How to Catch Tuna

[paulez2]

I have always wanted to catch a Tuna for the sport of it.

I hear that long Tail Tuna at certain times invade Morton Bay.

I have also heard that they can be quite Wiley and difficult to catch.

Can anybody offer any tips or advice to me. Such as types of bait or lure, when, where and how etc.

[T-roy]

Hey mate
try throwing some 110mm squidgy flick baits on a 3/4 2/0 jighead and also try some metal spinners

T-roy

[scotty_c_069]

look for bait and birds and then start throwing slices ,sp's or poppers at them of if you now if they oftenly come threw a area go and get live bait and set them out THANKS:-/ :D

[paulez2]

Thanks for the tips. I'll give all that a go.

[Nowhere Bob]

I've found chrome slugs the go. You will see mobs of birds working on the surface and when you get close you will see the individual fish bursting on the surface.
I see them in Laguna bay off Noosa and northern Moreton bay. Tuna are frustrating beasties, as soon as you get within casting range they often go off the bite & sound. I was told that tuna feed into the wind so motor to a position upwind of the boil, turn off the motor and let them come to you.
Be aware that some folks think that courtesies should be enforced with screaming and threats. So be cool about muscling into someone elses patch unless you're looking for agro. ( I think there is grounds for a new thread there.)
Size of slug -the old fly fishing 'match the hatch' rule applies. If in doubt go smaller. Also speed, you will want a high-ish speed reel and really get it cranking across the surface.

[Noelm]

I was up there not all that long ago and used some "old South Coast Yellowfin" tactics on them, motor up wind, have a pile of cut Pillies ready, chuck a few at a time in (burley trail) then slip a piece over with a hook in it (cubing) works a treat, if you are a bit quiet, you will have them lined up at tyhe boat practicaly eating from your hand, the main thing is not too much burley, but keep it constant, and when you hook one, do NOT stop the steady stream, we always have one person who is the "burley man" and has the most important job in the boat! and if you get them going, you can ALMOST select the one you want.

[Noelm]

OH I forgot, do NOT use heavy trace or sinkers.

[paulez2]

This is all good stuff! I'm going to print it all off and apply these techniques when I get the chance.

I hope others will find this thread useful also.

Mid Range Reels I own( and hopefully can be used): Shimano 4500 Baitrunner and Shimano TLD 30

[BLOOEY]

Soft plastics for me mate they love them.

[Gamakatsu]

Hi paulez2,
I am a little far away from Morton bay, but here in Yamba NSW at the moment, the Longtails are fairly prolific. The last two trips out the breakwall, I landed a 17kg Longtail on a live yellowtail. The following day I landed a 13.7kg Longtail also on a yellowtail. I use a Shimano Triton 400 overhead reel loaded with 15kg Trilene with an 80lb leader, about 3 rod lengths. My rod is an FSU 5120. I use a bobby cork fishing aprox 6 - 8 feet deep with 40lb stainless trace & a 6/0 Gamakatsu live bait hook. I use wire because I am chasing Mackerel But the Longtails seem to be more abundant at the moment. I also throw metal slugs at them with a 4120 rod & a Penn Spinfisher 850ss, loaded with 15lb mono, holds about 500 metres. I only throw slugs at them if they show up & I haven't got a bait in the water. You need all of that 500 metres sometimes let me tell ya, they go like the clappers, sometimes running in excess of 350 metres on their initial run after hookup.
The following two photos are of the 13.7kg Longtail caught on the live yellowtail.
Happy fishing & good luck.
http://i50.photobucket.com/albums/f304/spsdream/DSC_0132.jpg
http://i50.photobucket.com/albums/f304/spsdream/DSC_0131.jpg
Cheers
Brian

[paulez2]

Wow! is all I can say. Now that's what I'm talking about. Maybe I should make the trip down to Yamba.

That's what it's all about...........when the reel screams with a fast mover on the end of the line.

Thanks for all that info. You have pretty much answered all my questions.

