Southern Bluefin out off Botany 14/7/12

[mako1]

Hadn’t had the boat in the water since last November so with all of the tuna reports decided to head out last Saturday 14/7/12 and try our luck.

Conditions didn’t look too bad but it did look like it was going to be bumpy on the way back due to the westerly.

Took my work college Patrick along as he had been on a few trips with us last year for marlin but we didn’t turn a reel.

Launched at about 7am and headed south from Botany.

Put out a spread of four lures and a teaser and started looking for any temp changes.

Worked a few areas and then headed further out towards the 2000m line.

At about 10:45am, not long after the tide change, the short corner takes off.

Then the short rigger and the long corner scream off.

Luckily the hooks pulled on the short rigger and the long rigger had a hit but didn’t hook up.

Patrick grabbed the short corner and began fighting the fish while I cleared the teaser and other lines.

Mine stayed deep under the boat for most of the fight and after about 25mins I get colour on mine and it was a good Southern Bluefin.

Not long after I had my first Southern Bluefin gaffed and then I called Patrick to give me a hand to lift the beast into the boat.

Patrick continued to fight his fish and a little while later his first Southern Bluefin and biggest ever fish was gaffed and heaved into the boat.

After boating the fish I quickly bled and gutted them and kept them as cold as possible.

We put the lures back in and trolled back to the shelf but we didn’t get any more hits.

Happy with the days results we gunned it home from the shelf as the sea began to flatten out.

Spent the rest of the afternoon/evening cleaning and preparing the fish and most of the next day cleaning the blood out of the boat.

My fish had the following lengths

Short length 1.7m Girth 1.15m

Patrick’s fish

Short length 1.5m Girth 1.04m

For anyone interested the lures that the fish took were

Short corner:Polu Kai 12inch Plou Diver in Midnight Slick

Long corner: Polu Kai 12inch Shaka Plunger in Lumo Ghost

The following two lures had hits but didn’t stay connected

Short rigger: Polu Kai 9inch Tailpipe in Purple Magic

Long rigger: Polu Kai 9inch Shaka Plunger Jet in Blue Pilly

Photos of the catch

Also took some video with my GoPro camera

[billseeker]

Welldone mako great fish and welldone finding them to bet you still can't wipe the smile of your workers face

[dsanchez1982]

Cool video

[Jewhunter]

Glad you got into a couple Andrew.

Well done mate. Your one must have been nudging the 100kg mark.

Cheers,

Grant.

[stacko69]

Congrats on your catch. I also watched your video and you did a great job mate, you kept your cool the whole way through and got your colleague a fish of a lifetime. I'm heading out tomorrow AGAIN in search of the mighty Bluefin and just wanted to know how you bleed them and gut them. Is there any special technique in gutting or tricks I should know just incase I land one. Ive heard that I have to cut just behind the pectoral fin to bleed them but not sure if there is anymore I need to do. Also do you have to club them in the head to kill them. Thanks for your help.

[erroll]

Nice work there buddy. Good movie too. We all dream about those days when the esky is too small!!!!!! or the killtank...

Cheers

Erroll

Edited July 17, 2012 by erroll

[John C]

Very nice work and great VID I bet the trip out was well worth it.

[jenno64]

Andrew, that was a superb video. I missed on out going out on a charter on Sunday because the wind was outrageous and seeing your video made me cry:) Great work and enjoy the sashimi, fillets and whatever else you can muster from such a magnificent fish! I hope to get into some tuna soon!