Tuna in close.

[fragmeister]

I enjoy reading the posts from the Raiders who chase Tuna off shore but I am quite content to stay in close.

However, I am not up to speed with the Tuna Fishing in Sydney but many years ago I fished the tubes in Jervis Bay with some very experienced LBG fisherman. This was a real eye opener and it was frequented by some of the toughest fisho's I have ever met.

Yellow fin, black marlin, stripies, mac tuna etc were all on the cards at this location and I always figured it was something to do with the currents and deep water in JB. I have seen pictures of those species caught off the rocks in Sydney but realistically, which of the tuna species are real possibilities in close and how close off Sydney Heads and at what times of the year, water temperatures etc.

Looking forward to some responses from the experienced tuna chasers.

Cheers

Jim

[Mr Squidy]

Good discussion point Jim, something I'd love to hear more peoples thoughts on as well.

Last few years i've started venturing out to the southern FAD in my 4.5m half cab chasing Dollies when the weather is ok but not keen to venture much further in my boat due to the length of time for the run back in. Two winters ago a mate and I tried cubing there abouts in winter in hope of some fin, had one good fish (at least 30kg +??) come right up behind the boat and take a pilly but spat the hook. Getting a fish up behind the boat on the very first trip chasing them has given me fair hope that you don't have to be one of the boats heading way east of Heatons to have a realistic shot at nabbing one.

Also, summer just gone I was catching Dollies within 100m of the cliffs off Marley so if the currents push them in that close why not the Tuna??

Cheers,

Rich

Edited August 7, 2014 by Mr Squidy

[stevefish]

At the risk of being google smart. Back in the 70s and 80s yft were regularly caught in close, trolling the cliffs and land based, as well as places like the peak 12 miler etc, that all finished at some point, possibly coinciding with the rise of Aussie long liners. The inshore fish were different stock to the oceanic stock on or outside the shelf, so once they went they went. That said there is nothing stopping tuna being in close, they will go where the food leads them.

Bluefin were as good as non existent particularly in local waters until maybe 5 years ago. In Victoria there are many many fish caught in close, so again, there is no reason why it can't happen.

There were reports from 100years ago+ of tuna everywhere in Pitt water at times.

There will be the odd individual or small group inshore blowing people away but to fish for them would be frustrating to say the least.

You will have much more success chasing inshore marlin than tuna.

Good luck

Edited August 7, 2014 by stevefish

[thefisherman6784]

Love this thread and would love to see the replies

If you watch youfishtv on youtube, you'll see Winga getting them up to 100m away from the cliffs in Victoria, 100kg to at a place called eagle hawk neck

Blows me away

Edited August 7, 2014 by thefisherman6784

[Mr Squidy]

Love this thread and would love to see the replies

If you watch youfishtv on youtube, you'll see Winga getting them up to 100m away from the cliffs in Victoria, 100kg to at a place called eagle hawk neck

Blows me away

Yeah great show youfish, knows his stuff. Eagle Hawk neck is actually down in Tassie, one place on the must fish list....

[Jiggy]

Once if you wanted to catch YFT few people went further than the peak and as far as I know no one went to Browns; most people had 16 ft tinnies that they customised for fishing and they just didn't have the range that boats have today. The tuna season would start in March when the first big fish would turn up but they were around all year in small numbers.

It was common to hook YFT when trolling for bonito or kings close in and they were a regular target for the LGB crew; I used to see them regularly in the bay at Merimbula and Tathra and charging bait schooling at the wharves there. We cubed back then but on the inshore reefs so usually you'd be anchored up and the cubes would bring more than tuna, kings, marlin and snapper were regular by catch. A mate almost lost a 92 kilo YFT as his dad was tight to a big king when he hooked up and no one could lift the anchor. They ended up cutting off the king much to his dads displeasure!

Up to the late 70's it was much the same for Bluefin apparently, they too were a regular target for the LGB guys at the time and would run in very close to shore.

As Stevefish mention in the late 80's/ early 90's the YFT population on the east coast got hammered and the inshore population got wiped out. Gone for good apparantly These days, to me, the offshore YFT population seems to be on the way out too, there seems to be less fish each year. I think that it won't be long until YFT are gone from this part of the world if things don't change. And it's not the local pro's who are causing the problem but uncontrolled commercial operations in PNG waters more than anything else.

It's great that BFT are making a comeback but something needs to be done to recover the YFT stocks before they are gone. I don't want to travel 50 km east of Sydney and cube all day for nothing as is often the case these days. I want to catch them in the shadow of the cliffs like we did before.

Cheers

Rob