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Tuna Action

Tom156

By Tom156
in Saltwater

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Tom156 Newbie

Tom156

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I have been hitting the bay over the last two days with some success here and there. Had a bit of luck with the snapper yesterday landing a few smaller fish as well as a quality snap going about 50cm in shallow water, so that was good fun.

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I had a look around for some tuna after a snapper fish and found some god schools, but loaded with the wrong gear for the job it was tough to get the bite.

Went out this morning thinking the weather could be a bit touch and go but was very lucky to have an average of 5 knots for the whole morning.

The snapper fishing was a pain with a lot of current going one way and the bit of a breeze pushing me the other and after an hour I scoped out the horizon to see some tuna schools busting up.

To say the tuna fishing was tough could be an understatement, most people would have given up pretty quickly but I pushed through. Now armed with some new plastics that resembled the bait fish a bit more.

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I had an early hook up which resulted in a leader knot failure straight away... That will learn me for been to lazy to re-tie the night before. Another hook-up which resulted in the fish throwing the hooks early in the fight. Then a quite spell that lasted, well, way to long...

Finally I hooked up onto another decent Tuna, this on was hooked as I was watching the birds slowly track the fish above the surface and made a cast just ahead of where the birds where flying and let the plastic slowly sink down. This resulted in a line burning run. I was losing so much line I had to run to the back of the boat and put the motor in gear to chase the fish down. The fish took me down close to my backing then I started to get some line back quickly which was a result in the little mackie tangling its tail up in the line from going so hard and as I leadered the fish the lure spat and and the tangle un-did itself which resulted in a good release from a buggered Mack Tuna.

I drove around for a bit more and said to myself I would leave at 11:30 unless I hook a fish earlier so I could get a bit of uni work done in the avo.

As I was slowly cruising the banks I noticed some more schools and birds working the bait fish so I made haste to quickly track them down these fish where only small and pretty occupied on small baits.

I noticed I was siting in 3 meters of water then looked over the boat to see 5 Long-tails cruise over to the boat realise what it was a quickly swim off. So realising what had happened I had a fairly good idea that the bigger fish where cruising along the drop off's knocking of the bait as it would come cause I would see a random boil every now and again but nothing else would occur in the same area so they where actively cruising around the edge.

After following another little school of tuna I found myself sitting in 3 meters again with a couple of birds looking into the water just off the drop off going from 3 to 7 to 13 metres. So I punched a cast out let a bit of line go, twitch twitch, let the lure sit, twitch twitch and as I was realing the the slack I felt some weight and a bit of a thud thud in the line I thought it might have been a little squire or flattie shaking its head trying to de-hook itself until the line started clearing off the reel. After nearly been spooled the by the last tuna I had learnt my lesson and was onto to motor nice a quickly making sure I didn't loose to much line. During the fight I caught glimpses of the fish every now and again not really thinking it was that big and another Mack Tuna. But it just wouldn't stop running.

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The fish took me for a 1.5 Km run and the fight lasted for an hour account 10 minutes of circle work around the boat and trying to get the fish close enough to the boat to grab its tail, not all easy when your fishing by yourself. But in the end I got the Long-tail to the side of the boat grabbed its tail and pulled it into the boat for some pics.

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I was happy to see the fish swim away after a bit of swimming and made the right call to head back in resisting another school of busting Tuna as I was on the way back, but convincing myself I had had my fill for the day.

Tom


/>http://tomsfishingblog.com/

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Tom156 Newbie

Tom156

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I'd say they where macks as they where feeding in quite open water and in large schools, might have been some smaller longies in with them but coukdnt really pick them in the mayhem.

The long-tails I saw where feeding in small groups and would hit a spot of bait and move on quite quickly. Made actively chasing them very difficult.

Kind of fluked the one I got but I had a hunch and it played out well at the time.

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Tom156 Newbie

Tom156

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That's it mate, a lot of patience lol.

Yep went out Sunday. Was very hungover to haha. We didn't see a single bit of bait or fish on the sounder was horendous hey. I heard it was pretty tough so at least we weren't the only ones that struggled...

How did you go? You went off the tweed didn't you?

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Shane69 Newbie

Shane69

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That's it mate, a lot of patience lol.

Yep went out Sunday. Was very hungover to haha. We didn't see a single bit of bait or fish on the sounder was horendous hey. I heard it was pretty tough so at least we weren't the only ones that struggled...

How did you go? You went off the tweed didn't you?

Didnt end up going out tweed. My mate who knows how to cross that bar bailed.

I was off straddie too. I thought i saw your boat out there.

Sunday was so quite man. Couldnt find any fish. I even started doubting myself through the day lol.

I stayed out all day coz i was pissed i couldnt find or catch fish. Around 3 we had a good bite of reefies so we got few fish to bring home.

I went back out yesterday lol but to GC and we cleaned up on mackerel.

I cant wait till next week mid semester. I got few days off work. Ima go out all of them.

Shane

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Tom156 Newbie

Tom156

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That's it mate, a lot of patience lol.

Yep went out Sunday. Was very hungover to haha. We didn't see a single bit of bait or fish on the sounder was horendous hey. I heard it was pretty tough so at least we weren't the only ones that struggled...

How did you go? You went off the tweed didn't you?

Didnt end up going out tweed. My mate who knows how to cross that bar bailed.

I was off straddie too. I thought i saw your boat out there.

Sunday was so quite man. Couldnt find any fish. I even started doubting myself through the day lol.

I stayed out all day coz i was pissed i couldnt find or catch fish. Around 3 we had a good bite of reefies so we got few fish to bring home.

I went back out yesterday lol but to GC and we cleaned up on mackerel.

I cant wait till next week mid semester. I got few days off work. Ima go out all of them.

Shane

That's annoying that your mate bailed. It happens but.

We hit the sevens for a bit chucked some stickbaits and used them down deep, after a few drifts dad said there was no bait sounding. So we went to boat rock couldn't see anything coming up then. At that point I was feeling pretty dusty from the night before so we heading back by about 8 ish went over middle reef and didn't sound anything there either...

There was some rank currents so that may have had a great deal to do with the poor fishing.

Where did you go on the goldy?

I'm going over to moreton for easter. Dunno how much fishing will get done but will be punishing the liver lol

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Tom156 Newbie

Tom156

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Thanks mate, its definitely a good idea to have a go at them right now.

I've got a 4.5m brooker with a 50 on the back. Its great for the bay.

What boat do you have?

4m seajay 30hp 2stroke

If fridays forecast holds you should be in for a good day

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Tom156 Newbie

Tom156

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Great report mate, well written and good pics. I'm pretty keen to chase some small-medium snapper and currently have a 6-8 kg rod matched with 4000 size reel that I never use. Rod might be a bit long but you reckon that will do the job?

That should be more then sufficient. You would have some better luck stopping some big jewies to if you come across one while chasing snaps.

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Fish Head Newbie

Fish Head

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Riverdink,

Super fresh sashimi is very tasty straight out of the water, but the flesh will be pretty soft. If you set a nice size piece aside in the fridge overnight (Pat dry with paper towel then wrap in glad wrap) for 6-24 hrs, you find the texture firms up beautifully, making it much easier to slice up. Longtails make very nice sashimi, though not quite as awesome as yellowfin in my opinion.

Cheers

Duncan

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