Portland Tuna Trip Report - 22/4/17

Apollo Bay, Port Campbell, Warnambool, Port Fairy, Portland, Nelson
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ChrisAbout
Rank: King George Whiting
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Portland Tuna Trip Report - 22/4/17

Post by ChrisAbout » Sun Apr 23, 2017 2:54 pm

2AM - Met with 4liters and purple5ive at my house. After loading the boat with all the gear, we all headed towards Portland with high hopes of fighting (and landing) a monster tuna.

6AM - We arrive at BP Pt Fairy and after emptying our tanks, we debate if we should fish Pt Fairy (LJP Island) or continue to Portland. Our decision was made easy when we realised that none of us had a gimbal belt. So off we headed to Portland Bait and Tackle.

7AM - Purchased a $50 PENN gimbal belt and rejected their offer to join a fishing comp for $20. Headed for the ramp and by 7.30AM we were on our way towards the rocks.

11AM - Having trolled the drop-offs up to 100m without any sign of fish or bait, we decided to head East towards Julia Percy Island.

12AM - After 1hour of battling the swell to LJP Island, we finally arrive to calm waters to the south, protected by the island. Lures are skirts straight in the water and off we go trolling the 30m line. Not even 5 minutes into trolling, my PENN Squal 60LD starts screaming and we are watching the 40lb line peeling off the overhead reel. I jump on the rod, purple5ive takes the wheel and 4litres brings in all other rods.

I tighten the drag little by little and start fighting the fish. Instantly I knew this was no schoolie tuna, as I was watching my 24kg rod bend over the boat dragging my whole body with it too.
She fought and she fought, but we kept on fighting back.
(Thank you purple5ive's for handling my boat and working with me to fight this fish.)

After about 1hour of fighting her, my back and arms were getting tired, so 4litres took over. Ian did an awesome job working with purple5ive to continue fighting the fish while I was regaining my strengths with a V drink.
You could see on his face the amount of work he had to put in, at one stage he was kneeling down on the floor resting the rod off the side and just watching it bend over and the line peeling off.

I took the rod back and started fighting the fish. Knowing that my reel was spooled with cheap 40lb mono but my windon leader was 200lb, my main aim was to bring the fish close enough so that I can rely on the 200lb leader taking the strain and I can lock the drag. I could see (and feel) the main line starting to crack on the sides and at time I could feel it strech under my finger.

Well, 30mins later I was reeling in on the leader and had the fish in sight about 3m underwater. It was a barrel! A big one!

I thighten the drag and use my body to keep the fish locked in, but she decides the fight isnt over and she bursts down once again taking with her my windon leader and just as the main line peels off the reel again, i hear SNAP!
I had forgoten to release the drag on the reel, and having taken a beating, the main line snaps. She wins the fight, taking with her my skirt and windon. We scream, we swear and curse - but she is lost.

4PM - Exhausted, disappointed and speechless we start heading off to Portland.

What a day, what a fish, what a fight!

Thank you boys (4litres and purple5ive) for working your butts off to help me bring this fish in and I am sorry I lost her. A team effort indeed.
The seasons is just starting and you are both welcome to join me again for another go.

Some pics below

18033069_10155208725988245_2972802901419808769_n.jpg
18057984_10155208726248245_994226257631945604_n.jpg
17952684_10155208726468245_1580142438431568131_n.jpg
18034338_10155208726563245_7490262403593307507_n.jpg
17990964_10155208726833245_1824335915953565106_n.jpg

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MsShimano
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Re: Portland Tuna Trip Report - 22/4/17

Post by MsShimano » Sun Apr 23, 2017 3:02 pm

ChrisAbout wrote:2AM - Met with 4liters and purple5ive at my house. After loading the boat with all the gear, we all headed towards Portland with high hopes of fighting (and landing) a monster tuna.

6AM - We arrive at BP Pt Fairy and after emptying our tanks, we debate if we should fish Pt Fairy (LJP Island) or continue to Portland. Our decision was made easy when we realised that none of us had a gimbal belt. So off we headed to Portland Bait and Tackle.

7AM - Purchased a $50 PENN gimbal belt and rejected their offer to join a fishing comp for $20. Headed for the ramp and by 7.30AM we were on our way towards the rocks.

11AM - Having trolled the drop-offs up to 100m without any sign of fish or bait, we decided to head East towards Julia Percy Island.

12AM - After 1hour of battling the swell to LJP Island, we finally arrive to calm waters to the south, protected by the island. Lures are skirts straight in the water and off we go trolling the 30m line. Not even 5 minutes into trolling, my PENN Squal 60LD starts screaming and we are watching the 40lb line peeling off the overhead reel. I jump on the rod, purple5ive takes the wheel and 4litres brings in all other rods.

I tighten the drag little by little and start fighting the fish. Instantly I knew this was no schoolie tuna, as I was watching my 24kg rod bend over the boat dragging my whole body with it too.
She fought and she fought, but we kept on fighting back.
(Thank you purple5ive's for handling my boat and working with me to fight this fish.)

