Appearance & Identification
Robust, torpedo-shaped body with a dark blue-black back and silvery-white flanks covered in faint, shimmering bars. They have small, sharp teeth, short pectoral fins, and a yellow tail finlet row with black margins. They commonly grow to 70cm-130cm (20kg to 50kg), but can exceed 2m and weigh over 150kg.
Habitat & Movements
Pelagic species distributed across the cool temperate offshore waters of southern Australia, ranging from Brisbane on the east coast, around Tasmania, to Exmouth in Western Australia. They prefer deep oceanic waters, temperature breaks, and continental shelf edges where they chase schooling pilchards and mackerel.
Tactical Loadout
- Rods Heavy overhead game trolling rod or a powerful spinning rod of 1.7m to 2.1m, rated for 24kg to 37kg (50lb to 80lb) line classes.
- Reels Large, high-capacity overhead game reel (50W or 80W size) or a powerful 14000 to 20000 size heavy spinning reel with at least 15kg of carbon drag.
- Line & Leader 24kg to 37kg braided main line or heavy monofilament. Combine with a long wind-on leader of 80lb to 150lb monofilament to cushion their powerful runs.
Best Lures & Baits
- Artificials Highly responsive to skirted trolling lures (6 to 10-inch), diving bibbed minnows, high-speed bibless lures, and surface stickbaits.
- Live & Cut Baits Live slimy mackerel, yellowtail scad, or fresh pilchards. Present baits on a heavy-gauge 8/0 to 10/0 circle hook, suspended under a surface balloon or chunk-drifted (cubing).
Field Tactics
- Trolling Troll at speeds of 6 to 8 knots using a spread of skirted lures and deep-diving minnows along continental shelf drop-offs and temperature breaks.
- Drifting & Jigging Cube fishing (chunking) by slowly drifting over deep reefs or temperature breaks while continuously dropping small pieces of pilchard to establish a bait trail.
- Fly Fishing NOT APPLICABLE
State Legal Limits
VIC: Daily bag limit of 1 per person. No minimum size limit applies.
NSW: Daily bag limit of 1 per person. No minimum size limit applies.
SA: Daily bag limit of 1 per person. No minimum size limit applies.
TAS: Daily bag limit of 1 per person. No minimum size limit applies.
WA: Daily bag limit of 1 per person. No minimum size limit applies.
QLD: Daily bag limit of 1 per person. No minimum size limit.
Final Logistics & Table Quality
- Field Notes Look for aggregations of diving gannets, hovering shearwaters, or surface ripples ('shining' or 'busting' fish). Southern bluefin tuna are highly susceptible to severe pressure changes; ensure you have a landing gaff or large landing net ready to secure the fish.
- Eating Qualities Outstanding, world-class table quality. Highly prized for fresh sashimi and sushi (known as 'maguro'). Features deep red, rich, fatty, and firm meat. Best prepared fresh by bleeding immediately on capture, spiking the brain (Ikejime), removing the dark lateral line, and icing down immediately.
