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Solo double on Yellowfin Tuna

Printed From: The Fishing Website
Category: Saltwater Fishing
Forum Name: Fishing Reports
Forum Description: Share information about your latest fishing trip
URL: https://www.fishing.net.nz/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=134828
Printed Date: 29 Mar 2024 at 9:10pm


Topic: Solo double on Yellowfin Tuna
Posted By: Johnny Watson
Subject: Solo double on Yellowfin Tuna
Date Posted: 08 Jan 2021 at 2:18pm


Happy new years all.

Bit of a belated trip report from the 15/12/2020.

Drove up to Tutukaka during the night and slept in the car, taking the next day off work to try nail a Yellowfin Tuna out wide of the Poor Knights.

I launched solo before 5 am, shooting out about 50km offshore to the 300 meter mark and deploying the gear. I was only trolling for 40 minutes and now in 320 meters when I saw about 10 seabirds working the surface of the water a few hundred meters away. I made a beeline for the action and saw some small splashes on arrival. Small Tuna?

Well about 2 seconds later the Pakula Phantom in Brad J gets nailed off the short corner about 15 meters behind the boat, and line is getting lost! Out the corner of my eye I see the port outrigger flex and bang goes the rubber band with the RG2 lumo with squid daisy chain. Double on!

The fish both had a good first run before finding their "comfort zones", in which time I calmly cleared the other two lures. I didn't put too much heat on the first fish, trying to keep tension on the other fish all the while. A Yellowfin Tuna soon came onto sight right under the boat and was secured with the gaff. Chaaaaarrrrhhhhoooooo!!! My first gamefish landed!

I took a few photos and videos before turning my attention to the other fish. I soon had another Yellowfin Tuna to the boat after 5 minutes or so, securing that fish with the gaff too. Absolutely pumped that the mad dash mission had paid off!

I trolled for another couple hours after that, seeing a few Yellowfin get airborne in the same area not long after setting the gear again, before calling it a day around 10 am.

Both fish went 17 kg and were incredibly good eating, well received by good friends and family.

Super stoked to land my first gamefish, super stoked to land a Yellowfin Tuna in NZ and solo off my own 5 meter boat, and super stoked to have a double hookup and land both.


A day to remember!!!




Replies:
Posted By: churbay
Date Posted: 08 Jan 2021 at 2:49pm
Awesome!


Posted By: shaneg
Date Posted: 08 Jan 2021 at 2:53pm
Awesome result Jonny, well done. They are beautiful fish and as good eating. Interesting both same size, seems to be way when you get multiple hook up on them.

Tuts certainly delivering. Mate got his first shortbill there few days ago. Another good mate same day snapped rod after couple hours on a big shark that took a lure, likely a large mako. He got to see it but said it was grey and white in colouring, apparently large makos go bit greyer in appearance topside, and whites not known to take a lure.


Posted By: [email protected]
Date Posted: 08 Jan 2021 at 3:48pm
Awesome. Your the man on these last minute trips. Great work


Posted By: smudge
Date Posted: 08 Jan 2021 at 4:50pm
Nice!

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Best gurnard fisherman in my street


Posted By: MB
Date Posted: 08 Jan 2021 at 7:30pm
Very well done!


Posted By: Alan L
Date Posted: 08 Jan 2021 at 8:15pm
Good job. So a couple of tips on this topic and these fish. 
Prob already known, but..
Ice them down ASAP. And bleed them and gut them. I cut the gills at the throat. Empty the gut and fill with iced bottles. And put on ice.
For multiple strikes, I run the rods on different drag settings. I have had triple YF and wahoo solo. Grab the rod you want to fish first - may not be the closest - depends on what goes off on the spread. Jam the drag right up (strike - 1/3 break strain). Look at the other rods and work out which suits best and leave one on light drag and the other inbetween. Not so light to loose tension. Just enough and let that fish run as far away as it wants. More the better.  Keep the boat running foward at a speed that will keep tension on. (I lost a double dogtooth strike couple of days ago with not enough tension trying to turn boat in **** sea). The YF tend to want to dive but at least the angles are wide and they shouldn't cross.
As you noted - there is a period the fish will settle to the slug it out phase. Use that to clear the other gear (and hope no more strikes). At this point you will be cursing if you didn't have your harness on. I wear the belt and harness all the time I am solo with game rods out. It comes off when the lures are in the boat. No spare hands.
Regards
Alan


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Legasea Legend member


Posted By: shaneg
Date Posted: 08 Jan 2021 at 11:40pm
Good advice there Alan L.  
Some variation in drag settings versus all the same actually makes sense in that situation. We run both  24 and 37 and had triple last season landed 1 on 37 first, one on 24 second , and the last most lively one on 37 kg being 3rd. All weighed about same 27 kg to 28 kg fish.
Having said that, 2 on board makes somewhat easier, solo way harder.


Posted By: Johnny Watson
Date Posted: 10 Jan 2021 at 12:01am
Cheers fellas👍Another report coming very soon


Posted By: Speedy
Date Posted: 19 Jan 2021 at 7:54am
you beauty! Great result there mate!

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Proud supporter of Ronald McDonald House & the team at Legasea

http://www.legasea.co.nz" rel="nofollow">


Posted By: Johnny Watson
Date Posted: 23 Jan 2021 at 9:18am
Originally posted by Speedy Speedy wrote:


you beauty! Great result there mate!


Cheers Speedy 👍



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