samsteele115

TAKE A TERN FOR THE BETTER 

I am now into my third season of targeting Longtail Tuna and have learnt a lot in that time! Not only from helpful threads such as this one and the many articles that appear from a simple 'longtail tuna' search on google, but the many hours I have put in to catching (but mostly NOT catching) these awesome local sports fish. 

Most aspects of Longtail Tuna fishing are covered in these types of threads, from what tackle to use to how to approach a surface feeding school with the boat. The topic that I realise doesn't get spoken about in great depth or detail is how to find the fish by observing the birds. Of course, in nearly every article about these fish you will find phrases like 'follow the birds' or 'the eyes in the sky are your best friend'. But what does this mean if you don't really know what you are looking for?

After many hours of trying to be very observant and sometimes focusing mostly on the birds and how they act I have noticed a few characteristics that I will try to explain as best as I can later on in the article. I have noticed terns to be the most reliable bird ahead of gulls, gannets and other sea birds so please note these characteristics are of terns only.

                                                     Common Tern with its prize

The advice that I got initially was the idea that when the birds are hovering over a school, the fish are generally at the same depth as the birds are above the water. So when the birds get closer to the surface, so are the fish as they push the bait up. Think of it as a mirror image and pretend the birds are a school of fish. This is mostly true, but in recent times I have found this theory to be flawed on some occasions. Sometimes when fishing in different light conditions the birds may need to fly higher or to the edge of the school to be able to get the best view, so keep an eye on their beaks and where they are pointing to gain a rough idea of where the fish may be. Always have an open mind and you will learn something new every session; there are no set rules for catching these fish.

Here are a few behaviours of terns that I have noticed when fishing for Longtail Tuna during the peak season:

Travelling from A to B

When a bird seems to be flying around in search of food. They fly at a half pace scanning their heads from left to right. These birds may be ignored to an extent but it doesn't hurt to keep an eye on them in case they see something.

Resting 

Often you will find a flock of birds sitting on the water. This might sound stupid, but if they are nearby drive your boat towards them and scare them off. They can sometimes put you onto fish within a few minutes if they are around!

Tracking 

Is when a bird or birds are following a school of fish whilst constantly looking down. They are flying with a bit more intent and sometimes flutter and dip towards the water if they notice fish are starting to rise. They might be able to see bait fish that aren't close enough to the surface to be able to feed on them or may be following a school of predators. Either way, it wouldn't hurt to get a cast in there! A lot of hookups come from casting around these tracking birds without actually seeing fish busting up. Idle around the area if there are multiple tracking birds and get the boat in a position to cast below them. Remember to keep an eye on your sounder and hang around bait if you find some.

Sprinting 

Is when they are flying at full speed, obviously. Usually you can see a few single birds from different areas flying urgently in the same direction as each other. They know something that you don't and if you follow them you will most likely find the fish.

Hovering, circling, diving

This is how they act when they have found predatory fish pushing up bait to the surface. They will trace back, circle and hover until they get an opportunity to feed. Once the birds start diving it means there are bait fish on the surface and you will soon see a tuna feeding frenzy more often than not. As soon as you see birds acting this way, it is important to take the opportunity to get the boat in the best position for when the tuna break the surface. Those precious seconds of anticipating where the tuna will surface could mean you are able to get one more sight cast ahead of the fish before they go down and start to round up the bait again.

These are my observations and theories so far and I hope you learnt a thing or two about how terns go about their daily business. It is the birds who fish every day to survive so make the most of their presence. Understanding their behaviour will save you time and bring you success if you can differentiate between a bird stalking a school of fish or a bird simply passing through the area for example.

As they say, 'the eyes in the sky are your best friend.' Thanks for reading and happy tuna fishing,

Sam.