Obsession Sportfishing ● Outer Banks, NC
Joe Bonvetti has spent the past 6 fishing seasons as the mate on the 55 ft. Sheldon Midgette boat, Obsession, in the Outer Banks of North Carolina along with winter seasons in Isla Mujeres, Mexico. Before the Obsession, Joe spent time on charter and private boats fishing out of New Jersey, Delaware, the Dominican Republic, and another stint in the Outer Banks.
How did you get your start fishing?
When I was a kid, I was always running around the F&S shop with my dad. After getting to know a lot of the captains around the area, Freddy Wick on the Fin-Nominal let me ride along in the summers throughout high school.
Who would you say was your biggest mentor?
Tough to pick just one… I’ve been fortunate to fish with many great captains throughout my career. No one can match Captain Jeff Ross [on the Obsession] when it comes to passion and dedication. Will Ross [who used to run the Haphazard out of Oregon Inlet] is probably one of the most fishy people I’ve ever been around. Daniel “Backlash” Davis [who currently runs a private boat called the Katherine Ann out of Oregon Inlet] just flat out made fishing fun. The most important thing to me is work ethic, and with that being said, I’m going to say my number one is my father, Joe Bonvetti Sr.
Describe your ideal spread fishing for tunas in the OBX.
I like a mixed spread… 10 rods, sea witches on my long stuff or maybe a junior Hawaiian eye back there, next would be a little heavier head on downstairs long riggers, chains or mini bars on my shorts, and here lately we have been pulling dredges with 3D tunas on them. Those dredges have definitely brought more attention to the flatlines.
What do you think has made you successful tuna fishing?
Attention to detail!! Sea witches don’t last forever, baits don’t swim as well after a couple hours. Even during a hot bite, a small nick in the leader might be fine, but it still needs to be replaced… It’s very easy to get discouraged on a slow day and neglect some of these things.
What’s your favorite color to pull?
Saturday through Monday: Black and Blue
Tuesday through Friday: Blue and Black
Describe the differences between kite fishing and trolling?
It is all about the conditions, wind and current need to be together, flying fish need to be taking to the skies, and tunas need to be airing out for us to make the switch over to the kite. When these conditions are right, the tunas are hyperfocused on flying fish, making it much more difficult to get a bite on the troll. You can still get a trolling bite with baits 300 ft. or more behind the boat, but more often than not the scattered grass will make it harder to keep your lines clean and entice a bite.
When we switch over from trolling to kite fishing, we like to put aside our larger 50’s and 70’s and use Talica 25’s loaded with 80# braid and paired with a shorter stand up rod. The braid cuts through the air and water better than monofilament. Since braid doesn’t stretch, when combined with the high speed retrieve of the Talica, we are able to come tight quicker with less give and drive our hooks through the jaw bone of the tuna.
What has been your best day on tunas?
On the Haphazard in 2015 with Will Ross, we set out at 7:30 and at 8:15 we were done with 23 40-60 pound class yellowfins in the boat.
What’s the secret to catching bigeyes?
Ha, getting them away from the sharks!! One thing I do like is heavier heads and weighted lures… These help the bait not get blown away from the fish on the bite.
At the beginning of the season, talk me through your process of what you do. (tackle, tying seawitches, which colors you want to make sure you have, etc.)
Usually I start out by dyeing 4-5 pounds of crystal hair to make my blues, purples, pinks, green and red. Then I’ll start tying blue/black, blue/white, blue/purple, white/green, blue/pink/white… I don’t really get too fancy with trying new colors, pretty much stick with my standard colors that have worked for me in the past. After that it’s the usual stuff: fresh line on all the reels, rebuild spreader bars, build kite baits… The list can go on and on especially out of Oregon Inlet, since you never know what tomorrow has in store for you.
What’s the best piece of advice that’s helped you through your fishing career?
A few things come to mind…
The Kiss method: Keep It Simple Stupid
5 P’s-Proper Preparation Prevents Poor Performance
Never make a big decision after a hard day, always sleep on it.
What are some other brands that you like to work with in this industry?
Oceans East for all my tackle needs
Salty Dog Holster Works for my pliers and knives
Fish Razr for 3-D tuna dredge baits
Upskirt Lures for spreaderbars and chase baits
Book your trip with Joe on the Obsession for 2022 today.
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