Billfish at Rotto
Went trolling for Tuna yesterday South side of Rotto and my first hook up had the reel screaming off line. When the fish wasn't running, the weight was substantial and I could barely lift it up the water column. After about 5 minutes I felt something slip like the trebbles had tore free and all of a sudden the weight wasn't there but I still had a fish on. I thought I must have been hooked up to two Tuna or something and one had gotten off. Anyway when I got the tuna to the surface and into the boat I realised that it had markings that indicated something had been hanging onto it. There was only one small pucture mark on the top of its head and the rest was just discolouration caused by the pressure of whatever had been holding onto it. Even the drag mark along it body was visible from when I felt something slip.
Could a billfish have taken my tuna before I got to my rod?
Any other fish would have left teeth marks and it was a good sized tuna so I don't think a sambo would have nabbed it?
Any ideas?
dodgy
Posts: 4576
Date Joined: 01/02/10
I would guess something
I would guess something closer to a grouper or big cod. Got a pic of the tuna?
Does anyone know where the love of god goes, when the waves turn the minutes to hours?
Grooveepants
Posts: 194
Date Joined: 06/03/10
I was in 40m of water
and the tuna would have been no lower than mid water column. Would a cod come that far up?
scotto
Posts: 2470
Date Joined: 21/04/08
Grouper or cod off rotto?
Not likely.
Maybe a big ytk, or a marlin/big tuna most probably.
snappermiles
Posts: 2100
Date Joined: 05/11/10
sounds interesting
did you take any pictures??
ALL FISHERMEN ARE LIARS EXCEPT YOU AND ME! AND IM NOT SO SURE ABOUT YOU!
Grooveepants
Posts: 194
Date Joined: 06/03/10
Pic uploaded
!!!
grayzeee
Posts: 2283
Date Joined: 09/07/09
how big was the tuna you got
how big was the tuna you got back out of interest
If I spent half as long fishing , as I do reading this bloody forum , I'd be twice the fisherman I am.
Grooveepants
Posts: 194
Date Joined: 06/03/10
Tuna pic uploaded
You can see the colouration difference, but most of the damage was on the other side. Unless this discolouration is normal and it's not from something holding onto it? The photo doesn't do the extent of it any justice
wade stenhouse
Posts: 132
Date Joined: 06/10/08
looks normal to me from that
looks normal to me from that angle, was there any scratchs or cuts on the other side?
dodgy
Posts: 4576
Date Joined: 01/02/10
Looks pretty normal to me.
Looks pretty normal to me. Those little stripies really do get bad line marks on them. Not that?
Does anyone know where the love of god goes, when the waves turn the minutes to hours?
Alan James
Posts: 2223
Date Joined: 30/06/09
I would have expected both sides
of the tuna to have been scuffed up if your tuna was held in the mouth of a marlin or some other non toothy predator. Could the damage on the other side of your fish been caused by a bill whack from a marlin that may have then become bill wrapped or hooked on one of the other trebles? Maybe you hooked two tuna and the damage to the one you landed was caused by the other? I guess we will never really know however imo I think it is unlikely your tuna was being held in the mouth by another fish.
PerthGlory
Posts: 157
Date Joined: 07/03/10
new sounder
GP
how did the new sounder and mount go?
did you pick up any sbt's?
PG
gelds
Posts: 10
Date Joined: 14/12/10
Rotto Bill Fish
mate the most likely cause would be the lure was foul hooked in the top of the head so the fish was being draged through the water coloum sideways (hence the weight) When it poped free you can steer it in.
Grooveepants
Posts: 194
Date Joined: 06/03/10
Way to heavy
to have been that. I'm thinking it may have been two tuna on the one lure but even that wouldn't have been the same weight but I'm going to live with that as the final answer. Next time I will take better photos.
mako magic
Posts: 5785
Date Joined: 03/08/05
almost 100 percent confident
almost 100 percent confident to say that tuna hasnt been touched by a billfish
till
Posts: 9358
Date Joined: 21/02/08
Ahh yeah same. Certainly not
Ahh yeah same. Certainly not on the side facing the camera!
I have seen a few dollies come up with nastu marks down one side and that was pretty obvious.
The only mark I can see on that one looks like a line wrap that ran from the dorsal fin down to one of the posterior fin rays.