mako1 Posted September 6, 2006 Share Posted September 6, 2006 Hi guys, Dad,a mate of ours and myself had a day off work today so we decided to give browns another go.We launchedat 9:00am and headed to the drums for some livies.There were no yellowtail or slimies,but we found ourselves in a hot trevally bite.We boated quite afew good sized trevally,keeping afew smaller ones for livies.The wind was up abit but we still headed out as the forcast was for light winds offshore.Boy didn't they predict the wrong weather .It was quite choppy going out but as we approached the halfway mark the wind seemed weaker so we continued out.Not far from browns the wind was very strong and a good chop was building.It was way to windy to cube or bottom fish so we decided to troll around browns abit then troll home. Didn't get a hit at browns so we started to troll back in.It was very rough going back in so we had to take it easy.We were just coming over the shelf drop off when the penn starts screaming.I grabbed the rod while the other lines were cleared and began fighting the fish.It was a good one and was taking alot of line before it turned and I began to work it back to the boat.It was a hard fight as I was fighting the fish and fighting to stay on my feet on the rocking boat,but about 15mins later we got a look at the fish and it was a really good one,the biggest one we've hooked.I got it to the boat and traced it.I got its head up but dad missed the gaff shot and it took a powerful dive and I didn't realise the line had wrapped around the rod tip and it was all over.We couldn't believe it a really good fish lost at the boat.We were all gutted.We estimated the fish to be about 45kg.After abit of cursing I rerigged the rod and set the spred again.About 10mins into the troll the TLD25 starts screaming.I again grabbed the rod and began fighting the fish.After about 10mins a nice fin comes into view.Not nearly as big as the first,but still a good fish.This time dad would trace the fish and I would gaff it.It all came together and a beautiful 20kg fin hits the deck. .We continued to troll back in through the crappy seas but we didn't get a hit after that.We were happy to get back to the ramp but were still disappointed on loosing that fin.Atleast we got one and the trip wasn't a total waste. Some pics of the 20kg fin(taken inside Botany Bay) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted September 6, 2006 Share Posted September 6, 2006 What a shame about the big fin you lost ,at least you got back in safely Good job once again Cheers Stewy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
netic Posted September 6, 2006 Share Posted September 6, 2006 Well done on the fin mate, shame about the big one lost. Always next trip Im relly dying to catch one around the 50kg mark and would be spewing if i lost it at the boat. Hopefully this bad weather eases soon and we can ripp into them again soon. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wombat Posted September 6, 2006 Share Posted September 6, 2006 Great fish and almost fish. What lure were you trolling? Wombat Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
James Posted September 6, 2006 Share Posted September 6, 2006 well done mate nice fish and bad luck on the one that got away. top fish for botony lol Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Penguin Posted September 7, 2006 Share Posted September 7, 2006 (edited) Nice fish mate,and bad luck on the bigger one that got away penguin Edited September 7, 2006 by penguin Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mako1 Posted September 7, 2006 Author Share Posted September 7, 2006 Thanks guys. We're still spewing about loosing the good fin at the boat. It was so close I felt like going in after it.Dad feels the worst about it as he missed the gaff shot.He said next time he'll do everything but gaff the fish.I think I'll shorten all the lure traces so I can fight the fish to the rod tip and not have to trace the fish.As it's only our first tuna season we're still learning from our mistakes. Keepin_TABS we were in a 6m seafarer and it handled the big chop really well. Wombat we had a bibless minnow,a medium skirt,a medium jet head and a small jet head out and the first fish grabbed the medium skirt. On the next troll I just put two medium skirts out and the closer one was grabbed.Here is a pic of the skirts. They were both pakula lures.The first fish grabbed one that was the same as the top lure but was purple,light blue and clear with black stripes.It is now sitting on the bottom near the shelf.The second fish hit the bottom lure. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Martin Posted September 7, 2006 Share Posted September 7, 2006 Nice fin and congrats. Shame about the line wrapping around the rod tip, but it happens to the best of us. Cheers Martin Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest IFishSick. Posted September 7, 2006 Share Posted September 7, 2006 Very well done buddy. It's a shame about the biggen, but it happens to the best of us. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
R_Zee Posted September 7, 2006 Share Posted September 7, 2006 Great effort mate! i have misgaffed a big king last summer and im still not over it... congrats on the fish, hope you get more soon! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flattieman Posted September 7, 2006 Share Posted September 7, 2006 Nice fin despite the unlucky loss. At least you took home a good fish anyway. Flattieman. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mako1 Posted September 7, 2006 Author Share Posted September 7, 2006 Just another thing about this tuna when I gutted it I found 10 of these in its stomach It's called a common snipefish.They have been trawled up on the NSW coast in depths ranging from 100m to 300m.They form huge schools and mainly feed on the bottom. They grow to about 25cm and use their snouts to find food on the ocean floor. From reading afew articles they are quite a common source of food for tuna.That means the tuna must have also been feeding near the bottom on schools of these fish. It's similar to a nannygai in colour and size and I remember watching the old tuna videos where they would use nannygai as live bait for huge tuna and they said it was a top bait for huge fin.Both the nannygai and the snipefish are very spikey. Maybe the tuna thought the nannygai was a big snipefish,but then again they do get deepwater nannygai.Might have to stop on a reef on the way out and try for a nannygai as I would love to give them a go. Might get one of those jumbo fins Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Laredo Posted September 7, 2006 Share Posted September 7, 2006 interesting Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
harry.dz Posted September 7, 2006 Share Posted September 7, 2006 The nannas are actually the gun bait for big fin. Why don't you use wind on traces instead off shorting them. You'll be cursing when you'll hook up onto a beaky. Hazza Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mako1 Posted September 7, 2006 Author Share Posted September 7, 2006 The nannas are actually the gun bait for big fin. Why don't you use wind on traces instead off shorting them. You'll be cursing when you'll hook up onto a beaky. Hazza I usually fish with a double to a ball bearing swivel and a snap which is connected to a 3m trace,but I think I will get rid of the snap and swivel and make it all wind on so I can fight it to the rod tip or move the swivel 1m away from the lure and make the rest of the leader wind on,but I think the second version might put the fish off. I like to have the swivel and snap there as it makes it easy to change lures,I think I'll have to play around with afew versions. Thanks for the advice. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wombat Posted September 8, 2006 Share Posted September 8, 2006 Wombat we had a bibless minnow,a medium skirt,a medium jet head and a small jet head out ................... Thanks Mako. Will have to try some of those skirts. Wombat Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mako1 Posted September 9, 2006 Author Share Posted September 9, 2006 Thanks Mako. Will have to try some of those skirts. Wombat Happy to help.Alot of the tuna are falling for the medium to small skirts.I like to troll a variety of lures but I think I will stick to the skirts.Just bought two pakula cockroaches one to replace the lost one and an extra one to add to the spread.Can't wait till the weather eases so I can give them a go. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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