Giant Tuna At The Peak...from Another Era

[Ross Hunter]

Raiders,

We have just posted a story on some pretty amazing tuna including a 300kg Southern bluefin and yellowfin to 100kg all caught at "The Peak" Look in Fishing Stories and Hints and also have a look in Fishing Reports for some good snapper catches on Broadbill and Billfisher of late. I would be most interested to have some feed backl on the "Fringe Fish Theory" .. We took it for granted from the 70's to the late 80's that big tuna could be caught 5 nautical mile offshore..where did they go? Click on this link www.gamefishingcharters.com.au

Will look forward to your comments......................................................... Hope you enjoy

Ross Hunter

[raysenior]

Hi , What a great read , it must have been great to be able to fight one fish for 4.5 hours, i don't think i could hold out for that long when it happens!!I have read every part of your site and regularly go back to refresh the brain, theres lots of good info in there.hopefully we will catch you on the water one day .

cheers Ray Snr

[Ross Hunter]

Hi , What a great read , it must have been great to be able to fight one fish for 4.5 hours, i don't think i could hold out for that long when it happens!!I have read every part of your site and regularly go back to refresh the brain, theres lots of good info in there.hopefully we will catch you on the water one day .

cheers Ray Snr

Thanks Ray,

Most appreciatted It was a great era that we thought would never end

Ross

[srushton]

Raiders,

We have just posted a story on some pretty amazing tuna including a 300kg Southern bluefin and yellowfin to 100kg all caught at "The Peak" Look in Fishing Stories and Hints and also have a look in Fishing Reports for some good snapper catches on Broadbill and Billfisher of late. I would be most interested to have some feed backl on the "Fringe Fish Theory" .. We took it for granted from the 70's to the late 80's that big tuna could be caught 5 nautical mile offshore..where did they go? Click on this link www.gamefishingcharters.com.au

Will look forward to your comments......................................................... Hope you enjoy

Ross Hunter

What a great post Ross. As I recall it there was another fact back then that meant that there was not a great deal of pressure on stocks in close. Most of us ate tuna out of a can. In the 80's they could barely give it away at the Sydney Fish Markets. How times have changed.

[abiasin]

Ross is it worth a sneaky cube session of an arvo there if the water is right, as most people would over look it and push well wide without ever trying the area??? they used to be there so there is no reason they may not still frequent the area even if they are in smaller numbers.

a couple of people i know have seen plenty of jelly beans while diving in and around sydney heads and bluefish. just a thought!

[Ross Hunter]

What a great post Ross. As I recall it there was another fact back then that meant that there was not a great deal of pressure on stocks in close. Most of us ate tuna out of a can. In the 80's they could barely give it away at the Sydney Fish Markets. How times have changed.

Uncle bo bo

I recall taking an 85kg yellowfin to the Nowra co op in 1970 along with a box trailer full of big kings averaging 15kg that we had caught at The Banks.. The guy at the co op would not take the yellowfin and told us he would give us a bill to lift it off the trailer "Bloody cat food" he added.

That changed 15 years later unfortunately.......Ah progress

Ross

[Ross Hunter]

Ross is it worth a sneaky cube session of an arvo there if the water is right, as most people would over look it and push well wide without ever trying the area??? they used to be there so there is no reason they may not still frequent the area even if they are in smaller numbers.

a couple of people i know have seen plenty of jelly beans while diving in and around sydney heads and bluefish. just a thought!

Mistress,

Anythings worth a go But in the era I write about you would see these giant fish leaping around chasing sauries, gannets plummeting in and cobalt clear blue water full of sparklers. I have not seen that for a long, long time......but maybe just maybe

Roscoe

[pjbink]

The year I got my first outside capable boat was 1989 - about the time the big fin stopped turning up at the Peak! Why they don't turn up anymore is a good question as there are still reasonable nos at the Shelf and Browns. I do recall smaller fin (from jellybeans to 15kg) turning up in close. There were even some reasonable sized ones caught landbased off Yellow Rock. Even more amazing was in the late 1990's when they took up residence in Southwest Arm, Port Hacking! PS: On occasions there have been schools of small Southern Bluefin moving through in close to the Eastern Suburbs.

[Hundgie]

Hi all

Ah the good old days, i rememeber fishing as a junior on a boat called Marlin down at the hump, i would have only been about 13 years old, so nearly 20 years ago we would regularly catch yellow fin up to 80kg and there was plenty of them too. before that my father Warren landed good fin up to 70kg at the marley wreck, i wonder if these days will ever return.

