Tuna, Cobia and Baitfish

[Jasinex]

hey guys,

ive been trying hard. getting amongst it all and so far made a bit of progress. each weekend with the weather prevailing we've been heading out to the bay to round up a feed. even on trips which dont produce the goods.. i still enjoy myself with finding new places to fish.. finding new techniques and learning whatever i can. its now the middle of winter and we have been gradually catching some squire with the biggest model only a modest 40cm.... we have ventured from peel to green now to mud island, learning how to read the sounder and pickup ideal locations hahaha....

my questions i have are simple to you guys but hard to me.

we have a 5.1 runabout with a 90hp optimax on the back so our comfortable range atm is from wellington pt to moreton island.

firstly i am looking at purchasing a 'portable' live bait tankt to put in the boat when we figure out how to catch livies.. so im asking where abouts can u find live baits and i hear ppl talking about jiging up 4 or 5 at a time ???? do the livies stay in a general area or do they move all over the place and u just come across them if your lucky.

secondly catching tuna in the bay (whatever variety i dont mind). i have done some research into type of fish feeding habbits and types of lures to troll / cast for them. but i couldnt really see what seasons they come into the bay. i assume its best early morning when theres not too much light into the water and i think you just come across a school if your lucky or do they have an area they like in the bay???

lastly is cobia. everyone talks bout curtain reef.. but i am yet to venture out there, is it as simple as livebait, drift the artificial reef.. hang on and hope your gear doesnt get busted up . or do they have a season/ tide and time to fish?

i hope some ppl can pass on some general knowledge and help me out to plan some trips in the future.

the main thing im intrested in starting is using livebaits. the other species of fish i will eventually figure out but livies is on my priority

thanks

Jason

[yanjarra]

i would love some more info on targetting good live baits also... but unfortunately mate that info seems to be pretty much the most tight lipped thing on here....seen a few similar posts slip through the nets without much aid.......

i guess its fair enough though cause finding good live bait is what brings the best fish often i suppose.....so its a bit like a pot of gold ud want to keep secret

i find for live mullet trying up in shallow water of little creeks seems 2b the go more so than out in the bay itself.....but im guessing mullet isnt exactly the crown jewel of live bait either?

[Jasinex]

haha yea i kno... i figured everyone would be guarding there secrets closely not letting out the 'forbidden information'.... but like i said im lookin for a start.. if ppl want to pm there basic info then thats ok too ...

im mainly interested in how to catch them.. like for instance. if i was looking to get pike for livebait. what do i do?

is there 'bait grounds' , as in they live there and u go there each trip catch a hand full and then go fishin,.. is it that reliable that you could bank your trips bait on goin to the same spot??

etc things like that

a few general areas wouldnt go a stray either hahaha

but anything is helpfull

[frankgrimes]

Hi Fellas - Hardly secret squirrell info....you should be able to get yakkas+slimie macs on nearly all the beacons in the bay(Using $2 bait jig)...4 beacons(West side Moreton bay) seems to always hold em.....I don't fish up that way, so others may offer some other alternatives.

Search function will give you plenty of reading also...

Mick

[honda900]

Jasinex,

Some spots have reliable bait fish grounds, where the fish are all the time, mostly on the eastern side of the islands (ocean side).

You can generally find live bait around though, you need to sound around of the channel markers and look for the fish, look for dense masses of fish, then use your bait jig.

Some of the markers that border the green zone north east of peel island hold bait from time to time but not always, although one of them holds a large school of batfish.

Further to the north you can get live pike off the front of Harries artificial from time to time, although fishing with them there I have only ever hooked sharks.

The four beacons, while being renown for livies, it is very hit and miss we have found although we came across a good school last time out but search other times for nothing.

There is no big secret to catch them, some people like to use the jigs fast, personally I drop to the bottom and slowly wind up 5 or so metres, then repeat the process, seems to work for me.

As for cobia at curtain, well I have had a couple of goes unsuccessfully, busted off big time once and nothing the next. but thats fishing..

Hope this helps.
Regards
Honda.

[Jeremy]

there are two main types of tuna common in Moreton Bay. Mack tuna and longtail or northern bluefin tuna. The mack tuna are most common from December to May, and the longtails probably from Jan to July. This does differ a bit depending on area, and both fish can be found year round anyway. Other tuna species are yellowfin, frigate mackeral, bonito.

Cobia are also year round, seem to be a couple of peak times for them, August to October offshore and Nov to March in the bay.

Main live bait species to use for these are yellowtail scad, slimey mackeral, yellowtail pike. All of these can be caught on the $2 bait jigs as mentioned. Tie a 2oz snapper lead on the bottom. Look for dense 'clouds' around any of the beacons in the Northern and Eastern Bay - generally deeper than 15m seem to hold more bait. Often the bait is right against the beacon or on the bottom. Be prepared to try several beacons until you find some. Drop the jig down to the depth of the bait and jig up and down - fast or slow - until you 'load up' then bring it in, unhook, and repeat. A bucket with an aerator will keep 5-5 baits alive in winter, more so in Winter when water is colder and holds oxygen better. Change the water often will help.

