Giant Tuna Adventures
THE guys at Kiwi based ITM Fishing Show are gaining a well earned reputation for producing some of the most watchable fishing DVDs around. Their earlier efforts include some great stuff aboard The Ultimate Lady from the Wanganella Banks and Cairns, but Giant Tuna Adventures has raised the bar, as far as I’m concerned.
Over the past several seasons New Zealand’s Pacific bluefin fishery has received a lot of press and rightly so. With fish to almost 400 kilos (and possibly bigger) on offer and heaps of them, the Hokitika Trench west of Greymouth on the West Coast of the South Island has hit the world stage with a big bang. The fishery is based around chasing Pacific bluefin tuna that are attracted to the area by enormous trawlers and floating fish factories that net and process hoki. The fishing takes place between 60 and 80km offshore and as the large nets are brought to the surface they create a huge berley trail that the bluefin feed on. With 200 to 300 kilo Pacific blues smashing the surface, this really has to be seen to be believed.
While this all sounds good, bear in mind that the trawling only takes place for a brief six to eight week period in August and September and it can snow during this time. If it’s not snowing, it’s bloody cold and the weather is usually pretty awful. Oh, and the only access is across a notorious bar at the mouth of the Greymouth River. Getting a window of good weather during the trawl period is the secret to finding fish.
Get out there with fresh hoki and good weather while the trawling is taking place and you are just about a certainty to hook a Pacific bluefin. Hooking a fish on 37-kilo stand up tackle doesn’t necessarily mean you’ll land it. These fish are huge and dogged fighters and the ITM guys soon realise just how tough they are. One fish is hooked and lost after six hours of serious drag pressure. The footage on this DVD is first class and very entertaining along with giving a great insight into the fishery and fish. Some excellent underwater footage and Matt Watson’s commentary is great to watch. He has a personality that comes across very well on the screen. If you’re a game fisherman or like “big fish” DVDs then this is the one video you should buy yourself this year. Nine out of 10. This is best “toona fushing” video I’ve seen.
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