TUNA!

[Mark Swaby]

I saw an amazing short video last night of some lads I know who recently went with an official boat. They said the Bluefin Tuna were in their thousands the video backed this up. For as far as you could see all around them big tuna were crashing into Mackerel. They were within 3 miles of the shore. On their second day the Bluefin were so close to shore you could have cast to them. The first day they had 6 to the boat with 2 lost, they take some landing even on stand up 80lb class. They also said there were large numbers of Shark boats unofficially catching bluefin . Sadly the Asian super trawlers were waiting on the Tuna just outside our 12 mile controlled area. That to me makes our catch ,tag and release fishery a bit of a mockery. Maybe limits could be set and a rod caught fishery could be set up like they do on the east coast of the USA.

 

[Jeff Smith]

I saw an amazing short video last night of some lads I know who recently went with an official boat. They said the Bluefin Tuna were in their thousands the video backed this up. For as far as you could see all around them big tuna were crashing into Mackerel. They were within 3 miles of the shore. On their second day the Bluefin were so close to shore you could have cast to them. The first day they had 6 to the boat with 2 lost, they take some landing even on stand up 80lb class. They also said there were large numbers of Shark boats unofficially catching bluefin . Sadly the Asian super trawlers were waiting on the Tuna just outside our 12 mile controlled area. That to me makes our catch ,tag and release fishery a bit of a mockery. Maybe limits could be set and a rod caught fishery could be set up like they do on the east coast of the USA.

We’re certainly seeing big numbers of tuna out there every day Mark and, as you say, sometimes very close inshore.
Our ‘busiest’ day so far has seen 10 hits with 7 fish to the boat which is fantastic as all the anglers on board ( we run a maximum of 4) had a chance to fight one of these fish.
We’re using 30lb class IGFA stand - up equipment ( this bears no resemblance at all to UK classifications) and all the fish have been brought to the boat before 30 minutes( well within the time constraints imposed on us)
The scheme is already on track to tag double the amount of tuna than last year- very exciting stuff indeed.
I must admit, I’ve not personally experienced these so called ‘Asian super trawlers’ yet, nor many ‘shark boats’ having a bash in our area ( Around Plymouth) but , last week I did see a fellah in a 17ft Warrior being towed around by ‘something’.
I think he might even still be out there
At the moment, we’ve been told that it is unlikely that the tagging scheme will run next year but, a licenced C&R fishery is being negotiated with the Government ( do we actually have a Government )by representatives from the Angling Trust so we’ll have to wait to see what happens .
Just an amusing observation- the boats gauge their ‘success’ rate using a thing call ‘catch per unit effort’ (CPUE)
Overall it’s about 1.9 tuna per boat, per day.
In my world you’ve got far more chance of catching a tuna than a barbel!!!!

 

[Tim Harris]

I had a day out of Plymouth in early October. An incredible experience any where in the world, even more so given it was off our own shores.

We started late (to let a overnigth front pass through) so only really started around 11am. we hooked 5, landed 4. i had 2 of 250 &350, my friends had fish of 380 and 450lb.

Ive fished for a variety of species in the world, but nothing of this size or power. absolutely incredible watching tuna hitting bait all around you before a rod keels over and the drag screams out.

I'd recommend going out with one of the CHART skippers if you get the chance - i think my body would only allow a single day a year - getting old!

 

[Rupert Drury]

These UK bluefin really are brutal on the end of your string.

I caught my first in 2020 and have been lucky enough to get a few days each year since.

This years trip in September gave us lots of drama. I snapped my Shimano tiagra 80lb stand up on one fish (circa 375lb) - luckily the line still held out, even if the rod didn‘t and we got the fish to the side of the boat still.

The following day gave me my pb, which measured 99” on the scale and a weight of 680lbs. More weight in that one fish than all my 76 barbel I’ve caught this season!

 

[Jeff Smith]

These UK bluefin really are brutal on the end of your string.

I caught my first in 2020 and have been lucky enough to get a few days each year since.

This years trip in September gave us lots of drama. I snapped my Shimano tiagra 80lb stand up on one fish (circa 375lb) - luckily the line still held out, even if the rod didn‘t and we got the fish to the side of the boat still.

The following day gave me my pb, which measured 99” on the scale and a weight of 680lbs. More weight in that one fish than all my 76 barbel I’ve caught this season!

They can be tough on the kit.You did well to get that fish up on a broken rod Rupert

 

[Rupert Drury]

They can be tough on the kit.You did well to get that fish up on a broken rod Rupert

Thanks - I’m making a habit of busting gear on these beasts. In 2020 I had the aluminium bent butt snap - the rod itself was fine. That made for an interesting scenario, but a team effort and we landed that one too - circa 400lbs.

 

[Jeff Smith]

Thanks - I’m making a habit of busting gear on these beasts. In 2020 I had the aluminium bent butt snap - the rod itself was fine. That made for an interesting scenario, but a team effort and we landed that one too - circa 400lbs.

Please don’t take this the wrong way Rupert but, with your track record, we’d rather you didn’t book any trips with us mate……….. we’d be running at a loss

 

[Rupert Drury]

No skippers wallets were dented when the tackle was being tested to its limits! All my own gear!

Transpires the bent butt was only rated 30-50 which I’d fitted to an 80lb shimano beastmaster just to try a bent butt out. All was going fine until the tuna went into its pinwheel and I teally piled on tbe pressure…..

I’ve got the exact moment both rod butt and standup rod gave up the ghost on video, which is mildly amusing to replay.