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Tasmanian bluefin mania
 Anyone interested in catching big, hard-pulling
tuna on stand-up tackle would have heard about the tremendous run of
80kg southern bluefin encountered off the south coast of Victoria this
March and April.
But as good as the fishing was during this time, it did not last longer than
two or three weeks. And, at the same time, there was a bite going on off the
southern coast of Tasmania which appeared to be every bit as good, if not better.
I heard about it from the guys on the front line and, with just three days' notice,
headed down to check it out with Paul 'Keg' Barry, a fishing buddy
from Sydney.
The news from Hobart's Go Fishing Charters operators Lee Harris and Greg
Plunkett was of unbelievable fishing. The night we arrived at Southport, Tasmania,
the boys aboard Go had taken out a Victorian group, boating two southern bluefin
tuna up to 99kg and tagging three. The day before, they had boated and/or tagged
up to seven.
The biggest southern bluefin boated during the hot bite was a reported 130kg,
and the boys on Go recounted a story about one tuna that broke off on the leader
after a long fight that was regarded as easily over 150kg.
On June 19, we headed for the fishing grounds 18 miles from the southern coast
of Tasmania at 6am, to an area of small rocky islets known as the Pedra Branca
group. Many times over my fishing career I have heard stories of fantastic fishing
only to be disappointed when I got there. Well, this time it was better than
I could have hoped. Fishing stand-up 37kg tackle, we had not even set the spread
of lures before our first pass alongside the main island produced a solid and
reel-screaming strike at 8am.
It's difficult to describe how amazing the fishing was in the space available
here.
But I will tell you that we landed eight from 12, with six of them over 90kg.
The last fish hit the deck at 12.36pm.
A feature on this amazing run of bluefin will appear in the next issue of BlueWater.
Stay tuned!
To explore this fishery, contact Go Fishing Charters on 0419 394 386.
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