Any Advice on how to get close to feeding YF Tuna ?

[Iyadiver]

Gentlemen,

I felt very sad last Saturday. I went diving and was storm blowned from 9AM to 2PM, heavy rain but lucky not so big waves.
Anyway, on the way home from the dive spot to the pier at 5PM, I passed the area where the YF Tuna are frequently spotted feeding or just cruising on the surface like dolphins.

First I spotted a few 30+kg YF Tuna leisurely swimming on the surface like dolphins. The boat tried to get close but the YF kept sounding deep when we get closer. I was in panic as all the guns been undone and no float is ready. By the time me and my buddy was ready the YF were gone. Holy Cow.

Then we cruise home again and from far away we spotted white water splashing, FEEDING TUNA !!! This time all the guns were ready, except none of us we wearing a wet suit, too much a hassle to put it on. The boat came close to the feeding & jumping YF school. About 10 meters from the school 3 of us jumped in the water. My first ever freediving in about 1000+ feet of water. The water was murky green due to the heavy rain and the river run off. The coast line is only some 2000+ meters away. I tried to look in the water, all I could see was some sort of white foam far away. The tuna were only some 8 meters away from us but we could not see anything in the water, when we bring our head to the surface, we can see them jumping ahead of us. By the time we get close, suddenly all became quiet and that was that. No more tuna and the sky was getting very dark at almost 6PM. I hardly could see my friend who is only some 6 meters away from me. What a lousy luck !!! First time ever in a freedive mode with YF tuna in such close proximity and yet I can't see them.

Now the question is :
How do I get close to this fat fishes? I read most of the FT tuna story in Terry Maas book and the Freedive net, most are hunting them in clear water and close to a pinacle. So they wait and wait. Only one story in Terry Maas book mentioned the chase like how I chase these YF. The YF season will be over soon and I am financially broke from over diving. If I ever go again, it will need to be very soon while they are still hanging there cause I know YF Tuna is migratory. I don't mind chumming cause these water is not so sharky. But chumming I heard make the fish swim like speeding bullets. At this stage I am not concerned of my limited 20 foot freedive capability as they play on the surface. However I feel weird (scared actually ) diving in 1000+ feet of water where visibility is only some 5-6 meters (after a heavy rain ) and when the sun is about to sleep. I don't know how deep down the water the viz starts to get better, but I expect at 60-70 feet still this lousy viz. This is unlike the good viz and lights I see the pro hunts the YF as per all my videos.

Any help appreciated.

 

[fuzz]

Harpoon them from the surface, then jump in & fight the fish

Flashers might work as well

 

[Iyadiver]

I thought of that Fuzz, the harpoon part...

I just checked my video camera, I jumped in the water at 6:20PM, no wonder it was so dark. In this part of the tropic, 6:45 PM is as dark as it gets.

I called my charter captain today and his boss, who is my friend too went trolling the next day Sunday. The weather was good and out of four rods, 3 snapped the small 30# line. One 40kg YF was landed, one 80kg was about to be gaffed when it went crazy and snapped the line. 80KG is 176 POUNDS !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
It all happened at 4PM. In the morning and afternoon there were a lot of fishes but none took the lure and bait, only in the afternoon the feeding desire started.

The temptationis too great. I am not going to wait another 1 year for YF mania. I am breaking my piggy bank and draining my bank account. I must go back and hunt those YF. I just came back from the marina and borrowed 2 boat fenders, one of 15 liters and the other of about 25 liters capacity. Most likely there will be 2 of us freediving. I hope a Riffe float plus one fender each can do the job. I will chum too, I don't care. I am just hoping the water be at 30 feet viz if not better and no rain. I will use my experimental flasher too, whatever it takes.

I'll be keeping in mind Kapiten "Rapper" Rig and SASpearo advice on the YF.

 

[Iyadiver]

I thought of that Fuzz, the harpoon part...

I just checked my video camera, I jumped in the water at 6:20PM, no wonder it was so dark. In this part of the tropic, 6:45 PM is as dark as it gets.

I called my charter captain today and his boss, who is my friend too went trolling the next day Sunday. The weather was good and out of four rods, 3 snapped the small 30# line. One 40kg YF was landed, one 80kg was about to be gaffed when it went crazy and snapped the line. 80KG is 176 POUNDS !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
It all happened at 4PM. In the morning and afternoon there were a lot of fishes but none took the lure and bait, only in the afternoon the feeding desire started.

The temptation is too great. I am not going to wait another 1 year for YF mania. I am breaking my piggy bank and draining my bank account. I must go back and hunt those YF. I just came back from the marina and borrowed 2 boat fenders, one of 15 liters and the other of about 25 liters capacity. Most likely there will be 2 of us freediving. I hope a Riffe float plus one fender each can do the job. The smaller fender will be linked to a toy Picasso float. I will chum too, I don't care. I am just hoping the water be at 60 feet viz if not better and no rain. I will use my experimental flasher too, whatever it takes.

