Newslines
bluewatermag.com.au 17The arrival of autumn is a favourite period for many Tasmanian
gamefishermen as it’s usually when various tuna species begin
to congregate in large numbers along the east and south coasts.
Autumn provides a variety of gamefish to target, from bluefin
tuna and albacore to swordfish and mako sharks. However, the
most anticipated fish are the ‘barrel’-sized bluefin tuna. This
season was no exception, and right on cue at the beginning of
April a bluefin around 95kg was caught at the Hippolyte Rock,
near Eaglehawk Neck. Later that day, two more boats hooked
big tuna, one of these being Big Pig, skippered by renowned
charter operator Stuart Nichols. Dr Sean Tracey, the game fishing
scientist from the Institute for Marine and Antarctic Studies, had
chartered the vessel to undertake more bluefin research. He’d
been targeting smaller school fish, but after a half-hour battle
on a Fin-Nor spin reel Sean was able to land the 87kg fish. He’d
been intending to release it, but a seal bit the tuna during the
fight, so the decision was made to keep it.
Since Sean’s tuna was not a potential record, their priority was
to ensure the meat was kept in optimal condition for consumption.
As a result, the crew gutted the fish while at sea, icing it down
as soon as possible. The tuna was consequently weighed after
being gutted, but with the internal organs kept in a bag and
weighed separately. This process ensures the quality of the flesh
is preserved and still enables an accurate weight to be obtained.
Two days later, Stuart again demonstrated why he is one of the
best in the business by catching another barrel bluefin from the
Hippolyte Rock, this one weighing in at 107kg. Considering the
immense schools of slimy mackerel, jack mackerel and red bait
off Eaglehawk Neck, it is no surprise that tuna are aggregating
in such great numbers.
While the average school bluefin has been quite small so far this
season (generally less than 10kg), there have been some huge
albacore tuna over the inshore reefs, with some in excess of 20kg.
Tassie tuna season
is all go
Big albacore are usually encountered sporadically while fishing off
the Tasman Peninsula, usually being hooked singly on a blind strike,
which makes them difficult to target. However, in early April we
stumbled across a patch of these fish wide of the Hippolyte Rock
and enjoyed a rare opportunity to indulge in these XL speedsters.
With sizes ranging from 19 to 25kg, they were a welcome surprise
and provided some intense action with many multiple hook-ups.
The vast quantities of baitfish currently residing along the
Tasman Peninsula suggests that this tuna season will continue to
improve as more fish move into the area to take advantage of
the rich feeding grounds.- Jonah Yick
Dr Sean Tracey,
the game fishing
scientist, with his
87kg southern
bluefin tuna caught
on a spinning outfit
beside the Hippolyte
Rock, off Tasmania’s
Eaglehawk Neck.
Photo: Stuart NicholsJonah Yick and Sam Nichols
with a few 20kg albacore tuna,
which appeared off the Tasman
Peninsula in April.