Commercial tuna fishing. Fishing for tuna on the African coast. Fishing for tuna with natural baits
Of the 13 types of tuna that exist in the world, three types of tuna are found off the coast of Africa: blue, yellowfin and longfin, and even small tuna - bonito. The tuna flock in schools, except for the large bluefin tuna, which prefer to swim in small groups or alone and can reach speeds of up to 77 km / h. All types of tuna are predators, their food is both fish and molluscs and crustaceans.
For lovers of fishing, especially tuna, the coast of Africa is very attractive! The technique of catching all types of tuna - trolling with a small immersion of the bait or without immersion - is the most common. With this method, the bait is carried out at high speed in the surface layers of the ocean. Both natural and artificial baits are used. Pieces of fish, live bait (small horse mackerel or octopus, mackerel, anchovies), artificial baits - small (14-18 cm) and fish of any color, large streamers, spinners, wobblers are used as natural baits. Often, when fishing, a flock is welded with pieces of chopped fish.
In addition to trolling, they also catch tuna with fishing rods. When fishing for tuna by drifting, natural baits are used. If it is known that giant fish often visit your fishing grounds, then it becomes necessary to use a steel leash.
Blue (cyan) tuna- this is the "king of tuna". With an average weight of 20 to 30 kg, the weight of large individuals can reach 600 kg, and the length is 3.5 meters. On the African coast, it is found in its North Atlantic part, in particular in the Mediterranean Sea. Travel companies (,), accepting those wishing to fish for bluefin tuna, have all the appropriate permits for amateur fishing (since quotas have been introduced for its catch). Large bluefin tuna is one of the most interesting and desirable trophies for the professional angler due to its speed and strength.
Yellowfin tuna- this is the most numerous and consumed species. In terms of weight, adults reach almost 200 kg, and in length - two meters. This freedom-loving species of tuna, due to its power and great weight, is a worthy rival for an angler - it can fight for a long time. When hooked, he jerks with a strong jerk, followed by a toss to the side, trying to get away as much as possible. maximum depth(and 60 m is not the limit for him), while unwinding meters of line.
Longfin tuna or Albacore(length - up to 1.5 m with weight up to 50 kg) is found in the tropics and subtropics. Its habitat is the open ocean. Adults of longfin tuna prefer a depth of 150-200m, while young ones stay near the surface (South Africa, Seishili).
Flocks spotted tuna, which are caught by rods and trolls, are most abundant from Cape Blanco to Angola (west coast of Africa). Its weight is up to 10 kg with a length of 1.2 m. Also on the west coast and even in northern regions you can use a fishing rod or a troll to catch small individuals of big-eyed tuna.
Deep-sea fishing enthusiasts have the opportunity to enjoy it on the island of Mauritius, Kenya, South Africa (the Cape of Good Hope region) and Senegal, where 100 kg yellowfin tuna is not uncommon.
Tuna meat has been highly valued since ancient times. Dishes Japanese food from tuna - sushi and sashimi, teriyaki, steaks - are served in Japanese restaurants all over the world. Tuna meat is also called "sea beef", because in terms of the content of nutrients and microelements, it is in no way inferior to meat, and even surpasses it. But the greatest popularity was gained by tuna salads, the recipes of which are great.
Where to catch tuna: This fish is found in the tropics and subtropics of the Pacific, Indian and Atlantic oceans, as well as in the Mediterranean and the Adriatic. Warm waters, where small fish such as sardines are found, are especially attractive to this predator.
The following types of tuna are found in these areas:
- Albacore,
- Big-eyed,
- Blacktip,
- Blue,
- Atlantic blue
- South blue.
According to experienced fishermen, in spring, small specimens come across most of all, in autumn - medium and large ones. The representative of the Mackerel family moves along the same route from year to year, so it will not be difficult for experienced fishermen to catch him.
Commercial tuna, found in specially fenced areas, is somewhat different from tuna in coastal waters or in the open oceans, primarily in taste and appearance(there is less silvery dusting on the scales).
When can you fish for tuna?
Catching this predator is possible all year round, but here such a factor as the temperature of coastal waters is important. So, if fishing takes place in winter, then you should not go out into the open sea (especially if it takes place in Atlantic Ocean from the coast of Iceland to Mexico), otherwise there is a risk of failure.
In summer, you can fish both by boat, yacht or from the shore. As a rule, an abundance of sea creatures is observed in the sea at this time, so a large catch can be obtained. Best time The length of fishing for this fish is morning and noon, because it is at this time that schools of fish, which are hunted by a representative of the Mackerel family, swim everywhere.
