Tuna are found all over the world and have long been highly regarded as one of the top pelagic sport fish of the ocean to target from light spin to big game. Certain species of tuna have a fantastic eating quality flesh making them not only a great sport fish but a quality table fish. Tuna differ from other fish species due to their ability to raise and maintain their body temperature above that of the ocean around them. This then allows tuna to inhabit cooler and warmer climates making them more adaptable and allowing them to inhabit more of the world’s oceans than other fish species. Some species of tuna have been known to live up to 20years with the Atlantic blue fin tuna being weighed in at up 684kg and 458cm in length.

When chasing tuna the best sign to look for when trying to locate a school is bird activity. When tuna are feeding they will often school and push bait balls to the surface were the water then appears to be boiling as they feed on small bait fish. Birds are best sign because they can be seen circling and diving on the schools bait from fair distance away making it easier to locate a school. Tuna schools will often fall and rise as the bait disperses after the ball has been pushed to the surface making the schools only available to lures for a short period of time. Because there speedy feeding habits you will need to ready to cast a lure into the school as soon as come into casting distance. Having a few mates onboard will make this much easier, taking it in turns to cast and to drive. Tuna schools can quite easily be spooked by boats so as your vessel approaches the school you will need to slow down to avoid sending the school back down to the deep. On some days the tuna schools will often follow the current so it is possible to position the boat down current from the school and waiting for them to come to you without spooking the fish.

When spinning for them your mainline does not have to be heavy depending on species you are chasing, it is important though to have a nice strong leader to avoid being bitten off by their small razor sharp teeth. Mack tuna, yellow fin tuna and long tail tuna are the three most common species found on the coast with all three species sometimes being caught on the same day. Light weight can depend on the species but anywhere from 15lb braid onwards is usually a good start however some sports anglers will use as little as 4lb braid and still be able to land fish after fish. Braided lines are excellent because they can easily pull above their recommend weight class and add the extra casting distance makes them ideal. Tuna have been recorded reaching speeds of up to 70km and hour so be sure to have a quality reel with an excellent drag system than can stand up to long reel burning runs. When it comes to lure choice you can’t go past metal slugs, slugs can be cast a long distance, retrieved at fast pace and normally come with heavy duty hooks to suit. When it comes to tuna profile is everything it can be the difference between catching no fish and catching heaps. You need to try and match the bait as close as possible, if the tuna are feeding on small white bait use a small slug, if they are feeding on large pilchards use a large slug. When it comes to the cast and retrieve you will want to cast your lure as close to the edge of the boiling bait school as possible and then commence the retrieve with very fast constant wind. Tuna when feeding will only chase and feed on very fast moving lure so you will need to crank it back in. Once that tuna strikes and you set the hooks be prepared for a very long and hard memorable fight.

Talking Tackle:

Samaki Baitfish and Torpedo

When it comes to chasing tuna metal slugs are the go and the Samaki range of metal slugs are ideal. Samaki’s Baitfish and Torpedo range of slugs are excellent for tuna and just about every other type of pelagic species out there. They come in a range of natural colours and weight size to help you match whatever bait fish as close as possible. Combined with high reflective coating and strong set of trebles makes these lures ideal to spin for tuna, jig for kingfish or troll for mackerel the Samaki Bait fish and Torpedo lures are sure to satisfy your needs and put fish in the boat.

A range of Samaki metal slugs in the Baitfish and Torpedo.

Noosa: Snapper and sweetlip from North Reef before the wet and wild weather. Snub nose dart, swallow tail dart and bream from Noosa North Shore. Good numbers of Mangrove jack from Woods Bay, river mouth and Munna bridge. Flathead to 53cm and bream in Webya.

Maroochydore: Bream and whiting in Maroochy Waters Canals on live and peeled fresh prawns. Flathead and mangrove jacks around the Bli Bli bridge on soft plastics, live bait and hard body lures. Trevally around the motor way bridge on soft plastics. Mud crabs from the Bli Bli Islands.

Kawana: Sweetlip, Spangled Emperor and Spanish Mackerel around 20kg from the outer Gneerings and Inner Gneerings before the wet weather and big seas. Trevally, bream and the occasional flathead from the rock walls during the incoming tide. Mud crab in the canals.

Caloundra: Grunter bream, mangrove jacks and the occasional flathead from Coochin Creek. Whiting and bream out from the Power boat club. Flathead off the Boardwalk on live herring. Mud crabs in the creeks.

Andy Gunn with a monster Spanish Mackerel taken on the troll around the Out Gneerings, the mackerel weighted in at 20kg despite losing a big chunk to a shark.

Noosa: Scarlet sea perch and Cobia off Double Island point. Snapper and sweetlip from North Reef. Snub nose dart, swallow tail dart and bream from Noosa North Shore. Good numbers of Mangrove jack from Woods Bay, river mouth and Munna bridge. Flathead to 53cm and bream in Webya.

Maroochydore: Bream and whiting in Maroochy Waters Canals on live and peeled fresh prawns. Flathead around the Bli Bli bridge on soft plastics. Tailor and trevally from the Cod Hole during the morning run in tide. Mud crabs from the Bli Bli Islands.

Kawana: Sweetlip and tusk fish up off Coolum at night. Sweetlip and Spangled Emperor from the outer Gneerings on soft plastics. Trevally, bream and the occasional flathead from the rock walls during the incoming tide. Mud crab in the canals.

Caloundra: Good numbers of whiting and flathead from Currimundi Lake with a few dart and bream around the entrance to the lake. Whiting and bream out from the Power boat club on nippers and live worms. Flathead of the Boardwalk on live herring. Mud crabs in the creeks.

Danny Brook made the most of the small opening in the weather and jigged up this 6kg Spangled Emperor on a soft plastic at the Out Gneerings.

Noosa: Good numbers of Dart and trevally from the rocks through the National park. Whiting around Gympie terrace and the frying pan. Mangrove jack, barra and tarpon in Woods Bay. Bream, flathead and whiting in Weyba Creek. Mud crabs between the lakes.

Maroochydore: Flathead and whiting from Twin Waters weir on the outgoing tide. Good numbers of Flathead averaging 50cm around the Bli Bli bridge on soft plastics. Tailor and trevally from the Cod Hole during the morning. Good numbers of whiting from Chambers Island and Picnic point on nippers. Mud crabs from the Bli Bli Islands.

Kawana: Sweetlip and tusk fish up off Coolum at night. Trevally, bream and the occasional flathead from the rock walls during the incoming tide. Big bream and trevally at night around the trawlers. Mud crab in the canals.

Caloundra: Good numbers of whiting and flathead from Currimundi Lake. Whiting and bream out from the Power boat club on nippers and live worms. Giant and big eyed trevally in Pelican Waters canal on high tide. Jacks and grunter bream from Coochin creek. Mud crabs in the creeks.

Guy Howarth with a solid 75cm barramundi from the Noosa river on live mullet at night.