THE FAMED LOUISIANA LUMPS

There may be no better place on the planet to catch wintertime tuna

- BY GERRY BETHGE

Yellowfin tuna are a main attraction at Venice Marina. 

And the biggest fish don't always get caught at the rigs.

THE most reliable place on the planet to catch yellowfin and blackfin tunas is offshore Venice, Louisiana. Venice is located advantageously at the mouth of the mighty Mississippi River. And as fall turns to winter, Gulf of Mexico lump fishing is what it's all about. How good is it?

"We had a day when we quadrupled on the very first set," says Capt. Joey Davis of Relentless Sportfishing. "We got all four fish over the rail, and they were all 130 pounds or over. Our biggest fish last year weighed 216 pounds."

THE LUMPS EXPLAINED

Why do blackfins, yellowfins and wahoo gravitate toward these specific deepwater structures in the winter?

The Midnight Lump, also labeled the Sackett Bank on some marine charts, is the top of a large underwater mountain that comes within a couple hundred feet of the surface. To get there, run about 50 miles southwest of the Louisiana coast.

The combination of shallow water (depth ranges between 200 and 250 feet) and large schools of baitfish that get caught in nearby currents is what makes fishing on the Lump so great. The underwater, mountainous paradise serves as a major feeding location. Some of the largest wahoo and tuna on Earth aggregate here to feed.

Historically, the Midnight Lump has been the most targeted area near Venice. It was relatively normal to see hundreds of boats fishing within a relatively small 2.9-square-mile area.

Blackfins and yellowfins attack topwaters in the right conditions, although blackfins are more willing. If the lumps aren't producing, run farther offshore to fish reliable oil rigs, opposite.