Fishing for tuna on the high seas
To catch a trophy on the high seas, you must follow the following guidelines:
- Fishing must necessarily take place with a rod - this standard method is no less effective. A hook with a bait reminds a predator of its usual prey (small fish), so it will happily bite at it.
- A reliable vehicle must be present - if you are one of the species of fishermen that recognize tuna upon arrival of dolphins and soaring diving birds, then you should beware of a large accumulation of these representatives of the fauna, otherwise there is a chance of getting various kinds of injuries.
- Fishing for wild tuna must necessarily take place far from the fishing grounds, otherwise there is an opportunity to get a fine from the owners of the enterprises and catch fish for sale that differ in taste from the real one caught just in warm waters.
Used tackle, bait, bait
Fishing for large specimens should be done with quality fishing equipment. Experienced anglers are advised to use what in nature attracts this predator, that is, small fish.
Some hobbyists direct a stream of water to the surface, this creates the effect of a funnel formed when a school of small fish (sardines or herring) swirls.
By nature, tuna is a predator, so this illusion is one of the most powerful baits for it. Before lowering the bait into the water, you should feed the fishing spot with small frozen fish, and only then string it on the hook. Having created the appearance of feeding, light food, the fisherman will make this robber, on a subconscious level, want to return to a certain place.
As for which tackle to fish for tuna, opinions differ here. Some say that it is necessary to fish with a spinning rod, others - with something more durable and reliable.
The fact is that catching large specimens is not an easy task, because this fish has an aggressive demeanor and is capable of speeds up to 85 kilometers per hour. The tackle can break off, and the fish can escape.
So, if you are fishing for small individuals, then you can use spinning, but if it is, for example, catching bluefin tuna, you should buy tackle for professional anglers.
The bait is portioned pieces of small frozen fish of no more than 5 by 5 centimeters in size. For fishing, you should take a dozen of bait at once, because tuna can be caught far from the first time.
In addition, getting this giant out of the water is far from easy, especially if it is a large individual.
You should wear practical clothes for fishing in which you can move, because this coveted fish is very resourceful and fast. Do not exclude the possibility of accidental injury when trying to catch a large trophy.
Fishing for large tuna:
Tuna is a very large marine (oceanic) fish that is a welcome trophy for both industrial fishermen and hobbyists. In this article, you will learn where to fish for tuna, what to fish for, and what gear to use.
Useful information about tuna:
- The cost of a kilogram of tuna can be as high as $ 40 per kilogram.
- Tuna belongs to the Mackerel family.
- The weight of large tuna can reach over 600 kg, and the length is over 4 meters.
- The body of a tuna can be compared to a torpedo, which tapers strongly towards the tail.
- The tuna can move at speeds in excess of 80 km / h.
Types of tuna
- Bluefeather
- Yellowfin
- Skipjack
- Longtip
- Big-eyed
- Small Atlantic
- Mackerel
Bluefin tuna is the largest and mackerel is the smallest.
Where to look for tuna
Tuna can be found in tropical and subtropical waters of the Pacific, Atlantic, and Indian Oceans. Also, tuna lives in the seas, for example, in the Mediterranean, Red, Adriatic, Aegean, Tyrrhenian and Ionian seas. That is, the tuna is kept in warm waters rich in small fish such as sardines or mackerel.
Tuna moves along the same routes every year, so if you know where to fish there is a high chance of catching it.
Fishermen note that small tuna are more often caught in spring, and larger individuals in autumn. As a rule, flocks of large tunas consist of a dozen individuals, while schools of small tunas, on the contrary, are kept in large schools. Also note that large tuna lives at great depths, 100-150 meters, and small ones closer to the surface.
When fishing for tuna, it can be detected visually, that is, it can jump out of the water. Dolphins, which feed on small tuna, are another good sign of tuna. Diving birds are also a sign of tuna.
Tuna feeding
A very important role in tuna fishing is played by feeding small fish. Often they take the carcasses of sardines, which are thrown both whole and cut in parts. The task of feeding is a clear forage trail, which is created by methodically tossing fish along the path of the vessel. For feeding, both cut and whole sardines are needed, since cut fish sinks faster, and whole fish slower.
That is, due to the fact that a flock of tuna can be at different depths, from 20 to 100 m, then finding bait distributed throughout the water column, the tuna rises higher and its chance to swallow the bait with a hook increases.