[your fired]

G Day all I took my first decent fin of 70 kg at the peak in September of 1989 at the peak fishing with my mate warren knight in his old savge lancer at anchor. The week before I fished the south coast rocks and lost a fin off the front of the Blow Hole at Kiama, for about two weeks a school of fin became resident there and fish up to 85 kg were caught from the stones, unfortunatley not by me! Any way since I caught my fish at the peak that year I have yet to here of any more caught there since! Why , the same goes for up and down the coast on these inshore large fish. Surely if they were overfished the catch rate would slowly decline not just come to a complete halt as has happened, as we all know there is still fish out wide. My thoughts are that the deepwater sewer outlets off Sydney came online in 1990 discharging around the distance that the Peak lies off shore 8km or there abouts. Could this cold crappy water have thrown the entire inshore fishes migratory path up and down the coast off? Would be interesting if the outlets were stopped, the discharge returned to be recycled and fed back into our dams . Sydneys water problems solved without the need for the greatest waste of tax payer dollars (desal Plant) and our Yellowfin came back within reach of us mug fishos.

I have a dream!!!! Cheers Stu

[pjbink]

I think the outfalls are a few miles closer in than the Peak. They have had the effect of cleaning up inshore water quality. This summer some northern bluefin were caught trolling close to the rocks at Sydney heads and Kurnell. I don't think that has happened to often before the deep ocean outfalls were in place. I have also spun up striped tuna off the rocks at Julian, Little Bay.

Its a good point that they disappeared suddenly from the Peak rather than tail off gradually as you would expect if the decline was due to decreased abundance. So maybe it's a behaviour thing due to water quality or increased boat traffic.

[Ross Hunter]

G Day all I took my first decent fin of 70 kg at the peak in September of 1989 at the peak fishing with my mate warren knight in his old savge lancer at anchor. The week before I fished the south coast rocks and lost a fin off the front of the Blow Hole at Kiama, for about two weeks a school of fin became resident there and fish up to 85 kg were caught from the stones, unfortunatley not by me! Any way since I caught my fish at the peak that year I have yet to here of any more caught there since! Why , the same goes for up and down the coast on these inshore large fish. Surely if they were overfished the catch rate would slowly decline not just come to a complete halt as has happened, as we all know there is still fish out wide. My thoughts are that the deepwater sewer outlets off Sydney came online in 1990 discharging around the distance that the Peak lies off shore 8km or there abouts. Could this cold crappy water have thrown the entire inshore fishes migratory path up and down the coast off? Would be interesting if the outlets were stopped, the discharge returned to be recycled and fed back into our dams . Sydneys water problems solved without the need for the greatest waste of tax payer dollars (desal Plant) and our Yellowfin came back within reach of us mug fishos.

I have a dream!!!! Cheers Stu

Your Fired,

This too has had an effect for sure but how do you explain that we never see the giant fish at The Hump, The Marley wreck and The Undola off Garie, ( 25 nautical mile southwards)a place where we targetted big tuna in the 70's and caught them regularly. We fish these grounds and cube for reds every season, but have not raised a tuna for 20 years It is very complex, maybe oceanic current flows, maybe polution, maybe Fringe Fish Syndrome. I'm buggered if I know all I know and you do as well is that they are not there now like we remember.

Here's another thought on the sewerage outfall we used to fish the edge of the Murk off Yellowrock at Maroubra in amongst the pads and condoms and catch tuna... NOW THAT'S A SHOWSTOPPER..Great post Your Fired.. ..I too have a dream.

Roscoe

[Jiggy]

I think that it is great that you can get into fin out at Browns, but like others I recall the times when you could get them on the close inshore reefs. Back in the eighties I was a dedicated rock and river fisho but one day I went out with a mate offshore; first time ever out to sea. Got sick as a dog and landed a 48 pound fin trolling the 20 metre line on a minnow; back then it was a common thing.

