Value of Mack tuna for bait?

[Tony_N]

I've just been reading a book called the Encyclopaedia of australian Fishing published by the Australian Fishing Network (AFN). In a profile of Mack tuna (p156) the author states that "they are a passable bait species for bream, kingfish, snapper and other tunas, and make acceptable burley, but their chief value is as sportfish".

I'd agree about the sportfish, but I've always felt that mack tuna was very good bait and made excellent burley.

What's the consensus on this forum? Do people keep one for bait/burley when they are on the chomp?

[CHRIS_aka_GWH]

my favorite tailor bait & deadly on bream in the suds

gotta be fresh or semi-thawed - once frozen & completely thawed it gets a bit mushy

[Sportfish_5]

Fresh Mack Tuna is a good cutbait for reefies too so I give it a thumbs up.

Best part is the price ::)

Cheers

Greg

[banshee]

G'day Tony,I have kept the odd one,I don't think it's as good as Bonito for Snapper or Trag.

[Tony_N]

I don't think it's as good as Bonito for Snapper or Trag.

G'day Banshee

I've only ever caught one bonito and it went into the kill tank and home to my table - too good to eat to use for bait!


Tony

[banshee]

I've been tempted to try it,but up to this point it has not progresed past this level.

[Aaron_Fogarty]

From the shallow reefs of the bay, Big tailor off the beach, Big bream on the shallow bay reefs, and offshore reef fishing its good everywhere.And bait shops want good money for them.
Aaron

[mackmauler]

hopefully there will never be much use for them other than bait, they are a good backup for a slow days fishn, i find it good bait but the hooks must be exposed from the tough skin.

[NeilD]

Smaller ones are best as the skin is a lot softer.

Neil

[craigie]

When Mack Tuna is used fresh, It's a lethal bait for Bottom Bashing Reefies.
Took some out to Fitroy Reef on the last visit to 1770. Reddies, Sweeties, Trevors all woofed it down like there was no tomorrow.


Craig.

[devocean]

Best bait for reefies and in crab pots to the bucks really like the oil

[borisdog]

Absolutely fantastic bait for anything at all on GBR, I always have a couple of troll lines out on the way to the reef hoping to pick one up ( I have a slow boat) but sometimes I just have to settle for dirty old Spaniards. Coral Trout love Mack Tuna.

[damons33]

once you realise you get as many fish on strips of mack tuna as you do pillies you stop buying pillies!
stripeys are better, so are frigates or slimey fillets and of course fresh is best and still hot n' bleedin' is the best of all as a snapper bait, the fish would think its shark fall out(scraps from a shark attacked tuna).
i keep all of my mack tuna for bait or/and burley. and i disagree with the bonito for bait idea unless used whole because bonito flesh is way to mushy and is easily picked off by wrasse'.
a bit of mack tuna cut like a 8" jerk bait with a hook thru the fat end, catches most of my reefies and the belly flaps are nice and flashy.

[bignick]

I agree with everyone. The old Mac Tuna is a red hot bottom bait, plus it's good for Tailor and big Bream. It's best when filleted then salted down and frozen and it will keep OK. The only drama is the skin is like leather. Still, there's not much in the salt that won't eat it.

Cheers,
BIGNICK.

[roz]

I find smaller ones make excellant towing baits.
If you salt down fillets from larger fish you end up with a very tuff piece of bait that works like magic. Just be careful how long it gets left in the brine, goes as tuff as leather. It will keep without refrigeration if your going camping.
The frames are the BEST baits for crab pots.
Roz

[agnes_jack]

The jacks don't often say no to a peice of mac tuna or my favorite cut bait for them, watsons bonito. :-X

Regards, Tony

[tshort]

Great bait in the surf, you can salt it down & keep in the fridge or freezer and doesnt make any fifference to the catch rate.

[clearwater]

yeah i agree with what u guys are saying its a great bait on the bottom if its fresh but other than that its only really good for burley.....

andy

[storky]

Dear Tony-N best bait and deadly burley on snapper & JEW,S ;D ;D

[Reefmaster]

great bait the mack tuna but the only down fall would be there rough skin on the bigger ones.(hard to get hooks through) Longtail tuna are the same and if not harder to get the hooks through the skin.

Last trip we used frozen Yellowfin tuna fillets and they were tops. Skin very easy to put hooks through and its very bloody and full of oil. It caught all the big Reds, Pearlies,snapps and about 10 other species. 10 out of 10 bait the TUNA

Cheers Greg