Page 38 - Bush 'n Beach Fishing magazine

The author’s best tuna taken on light tackle. You can’t argue when they come back for more.
TMoreton Bay longtails on light gear
UNA in general can be one of What I choose to use depends en- the most frustrating fishing tirely on what bait the tuna are chas- to find, let alone catch, but ing and whether sharks are all over
Pro Staff Pointers
by SEAN BEKKERS
with their blistering runs, split-sec- the schools. For this article I’ll focus
ond direction changes and in most cases awesome eating qualities, they are well worth the effort.
the spookiest fish to hook.
This makes them a very rewarding
on lighter tackle and things I look for when chasing 12kg-plus fish. What to look for
Occasionally you can find More- ton Bay longtail tuna schooled up thick and happy to eat anything you throw at them, though most of the time they are regarded as some of
prize after countless hours spent chasing them. When I’m chasing down longtails, I’ll have a selection of metals, softies and lures along with a variety of light to heavy rod combos.
When I’m on the water searching for tuna, flying into the first boil- up I see is not the best approach, especially if I don’t have to compete with other boats.
Tuna are super sensitive to changes in engine noise and once spooked they’ll dive back to the bottom be- fore resurfacing hundreds of metres away.
Your sounder will help find fish when there is not much of a surface game.
Page 38 – Bush ’n Beach Fishing, June 2020
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I prefer to identify which way the tuna are going and head them off, idling in front of the school without changing the engine revs too much.
Most of the time I find the bigger fish don’t show themselves, prefer- ring to sit under the schools and picking off the stunned bait rather than hitting the surface.
I place my casts in front of the school and give the presentation time to sink through the bait for a few seconds before cranking the lure back. My bigger fish have come from using this technique.