The annual Tuna Shootout Competition was held out of Port Lincoln in South Australia from April 17-19. The event attracted boats and competitors from all over the state.
While the number of tuna caught was down compared to previous years, the big surprise was a cooperative school of mahi mahi. Infrequent visitors to SA, mahi mahi are only occasionally sighted and caught within South Australia’s cool temperate waters.
During the competition, several mahi mahi were caught ranging in size from 8 to 12.5kg. The fish were apparently schooled-up near floating rope that was acting as an FAD.
The attached pic shows Mark Forster from Longshot with a solid mahi mahi taken on 10kg line near the Neptune Islands.
Two days after the competition I was invited aboard charter vessel Why Not for a five-day offshore trip to try and locate the wayward school of dolphin fish. Ironically, schools of tuna, which were quiet during the competition, were back in force eating lures, but the mysterious mahi mahi were nowhere to be found.
By Jamie Crawford
