Bluefin Tuna on surface lures - Scott Gray

The author with a school sized SBT casting a stickbait.

TARGET — Surface Blueys

Scott Gray goes on the hunt or surface feeding SBT

Southern bluefin tuna have seen a very long season and it is in full swing as the fish migrate along the coastline of southern Australia. While trolling is traditionally a very effective method of catching tuna, a lot of enjoyment can be had casting lures at fish feeding on the surface.

When the fish are up on the top feeding there is no more exciting way of targeting these fish than sight casting with a lure on light threadline spin tackle. The strikes are very visual, explosive and it’s a great way of getting consistent results on days when the fish are proving challenging. Most of the fish often encountered by fishers are in the 10-20kg ‘school’ size range and provide some of the best light tackle fishing going around!

There are plenty of benefits to casting lures at feeding fish than simply trolling over them and some of these benefits include the option of fishing lighter tackle, less chance of spooking the fish and being highly mobile.

Casting is second to none when the fish are visually feeding on the surface. If the fish are up and down a lot or moving around quickly or you see some action off in the distance you can capitalise on this and motor up to the school quickly and cast. You will always beat other boats that are trolling to the action and get first chance at the fish. Some days it’s just a matter of just getting there when the fish are up. The opportunity being mobile creates can really make a big difference in this situation.

Positioning your boat correctly is very important. While the fish will move in many directions generally you will find fish will feed into the wind so the best place to position your boat is upwind of the feeding fish. This way there is less likelihood of spooking the fish and you will get a longer cast into the school. You can also choose to cut your motor for a silent approach if required. Let the fish come to you. With light threadline tackle and wind assistance it’s quite easy to make a 50-60 metre cast into a school, even with small sinking stickbaits. When motoring up on feeding fish from behind be aware of the wake coming from your boat and often it’s a good idea to take a wider berth from the school if you are behind them because even the boat wake www.tasfish.com - Get the knowledge - Get the fish.

Tackle

Always look for birds while on the water.

This selection of stickbaits will cover a lot of different scenarios.

can put flighty fish down before you get a chance to cast at them.

Pulling up within a good distance from a school there is less chance spooking the fish and disturbing the feeding behaviour of both the fish and the bait on which they are feeding on. This will often give you multiples chances of a strike. If it’s busy out there and other anglers stick to the same principles then everybody can also comfortably fish on a school at the same time.

Lure Selection

Lure selection is very important as the fish often become fixated on the bait which they are feeding on. Casting distance is also important factor so you need to select a lure that is going to get you in the strike zone.

Floating surface lures provide exciting surface strikes, but are often lighter than weighted sinking models which can restrict casting distance and can be difficult to work efficiently when the sea is rough. For general use I prefer using slow sinking stickbaits and metal slugs which work well fished just below the surface and can be easily cast long distances even when its windy or conditions are unfavourable.

While I always have at least one metal slug rigged on a rod in the rack it’s hard to beat the action of a well presented stickbait. The range of traditional timber and plastic moulded stickbaits and bibbed minnows on the market has increased significantly over the past few years. These lures are purpose built, designed for casting, have a unique action and are durable enough to land big fish.

The side to side action of a stickbait is very alluring for the fish and is perfect for when the fish are feeding on or just below the surface. These lures are basically like throwing jellybeans at the fish when they are on and the strikes are spectacular. You can also let them sink below the school and retrieve them as fast or slow as you prefer. To work these lures simple keep you rod tip down and give them a flick as you retrieve and you can watch the action of the lure from side to side. Mix up your retrieve and you will work out quickly what the fish want.

Metal slugs in the 20-50g size are ideal for casting due to their relative weight for size, are relatively inexpensive and they make an ideal baitfish imitation,

Poppers are a great way to get the fishes attention but they seem to be a bit hit miss with the fish unless they are really on the bite. If you are using a popper and are getting boils, but not strikes I suggest that you either downsize your popper to a smaller head profile model or change to a stickbait. Poppers are ideal when the fish are eating larger baits like mackerel.

Lure size is a matter of personal preference and is best suited to the size of the baitfish the fish are feeding on. While I generally use lures in 15cm size range, lures as small as eight centimetres have brought me just as many bites when the fish are feeding on small whitebait and it’s just a matter of seeing which works best on the day. When the fish are fussy and you get the size and action right it’s quite obvious and the fish will be all over your lure. Don’t worry about the fact that the lure you are using might be small as tuna have excellent eyesight and if it’s what they want they will find it quickly!

particularly when the fish are on very small bait. The other advantage is if the fish go down you can just let the lure sink down and use it more like a jig and often this will draw a strike when it is sinking or being retrieved.

Threadline tackle has come so far over the past decade and small lightweight threadline reels are capable of handling more than enough drag and line capacity to secure a good sized school fish and because the inshore fish are generally in water less than 50 metres deep there is no chance you will get spooled. If a fish rips plenty of line off then you can just chase it in the boat.

A light seven to eight foot, 10-15kg spin rod matched to a 3000-5000 sized reel loaded with around 250-300m of 15kg braid is plenty of power to hold on to the fish and really makes the most of their fighting qualities. Rarely will the fish do big long runs from the boat and you usually end up fighting the fish straight up and down under the boat. While you can definitely fish lighter braid it will extend the fight time considerably and therefore is not ideal if you are planning to release.

Leader and Lure Connections

There’s no need to fish a heavy leader for these fish as they only have fine teeth and the majority of fish you are likely to encounter are under 20kg in size. I usually use a 60 pound fluorocarbon leader of around two metres in length connected to the braid with a neat FG knot. If the fish are finicky you can downsize to a 40 pound fluorocarbon leader without worrying about losing your lure. The use of fluorocarbon is optional, but is definitely of benefit when fishing lighter leaders and provides more abrasion resistance. Fluorocarbon coated leaders are not a stiff as 100% fluorocarbon lines and provide a bit more shock absorption.

There are two ways of connecting your leader to the lure either with a swivel to the split ring connection or simply with a loop knot. If the fish are being fussy and you are likely to be changing your lures regularly then the swivel to split ring connection is more user

friendly. Just remember not to oversize either of these components as it can affect the way the lure will swim.

I usually retrofit all my sinking stickbaits with single hooks and they usually result in a better more solid hookup, will cause less damage to the fish’s mouth and are easy to remove especially if you are planning to release the fish.

Polaroiding these fish feeding on the bait schools is a very exciting form of fishing and with their dark blue backs they stand out clearly in the water. You can often see them actively moving around under the surface even when they aren’t breaking the surface and when several fish chase your lure in it really leaves your heart in your mouth.

When you head to chase tuna this season make sure you pack a light threadline outfit and try something different, casting at feeding fish is an exciting way of increasing your catch rate when the fish are finicky and it’s a very exciting and visual way to fish. Scott Gray

Hooked up on a cloudy day.

Siglon PE, is made from EX-PE fibres and offers a tightly woven braid that provides superior abrasion resistance, a very thin diameter and minimal stretch. Available in 8 carrier PE (PEx8) and 4 carrier PE (PEx4).