bluefin numbers explode
Bluefin tuna stocks are on the increase. For a species that is supposedly endangered they are everywhere, in fact they are now so thick that they are being caught from South Australia to NSW.At present there are tons of bluefin off Portland on Victoria’s West Coast, right around Tassi and now up the East Coast as far as Sydney. What is really interesting to note is that there are jumbos all the way through - the Bluefin is back!
The other day I got a call an excited jake Webster who just landed a 108kg model out of Port Fairy in Victoria on a 9’’ Strikezone jet which is the biggest taken on one of these lures to date. At the same time Ritchie and the boys aboard Dreamcatcher encountered jumbos every day at Eagle Hawk Neck in Tasmania. Scotty from Bridge Motors in Bermagui reports the SBTs are stacked up out wide and they are even cubing them up. Yet it still goes on! Up at Jervis Bay one angler managed to catch a jumbo solo and then gun angler Kev Ward has caught 4 jumbos to 132kg wide off Wollongong in two trips!
In conservation terms things are also looking promising for SBT stocks. It is not just jumbos being caught their is a wide range of fish from small 10kg models through to heavy weight beast. This mix in age groups is a great sign showing the stocks are on the road to recovery. At the same time this is the perfect opportunity for anglers to do their bit and release some of these massive monsters. I realise that everyone wants to catch one but after you got one try and do your best to let the next one go. After catching that cracker last month my aim is now to release one on camera for Strikezone TV setting the example.
The best technique still appears to be trolling a mix of jet heads and Laser Pro 190s with upgraded hooks. Always watch the birds especially down south, but if your fishing in NSW also use your sounder because they mark up really well. The moment you see those red arches show up look at the spread and I guarantee you will be impressed by the bite.
Bigeye caper
This season has been nothing short of sensational for the Strikezone TV and I have managed to get my biggest yellowfin, bluefin and more recently we pulled off the unbelievable and caught a bigeye tuna.
Fishing some 30 miles NE of Sydney we focused on a cold patch of water after seeing it on the SST charts. Fishing baits at 300m we got a bite. Ironically we were fighting a big mahi that ate a surface bait and then with the camera rolling the deep bait exploded to life!
Fishing deep is a new technique that has yet to be adopted in this country but it is highly effective and will produce some oddities like bigeyes, thresher sharks and even swords. The cool calm winter months also happen to be the best time to do it.
Habitat Issues
Recently I co-hosted a Habitat Forum put on by NSW Fisheries. Focusing on the Hexham Swamp near Newcastle I was extremely impressed by the passion and commitment of these guys. They really do understand the problem and needs to be down to fix it. In a nutshell randomly locking away large chunks of marine environment so know one can go near it as the Marine Park Authority has been doing is completely wrong. Instead we need to start at the beginning and fix the nurseries first which is the estuaries. This doesn’t mean ban fishing instead it is all about fixing the habitat like re-flooding wetlands and swamps. It was disappointing, but not surprising to notice that the Marine Parks Authority didn’t even turn up and really makes you question whether they are committed to protecting the environment at all! Check out www.fishhabitatnetwork.com.au
ACoRF
I have just been appointed to represent NSW anglers to the Government so be sure to email me and let me know what you need done. Believe me I am going in their with guns blazing so let me know what you need done!
