Mackie and Tuna 14/4/11
Hi Guys
I went out yesterday on a solo mission from hillaries, The plan was to troll out to the 40's and find some ground to bottom bash. No sooner had I passed the 3 mile when one of my lures went off. Just as I staarted to get some line back my other rod went off every solo fisherpersons nightmare but not a bad problem to have. The first fish was a nice 7kg longtail tuna so I chucked that on the deck to go ballistic and got the other one in which was another long tail tuna of about the same size.
I continued on my merry way and just kept getting weeded up till i hit the middle of direction bank and the water temp started to climb the further i went ending in 24.6deg. I was thinking of winding the lures in but glad I left them out as one reel starting screaming in a way only a mackie could make it and pretty soon I had a 8 kilo mackie decked and a 1 handed gaffing record of 3 out of 3
I tried for a bottom bash but it was extremely rough out there in my little boat and I started to feel sick so I trolled back in for a chance at 1 more mackie but it was not to be. I had a good feed anyway.
This is the first time I have actually kept tuna i have caught and they were fantastic with a bit of marinade and on the bbq. and after about 15 hours of trolling over the last month thats my first metro mackie but my smallest for the year as I was spoilt in steep point earlier on.
rig
grantarctic1
Posts: 2546
Date Joined: 03/03/11
Fat mackie
Very cool mate. That mackie look's fat.
uncle
Posts: 9485
Date Joined: 10/02/07
good to see
you kept at it,nice bag and you don't have to share them
all aggressive fish love bigjohnsjigs
till
Posts: 9358
Date Joined: 21/02/08
The longtails are a fun
The longtails are a fun fight, but a bit ordinary on the tooth so wait till you try the SBTs and YFTs!
Just keep in mind there is a combined bag of just two for YFT, SBT and macks.
hlokk
Posts: 4290
Date Joined: 04/04/08
Very nice solo session. Good
Very nice solo session. Good to hear you landed the double hookup too. Always a bit tricky when theres more lines going off than anglers.
If you think longtail is good, wait til you try yellowfin, or more so bluefin.
alfred
Posts: 3097
Date Joined: 12/01/07
Really good effort. Looks
Really good effort. Looks like there are more solo fishos now.
Humblefish
Posts: 4
Date Joined: 12/04/11
What size lures did they hit?
Nice fish! Spent 5 years in Brisbane chasing Longies on light spin...great fish...not so sure about the detractors of their eating qualities...awesome Sashimi.
What size lures were you running. I have heard that the fish are chasing smaller than ususal bait at the moment.
Ben Derecki
Posts: 1926
Date Joined: 10/10/07
Nice fish!I always keep tuna
Nice fish!
I always keep tuna for a feed, fresh it's fantastic - and easy to cook!
Rig
Posts: 2925
Date Joined: 27/12/06
lures
One tuna and the mackie hit a halco crazy deep pink/chrome in the prop wash, the other hit a rapala cd18 pilchard colour(which is a prety big lure)
Hey till I just checked on the bag limits as I wasnt aware of that, where do longtails fit in?
on the eating quality I have maily been eating spaniard for 10 months due to a good couple of LB trips maybe the tuna tastes so good to me cos its something defferent lol
Brody
Posts: 1025
Date Joined: 06/02/07
Nice fish mate, as Till says
Nice fish mate, as Till says only two pelagics, tuna and macks included.
abeldog
Posts: 801
Date Joined: 12/04/10
Nice Combo
Rig, Tried very hard to catch a tuna but no luck, Hookt got a good one
"People See Things As They Are & Ask Why???
We Can All Dream of Things That Never Were and Ask Why Not!!"( RK )
Rig
Posts: 2925
Date Joined: 27/12/06
I'll have to check
I'll have to check this one out, I just looked on the fisheries website and it only mentions 3 tuna species.
hlokk
Posts: 4290
Date Joined: 04/04/08
Under medium risk species:
Under medium risk species: Bonito and other tuna, limit 8. No size limit.
Bodie
Posts: 3758
Date Joined: 05/11/07
we foudn the George :) On the
we foudn the George :)
On the low the best!
Rig
Posts: 2925
Date Joined: 27/12/06
Correct hlokk
That looks to be correct hlokk. I suppose that explains why there are only 3 types of Tuna mentioned in pelagic category.
PattyT
Posts: 1025
Date Joined: 15/08/10
Not a bad solo effort,
Not a bad solo effort, congrats mate! Hopefully there is some mackies left up north after they decide to head back. haha
till
Posts: 9358
Date Joined: 21/02/08
Yeah, I only mentioned it so
Yeah, I only mentioned it so Rig and others are aware when they're filling up on a mix of SBT/YFT/Big Eye and the rest of the cat 1 pelagics.
No idea what someone would do with 8 combined bonito, longtail and stripers!
barneyboy
Posts: 1392
Date Joined: 08/01/09
So what makes you think they are longtails!!
Dont mean to be a jerk mate but they look like small fin to me!!
FEEEISH ONNN!!!
hlokk
Posts: 4290
Date Joined: 04/04/08
Belly pattern and longer
Belly pattern and longer second pectoral and anal fins. Diff shape too but those 2 are easier.
barneyboy
Posts: 1392
Date Joined: 08/01/09
sorry mate!
Iam not convinced. Iam not trying to start an argument here. I would like to see the difference with a photo as I think they are yellowfin!! Would be interesting to see them side by side!!
FEEEISH ONNN!!!
milsey
Posts: 1462
Date Joined: 22/08/07
Not a YFT have a look at
Not a YFT have a look at this to see the length of the pet fin,
and they look to skinny in the tail to be SBF so i'd agree with the rest.
till
Posts: 9358
Date Joined: 21/02/08
Thats a YFT and a Big Eye.
Thats a YFT and a Big Eye. Totally fat barrels and quite different around the gill plates.
till
Posts: 9358
Date Joined: 21/02/08
I'm no expert, they look a
I'm no expert, they look a bit a scrawny in the tail end.
Brody
Posts: 1025
Date Joined: 06/02/07
Yeah they are definitely long
Yeah they are definitely long tail, and thats interesting regarding the limits for different tuna.
barneyboy
Posts: 1392
Date Joined: 08/01/09
okay thanks fellas
for that! Nice fish by the way!! Would give my left nut at the moment!! Not the right one though! lol
FEEEISH ONNN!!!