queensland Mackerel on Half Days

[Smithy]

Mostly been chasing the macks on my half days. Haven't had a bag out for a couple of months but had a good trip two Mondays ago.

[Smithy]

Snuck in my first serious bottom bashing day during the Ausfish M&G. Got 20-25 good fish, mostly pearlies and snapper. This was the best on a plastic to Frank. Mostly 38-45cm fish though.

Lost a good mackerel the other day and first hit of the morning when the downrigger rod holder snapped, scratch one Tyrnos 20 combo and the mackerel of course.

Other trips.

I ended up with one side of this mackerel and this is how you poor man cryovac them.

[Smithy]

I've also been taking a Phd student out on a few trips who is researching tuna. We have been trying to get them live to the Bribie Island Research Centre in tuna tubes. So far Skirmish point is as close as we have got.

[sehrguht]

Do the tubes have a big pickup or pump that keeps the water pumping past them?

[rosstralia46]

Awesome stuff mate well done on the macs what have they been hitting slugs, livies, pillies?

[mottly crew]

nice haul well done

[Smithy]

Tuna on slugs and most of the mackerel on livies, the odd one on minnows.

Tuna tubes are in a big tub with a couple of big bilge pumps connected to the tubes. My deckwash feeds it to supply new water. We are fitting a second raw water pump to try and speed up the flow.

[cboy69]

Out of curiosity, do you know what kind of research they are doing on the tuna that requires them live?

I only read about tagging, measurements (dead/alive) for research. Do they need them live for breeding?

[Smithy]

They are using them as surogate mums to grow out other species of tuna, most probably southern bluefin tuna for the SA tuna industry. They must be putting in money. I think the Japs have it sussed allready. They are just trying to replicate it.