in my local supermarket as steaks and picked some up. I seared it and finished it in a spicy tomato and fennel broth with some mussels and clams and it was surprisingly good!
Absolutely awesome. Remember some being regularly seen at Boca Bar back in the 90's when the yellowfin bite was going off.
❤ That was such a awesome bluefin hit. It was so cool seeing it come out of the water as it hit your bait. ❤
I’ve only had one bluefin on in my life and it was on the back of a coast guard cutter back in the 90s.. it wasn’t huge but it was over 100lbs.. got it up to the boat once then the line gave out.. the crew was excited because we were going to have fresh food because we were living on rice & beans after the refrigeration failed 🤷🏼♂️ we got into a mess of yellowfin later that day.. still a hellova fight & a fond memory
Wow that’s amazing man what a blowup.
I smiled like crazy when you kept saying that was a bluefin tuna! 😂😂
Now that was worth the price of admission! Absolutely spectacular!
Thank you for the video.! It reminds me of why I love fishing, and particularly the keys. Big fan who used to live in little torch. You just never know what you might hook off the reef. My favorite sound in the world is the whine of an unexpected reel going off.
It was special to see such an awesome fish, kudos for cutting it off. Savor the moment the sea gods provided! Thank you again. Fair winds and following seas👍.
Sick bite! I jumped with the Bluefin lol! Your making me want to go get a king now. POMPANO have been on the menu lately! I got a couple Sheepshead I'm going to do the poor man's lobster with! I heard it was great with them. Thanks for the reminder, and thanks for the great videos! Boats looking great, I love them Mercs!! Cheers 🍻
I just speared my first Mangrove over 20 inches. Thanks again for inspiring me to get into this. It is one delicious fish. An free diving is so relaxing.
Definitely did the right thing I had no clue even got bluefin here in Florida and I bet you that thing was every bit of 150 200 pound fish maybe even more Great video as usual Aaron
Now that's a good video....thats what we want to see...but we like all of it!! That was very educational for us fisherman
Great video brother, i am half way watching this video at this point where you lost the 2nd fish, and wanted to suggest you to use circle hooks instead of J hooks, just try it...
Now will continue watching❤
Wow cool setup! I like sabiki catching multiple fish in one row. I love watching you video, absolutely amazing...
Love your channel bud you are one extremely experienced and intelligent person with awsome integrity keep up the good work
Really appreciate the kind words! 🙏🏻
Great decision on the tuna early release, it was a monster. That decision is what I like about your channel. If there was one person on UA-cam that I would love to meet is you. Great video. PS I know live and fish 20 minutes south from where you grew up.
Aloha. When I was growing up on the gulf coast, my dad would grill king mackerel steaks after marinating in soy, ginger, garlic, and lemongrass.
Was living in Northern Alberta, and Burbot were the fish that we did just this with, under the same name. The Burbot are a freshwater offshoot in the Cod family, ugly, slimy, and prone to coming back to life in the sink, when you thawed them, after a day of ice fishing. But soooo good food!
I have been walked away from by a couple sturgeon over the years, where they just went, and paid me no mind. Good ethical call on that. The answer to "What do i say?", is like to be a really nice thank you note to Shimano, as well as sending them that clip of the breach hit of a WAY to big fish, eh?
Thanks!
That was awesome!!! How exciting! Great choice not to kill it! Great video! I really look forward to Mondays to see what you and the wife get into.
I grew up fishing in Jacksonville, where the fishing is even worse than Titusville. I appreciate your journey to get to better fishing!
Loved to see that clever use of the kingfish! And that tuna was EPIC, dude!!
Tangingi (Indo-Pacific king mackerel) with Mulungay (tender tree leaves) soup was the first fish that my Filipina wife cooked for me back in the early days when we first met in the Middle East. Filipinos call the fish Tangingi, and Arabian Gulf locals call it Kanad. Being a Bahamian-American "conch," I'm all about eating fish. So I will try almost anything at least once.
It was a delightful surprise! And yes, I raised an eyebrow slightly before tucking into it ;). It had small white medallions of tender, mild fish, in a hearty, zesty, semi-clear broth filled with spices, vegetables, and leaves. Whenever king mackerel are in season, I gently remind her how much I enjoy that soup in the hopes of it reappearing... and it does.
Here is an approximate recipe (for 2 or 3 people):
- Boil together in a covered pot, several basic ingredients, as desired. We use some skin-on fresh ginger root (wash the ginger and then smash it a bit prior to putting it in), along with sliced small purple or red onions, sliced tomatoes, and a lemongrass stalk (more on that below).
- My wife's favorite way to prepare the lemongrass stalk is (without cutting it) to slightly smush the hard part of the stalk by hand, and then fold the leafy green part over the hard part of the stalk lengthwise 2 or 3 times. Then horizontally wrap the remaining green part around the bundle several times, finishing it off by stuffing the final loop of green into the center to hold it all together in a tight bundle. It sounds complicated, but anyone who knows how to tie a line to a boat cleat or tie a hook to a fishing line will find it quite natural!
