Although we were supposed to meet at Miyazaki Airport for the morning flight the day before, bad weather disrupted our flight schedule, making it impossible to board. Our planned arrival the day before was unexpectedly canceled. Furthermore, flights from Fukuoka to Tsushima were also experiencing delays, resulting in a chaotic and turbulent start as we barely made it to Tsushima on the morning of our departure day.

Without a moment to catch our breath, we landed in Tsushima, and with our first departure at noon, the first day of autumn Tsushima amberjack casting finally began!

Day 1: Raging Seas and High Water Temperatures

When we got to the fishing grounds, a strong northwesterly wind was blowing, and the sea was looking extremely unpromising. Despite being November, the water temperature hadn't dropped much, making for very challenging conditions, typical of Tsushima in recent years where fishing success is heavily influenced by daily sea conditions.

Thanks to Captain Taka-chan's excellent boat handling on Takamaru, we cast relentlessly until dusk, but the first day was just a warm-up to gauge the sea conditions, and we ended without any fish. We checked into our base camp, the Toyoko Inn in Izuhara, and meticulously planned our strategy for the following days.

Day 2: Attacking Fangs and the Long-Awaited First Catch

We set sail at 7 AM. Amidst the northeasterly wind and lingering swells from the previous day, we continued casting from the bow, maintaining our focus. And then, drama unfolded early in the morning.

The surface of the sea violently erupted behind the plug cast by my partner, Su-chan! However, what emerged was not the targeted amberjack, but a diving bite from a giant wahoo (Ono) estimated at 2 meters. Falling victim to its sharp teeth, the painstakingly crafted, expensive plug, worth tens of thousands of yen, was tragically lost (loss 1)...

A smaller amberjack also came after my lure, but it didn't hook up. Still, seeing signs of fish in the water was a reassuring confirmation of their presence.

Amidst the tough situation, with a heavy atmosphere on board, my once-in-a-lifetime chance finally arrived.

As I worked my highly trusted GENIO popper "BIG UP" on the surface, it was swallowed quietly, like a carp sipping bread, without a sound! With a solid hook-up and an initial high drag setting to apply pressure, I successfully landed it. We were able to catch and release the long-awaited first autumn amberjack, a beautiful 13kg fish.

After that, to conserve energy for the latter half of the day, we moved to the stern and shifted to jigging. I quickly reeled in a 5kg-class fish with a "rocka" jig, and took a short break in the cabin.

The sea remained calm until dusk, but the captain kept moving between spots, finally reaching the last point. At 5:30 PM, as the sun began to dip below the horizon, the captain's call for "one last cast" echoed across the water.

On Su-chan's fateful last cast, an unexpectedly violent bite created a massive splash! With the excellent winding torque of the new 25 Saltiga, he quickly landed it without letting it take control. He added a larger 15kg fish and successfully released it. After a challenging period, we ended the second day in the best possible way, with one catch each.

Day 3: Perseverance Rewarded, the Emergence of a Shocking Monster

On the final day, we set sail at 7 AM. With the boat swaying violently from the even stronger swells remaining from the previous day, it happened on the second cast at the second spot we entered.

Behind the lure Su-chan was retrieving, an unprecedented, furious chase erupted, followed by a violent splash! His rod bent to its absolute limit, but with his seasoned, smooth fighting technique, he closed the distance. The fish that surfaced was a good size, beyond everyone's breathtaking imagination.

The weighing result was an astonishing 23kg! A successful catch and release.
What's more, the hit lure was the same GENIO popper "BIG UP" that I had used to catch a fish the day before. It was the moment when his perseverance, after continuously losing expensive plugs worth tens of thousands of yen to wahoo cutters, was completely rewarded. I took my hat off to him, thinking, "This guy really does deliver results every time."

—As for me, I finished the final day with my usual "business as usual" performance: one bite, no catch. With a pleasant fatigue, I left the waters of Tsushima, thinking, "Casting really is tiring."

Tackle Review / General Assessment and Future Tsushima Sea Conditions

While the number of bites wasn't high on day 2 and 3, we thoroughly enjoyed an incredibly rich experience with the muscular and magnificent amberjacks typical of the autumn Genkai Sea and Tsushima.

Fights that previously became difficult when fish dived under the boat were easily managed by setting the "initial drag slightly higher," a lesson learned this time. In particular, the '25 SALTIGA 14000-XH' I introduced this time is overwhelmingly torqueful and light to retrieve, providing absolute reassurance that the drag holds firmly even under heavy load. I had long been committed to Stella and Twin Power, but after my experience with tuna, I've become a Saltiga advocate.

In recent years, the water temperature around Tsushima has been slow to drop, and there's a growing sense that the peak season is still to come. As a hint from the field, in situations where large baitfish like mahi-mahi and flying fish are near the surface, continuous popping is extremely effective! Poppers really work well for amberjack too. BIG UP is currently out of stock, but it's expected to be available again around next spring. If the timing is right, there's a high chance to enjoy big sizes in Tsushima's waters. Next time, I'm aiming for over 20 kilograms!

By the way, the Aomori big tuna expedition we planned to head to after Tsushima was completely cancelled due to rough weather.
Nothing we can do about it, I suppose — let's look forward to the next opportunity!