Offshore Fishing
History of Offshore Tuna Fishing from Party Boats
Offshore tuna fishing from a party boat started in 1972, when Captain Bob Pennington was the first to take passengers aboard the first Sea Devil boat. He combined a commercial tile fish trip with trolling for Big Eye and Yellowfin tuna.
As the Captain describes:
We would set our tile fish gear before daybreak and then put out the trolling gear and work the east and west sides of the Hudson Canyon. On our first trip we had more tuna than tile fish.
In 1973 I took some of my best and hardiest fishermen on a limited basis. It was rough duty without the amenities of today. There was no fresh water or no bunks. We cooked on a pot belly coal stove.
By 1975 we stopped the commercial fishing and focused on bringing passengers out to troll and jig for tuna. We did not even carry bait at this time. The fishing excursions were entirely day trolling and it was fabulous fishing! The tuna were up on top chasing bait and we moved from one school to another, much like jigging for blue fish today.
In 1976, I purchased the second Sea Devil which had a few bunks down below and an oil stove, used for cooking food. The oil stove was a BIG hit!
By 1980, I owned a brand new custom built Sea Devil (#3). I specifically laid out the design for offshore tuna fishing. This boat had a shower, hot air heater and bunks. The best feature was below deck insulated fish holds, which to this day, only one other boat has copied. The fish were contained in the holds so the decks were kept clear of loose fish. This left valuable deck space open for more comfortable fishing.
In the early 1980’s the Sea Devil was the premier offshore tuna boat in New Jersey and more party boats began to emerge for offshore fishing.
In 1988 I envisioned a larger Sea Devil, purposely designed to provide our customers with the most comfortable accommodations and fishing platform. I took this vision and in two years had the design on paper. I chose Lydia Yacht Builders, the ultimate creators of custom party boats, to build this Sea Devil (#4). To this day, no boat builder has come near the detail that Lydia Yachts provided. Lydia Yachts built in a wood composite construction. This meant using all marine grade lumber, clear fir mahogany, marine plywood and teak. Every part is glued, bolted, nailed and sealed completely in epoxy so the entire unit becomes one piece, with no joints to move or leak. The entire wooden boat is epoxy coated and glassed. This heavy type of construction gives this 85 foot Sea Devil a much softer and quieter ride than we would have if the boat were built in aluminum.
Eighteen comfortable bunks are installed in a beautiful air-conditioned (the first) bunk room. Each bunk has a cloth covered cushion. The bunk room can also be heated on the colder days. There are two fresh water showers. The cabin is installed with dinette seating: cushioned benches and backrests with tables for comfortable seating while eating.
This Sea Devil has two larger fish holds which can hold up to eighty tuna fish, properly slushed in ice. Up forward, there is a larger pulpit to allow anglers to walk their fish completely around the boat. Those of you who have sailed on this Sea Devil will agree that it cannot compare in design to any other tuna boats.
The Sea Devil is equipped with all of the latest electronics for safe navigation and fish finding.
