# Just missed March comp - 21kg longtail tuna



## spooled1 (Sep 16, 2005)

A quick bash at 9.00am this morning just north of Pottsville.

Fastest tow I've ever had and also my PB biggest ever fish landed on a yak - Could also be an AKFF longtail record:

If I caught this fish yesterday, it would be a comp win contender.

120cm
21kg Northern Bluefin
Dead slimey slow trolled on a Billybob special
50lb braid, 70lb wind on leader

Heaps better beach pics later (Just gotta wait for my buddy to send them through)


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## aleg75 (Dec 20, 2005)

WOW what a massive long tail! well done! how long did the fight last for?


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## Peril (Sep 5, 2005)

Brilliant Dan. Love to read more


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## WayneD (Jul 11, 2006)

How good would that be!!! Any details on the fight, bet you can't wipe the smile off your face!


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## polylureosis (Jul 24, 2006)

Dan,

If you could have steered it west at the speed it would have been moving you may well have caught up with yesterday and been eligible after all.

If Davey hadn't put that catch as winner I think we all would have been shocked.

Amazing catch.

Ash


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## RedPhoenix (Jun 13, 2006)

Unfortunately, due to the change in ownership of this web site and the lack of response by the owners to my requests to remove my email address from all administrative-level notifications and functionality, I have decided to remove my posts on AKFF. Thank you for the great times, the fantastic learning experiences and the many many fish. If you are desperate for the old content of this particular post, it is available below base64 encoded and bzip2 compressed.

Red.

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## justcrusin (Oct 1, 2006)

Excellent work Dan, and here am i thinking catching a salmon is a good fight.

How did you get it aboard? would have been going nuts beside the yak :?

Top stuff
Dave


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## Naki Man (Aug 30, 2006)

Exelent fish there dan how long was the fight

NM


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## victor-victor (Jan 12, 2006)

That's a bloody big bluefin from a Yak. Well done :!:

Looks like you had to ride side saddle to fit it in the Yak.

I wonder how the Hobies would have room to peddle, I suppose this would be the time to test their paddling ability :lol:


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## Biggera Yakker (Jan 25, 2007)

Awesome fish mate!!!
That's what I reckon we'd all love to get - those of us who haven't yet!!!


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## DGax65 (Jun 7, 2006)

Very nice fish. Give us some details. I would love to catch a tuna from the kayak.


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## spooled1 (Sep 16, 2005)

OK, because people have asked so kindly, here's the short of the longtail story.

After yesterdays fishless encounter, I slept in until 8.00am and was in the water at about 8.45am. Like yesterday the water temp was about 26 degrees and it was as glassy as a lake with hardly any swell at all. Absolute perfection.

A mate of mine gave me a two day old slimey which I rigged onto a Billybob special and stored in the freezer last night. After the multirod frustration of yesterday, I committed to try my luck with one rod, three pillies, the Billybob and a Halco.

As soon as I started paddling I saw heaps of bait fish. They were everywhere. Birds were flapping all over the place and there were some mystery splashes. I figured this shore based action was probably tailor so I kept heading wide.

When I came upon my chosen reef about 900M out, I dropped in the Billybob and started a slow troll seaward. In less than 3 minutes my slimey mackeral got slammed and The T-Curve arced over. I locked the rod into my pelvis and cranked up the drag. Line screamed off the Spheros and the yak started pulling. The first hard run lasted about 45 seconds and the yak towed really fast and in a clean straight line. Then the fish changed direction and took the yak sideways which made balancing the weight and runs really difficult. To try and even things up, I dropped my leg in the water and backed off the drag a touch. Nothing happened, the fish just kept on taking me sideways and collecting line. In a way this was good because it shortened the fight considerably. At this stage the tuna was hauling around 110kg of tare weight side on. When the fish slowed, I amped up the drag and started taking back the braid in a five minute tug-o-war.

When the fish was boatside, I grabbed the lipgrippers but couldn't get a hold anywhere in its bony mouth. At that point I remembered the gaff was still stowed in the front hatch. The fish headed for deeper water two more times. Finally, I leadered him with one hand and tail grabbed him with the other and rolled him into the deck. Once again the heel of my foot was the closest available donger. At this stage, I realized I severed an artery somewhere in the fish. A thick trail of blood was now oozing from the scupper holes and I needed to get the hell out of there because of all the shark experiences we've been having up this way lately. Anyway, I paddled like there was no tomorrow and when I was close to shore, I lifted its tail over my shoulder, slid my body forward and opened the front hatch. Sliding my hands near the gill plate I forced it up and slid its head into the hatch.

I then packed up my gear, called up a mate for a photo session and landed at the beach. Its now in a farmyard cool room, ready to be slabbed up tomorrow morning.

The sea Gods were kind today.


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## spottymac (Aug 29, 2005)

Awesome Dan 
Great pics 
This is driving me nuts


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## Cuda (Sep 18, 2006)

Damn fine effort there mate! :shock: 
Longtails don't get much bigger than that specimen from what I have heard  
What a blast that would have been when the "torpedo" took off on the first run :twisted:


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## DiveYak (Feb 5, 2007)

Sensational.......... well done. I would [email protected]#... what a beauty!!!!


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## couta1 (Sep 10, 2005)

awesome dan..its a good feeling to get a trophy fish on board.WELL DONE


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## Y-Knot (Sep 26, 2006)

BLOODY AWESOME DAN...im just blown away that you hooked up to that beast in your kayak. you are now up there in that unsaid Hall 'o Famours.Top Top effort.

that is a fish of many a YakFishos wet-dreams :wink:


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## HiRAEdd (Nov 12, 2005)

That's an awesome story, congrats on the catch!


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## Daveyak (Oct 6, 2005)

Wow, Dan. What a fish, the fishing gods were truly smiling upon you.

I can but dream about catching a fish like that from a kayak. In fact I'm sure I'll dream about such a fish as that picture will stay in my head for a while.


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## Zed (Sep 18, 2006)

Those are so long and lanky. Bet they put you and your reel to task.
Well done.

Z


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## Dodge (Oct 12, 2005)

Magnificent Dan, and well done mate


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## fishinswing (May 15, 2006)

Top effort Dan. What a great fish. Imagine a 20kg kingfish.


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## JD (Jul 2, 2006)

What a ripper.


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## JT (May 25, 2006)

Oh Man what an awesome fish :shock: Well done Dan. I would love to hook and fight one of those bad boys. :evil:

Must have struggled like hell once you got it onboard no?

John


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## tunahound (Oct 28, 2006)

That's awesome. Three cheers.


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## Flump (Apr 17, 2006)

Another fantastic fish and nice report. Congrats mate.


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