- Hot boil for about 5 to 10 minutes or so, until the flavor and texture of the vegetables and spices suits your taste.
- Reduce heat to a medium boil, and add a bit of salt, and the desired amount of fish medallions. The medallions are made from the de-skinned, de-boned, de-blood-lined steaks of a 5 to 8-lb mackerel (avoid the largest, tougher-textured mackerels).
- Immediately after the fish medallions are put in, add some of the small green petal-shaped leaves stripped from 3 stems or twigs of the trade-winds-zone Moringa tree (you want to do this fast, in 10 seconds or less).
- Then immediately remove the pot from the burner. The fish flash-cooks in the hot soup, so serving can be done by immediately ladling the soup into bowls and letting the bowls rest for a minute or so. We discard the lemon grass. The ginger breaks into pieces that we leave in the soup.
The lemongrass and ginger give the soup its "zing," while the onions and tomatoes add to the base, and the Moringa leaves give it some extra texture and another layer of favor. The fish provides the tender meaty portion. Prior to this, I didn't each much mackerel, and only occasionally had it as grilled steaks. In my opinion, it is much better when boiled in soup, and in fact, this is my "preferred" fish for this dish. When boiled in the soup, it has a much more delicate flavor that balances very well without overpowering the other ingredients. I find it superior to boiled grouper heads and carcasses, and I even like it better than boiled whole fish like snappers and grunts (my wife is a whiz at all of that stuff too).
If you are looking for the leaves, the Moringa tree is nearly ubiquitous worldwide in tropical and sub-tropical places, as well as arid areas, (USDA 9 & 10 zones). So I reckon folks will have a good chance of finding it in the Keys, if desired.
The tree's name means "twisted pod" in South Asian Tamil, a reference to the visual appearance of the young seed pods. It has various other local names like Cabbage tree in Africa (a nod to the taste and texture of some varieties of the small leaves when boiled), Malunguy tree in South-East Asian island areas, and Drumstick tree in India (where largest tonnage is produced commercially). The mature dried seed pods look somewhat like drumsticks, and I'm guessing someone may have actually tried using them for that purpose a time or two (I wonder how that went!). It is also found in the Caribbean, South America, and Oceania.
As soon as my wife had taught me that these trees have edible leaves, I almost immediately started having no trouble spotting them all over the southern and central Middle-East, Africa, and Asia. They are often planted in front and back yards as trees, as well as trimmed-up as smaller bushier versions used in rows.
In Arabia our Sri Lankan neighbors had a tree, from which my wife was gifted a branch. She cultivated that branch into another tree, and since then has used the resulting branches to grow all of our subsequent trees, over many years and even across housing relocations.
The Moringa tree family has 17 varieties. There are 3 Wikipedia articles devoted to it and its varieties.
I was hardly surprised to find several varieties of kingfish worldwide too. But, I was very surprised at how good they tasted in soup!
Little Shimano music! You need to plan a trip next year in December-January up here in NC. Blue fins off the beach in many cases. Weatherman does alot of drinking in december and January!!! Lol
R&R Sabiki I love those. They have larger snap swivels so easier to set up for older people.
Key West Waterman,,, my calming place. Love your channel.
That was amazing! I live on Cape Cod so I am very familiar with Bluefin but you rarely see one that big jump like that!
Thank you for the Tee Shirt, Hat and note. Looking forward to seeing you guys in a few months.
That was pretty cool watching the tuna come out of the water. Glad the camera caught it
😂Madeleine strikes again! 34:38 I love her obsession with food. 🤗😊
Compulsive viewing Aaron. Love it! Good call on the Blue Fin. Keep doing what you’re doing. 👏💪🏻
Absolutely phenomenal video capture of the breaching Bluefin !!!!! Holy COW! You are Honorable and did the correct thing. Bravo Sir....... Sometime place a trolling camera on you line so you could see the Hit from under water! Let me know if you ever had the opportunity to try the Flasher with glow Squid at depth to see if it worked with that frequency of light..... Cheers from Wisconsin.
We in Destin also like kingfish too. We usually cube it up like you but prob twice the size cubes and roll it in an eggwash then 1/2 and 1/2 flour and cornmeal with Everglades spice mixed in and then flash fry it in a big wok with peanut oil. You serve it with tarter sauce and a salad or avocado slices.👌👌👌. Try it and tell me I’m crazy.😎
Epic epic epic episode! Definitely in the top 5 list, the blue fin coming out of the water makes the highlight reel. Also enjoyed the longer episode and the day at sea! Best wishes 🍻
Glad you enjoyed it!
Small world! In addition to smoked Kings, Spanish Mackerel, & mullet, Dad & my Grandmother cooked ‘Poor man’s lobster” just to mix things up. With the butter, it was like popcorn to me. Always had grits with coffee or leftover red eye gravy as a side.
