Maximising your chances of getting a bite

It’s the time to have a last hurrah before we lose daylight savings here in Tasmania, and we are looking to have a big month. The only people happy to see the back of daylight savings are the flounder fishers as they can start earlier and be in bed before 1am. The rest of us love the extra available light on the weekends and after work.

This month we look for the broadbill swords to really fire up, and dedicated crews will go wide in search of the powerful beasts. We also hope to build on the yellowfin tuna captures of last year, and we all have our fingers crossed. Let’s look at frostfish are often found in their stomachs, along with all manner of squid. The boat ramps of St Helens and Bicheno are good places to start. The southeast has some very good areas to try your hand, and the ramp at Pirates Bay is a popular with broadbill crews.

PARTY PISCATORIAL

This was a concept I pitched to a dear friend of mine some time ago now. It was to be a two-man show celebrating all things fishing, the love of life and the amazing fishing we have here in Tasmania. We planned to sprinkle in a few hints and tips to help fishing novices, and those anglers who are new to game fishing.

Sadly, my friend passed away, and I felt that was that.

Harry Murfet and Glen Saltmarsh with a yellowfin from last season. Tasmanian yellowfin tuna are the holy grail. these in a bit greater detail.

Danni Suttil and his sons have anglers very keen to get out and chase swordfish again this season. The new owners of Meridian Tackle went to sea to test some new over skirts they have developed. If the result is anything to go by, they have nailed it. They sent a bait into the depths off St Helens utilising their 60kg outfit, and came up tight. The battle was swift and the crew did very well to have the fish boat-side in an hour and a half.

The fish pulled the scales down to 297kg, and it fed a great many people. Swordfish yields a great amount of flesh, and it can be utilised in many very nice recipes.

The overskirt colour they used was the orange lumo. These overskirts supply two advantages. If the broadbill strikes out at the bait with their big sword-like bill, the overskirt protects the bait to a certain extent. If the fish manages to destroy the bait, there is also the added advantage of something squid-like still being attached to the hook. So, in theory, if the fish turns and comes back looking for something more to eat, it will see the lumo skirt and think it is a squid, or a piece of the bait it missed.

When you are sending baits down to such depths, anything you can do to maximise your chance of getting a bite is well worth it. So, well done lads – this has excited many keen crews to get out and have a try.

The Tasmanian Broadbill Championships is held this month and there’s a number of mainland crews looking to make the journey and try their luck.

The continental shelf is readily accessible all along the Tasmanian East Coast and it is this drop-off that holds the fish that the swords like to eat. Gemfish and

Then, a few months ago, I thought, you know what? Bugger it, I will do it in his honour. He was such an awesome man with so many great attributes that I have tweaked the show to include some of his fabulous life lessons and idiosyncrasies that align with fishing, and fishing success and enjoyment.

Before the first show I was uncertain as to how people would relate to it. To my great surprise, it seems people got it and enjoyed it immensely. I am now looking to do a show in Launceston and Hobart in late March or early April.

GOLD FEVER

“There is gold in them thar’ hills.” Well… not exactly, but there may be some yellow gold in the currents coming down from mainland Australia. Yellowfin tuna are like gold to the Tasmanian game fisher. The big golden sickles cause a great deal of fuss and hysteria when sighted in Tasmanian waters or, even better, when they land on the deck of your boat. They are a spectacular looking fish, they fight hard and dirty, and are a real trophy. These fish also are very good eating.

Last season we saw an increase in fish sighted and a few boated, and March is the month we get a little excited about the possibility of catching one of these amazing fish. I am really hoping we have a reasonable run of these fish this season. This will let us know the Yellowfin Tuna fish stocks are on the improve.

For the best chance of to rush and do something silly through impatience. Be smooth and get a bit of line each time the fish circles, working the fish up slowly into gaff range. Hopefully the person standing by your side about to gaff the fish success, crews need to be on top of their game and gear needs to be inspected and in the best possible order. A 50kg+ yellowfin tuna will find any chinks in your armour very quickly, and your crew will need to be on their toes.

The leadering of these fish needs to be done smoothly and with patience. You have done the hard work, now is not the time has not seen the gaff for the first time until five minutes ago. Otherwise, this could turn into a major disaster.

Ultimately, you all want to work as a team, and maybe have a chat about the roles on the boat well before the reel goes off.

The bluefin tuna stocks around Tasmania and Australia are nothing short of amazing. The bluefin run is continuing in Bass Strait to the degree that it’s now a phenomenon. There are acres of southern bluefin tuna stretching from the mouth of the Tamar River to the east, along past Devonport and Ulverstone on the central coast, and further west past Burnie and Wynyard. The local fisher folk have been out enjoying great success on these big schools. This is in an area where the fish have just not been caught in previous years.

If I was you I might have a talk to your crew and watch the weather. Find a window with favourable weather, and work and get out and enjoy the ripper fishing we are experiencing here in Tasmania in 2023.

Good luck and tight lines.