Help - metro tuna
Submitted by Clown Fish on Mon, 2010-03-15 20:50
Went out on Sunday in those glassy conditions and saw tuna schools everywere from the 3 mile to the 40's. Finally got a chance to see what those little buggers were chasing. Couldn't believe it, the bait fish were no bigger than a large gabusia minnow (zillions of them). I have never had any luck with Perth tuna, probably because I have been way off the mark with lure size/style. Do any of you guys target these little rockets? Any suggestions on lure type, approach to the school, speeds etc would be most appreciated. Also, what species would they be?(only about 700mm long)
.thumbnail.jpg "Baldy on 7Seas Hooker, Cervantes 3 Jan 2011")
Faulkner Family
Posts: 18317
Date Joined: 11/03/08
not overly experienced with
not overly experienced with them but we tend to troll around the edge and draw the lures into the fish, however we hve also had luck going through them as they tend to be excited and will hit anything that looks like a fish. or you can just cruise up to the edge of the school and throw metal slices or poppers in amongst them, as they are fast movers it would pay to just keep the motor running ready to move with the school
RUSS and SANDY. A family that fishes together stays together
hlokk
Posts: 4293
Date Joined: 04/04/08
What lures and speeds are
What lures and speeds are you using at the moment? Are you seeing tuna schools, or just the baitfish?
Clown Fish
Posts: 111
Date Joined: 03/02/10
they were jumping clean out
they were jumping clean out of the water hlokk, thats how I new what they were. I am QUIETLY approaching the school but every time I stop and cast a lure I get about 30 seconds of casting before they move out of range. I have tried to troll along the edge but this just seems to make them dive. Wait 1 minute an they will appear 200/300 meters away. Bloody frustrating!
Faulkner Family
Posts: 18317
Date Joined: 11/03/08
try setting the lines
try setting the lines further out and while circling them the lures will go through them but you got to watch the direction they are moving
RUSS and SANDY. A family that fishes together stays together
Clown Fish
Posts: 111
Date Joined: 03/02/10
Thanks Faulkners, Iwill try
Thanks Faulkners, Iwill try that. What sort of lures have you used for these little guys?
Faulkner Family
Posts: 18317
Date Joined: 11/03/08
honestly couldnt tell you
honestly couldnt tell you what type. . we have used small metals and shallow divers but have been told that skirts work well but never had the chance to try
RUSS and SANDY. A family that fishes together stays together
hlokk
Posts: 4293
Date Joined: 04/04/08
Which lures are you using
Which lures are you using for trolling to them and where are you placing them?'
As for casting at them, when they're skittish, the recommended action is to get upwind of them, shut of the motors, and quietly drift back so as to not scare them. When I've casted at them, the tuna have been smashing baitfish and jumping even as we got close. I've seen them jumping, but harder to get to them if they're not feeding hard, but did get some in similar conditions trolling some lures.
Clown Fish
Posts: 111
Date Joined: 03/02/10
I threw everything I had in
I threw everything I had in the boat (not a lot) chromies, bommers, SP's(waste of time-need the casting distance) even a mulie out of desperation. I think theproblem lies in the size of the lure (needs to be a tiny chrome lure me thinks) which is related to the distance I can get to the school. Im still stuck.
hlokk
Posts: 4293
Date Joined: 04/04/08
If you're getting 30 seconds
If you're getting 30 seconds of casting, thats still several shots which is good. Having a longer casting rod will help a bit (also can get over the school and drag back through them). If you watch where they're going and cut a fair bit in front of them and shut off the motor, you might get them to come straight to you. They could be moving around rather than feeding too much though, which makes them hard to catch and follow. Unless they come at you, or stick around, you're not going to get a lot of time to continually cast at them though. This is where the trolling lures can help, you can follow the school, side on, the cut infront of them, pulling the lures in front of their face, but with the boat still a while away.
Were they just jumping or feeding and jumping?
till
Posts: 9358
Date Joined: 21/02/08
Saw a few unmolested schools
Saw a few unmolested schools of baitfish, they dont all have tuna tearing them up.
Colt_Striker
Posts: 624
Date Joined: 26/07/09
Man they were pest's we must
Man they were pest's we must have boated over 30, got sick of throwing them back caught on all different types of lures on the troll, even the boys flicking soft plastics & metals at the FAD's.
Clown Fish
Posts: 111
Date Joined: 03/02/10
I must be seriously doing
I must be seriously doing something wrong. I think Im gunna get five dudes on the tub so we can all fish 2 rods each and trollllll till we get one of the little buggers. Haven't tried draging lures for them, only sight fishing when I see a school.
hlokk
Posts: 4293
Date Joined: 04/04/08
Sometimes they just wont
Sometimes they just wont feed on anything except the smallest of the smallest lures. Can try 10 or 15g twisties (singles make it easier to land).
Sometimes they're voracious and will eat anything though, so if you keep trying you should get a crack at some super hungry ones.
Trolling wise, try small skirts like christmas trees, or richter jelly babes. Small tuna seem to love these. The bigger ones seem to like a bit bigger lures though (well, at least all the ones over 5kg i've seen hooked up do). I like the zukers.
Try running them at different spots in the spread. Gives you more options and chances at catching them (also allows you to turn without crossing all the lines). Try some in close, in the prop wash, and one wayyy out the back (tuna that might sound under the boat might see the prop wash, and eventually surface near your lure). Also try chucking in some xrap 30's. You can keep them close in the prop wash, or run them out wide and deep. If the tuna are sounding then having a deep lure might tempt them.
