HOW TO CATCH A TUNA
by Captains Ross and Glenn Hunter
BACKGROUND
Captain Ross and Glenn Hunter have been around the fishing scene all their
lives
Their boats BROADBILL and BILLFISHER have a reputation of excellence in the
charter boat industry. In Ross's case, a third generation of family fisherman,
he is most proud of his profession and also very proud that his son, Glenn chose
to follow in his footsteps.
Ross has caught more tuna over his 45 years of wandering oceans that he can remember.
Here are some of the Hunter boys ideas on the most successful way to go about catching yellowfin in a modern environment.
DAYS OF TUNA WITH NO COMMERCIAL PRESSURE, WE WERE SPOILT
In reviewing these pointers, my mind drifted to the wild early 60's at Montague
Island, fishing from my quinney, working the north pinnacle, trolling live frigates,
freshly caught off the seal colony.
We would never troll them long before a "jumbo" of herculean size
would devour the bait and on would go the gut busting battle, sometimes for
hours
In those crazy, heady days of yellowfin tuna with no commercial pressure, we
were certainly spoilt…I can recall catching three fish to 85kg in a session
The fishing was red hot back then, enter long lining in the mid eighties and
the decline of big fish was underway.
My theory is that in the seventies we were catching "the fringe stocks",
fish that came close to shore to feed on sauries, bellows fish, squid etc…They
would travel in the favourable currents that were evident back then, these fish
could be caught within five mile of the shore, even around headlands
I talk of big fish up to 100kg ……………………………………………….Giants
of their breed.
Glenn and myself caught these fish at the "Peak"(4.9 nautical mile
offshore) off Sydney in the early eighties, massive tuna that could be seen
jumping clear of the water on the tide changes chasing surface food.
That was back then, we thought it would ever end and took it for granted. Enter;
overfishing by long-lining and these experiences are no longer…. Why?
….Because in our opinion the fringe stocks have been taken, leaving the
bulk of the remaining schools receding into the centre of the Tasman Sea, too
far for the average Aussie longliner, but well within distance of the more efficient
international fleet.
Typical of the remarkably bad management of our oceans not only by our Governments
but International bodies as well, has seen a noticeable decline of these big
breed stocks in our accessible waters.
There is now a decline in long lining because many of the commercial boats find
the fuel burn versus catches a non viable entity…. bearing in mind that
the Captains and owners of long liners are doing nothing illegal,.
They too, are trying to make an honest living from the ocean
The Federal Government has allocated 180 million for the purchase of federal commercial fishing licenses and I am sure many of the long liners will gladly accept the buy out as time goes by.
Yellowfin live for 7 to 8 years They start to breed at about 2.5 to 3 years
of age around the 25 to 30kg mark. Because of their extremely fast growth rate
it will enable the stocks to rebuild if left be for while.
We require even tighter bag limits as recreational anglers to help this happen
After all one tuna per day to eat is a big meal….Why not, by all means
catch a few more on circle hooks and release them.!
It is not a bottomless pit and every bit will help to ensure future generations
may have the thrill of a yellowfin tuna encounter.
HOW THE SEASONS VARY FROM YEAR TO YEAR
Every season in our business is different; it all revolves around the thermo
clines and isotherms, the oceanic currents
An example is the '97 marlin season off Pt Stephens, that season we tagged 248
marlin inc 18 in one day on Broadbill..a season where the water didn't get to
hot, but stayed blue, right to coastline and never went over 24 degrees, perfect
for great marlin fishing
The 2006 yellowfin season has been the same off Sydney.
Glenn and myself have caught more tuna this season than we have in the past
decade…….Why?
The current flow has eddied off Sydney in a giant swirl of tuna rich water…20
to 21 degrees right through winter and has basically not moved. As a result
the tuna have taken up residency off Sydney as well.
We have caught tuna since May rarely missing out
On our boats we like our anglers to release a fish or two, having all caught
one each
The fish have averaged around 25 to 30 kg……… The biggest going
58kg.so far
ROSS AND GLENN HUNTER'S TECHNIQUES TO CATCH TUNA
Our true challenge at this stage of our careers is catching marlin.
I personally find them a much greater challenge than tuna, but alas they disappear
in the Winter and Spring and we have to keep busy, so tuna it is.
Marlin are visual and a "Skippers Dream" to catch everyone is different
and there are many different techniques we use which can vary from day to day…Lot's
of skilful boat driving great heart pumping summer action
Yellowfin are "Wham Bam Thank You Mam", gut busting, raw boned tough
fishing and the punters love it.
The bellow of the big Shimano as line screams off on that first blinding run
will pump the adrenalin through even the most experienced fisho.
They are "balls and all" the toughest fish in the ocean to tame and
every angler's dream
.
HOW TO FIND TUNA
Two factors are paramount here; Visual observation on both the sounder and with you're eyes. Always be observant as to what is happening around you on Mother Ocean.on a typical tuna day
We run quite powerful sounders on our boats and it is possible to pick up fish
that are schooled under a bait source they show up as speckles sitting under
the schools, when this is found we often will set a cube trail up in that area.
Sea birds are so important we love to see the albatross and petrels in an area.
The small Wilson's Storm Petrel and Grey Prions and the common tern is also
a wonderful guide to tuna schools in the area.