Cheers
Paul

[Gamakatsu]

Come on down Paul,
I went out again this morning & hooked up to a freight train on a live Tailor.:o Ran about 100 meres & then nothing. Thought I may have pulled the hook but when I reeled in, leader & all was gone.:'( Possibly a big shark or maybe a fault in my line not noticed. Re-rigged & tossed out a live Trevalley ( Bait was fairly scarce ) & had a hit, took line, struck & missed. Got my bait back, fish spat it back out before I could get a solid hookup, the joys of fishing in a 15knott south wester, too much belly in the line.
Fished for another hour or so after that to no joy. I am going out again in the morning. The last 5 times I have gone out the wall, I have landed a fish or gotten nailed.
Cheers
Brian

[paulez2]

I will definately plan a trip to Yamba in the near future. Just cked the map to see exavctly where it is again. Not far from my old home town of Casino.
I don't mind travelling distances to fish/holiday somewhere new.
Co-incidently, I was in a house today doing a quote and they had a photo up on their fridge of a friend of theirs from Yamba with 3 massive tuna they had caught back in 2005.

I'll let you know when I head down. Hopefully sooner than later.

[Gamakatsu]

No worries Paul,
Tuna of the week, this week, off the Yamba wall went 19.2kg caught by a friend of mine on a live yellowtail. I fished this morning with no luck. I am seeing increasing numbers of Mullet starting to run up the wall, so the Jew will not be far behind them. I loaded up the Shimano with 24kg mono & 80lb leader & will start tossing lures for them shortly. I prefer to fish lighter line, but they fight so dirty you basically have to lock up on them to have any chance of landing one. Even 24kg can be a little light.
Hope to see you down here soon,
Cheers
Brian

[paulez2]

I'll start putting some thought into when I can get the chance to head down.
With regards to the Tuna, I take it they are a winter fish and things will just keep getting better!?

[Gamakatsu]

Definately not a winter fish. Around Yamba they are most common from late February until the end of May, with the hottest action during March & April. The Tuna are there for one reason only, chasing the baitschools that congregate around the rock walls. Once the temperature drops below 22-24 degrees, the baitfish head north & the predators follow. The temperature on the wall today was 22 degrees, so it is starting to get a little cool. Mullet & Blackfish schools are starting to move in now & the next 4 months will see some good Jewfish taken from the wall. Best Jew I have seen taken from there is 67lb taken on a hard bodied lure fishing just behind the breakers at 11 o'clock in the morning. Rather strange considering that there were several surfers in the casting area at the time. The guy throwing the lure noticed a school of mullet on top of the water being harassed by something unseen, 4th cast & whack, he was on.
Cheers
Brian

[cervelo]

Brian

They are some impressive fish, congratulations, I recently caught a 10kg in Moretone Bay and that just about pulled my arms off.

I'm heading down to Yamba for the long weekend, are the LT's taking slugs or mainly sticking with the live baits?

Cheers
Glenn

[jordanh]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZSXYorgQFJE this is a video of the tuna we got in the moreton bay area just this week

[paulez2]

I'm heading down to Yamba for the long weekend, are the LT's taking slugs or mainly sticking with the live baits?


I would have been heading down there this long weekend myself except I had already made plans weeks ago and have guests over this LW.

Maybe next weekend or the following.

Hopefully there will be some Tuna still about. If not, Jewies are also big time on my hit list.

Tuna are just very high on my list at the moment. Have always wanted to get onto one.

[Livey]

SURE FIRE WAY TO CATCH TUNA

sTOP

[Livey]

Ill try again

THIS IS A SUREFIRE WAY OF CATCHING TUNA

Stop upwind, use a long rod I actually take my surf rod out with a 7inch sidecast stardrag alvey. Use short heavy chrome slugs. 40g raiders work well. cast into the school from as far away as possible. wind as fast as humanly possible keeping rod tip down. tuna will still hit a lure skipping across the surface.

Using this method I catch as many longtail tuna as i like. They are great bait for offshore, mud crabs, and if bled and the blood taken out of them come up ok on the barbie if your not used to reefies.

regularly catch upwards of a dozen fish in one session with this method.

Most are thrown back to fight another day.

ps light line is the go 15-20lb

good luck

[paulez2]

Thanks Livey. I'm going to print off this thread and keep it as a reference.

I planned to fish the Seaway wall Sunday evening but I couldn't find any live bait anywhere in the estruary.

I must have thrown my cast net 1000 times and couldn't buy a live bait.
Maybe something to do with the NE blowing!?
It was the first time I have gone for live bait and come up with diddley squat!