My first yellowfin (and more!!)

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    Posted: 21 Jan 2020 at 8:18pm
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Last Friday and Saturday we took part in the Trailer boat competition that’s run through the Tauranga Sport Fishing Club. Last Friday we went out to White Island in less than ideal conditions. We stopped at a reef to hopefully pick a good kingie or two. We dropped down jack mackerel and it didn’t take long till it got eaten. I got absolutely dusted by a big kingie - both thumbs on the spool and tight drag but it wasn’t stopping! We managed to land one at 107cm and a few others around the metre mark. 

With our livebait stocks depleting we moved and tried to get onto one of White Island’s big trevally. We went to one of our proven spots and luckily the Trevally played ball! My biggest was 5.2kg and was the biggest on the boat.

With the Trevally ticked off and the wind building we pushed for home but decided to flick some lures out and troll home. We were just about to pull them in when WHACK! something had smacked the rapala and my tiagra was screaming. We quickly cleared the gear and I jumped on the rod. After a few minutes we got the first glimpse of the fish. We immediately saw the distinctive yellow 2nd dorsal and anal fin! I remember yelling “IT’S A YELLOWFIN!!” We had him boatside and Dad sunk the gaff. It was a solid shot and secured the fish but unfortunately for Dad it was caught on a rapala which was rigged with two trebles. The tuna had been hooked on the bottom hook and when Dad gaffed it with our short handled kingfish gaff the treble went through his thumb! We tried to push it through but it wasn’t moving so we headed for home and took Dad to A&E. 

We weighed my yellowfin the next day and it went 14.1kgs after it had been bled, gutted and gilled and took out first place in the big tuna section. My trevally also won 1st and Dad took out 2nd. 

Looking forward to my next trip out wherever that may be!


What I learnt that day:
1) Don’t use a small gaff to gaff big fish!
2) Don’t be lazy like Dad and get the long handled gaff out from under the floorboards!
3) Yellowfin sashimi is amazing Big smile

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Post Options Post Options   Likes (0) Likes(0)   Quote Alan L Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 21 Jan 2020 at 8:23pm
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Good stuff.
4) Carry some small bolt cutters in the boat. You never know when you might need them.
Alan
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Post Options Post Options   Likes (0) Likes(0)   Quote CrayZfish Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 21 Jan 2020 at 9:10pm
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Good gaff hold there Alan. Prize for dick of the day by chance?
Why choose either diving or fishing when you can do both. Besides crayfish tail is very good bait!!
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Post Options Post Options   Likes (0) Likes(0)   Quote Speedy Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 21 Jan 2020 at 10:09pm
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Alas - I am guilty of owning the thumb above... Was the first trip to A&E for me for a fishing related injury - and hopefully the last!
 
Yes Alan - we do need to carry a slightly bigger set of bolt cutters - but the biggest problem was my mental block at pushing the barb all the way through so we could have filed the barb off and backed it out. Was an embarrassing yet educational experience LOL
 
Cheers
Proud supporter of Ronald McDonald House & the team at Legasea

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Post Options Post Options   Likes (0) Likes(0)   Quote Fish Addict Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 21 Jan 2020 at 11:00pm
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Nice job Hayden. Ouch Mike.
5) Consider replacing trebles with singles or removing the belly hooks from bibbed lures altogether. Many people have been injured whilst unhooking a fish when it goes ape. Mahi mahi in particular go crazy once boated and having another set of trebles flying around is not ideal.
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Post Options Post Options   Likes (0) Likes(0)   Quote MATTOO Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 22 Jan 2020 at 6:53am
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Thanks for a great report.

Those are some nice fish.

And all sushi yum.

6.
Consider bleeding, gutting and chilling your yellowfin immediately if for food.
It will greatly improve the quality of the fish.
Just cruising in my now sweetas pimped out Southern 755 HT0!
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Post Options Post Options   Likes (0) Likes(0)   Quote Snappa Geoff Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 22 Jan 2020 at 7:05am
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Nice report and Pics M.F! Great results except the old mans ThumbBeer
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Post Options Post Options   Likes (0) Likes(0)   Quote Alan L Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 22 Jan 2020 at 7:16am
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I had the experience of a mate driving a treble deep in to top of his hand while tracing a wahoo on a rapala. The hook lodged in a bone in the top of the hand (from the spare treble). Managed to cut it free once we had separated him from the wahoo and the hook from the rapala. But had to do surgery on the hand - in the boat - to free the hook. I carry bolt cutters now - would have helped enormously, and in scenario above - cut and push thru in the thumb case.
Those hooks are very hard steel. need to try bolt cutters first - make sure they will cut what you fish with - incl stainless game hooks. You will be surprised how tough they are to cut.
 
Fish Addict - slightly off track - but I am not a big fan of the singles - generally replaced them with trebles. Had a lot of hits without hook ups. Had a popper with VMC singles - hit- hit - hit. Lost every time. Pulled it in, swapped some trebles off a rapala. Back out.... hit - 40kg YF. 
Alan
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Post Options Post Options   Likes (0) Likes(0)   Quote Steps Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 22 Jan 2020 at 8:12am
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Excellent Report.

Ditto on small set of bolt cutters..

 I have mentioned this several times in old posts
Even a cheap set $20/30.