For large and medium tuna, use the whole sardine, and for small tuna, use half.
Tackle for tuna fishing
For tuna weighing up to 100 kg, rods are used with a test load of 70-90 lb, if the fish is more than 100 kg, then tackles with a test of 100-130 lb are used.
The optimal rod length is 180-200 cm. As a basis, a marine dacron line with a high breaking load is used.
The reel should be of a marine class, preferably multiplier and high-speed, because the tuna is very fast and when playing it you have to often and quickly choose the slack in the line. The reel capacity must be more than 600 m of line. The brake setting is also important. We recommend tested coils from Shimano , Daiwa and Penn.
Daiwa Sealine-X-40
Shimano Tyrnos (TYR30)
Fish finder for finding tuna
Also, a very important tool for catching tuna is an echo sounder, which allows you to determine the depth of the fish, its size and speed of movement. Since tuna can be located at a depth of over 100 meters, the echo sounder should penetrate such depth without any problems. High-quality marine echo sounders start at $ 500, and some models also have functionality related to gps maps of the area, which is very convenient.
Fishing for tuna (video)
Tuna rig
Tuna fishing tackle consists of the usual components, but their size and strength are very impressive. Strong line, lead, lead, hook and large round float designed for tuna fishing.
The leash is made of thick fluorocarbon with a diameter of 1-2 mm and a length of 2-3 meters. Since the water in the sea and ocean is very clean, tuna can see well, and fluorocarbon is almost invisible in the water, which will not alert the fish.
As you can imagine, tuna hooks and swivels should be of maximum strength, so you cannot save on them. Sea hooks from firms are suitable Owner and Mustad №8/0-12/0.
Weight used sinkers depends on the depth of fishing, the heavier the load, the greater the depth of the bait. Most often, sinkers weighing 200-300 grams are used.
If tuna is caught with several rods at once, then float balls are used, which delimit the space between the rigs, not allowing them to get confused with each other. For example, one ball descends 50 meters from the vessel, the second ball 70 meters and the third 90 meters. The depth of tuna fishing can be from 10 to 150 meters.
We also recommend articles about catching the following marine fish: halibut, flounder, cod, pelengas.
Fishing for large tuna (video)
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Fishing boats |
7 am. Indian Ocean. Calm. 260 horsepower is carrying the white boat to the center of Kar-Fakhan Bay. Splashes appeared on the water in the distance. The seagulls also noticed them and rushed to the battlefield. We came within the throwing distance of a heavy Yo-Zuri L-Jack Jig to a tuna flock.
Already you can see here and there silver silhouettes under the water and dark backs, from time to time appear above its surface. Stop the car! Motors to "neutral". “Go on! What the hell are you waiting for? Cast! Cast right in the middle of the feast! (Come on! What the hell are you waiting for? Throw quickly into the very center of the battle!) "- the captain's voice instantly removes from the stupor. Vzhzhzhik! A small heavy spoon flies about 50 meters and falls in the middle of the diverging circles. I spin the reel as if I want no one to get my spoon. and simultaneously with the blow, pull and squeal of the friction clutch, I understand that the tuna has sat down. Here it is - stand up light tackle sea fishing!
Goals and objectives
At the beginning of March we were invited to go sea fishing. Except for amateur spinning fishing in the Aegean Sea, this is the first time I got into a serious real sea fishing. Therefore, I immediately determined the following goal for myself. Do not look at marlin, sailboat and other billfish. Since these "guys" are not caught "for a fool" just like that, and a lot of time is wasted on them. Do not agree to trolling, fly fishing and "plumb". And learn as much as possible about sea spinning (traditional in our understanding of freshwater) spinning. Having contacted the captain of the fishing vessel in advance, I tried to ask him in as much detail as possible about the necessary tackle and lures and tried to convince him that only spinning is needed, and not just exotic fishing. Most clients (as well as ours) see the trophy as their target, and the method of capturing it is secondary for them. I tried to formulate the problem diametrically opposite.