Always remember that you can troll all day and not get a bite on a lure, but
you will catch them by cubing.
This has happened on our boats all season., we may have caught ten fish between
Billfisher and Broadbill on the troll, this would not be ten percent of our
seasons catch when compared to the cubing method.
CUBING
What is cubing!…well you do not have to be a rhodes scholar to do it.
Having selected an area to fish, in our case it will mostly be "Browns
Mountain" (a 600foot seamount off Botany Bay) or "The Southern Canyons"
to the south off Stanwell Park.
We then drift and at the same time cut a heap of pilchards up generally into
three pieces, add little tuna oil and throw a few into the briny in a constant
stream. Sort of two or three cubes every 15 or twenty seconds, so you can always
see a cube in the trail.
Then the wait starts and patience is a virtue. Some days we have started cubing
at 2pm and not so much as had run until 5pm however by 6.30pm have had them
boiling everywhere behind the transom.
I recall one night we stayed and hand fed them in the floodlights then drove
way leaving them biting
HOW MANY ANGLERS SHOULD FISH AT ONCE
We fish no more than three most time two More lines in the water area pain in bum The cross overs mean lost fish and to many dramas Simple is better, once the fish arrive you can select the fish and hook it up and share them around the anglers on a share strikes system …………………It works OK!
LEADERS
Here we favour short traces of 1.5 meres We use 150lb Jinkia or similar.
However I have many times fished straight 80 line no trace no swivel on a shy
fish that won't feed. There is a risk factor here that a big fish may wear through
light trace on a long fight.
We stick to a simple system for charter work 150 lb trace attached by a sampo
swivel with 20 or so feet of plaited double. We don't use wind ons for tuna.
HOOKS
On our boats we pretty much use circle hooks for all our fishing
They are dynamite on the marlin and because of our policy of tag and release
only on all billfish, we are giving the fish every chance of survival with circles
There ability to catch every fish in the jaw is amazing.
With a tuna hook up on these great hooks, we fish around 4 kg strike drag and
most times do not work the bait in and out a lot until the fish turn up. We
find that stationary bait on reasonable day weather wise will be taken better
than one that is worked in and out. Just sit back and chill out until the rod
bends…"To bloody easy."
Once a fish is spotted in the slick we will grab a rod, wind it in quickly,
putting on a fresh pillie or cube of stripey and then re-feed it back with the
ratchet on and light drag . Once the fish eats the bait the drag is feathered
on to eventually reach fighting drag of 6kg on 24kg.
Don't fall for the old one third of the breaking strain of the line routine
or you will snap line. 6 kg of drag is perfect, no broken line, all fish caught
in a comfortable manner.
Over the years I have seen all kinds of anglers, some excellent, some bloody
hopeless, however when it comes to the end result they all catch their fish
and that's what it is all about.
We have checked customer's rods only to find drag settings far to high, so high
that the line would have parted on the first run, we naturally back them off,
sometimes to be told by the owner
"Mate that was set up on spring scale"
"That's excellent" may be the reply as we back off the drag.
And we always suggest that if they leave it there and they snap off, then they
go to end of the strike
They always agree with the back off.
We set our drags by "feel" not a spring scale, however I guess we've
set a few over the years.
If you set yours on a spring scale then 6kg will work well on 24kg
You see once you have snapped a fish off you have not given yourself a chance
it's that simple
Light drags are good and they will be more productive…after all you can
always put a little on but it's hard to take it off after the line has parted.
BAITS
Pillys threaded through the eyes or through the mouth and then back through
the gut or cubes of stripey cut into triangular pieces, which will fit into
the palm of your hand. Pass the hook through the skin at the very end corner
of the triangle, once only it doesn't matter if all you can see is hook. A rampaging
tuna is not a fussy feeder; they will grab anything if it's presented reasonably
down the slick.
Live bait is not necessary if you can't catch a tuna on a pilly "you ain't
gonna catch one at all".
If we have live bait we will pop one out, however it is not paramount.
If you do get a shy fish in the slick, straight through 37kg will generally entice it to bite The lack of iron mongery of the swivel and the light line will normally work , however if the battle lasts too long the fish may wear through the trace. It's the risk you take.
Both Glenn and myself earn our living from catching tuna in the winter and
Spring.
Around January we head to Port Stephens for the marlin season through to late
April we have experienced some amazing seasons at this world famous fishery.
Some seasons better than others the 2005 season at the port was an amazing season,
a season where we released over 300 marlin between our boats.
MOON PHASES
Without a doubt my favourite is the week before the full, the fish certainly
become more active during this phase, so much so that it is the best time to
troll.
Our favourite tuna lures are bib-less minnows , Bloodshot Tuna Hunters and Lazer
Pros.
If you encounter jumping fish, then any of these lures will work well.
THE 2006 TUNA SEASON THE BEST IN A DECADE
The 2006 yellowfin season has been a most rewarding and busy season for us
off Sydney.
The warm eddy has not moved since May and the fish, whilst not even comparable
to the fish of yester-year have been of quality size 25 to 40 kg giving the
customers on our boats some great memories and that is most contenting for us
charter skippers.
We hope some of the tips may help you to get amongst them.
Ross and Glenn Hunter
www.gamefishingcharters.com.au