Giants in The Shallows
We catch 300-pound bluefin tuna in 30 feet of water off North Carolina from Grady-White’s new Release 283.

Story and Photos by JOHN CLEMANS

They’re all around us!” The shout came over the VHF from a captain on a nearby boat. “They” were the swarming bluefin tuna being hooked by bulkily clad anglers in the cockpits of the boats surrounding us off North Carolina’s Cape Lookout. Suddenly, from out of nowhere, a beautiful, bright-red, 55-foot Jarrett Bay named Calcutta steamed to within 60 feet of one of the boats and stopped abruptly. Someone threw a tennis ball from Calcutta’s cockpit toward the other boat, as if to initiate a game of catch.

It was just another piece of the action in what must be the most phenomenal recreational fishery on America’s East Coast—or maybe anywhere. And we were in the thick of it.

Only two hours earlier, I’d been standing on a cold, dark balcony in Morehead City, scanning the stillness of Bogue Sound and wondering why I was about to go fishing in January. Then I remembered—300-pound fish in 30 feet of water.

They had been in even shallower water a week earlier—in only eight to 10 feet, along the hidden shoals that are part of “the graveyard of the Atlantic.” They’d been just a stone’s throw off the lighthouse on Cape Lookout Point. They’d cruised along in as little as four feet with half their backs out of the water. You could have surf-cast to them.

Schools of giant tuna were discovered off Hatteras, N.C., about 10 years ago, then off Morehead City in 1994. At Hatteras, the fish are usually far offshore, and are fished for by “chunking” (chumming). Off Morehead City, they’re close in and can be caught by trolling. Their presence, which usually begins in November, has created the most action-packed big-game fishing scene in the country and has spawned mini-industries of chartering, tagging, researching and politicking.

“Who knows how long they’ve been around,” explains Joe Chute, a local tackle store owner. “We never made a concerted effort to fish for them because we didn’t know they were there.” Now everyone knows.

We found them in 30 to 50 feet of water about a mile off the lighthouse. I was fishing with Joey Weller from Grady-White (right), Glenn Law from Saltwater Sportsman and Anthony Ng, who manufactures electric reels. We were aboard a brand-new Grady-White Release 283, an open center-console model powered by twin 225-hp Yamaha four-strokes. The morning was brisk, but when we stopped running and the sun burst from below the horizon, our layering and our anticipation warmed us up.

While most of the boats in the fleet were of the battlewagon variety, there were other small and mid-sized boats besides ours. One was an Express 330, another boat that the Grady factory team of Weller and Todd Leggette had made available to us. I’m used to fishing from a 25, so the 28 seemed more than adequate for our purposes, especially as it had a gimballed “battle station” to lean against in the bow. It also had a hull that could take a beating without passing it on.

Once out Beaufort Inlet and through The Slough (a cut in the shoal), the sea became confused, but the 283 powered right through the three-foot slop at 30 mph (4000 rpm; 2.2 gph) without pounding or even causing us to spill our coffee. We stood behind an enclosure with “wing” panels whose corners fastened to the gunwales, but, although considerable spray flew out to the sides, surprisingly few drops hit the clear vinyl.

Ng rigged horse ballyhoo with two-ounce skirts and an additional ounce of chin weight. The 283’s tackle-rigging station, with live well, sink and tackle trays, provided all the storage and working space he needed. The boat’s stability at rest was as impressive as its ride; but that wasn’t surprising, as the 283 was created on the same proven “SeaV” hull as Grady’s popular Sailfish 282. It’s a big brother to the Chase 273, with a foot wider beam (9'6"), and fills the gap in the line between it and the Bimini 306.

I was curious about how the boat would perform with the Yamaha F225 4-strokes. Any doubts about sufficient acceleration were immediately dispelled when Weller hit the throttles and we felt a powerful forward thrust. The engines were ultra-smooth, even when backing down, and their sound was almost imperceptible at idle. As for top end, 47 mph was fast enough for me. It would be a rare day that I’d ever want to do more than that offshore.

The Express 330 with 250 EFI two-strokes goes 44 mph; with F225s, it’s only three miles an hour slower. “Gradys with four-strokes are really in demand. We’ve had no negative feedback and no one seems at all disappointed with either their low or their high end.” As for four-stroke reliability, I know that’s a plus.

