Sunday 11th Offshore Bribie

[Jack_Lives_Here]

Went round the bottom corner of Bribie for a look at the Longtails I'd heard were still about. They are there but REAL REAL spooky. They were moving with the Mac Tuna, which were also spooky. Couldn't even get close enough to throw slugs let alone fly. The SW made it a bit lumpy for the Hornet with tide running but we managed.

Did a quick trip out to the shipping channel markers due east of the island. Plenty of bait - good sign. Jigged slimies and yakkas and sent them down.
BLOODY GRINNERS - the bastards were ecerywhere. We worked 4 of the beacons before the current got too strong on the run out. Nothing to speak of at all. That's fishing though. Was a great day to be out at amy rate.

The bay did glass right out in the arvo. I was able to cruise from the channel markers back to Bribie at 40km in the Hornet.

[Wesley_Pang]

Dave,

I was off Bribie yesterday too, in an unpainted plate center console. What colour is your "Hornbag"?

The longtail didn't want to play. We got a few good shots with fly and slugs, but no interest.

The water is crystal clear and the bait is scattered around. The tuna are not balling the bait up and smashing them. They are sipping the bait, and just porposing around. Up one second down the next.

With the fish spread out and erratic, we tried the deep fly technique(a bit like bass fishing - horrible freshwater fish in the area where the fish were feeding. I think the fish are feed on small guppy size bait. No luck there. In the afternoon we could creep up to them, but still no luck. Though we did see another boat hooked up on fly in the morning.

Last weekend we got a few hookup when using deep fly just where the surf breaks on the beach, and the water was discoloured. The bait was pushed up in the dirty water.

The bait seem to be a bit more offshore now.

I plan to get out there this Wed(Ekka day). The forecast is for wind to drop to 10/15 knots SW/S. A bit of chop may make the tuna less spooky. Are you interested in coming out with me?

I got to land one of those picky fish. Its just a matter of getting a fly in front of their noses often enough.

Wes

[jack_attack]

It has been one of the quietest seasons for them for a few years in my opinion. I fish for them both from the beach and a boat.

I was up the beach all weekend and did notice a few boats running round chasing them.

Not sure if any of you fellas were in amongst the few I saw or not.

A few little bits of advice that may help you get on to them. 2 Of the boats i saw chasing them were doing it the hard way. Following the schools along and casting in to the wind.

It pays to take a wide berth around them and drift with the wind back towards the fish.

Also if you come up on a school with your motor running, leave it run. We have found that the tuna seem to be put off by the change of turning off the outboard.

Report for this weekend is not good tuna wise, with no fish being taken from the beach. The chopper tailor were very thick and a lot of fun though.

Last weekend there was quite a few taken from the beach, with 2 Longtails caught and a number of Mack tuna.

[Wesley_Pang]

Jack Attack,

If this season is a quite one, I'd like to see a hot season. Around easter the longtail were full on. I managed to land a handful.

I'm still developing my technique. I've only been targeting them properly for the last couple of years.

The weekend before last, the tuna were close into the beach, it would almost be possible to land one on fly land based.

Did see a small school of fish flapping on the surface, wasn't sure if they were bait fish or chopper tailor. Too busy chasing the tuna. Bit disappointed there are not more tailor about. I fully expected to pick up a couple casting into the surf and gutters, though my mate jigged one off a beacon(heaps of bait around these structures). Have the pro been dragging the beach, I've seen what I presume to be their boats along the beach.

I'd be grateful if you keep me inform about tuna. Find them is one of the hardest parts of landing them.

Wes

[Jack_Lives_Here]

Wes, Working Wednesday but thanks for the offer. I was running around in a white 455 Hornet with maroon stripes. I think I saw you there. I normally give other boats a wide berth as a courtesy thing. I ran up for a while close in too see if there was anything but no luck. Tried the drift and sinking fly myself - just were not interested. The bait they were into was very small like you said, guppy size - I didn't have anything close.

[jack_attack]

Wes, I sure will keep you informed of any I see or catch.