A friend got a hook in the hand.. I wasnt there, and they tried to cut it with side cutters..no way
They even tried side cutters at A&E !!!
 No way.
So I sat down at my bench in the shed and tried to cut a 5/0 cheap hook..My though was
"would I be happy someone putting heaps pressure on the hook with a good set of side cutters and have their hand shaking with the effort"
And still not cut the hook.
Brought a cheap small bolt cutter from supercheap, tried those.. snaps bigger Owner/ Gammy hooks in a blink of a eye.
Good Spray with lanocoate and into the boat tool kit.
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Post Options Post Options   Likes (0) Likes(0)   Quote Fishb8 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 22 Jan 2020 at 9:33am
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Great report guys!
I've had about 6 hooks in my hands over the years and it's surprisingly less painful than you'd imagine to turn the hook so it pops the point our so you can flatten the barb.
Worst time was me on upper hook and a kahawai splashing around on the lower hook!!
Be yourself; everyone else is already taken
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Post Options Post Options   Likes (0) Likes(0)   Quote the demon Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 22 Jan 2020 at 9:54am
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great report , the trev is a great result . Get rid of your trebs ,go single .
Hope your thumbs better . Best thing is you put the effort into getting livies and the rest follewed
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Post Options Post Options   Likes (0) Likes(0)   Quote Marligator Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 22 Jan 2020 at 10:27am
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Great report Hayden and Speedy, you guys are on fire this year, that's what happens when people put the time in and do their planning well. Hayden you should have strung the old man up as well as you caught both, although you would have had to disqualify the old man as it was an unfair fight. Cheers Vance
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Post Options Post Options   Likes (0) Likes(0)   Quote Marligator Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 22 Jan 2020 at 10:29am
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Also take the trebles off the lure and replace them with in line singles, safer plus get a stronger hookup.
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Post Options Post Options   Likes (0) Likes(0)   Quote Fishb8 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 22 Jan 2020 at 11:05am
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My biggest TFT was on a mackerel Yozuri minnow - 48 Kg and it swallowed the lure with both sets of trebles embedded.
Also went on a resort fishing trip in Fiji and a 75 kg was caught on a CD 12 Rapala. We all took a turn on the rod. The lure was totally munted but the treble stayed put.
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Post Options Post Options   Likes (0) Likes(0)   Quote MATTOO Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 22 Jan 2020 at 5:38pm
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As this discussion has wandered into trebles I'd like to throw in my views.

Trebles are cheap and rust causing chaos in your kit.
They store badly and then they have a lot of whoops as your dad and many others have discovered.

I believe the accident rate will always be there if there are still free hanging hooks in any set up.

I prefer a two hook up rig and use high quality hooks.
I use s/s doubles at the rear and a single jig hook on the lead hook. This keeps the trolling performance at optimum.
They store well and don't loose on hook ups especially the double.

Just what I do.
Hope that's food for thought.
Just cruising in my now sweetas pimped out Southern 755 HT0!
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Post Options Post Options   Likes (0) Likes(0)   Quote Alan L Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 22 Jan 2020 at 5:49pm
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Good point Mattoo, and you have reminded me - I have switched to double prang hooks on a lot of my gear. I am not totally convinced they troll quite so well - some maybe. But others have gone a bit wonky since switching. But I use them on poppers and rapalas and even gone to rigging dead baits with them. And yes, the trebles are a nightmare for storage/rusting. But you can get some stainless trebles I have found - just can't recall where right now. Maybe one of the aladdins cave of drawers in a shop in Vila.
But I have had a poorer hook up rate on the single rigs on raplas and poppers.
Alan
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Post Options Post Options   Likes (0) Likes(0)   Quote MATTOO Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 22 Jan 2020 at 6:12pm
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Alan,

We will have to compare hooks.
Never had a failure on my doubles.
I use them on all my hard bodied lures from three inch to 12 inch.
Performance of lure is fine.
I say that because there's no detriment to my hook up.

And when on sticks, poppers, rapalas or other hard bodied lures I have had no problems on hook ups.

When I review them in my head, all have been on the doubles.
So the bite/ or hook up has been the rear double.
The singles are forward.
I have not taken enough notice on them.
Other to say they I believe they are not a hindrance to the lure set or troll action.

Hook up succes great for me.

Trolling or lure performance .... no dedregration in performance or hook up.
Just cruising in my now sweetas pimped out Southern 755 HT0!
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Post Options Post Options   Likes (0) Likes(0)   Quote Alan L Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 22 Jan 2020 at 8:07pm
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Titanium
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Mattoo - once more - I am in agreement - I prefer the doubles over trebles and singles. Just I have a few rapalas that don't seem to troll quite the same. But I have been progressively switching to doubles. They tuck neatly into the rapalas and poppers and I can't see any detriment to not having the third leg of hook. And for reasons I haven't pondered yet they seem to store better/last longer than trebles.
I am a big fan of them.
Alan
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Post Options Post Options   Likes (0) Likes(0)   Quote Catchelot Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 22 Jan 2020 at 8:22pm
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Rapalas are designed to swim properly with trebles, easy to squash the barbs down to make them safer.

Top water Lures are mostly designed to swim/wobble/curvey/wavey, etc, with a treble in the middle as a balance point for the lure. 

Other lures are average with singles as many folk say, but I think a single on the tail of a TW lure is ok.

The big Nomads like singles on each...horses for courses perhaps?

"The sea, once it casts its spell, holds one in its net of wonder forever." - Jacques Cousteau
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Post Options Post Options   Likes (0) Likes(0)   Quote MATTOO Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 22 Jan 2020 at 9:05pm
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Your right Al,
It's a performance thing.

The doubles balance well.
And the jigging circles do as well.
I have both combos.
I prefer the doubles on the rear.

The are expensive but great tools.
Just cruising in my now sweetas pimped out Southern 755 HT0!
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