Oh man that bluefin smash.... I feel your dilemma: my buddy hooked a giant while livelining menhaden for stripers this fall, they chased it for 3 hours, and then transferred the rod and the angler to my boat because my budd had to go... It towed us 18 miles, both me andthe angler were whooped and the weather started to turn on us. The little Avet SX gave it all it had but it wasnt enough- we had to cut and run. We said the same exact words: "THeres nothing I can do here."
Used to give them king mackerel away. Now they hit the grill.. love em.
King Mackerel one of my favorite eating fish off the grill! Prep as follows:
- filet & skin, cut out dark blood line
- marinate 2 hours soaking in pan with your favorite Italian dressing
- pat dry with paper towels
- brush on melted butter, lemon juice, salt, pepper, garlic powder, whatever your favorite seasonings are
- grill in a enclosed basket , keep basting, flip once during grilling, until filets are white and thin blade goes through easily, remove from grill and basket
- enjoy eating, kingfish is stunningly good!😊
I haven't shot a fish or caught one in so long that I would be stoked to catch the runners on the sabiki . Another great Monday evening video .
62 degrees may sound cold for the keys but to me that’s perfect fishing weather. This summer is going to be brutal. Nice video as always Aaron
That Bluefin was awesome, great video Aaron
Nice king mackerel --- and the Bluefin Tuna you hooked was huge.
That was exciting to say the least! Was excited as you were.
Aaron , when I retired out of Orlando , I fished out of Cape Canaveral for 30 years. Fished alongside many great captains and owners. Dolphins Leap Marina, (aka Sunrise Marine) Saltwater Concept tackle store, Cape Marina etc. the ports changed so much.
Good tuna roll on that bait. 👍
Changed so much more than I care to see. I grew up at the port in the 90’s. Back when grillz was just a tiki bar in a dirt patch! And the boat ramps were right next door.
@@KeyWestWatermanthe ramp follies and a cold beer… priceless entertainment. Grills Joe Penovich and the Obsession
Awesome video, thanks for sharing a native Floridian recipe. We ate kings like this a few times. Would be awesome to do a series featuring lesser known “delicacies” lol.
Wow Aaron, when I saw the surface hit I was like what the hell was that !! I think you did the right thing cutting it loose, I also agree it had to be over 300 based on scale of your boat. And you were totally right that you never really stood a chance with that spinner against a big boy like that.. Not only to see such a hit but to capture totally at random, amazing.
The bite was awesome. The recipe was cool. Have done this in Maryland with Spanish. Thanks again for another great video
Great video. I am glad you two got married i love watching videos with both of in them. Keep up the great videos.
That’s a good dilemma to have. You got your line back!
Great video as usual. Landing a big fish is hard enough by itself, but also moving rods, driving the boat, moving the camera and finding the gaff??? Unbelievable job. That tuna was awesome and you absolutely made the right decision. Would live to try King cooked that way!
I love king fish. I am always excited when I hook one. Fun fight. Great smoked and poor man's lobster while fresh. Great video! 🎣
Been watching for about a year. Best video yeti
OMG!!!! THAT WAS AWESOME!!! That first run was epic..
Right?!
We call them king mackerel here in South Africa. We cut them into steaks and grill them on the braai (BBQ) with lemon butter basting. Very tasty. Great day fishing , I love your content.
That bite was freakin awesome!!! I've done that with Cobia, probably 35 years ago. Keep up the excellent work.
Thanks! Will do!
my kitties are happy, but you must have the happiest kitties on planet earth....and I've seen the hemmingway cats too in key west 😊
Holy crap!!!! And you are only 30 miles from me! (I live on big pine). What a fish Aaron, and you did the right thing!
Wow Aaron I thought that was a shark not a tuna! Sweet shot of the eat!
Up here in MN we also have a similar “poorman’s lobster” underutilized fish dish made with burbot, a.k.a Eelpout, which is essentially a fresh water cod. It is prepared in almost the same way except you boil it in lemon-lime soda (sprite or 7-up) instead of water and old bay, then dip in butter and eat… 😊😊😊😊
that was a amazing hook up with the tuna , cheers for sharing your adventure as always
Random but I’m jealous of your live well! Looks like it stays sealed up pretty well being pressurized. I have a 25 open and tried to pressurize my livewell and almost sank the boat the hull had so much water in it and burnt up the bilge pumps!
Kingfish seasoned with lemon pepper and lime juice some salt, and wrapped in tinfoil. Cook it on the grill is sooo good.
Only catch is it has to be fresh. Can’t freeze it. Give it a try and see what you think.
That was to cool . I couldn’t believe my eyes, when that back rolled out of the water.
10 more minutes, my equivant, 3 more casts.
That bluefin was a big boy! And you had me at “just a little more old bay”.
Ya might have had a chance with another guy but bluefin are beasts and that one was a good one. Still awesome just having one on and feeling their power. Nice job.
Done in Trinidad and Tobago king fish is one of the most sought after fish, it’s good table fair, I guess it depends on where you grew up, we usually fry slices then curry, or even make ceviche with it.
I believe it! ive been eating kings my whole life. most people here don't like them.
reel is screaming man!!! what a show!