It’s just been the most insane start to the 2024-25 game fishing season with yellow sickles busting up everywhere. From the North cape to Mahia on the East coast and now the 50m line down the West coast.
What’s suddenly brought this about? Top Anglers are debating whether its a combination of earlier and warmer current patterns hitting our coasts or the upsides of that COVID restriction, which may've kept foreign commercial fleets at home and allowing tuna to migrate with far less interception.
What’s really interesting is their average size. There’s been a huge number of fish well over 45kg. Some of the biggest Yellowfin going 87kg out of Tauranga, 76kg by a Whakatane boat and a 73kg model (plus numerous 60’s) being recorded at Waihau Bay.
It’s difficult to know whether more people are trolling lumo skirts, but there seems to be a strong correlation of Yft caught on the lumo green/yellow color lures. 😉
Catch depths have varied. Locally the Pork Chop along the Mayor knolls in 300-500m and Penguin Shoal (~70m) have produced good fishing. Up and down the coast 70-100m sounds to have been a sweet spot and key holding depth. Yet, on the west, most catches have been shallower at 30-60m depths.
Videos and reports of YFT bust ups have been sensational. It doesn’t get much more thrilling than to see 50kg tuna leap right out of the water as ganets are bombing from the air! And so many fisherman have found themselves in the right place at the right time these last couple of months. It’s not a good recipe if the Doctor has told you to keep your blood pressure down… Funnily enough, those sightings haven’t always correlated in hook-ups with many lure fish being caught away from all the bird and surface activity. If there’s a lesson there, fishing can be more productive by not joining in the chaos that comes as boats race from work up to work up.
Top water guys have had a field day. Many hooking super solid 50+ kg models casting their poppers from small stationary dinghy’s. Some of the crash bite footage floating around has just been insane. And full credit to these guys because it takes massive patience and persistence trying to position and time the surface feeds. It’s so good seeing these fisherman be rewarded and get fully buckled over their gunnel rail. The local Lo-cab boys, led by MMSFC members - Mitch Tombleson and Lachie Kidd (Insta links), have been some of many putting on a masterclass this year, showcasing how its done with some insane footage.
This season seemingly being one out of the blue, but hopefully the start of a new pattern, has meant probably far more fish have been taken that could've perhaps been tagged. We all get it, many first timers are landing their first game fish and we all know how good they taste. But when the emotion is sky-high, its important to step back a sec and rationalize. How good would it be to see our kids experiencing fishing like we've seen this year.
Tuna are literally a butterball, laden with meat. A large one will provide for multiple families. I, like most of my fishing mates, love a feed of sashimi but after 2 or 3 meals you’re done and by day 4 you’re finding yourself forcing meals.
I can’t suggest strongly enough that tuna be quickly bled and core chilled so you get the best best out of the flesh. Equally important, spread the meat far and wide as fast as you can, while it's in its prime, that's the day you cut it up.
Compared to white flesh species, Tuna doesn’t freeze that great. While it may make a novelty burger patty, in my opinion, these fish are way better respected left swimming for our kids to catch in coming years.
Last but not least, a quick point on tagging, Tuna have a main artery that follows the lateral line along their body just above the pectorial fin so don’t aim a tag near there. Try to shoot for upper back near the dorsal area so the fish has the best chance of thriving after your release.
Go get em team, tight lines.