Training
So, on the recommendations of the captain, I began to collect my kits. Reels at least 3000 - 4000 - for tuna and dorado. Braid maximum 30 lbs. Lures - medium-sized sinking wobblers 7-9 cm with blue, green and black backs and jigs in 14-18-20 g. Jigs are not the same as our jigs. They are heavy little sea shakes like the Yo-Zuri L-Jack Jig. Halco Roosta poppers and similar ones. Spinning rods up to 6 - 7 feet (that is, no longer than 210 cm) and the corresponding 30-lb braid capacity. Fast action is desirable. Fluorocarbon leashes or so on. hardmono (hard-wearing monofilament). For monsters like a GT (carax) or a sailboat, which is also sometimes tossed, reels were recommended around 20,000, braids 70-100 lbs, leashes 150 lbs. The kits are, in general, completely different. Naturally, I eagerly began to select something suitable from my fishing gear and hastily look for what was missing. As a result, trying to please both ours and yours, the kits I formed were a little awkward, but quite working, as it turned out later. In the eyes loomed a carax (GT) and, having seen a coil with such an abbreviation and a size just close to 20,000, I, without hesitation, took it. The Tale Scale Attraction spinning rod took it to its reel holder with pleasure. A bit heavy, of course, but, in general, it oozed quite harmoniously. Wrap a 50 lbs braid around it - and you're done. It seems like tuna can be "with a margin", and caraxa "with interference." Of course I was wrong. For tuna, this is too difficult, but on the contrary, it is not enough for caranx. But it became clear later ...
Errors
But the knowledgeable people told me ... The man who ate the dog on sea spinning in general and on tuna fishing in particular ... I said that you need to take for the tackle. No, we ourselves have a mustache and always decide to come up with something of our own. As a result, I wasted most of the gear and lures.
The lights turned out to be just out of place, and after a couple of casts, I immediately disassembled them. It immediately became clear that exceeding the spinning test was required! A 25 gram spoon with a 25 gram top dough cannot be thrown away quickly and confidently. In practice, the test is needed under 80 - 100 grams. Well, at least under 50 - 60 g, then it still comes out fine. That is, if the weight of the bait is equal to the lower limit of the dough, then it will come out just right. Do not want, do not believe! But this is the ocean. There are other rules. The cartoon set, which seemed to be passing through the tests normally, "worked" with the speed of reeling. The powerful cartoon Ambassadeur, a thunderstorm of jerks and pikes, turned out to be useless here. The speed of reeling turned out to be small. A high-speed unit is needed here. Well, it's not in vain that everyone in the sea with Penn cartoons is catching ... In general, it is much more convenient to catch without inertia, all casts take place while standing. From the bow of a ship swaying on the waves. And, as a rule, you have only one cast - therefore it must be fast, accurate and long-range. But the recommendations about "no longer than 210 cm" were, in my opinion, too subjective. Long and powerful spinning rod throws noticeably further. And this is important. True, the hands get tired more, and they also take longer to play out. Here it tastes and colors ... Perhaps, just to the captain of a fishing vessel, who catches this tuna 360 days a year, a couple of mischiefs seems less relevant than tired hands.
Go
There is still a "minus" in Moscow. Ice on the road in the morning. Wrapping ourselves in jackets and dragging tubes and bags, we load at Sheremetyevo for a flight to Abu Dhabi. Five hours of summer, and we are there ... Then three hours by car to Fujairah. And there they have spring: the air is at + 30 and the water is about 25 degrees. It's cold for the Emirates. As always, a good old Irish friend by the name of Jameson helps to while away the time in flight, with him anywhere. At least five hours to fly, at least ten. Upon arrival, tourists are immediately met by smart Arabs and divided into groups for transfer to hotels. And women have yet to undergo a retinal scan, an unpleasant procedure. But now everything is over, and a smiling driver meets and helps to bring things to the minibus. It's getting dark.
We move on our way through the evening city, through the desert along the smooth, like a mirror, Emirati roads. We arrived on the west coast, but we need exactly the other end, on the east coast. There are fewer people here, and the Indian Ocean ... Three hours' journey, and the hotel Le Meridien, sparkling with all the lights of the rainbow, greets us. Everywhere there are porters, porter and someone else ... You really feel like an important person. And the ear is already catching the sound of the surf. Just a couple of hundred meters to the left - here it is, the Ocean !!!
For fishing
Only when I entered the luxurious room of Le Meridien Al Aquah beach resort with one desire to lie flat on the bed and fall asleep, I hear the internal phone ringing and find out that tomorrow at 6 am a car will come for us. Only my eyes closed, and as if at the same second I hear a hotel wake up call.
To the point
Sleep vanished when, at the entrance to the pier, located 40 minutes from the hotel, I saw a smiling captain and his snow-white ship. There is a cigar in his teeth, powerful sticks in the "glasses" and two Hondas with 130 l / s at the stern. What's a dream ?! "Hi Hi. Well, got up? The bag on board and drove! Whom to wait for? For fishing!" - commanded the captain.