Only one I've ever caught, by the time I got into boats and offshore fishing they were gone. Why are they gone now? Overfishing if you ask me; I think that the commercial operaters have wiped out the inshore population along the NSW coast, if not the eastern seaboard. Could it be the water quality around Sydney? Sure can be a cause, but then you would think it a localised issue. No fin close in to Sydney but still on the inshore reefs further away like at the Banks etc

As an example I used to fish down Merimbula alot back then and it was quite usual to see fin working slimey schools out in the bay. You could see them porpoising out of the water, sometimes for hours. They aren't there anymore as far as I know; if it was a localised water quality issue they would still be there. I also recall one game club, Canberra?, reporting that every fin they caught during one season either had longline hooks in them or damaged jaws from tearing off longlines. This was around 90/91.

I'd love to see them back on the inshore reefs but I doubt it will happen. Tuna are worth far too much on a plate these days for any government to set catch limits that will restore the population back to anything like it was in the past.

It's all a shame really.

Cheers

Jiggy

[pjbink]

I'd love to see them back on the inshore reefs but I doubt it will happen. Tuna are worth far too much on a plate these days for any government to set catch limits that will restore the population back to anything like it was in the past.

It's all a shame really.

Cheers

Jiggy

They have cut back the longlining fleet quite a bit and reduced the number of hooks they can use. That said it's not the aim of our fisheries managers to maximise the fish population. The old school approach was to maximise the sustainable yield. This MSY is usually regarded as when 30-40% of the unfished spawning population is left. These days they tend to aim for a bit less than the MSY and this is often called optimal sustainable yield. In any case any substantial fishing effort will mean there are less fish around than if there was no fishing effort.

PS; I we don't have a longline fleet it is likey that there will be challenges to our 200m EEZ from foreign fishing interests.

[Jiggy]

Quote:

PS; I we don't have a longline fleet it is likey that there will be challenges to our 200m EEZ from foreign fishing interests.

Yes, it's very much a case of use it or someone else will. Hopefully we'll see a resurgance in fin numbers as there seems to be with bluefin at the moment. If we could get both back in numbers off the east coast that would be just great.

Cheers

Jiggy

[pjbink]

Quote:

PS; I we don't have a longline fleet it is likey that there will be challenges to our 200m EEZ from foreign fishing interests.

Yes, it's very much a case of use it or someone else will. Hopefully we'll see a resurgance in fin numbers as there seems to be with bluefin at the moment. If we could get both back in numbers off the east coast that would be just great.

Cheers

Jiggy

Yellowfin are a lot faster growing than SBT so will have more capacity to recovery quickly. I think the whole life cycle is only 14 years in the case of YFT. The SBT is wider ranging so I think fishing outside our waters has more of an impact than in the case of YFT.

[abiasin]

Mistress,

Anythings worth a go But in the era I write about you would see these giant fish leaping around chasing sauries, gannets plummeting in and cobalt clear blue water full of sparklers. I have not seen that for a long, long time......but maybe just maybe

Roscoe

i will put it to the test if the water and weather are favourable. lets just keep our fingers crossed. thanks for the reply ross.

[captainbat]

Hey Rossco,

I enjoyed reading the story on the tuna at the peak, I consider myself very fortunate that I was lucky enough (as a much younger Bat working the deck on Broady), to be able to see the tail part of that era with you, I can still remember as a wet behind the ears kids feeding out a pillie without enough drag on the reel and having a big tuna immediatley birdnest the reel and snap off - I didnt know what the f**k had happened, you just looked down and laughed! They were great days no doubt, it makes me sad that I dont think we will ever share them together again, they were good times, no they were great times - truley 'Glory Days'.

Cheers - Capt. Bat

[your fired]

I wonder Ross if their migratory route has been disrupted that they simply just pushed off shore and stayed there. Correct me if I'm wrong but I didn't think the long liners generally worked in close for tuna i:e inside of 70 ftms. Sure there was a fair bit of pressure from rec fishos and the few guys who actually earn't a dollar fishing for them on rod and reel down at the Banks, (which I fished yesterday in a raging 6-8 knot current ) but the apparent overnight disapperance on the inshore grounds is a great mystery. Aside from the fin watched the local pros from greenwell point poling bonnies and kings hand over fist yesterday it is interesting watching the guys work ,arms and shoulders would be aching after a day like that , maybe if the pros continued down that path with the bluefin instead of purse seining their stocks may of not suffered as they have. Any way keep the thoughts flowing good fishing to you all cheers Stu.

