To drop and go
by Jarrod Day, FishingBoating-World Editor on 8 Apr 2013
Jarrod Day
The mind of a keen fisho is a funny thing, not too complex but ever so changing with the seasons. Never have I known so many people that can just drop everything at the simple sentence 'a barrel was just caught at Portland'. This in itself can see hundreds of anglers from right around the country literately drop everything only to jump in the boat and head some five hours west of Melbourne to Portland, the tuna capitol of the country.
It is this week that has seen hundreds of anglers descend on Portland. Half a dozen southern bluefin tuna have been caught. Of the first, an 84kg fish caught by Simon Rinaldi of Red Hot Fishing Charters followed by a 131kg tuna caught by Aleks Matic from Reel Time Fishing Charters. Following suite, anglers Tino and Jason managed a double hook-up of fish around the 100kg mark. The boy’s cut one off at the boat while the other was landed and weighed; it went 95kg’s. The next day another 80kg fish was landed so you can easily see how fish can dictate when we work and when we should go fishing.
This fishing phenomenon occurs right around the country when different species are on. Bermagui on New South Wales south coast gets anglers by the hundreds in search of kingfish, at Port Stephens it is all about billfish and for the West aussies, Exmouth is the home of billfish and when they are on, it is mayhem.
Fishing is certainly an addiction and if you have ever wanted to catch such a highly prized species, you can never leave it up to a planned holiday. Unfortunately, fishing such as this is all dictated by the moons, tides and currents and while you can never pinpoint the exact time in when they will show up, when they do, you have to just drop it all and go. Even leaving it for a day can have you miss the bite. If you have the ability to do this, then best you get in the car and get your butt to Portland. The world class tuna fishery is on fire.
This week Lee Break has returned from gallivanting all over the Top End with Eclipse FNQ Fishing Charters. Lee spent the past week searching out an array of different species and over the next few weeks will explain the different techniques used on some of the toughest and most brutal reef species that can be found both offshore and in the rivers of the Top End.
Gary Brown looks at using alternative fishing methods to ensure success. Over the years Gary has learnt many things from other anglers from right around the country and brings them all together is a neat little roundup of how effective these totally different techniques can be used.
I head offshore in search of some bread and butter species, the humble silver whiting. Silver whiting are not a regular sought after species rather they are purchased frozen for use as bait. As we all know fresh bait is the best and with silver whiting on offer in Bass Strait, Victoria, catching them yourself can be a lot of fun as well as giving you the best opportunities when snapper fishing.
Until next week, I’m going tuna hunting; see you on the water,
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