Sight fishing for them can be a fair bit harder than trolling, so if you havent tried trolling for them, it might make a bit more sense.
silly
Posts: 382
Date Joined: 02/01/09
from my fairly limited
from my fairly limited experience, most tuna i've seen busting up only seem to smash little baitfish. When this happens i think they are concentrating on the little bait fish and will only feed on fish that size. So.... Something around 5-20grams (roughly the size of the baitfish)in a twistys, searocks, slices etc would be the ideal lure. Havent had too much luck trolling up tuna when i see the schools but i think getting up wind and drifting onto them is the go. Or if you've got an electric motor then putt up to them.
mr_dhuie
Posts: 67
Date Joined: 24/04/09
seriously
seriously we boated about 30 tuna in an hour by trolling with deep sea gear... 80lb line with 90lb wire trace the tuna couldn't stay away from it. this is metro tuna in close all the way out to the fads. i was using just a small deep diver and trolling straight through the birds or baitfish school. i even casted a big popper (about 18-19cm) and it was great to see then hit the lure. my opinion would be to use a diving lure for bait schools and poppers for when they are busting at the surface with bird.
hope this helps
scottnofish
Posts: 1621
Date Joined: 28/08/07
the best lure by far
for trolling for tuna is a $2.50 silstar christmas tree from big w they are a little purple and pink skirt about 3 inchs long. you cant go past them neither can the tuna . our lures where never in th water longer than 1 minute on the weekend got sick of catching them
wildinp
Posts: 89
Date Joined: 30/03/09
trolling
We were out a couple of weeks back and had the tuna jumping, put 2 rmg 3m divers, a red head and a chrome belly probably about 50m back, went to the front edge of the school as quick as we could, dropped the lures about 20m prior, slowed to 7kts, then engaged the drag just at the school. Each time within 30 secs the reels were screaming!
After a while we tried chucking metals to no avail, but then trolled some metals on the light rods and eventually had a bit of luck.
And yeah, hoping to get out this weekend to find some more and to christen the new boat!
synthos
Posts: 522
Date Joined: 23/06/07
typical
We saw one or two schools of tuna and ooodles of baitschools but no tuna to the amount u describe. One trick we tried to get close to a bait school to see if anythings in it is gently gun it and cut the throttle so the momentum glides us into the school got us pretty close but no tuna. We burled up once when we saw the tuna and it bought them near but they just were not feeding were we were...
Rick
Posts: 1119
Date Joined: 22/12/06
Agree
Got to agree with Scottnofish
The little Silstar xmas tree are great for the metro Tuna
Normally run them around 30m back and troll around 9 knots. Tuna most times will feed into the wind that will help you determine which direction to approach
Good Luck
PGFC Member
till
Posts: 9358
Date Joined: 21/02/08
I've always wondered how
I've always wondered how they can tell what way the wind is blowing down there ...
bowds
Posts: 70
Date Joined: 12/01/11
Ok!so I just went out and
Ok!
so I just went out and bought some pink xmas trees. 2 x 10mg and 2 x 13mg.
My plan is to head out from woodies boat ramp, past north point of garden to FFB in around 30m. Then troll south towards rocko and then probably back up towards rotto.
Any tips on this idea or any spots that I should give a crack. I heard trolling around rott can be fairly good, but with the 15m runabout and 60hp not to keen on heading out that way yet if the conditions arent right.
Can anyone help me with some tips? Cant wait to get my first big fish trolling from this boat or my first macky or tuna!
Cheers,
Bowds
460 Dory w/ 60hp Evinrude eTech.
H Days!
wallacewt
Posts: 36
Date Joined: 12/12/10
nth end of gi 1/2mile@45deg
nth end of gi 1/2mile@45deg there is a big red marker buoy. when we were there they kept coming back.go away for 30 minutes and back again.9m depth. 20g twisters. feeding on 1 inch baitfish. in between buoy and gi.hope this helps.gd luck
wallacewt
glastronomic
Posts: 892
Date Joined: 16/02/11
I'll give it a crack tomorow
I'll give it a crack tomorow morning as well.
After watching some action on Youtube and picking up some pointers in the latest magazine avalable here.
Much appreciated by this newby fisho wannabee
Sadly I have to go on my own, but better than not going at all.
Spend most of the day making up the SS traces on the lures I bought very cheap at Annaconda (Edgewater store).
They have lots of lures , squiddgigs, rods/reels and swivels for next to nought.
all thrown into cardboard boxes together with all sorts of other bits and bobs.
For those sorts of $ one can affort to loose the lot over and over.
Brody
Posts: 1025
Date Joined: 06/02/07
Try throwing smallish
Try throwing smallish stickbaits and poppers into the schools, half in the water and half out is good.
glastronomic
Posts: 892
Date Joined: 16/02/11
Well that was fun!No Tuna but
Well that was fun!
No Tuna but plenty of Snooks
(Just finnished dinner and the were delishhh cooked in white wine)
86 &79cm ones are in the fridge to be cooked, rest of them were released back.
Learned that with only one person on board only one line can be managed.
Thanks to this forum and the tips/video's I had a succesfull and exciting morning!
Weather was perfect with beautifull ocean.
To be repeated soon.