Slowly leading the ship out of the harbor, the captain asks for some reason: "Are you all ready?" But what we are ready for is not yet clear ... It becomes clear after 260 horses roared and carried us along the ocean surface somewhere into the distance. Anything that is not tied, is worn on the head, or lies just like that, immediately blown away by the wind. The speed is serious.
Deep sea surface fishing
Fishing in the open sea on the surface. The main point of fishing turned out to be simple and painfully familiar to any spinning player who has ever been on perch or asp fishing on the Volga or Rybinka. Tuna, like perch, is schooling fish.
He also hunts for small fish, driving them to the surface of the water. And here the seagulls come into play, which, circling over the sea surface, attract the attention of fishermen. Only the size of the fish, depth, speed, distance and everything else is proportionally increased. Tuna from 1 to 10 - 20 kg. The speed of its movement under water is 50 km / h, the speed of the boat is 70 km / h, the depth under the boat is 100 m, etc.… The edges and bottom of such boilers, of course, are patrolled by barracudas and sailboats. In our opinion, these are “pikes” and “asps”. And you can catch them too. True, the first ones are almost guaranteed to cut off a fluorocarbon leash with a spoon, without which tuna cannot be caught (they are afraid of braids). And the latter, most likely, will do. But "have fun" (for fun) you can catch them too. The barracuda of a fairly decent size (more than a meter long) I lowered in the park on the last day of fishing. I saw the sailboat directly under the boat, 3 meters away, but did not have time to reconfigure the tackle.
Fishing from tankers
The second fishing option is to survey the water area near anchored tankers, of which there are a great many here a dozen kilometers from the coast. With such depths, lack of reference to the relief, tankers become the only possible places for fish concentration. With low waves and clear water, giant flocks of yellowfin tuna are clearly visible, plying around the sides. Here we drifted to catch promising areas with all possible ways... And throw in a jig, and a vertical jig, and a popper, and a deep wobbler. Dorado, whom I really wanted to contemplate, disappeared somewhere. Unfortunately, they were not even visible. But we managed to catch a couple of good yellowfin tuna weighing under 3 kg. And the largest bluefin tuna for "three rubles" was also caught near the side of the tanker.
Technique
Let's go back to the fishing technique itself. You will need to stand firmly on the bow of the boat. The floor is covered with something like a skin, so it's not difficult. The most difficult thing is to constantly balance the body in time with the waves (after all, the ocean) and at the same time very far and accurately throw a spoon or wobbler. Casting, in an amicable way, you have only one, the tuna is afraid of the boat and quickly leaves, less than 20-30 seconds is in the casting zone. And he can go 300 meters or a kilometer, or even finish eating. As a rule, if the first cast is unsuccessful, then you quickly exhaust the braid and throw it again. And while the spoon is flying, the fish moves 100 m from the boat right before our eyes in 2-3 seconds and leaves. It's amazing how fast it is ... And you can ride like that all day. Kingfish is caught in the same way. The only difference is that this fish is slower and deeper, and just less shy. You can try to catch it at one point for much longer, and it will bite.
Tuna harness
The most interesting thing at first is the wiring. It was not for nothing that the captain said that the reel should be with the highest gear ratio. The speed of reeling should be such as if you want no one to catch up with the bait and not have time to notice and react at all. This is exactly how it seems at first by "freshwater" standards. But then, when you see a couple of times how the fish calmly follows the spoon, coming up from one side, then from the other, or emerging from a 30-meter depth, it's so easy to look at what it is and turn around to swim away calmly, without straining back to the abyss ... and at this time, bent over from the tension, madly twirl the handle of the coil and cover yourself with sweat ... In general, it becomes clear that what “we” have quickly - “here” do not even count “slowly”. And the fact that we have "nonsense and nobody needs it" is only the beginning of the "speedometer". This is with regards to the wiring of L-Jack Jig lures and the like, which are actually specially designed for such fishing. Fishing harness for tankers The second harness option that we have practiced is something like speed jigging, which is popular today among advanced marine spinning anglers. The jig is thrown very close or even vertically descends overboard. We wait half a minute until it sinks 30–40 meters, and then abruptly begin high-speed rewinding, combined with powerful and sharp jerks upward with the rod. As if vertical twitching at prohibitive speed comes out. The tuna perceives the spinner, most likely, as a frightened fish, which someone is already chasing and which is looking for salvation at the surface. A predatory reflex is triggered, and the fish rushes into the attack. This is how yellowfin and bluefin tuna peck. Even the yellowfin pecks, perhaps, that way more often. In general, this fish is rarely caught on a spinning tackle. It is more often caught with fly fishing. But you can seduce her with such a fast "twitchjig" in the water column. Apparently, in the depths, this predator is not so fearful.