Sweat the small stuff

As we trolled, we heard reports of boats within sight with hook-ups. While I waited for our turn, I looked more closely at the 283’s details. The first thing I noticed was the good grab of the nonskid decking. Grady-Whites cry out for scrutiny because they’re built by people who themselves fish and who listen to customers who fish. If everything isn’t just right for efficient and effective fishing, Grady wants to hear about it. Grady owners apparently can’t find much to complain about, because Gradys were ranked highest in “Customer Satisfaction with Center Console Boats” (a category that also included dual consoles and walkarounds) in the J.D. Power and Associates 2001 Marine Quality and Performance Study.

Gradys are so solid and well constructed that they are benchmarks for similar boats. Their great appeal to serious anglers, however, is in the details. Beyond their unbreakable feel and strong, sensible hardware, I love their unsinkable nature. Enough foam fills their voids that they stay afloat full of water. And, because they are truly self-bailing, that water will all run out the scuppers. The trade-off—no belowdeck boxes or storage compartments (except for the head)—is one I’ll take any time. Add to these advantages the fact that the 283’s deck is unbroken by a step in the bow and you have a fishing platform that’s solid, safe and easy to move around on.

For a fishing family, the two big, raised storage boxes in the bow can be cushioned to provide seating for four. For sight-fishing or flyfishing, an optional filler spans the boxes to provide a raised casting platform, under which a five-gallon net bucket and a 48-gallon cooler can be stored. It’s in the details.

Hooked up

The gunwale had bolsters above the cushioned bow boxes, providing a comfortable backrest and creating a forward lounge on which I was sprawled, watching Weller, Ng and Law in the stern, when the first tuna hit. This was stand-up fishing at its most taxing, especially as our rigs weren’t stand-up specific. But Law fought the powerful fish, which we judged to be about 300 pounds, to the boat with formidable expertise. The Release 283 lived up to its name as Ng held the leader and Weller planted a spaghetti tag in the bluefin’s back.

We had more trouble with the next fish, however, as it had hit a 50-pound rig whose drag was jerky and slipped under the pressure needed to gain line. The fight was long and frustrating, and the battle station was greatly appreciated. In retrospect, perhaps we should have cut the fish off. And we should have been using only 80-pound tackle, which affords fish a better chance of survival. In any event, when the fish was finally beside the boat it was clearly too far gone to make it. Ng and Law pulled it through the ample transom door (no mere sheet of acrylic, but a substantial fiberglass part). Measuring 72 inches, we estimated the fish’s weight at 275 pounds. My freezer still holds over 30 pounds worth. (A license is required to take bluefin tuna. It allows taking one fish per day under 73 inches, and one fish per year over 73 inches.)

The tuna was too big for the 265-quart, insulated transom fish box, but most species will fit in with plenty of room to spare. The box has a removable partition, so it can hold drinks, bait, trash, etc., in addition to a day’s catch. And, like everything else aboard, including the cup holders, it drains overboard.

Soon after boating the fish, we saw that the 330 had a fish on. Again, Calcutta materialized, and someone launched a tennis ball. The 330’s fish would be transferred to Calcutta and an archival tag would be implanted in it (see “Tag and Release for Research”).

The Gradys were holding their own with the big boys, but that’s what they’re built to do. With the optional T-top, the 283 can carry 20 rods—four in T-top holders, four in the lean bar and 12 under the gunwales (three in locked boxes with PVC tubes and three in racks on either side, which are also ideal for gaffs and tag sticks). The T-top has an electronics box and overhead, zippered net storage for PFDs, foul weather gear, charts, etc. Lids to everything lock down securely and are stainless gas-ram assisted so they stay open in any position. The helm’s protected electronics pod rises electronically, and its height is adjustable, so even a short person can still see the gauges. Outrigger lines pass through holes in the gunwale and are held by grabbers underneath. The 45-gallon live well has a 1,100-gph pump and full-column aeration.

Family-friendly

The icing on the cake is that the 283 is not only a rugged, angler-inspired, offshore fishing machine, but it’s also a family-friendly day cruiser. In addition to the bow seating, it has an aft bench that folds completely out of the way, providing a full transom bolster, and also swings up to allow bilge access. The boat also has an enclosed, ventilated head compartment that a six-footer can stand up in. On long trips to remote grounds, the head can serve as a super-lazarette for storing and locking tackle, gear and luggage. Used conventionally, it offers space to shower and change, plus convenient, eye-level access to the batteries.

A family could have the adventure of a lifetime on this boat. But at heart, the Grady-White Release 283 is for serious anglers who appreciate serious fishing boats.

©Motor Boating Magazine, April 2002