[captainbat]

Rossco,

I had another read of that piece and took a bit of time on it. I agree. Heres a little present for you, this is a picture of a 19 year old Bat, with one of your smaller fish from a day when we had baits off the riggers whilst we bottom fished the peak. As best as I can work out this picture is around 1988 mid season, I'm going to get the old albums out soon and scan all the old pics. This tuna is between 45 - 55kgs and was not nearly the biggest fish on that day, (probally the only one I could hold up!), I was a bit trimmer in those days - I would only be 105-107kgs in this shot. Great times Cogga, - I'll get into old albums and dig up some more,

cheers - Bat

Edited July 2, 2009 by Scott Taunton

[Ross Hunter]

I wonder Ross if their migratory route has been disrupted that they simply just pushed off shore and stayed there. Correct me if I'm wrong but I didn't think the long liners generally worked in close for tuna i:e inside of 70 ftms. Sure there was a fair bit of pressure from rec fishos and the few guys who actually earn't a dollar fishing for them on rod and reel down at the Banks, (which I fished yesterday in a raging 6-8 knot current ) but the apparent overnight disapperance on the inshore grounds is a great mystery. Aside from the fin watched the local pros from greenwell point poling bonnies and kings hand over fist yesterday it is interesting watching the guys work ,arms and shoulders would be aching after a day like that , maybe if the pros continued down that path with the bluefin instead of purse seining their stocks may of not suffered as they have. Any way keep the thoughts flowing good fishing to you all cheers Stu.

Stu

I remember vividly in '65 watching the Ajax pole southern Bluefin at the Banks.. They don't do that any more.... Fringe Fish ,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm

Mate long liners have not set inside 400 fathoms for years exept when they target striped marlin and kill a thousand or two of them in a season.

Roscoe

[Ross Hunter]

The year I got my first outside capable boat was 1989 - about the time the big fin stopped turning up at the Peak! Why they don't turn up anymore is a good question as there are still reasonable nos at the Shelf and Browns. I do recall smaller fin (from jellybeans to 15kg) turning up in close. There were even some reasonable sized ones caught landbased off Yellow Rock. Even more amazing was in the late 1990's when they took up residence in Southwest Arm, Port Hacking! PS: On occasions there have been schools of small Southern Bluefin moving through in close to the Eastern Suburbs.

Billfisher,

Ian Convoy and Steve Close and myself actually caught 20kg tuna at Sth West arm Pt Hacking ....I remember that well.. We also caught 60 sbt's off Maroubra in 1990 They averaged 18kg and were all released...but not any more..what we see at 300 and 400 fathoms is nothing compared to that early era.

Ross

[pjbink]

I first heard about the YFT in Port Hacking from a guy at work who said he kept on hooking 'jewies' which were running 200m and then taking off on another run!

PS; did you hear about this catch Ross?

Merimbula based charter operator Bruce Libbis on board Rathlin 11 had a successful day's trolling. The day's session saw Rathlin 11 account for six SBTs ranging from approximately 70-110kg. Libbis said they had concentrated their efforts around 33 nautical miles offshore from Merimbula.

Edited July 2, 2009 by billfisher

[Ross Hunter]

Ross is it worth a sneaky cube session of an arvo there if the water is right, as most people would over look it and push well wide without ever trying the area??? they used to be there so there is no reason they may not still frequent the area even if they are in smaller numbers.

a couple of people i know have seen plenty of jelly beans while diving in and around sydney heads and bluefish. just a thought!

Misress,

We fished there today Nice blue water bagged out on kings but alas no tuna, but worth a go Let's keep the dream alive......Good Luck

Ross

I first heard about the YFT in Port Hacking from a guy at work who said he kept on hooking 'jewies' which were running 200m and then taking off on another run!

PS; did you here about this catch Ross?

Merimbula based charter operator Bruce Libbis on board Rathlin 11 had a successful day's trolling. The day's session saw Rathlin 11 account for six SBTs ranging from approximately 70-110kg. Libbis said they had concentrated their efforts around 33 nautical miles offshore from Merimbula.

Sort of makes me sad to see that Why kill that many superb fish that are in dramatic decline!

erOSS

[abiasin]

Misress,

We fished there today Nice blue water bagged out on kings but alas no tuna, but worth a go Let's keep the dream alive......Good Luck

Ross

Sort of makes me sad to see that Why kill that many superb fish that are in dramatic decline!

erOSS

thanks for the update ross good to hear you getting onto the kings. once i get myself sorted and find some time when the weather is good im going to have a crack. at the very least i hope i get some kings.