For reef fish
On coastal fishing, where we also visited several times at my urgent requests, everything is caught with surface lures. Walkers and Poppers. Although the guides, for the sake of fun, even here caught on heavy jigs and fast wiring. And pecked. But here, in their opinion, it is mainly a trifle that bites. Although a few fish that pecked and descended from me seemed quite decent. It was both kingfish and barilla (the local name for flute fish), very similar to garfish. Both were about half a meter long and resisted seriously. But narrow bony mouths and tees of volumetric bait are not the best terms for reliable fishing. Therefore, most fish come off during surface fishing. But the pleasure remains! The wiring here does not shine with delights. No walk the dog with walkers and no stop and go with poppers. Just quickly drag both those and others. Well, except that sometimes in the process of dragging to jerk for uneven movement. And that's all. Apart from the ubiquitous bariliums, some other beautiful red fish pecked at it. Even the guides do not know their names. Because no - neither sports nor nutritional value they don't represent. Giant Trevally is caught in a similar way. Only the places are a little deeper, and the baits with tackle are much more powerful
There is something to see
The morning fishing was the most memorable. Imagine silence and smoothness everywhere. There are not even ripples on the surface of the water. And this is the ocean! Our boat is slowly sailing in the area of potential tuna exit. Suddenly, a huge black fin and a round back appear from the water about 100 meters away. What is this? Oh, yes, it's a moonfish playing. With a table the size, slow and clumsy, almost round fish like this in front of us easily flounders for several minutes. And what is that floating below us, like a huge turtle the size of a sewer hatch? So this is it - a sea turtle the size of a sewer hatch. What's the problem? A turtle is a turtle. To be honest, I was in a little pleasant shock from such an abundance of "near-fishing" impressions from the National Geographic series. And the fact that a sailboat is sailing three meters from the side of the boat? Huge, black, with eyes the size of a saucer ... Isn't that a shock? Some unexpected fish, a meter or so in size, show up at the surface from time to time. Who are they, where from, why are they here, where are they sailing? Ocean…
What about dolphins? The most real big black dolphins and among them one albino. They just flop and snort next to the boat. They dive in ... “They play like that sometimes,” says the captain. - It happens". "Yeah, it happens, of course, we understand ... What's so unusual about 20 dolphins jumping at the side ... We've seen this a hundred times." Because of the albino, they were just surprised, and that's all ... But everything is fine. Yeah ... And the sandstone crabs on the beach. You sit quietly for about five minutes, and small claws begin to appear from the sand near the surf. One, two, four, ten. If you sit quietly, they run out and start scurrying here and there in search of food, thrown ashore by the waves. You stamp your foot, and with the speed of a bullet the crabs are carried away to their burrows. Sometimes they do not hit, they rush about, they begin to dig new ones. This is all nonsense, of course. But for some reason, all this nonsense brings a lot of positive.
Stuck
There is one more fun entertainment on this fishing trip. There are hours when nowhere and no one eats anyone and, accordingly, does not bite. And it's too early for the base. It is 50 km away. What to do, what to do with yourself? Remora! Remora is the most natural sticky fish. It sticks not only to sharks, but also to the bottoms of ships. Namely, tankers. Holding on to the bottom and bow of the vessel, this fish spends all the time in search of food. Will move away from the parking lot for a couple of meters, eat something and stick back. It's easy to catch her. Approach the very side of the tanker about three or four meters. Vertical cast to the board itself, and keep the bow open. The jig is slowly (20 g of lead per second pass three meters - this is by sea standards on the sly) sinks, waddling along its sides. I drowned about 20 meters, and start climbing at an average speed with rocking the rod. Sometimes with stops and vacations down half a meter. Then you resume wiring. The bait moves in the meter from the side of the vessel upwards. Remora bites either in the classics on the fall, or simply at any stage of the posture. The bite is not very expressive. This is where the fun begins. If you miss a bite or miss something else, the remora will stick back to the side of the ship in a second. Then all! It is almost never possible to tear it off. Only to tear the braid (then goodbye to the jig), or the lip of the remora (this is the best option), or, if the braid is thick, and the remora is large and took good, then the fishing line has to be cut. So after a bite, you need to immediately and quickly start playing. The second difficulty is that as soon as the remora realizes that she was dragged up from her beloved rusty side and there is no way back, she starts looking for another “home”. And as this house rises to the surface, it sees more and more the bottom of your boat. She sticks to him. And the captain does not like this at all. What does he need a meter-long slippery reptile on the bottom of a beautiful white ship? She's going to live there. Then the captain says to the mate - let's dive in and peel her off as you want. Now the assistant is unhappy. He is afraid to even take a remora in his hands. And even more so they have absolutely no desire to dive towards it and tear it off from the bottom. The fish is extremely ugly both in appearance, and in the touch, and in the smell. The whole process of catching it goes with shouts, jokes, jokes, power procedures. Here's the fun.