After about 1hour of fighting her, my back and arms were getting tired, so 4litres took over. Ian did an awesome job working with purple5ive to continue fighting the fish while I was regaining my strengths with a V drink.
You could see on his face the amount of work he had to put in, at one stage he was kneeling down on the floor resting the rod off the side and just watching it bend over and the line peeling off.

I took the rod back and started fighting the fish. Knowing that my reel was spooled with cheap 40lb mono but my windon leader was 200lb, my main aim was to bring the fish close enough so that I can rely on the 200lb leader taking the strain and I can lock the drag. I could see (and feel) the main line starting to crack on the sides and at time I could feel it strech under my finger.

Well, 30mins later I was reeling in on the leader and had the fish in sight about 3m underwater. It was a barrel! A big one!

I thighten the drag and use my body to keep the fish locked in, but she decides the fight isnt over and she bursts down once again taking with her my windon leader and just as the main line peels off the reel again, i hear SNAP!
I had forgoten to release the drag on the reel, and having taken a beating, the main line snaps. She wins the fight, taking with her my skirt and windon. We scream, we swear and curse - but she is lost.

4PM - Exhausted, disappointed and speechless we start heading off to Portland.

What a day, what a fish, what a fight!

Thank you boys (4litres and purple5ive) for working your butts off to help me bring this fish in and I am sorry I lost her. A team effort indeed.
The seasons is just starting and you are both welcome to join me again for another go.

Some pics below

18033069_10155208725988245_2972802901419808769_n.jpg
18057984_10155208726248245_994226257631945604_n.jpg
17952684_10155208726468245_1580142438431568131_n.jpg
18034338_10155208726563245_7490262403593307507_n.jpg
17990964_10155208726833245_1824335915953565106_n.jpg
Amazing report! Really enjoyed reading that and felt like I was there. I'm coming next time!!
Of course I talk to my self while fishing.. sometimes I need expert advice! :fishing:

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Re: Portland Tuna Trip Report - 22/4/17

Post by Bayrock » Sun Apr 23, 2017 3:25 pm

Exciting stuff! Thanks for posting!

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Re: Portland Tuna Trip Report - 22/4/17

Post by rb85 » Sun Apr 23, 2017 3:41 pm

Bad luck Chris I take it you will be respooling after this?

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Re: Portland Tuna Trip Report - 22/4/17

Post by hornet » Sun Apr 23, 2017 3:58 pm

I feel your pain ! after such a long hard fight and losing it can lead some men to drink :cheers:
He who has the most fishing rods WINS ! :ts:

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Re: Portland Tuna Trip Report - 22/4/17

Post by kenzie101 » Sun Apr 23, 2017 4:08 pm

hornet wrote:I feel your pain ! after such a long hard fight and losing it can lead some men to drink :cheers:
and loose women.

Great report what a fight, one to remember.

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Re: Portland Tuna Trip Report - 22/4/17

Post by Nude up » Sun Apr 23, 2017 4:16 pm

Great read bad luck on losing it. For the sake of a $70 respool that's the way it goes

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Re: Portland Tuna Trip Report - 22/4/17

Post by purple5ive » Sun Apr 23, 2017 4:35 pm

Firstly. Thanks for taking us both rookies out on your boat.
Chris was very nice to deal with and we all got along very well indeed. All the makings of a great team but little did we know that the team effort was going to be put to the test so soon.

Chris has done a brilliant write up of the events.

I knew we were onto a big fish when the seal turned up and didn't do anything but sit there and watch and swim around the boat.


I was the only one with a gopro but sadly most of it is just the cockpit of the boat. I tried in vain to get ian to take the gopro off me and put it on himself as he had a perfect view and would have got a better preview of what was going on. But everyone was so focused on the fish that it never happened.

If i knew how to handle an overhead reel a bit better i certainly would have helped with fighting the fish. Ian and chris were well and truly burnt out and i was too scared to take over in case i ruined all the hard work these two had done so i never offered to take over.. perhaps next time i need to, so i better get some practice using overheads asap.

We seen colour twice and both times fish was windon leader length away. So still about 5-6m under the boat and it looked massive. If i was to put a number to it id say 90-100 kg fish easily as it was atleast 5 times bigger than what i caught.

Poor ian i think he got thrown straight in the deep end and he didn't expect it to be this tough going lolll


We ended the day doing some bottom.bashing with ian and myself landing some wrasse and scorpion cod on jigs and ian pulling in some couta on a sabiki rig. Even getting 4 fish on at once at one stage.

For a first time chasing a barrel at the wheel of the sportscraft i think i did quite well. The optimax performed well and the boat is a dream to ride on.
One thing iwas really glad was that it was almost flat calm the whole time we were fighting the fish. Would have been a nightmare if the swell was up. And worse if the men in grey suits turned up.

Am certainly looking forward to the next one

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Re: Portland Tuna Trip Report - 22/4/17

Post by Lightningx » Sun Apr 23, 2017 4:45 pm

Sounds like a great fight! Bad luck in the end...

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Re: Portland Tuna Trip Report - 22/4/17

Post by davek » Sun Apr 23, 2017 5:42 pm

Excellent "running commentary" report, well done, too bad the fish broke off to ruin the day, cheers davo :snap:
It's an exhilarating feeling catching a fish
But it's an even better feeling releasing them

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