The last few seasons have been pretty good to me. Last year i got 5 Longtails (Northern Bluefin) from the beach in one session. The heaviest went 13 kilos, the smallest 9.5. From my records there was hardly a day went by that we missed out on a Longtail in the last few seasons.

We used to run the boat out through the surf at times and chase them when they were a bit wider, and did very well then too.

There has been quite a few tuna around but the bait does not seem to be as "balled" up or as thick as it normally is. Maybe that is why this season seems quieter to me.

It was quite common to be standing in the bait schools in the edge of the surf and have tuna no more than a few rod lengths away terrorising the schools.

Have also had sharks swim past and remind me that I should prolly not be in there. Kinda gets the heart going a bit quicker.

The pros have been working the beach, but they have not been getting as much as they normally do. Well so I have been told. I have a mate that is a pro netter and he has told me that for some reason the fish have gone out over the Calaoundra bar this year and not around the bottom in the same numbers as normal.

[bugman]

Guys,

I experienced the joys of Tuna fishing off Bribie in all seriousness for the first time this Easter. Had quite a few good sessions up there over a six week period.

I'm not a flyfisherman and was very content to chase the schools around casting very small chrome slugs with 15 our best catch in four hours. The biggest went 12.5kgs.

Anyway I was under the impression that around Easter was the best time of the year but I'm excited at the fact they're there all year round.

I've got a bunch of rellies coming up from Tassie in Sept who I've promised some BIG Qld fishing. I was hoping like hell there would be some Tuna around so you guys have been good news even if they are a bit fickle.

Would trolling lures - skirted - work when they don't responds to slugs. Or dare I say it - is floating around with floated baits another option.

Any thoughts

Bugman

[Jack_Lives_Here]

Yeh Bugman, a bit of lateral thinking could be just the trick. I was near tempted to run back out to the channel markers and jig some more slimies and do a few drifts with them out.

Hey guys - one of the grinners that nailed a livie was seriously like 80cm + long. How big do these UGLY critters get.

[jaybee]

Hey guys - one of the grinners that nailed a livie was seriously like 80cm + long. How big do these UGLY critters get.

i'm still trying to find out myself. All the texts I have here say up to 22inches some say 33cms (12 inches). I know my bro snagged one off mooloolaba a few months back he clubed an kept to show people but somehow it disappeared from the back of the boat before he got back to the ramp he estimatied it to be 3 ft plus. He has worked professionally on prawn boats, traps etc an this one blew him away..maybe there is some radioactive material being dumped in the bay we dont know about ... some of the books say they are quite good eating..let me know if u r game to try one LOL....
cheers

[jack_attack]

I agree with the size surprise with the grinners. Many years ago I used to work on a trawler out of Bribie and never encountered grinners as big.

While live baiting the beacons the other week we were blown away by the size of some of the grinners coming over the side. They had to be over 75cm!!! Pity the Yellowtail kings were not as big.

Is there maybe a different species of grinner that has not been documented? Or are these deformed as previously suggested? Still yet to see one with 3 eyes to confirm the suspicions.

[jaybee]

just gotta find someone who is willing to eat one now and see if they grow a third arm between the shoulder blades CHEERS

[Bribie_Doug]

good to hear some ausfish members are up to date with what is doing around Bribie. Last wednesday right in dusk got a couple of longtails on surface poppers, black and yellow in coulor. Maybe that I was the only boat out might of helped. I found that the mack tuna were in front of the SLClub and the long tails further north up around the 4wd track entry onto the beach.
cheers Doug

[shep]

Hey Guys !

I had the pleasure of going off bribie with Jack lives here on anzac day this year we had a great day with a couple of macs on fly as well as on 3kg spingear (woooo don't they play up bad )
One long tail on spin gear about 6-7kg dave has the photos if he wants to post them.

Would dearly love to get a longtail on fly next year.. See if we can't see a little more of those 300m of backing hey Dave?

Gotta build MORE rods see ya

Shep 8)