When you get the call to make a trip with Captain Peace Marvel for yellow fin tuna, it is like being called up from the minors top the majors. The thought of being out on the blue water with tuna jumping all around sends a rush through most sportsmen and women that loves to fish just as a major league baseball player loves to play baseball. Well, the call came and it was for Colby and a friend to be in Venice Monday morning ready to fish and film. Colby called his buddy Chase Burge and off we were to Venice.

Let me explain this trip. The day that Katrina hit south Mississippi and Louisiana, Colby and his buddy were suppose to be in Venice filming an outdoor show called “Hook the Future” with Captain Don Dingman from Jacksonville Florida. Well, needless to say we did not make that trip, but the rescheduled trip came and off we were to Cypress cove for another adventure with Capt. Peace and the Reel Peace charter gang.

After making the Sunday night drive down and getting our room in the Cypress Cove Hotel we meet Capt. Don and went over the game plan for Monday. The weather had been fine offshore for a week or so, but there were some chances of thunderstorms Monday but we would make the best of it.

After a good nights sleep, we met Capt. Peace, Don and Remmer at the dock and set out in search of bait. We would run two boats, the primary fishing boat that Capt. Peace, Capt. Don, Colby, Chase and the “A” cameraman would be on and the chase boat with Capt. Remmer at the wheel and Lucy, Capt. Dons wife and myself with the “B” cameraman. The adventure and rough day started when we hit the river heading to south pass.

In the river we were slammed by a thunderstorm that pushed up 4 foot waves in the river, this would set the stage for the day. After running out of the black clouds and making our way the 21 miles down the river to south pass, we headed out front. The seas were a constant 3-4 foot all day and this made it hard to find bait. The decision was for our boat to go find bait and meet them at a certain rig about 15 miles out.

We made the run east and checked a buoy and Remmer decided to check a shallow shelf he has gotten bait off of before. We made a quick run and scanning the water for threadfin herring I saw some bait fish off the bow of the boat and we headed towards them. We got a liter closer, I notice something blow up in the middle of the bait and figured it was tuna, boy was I wrong. Like a scene out of a deep sea monster movie, a huge manta ray blew up out of the water with his entire body totally out of the water as if he were flying upside down.

This was a sighting of a lifetime for me and was the largest that anyone on the boat had ever seen. The monster was easily 15-20 wide and was just beautiful. Remmer explained that that was the way the manta ray hunted. He would blow out of the water and slam on top of the school of bait stunning them and then feast on them. Without any bait, we headed to the predetermined rig to meet the other boat, but without passing in another storm that kicked up 4-5 foot seas and made it a bumpy ride.

We met up with the “A” boat and caught a few hardtails then they began to fish. Fishing was rough and after hiding behind the rig a couple of times to keep the waves off us during the two storms that hit, we headed farther out.

This was the best decision and the storms died down, but we still had 3-4 foot seas to fish in.

By this time I am sure that Chase was wondering what Colby had brought him on being his first time fishing on the open water. The tuna were jumping and blowing up on bait when we got to the rig and the hook up was on shortly. Handling it like a trooper, Chase took the first rod and landed himself a 40 pound yellow fin tuna and was hooked as Capt. Dons show implied.

Before the day was over, the boys had boated three yellow fin and one large black fin tuna and had a great show.

This was a tough trip especially for a first timer but the boys handled it like a true sport and were ready to hit the water the next morning.

The show will air on Fox Sport South, ComCast, the Sportsman Channel and the Water Channel in Florida. Check your listings or go to www.hookthefuture.com and check out the show and see what it is all about.

Call or go on line and book yourself a trip for yellow fin and as always get outdoors and enjoy what God has given us.