Power
What I want to say separately is the strength and speed of marine fish. The first bite of a small tuna gave a completely unambiguous impression. I was sure that it was something about a meter long and weighing less than 10 kilograms. It turned out to be 1.5 kg tuna, 30 centimeters long. The one that was the largest, according to various estimates from 3 to 4 kg, was dragged like a Yamaha in two horses, released at full throttle. Seriously, I was holding on to the spinning rod with one hand and the handrail on the bow of the boat with the other. That's with a 50lib braid, a GT series reel, and a 3oz dough stick. Of course, with the number of bites and the accumulation of experience, the understanding comes that a much less powerful tackle will be enough. But at first it was simply amazing. The dash of a barracuda after a bite, a line that whistles through the water in the literal sense of the word. You do not have time to hook it yet, but it has already "run" 20 meters and pulled the braid into a line. You just grab the handle of the reel, and it is already in the other side at 30 m. I grabbed the handle, and she already took a bite of the spoon ... The tuna, taken out of the water after a couple of minutes of "tug-of-war", beats in the same way as at the very beginning. The tail thrashes on the deck like a small motor. Due to such capacities and speeds, of course, there are a lot of retirements. I can imagine what a sailboat or a caravan with a mass of 20-30-50 kg does ... Or a tuna weighing 20 kg ... We saw these on the last day. A decent flock cruised in the middle of the bay, showing scarred gray backs just below the surface of the water. Those tunas didn't react to any bait. Although we had 10 minutes for experiments. The only thing these hulks came up to the side of the boat for was the same Yo-Zuri L-Jack Jig and Rapala Jointed Shad, which one of these monsters even tasted by mouth. And that's all.
As an epilogue
A kind of confusion and inconsistency in the presentation of this material is primarily due to the mass of impressions and emotions that accompanied the process of delving into sea spinning. The lesson is so unusual and exciting with all the seeming simplicity and clarity that, probably, on paper, the whole gamut of feelings and thoughts that accompany it, it will not be possible to convey not only half, but God forbid, a third. If you consider yourself, as it is customary to call it today, even a little "advanced" spinning player, then be sure to try this. Qualitatively new level some opens. The tackle and methods are all the same, familiar and understandable. But everything happens so unusual and unusual that much changes in consciousness. It turns out that you still do not know everything about fish and about tackle and baits. It turns out that sea fishing is not trolling with beer at the stern. So much new fishing information in one incomplete week, my personal brain has not received for the last two or three years for sure. All this is reflected in the subsequent freshwater fishing one hundred percent. When you remember the number of nuances and problems "here", you realize with relief how much easier fishing "here" is. True, even the pike for some reason began to understand better ...
Not a bungalow on the island
Your second half (or third, or whatever, or not half at all) will definitely not be against such fishing. After all, you can take it with you. As well as the offspring. Fortunately, Al Aqua beach Resort will allow you to leave them for spa treatments, in a cocktail bar and in the children's area under the supervision of trained personnel for any time you need for fishing. Here, in the Emirates, there is only desert and camels around. Therefore, a tourist has nowhere to go for a walk. So the organizers tried to fit everything they might want on the territory of one hotel. Mini golf, tennis, swimming pool (very large, by the way), shops, restaurants (I highly recommend local beef), bars, snack bars, coffee shops, hookahs, cars ... The service is of the most variegated and diverse folk. Specially brought bartenders and receptionists unexpectedly, seeing you as "Russo Turisto", turn to you in their native language. So whoever is at odds with English need not worry. There are so many entertainments, restaurants and everything else that you probably won't be able to get around everything in a week. Despite the fact that alcohol is strictly in the Emirates, in Fujairah in general and in Al Aqua in particular, there is no problem with this. Of course, it's not worth getting into the trash. It's somehow inconvenient. But everything is always available. Decent price, but there is.