I'll be keeping in mind Kapiten "Rapper" Rig and SASpearo advice on the YF. Wish me luck boys.

 

[rigdvr]

Well IYA, I too will be chasing the mighty YF...tommorrow. If they are busting like you described, try the chunking...sometimes you can get them to eat right out of your hand. Try getting upcurrent and let the chunks go to them. When one handful dissappears, throw the next.

Ive got to get my game up to par before April...might not be too hard considering the rest of my team is skiing:head

Good luck IYA

Oh yeah, BE IN THE WATER BEFORE THEY APPROACH

 

[fuzz]

Rig's right, chunking is a great way of getting them to come close... just watch out for the guys in gray suits :crutch

Also, the more floats in a row you can use, the better I'm assuming they're not foam-filled, so you'd really have to worry about implosion.

Good Luck man!

 

[loopy]

Hey Iya, how did your tuna hunting go mate?

 

[Iyadiver]

Sad....very sad loopy.:waterwork

There were 5 traditional fishermen boats waiting to net the same school. When we first spot the school, one of the fishing boat was closer, so we gave way. We waited for 20 min and the school re-surface, the net did not get them. 3 of us jumped in the water, once they spot our floats the fishermen waited till and did not throw their nets. The viz was so bad at 3 meters, one of my friend could get close to about 6 meters of the school but could not see anything underwater. Then the school moved away, too much engine noise from the 5 fishermen boats.

We had 4 tries from 8AM to 11AM, all with the crappy viz. Only two jumps alllowed us getting close to 5-6 meters of the school but can't shoot what you can see. We gave up the chase because too much fishermen after them so we decided to scuba but then the weather got worse and worse, we can't even go to our scuba spot without having to "hit" into the wave. It will take us 3 hours just to arrive there, so we hang around at the more protected area and seek the tuna feeding again but nothing showed and we were too tired by 4PM and went home.

So that's the sad story. If the viz is 10-15 meters and no other fishermen boats chasing the school, maybe we might have a chance. Next time maybe or at least next year. Too bad this is the only bay that people know where to look for feeding tuna, that's why it is way too crowded. Nothing fun to report, that's why I didn't post update. However, it was awesome that I saw 20-30kg YF jumping out of the water and at one time the raced to our boat and it looks like speeding torpedos...awesome.

Maybe Kapiten Rig can tell us his Midnight Lump trip.

I am arranging a far away trip to some very nice spot in Manado ( also Indonesia ) which can equal PNG. Let me save some bucks. At least my MT3 has arrived, I still have someting to smile about.


Cheers,
IYA

 

[Shadowkiller]

Hey Iya,
Have you tried flashers or getting your deck crew to burley while you wait in ambush?

 

[Iyadiver]

Flasher...not yet. Chumming...yes. With 5 other traditional fishing boats chasing the fish too, I'll probably ended up in their net if I keep trying. The viz is just too bad Shadow..... I will never try again until I get at least 10 meters viz. Tuna when feeding frenzy moves damn fast in my spearing videos and obvious from the surface. Just not my luck yet.

The only best thing that pushed the school towards us was when the captain manuvered the boat to "push" the school to us. The problem with YF tuna is that they will sound deep and be gone when they feel too much commotion/pressure from us.

I saw whale shark fin's at the feeding frenzy, I saw Marlin fin swimming at the surface too but it was not in the feeding area, it was a loner. I wanted to jump in but woossssh....... it was gone when the boat got close.

Next time...next time....

 

[Shadowkiller]

I hear ya, I missed my first ever shot at a Rainbow runner yesterday, I passed up about 20 kingfish to get near it. Next time...:duh

 

[Iyadiver]

He he he he...keep trying shadow. How big does ur RR get over there ? Is the Kingfish u r refering to is Spanish Mackerel/Narrow Barred Mackerel ?

RR is the only pelagic ( if it is considered pelagic) that I had success shooting while freediving cause there is this offshore buoy in 170 feet of water that holds RR in good numbers, but it doesn't grow any bigger than 45cm. They play as shallow as 5-20 feet, my kind of freediving....ha ha ha.

I use my #2 on them with 7mm or 8mm hawaiian shaft.

 

[loopy]

Kingies that Sash is talking about are yellowtail kingfish (think the us guys call em just yellowtail)... for some reason the seriola family is sticking my head?

 

[Shadowkiller]

Unfortunately Wollongong is a bit far south for spanish but we do get the frigate and blue mackerel.

The RR was only about 50cm, but since Im shore diving I can't complain..

Tommorow arvo will be my next opportunity...

 

[loopy]

Argh, hate you, and I hate Canberra!! :t