Roger Eckhardt 16 Day

Fishing was on the tougher side today, which gave us the opportunity to pause and gather as a family. We took some time to hold a small farewell for our dear friends, Joey Solomon and Sal Proetto. While the fish weren't biting, the memories of the times shared with these two were front and center. Joey and Sal, you will always have a place on the rail with us.

Mike Banda caught this one for you today Joey!

( Joey's set up will live on and slay fish)

Roger Eckhardt 16 Day

The yellowfin were active, with a solid grade of fish from 40 to 130 lbs hitting the deck, along with some nice yellowtail. It was an encouraging sight to see good sign all day, with fish boiling around the boat and keeping everyone on their toes. Make another run at them tomorrow.

Roger Eckhardt 16 Day

We’ve had a great rhythm going—pulling on yellowtail from the depths and chasing tuna on the surface. With guest appearances from marlin and sharks to fill in the gaps

Roger Eckhardt 16 Day

150 miles later, we’re back in bluefin territory! It was a long morning of travel, and things were looking a bit thin when we arrived after lunch. However, the hunt continued until we finally found the meat late in the day, resulting in a quick flurry of action before the sun went down. We’re hoping to stay right on top of them for a full day of action tomorrow!

Roger Eckhardt 16 Day

The bluefin were out in force today, providing non-stop excitement with giant foamers popping up all around us. The grade is impressive, and the fish were hungry. Our goal is to top off our limits tomorrow morning before we start looking toward our next move. Our goal is to top off our limits tomorrow morning before we start looking toward our next move.

Roger Eckhardt 16 Day

We officially got it done today and can proudly say we have LIMITS OF BLUEFIN in the hold! It was an incredible effort by the anglers and crew to capitalize on this epic grade of fish. We’ll be spending the next few days hunting for yellowtail and yellowfin to round out the trip.

Roger Eckhardt 16 Day

Today reminded us that the fish still have the upper hand sometimes! We struggled to find the right conditions for the yellowtail, and the yellowfin were a no-show in any real numbers.The highlight of the day was definitely the world-class sushi spread served for dinner. We’re hoping the ocean is in a more giving mood tomorrow 

Roger Eckhardt 16 Day

We put the finishing touches on the Roger Eckhardt 16-Day yesterday. We added a few more quality tuna, yellowtail, and Fritz with a hog of an amberjack. It was a perfect Super Bowl Sunday on the Indy—the weather was beautiful, the food from the galley was top-tier, and the camaraderie was second to none. Time to travel and break down gear

Roger Eckhardt 16 Day

As we approach the docks, the Independence would like to extend a huge thank you to Roger Eckhardt, Graftech Rods, Avet Reels, and all our incredible sponsors for keeping the tradition of this 16-day run alive and well.

While this year threw us some curveballs and felt different from years past, the results speak for themselves. It was an outstanding trip overall, highlighted by 8 cows (ranging from 200–275 lbs) and a heavy count of tuna in the 120–180 lb class.

Most importantly, thank you to our anglers. Your persistence and great attitudes made the trip. We will see everyone at the landing at 0500 tomorrow morning!