October 4, 2016Gourmets appreciate tuna dishes. This fish is cooked in many different ways and the result never disappoints. But for a fisherman, catching tuna is a real challenge. It is not easy to catch large and strong fish, but the more valuable is the trophy.
What do we know about tuna
Tuna is a group of marine fish from the mackerel family. They form a special tribe, that is, a union of the closest genera. This tribe contains 5 genera, which are divided into 15 species. The name of the group comes from the ancient Greek word thynô. Its meaning is to "throw" or "rush" at something.
All tuna are schooling pelagic fish. This means that they do not sink to the sea bed, but are settled in the upper layers of the World Ocean. All tuna are predators, their diet consists of smaller fish, molluscs and crustaceans.
The body of tuna is spindle-shaped. There is a leathery keel on both sides along the caudal peduncle. The dorsal fin is crescent-shaped. The mass can be very diverse. From 1.7 kg (mackerel tuna) to 600 kg (pacific tuna). The largest trophy was caught near New Zealand, its weight was 335 kg.
How to catch tuna
Experienced fishermen start hunting for tuna with complementary foods. They go to the fishing area and throw overboard large quantities of fresh or frozen fish fines.
In addition to complementary foods, this type of fish is attracted to air bubbles. To lure a school of tuna, many use a spray set that creates a spot of bubbles behind the stern. It seems to predators that this is a group of fry scurrying about in the process of eating. In this case, tuna fishing is carried out with a spoon, which is thrown directly into the spot of bubbles. But the method works only in the absence of wind in clear weather.
Another way of fishing is trolling. This means that a heavy lure is buried about 5 m and pulled behind a moving boat on a thick line. Squids or octopuses are suitable as live bait, you can use mackerel. And if wobblers are used, then they should be as bright as possible and rather large.
Fishing for tuna on the high seas can be done with the bait. This is a sturdy rod that is used with a wide belt. The belt has a recess for the butt of the rod. When playing fish, you cannot do without a stop. This method uses a polished barbless hook. The bait is not used.
Tuna fishing differs from other types of fishing in that the trophies are large and heavy. It is not difficult to hook them, but playing turns into a real adventure full of struggle and despair. Some species require a hook and a winch to retrieve.
Features of fishing for different types: yellowfin tuna
Yellowfin tuna is an attractive trophy for all sea hunters. In this case, fishing for wild tuna occurs with trolling gear. Fishermen use lures with fish bait or wobblers.
Fishing for yellowfin tuna is difficult. He does not surrender to the mercy of the winner, but desperately tries to go to the depths.
Yellowfin tuna is harvested not only by amateur fishermen, but also by industrial companies. Commercial mining is carried out in the tropics and temperate latitudes.
Blackfin tuna
This type of tuna is also called Atlantic or black. This is a relatively small species, the maximum weight is 20 kg. Fishing for this species of tuna occurs in the seas of the western Atlantic. Spinning and trolling are used as tackle, and a light spoon, streamer or octopus serves as bait.
Bluefin tuna
It is a large species and requires a special permit to fish. In addition, you need a large boat with a winch, special tackle and other equipment. For beginners, it can be helpful to have an experienced instructor. Lives in the Atlantic Ocean.
Most often, fishermen catch bluefin tuna out of sporting interest. After measuring and photographing, the trophy is released. Bluefin tuna can weigh more than 350 kg. Catching this "monster" guarantees a powerful adrenaline rush and a long struggle.
Albacore
Albacor tuna is also called white, long-winged or long-feather. This type of meat is considered the fattest and most tender. Average weight fish about 20 kg, and the maximum trophy weighed more than 40 kg. The world record was recorded in the Canary Islands. The species inhabits the open ocean, very rarely comes to the shores. Active fishing for tuna is in the Mediterranean Sea, where the tropical and temperate latitudes of the World Ocean are located.
Bigeye tuna
Bigeye tunas are also considered a large species. Their weight is from 100 to 200 kg. The most convenient way to fish is trolling tackle. Bait - squid and small fish. Fishing for bigeye tuna can take over an hour. All this time, the fisherman is tense and must be attentive. The big-eyed handsome man does not allow winning easy victories.
