THERE are few better adrenaline rushes in fishing than hooking and fighting a min-tuna on light gear from the stones.
On the NSW far south coast, the species of tuna land-based spin anglers are most likely to come across is the bonito.
Every year, from mid-summer onwards, these pocket-sized speedsters come within casting distance of the ocean rocks, breakwalls and wharves.
They’re following the warm currents, which peak in the south in March and April, and bring with them abundant schools of baitfish.
Armed with metal lures that imitate a garfish, pilchard or whitebait, anglers spinning the stones have a good chance of tangling with one of the fastest little fish in the sea.
I remember hooking my first bonito back in the early 90s, while spinning for salmon and tailor.
Even before I saw it, it was clear from the outset that I had hooked something other than a run-of-the-mill salmon or chopper.
The initial strike was brutal and the first runs electric. The rapid, zig-zagging fight caused the line to rooster tail across the surface – something I’d never seen a tailor or salmon do.
You could feel the tail beats pulsating through the braid as the fish fought well above its weight class, providing plenty of nervous moments as it flirted with the kelp and cunje beds.
That encounter spawned an obsession with high-speed spinning for bonito.
It’s something I try to do a few times every season and, although catches differ markedly from year to year, I still encounter at least a few fish on a regular basis.
With ocean water temperatures rising on the south coast, right now is the ideal time to tangle with a little land-based tuna, especially bonito.
If you’ve never caught one, or you want to catch more, read on and find out how you can get a slice of the high-speed action.
Fast lane
The Australian bonito are found along our east coast and in New Zealand. They’re a member of the tuna family and grow to 9kg, but they’re typically less than 3kg.
Most of the fish I’ve caught over the decades have been between 40-and 50cm and weigh around 1.5 – 2kg.
They’re definitely a species that prefers warmer waters and they rarely make an appearance on the NSW far south coast until after Christmas, when the ocean temperature rises above the 20-degree mark.
The have razor sharp teeth like a dogtooth tuna, which they use to rip into schools of anchovies and gars.
Streamlined, muscular and built for speed, bonito have been clocked at over 65 km/hr so they’re no slouches, and certainly one of the most high-octane fish available to land-based south coast anglers.
Turning up the heat
I catch most of my bonito from a nondescript ledge south of Batemans Bay, on the NSW far south coast.
It’s an outcrop that juts into comparatively shallow water and it’s relatively protected from big swells.
On some days, it’s like casting into a clear, calm lake. Calm seas don’t seem to deter bonito, though.
I’ve caught them on sunny days in mill-pond conditions, and when there’s a bit of wind and whitewater around.
I have also encountered them while fishing breakwalls and big ocean wharves, like those at Tathra, Merimbula and Eden.
The key factors seem to be the temperature of the water and the presence of bait.
In summer and autumn, if there is bait around, bonito won’t be far behind – regardless of the time of day or stage of the tide.
The fishing, however, always seems to be better at dawn and dusk, particularly on a making tide.
These fish don’t like turbid or discoloured water, either. A big fresh caused by heavy rain and floods almost always sends bonito out wide until conditions clear. They will return with a vengeance, though!
Bonnies will be active in water above 20-degrees, but expect the action to go up a notch when those temps climb to the 23 and 24-dgree mark!
Speed kills
Finesse takes a back seat if you’re chasing mini tuna like bonito.
A metal lure ripped through the water as fast as possible is by far the best way to prick the attention of one of these fish and get it to strike.
I use medium-spin tackle for all my bonito outings – a 5-8kg, seven-foot spin stick, 4000 size reel, 15-20lb braid and a 20-30lb leader.
You can subdue just about any small pelagic with this set-up. The only trouble you’re likely to encounter is if you hook a passing kingy – and I’ve done that a few times.
Importantly, an outfit like this allows you to comfortably cast all day. And sometimes you have to put in hundreds of casts before you eventually connect to the target species.
Lure selection is uncomplicated. Any metal slice, slug or jig between 18 and 40 grams will do the trick. You don’t have to spend big money, either. The metals I use retail for under $10 each and sometimes I get them for half that.
As long as you can cast it between 50 and 60 metres, and crank it back at warp speed, it will do the job.
You might need to up-size or downsize your lure, depending on the size of the bait in the vicinity. Try a few different sizes and, once you start getting whacked, stick with that profile.
Another appealing feature of this style of fishing is the by-catch you’ll encounter in the form of salmon, tailor, trevally, frigate mackerel and small kingfish.
These speedy fish won’t hang around forever, so grab some metals and have a go at living in the fast lane!