Anchor near one of the beacons holding bait and set a couple of livies at different depths - balloon near surface, and one near bottom. Current runs hard, so you might need a decent sinker. Give them some line in freespool under ratchet when they hit to get the bait down then strike.

Mack tuna are more commonly caught casting small metal slugs at feeding schools of fish, but with so many boats chasing them in Moreton Bay and the small bait they feed on, they can be very shy and hard to get a good cast in, let alone get them to take the lure.

Curtin reef is very over-rated IMHO, plenty of other good spots, but mainly Northern bay and offshore.

Hope this helps

Jeremy

[Noelm]

lots of bait fish (especialy yellowtail) can be caught quite close to any of the Headlands and breakwalls around almost any area, NSW,QLD doesn't matterm just anchor up in about 5 metres of water, and try some bread burley, you might try a few places untill you find them, but once you do, they will be there almost all the time, just give it a try, you just might be surprised.

[Jasinex]

would it be possible on a trip from wellington pt.. to somewhere in the bay.. probably mud island.. to leave the ramp and 'on the way' collect live bait, this would be a reliable source im talking about.. say each trip using the same general area ?

or is this not how its done?

[frankgrimes]

would it be possible on a trip from wellington pt.. to somewhere in the bay.. probably mud island.. to leave the ramp and 'on the way' collect live bait, this would be a reliable source im talking about.. say each trip using the same general area ?

or is this not how its done?

Certainly possible mate, but livies are never a gauranteed thing....you should always have backup(Fresh flesh baits, placcies etc)

Oh - And imo, it's always a good idea to have multiple baits out....sometimes the livies wont get touched, but floated pillies(for example) will get smashed.

Mick

[Jasinex]

yea i figured that... we always take a box of IQF pillies in the freeze when we go out even on a dedicated placcies trip cause i kno sometimes they jus dun wanna play the game haha.. when i said a reliable source... i was just meaning.. more often then not i could find the livies in a area if we chose to use them on a trip...we prob wont fish with them every trip as some times u jus CBF and bait is easy hahah...

[Jeremy]

[quote=Jasinex;1044984]would it be possible on a trip from wellington pt.. to somewhere in the bay.. probably mud island.. to leave the ramp and 'on the way' collect live bait, this would be a reliable source im talking about.. say each trip using the same general area ?
quote]

Mud Is? apparently there are a couple of spots around Mud where you can catch yakkas, but I'd say you are more likely to catch Pike and probably better off closer to Wello for Pike anyway.

Why don't you put the boat on the trailer and tow up to Bribie Is? Have a look at the beacons in the NW channel, or some of the S or M beacons for livies and you can then either fish the same area or head across to Combiyuro or Bulwer for a longtail or cobe? Give yourself a better chance of success IMHO.

Jeremy

[Jasinex]

everyone has given some good information. thanks heaps.

now just to find those baitfish......

is anyone heading out wide in the bay on sunday> 4 beacons area?

[Noelm]

I think that if an area is a know "bait place" then all the people who stop there and burley keeps the bait there and makes them stay in one place, like why would they move when the can get breakfast in bed almost every day? there are lots of places like that, at my local ramp, you just leave the harbour and about 100M out there is a spot that always has someone catching bait, and unless there is something wrong, like big seas or something, you almost never miss, also have a talk to some divers, they will probably know a dozen spots where they have seen yellowtail lurking around all the time.

[Just_chips]

Wilson Bait jig, size 8 hooks. Jig the areas directly around the beacons, working the preassure waves and eddies created by the beacons, this can mean to the front, back side of a beacon up to a hundred metres at times. Adjust your sinker size to suit the amount of current if required. Never tie up to a navigational marker, this is against the law and if caught you will be fined by the authorities, keep your motor running and drift or even back up to a beacon whilst your mate jigs. Bait will move about the place in the same way as other bigger predators, so try different beacons until you can find them, often a decent show will be visible on your sounder. You may be lucky enough to work out some sort of pattern as to where they are on a particular tide or moon phase if you keep at it long enough but trial and error is usally the way to go.

Kev

[Micadogs]

Hi Jasonex

Like above I have found live bait at different times around the beacons.

In relation to cobia, I have caught three in bay over the past 12 months or so. All of them were caught on pillies, twice was fishing live bait at the same time as pillies.

Also had great success on squire/snapper on flesh baits. From my experinece tailor strips works better than mullet. Always use fresh, I usually get my bait from Sammy Girls in Hamilton. It is fresh and far cheaper than frozen.

Dont discount the frozen pillies and fresh strip baits. I seem to have better success than the livies with this bait. (mind you I fish a lot more with strip baits than livies as they can be hit and miss)